Digouter
Arukoitan
Who ate my crackerrrs...
Posts: 173
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Post by Digouter on Oct 23, 2020 10:29:40 GMT -5
Oh boy... here we go haha. This is a remake of an old fic I never got to finish (my first), and now I'm giving it my best shot. I'm going to try to force myself to write this, because I feel like all I do is design and it never feels perfect enough for me to just sit down and write, but you know what? It's never going to be perfect. I'm going to go for shorter chapters (unless I feel the need to make it longer of course), just so I don't give myself an excuse not to write. As far as how often I'll be writing, I'm hopefully going to be able to write a chapter per week, but I can't guarantee. I hope you all enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing this~ (also, Aster had an Irish accent in my head so I guess uh, I'm going with that) SONAR ECLIPSE
CHAPTER ONE: THE HEART OF RUIN
The decompression chamber hissed, the water slowly but surely seeping out through nearly invisible seams, revealing more and more of the room as it drained. While it might have been built to withstand the water pressure - and the erosion that came with it -time had a habit of stripping places of their luster and function, and there was a reason why such areas are known as ruins despite the clear cut evidence of lost and unattainable technology. Eventually, the water had drained enough that it was only a cluster of puddles on the industrial flooring, showing two individuals huddled over what looked to be a terminal. Perhaps it may have drained entirely at one point, but such a function had likely deteriorated over an unreckonable number of years. The shorter of the two stretched, before tinkering with and removing her diving helmet, revealing a mess of light blue hair, fair skin, and a pair of striking carmine eyes. “Finally,” The girl muttered, sighing in relief as she clipped her diving helmet to her shoulder strap. “I didn’t think I’d still get the thing working after so long.” “Little Brittle,” The taller figure replied in a gruff tone, trying to hide his surprise at the fact that anything in the underwater ruin was working at all. He gave his portable spotting equipment another look, frowning through his diving mask. “I’ve been trying to tell you since we got here - we’re supposed to be searching for physical connections to Undertown. The coordinates are way off. Remember what the boss-- --I know what my brother said,” The girl snapped, giving her partner - her brother’s right-hand man - a dirty look. His diving mask made it harder to gauge a reaction, though she found herself not caring after a second or two. She shook her head before returning her attention back to the old terminal. “And stop calling me that. It’s Aster or nothing at all.” Aster took her partner’s silence as proof that he got the point. She felt relatively safe around him, as her overprotective brother would likely have his head if anything happened to her. Still, she wished she could have done this alone, as the last time she had been in this same decompression chamber was with her father, almost eight years ago. She recognized the low and persistent humming from across the room instantly, and a wave of nostalgia almost got her misty-eyed. How she wished her dad was still with them. Aster found herself subconsciously gripping the strap of the weapon hoisted on her shoulder - a portable grenade launcher - as she walked toward the entrance to the main chamber. There were no signs of any Reaverbots along the way, though this part of the ruin was long considered safe and fully charted, thanks to her father’s efforts. The fact that much of the ruin was submerged underwater deterred any further attempts from her brother, but it did not stop the younger Brittle from forging ahead. She knew something that her brother did not; something that she didn’t quite understand herself when her father would bring her here. He called it the heart of the ruin, a place he would visit to reflect as he studied the chamber ahead. She needed his guidance now more than ever, especially with her brother taking up arms against Undertown. “Stay here, Killick.” “That’s a negative, Little Brittle,” Her partner stated matter-of-factly, his voice somehow sounding even more robotic due to the diving mask, as he fastened his spotting equipment to the side and unclasped his rifle. “My job’s to keep an eye on you and that’s what I’m going to do.” Aster twitched at Killick’s dry attempt at getting under her skin, but simply shook her head and chuckled in response. “Yeah yeah. It was worth a try.” Compared to the dilapidated nature of the decompression chamber, the room ahead was quite surreal, as it looked even more worn by the ravages of time, while simultaneously littered with cracked screens, exposed wiring, and strange equipment. At the far end of the room was a capsule that still looked to be functioning - the source of the humming noise Aster now associated with her father. Whatever type of rubber was used to hold much of the strange technology together had obviously perished, giving the whole chamber a curious organic look. Considering how every other part of the ruin was underwater, the presence of dust and other types of strange moldy substances was almost a breath of fresh air - at least, if it didn’t smell so much like a storage compartment gone wrong. In line with her thoughts, Killick nudged Aster with his elbow and pointed to his mask, wordlessly letting her know that the air likely wasn’t safe to breathe. The young woman nodded, deftly separating the visor from the demand valve and putting on the half-mask to act as a respirator. She didn’t need such a thing the last time she visited this room, which struck her as odd. If this chamber could handle who knows how many years just fine and somehow deteriorate within the past decade, there had to have been a reason. “Keep your eyes peeled,” Her partner warned, lifting his rifle in an alert stance. “Something about this place doesn’t sit right with me.” “If I had a zenny for every time you said that…” Aster mused, but her words trailed off as she slowly readied her weapon. Something did feel off. It was almost like the chamber was alive, somehow, despite it looking much worse for wear compared to last time. She could feel it. The humming sound wasn’t necessarily louder, but she could feel it right between her ears. She could feel her heartbeat… but at the same time, it felt like the whole chamber was pulsing. Despite her insistence in reaching this area of the ruin, Killick was the first to take a few steps forward. While much of the machinery was far gone and beyond their understanding to begin with, he noticed some pieces of equipment belonging to the Brittles. It was old, but it had their family crest. “Did some of this equipment belong to your father?” Killick’s mention of her father broke Aster out of her reverie, and she quickly stepped forward to take a look. She didn’t answer him, but it was pretty obvious that it belonged to her dad - it had their old crest and everything. At the corner of her eye, she spotted something next to the array of familiar machinery. It was a compilation of documents strung together. Her father’s notes. While Aster knelt down to give it a closer look, Killick found himself staring at the far end of the chamber. “What even is that thing? What was your father doing here?” “I don’t know,” Aster replied as she rushed to secure the documents to ensure it doesn’t get wet on the way out. The notes were exactly what she came for - something of her dad’s that offered an inkling about what he was doing… maybe even a clue pointing them where he went when he left for that expedition five years ago. “I just… don’t know.” “Does the boss know about this place?” Killick asked as the young Brittle walked toward the strange structure at the end of the room. He wasn’t expecting an answer, and he didn’t get one. He would have to report his findings to her older brother. The man sighed and lowered his weapon. “We’ll have to start doing what we set out to do soon, or he’s going to wonder why we’re taking so long.” Aster sighed and nodded. She wanted to tell him off, but he was right. If they spent too long hanging around, she wouldn’t put it past her brother to mobilize an entire unit after them. As much as she disapproved of her brother’s actions against Undertown - an act that effectively turned them into pirates - she knew that he was doing it for them. She also knew better than to mess with whatever it was inside the strange capsule that seemed to pulsate with invisible energy. If she had more time, she might have studied the documents and tried to figure out what her father was hoping to accomplish, but she was well aware of what could happen if you took anything important out of its proper place in a ruin such as this. They could end up locked inside, or much worse. She retrieved her father’s notes; it was more than enough. “Let’s get a move on, then-- The young woman was interrupted by a deafening metallic click that reverberated all around the chamber. She dropped her weapon in an effort to cover her ears, the launcher hanging from its strap as the sound seemed to blast further into the rest of the ruin. Killick snapped into an aggressive stance, his gaze quickly darting to where they came from, before looking back at Aster. They could hear the sound of rushing water, similar to when the decompression chamber drained the previous room. “What did you do?” Killick asked, moving closer to the girl he was supposed to protect as he kept an eye out for any sudden movements. “Nothing! I j-just…” Aster stammered, wondering if taking the notes could have started some kind of chain reaction. It didn’t make any sense, but at that point nothing did. Before she could think of a reasonable explanation, the seemingly broken screens around the chamber began to light up one after the other, strange symbols flickering and overlapping across several screens before finally stopping at a language they understood. COMMUNICATION *@&*&^#$@! INTERRUPTED
@*@#^&*E SIGNAL @#!$#@% LOST
INITIALIZING PROTOCOL
R***A***Y
The sound of metal grinding metal groaned from the capsule, and just as the two turned to look, they were enveloped in a flash of light.
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Digouter
Arukoitan
Who ate my crackerrrs...
