Mega Man Fan Fiction ❯ Warmachine ❯ Chapter 12: A Sight for Sore Eyes ( Chapter 12 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter 12: A Sight for Sore Eyes

Vile pushed a broken grid off his chest and slowly sat up with a deep groan.
"That sneaky bastard... I'm going to make sure he eats one of those charges." He stated viciously. Now he was angry and that wasn't a state of mind people wanted him in. Getting up, the Renegade looked at the pile of debris that blocked his path. His single red eye narrowed at the sight and he looked behind him over his shoulder, spotting a fork in the corridors that took him further west, into the mountain. He remembered seeing several hallways meet behind Dynamo when he had been interrogating the guard. It was a safe bet that he could circle around and come out the other end. It was a better course of action than digging or blasting his way through. Not only would that likely take more time but it might cause the rest of the place to collapse on top of him. Wasting no more time he activated his jet boots and boosted through the corridors as fast as he could. He still needed Nana, without her his chances of getting answers got significantly bleaker. Things had gotten quite personal as well which put revenge high on his list. Whoever was behind all this had to die, just like anyone connected to this mess.

~~*~*~~

The titan looked at Nana briefly from the corner of his eyes and he smiled slightly before returning his focus to Dynamo. The mercenary had risen to his feet, taking a deep breath to calm down. He then studied his opponent briefly before allowing one corner of his lips to rise in a grin.
"I know you. You're Steel Massimo. You're that washed-up Hero nobody needs anymore aren't you? What are you doing here of all places?" He asked, dusting off one of his shoulders.
Massimo narrowed his blue eyes and gripped the shaft of his halberd tighter at the insult.
"I go where I'm needed and it's true, the people of Earth need me less as a protector now than before. But that doesn't mean I just sit idly by and do nothing while the likes of you still roam the planet. I knew the Supra Force Metal here would lure Mavericks like yourself and it wasn't hard to get me hired as a special security detail." The large, heavily armored, green and gold Reploid explained. The large, steel, batwing-like flaps on his back shone in the light, accentuating their red color. Steel Massimo had been continuing the mission of his mentor and departed friend, the Reploid whose name and armor he had been given. Because of the stabilization of the planet and the renewed authority of the Maverick Hunters, work had become scarce for the giant and there was no more need for him to be a hero of the people. Massimo's eyes narrowed as he tightened his grip on his massive halberd, the energy axe-blade humming with green light.
"How good for you." Dynamo replied sarcastically. "But I have a job to do and you're in my way." Dynamo's usually friendly expression turned into a far more vicious one as he flurried his weapon threateningly. "That is 'not' a good place to be." He finished.

Massimo wasn't intimidated in the slightest and he activated his hover boots. The massive metal armored boots created enough force to lift him up slightly over the ground. Even with his ability to hover, the giant Reploid was still very slow and by the time he had closed the distance between himself and Dynamo the much nimbler Reploid had jumped over him.
"You think you can catch me with that bulky body of yours? And what is that weapon? I'm surprised you've got enough room to swing it around." Dynamo criticized as he landed behind Massimo. A rapid slash traced a cut across Massimo's back but his thick armor had absorbed most of the attack, sparing his body any real damage. The giant turned around, swinging his pole axe for Dynamo's head. The silver-haired mercenary ducked under the strike and kicked upwards, his boot colliding hard with Massimo's chin. The impact barely registered with the titan however as he attempted to crush Dynamo under the weight of his weapon, lifting it high over his head before using his massive strength to bring it down. The Maverick mercenary dashed aside,, out of harm's way. The axe hit the steel floor instead and it's energy blade shredded the steel plates like paper, debris flying around as that section of the floor buckled under the force of impact.
Dynamo decided to take Massimo a little more seriously when he saw the damage the young Reploid caused. One solid hit from that weapon and they'd find pieces of him on the other side of the room.

