[FIC] Consumed
Series: Megaman Star Force/Ryuusei no Rockman
Characters: Hoshikawa Subaru, Berserk's OOPart, Phantom Black, Hibiki Misora/Harp Note, Shirogane Luna, Ushijima Gonta (as Gontaaga), Saishoin Kizamaro, others.
Rating: T
Warnings: It's a Bad End AU. What do you think happens.
Notes: Yet another Bad End concocted up by Gabe. In his own words: "I don’t think it’s possible to make an SF2 bad ending creepy, because the game’s so generally pleasant and silly and upbeat. …until we actually get to the point where there is already a canonical bad end AU for SF2 and it’s the postgame." So in the end, this story was less about the end result-it's already a given, we know what happens-and more about the events that led to it. Even so, this...kind of goes off what he planned. Sorry, Gabe. The sections at the beginning and end of the fic are taken straight out of the game's dialogue, as well as some text snippets here and there.
Summary: Lacking the courage to try will lead to others lacking it as well. Without that courage, how can bonds be supported? How will you get that strength just when you need it most? A Bad End rewrite of Star Force 2.
“W-War-Rock! I know where we are! It’s a ‘parallel world’! It’s not our world! This is an alternate future where humans lost their Link Power so they couldn’t avoid the Precursor to Ruin!”
“An alternate future?”
“I don’t know how this could have happened, but…”
0-0-0-0-0
Subaru felt numb. What was he supposed to do?
The day had started out as miserably as he expected. His mind weighed under the guilt of ignoring his mom’s pointed staring that morning. She wanted to talk to him…hell, even War-Rock was tactful enough to point it out. But he didn’t want to talk. Not to anyone. Not even his mother. Telling her what he felt…he’d just make her disappointed in him. Everyone would be disappointed in him eventually. What was the point of even trying…?
And then that phone call came. The Class President was in trouble again. Kidnapped by that man. And he expected Rockman to save her…What the hell could Rockman do? He was a failure. Subaru was a failure. He’d just let them down. He’d do nothing but let everyone down. But he had to go, didn’t he? If he sat and did nothing…he couldn’t live with himself. Otherwise…otherwise he’d have let her down anyway…
Still, going to face something and knowing failure was the only option…it wasn’t heartening, to say the least.
0-0-0-0-0
He couldn’t stand. He could barely move. The Class President was okay, but…he hadn’t fought his best against her. He couldn’t hurt her. He couldn’t bring himself to let her down even further. The result was that the venom from Ophiucous Queen’s snakes was still coursing through his body, making his chest burn and his muscles ache. He felt so light-headed…
Rockman barely registered the Murian soldiers being summoned to attack him. He couldn’t will himself to move, to react, not even to protect the Class President. His body…his energy was spent.
Then, he felt it. That burning sensation that filled his dreams. The OOPart. It wanted him…it wanted his body. And he couldn’t fight back. He would have just failed…
Instead, he screamed. He could hear his voice mingling with the ever-echoing wails of the OOPart as the energy rushed through him, lashing out at everything without rhyme or reason. The Murian warriors were destroyed with a single blast of white-hot energy. The Class President barely managed to avoid getting hit, her terrified screams briefly waking him up.
He…he couldn’t let her down…not again…he didn’t want to let anyone else down…he was scared, he was scared, he couldn’t even try…
“GIVE US YOUR BODY! YOUR FEEBLE RESISTANCE WILL DO YOU NO GOOD!”
“I can’t…I can’t…hold on…don’t want to…let…her…down…”
“WRETCHED HUMAN INSECT, YOU ARE INCAPABLE OF DOING ANYTHING THE WAY YOU ARE. YOUR MIND IS FEEBLE AND YOUR WILL IS WEAK. GIVE YOURSELF UP TO US.”
“I…can’t…”
Whatever Subaru wanted to say, his mind wouldn’t say it. His thoughts only continued to repeat in the useless cycle of not wanting to let people down; and yet being scared to try lest he let them down regardless. He could do nothing in that state. The half-hearted attempts to restrain the OOPart’s power only drove it further out of control. Now bolts of lightning were emitting from his body and he could do nothing as the lights streaked across the airspace, striking everything.
One hit Luna and she stumbled back against the wall, her body burnt and twitching. Rockman looked on in horror as he saw the first signs of failure appearing. No. He couldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t. He couldn’t let her down. Turning towards her, he tried to reach out to her. She shied away, quivering.
He tried to call out. All that came out was choked growling. Tried again. A wailing noise this time. He was unconsciously mimicking the OOPart’s voices, its cries of vengeance and agony and pain and he had to suppress this wrath or it would lead to him letting everyone down…
“STOP THIS FOOLISHNESS, CHILD. ACCEPT OUR POWER BEFORE IT RUNS RAMPANT AND BURNS OUT YOUR BODY. YOU WILL BE NO USE TO US THAT WAY.”
“I can’t…I can’t!”
His hand shook as he reached out to try and support the Class President. A surge of energy coursed through his arm, and the next thing he knew, Luna was impaled on a large, sparking sword that had materialized on his arm.