Posts: 173
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Post by Digouter on Oct 25, 2020 2:03:14 GMT -5
CHAPTER ONE, PART TWO: CAPTIVE LEGEND
A-----all right?!“...Huh…”
C------stand?“What is…” Little Brittle!“I… I said stop calling me that!” The young girl replied, rubbing her eyes with one hand as she gingerly propped herself up with the other. The last thing she could remember was a bright light, and what felt like an earthquake. “Killick, what happened?” “The ground gave way,” Her partner replied, kneeling next to the young girl and offering a hand. They had only fallen a few feet as parts of the ground cracked and leveled, but the flooring was no longer stable. They needed to get out of the room - and the ruin - as soon as possible. “Whatever it is that happened, it can't be anything good. We need to go.” “All right…” Aster muttered, taking Killick’s hand and slowly getting to her feet. She could feel a dull throbbing from the side of her head... the fall must have been awkward. She also couldn’t help but notice a tiny crack on her partner’s helmet. Instinctively, she ran a hand through her hair and looked for any signs of blood. At the very least, it didn’t seem like she was bleeding. With a nod, Killick turned and proceeded to climb through some of the rubble, taking care not to cut himself on the shards of glass left from the broken screens. Aster took the time to check the rest of her body for any potential cuts or rips on her suit, her eyes widening when she realized what was missing. “H-hold on! My dad’s notes!” “Your father’s what?” “His documents! I picked them up earlier - we’re not leaving this place empty-handed Killick!” Aster replied, frantically looking around for any sign of the aforementioned documents. The rest of the ground further into the room had given way, and an eerie glow now emanated from the capsule that collapsed along with the rest of the equipment. It was the only source of light in the area at that point, which allowed her to spot the neatly bundled notes right next to the sealed structure. “Oh, thank goodness… I found it! I just need to climb down to get it!” “Young miss you will do no such thing--” Killick started, about to head back down when he felt the ground shake once more. He let out a frustrated sigh, realizing that he would be putting the fifteen-year-old Brittle in more danger if he tried to go get her. All he could do was keep watch and hope for the best. “For the love of… you do realize that this place is falling apart right?” “I’ll be fine,” The young girl hissed a breath as she cautiously leaped to the next stable looking platform, before getting on all fours to climb down the rest of the way. There wasn’t any time to worry about the situation; she wanted those notes. She needed it. It could very well be the key to helping her family back together again, even if all that was left of it was her brother. As she got closer and closer to the bottom of the pit, the nostalgic hum coming from the capsule made the hair at the back of her neck stand on end. She only realized how intense the pulsing was when she could practically hear her heartbeat booming in her head. “Almost there…” Just as she readied to drop to the bottom from her current position, her foot slipped and the awkward momentum caused her grip to loosen. “Little Brittle!” Killick yelled out as the young girl yelped and landed next to the glowing capsule with a light thud. “Are you okay?!” Aster was back on her feet in an instant as she dusted herself off, her pride smarting more than her bottom. Well, maybe it was about the same ratio. “I’m fine, Killick!” If his face hadn’t been entirely covered by his diving mask, Killick would be massaging the bridge of his nose from the stress. He knew because he lifted his hand to do so, before realizing what he was doing and putting it back down. He felt more like a glorified babysitter than anything else at the moment. “Just… watch out for broken glass!” “Oh just stop,” Aster said absent-mindedly, leaning her hand on the capsule as she bent down to pick up the bundled documents. “I got it!” “...Little Brittle, what did you do this time?” “Wait what?” The girl replied, before realizing that the sealed structure she had her hand on was beginning to vibrate, the light source steadily growing brighter to the point where it began to fill the rest of the room. Aster took a few steps back and lifted her hand to avoid being blinded (again), as Killick checked to see if he had a round in the chamber before training his sights on the opening. A puff of vapor hissed out of the capsule before the light source dimmed, revealing a peculiar sight, to say the least. “It’s a… person?” “Don’t get too close to that thing! Get back up here!” Aster heard him but was much too distracted by what was in the strange capsule to pay her partner any mind. She had initially assumed that what was in the metal shell was some kind of giant refractor, as they were well-known to power sections of a ruin. The primary issue with trying to remove a seemingly important refractor - especially in a ruin located deep below sea level - was that not many diggers make it back home when they do so. She would have been far warier of such a fate if the contents of the capsule were what she was expecting. Instead, it was a boy - at least it looked like a boy - who seemed to be in a deep sleep. The enigmatic figure was wrapped in an indigo digging suit with strange markings, though it was as worn-down as the rest of the chamber. In fact, some pieces had already chipped off, showing a robotic interior that made it clear to Aster he wasn’t entirely human. Judging from his face, he didn’t look to be much older than she was, but it was hard to tell. He had a disheveled head of brown hair that was long enough to reach his waist, though it was tangled up in a mess of wiring that was connected all over his body. She only noticed then that the entirety of his right arm was an exposed robotic frame, a fact that fascinated more than repulsed. She couldn’t quite place it, but there was a sense of comfort, staring at the boy’s robotic body. Did her father know about this? Was he aware that this ruin housed such a thing? There was no way he could’ve seen this without opening the capsule, and there didn’t seem to be a way to do so before all of this happened. Perhaps, it was the reason why there was so much of his equipment here in the first place. “Aster, we have company! Stay down there and wait for my signal!” “Huh?” The girl immediately turned to look for Killick, who had already moved out of sight. She was so preoccupied with losing the documents that she failed to realize she had also dropped her weapon in the ensuing quake. Before she could call out to her partner, the telltale beeping of a Reaverbot echoed… accompanied by several more. Impossible. This part of the ruin had been entirely deserted for years. “Killick! Be careful!” She strained to hear the multiple pairs of metallic footsteps, cringing in surprise when her partner’s rifle went off during the scuffle. She wanted to help, and she needed to find her weapon to do so - feeling her blood run cold when she heard Killick yell out, followed by a loud crash. Clapping her cheeks in an attempt to gather her bearings, Aster steeled herself, unclipping the visor from the side of her suit and putting it on, reconnecting the half-mask with a pressurized click. She needed as much protection as she could get. Without skipping a beat, she quickly started the climb to help her partner. She might not necessarily be fond of the guy, but she wasn’t about to let something happen to him because of her decision to come here. She still wished she had come alone, but shuddered at the idea of all of this happening without him. She didn’t notice the glow of the capsule dimming entirely - nor the metal shell’s contents gasping his first breath.
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Digouter
Arukoitan
Who ate my crackerrrs...