"Stand still and fight with honor!" Massimo shouted as his hover boots allowed him to pivot relatively quickly so he faced his opponent once more. Dynamo started to back away, jumping every time Massimo lashed out with another powerful swing. Seeing an opening, Massimo attempted to jab Dynamo's face with the blunt end of his axe's shaft but in a humming, violet haze, Dynamo deflected the attack. Spinning with the momentum of his defense, Dynamo flurried his double-bladed saber in a deadly dance, slashing for Massimo's boots three times. Massimo silently cursed as one of those gashes damaged his right hover boot, forcing him to deactivate both to keep his balance, and allow self-repair systems to deal with the situation appropriately. Before the mercenary could return to a posture suitable for dodging the massive Reploid's attacks he was knocked back hard by a powerful punch from Massimo. Dynamo groaned in pain as he flew back a good 8 feet before hitting the ground. Barrel-rolling, he got back up on his feet swiftly and shook his head. That single knock had left him dazed and his eyes widened in surprise as Steel Massimo charged him like a stampeding rhino.

"You and your kind believe they can do what they please, endanger innocent lives for their own selfish desires!" Massimo yelled out as he tried to smash the full weight of his body into Dynamo. The mercenary was too fast however as he jumped towards one of the pillars inside the room, wall-kicking up the column to stay out of his opponent's reach.
"But there are always those who will not sit idly by and watch you commit atrocities! That is why my mentor took on the name Steel Massimo, and that is why he passed it on to me!" He continued. Massimo looked up the pillar before casting his eyes down to its base. He gripped his weapon's shaft as tightly as he could and pulled back before taking a powerful swing for the column. The impact easily shattered its structural integrity, causing it to collapse. Fortunately the columns were not vital to keeping the hall's roof from tumbling down on them. Dynamo jumped off the falling debris, climbing up slightly higher as it collapsed before kicking off to jump over Massimo.

"You can preach all you want but the world favors the strong! You're just lucky you have the power to do what you feel is right. If you hadn't, you'd be as dead as those guards outside!" Dynamo retorted before aiming his buster down at Massimo, firing a volley of split shots. Massimo saw the barrage coming and raised his arms to protect himself. The mass of energy shots were numerous enough to punch holes in his armor, damaging his internal systems. Dynamo landed on the floor hard, forcing him to roll with it to prevent damaging his legs. Despite slight disorientation he didn't let up and charged the temporarily disabled giant.
"And stay down." He added calmly as he swiped his saber for Massimo's head. The mercenary gasped as he felt a stinging pain in his arm. Massimo had gripped his wrist before he was able to strike, using reflexes one wouldn't attribute to a Reploid of his size and function.
"No! Massimo never goes down!" He shouted as he effortlessly lifted Dynamo and swung the mercenary over him.
"Gaaaaah!" The Maverick shouted as he was slammed into the ground hard. Massimo's grip tightened even more as he activated his single hover boot which began spinning his body exponentially fast. A split second later Dynamo was hurled away like a ragdoll, his body spinning in mid-air with the centrifugal force being applied to it. He reacted rapidly however and before he collided hard with one of the pillars he threw his saber for the dizzy Reploid. Massimo was unable to dodge the weapon properly and as he swayed aside his chest was cut deeply. Dynamo hit the floor hard after getting knocked into one of the columns and he only slowly got back up.

"I can't believe how sloppy I am today." He muttered through gritted teeth. But that same cocky grin he always had reappeared on his face as his saber returned to him, adding another cut to Massimo's frame.
"Massimo!" Nana shouted, worried over her friend's safety. She felt powerless and even though she wanted to help the titan she knew that powerless was exactly what she was in this fight.