Rockman wanted to let go, pull away from the scene, deny that it happened. But it was as if his hand was glued to the bulky handle. It wouldn’t let him pull away. He could only stare in shock as the life slowly left Luna’s eyes, her face frozen in an expression of fear.
“N…no…” The faint whisper was the first thing to break the silence as he stumbled backwards. His only response was the sound of Luna’s body sliding off the blade and landing with a thump that echoed in his ears. His body felt heavy. Cumbersome. Like some monster’s hulking body. Looking over himself with a sort of stunned, morbid fascination, he barely took in the sight of the grey and yellow armor, his eyes trailing to the electric sword still in his hand, crimson threads of blood still dripping down it.
“YOU SEE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE? YOUR INCOMPETENCE HAS RUINED ANY CHANCE OF ACHIEVING YOUR WISHES. TRYING TO SAVE HER AND REPEL US AT THE SAME TIME…IT WAS TOO MUCH. WHY DID YOU NOT GIVE IN? YOUR PITIFUL HUMAN BODY AND YOUR FEEBLE JUVENILE MIND WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RESIST IN THE END, IT WOULD HAVE GIVEN IN. YOU SHOULD HAVE SAVED YOURSELF THE GRIEF AND TROUBLE. THEN IT WOULD NOT HAVE LED TO THIS.”
“I…I should have…why did I try…I would have let her down anyways…but at least she would have lived…I screwed up…I screwed up bad…”
“THERE IS NO NEED FOR YOU TO TRY. GIVE IN. END THIS CYCLE OF FAILURE.”
“…”
Phantom Black was apprehensive as Rockman did nothing but stand mutely in shock. The hero killing the heroine…this did not fit his script at all. But…it could have been a better rewrite than he had hoped. If he acted now, then…
“You must depart, now.” A blue wizard-like being appeared next to him, and he turned to him in shock.
“Empty?! But why? This trauma, clearly it gives us a prime opportunity to attack him and get rid of this thorn in our side!”
“It would be, had he not been in possession of the OOPart.”
“Wouldn’t it be easy to get it off of him in this state?”
“Look at his eyes, the way he holds himself. This state of exhaustion, it was not merely caused by your efforts. The OOPart has been wearing away at his mind and body ever since he has grabbed ahold of it. Other circumstances must have happened to weaken his resistance. He was weak long before you led him here. And when the weak try to use the OOPart, it consumes them, just as it did its tribe. That boy will be nothing more than one of the many spirits it has taken to fuel its power. The OOPart is an angry, vengeful existence, Phantom Black, as the constant sorrows and anger of the spirits are used to project and control its power. And that boy is unique in that even with his mind disappearing, his body acts as the perfect channel of its power. He will be nothing but a living OOPart in a matter of moments. Those implacable spirits will be free to run amok and with full use of the OOPart’s power.”
“Then that only means that we have to get it now!” Phantom Black lunged forward, preparing to spear the boy through with his cane. The boy’s body suddenly jerked, turned to face him with glowing red eyes, and he halted in his tracks.
“We must leave. Now!” Empty repeated. Phantom Black noted a hint of fear behind the usual same deadpan tone, and made his decision.
The two disappeared just as Rockman let out an inhuman wail and released a massive surge of electricity, engulfing the entire theatre in an explosion.
0-0-0-0-0
“Oi, kid, get outta here! You’re mucking up the stand!” Kizamaro stumbled back as he was pushed away by the much larger man, eventually losing his balance and falling back on his rear.
“H-hey! D-don’t you know who I a-am? I s-saw Dossy!” The stammering proclamation was much weaker than when he had first said those words, a meager attempt to reclaim the authority those words once held.
“Sure you did, kid,” the stall owner replied dismissively. “Everyone sees Dossy these days, always claimin’ that she’s off in the distance somewhere. How many of those sightins’ are real, I dunno. Now get lost, kid.”
“But I totally saw the real Dossy! I’m the original seer! I saw her first!” Kizamaro protested vehemently, even as he knew what was going to happen next.
“Yeah, yeah, that’s nice, kid.” Kizamaro immediately looked dejected as the stall owner ignored him, but didn’t move from the spot. There wasn’t much point to doing anything now.
How long had he been here? It felt like forever. The first thing he had wanted to do once he found himself in an unfamiliar way was to try and contact home, but…then he had seen her. Dossy. And then his course was set. How could he go back, now that he had some purpose, some fame? Back home…he was useless. He was nobody special. But here, he was that kid. The one who saw Dossy. The one who brought fame and prosperity to Dombra Lake. That’s what he had been…
And now he was nobody special again. That day when he had spent the whole day out talking to people at Demagawa-san’s behest, trying to find more people who had sighted Dossy. But when he came back…his hotel room card didn’t work anymore. The room had been quitted, the Mystery Investigators crew was gone. Kizamaro was left alone to fend for himself.
It was okay at first. People were glad to talk to the kid who had seen Dossy. But then more and more tourists came, and they didn’t have time to talk to him, they had to talk to these new people and get them to buy their merchandise, and Kizamaro had started to look more and more raggedy due to his lack of shelter. He made their stalls look bad. He couldn’t stay.