Posts: 173
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Post by Digouter on Oct 28, 2020 2:21:25 GMT -5
I feel the inner voice here might be confusing, but those who have recently played the first Legends will probably notice it instantly... x)
CHAPTER ONE, PART THREE: THE PHANTOM SPOTTERMega Man? Mega Man! Can you hear me?The boy gasped as amber eyes shot open for the first time, his skeletal arm instinctively thrusting forward and ripping apart several of the wires attached to it. What was this? Where was he? He saw his outstretched arm and fixated on the robotic, metallic frame. This thing, was this… was this his arm? In a subconscious effort to affirm his thoughts, he brought his hand closer, slowly opening and closing it as he watched the cybernetic digits clench in response. Tracing through his metallic appendage, he looked down toward his torso, noting through the chipped hole in the suit that it wasn’t just his arm - it seemed to connect to an entirely robotic skeletal frame, held in place by a mess of wiring. What was he doing here? Why didn’t the sight of his body surprise him? Feeling a tinge of apprehension, he moved to touch his face. He could feel his skin, and it was soft; a fact that only served to confuse him more. Before he could collect any semblance of logical thought, a beeping noise above distracted the armored boy - forcing him to quickly take in the rest of his surroundings. Wherever he was, it didn’t look structurally sound. All he knew was that he felt pinned down, the beeping didn’t mean anything good, and he was beginning to panic - he needed to break free. As if on cue with what he was thinking, the boy felt an extremely uncomfortable jolt through his body as the wiring began to pop out one by one. He felt it around his head, his neck, his arms, his back… he shut his eyes as the sensory overload began to make him dizzy. When the last wire connecting his back to the capsule finally loosened and unhinged, he fell to his knees with a clang - both his arms moving forward to stop him from falling face first. --Looks like a Reaverbot. You’d better get out of there, come on--His eyes shot open again, a bead of sweat trickling down his neck. That voice… what… who was that? Why was the sound so oddly comforting? To his surprise, his skeletal arm was now covered in the same indigo armor as the rest of his body. There were cracks that still exposed the frame, but he felt better about it nonetheless. Whole, somehow. He caught sight of a worn-down helmet next to the capsule, and he knew instantly that it was his. Following the voice’s instructions, he let out a deep breath and picked up his helmet as he stood, getting used to how it felt - and his own breathing - as he put on his helmet. It was surreal since he felt keenly aware of so many things, but without an underlying foundation or explanation for any of it. Looking up, he knew that he could jump from the ruined platform to the floor above in a single bound. With regard to why he knew, he had no idea. The blast of a firearm echoed and his gaze sharpened in response, the armored boy’s eyes glowing faintly in anticipation. “Killick! Hold on!” --There should be a Reaverbot around there somewhere...“Stand back Aster! These aren’t your typical--argh!” “Killick!” ...Can you see it?“Here we go,” The boy muttered under his breath, entirely unused to the sound of his own voice as he squatted for half a second before deftly vaulting all the way to the floor above. As he landed, the vibration he felt around his body was simultaneously familiar, and comforting. He could see that the source of the fighting was further on in the room ahead. However, he could also hear the sound of slow-moving Reaverbots echoing around the chamber. His eyes darted to and fro, but he couldn’t get a visual on any of them. With two beeps in quick succession, he knew that the Reaverbots had noticed him. The sense of uncertainty, the tantalizing hint of excitement bubbling just under the surface... he could remember this feeling. He wasn’t sure about what was happening to him, or why, but he could say for certain he remembered this feeling, and he wasn’t about to let go. The steps grew quicker and louder as he tried to recall as much information as he could, based on his senses. When the Reaverbot materialized right in front of the armored boy to skewer him, he felt a mild sense of deja vu wash over him - finally remembering what it was called - as he promptly took a step to the side. The Sharakurusu’s razor-sharp claws whizzed past the side of his head, slicing a few strands of hair in the process as its momentum kept it going. Before the Reaverbot could clear the distance to attempt another swipe, the boy deftly hooked his arm around its shoulder, forcing its fierce momentum to an abrupt halt. The ensuing whiplash practically ripped the Sharakurusu’s arm off of its socket, but it held on enough that the rest of its complex circuitry suffered damage; its legs vaulting upwards from the force. The last thing the Sharakurusu detected was another one of its kind materializing to strike, without enough time to take its altered position into account. The armored boy used the pinned Reaverbot to guard against the oncoming one’s onslaught, twisting to unhook his arm and rolling to the side as the two collided. The attacking Sharakurusu burrowed its claws deep into the other’s torso in a grating crash, forcing both to bundle together in a mass of flailing parts before igniting in an explosion. As the boy curiously turned his head toward the blast, he found his face pelted by refractor shards - one almost caught him in the eye before he shut them closed, scrunching his nose. Giving his head a shake before cautiously opening an eye to check if it was safe, he took note that it was a bad idea to look straight at a Reaverbot explosion, especially being so close. The sense of familiarity was telling him that he already knew not to do that, but the sensory overload was distracting… Another explosion - this time from the other room - snapped him out of it, and he quickly got up to observe the situation. There were two of them, and the taller one looked like he was injured. The smaller one had gotten hold of the rifle and managed to take down one of the Reaverbots, but they were still coming. --It looks like a small one - you should be able to take it out with your buster gun.“That doesn’t look like a small one,” The boy replied plainly to the voice in his head, rotating the arm he used against the Sharakurusu to see if it was still fully functional. His shoulder and elbow seemed fine, but there was a stark difference; he noticed that his hand was no longer there, and the forearm was a different shape entirely. It resembled something of a cannon. Was this the buster gun she was talking about? Aside from a sense of familiarity, he couldn’t help but feel an attachment to it. Almost like an old friend. Lining his sights, he pointed the buster toward the Reaverbot about to attack the smaller figure. He felt himself come alive as the moving parts exposed by the cannon’s broken armor began to spin rapidly, developing steam as it reached full power. Letting his instinct guide him, the boy finally let loose. Aster’s eyes widened when the Sharakurusu about to impale her with its bloodied claw was violently put in check by a concentrated beam of pure light - colliding first with its shoulder, before it eventually gave way to the pillar of plasma, ripping out its other arm as it punched through the rest of the Reaverbot and well past it. She followed the beam as it proceeded to melt the head off of a cloaked Sharakurusu much farther away - the rest of the Reaverbot materializing as it exploded - before the beam finally dissipated with a fizzle. “W-what…” The young girl stuttered, the sweat from her brow irritating her eyes as the Reaverbot in front of her finally crashed into a heap, causing the girl to jump in fright. She only realized then that she was still holding down the trigger of Killick’s rifle, thinking it was the end as she had run out of ammo. Still in a state of shock, she turned her gaze to look in the direction the… whatever that even was, came from. Almost dropping the rifle in surprise, she realized that it was the same boy from the capsule, armed with some kind of wicked arm cannon, his glowing eyes visible even from where she stood… And he was approaching her.
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Digouter
Arukoitan
Who ate my crackerrrs...
Posts: 173
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Post by Digouter on Oct 31, 2020 22:26:53 GMT -5
CHAPTER ONE, PART FOUR: ASTER BRITTLE
Fighting every urge to take a step back from fright, Aster pointed the rifle toward the boy, letting out a deep sigh in an effort to calm her frayed nerves. This… person, was he the heart of the ruin her dad was talking about? Whatever he was, that cannon of his was enough to cause a worrying amount of damage she had never seen from a weapon of that size - and it didn’t help that his eyes were glowing. As much as his face told her he was human, her gut was telling her to be extremely wary. “S-stay where you are.” The boy did as he was told, stopping in his tracks. Aside from the yelling earlier, it was the first time he had heard another person speak, and the glow from his eyes faded as he tried to pick anything up from his fragmented memory through the sound of her voice. “What are you?” The girl asked, feeling a bit more emboldened when the glow in the boy’s eyes dissipated. He didn’t seem quite as intimidating, but at the same time, she couldn’t help but feel a tinge of guilt for wording her question so callously. “What’s your name?” The person in question tilted his head in response, the confusion plain on his face. What was his name? What was he to begin with? He had no answers to give, and the feeling was perplexing, to say the least. It all seemed to flow much more clearly when he was dealing with the Reaverbots, but the moment the dust settled, his mind was as indecipherable as ever. Even the voice that seemed so clear inside his head had grown silent. There was something the voice had mentioned, however, that gave him pause. “Do you not know your name?” “...Mega Man,” The boy finally replied, the steam still rising from the exposed frame of his buster cannon. He decided to use the name the voice had called him, as it was the only thing that seemed to make sense. “I think. Yes, that might be my name.” “Mega Man?” Aster repeated, feeling a little more comfortable now that she heard him speak. While she still wasn’t entirely sure about his intentions, his voice sounded remarkably unremarkable. There was something gentle about it, but maybe she was just glad that this walking death machine was more human than he seemed. “Huh.” What an odd name... It didn’t even sound like he was convinced it was his. She remembered what was written on the screen right before everything went haywire, and got an idea. Without thinking things through, she