Dynamo straightened his back and cracked his neck once or twice before taunting Massimo with a move of his hand. The green hero wasted no time and charged for the damaged Dynamo, ignoring the deep gashes that protested to his rush.
Dynamo sighed. "I keep telling you people to keep your heads in the game. To keep your cool. But you never listen. Oh well." Reaching back, Dynamo gripped one of the explosive devices he had used before, his last one. Just before Massimo was able to get into range he sprung his trap and jumped backwards. With a flick of his wrist he nonchalantly chucked the bomb at his foe. The massive explosions blinded Nana and sent debris and dust all over the hall. The mercenary ran a hand through his hair before chuckling.
"You really are made of stern stuff. That bomb was enough to kill Vile, but you're still up and about." Dynamo stated as he recognized Massimo's large frame through the clearing smoke. The giant had used his weapon to defend against the blast and had avoided more serious injuries. The axe however had been hurled off, out of his reach, leaving him unarmed.
"Sorry it has to end like this but you should've known this would happen when you challenged me." Dynamo spoke cockily and before Massimo could undertake any action, Dynamo charged him, attempting to strike the final blow.

The Maverick didn't get very far as a powerful plasma shot blasted him away in mid-air. A familiar green Reploid boosted from the entrance into the hall.
"Dynamo!!!" Vile roared as he charged the mercenary who was completely taken by surprise. With ferocious precision, Vile slammed into Dynamo, the impact knocking him away and a volley of bullets from the Renegade's fingertips further damaged the injured Reploid.
"Who?" Massimo asked weakly as he turned to behold his savior.
"Vile! You're alive!" Nana exclaimed, feeling happier at that revelation than she ever thought she would.
The Ex-Hunter crossed his arms as he looked down at Dynamo, his jet boost keeping him airborne a few inches above the ground.
"You're more trouble than you're worth. I'm not going to bother trying to find out what you know. Any last words before I reduce you to the scrap metal you are?" Vile asked, his head tilting forward and his red eye flashing viciously as he threatened Dynamo.
*I can't believe my luck. If Massimo hadn't been here I'd of been long gone.* Dynamo's eyes moved from Vile to Massimo to Nana before fixing on the flying Reploid once again. He'd taken far too much damage in his fight with Steel Massimo to stand a chance against Vile now. He hated to admit it but he had to get out of there while he still could.
"It's been fun, but I know when I'm not needed. Three's a crowd after all, right? Sayonara." He grinned as he tapped his forehead with two fingers as a goodbye. He'd hacked into the facility's transfer systems in case things went bad, allowing him to transfer out of a hotspot if need be.
Vile realized what he was about to do but before he could react Dynamo had already vanished in a blue beam. The Renegade knocked his fist into the side of a column in anger at letting the talkative Reploid escape.

"Massimo, are you alright?" Nana asked as she ran up to the large Reploid who had straightened his back and stood tall despite his injuries. His friendly blue eyes looked down at the pink-haired operator and he smiled softly.
"Of course, you know you need a lot more to keep me down." Massimo replied, but he then turned his attention to Vile. "I might be hurt, but if you think I'm going to let you destroy this place, you're sorely mistaken."
Vile landed slowly and walked towards the large Reploid defiantly. "Destroy this place? Why would I do that?" He asked, keeping his arms crossed.
"What do you mean? Why else would you be here but to steal the Supra Force Metal?" Massimo asked.
"Relax Massimo, he's with me." Nana interjected.
"With you? Nana? What is going on?" He asked, obviously confused about the situation. "Have you taken up the company of Mavericks?"
"Of course not! Just let me explain." Nana stated, raising her hands as she tried to prevent the tension in the room from rising any more.
"Yes, please do Nana. Please explain why you netted a tour of this place and made sure one of the biggest criminals on the face of the earth knows where to find one of the greatest technological marvels." Nett added as he walked up to her. He'd woken up in time to see the battle's conclusion, as well as hear Nana's words.
The female Reploid bit her lower lip and turned her gaze away, the guilt over deceiving her old friend creeping up on her again. She proceeded to explain some of the reasons why they were there, keeping most of the facts hidden from Nett and Massimo, not wanting to endanger them further.

~~*~*~~

Vile had moved towards the Supra Force Metal in the center of the room in the meantime, staring into its deep blue light, fascinated by the fact that the small fragment could bestow such power.