Nobody wanted him.
Nobody needed him.
It was happening all over again.
He didn’t even want to try to go home, now. It was too long. There was no way that his friends and family would take him back now. Not only was he completely useless, he had betrayed their trust! He didn’t call them. He didn’t bother to let them know where he was. Instead he had tossed them aside for some flimsy fifteen minutes of fame. Why would they even consider taking him back?
“You’re still here, kid? Look, take this and go. It’s on the house or something. Just get out of here, will ya?” Kizamaro scrambled to catch the kabob that was thrown his way and scurried off before he annoyed the man any more. This was his first bite of food in days that wasn’t rotted or half-eaten and in a trash can…
Sitting on a bench and eating, he swung his legs back and forth. What a miserable life. He probably deserved it, as someone useless and unworthy of the few friends he had managed to make.
“L-look! It’s Dossy! Dossy!”
“Where? Where?!”
“Right there, in the lake…!”
Kizamaro looked. There indeed was something in the lake. A large orange dinosaur with a long neck was swimming in the center.
Dossy. It was Dossy. Kizamaro let out a weak laugh at that. Now everyone had seen her. Everyone knew she existed. The mystery was gone. There was nothing left for him.
Dossy let out a loud roar and heaved its body forward, making a large tidal wave that threatened to flood half the town. Everyone else screamed, tried to flee. Kizamaro didn’t even bother moving from his bench.
So this was how it ended, huh. An anonymous death amongst the many soon-to-be victims of the very same creature that had brought him his fleeting fame. He would be nothing but a statistic now.
What an appropriate death for a useless guy like him.
0-0-0-0-0
Gontaaga was a god. That’s what he was told. He could lead everyone in Nanska to prosperity and wealth. That was all he needed to do. Just listen to what Agame-san said and do what he was told. Then he’d get delicious food all the time and everyone loved him and everything was nice. That was it.
Then that boy came. He called himself Solo, called Gontaaga a fake and attacked him. He had been rendered unconscious before the pleas of Agame-san and the people got Solo to relent, if only out of sheer disgusted pity. That event had raised some doubts in the villagers, but Agame-san got them to calm down and accept Gontaaga’s words once more.
Then those foreigners started coming, attracted by those landmarks Agame-san had told him to order to be made. So much time was spent on creating landmarks and entertainment, and monitoring the tourists, that the crops were mismanaged. The majority of them had failed. With that, the few tourists that had come were gone, disenchanted by the unkempt fields, so there was little alternate income. It was a time of famine and poverty.
The people were angry. They cried for justice, for better rulings, demanding Gontaaga to tell them why he had led them down this path of self-destruction. He didn’t know what to do. Agame-san wasn’t telling him anything. He looked just as stumped even as he tried to console the angered people, to stave them off until something beneficial happened. Nothing happened, and the people grew angrier.
Then, Agame-san disappeared. Just went off to the Nanska Ruins one day and vanished. It was the last straw. To lose their crops and their way of living was one thing. But to lose their village chief, who had done nothing but try his best for their future? Unforgivable. He didn’t deserve such a thing. They stormed his pedestal, beating at it, trying to make him fall, and trying to topple it over. What to do? What to do? Agame-san wasn’t there to tell him…
A screech cut through the air, silencing the protests. From out of the clouds, a large red bird came soaring down. Immediately, the people stared in awe, unsure what this was, until a child cried out.
“Look, Ma! It looks like one of those giant drawings on the ground! It’s the giant Mu bird!”
Immediately, whispers broke out amongst the people. Another Murian herald? What could this mean?
“Yes!” cried out the creature in a booming voice. “I am a true herald of Mu! I have soared with Mu in the skies during the days of old, defending it! Now, I come down to defend the last of Murian blood from this famine that threatens them!”
There were cheers. Immediately people began to bow to the giant bird as Gontaaga stared up in awe.
“I know what plagues you so! Those words of who you follow…they are lies, deceitful lies! He is a false herald!”
Immediately, Gontaaga stiffened. First that white-haired boy…now this bird? And now Agame-san wasn’t here to smooth things over…even then, he wasn’t sure if the village chief could smooth things over. Having words come out of a giant monster bird was certainly much more convincing than having it come from a boy his age.
The bird attacked. Beams of light erupted from its wings and struck the base of Gontaaga’s pedestal, toppling it. He screamed as he fell, his cries cut off by the impact with the ground. Dizzy and disoriented, he looked up at the blurry images of the angry villagers.
“Dispose of the false one!” cried the bird. “Make him pay for your sufferings with blood!”
What? No…he couldn’t. His brain still felt fuzzy from the impact, but he knew that it wasn’t good…what could he do? He didn’t know what to do. He needed Agame-san’s advice…
“A…Agame-san…Agame-san said…”
“Silence!” cried out a villager. “How dare you speak of our chief that way! He has done nothing but try to help us, and you would say that he told you things?”