lowered her weapon, regaining some of her confidence as she spoke. “Do you mind terribly if I just called you Ray?” An unreadable expression flashed across the boy’s face for a second, his eyes widening in surprise. The name sounded familiar to him, somehow. While Mega Man was the closest thing he could think of as a designation, he felt a wave of nostalgia at the girl’s mention of that name. Without responding to her question, the boy lifted his cannon, causing Aster to hurriedly point the rifle back at him. “Hey now, calm down! If it means that much to you I’ll call you Mega-- --Please get down.” The girl quickly noticed the alarmingly loud footsteps approaching from behind and dived down to the ground without hesitation, landing with a soft grunt. The second she landed, she felt the heat emanating from another salvo coming from the armored boy’s mind-boggling weapon. It felt even more intense than the first time, sounding like the very air was being super-heated and sheared. She turned to her back to see what looked to be another Sharakurusu pummeled and pierced by the beam - the Reaverbot exploding as the beam proceeded to collide with and melt the door at the end of the decompression chamber. She was about to comment on the destructive capabilities of his weapon when the person in question’s cannon arm seemed to suffer some kind of catastrophic failure, the steam replaced by sparks as the weapon almost burst into flames. Before Aster knew it, she was on her feet and checking on the boy, who was brought to his knees. “Hey! Are you all right?” “I…” The armored boy clenched his teeth as an uncomfortable mess of sensations overwhelmed his arm. His buster’s output was tremendous, but he had no control over it. He felt winded, needing to catch his breath as the overheated parts of his cannon eventually cooled. “I don’t mind being called that...” Aster blinked, before realizing he was talking about the name she gave him. With a little sigh of relief, she held out her hand, convinced that she wasn’t in any danger around him. “Okay then, Ray.” Ray stared at the outstretched hand for a second, before instinctively taking it and getting back on his feet. He noticed that the buster had reverted back to his forearm, and he clenched his left hand weakly. He wasn’t certain if he’d be able to call on it again - at least not for a while. “My name’s Aster. Killick and I appreciate the…” The girl trailed off, realizing that her partner was still injured on the ground. Without saying anything else, she turned and ran toward Killick, who had lost consciousness. He had a worrying gash on his side from the fight with the Reaverbots, and their spotting equipment was destroyed - meaning there was no way to contact home base. The girl wasted no time rummaging his bag for their first-aid supplies. Killick grunted as she sprayed antiseptic on the wound, before quickly turning him over to fully apply the bandages. She was used to first-aid, as she had been a field medic in digging missions when her brother would take the field. The crack on his diving helmet was large enough that it would be impossible to apply the tape that they typically used to pressurize damaged visors. Without skipping a beat, she fiddled with the knobs at the side of his helmet and took it off, revealing only the top half of Killick’s face as he had what looked to be a bandana covering the lower half. She didn’t notice at first due to Killick always wearing his helm, but the design on the bandana showcased the two members of Uptown - a popular comedy group in the radio. Deadpan Killick, a fan of Uptown? As much as the thought amused her, she had more pressing matters to attend to. She removed her helmet and proceeded to put it on her partner, taking care to account for his long red hair. She took his helmet and snapped it to her side, as well as reloading the rifle using the spare magazines she found in the bag. “We need to get out of here…” As Ray approached, having recovered somewhat from earlier, Aster stood and turned to him, a look of resolution on her face. For a moment, the boy saw another person. A girl with piercing green eyes and a strange hairstyle, with the curious emblem of what looked to be a skull on her chest. He blinked in confusion, and the girl was back to being Aster. “Listen, I hate to impose, but I need your help. I’m not sure why you’re here, but if you’ve got nowhere to be, then you might as well come with,” The girl said, gesturing toward the unconscious figure. “Killick needs help… I need to get him back to my family’s ship, the Gwydion. Our subpod’s not too far from here, but with the place crawling with Reaverbots, I don’t know if we’ll make it on our own.” Ray nodded in understanding, walking toward the unconscious figure to pick up the bag and spotting equipment, before gingerly carrying Killick on his back. He had considered lifting him over his shoulder for the sake of convenience, but his injury would only get worse. Shifting the man to a more comfortable position, Ray couldn’t help smiling to himself a little, feeling as though he’d done something similar before. “Lead the way, Aster.” While Aster was still completely wary about the situation, the boy’s expression disarmed her somewhat, and she felt some of the burden lift from her shoulders. It was probably because her father obsessed over the capsule such a long time ago, but she felt a connection to this boy. “Thank you… oh, before I forget!” The girl ran back to the main chamber, leaving Ray to survey the surroundings for a good minute, before returning with her father’s notes, and her grenade launcher. She was supposed to grab it before getting to Killick, but the presence of the two Sharakurusu in the chamber forced her to make a run for it. She had stuffed the notes in her bag, and held the grenade launcher on her non-dominant left, as accuracy wasn’t as crucial as the rifle. She had also put on Killick’s half-mask, just in case they had to traverse underwater. The boy nodded to her, feeling better about their chances. Aster nodded back in acknowledgment, her smile covered by the half-mask. “Let’s get going, Ray.”
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Post by Dashe on Nov 2, 2020 20:33:19 GMT -5
PART 1Okay, so we're jumping straight into things here, great! I've got to wonder what Aster's dad was thinking, taking a little kid on a trip to a water ruin at all. "Yes, Aster, this here is the most boring type of ruin in the world. There's one on Nino Island, in fact, that's five levels long and has water physics that will make you yank out all of Killick's hair and force him to eat it, unless you're playing on the PSP." Have you ever played Metroid Prime: Hunters? Killick's helmet low key reminds me of Weavel. I'm also seriously wondering if the asterisks between the letters in Ray's name are actually obscuring an acronym, but I guess time will tell with that one. PART 2Yay for structural damage! It's becoming increasingly obvious that Aster's really the one in charge. I can hardly blame Killick for refusing to call her by her first name on principle. It seems like the only thing left that he actually has control over around these parts. But hey, Aster got the notes, that's what's really important, right? PART 3What do you mean if you've played it recently? That dialogue's always fresh with me! Anyway, I know you'd been toying with making Ray a girl earlier, but I think the results of the coin flip are working. It would seem weird if some random girl in Dark Mega Man armor had the entirety of Mega Man Legends 1 imprinted in her mind for no reason. Making him a guy gives a stronger connection. Plus you don't really seem to write a lot of guys, so it's a good push for diversity. But knowing the character's background also makes me suspect that this isn't actually our Mega Man, he's just got his memories on him or something...then again, I've probably got Mega Man Legends 1 burned into my noggin too for no good reason. Ray certainly handles an invisible Sharukurusu horde better than Teisel did back in my fic, but I think Teisel has the edge over Killick and Little Brittle if we had to rank them. Does he have a Shining Laser on him? I feel like a Shining Laser is just a tactical advantage. PART 4Think you missed a pronoun. "talking about the name she gave her." Anyway, I'm surprised that was really the buster gun there. It actually seems to function more like Roll and that one girl in the Kattelox Museum who gave you the Prism Crystal seemed to insinuate the Shining Laser would. Killick really came in dead last in the "Who handles invisible Sharukurusu best" contest, didn't he? Also, red hair sounds even more like Weavel. I'm pretty sure Weavel was some kind of pirate, too. If Killick winds up sawn in half at any point, then I'm calling expy on this one! No energy cubes dropped from any of the Reaverbots, eh? No canteen either? Guess the Brittle gang is kicking it old school down there. I do find it...not entirely unexpected, but still pleasantly surprising, that Ray would have Mega Man Legends seared into his brain, see Tron instead of Aster for a moment, and not immediately go, "Oh crap." Where there are Bonnes, there is drama! So far you're managing to make Aster not feel very much like a Tron expy, which I'm guessing may be a result of you not being twelve anymore. I like it. Keep it up!
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Digouter
Arukoitan
Who ate my crackerrrs...
Posts: 173
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Post by Digouter on Nov 2, 2020 23:21:51 GMT -5
Aaaah, I appreciate the reviews! Thanks a bunch, really. And my gods yes, I've played that game... I can't believe Killick actually does resemble Weavel a lot. I feel like I had Shinonome Yakumo from Code Vein in my head when I was designing him but nope. Weavel. Ahahah xD
And yes! That is the Shining Laser x). The capsule's ability to replicate and imprint memories is entirely busted, so as a flawed copy, the weapon actually is merged into the buster instead of a separate special attachment. The consequences of which was also shown there haha. I'm not sure if this is a spoiler or what, but Ray's body has the built-in special weaponry and effects, but with very little means of control (at least that's what I have in my head so far, I'm also writing by the seat of my pants haha). Regarding whether or not he's Mega Man, he's definitely not our Trigger, that blue boy is still stuck in the moon haha, as the events of MML2 are just finishing up - Elysium's disconnection from most (or maybe all) of the world at the end is what triggers Ray's capsule.
Thanks for letting me know about that pronoun haha xD... and man, I had the shards pelt Ray's face earlier, but I forgot to incorporate them into the other Reaverbots because I got so into it... I suppose let's just say Aster was much too shocked by Ray's appearance to pick up any shards ahaha
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Digouter
Arukoitan
Who ate my crackerrrs...