Nana sighed as she felt both Reploid's eyes on her. "I'm sorry Nett, I really am. But you have to understand that I have no other choice. It's either do whatever it takes or let whoever is behind all this get away with it. Who knows what they're planning to do?" Nana asked. Her only answer was an insulted and disappointed gaze from the scientist, which was far worse than an angry one would've been.
"I understand why you're doing this. Chief R meant a lot to many of us on Giga City. But Vile?" Massimo asked, looking at the Renegade who had placed the palm of his hand on the glass that separated the Supra Force Metal from them. "He's a loose cannon, a dangerous and insane Maverick. He's killed so many and will continue to do so. Why do you think he'll be any different now? Or when this is over? This is just replacing one evil with another." Massimo inquired.
"I know the dangers, I don't need to be reminded of the risks I'm taking. But it's the only way out that I can see." Nana replied, her voice containing a hint of anger at being lectured on things she already knew.
Steel Massimo took a deep breath before smiling. "I know you. And I know your heart. You'll do what's right. Just promise me you'll remember that the same doesn't apply for your partner over there."
Nana returned the soft smile and nodded. "Stop being so worried, you big lug."

"We're taking the Supra Force Metal to that duck." Vile suddenly stated as his moved his hand away from the device and looked at the trio over his shoulder.
"You what? You think I'm just going to let you walk out of here? You might've charmed your way out of Massimo's judgment but I'm having the both of you arrested!" Nett exclaimed.
"Please Nett. It has to be done. Professor Gaudile can thoroughly analyze it, maybe give us some clue why they're after it specifically, much faster than anyone else can. I promise you, Vile won't use it for anything else." Nana pleaded, her blue eyes narrowing at the Renegade like a scolding parent at her child.
"Your word holds no more value to me, Nana. Massimo, detain them while I alert security, they're skimming the wrong sections of the facility for the intruders right now." Nett ordered but before he could move a massive arm blocked his way.
"I'm sorry Nett. But it's for the best." Massimo stated, his eyes fixed on Nana's.
"That was a direct order Massimo, you could be fired for this. Or worse, charged with aiding fugitive criminals." Nett reasoned. But it was to no avail, Massimo simply shook his head.
"The greater good Nett. I'll make sure you get a head start on them, but I can't use violence to stop them from pursuing you so it won't be much." Massimo promised.
"Yes, of course, we'll hurry. Thank you, Massimo. You're a life saver." Nana smiled before turning around and making her way over to one of the terminals.
"I can't believe you're just going to let Vile walk out of here with a weapon that could devastate the world." The Reploid scientist whispered, shaking his head.
"You seem to think resisting would've helped your situation. I could've just forced you to cooperate." Vile stated. "Come to think of it..." The Renegade's shoulder cannon hummed to life but did not take aim. "One more word and I'll do it anyway." He threatened, the scientist effectively silenced as he gulped in fear.

Behind him the massive device deactivated, it's many displays and lit up buttons dying down. The glass protecting the Force Metal within slowly rose and Nana carefully lifted the Supra Force Metal from its confines. Finding a box that would keep it sufficiently safe, she stored it inside and made sure to lock it tightly. She then turned to Vile and nodded. "Let's go, we don't have much time."
"Before you go, take this." Massimo handed a small chip over to Nana. "I'll have to go in hiding for a while as I'm pretty sure I'll be wanted for interrogation after this. But you'll be able to use that to contact me. If you need anything, anything. You need just ask."
Nana smiled up at Massimo softly before getting dragged off by Vile, who activated his jet boots to cover more ground, much faster.

Massimo kept his eyes on the blast doors they'd left through and frowned in worry. His thoughts were interrupted by Nett however who activated a com channel.
"This is Doctor Nett, Captain Hur please come in." The scientist wanted to repeat his hail but he was startled by a large fist crushing the communications terminal. All Massimo had to do was lean on it slightly to render it completely useless, and flat as a pancake for that matter.
"Oops. Clumsy me." He semi-joked.