“But…he said…he…” Gontaaga’s words became more and more muddled. Why? Why wasn’t he what Agame-san told him he was? “He…said…”
His words were cut off by a cry as a villager kicked him in the side. That was the signal for the onslaught. Even as the villagers continued to beat him, his mind was engrossed with wondering why. Who was he, if not a herald of Mu? Who…?
The last thing he saw was the red bird flying in circles overhead, still calling for his destruction.
0-0-0-0-0
Harp Note couldn’t help but cry to herself sometimes. There wasn’t a part of her that didn’t regret what she had done. It was the only way to keep him safe, she knew, but still…she hated being part of the Neo Mu Empire. She hated having to work for them. She hated helping them to achieve their goals. But…it was a temporary thing. She knew that. Rockman would get stronger while she shielded him, and come back to beat them. She knew he would.
Those stories that she had heard about, though…A strange explosion at a movie theatre after a kidnapping (she had heard the victim’s name was Shirogane, but quickly tried to ignore the rest, she couldn’t believe that it was her, that he had failed, that they were both gone), a large prehistoric beast terrorizing Lake Dombra, a giant bird declared a cruel yet efficient god in a foreign land…they were all so strange. Was that the Empire’s doing? Why wasn’t he stopping them? Maybe what she had heard was outdated. That was it. She had been in the Bermuda Maze for so long…it was so easy to lose track of time here. It was endless. That had to be it. Even consoling herself this way, she had to work to restrain a choked sob.
“Ne, Misora…”
“I’m okay, Harp…I’m okay.”
Their reverie was broken by the sound of high-pitched screeching. Something was being dragged across the Wave Road, something that must have had a strong electric field if it was able to replicate the same effect on the insubstantial road that nails did on a chalkboard. It wasn’t being dragged consistently either, if anything it seemed to happen for short periodic bursts…it must have been something heavy, if it could only be moved like that. Even without her sound-based abilities, she could tell this much. Listening further, she could make out footsteps between the screeching noises: heavy, thudding footsteps like a suit of armor, moving slowly and ponderously forward without stopping. It was eerie. Nothing should be that perfectly synchronized, having the same exact time between steps. And yet it was so. Whatever it was, it wasn’t human…was it?
Whatever it was, it was new, and warranted an investigation. It sounded as if it had just entered the Maze, so she went there. What she found was…something that made her think of a Murian grunt soldier. It had legs, to be sure, but it indeed was moving them slowly, mechanically. The sound was being caused by a large, sparking sword being dragged on the floor, much larger than any sword she had seen a Murian soldier wield. Maybe it was a special version? Its armor was certainly different than she remembered, much less round, more…human-like.
“M…Misora! Those waves!”
“Eh? What is it, Harp?” She tried to focus more on the type, felt the waves of a powerful Murian energy, and felt…no. It couldn’t be. Was it really?
“Rockman! It’s Rockman! He came!”
It really was him. Part of her was relieved to see him alive. But the rest of her buried that relief, steeled her resolve. She couldn’t appear like she was partial to him. She had to look like she really was one of them now. He kept coming closer, closer, and she wondered why he was coming so mechanically. Was he tired? Was he at his limits already? No, that couldn’t be it…those waves coming from him were so strong and relentless.
He stopped. So he had seen her. She steeled herself for a happy cry, a shocked whisper of her name, any sort of acknowledgement that would prompt her to respond coldly and without emotion.
It was several moments before she realized that nothing of the sort had come. He was just standing…staring at her with an empty look in his eyes which made her wonder if he really had seen her.
“So, you’re here,” she forced herself to say, wincing internally at the emotion that escaped her voice. “I wondered when you’d come.” Her voice was shaking. She cursed herself for her weakness, before realizing that he hadn’t seemed to hear her at all. Oh, he was still looking directly at her, to be sure. But his eyes were glazed over, they didn’t seem to reflect any light at all, and with that vacant expression it looked as if he was looking straight past her, as if he didn’t really see her at all.
“Rockman.” No answer. This wasn’t right. What was wrong?
“Misora, those waves…” Harp whimpered. “Don’t you recognize them? From that time…”
“…Something wrong, Subaru-kun?”
Subaru turned to face her, a worried expression on his face.
“…Yeah.”
“Well?” She waited impatiently for him to answer. As she did, she felt the briefest surge of energy, the most ethereal and powerful waves she had ever felt washing over her. For a split second she saw a flash of light, a golden yellow glow threatening to engulf Rockman’s body completely, and then it was gone the second he spoke.
“You see…War-Rock ate the OOPart.”
She was silent. Was she seeing things? Rockman didn’t seem to notice anything, that was for sure…
“…Something the matter?” Well, at least he could notice her own worry.
“…N-no, nothing really.”
He seemed fine…maybe she really was just seeing things.
“…That thing, from the museum?”
“Yeah, that thing! I don’t know what happened to them, but I can barely feel Rockman’s own waves! It’s like it’s…taken over or something! Be careful, Misora!”
“W-what?!” And despite Harp’s warnings, she got closer. “Oi, Rockman!”