Posts: 173
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Post by Digouter on Nov 3, 2020 5:31:19 GMT -5
Ahaaa, you thought the art I posted was part five... BUT I'VE DONE THE OL' SWITCHEROO I'VE CHEATED YOU AND YOU DIDN"T EVEN NOTICE CHAPTER ONE, PART FIVE: ÖPÖKAMI“It’s just as I thought.” “Hm?” Ray turned to look at Aster as they stepped out of the decompression chamber and through what looked to be a series of hallways. They had been cautiously treading ground for the past several minutes, and that part of the ruin was eerily silent compared to the horde of Sharakurusu they encountered at the beginning. That said, he could hear a persistent ringing, but he wasn’t sure if it was coming from the area or his head. Something was telling him it was the former, but it wasn’t loud enough to be uncomfortable, or dull his senses. If Aster could hear the same thing, she made no mention of it. “This place is supposed to be flooded - all of it, actually,” The girl replied with a hint of nervousness as she observed the surrounding walls - it was still glistening from being entirely submerged for who knows how long. She was starting to get worried, as she and her partner entered the ruin from the ceiling. The lack of water practically anywhere meant they might have to find another way out. “We’re almost to the subpod, but I’m not sure it’ll be that easy… we’ll just have to see if we can get to it.” The boy simply nodded, shrugging a little bit as he lifted Killick a little higher to make sure he was stable and didn’t accidentally fall. Everything felt familiar, yet remarkably alien to him. He couldn’t exactly make sense of what was going on, but they needed his help - he wasn’t going to turn back now. “We’ll be okay.” “It’s Killick I’m worried about,” Aster frowned as they stopped in front of a large door - almost unreasonably so - in the middle of the long, humid hall. “If we don’t get him to the ship soon…” “We will.” Aster sighed, wondering what it was that made the boy seem so sure. She appreciated the sentiment, but she wasn’t the type to shake off her worries so easily. She supposed it helped that he had that special mega beam cannon of death or something fused in his arm. “If the room is still submerged, we could end up being taken by the current when I open this door. Be careful with Killick okay?” Ray responded by tightening his grip on the unconscious man and lowering his stance as Aster bent down to fiddle with what was probably diving boots of some sort. They both stepped to the side, with Aster nodding as she activated the console, the hatch quickly opening to reveal the sound of rushing... nothing. “Oh boy…” Aster shook her head as she stepped through the opening with Ray and her unconscious partner, revealing a spacious chamber that looked to stretched vertically. She would have preferred underwater Reaverbots over their current predicament. Water was still dripping from the top as she stopped at the center of the room. They would have to be able to jump a hundred meters to have even the slightest chance at getting close to the opening they can use to get back to the ship. “There’s no way we’re getting up there without some kind of plan.” Ray stared at the opening far above for a few moments, mulling things over before gently letting Killick down next to a wall and approaching the girl. Aster looked at him quizzically as he stopped next to her and pointed his left arm directly upwards. He closed his eyes and focused, yet the same electrifying sensation from earlier sent a jolt through his system, causing the boy to recoil in surprise. Frowning, he realized he couldn’t get his arm to revert into the buster. “You okay? Still can’t use it huh,” The girl muttered, unable to help but feel a little bad for him. While she couldn’t begin to understand how his body worked, it seemed obvious that it hurt him. That said, it looked like he was going to try puncturing a hole through the hatch... which wasn’t a bad plan. Considering the intense pressure coming from the insurmountable body of water right outside, blowing even a tiny hole into the hatch would likely cause it to give way. “Hm… I have an idea.” Ray watched as Aster put down the rest of her equipment before removing the magazine from her grenade launcher and quickly unclasping the top. Her launcher had no hope of making that distance, but maybe this strange boy could. She picked up one of the spherical grenades from within the magazine, gently tossing and catching it before handing the grenade over. “How’s your throwing arm?” The girl said with a hint of a grin. The armored boy brought the grenade closer, studying its weight. There was a bit of heft to it. He looked at the opening above, studying the distance before looking back at Aster with determination. Without skipping a beat, he squatted down and propelled himself up dozens of feet into the air before hurling the grenade upward as far as he could. The explosive collided head-on with the hatch, causing enough damage for one of the hinges to buckle under the pressure. One more ought to break the hatch completely. When Ray landed, he stood up with a little smile, only to see the girl staring right through him with a look of shock and alarm. Slowly turning around to look at what was behind him, he saw a very large, four-legged Reaverbot, several times larger than he and Aster combined, curiously nudging the unconscious Killick with what appeared to be its snout. The Reaverbot moved with uncanny grace, making almost no sound as it stepped forward despite its lumbering size - which explained how it was able to get close without their noticing. It was strange... the lupine Reaverbot stalked in such a way that it almost seemed deceptively harmless. However, as soon as its eerie red eye detected Ray, the telltale beeps instantly clued the two in that they were in for a fight. Ray’s amber eyes narrowed, glowing in the dim lighting of the chamber. “I’ll draw its attention.” “And then what?!” Aster said, completely terrified as the boy quickly ran toward the other side of the chamber, the giant Reaverbot clawing the ground as it dashed toward its target. She quickly put the magazine back together and slammed it onto her launcher, cringing as she heard a deafening clang, the Reaverbot colliding with the wall and causing the whole chamber to tremble. She worriedly tried to spot Ray, letting out a breath she didn’t know she was holding when she saw him rolling out of the way. Her heart caught in her throat again when the Reaverbot reacted with frightening speed, snapping at the boy with its hulking teeth. “R-Ray!” To her utter shock, the Reaverbot’s head looked caught in place, pulling back and resisting as much as it possibly could - the boy having somehow managed to grab hold of its lower jaw. Gritting his teeth, Ray twisted with all of his might, the exposed wiring attached to his back drawing sparks as he grunted, managing to somehow topple the beast of a Reaverbot in a single motion. The ensuing crash once again reverberated throughout the chamber, and Aster practically had to pick her jaw up from the floor. However, neither of them had any time to catch their bearings. The Reaverbot rolled back on its feet and spun, its tail violently connecting with the boy, sending him flying. Without thinking, she pointed her grenade launcher and let loose three rounds, two of which exploded on its already damaged jaw and one managing to connect with the Reaverbot’s eye. “Bad dog! Play dead!” Unfortunately, bad dogs rarely did what they were told. As it recovered and turned its head toward Aster, it let out another beeping sound, which told the young Brittle that it was time to start running. “I mean uh, good boy! Heel!” She tried to move her legs, but the Reaverbot crouched low and pounced so quickly that it was right on top of her before she could even blink. Right before the lupine Reaverbot landed, she felt something snatch her from the side, the action causing her to drop Killick’s rifle, as well as cause her half-mask to come loose and fall off. She instinctively grabbed for whatever it was that got her, only to realize she had Ray’s head in a death grip. “ After I can’t fee,” Ray tried to say, his voice muffled. The girl in question immediately let go, realizing that they were moving at a surprising speed. She looked down to see that the boy wasn’t running - instead, his legs were in place, riding over what seemed to be wheels connected to his armored boots. “You… you didn’t even know you had this, did you…” Either she was right, or Ray was too busy to answer. Probably both. Putting her arms around his neck, the young girl positioned herself so she could point the grenade launcher toward the four-legged Reaverbot that was more than happy to give them chase. They weren’t able to outrun it, though Ray was quick enough on his feet to skid to the side right before the beast would get to them. Ray did his best, but with Killick still unconscious, they didn't have as much wiggle room. She had four rounds left. Aster trusted her instincts, and let loose three more grenades. Two of them hit, dealing further damage to the Reaverbot’s eye and causing its lower jaw to crash on the ground. While it seemed to be a fortunate turn of events, they didn’t expect it to trip on its own jaw, causing it to hurl towards them even faster. Realizing there was no place to dodge, Ray held onto the back of Aster’s head to protect her as the tumbling Reaverbot knocked him off balance, causing them to roll to the ground as the beast slid further beyond them - eventually crashing to the wall. “Aster, are you okay?” The boy said worriedly, gently letting go of her and scanning her body for any visible injuries. With a little groan, Aster propped herself up on one arm. She was aching all over, but it didn’t feel like anything was broken. Her grenade launcher had practically snapped in half, but that didn’t matter. Giving Ray a knowing grin, she handed him her last grenade. “How’s… your throwing arm?” Getting on his feet and looking straight up at the hatch, Ray returned Aster’s grin - the girl proceeding to step farther back - as he wasted no time leaping to the air to toss the grenade. Unfortunately, he realized mid-throw that his arm was damaged, causing the grenade to suspend itself in the air inches from the hatch, failing to reach its target. Just when all hope was lost, a shot rang in the air, the grenade pierced by a bullet as it exploded right next to the hatch. As he landed, Ray pinpointed the source of the sound, seeing Killick put another round in the chamber. He breathed out a sigh of relief, only for Aster to snap him back to attention. “Ray watch out!” The damaged Reaverbot was on its feet and was charging with reckless abandon. Up above him, the hinges finally gave way, and with a metallic shriek, the hatch blew away as a pillar of water came crashing downward. The boy could do nothing else but leap backward as the pressurized blast of water crashed onto the Reaverbot’s head, pinning it down and crippling it past the point of no return.