He still didn’t respond. She was close enough now to see how truly dulled his eyes were. A wave of fear washed over her. He wasn’t gone. Was he?
“H…Hey…Subaru-kun…?”
A reaction. His eyes had changed. The pupils had shrunk, almost as if he had been shocked by her addressing him. He was looking directly at her now, his eyes meeting hers. Was that him? Was he there?
“H-hey…”
“You’re dead.” The faint whisper caught her off guard. It was quiet and dull and she barely heard it, even with her sound-based abilities, and for the briefest of moments she wondered if he had actually spoken.
“S…Subaru…kun?”
“You’re dead.” There it was again, slightly louder, but still barely above a whisper. “You’re dead. You’re dead. You’re dead…”
She didn’t know what to say. Unconsciously, she took a step back, terrified. What had happened to him? As she listened to him continue to whisper under his breath, she noted the slight changes in his tone-it was getting slightly louder with each repletion, and was that…agitation? It was subtle, but it was there. His voice was starting to quiver, and she realized that there was some part of him surprised to see her. Did he…did he really think she was…what could have happened to him, to make him lose faith so easily? Why hadn’t he been looking for her…and by extension, had he even tried looking for the others?
She had to reassure him. Somehow, things would be okay if she did that, right? It would compromise her position, but…she knew he would never get strong enough to defeat them regardless if he stayed like this. Slowly, carefully, she came forward, putting a hand on his shoulder. Immediately, the whispering stopped, and his eyes fixated on her face again, still with that same vacant expression that only showed the slightest awareness of her presence. That was enough. As long as the smallest part of him was still there, then…
“I’m not dead.” Immediately, she heard his breath hitch in his throat, and she knew that he had heard her.
“I’m right here, Subaru-kun…I’m right here.”
There was silence between them yet again. She watched his eyes travel, look at different parts of her face, before focusing on her own eyes again, and she saw the briefest glimmer of something like hope enter them.
Then his eyes glowed bright red, and he was gone.
“Misora, watch out!!!”
It was only Harp’s warning that had saved her, as she barely dodged the sudden swipe of the large sword that would have cut her straight in two. Her body froze in terror as she heard him let out an almost inhuman roar that didn’t sound anything like him and watched his face contort into an expression of pure rage.
“BEgonE, sPECter oF tHE pASt!!!”
“W…what…?”
“Misora, don’t just stand there, he’s coming!”
Once more, she just barely dodged his next attack, and the fight was on.
0-0-0-0-0
Rockman thought of nothing as he continued to drag himself through the Bermuda Maze, slowly and methodically. His mind was near-empty, save for the angry voices that continued to echo through his mind, whispering of hate and anger and revenge, directing him to the maze’s center. In the beginning, he had thought about how easy it was just to let them lead him around, but it soon became tiresome to think even that, and by the time he had slaughtered the false apparition of Harp Note, he had barely felt anything as she disappeared. Driving off a strange blue Denpa being afterwards brought up no feelings at all.
So when he found Burai at the center of the maze, it was little surprise that he felt nothing when he saw him. Only the vaguest of memories floated through his mind: he knew this person was important for some reason, but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what.
“REVENGE…” hissed the voices, just as they always did.
“Re…venge…” his mind repeated back tiredly, just as it always did.
“THIS CHILD…HE IS THE ONE.” That was new. But Rockman could barely bring about enough energy to raise his level of alertness slightly, never mind question the voices as to why. It didn’t matter. They told him anyway.
“HE IS THE ONE WHO TOOK THE OTHERS FROM YOU. LET US SETTLE THIS FOR YOU…JUST AS WE ALWAYS HAVE.”
“…Revenge. I…see.” That was the end of any new observations. Instead, his mind retreated into the mass of voices as the OOPart took control of his body yet again.
Rockman registered nothing of the battle except for its end: Burai, despite his immense strength, was unable to stand against the OOPart and the unadulterated rage of Mu’s voices. Rockman came to just in time to see Burai skewered on the sparking blade.
Watching the life leave Burai’s eyes, Rockman felt…nothing. It was done. The tribe of Berserk had come through again. This was nothing new. If anything, this was the last thing…wasn’t it? That was all he needed for them to do…right? He didn’t need to be awake anymore, did he? That was good…he was…tired…
Before the voices could speak to him again, there was a pain in his chest as something stabbed into him from behind, he felt the angry voices scream as they began to fade.
Then there was nothing. Without the voices in his mind supporting him, Rockman passed out.
0-0-0-0-0
Phantom Black reveled in this new power he was granted. Successfully pulling the OOPart out of the boy and leaving him to die as a hollow shell of himself…he had brought Doctor Orihime the treasured relic and gotten rid of a major obstacle at the same time! How perfect for her. Soon, she’d allow him to form a BrotherBand with her, and he’d be powerful just being associated with her. With Burai’s death happening as well, he’d be his second in command next to Empty...who was still recovering from the wounds that Rockman had given him, and thusly he would be first in command indefinitely. It was perfect.