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Post by Dashe on Nov 4, 2020 0:56:33 GMT -5
Did you ever end up playing Mighty No. 9? There's a Ray in there, too. She fights her enemies in a very head-on manner the way this Ray did just now, but it might have reminded me of that just because the name's the same and I just finished that particular game! Also, thank the Master Killick finally redeemed himself as the official babysitter! How many parts are going to be in the first chapter? I'm curious to meet up with Aster's brother and see what kind of attack they're plotting on Undertwon, and to see how Dad Brittle's notes all play into this.
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Digouter
Arukoitan
Who ate my crackerrrs...
Posts: 173
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Post by Digouter on Nov 4, 2020 1:50:01 GMT -5
Ahahah, I bought Mighty No. 9 a while back, but I never got around to playing it a lot x). I thought it was all right honestly, but yeah, that's definitely a can of worms I don't plan to open = v =. And yeah! I did hear about Ray in the game there, though younger me had no idea there would be so many Rays T v T. Regarding how I'm writing this, Chapter 2 will be an entirely new area, which is still swimming around in my head. There are two big outcomes that are likely to happen as of the moment, and I'm a bit on the fence about it. I figure I'll have made the choice when I start writing = v = Also! Killick making that shot actually came to me juuust as I was writing that part, so I'm just as surprised as you are nyahahaha I'm glad you're enjoying it . It's been really fun to write!
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Digouter
Arukoitan
Who ate my crackerrrs...
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Post by Digouter on Nov 4, 2020 7:03:26 GMT -5
The next part is the end of chapter one! CHAPTER ONE, PART SIX - THE LIVING RUIN“Is… is it dead?” Aster asked, having to speak louder due to the sound of the rushing water. The giant four-legged Reaverbot wasn’t moving, and it was hard to tell if the eerie eye was still glowing, as its lower half had already been submerged underwater. Typically there would be some kind of explosion, as well as refractor shards they could hopefully collect, but the Reaverbot just looked like it had been paralyzed by the pressure from the current. “We’re better off not finding out,” Killick said as he nursed side, his bandages stained crimson due to his wound. He was still feeling weak and a little confused, though he saw enough of what had transpired to react as best as he could. It was the first time he’d come across that type of Reaverbot, and part of him was fascinated by the fact. He was also well aware that he was no longer wearing his helmet - and Aster no longer had his. “You should have your diving mask back, little Brittle.” “No, that won’t do,” Aster tried to smile a reassuring smile, though her nerves were practically fried from all of the craziness. The adrenaline was still shooting through her system, and the young girl was doing her best to appear as calm as she possibly could. “The subpod isn’t much farther, and I won’t let you try to hold your breath with that injury.” While the two went back and forth regarding who should be wearing the diving mask, Ray was quietly eyeing the downed machine, lost in thought. For what felt like the millionth time today, there was something familiar about his fight with whatever that Reaverbot was. It wasn’t exactly the same, but he had faced similar threats before. His right eye twitched as it felt like he was on the cusp of something, but he couldn’t quite get there. He didn’t realize that Aster had already put a hand on his shoulder and was trying to get his attention. “Huh?” “Hey, are you holding up okay? You’re spacing out,” The girl said, a look of concern on her face. While they had only met what seemed like half an hour ago, she couldn’t deny that she felt some kind of connection. Part of it was probably because he had agreed to help them without so much as a second thought. “Can you swim? We’re outfitted with diving boots that can propel us, so I can help you out if you can’t.” The boy stared at the rising water level, which was already up to his waist. He tilted his head thoughtfully, before immediately sitting cross-legged to fully submerge his head. It seemed like he could see just fine. Without thinking, he tried to breathe in the water, almost being driven to a panic when he felt it enter his lungs, but… nothing happened. He seemed to be breathing fine. Part of him already knew he could, but it was still quite odd. Something about his body was allowing him to convert the water into something he can use, which was just as well. He stood back up to see a visibly confused Aster that looked a little too unsure to say anything. “I--” Ray started, before letting out a cough. He quickly cleared his throat, realizing he couldn’t speak while his lungs were still filled with water. “Hm, I think I’ll be okay.” “Er, well! Fantastic, then.” “Ray, was it?” Killick said, finally acknowledging the armored boy. Ray was undoubtedly what was in that capsule, and the man wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. One the one hand, he considered that things only really went downhill when the capsule reacted, but it didn’t change the fact that they would both likely be goners if not for his help. “I’ll make sure you have a place in the Gwydion, if you intend to stay with us.” “That’s just his way of saying thank you,” Aster chimed in, a playful grin on her face. “He’s just grateful he gets to see his darling Fiona again.” “L-Little Brittle!” Killick turned to look at her, his flushed expression hidden beneath the visor as the young girl stuck out her tongue, the rising level just enough to reach her neck. Ray wasn’t quite sure what the girl meant by that, but part of him felt like he should. He let out a confused smile as the two eventually began to float due to the water. He was already submerged at that point, but he still seemed to be stuck on the ground. Did it have something to do with how his body worked? He tried waving his arms, before he realized that he didn’t quite know how to swim. He thought he heard Aster call his name, but they were slowly but surely floating upwards. He considered climbing using the chamber walls when he noticed Killick using his boots to turn back around and swim back to the boy’s level. He took Ray’s arm, and propelled the both of them upwards with his gear. “Wow, just how heavy are you?” Aster muttered curiously as the two of them reemerged. “I was able to pull him up fine,” The masked man commented, similarly confused about the situation. When he dived down to get him, the boy seemed to just be standing there, like the water didn’t have any effect at all. “You’re just full of surprises huh?” Before Ray could respond, the entire chamber groaned eerily, as strange fixtures on the wall began to activate, bathing the area in a red glow. “It is just one thing after the other with this plaaace,” The young Brittle whined, grabbing onto Ray and Killick as the surface of the water began to rock them back and forth. While she would typically jump at the chance to go on a dig, she would be glad to sit things out for at least a month after today. Her annoyance was quickly replaced by fascination and a sense of dread when she realized that it wasn’t just any quake - the entire chamber was slowly moving. It was like the strangest case of vertigo she ever had, except instead of her center of gravity feeling off, it was the environment that seemed to shift. “...I’m not the only one seeing this, right?” Killick found himself at a loss for words, as the hatch had shifted to the point where they could probably swim toward it with the help of their diving gear. He had never seen anything like what was going on, and it filled him with an overwhelming sense of alarm. His gut was telling him they needed to get out as soon as possible. “I think we should go,” Ray chimed in, saying what everyone else was thinking. Wasting no more time, the red-haired guardian put his arms around them both and used his boots to propel them toward the opening. The pressure would make it difficult, but it was still possible to get through given their current position. He heard Aster breath deeply right before they submerged, using her own gear to help add to the speed. He took note of when she held her breath, taking into account the fact that she could only do so for about a minute and a half at most. To their surprise, dirt and rocks began to flow through the open hatch - including one that looked large enough to knock them back if it collided. Fortunately, Killick was well-trained when it came to underwater ventures, and he was ready. Expertly shifting their position and taking the two into account, he moved his legs to manipulate the propulsion in such a way that the large rock missed by a decent margin, before reorienting themselves with just enough of a push to finally make it through the hatch. Ray’s eyes widened when he took in the sight. Even in his fragmented memories, he was unsure if he had ever seen anything like it. It was endless. An endless blue that stretched on, far beyond his eyes could see. Curiously, he felt worried as he couldn’t see anything past the void. While there was some solid ground around the structure they just escaped, it was right at the face of a trench so sheer that he couldn’t see anything below. The fact that he also couldn’t see anything in front or above him further cemented the sense of fear. Killick’s voice helped snap the boy out of his shock, speaking through the receiver on his helmet. “I see the subpod, but the surface is about to collapse! We’re making a break for it!” Aster nodded, still holding her breath and fighting the urge to shut her eyes as she held on tightly to both Ray and her partner. The boy could only watch as Killick deftly maneuvered them through the sinking structure, with some of the giant protruding metallic pieces - whose functions are lost to time - breaking off and slowly falling into the abyss below. The ground where the small ship was positioned began to tremble, prompting the man to move quicker, with Aster doing her best to support his movements with her own. Ray couldn’t help but feel impressed with how well they were able to keep it together despite the situation. Part of him knew he wasn’t like them, and yet they were overcoming the odds all the same. As soon as they reached the ship, Killick popped the hatch open from behind, wasting no time to get inside with Ray and Aster as the small chamber filled completely with water. He closed the hatch, and with the last of his strength, slammed the side of his fist to activate decompression. As the water drained and he was certain Aster was safe, he fell to his knees. “Little Brittle… get us out of here…” “You’ve got it bossman,” Aster nodded, unable to help but feel a sense of pride for her partner. She quickly opened the door to the storage compartment, pulling Ray with her as she bent down and crawled through the opening to the cockpit. It was cramped with the two of them, but Killick needed space in the storage compartment to lay down. Flicking a few switches which turned the lights in the cockpit on as well as focused the ship’s headlight, Aster took her seat before hitting the ignition with her thumb. The subpod’s engine roared to life and the navigation controls popped up on the main display, with Aster pulling on the yoke to pitch the ship upward and ramming her foot on the pedal to accelerate. Ray almost tripped and fell due to the ship’s sudden movement, before sitting behind Aster, his eyes glued to the navigation screen. “Come on old girl, you can do this,” Aster cooed as she moved to evade more pieces of the collapsing structure. It looked as though the entirety of the ruin was folding in on itself. She was terrified at the idea of still being in there when everything fell apart. After a few close calls, there was enough leeway for her to safely maneuver the subpod away from the falling debris. It seemed like finally, there was a chance to breathe easy. The young girl turned to give Ray a high-five when her elation quickly turned to concern. He had taken off his helmet and was covering his ears, his eyes shut tight. “R--y ----okay?” If Aster was trying to tell him something, he couldn’t quite make it out. It felt like the sound of static was directly in his brain, the tinny sound growing more and more intense. He didn’t know why, but he felt like something was after him. Something knew he was there, and it was coming after him... and he was scared. After a few moments, there was silence, and Ray’s eyes slowly opened, his face a mix of confusion and alarm. When Aster saw Ray’s grip finally loosen, she calmly took his hands and put them down, trying to be as comforting as she could as she looked him in the eye. She was just about at wit’s end with everything that had happened, and she needed him to be okay so that she would be okay, too. “Hey, you’re scaring me here... are you hurt?” “There’s… there’s something down there.” As soon as the boy said those words, a deep and guttural beeping noise - loud enough to reach their subpod - echoed from the void below.
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Post by Dashe on Nov 6, 2020 1:49:26 GMT -5
Okay! So the ruin seems to be at least alive, if not entirely sentient...makes me really wonder what Dad Brittle was doing in there all those years. Was he even aware? Do the notes even touch on it, or did the ruin just kind of randomly start spitting things out once they took care of the boss? Either way, glad to see them make it to the pod!
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Digouter
Arukoitan
Who ate my crackerrrs...
Posts: 173
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Post by Digouter on Nov 6, 2020 4:55:54 GMT -5
Eheheh, today's a break day from writing, but I'll definitely get to it soonest x). As for Papa Brittle, I'm honestly unsure yet! I have so many ideas with him, I'm not sure which to go with, and when to really introduce him eheh. The notes will matter further on, though yeah, it's all still swimming in my head = v =. Thank you for reading, I always appreciate it ; v ;
Regarding the ruin coming alive (we'll see more of it in the epilogue), it has to do with Elysium being cut off. In a lot of ways it's similar to your story, when the Elder System couuuld just wake up when they detect that Elysium's stranglehold is finished eheh. Ray's awakening is connected to this too, though I can't quite say how it all comes together just yet = v =
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Digouter
Arukoitan
Who ate my crackerrrs...
Posts: 173
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Post by Digouter on Nov 7, 2020 0:15:45 GMT -5
CHAPTER ONE, EPILOGUE: R***A***Y
“What was… what was that…” Killick muttered, having crawled to the storage area of the ship, struggling to get himself on top of the neatly laid mattress in the corner of the room. The strange beeping noise that practically collided with the ship reminded him of a Reaverbot, but there was no way that could have been the case. Finally getting himself onto the makeshift bed’s hard surface, the injured man struggled to stay conscious. Due to the Brittles’ dwindling resources, even if the subpod was one of their latest models, comfort was not at all on the priority list. A focus on function over form resulted in the ship becoming not only one of the best performing models but also one of their most cost-efficient. Killick blinked, finding it much more difficult to focus as he strapped himself in using the belts to make sure he wasn’t thrown around. He knew they weren’t out of the woods yet, but his thoughts kept shifting. Even in his half-delirious state, he felt he could trust little Brittle and Ray to get them out. As he struggled half-heartedly to stay awake, his mind’s eye showed him the kindly face of Fiona, one of the engineers responsible for this ship. He cracked a tired smile at the thought as he slowly drifted into unconsciousness, having forgotten the unnerving sound entirely. In the cockpit, Aster’s eyes grew so wide that they looked almost ready to pop out of their sockets. When she was younger, she used to have nightmares of a single-eyed creature of the deep of unfathomable size snatching her and pulling her down into the depths of the abyss, a primal fear that would have her crying out for her dad in the middle of the night. It made it challenging for the young Brittle when her father was teaching her to dive, but she had eventually convinced herself that there was nothing to be afraid of. She had never been more distressed to have her younger self be proven right. She felt a cold sweat run through the back of her neck as she saw the physical manifestation of her nightmares come to life right under their feet. She could see only a fragment of the beast’s shadow from the porthole, and even the slightest movement was enough to terrify her. In every single one of her nightmares, she wasted no time trying to get away - and this moment would be no exception. As the sonar system detected something whose size could not be accurately measured, she yanked the yoke of the ship and stepped on the pedal so hard she was afraid she would break it - but she hoped feverishly that the harder she pushed, the quicker it would go. The subpod’s engine roared as it accelerated as fast as it could go, the ship’s frantic movement imitating its helmsman’s mental state. To Aster’s absolute horror, there were… things coming after them. Unspeakably large, tentacle-like structures that looked to be a part of the very ruin they had just been exploring. What was even going on anymore? Everything felt like it was part of some kind of elaborate and awful nightmare and she wished she would just wake up and-- --Aster felt someone’s hand on her shoulder and with a surprised gasp, turned her head to see the armored boy looking into her eyes. For a moment, she had forgotten that he was there with her. He looked frightened as well, but instead of further reinforcing her fear, there was something in his expression that made her feel like she could somehow do this. He didn’t have to say anything to let her know that he trusted the girl to get them out of this. As if to affirm her thoughts, Ray nodded, trying to fight back his own fears as well. “...We’ll be okay.” Her eyes misting over, the young girl took a deep breath to collect herself, before nodding right back, a look of determination on her face. “Let’s get out of here.” Using the ship’s positioning on the radar and the portholes for visual cues, the young girl put all of her focus into pushing the ship as much as she possibly could to get away from the living ruin’s tentacles. Whatever that thing was, it wasn’t going to stop her from getting them back home. She needed to see her brother again. She had never gotten the chance to see her father’s notes, and she wasn’t about to kick the bucket on the ocean floor before she could get a chance. Twisting the yoke and making minute adjustments with acceleration, she was able to get the ship out of the way of one of the beast’s appendages. Some bits and pieces were glowing red, and she could somewhat make out the same chamber where they had fought the giant Reaverbot. It boggled the mind that the entire ruin was just another machine. During a rare moment of reprieve, she instinctively snuck a glance at the armored boy, who was watching one of the portholes intently. It was likely that Ray would somehow be connected to her father’s notes. Perhaps she might be able to help him learn more about where he came from... the thought further motivated her to do everything she possibly could. One of the prompts in the navigation display began to blink, forcing Aster out of her thoughts and back into the moment. It looked as though the subpod was running low on energy. That was odd. The refractor core should have been pumping more than enough energy to keep them going. “Ray, I need you to check the refractor core to see if it’s aligned correctly - It’s in the storage unit, see if Killick can help you.” “Got it,” The boy in question replied, quickly turning