The sound of heavy footsteps made him start. Who was this who would dare to approach Mu? How would they have gotten this far? Doctor Orihime and Hollow were already inside, and Solo and Harp Note were dead, so there shouldn’t have been anyone else in their group outside other than him…and nobody else was powerful enough to find their way through the Bermuda Maze…right?
Phantom Black was startled to see Rockman’s form coming up the stairs. Not only that, but he was holding himself differently: while he still moved like a jerkily-controlled puppet, he was moving with much more energy in each step, as if he was assured in his strength. Not to mention…
“…That form! Impossible…I ripped that OOPart right out of you!”
His words were greeted with a vicious grin and glowing red eyes.
“OUR POWER IS INFINITE. LEAVING EVEN JUST THE SMALLEST SLIVER INSIDE THIS BODY IS MORE THAN ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH ANY MINOR INCONVINECES LIKE THIS.”
Phantom Black couldn’t help but be taken aback by the sound of the child’s voice. It was nothing like the young, strident, almost innocent tones of the boy from before, and it was even different from the possessed shrieks and wails he let out when fighting both Harp Note and Burai. There was nothing left of the child at all. Instead it was a medley of voices, all combining to make a deep rumble that echoed long after he spoke. The boy grinned again, a small amused twitch of the lips that barely showed teeth.
“YOU WILL SUFFER FOR FORCING US THROUGH THIS INDIGNITY, HOWEVER. EVEN SO, WE MUST THANK YOU FOR AT LEAST ONE THING: WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE SUPPORT WE WERE GIVING THE BOY SUDDENLY GONE, HIS CONSCIOUSNESS SHATTERED. THERE IS NOTHING LEFT OF HIM NOW. THIS BODY IS COMPLETELY OURS TO USE. IT WORKS WELL.”
“Hah!” Phantom Black worked to keep the bravado on his face. “As much as you boast about your power, it doesn’t change that the majority of it is being used to resurrect Ra Mu this very moment! Channeling what little you have through a young boy…it’s nothing but a pitiful attempt to cling to power! You won’t last against me!”
The grin he received in return unsettled him despite himself.
“AND WHAT DO YOU CALL YOUR ACTIONS, PARASITE? CLINGING ONTO ONE WHO CLAIMS TO USE THE POWER OF MU…YOU WILL ALL PERISH FOR DARING TO TAKE OUR POWER FOR YOURSELVES. BEGONE!”
0-0-0-0-0
Regain the power. That was it. That was all the tribe needed to do. Reclaim the OOPart that had held them captive for so long, and revive themselves. While they could thank the foolish woman for reviving their god, they cursed her for using them to do it. However, breaking the seal that Mu had put around the OOPart proved to be a simple task. Retrieving it, however, was not.
Because Ra Mu was listening to the commands that woman had given it, it refused to acknowledge their own words and commands. She had overwritten it, somehow. Vile human! She would be the next to die. Until then, Berserk was forced to dodge around its attacks, fire potshots to weaken the beast’s core, until it was weak enough to penetrate with their sword.
“THUNDERBOLT BLADE!” The sword grew, charged its power. One, two, three slices, and it was done-the core was gone, and they could reach out-
And then their consciousness broke. They had miscalculated the extent of their power, had forgotten how little was left them, and had used it all in that final reckless attack. There was nothing left in the body they had worked so hard to acquire.
The form of Berserk vanished. Left in its place was the empty body of Hoshikawa Subaru, still alive, yet dead. No life was visible in his eyes, even as his heart continued to beat.
He had fallen victim to the same thing that had taken the tribe of Berserk so many millennia ago: the weakening of his bonds, the loss of his support, and so the OOPart had taken him and consumed him like it had the rest.
There was nothing left. It was easy for Ra Mu to rebuild its core and dispose of him.
0-0-0-0-0
“You have averted…a future of destruction. But should Link Power be lost, your world will crumble. Remember…bonds are fragile and easily broken…”
“I understand! I’ll do whatever it takes to preserve Link Power!”
0-0-FIN-0-0
Characters: Hoshikawa Subaru, Berserk's OOPart, Phantom Black, Hibiki Misora/Harp Note, Shirogane Luna, Ushijima Gonta (as Gontaaga), Saishoin Kizamaro, others.
Rating: T
Warnings: It's a Bad End AU. What do you think happens.
Notes: Yet another Bad End concocted up by Gabe. In his own words: "I don’t think it’s possible to make an SF2 bad ending creepy, because the game’s so generally pleasant and silly and upbeat. …until we actually get to the point where there is already a canonical bad end AU for SF2 and it’s the postgame." So in the end, this story was less about the end result-it's already a given, we know what happens-and more about the events that led to it. Even so, this...kind of goes off what he planned. Sorry, Gabe. The sections at the beginning and end of the fic are taken straight out of the game's dialogue, as well as some text snippets here and there.
Summary: Lacking the courage to try will lead to others lacking it as well. Without that courage, how can bonds be supported? How will you get that strength just when you need it most? A Bad End rewrite of Star Force 2.