back and crouching down to fit through the cockpit opening. He saw that Killick was out cold, and nudged his shoulder to see if he could get the redhead to respond. Unfortunately, it didn’t look like he was going to be getting up anytime soon. Deciding to look for the refractor core himself, Ray took a minute trying to locate it through the boxes and structures in the area, before spotting an opening right under his feet. Holding on as Aster attempted another sudden maneuver to stay ahead of the monstrous Reaverbot, he stepped out of the way of the hatch, grabbed the handle, and pulled. The large quantum refractor had practically popped out of place, its deep blue surface tarnished by what looked to be oil from the structural damage. He tried to push the refractor back inside but surmised that there was no way to do so without potentially severing the refractor’s connection to the ship entirely. “The core’s damaged! I can’t put the refractor back to place!” “Damaged?” Aster said more to herself than anyone else as the color drained from her face. The damage much have come from when the ruin was collapsing. As Ray got back into the cockpit, she found herself thinking of ways they could somehow save the energy they had left. She considered going for a distress signal, but she didn’t want to endanger the rest of her group. “How bad is the damage? Maybe you can take the wheel and I can...” Realizing what was about to happen, the young girl trailed off and braced herself for what felt to be inevitable. Three tentacles managed to position themselves around the subpod, with the one closest moving to collide with their ship. Aster tried to accelerate further in an attempt to evade, but it was too large and they didn’t have enough energy to push the vehicle any more than they already did. She had expected the living ruin to collide and destroy their ship in a single swipe, prompting the young girl to shut her eyes in anticipation. Instead, she felt a surge of warmth and a muffled crash. The ensuing collision was violent enough that she almost lost her grip and fell off her seat, but it was far too muted a reaction, considering the size of the tentacle. Sensing that they weren’t quite dead yet, she opened her eyes to find everything in a strange, multi-colored haze. Maybe this was what it was like to die? Unsure of what was going on, Aster looked back to see Ray holding onto the walls of the cockpit, his eyes shut and his expression pained. His chest was glowing - what was he doing? The porthole was once again filled with the visage of the tentacle as it crashed onto the ship with a dull thud, Aster’s eyes widening in realization. The boy was somehow projecting some kind of barrier around the subpod! Doing her best to take advantage of the opportunity, Aster pulled down on the yoke and accelerated upward in an effort to bring the subpod to the surface. They were still a very long way off, but it was the only thing she could think of to try and get away from the nightmarish Reaverbot. It might be huge, but she didn’t think it would be so large that its appendages would stretch to the surface… at least, she hoped it wouldn’t be the case. Just as she allowed herself to think that they finally had a way out, Ray grunted and fell backward to the wall, the surreal haze phasing out as abruptly as it appeared. “Ray just… hang in there!” Ray felt the same unnerving bundle of sensations, only that time it was focused on his chest. He struggled to breathe for a few uneasy seconds before he finally recovered, opening his eyes to see Aster doing what she can to bring the ship to the surface. “I can do this, I can do this,” The young girl repeated to herself like a mantra, as even more eerie tentacles rose to give chase. The low energy prompt continued to blink, but Aster had tuned out completely, fully focused on trying to get them all to the surface. The subpod was getting slower, and it was only a matter of time until it eventually gave out. Pushing himself to his feet, Ray considered saying something but decided against it as he turned around and made his way to the back of the ship. Deep down inside, he knew that whatever that thing was, it was after him. Aster and Killick have done everything they possibly could, and now it was up to him to make sure that they both made it out safely. The sound of the subpod’s back door opening broke broke the young Brittle’s focus, and she noticed that the boy was no longer beside her, leaving behind only his worn-down helmet. Shifting her position to get a better look, she put two and two together and immediately fought the urge to physically drag him back, as she was forced to keep pushing the ship further as the tentacles closed in. “Ray! What do you think you’re doing! K-Killick! Killick stop him!” Ray didn’t answer as he put his hand on the door to shut it closed, stopping for a moment as their eyes met. He wasn’t quite sure what to tell her, but he knew she’d understand that it had to happen. Instead of saying anything else, he smiled, no longer afraid of what was going to happen. “Ray, don’t! We can do this! You told me we could! Stop, please!” The boy shut the door and pushed the same button Killick had, the room quickly filling up with water. --Mega Man, I’m showing a large blip in front of you - it’s probably a Reaverbot!One of the indicator lights in the chamber flashed green, and he opened the hatch, revealing a mass of tentacles, and an encroaching shadow in the abyss, much too far to be entirely visible. There was an eerie red glow in the center. --Be careful…
Huh? Mega Man?The voice that seemed so clear in his head started to distort as he made the jump, his left arm folding and forming into his arm cannon. As he suspected, the subpod of his friends continued to rise as the tentacles stopped in their tracks, going after him instead. --Can you hear me…?The armored boy couldn’t help but smile a little. It was a strange thought to consider those two friends - even stranger the fact that he wasn’t even all that aware of the term until now. However, in the short time they were together, it certainly felt like they were friends. --I’m losing you…
The transmission’s breaking…Right before the mass of tentacles surrounded him, his vision slowly darkening save for the red glow, he pointed his weapon downward, the inner frame of his cannon spinning as it gathered all the energy it could. Letting his instincts guide him, Ray finally let loose. ========================================= That's Chapter One in the bag! I'll take some time to figure things out before I get started on Chapter Two haha. This was a total blast for me, since restricting myself with a low wordcount so I couldn't make excuses to start writing really worked. I had expected to churn this out once a week since I wasn't sure, but surprisingly, it all meshed out much sooner. If you've made it this far, thank you so much for reading . I'll have more ready soon~ Also! Regarding the barrier, that was the shield arm special weapon in action - though it's built into Ray's chest = v =
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Post by Dashe on Nov 8, 2020 2:14:19 GMT -5
Aww rats, I was hoping they'd be able to get out of the place! For some reason, it hadn't really been clear to me that you'd had the ship parked inside the ruin. I thought when Ray saw an endless expanse of blue, he was seeing the outside, but it looks like they're still in the ruin for this, right? And at the very end of it, we've got Ray here, not actually escaping. This would be one of those places where, if I'm not entirely sure if the writing is easy to follow, I'd have illustrated something to do a better job of setting the scene. So far, I'd been picturing something like Nino Ruins, but with an entrance in the face of a cliffside and the ship just docked outside.
Anyway, that's an interesting place to end a chapter, and it makes me wonder if Aster and Killick are going to try and go back and save him. Aster's got to be torn between getting Killick back to safety and keeping Ray alive (even though obviously Ray can handle himself fine, as he's demonstrated repeatedly), right? I mean, obviously, if this is a larger-scale fic, and you've introduced a character with amnesia and an obvious link to our Mega Man, we're not just leaving him there. I do really want to see what the Brittles' mission was, though. Maybe it's weird, but I'm more interested in them than in Ray's past! Or maybe that's just the Bonne fan in me talking!
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Digouter
Arukoitan
Who ate my crackerrrs...
Posts: 173
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Post by Digouter on Nov 8, 2020 2:36:16 GMT -5
First off, thanks so much for giving it a read! One of the two outcomes I had in mind was that Ray would make it back with them, but I flipped a coin and got the other one, where he would end up returning down there = v =. Regarding the endless blue, yeah, it's actually outside the ruin, but it's a bit of a complex structure I suppose! It's also on the ocean floor, so while it was outside the ruin, it was still very, very deep underwater. The living ruin was basically a very large chunk of the complex structure under the ocean floor coming to life, like a leviathan, or kraken eheh. The ship was definitely parked outside the ruin, close enough for them to swim a little to get inside one of the entrances. However, when the entire ruin started to 'wake', all the extra structures around started to crash down and all of that x) Regarding the mission of the Brittles, the main Brittle had young Brittle and Killick go down there to explore another section of the ruin in the hopes of finding one of the entrances to Undertown, which is sealed off to them. Regarding the reason, I'll be getting to that as the story goes . For now, Killick and Aster just have enough to get away as the beast collapses further - perhaps even moving from the area altogether. Thanks again for reading! Oh also! The subpod is an aquatic vessel, and can't fly. I'm still thinking if the Gwydion is an aquatic or airborne vessel x)
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