“W-War-Rock! I know where we are! It’s a ‘parallel world’! It’s not our world! This is an alternate future where humans lost their Link Power so they couldn’t avoid the Precursor to Ruin!”
“An alternate future?”
“I don’t know how this could have happened, but…”
0-0-0-0-0
Subaru felt numb. What was he supposed to do?
The day had started out as miserably as he expected. His mind weighed under the guilt of ignoring his mom’s pointed staring that morning. She wanted to talk to him…hell, even War-Rock was tactful enough to point it out. But he didn’t want to talk. Not to anyone. Not even his mother. Telling her what he felt…he’d just make her disappointed in him. Everyone would be disappointed in him eventually. What was the point of even trying…?
And then that phone call came. The Class President was in trouble again. Kidnapped by that man. And he expected Rockman to save her…What the hell could Rockman do? He was a failure. Subaru was a failure. He’d just let them down. He’d do nothing but let everyone down. But he had to go, didn’t he? If he sat and did nothing…he couldn’t live with himself. Otherwise…otherwise he’d have let her down anyway…
Still, going to face something and knowing failure was the only option…it wasn’t heartening, to say the least.
0-0-0-0-0
He couldn’t stand. He could barely move. The Class President was okay, but…he hadn’t fought his best against her. He couldn’t hurt her. He couldn’t bring himself to let her down even further. The result was that the venom from Ophiucous Queen’s snakes was still coursing through his body, making his chest burn and his muscles ache. He felt so light-headed…
Rockman barely registered the Murian soldiers being summoned to attack him. He couldn’t will himself to move, to react, not even to protect the Class President. His body…his energy was spent.
Then, he felt it. That burning sensation that filled his dreams. The OOPart. It wanted him…it wanted his body. And he couldn’t fight back. He would have just failed…
Instead, he screamed. He could hear his voice mingling with the ever-echoing wails of the OOPart as the energy rushed through him, lashing out at everything without rhyme or reason. The Murian warriors were destroyed with a single blast of white-hot energy. The Class President barely managed to avoid getting hit, her terrified screams briefly waking him up.
He…he couldn’t let her down…not again…he didn’t want to let anyone else down…he was scared, he was scared, he couldn’t even try…
“GIVE US YOUR BODY! YOUR FEEBLE RESISTANCE WILL DO YOU NO GOOD!”
“I can’t…I can’t…hold on…don’t want to…let…her…down…”
“WRETCHED HUMAN INSECT, YOU ARE INCAPABLE OF DOING ANYTHING THE WAY YOU ARE. YOUR MIND IS FEEBLE AND YOUR WILL IS WEAK. GIVE YOURSELF UP TO US.”
“I…can’t…”
Whatever Subaru wanted to say, his mind wouldn’t say it. His thoughts only continued to repeat in the useless cycle of not wanting to let people down; and yet being scared to try lest he let them down regardless. He could do nothing in that state. The half-hearted attempts to restrain the OOPart’s power only drove it further out of control. Now bolts of lightning were emitting from his body and he could do nothing as the lights streaked across the airspace, striking everything.
One hit Luna and she stumbled back against the wall, her body burnt and twitching. Rockman looked on in horror as he saw the first signs of failure appearing. No. He couldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t. He couldn’t let her down. Turning towards her, he tried to reach out to her. She shied away, quivering.
He tried to call out. All that came out was choked growling. Tried again. A wailing noise this time. He was unconsciously mimicking the OOPart’s voices, its cries of vengeance and agony and pain and he had to suppress this wrath or it would lead to him letting everyone down…
“STOP THIS FOOLISHNESS, CHILD. ACCEPT OUR POWER BEFORE IT RUNS RAMPANT AND BURNS OUT YOUR BODY. YOU WILL BE NO USE TO US THAT WAY.”
“I can’t…I can’t!”
His hand shook as he reached out to try and support the Class President. A surge of energy coursed through his arm, and the next thing he knew, Luna was impaled on a large, sparking sword that had materialized on his arm.
Rockman wanted to let go, pull away from the scene, deny that it happened. But it was as if his hand was glued to the bulky handle. It wouldn’t let him pull away. He could only stare in shock as the life slowly left Luna’s eyes, her face frozen in an expression of fear.
“N…no…” The faint whisper was the first thing to break the silence as he stumbled backwards. His only response was the sound of Luna’s body sliding off the blade and landing with a thump that echoed in his ears. His body felt heavy. Cumbersome. Like some monster’s hulking body. Looking over himself with a sort of stunned, morbid fascination, he barely took in the sight of the grey and yellow armor, his eyes trailing to the electric sword still in his hand, crimson threads of blood still dripping down it.
“YOU SEE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE? YOUR INCOMPETENCE HAS RUINED ANY CHANCE OF ACHIEVING YOUR WISHES. TRYING TO SAVE HER AND REPEL US AT THE SAME TIME…IT WAS TOO MUCH. WHY DID YOU NOT GIVE IN? YOUR PITIFUL HUMAN BODY AND YOUR FEEBLE JUVENILE MIND WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RESIST IN THE END, IT WOULD HAVE GIVEN IN. YOU SHOULD HAVE SAVED YOURSELF THE GRIEF AND TROUBLE. THEN IT WOULD NOT HAVE LED TO THIS.”
“I…I should have…why did I try…I would have let her down anyways…but at least she would have lived…I screwed up…I screwed up bad…”
“THERE IS NO NEED FOR YOU TO TRY. GIVE IN. END THIS CYCLE OF FAILURE.”
“…”
Phantom Black was apprehensive as Rockman did nothing but stand mutely in shock. The hero killing the heroine…this did not fit his script at all. But…it could have been a better rewrite than he had hoped. If he acted now, then…
“You must depart, now.” A blue wizard-like being appeared next to him, and he turned to him in shock.
“Empty?! But why? This trauma, clearly it gives us a prime opportunity to attack him and get rid of this thorn in our side!”
“It would be, had he not been in possession of the OOPart.”
“Wouldn’t it be easy to get it off of him in this state?”
“Look at his eyes, the way he holds himself. This state of exhaustion, it was not merely caused by your efforts. The OOPart has been wearing away at his mind and body ever since he has grabbed ahold of it. Other circumstances must have happened to weaken his resistance. He was weak long before you led him here. And when the weak try to use the OOPart, it consumes them, just as it did its tribe. That boy will be nothing more than one of the many spirits it has taken to fuel its power. The OOPart is an angry, vengeful existence, Phantom Black, as the constant sorrows and anger of the spirits are used to project and control its power. And that boy is unique in that even with his mind disappearing, his body acts as the perfect channel of its power. He will be nothing but a living OOPart in a matter of moments. Those implacable spirits will be free to run amok and with full use of the OOPart’s power.”
“Then that only means that we have to get it now!” Phantom Black lunged forward, preparing to spear the boy through with his cane. The boy’s body suddenly jerked, turned to face him with glowing red eyes, and he halted in his tracks.
“We must leave. Now!” Empty repeated. Phantom Black noted a hint of fear behind the usual same deadpan tone, and made his decision.
The two disappeared just as Rockman let out an inhuman wail and released a massive surge of electricity, engulfing the entire theatre in an explosion.
0-0-0-0-0
“Oi, kid, get outta here! You’re mucking up the stand!” Kizamaro stumbled back as he was pushed away by the much larger man, eventually losing his balance and falling back on his rear.
“H-hey! D-don’t you know who I a-am? I s-saw Dossy!” The stammering proclamation was much weaker than when he had first said those words, a meager attempt to reclaim the authority those words once held.
“Sure you did, kid,” the stall owner replied dismissively. “Everyone sees Dossy these days, always claimin’ that she’s off in the distance somewhere. How many of those sightins’ are real, I dunno. Now get lost, kid.”
“But I totally saw the real Dossy! I’m the original seer! I saw her first!” Kizamaro protested vehemently, even as he knew what was going to happen next.
“Yeah, yeah, that’s nice, kid.” Kizamaro immediately looked dejected as the stall owner ignored him, but didn’t move from the spot. There wasn’t much point to doing anything now.
How long had he been here? It felt like forever. The first thing he had wanted to do once he found himself in an unfamiliar way was to try and contact home, but…then he had seen her. Dossy. And then his course was set. How could he go back, now that he had some purpose, some fame? Back home…he was useless. He was nobody special. But here, he was that kid. The one who saw Dossy. The one who brought fame and prosperity to Dombra Lake. That’s what he had been…
And now he was nobody special again. That day when he had spent the whole day out talking to people at Demagawa-san’s behest, trying to find more people who had sighted Dossy. But when he came back…his hotel room card didn’t work anymore. The room had been quitted, the Mystery Investigators crew was gone. Kizamaro was left alone to fend for himself.
It was okay at first. People were glad to talk to the kid who had seen Dossy. But then more and more tourists came, and they didn’t have time to talk to him, they had to talk to these new people and get them to buy their merchandise, and Kizamaro had started to look more and more raggedy due to his lack of shelter. He made their stalls look bad. He couldn’t stay.
Nobody wanted him.
Nobody needed him.
It was happening all over again.
He didn’t even want to try to go home, now. It was too long. There was no way that his friends and family would take him back now. Not only was he completely useless, he had betrayed their trust! He didn’t call them. He didn’t bother to let them know where he was. Instead he had tossed them aside for some flimsy fifteen minutes of fame. Why would they even consider taking him back?
“You’re still here, kid? Look, take this and go. It’s on the house or something. Just get out of here, will ya?” Kizamaro scrambled to catch the kabob that was thrown his way and scurried off before he annoyed the man any more. This was his first bite of food in days that wasn’t rotted or half-eaten and in a trash can…
Sitting on a bench and eating, he swung his legs back and forth. What a miserable life. He probably deserved it, as someone useless and unworthy of the few friends he had managed to make.
“L-look! It’s Dossy! Dossy!”
“Where? Where?!”
“Right there, in the lake…!”
Kizamaro looked. There indeed was something in the lake. A large orange dinosaur with a long neck was swimming in the center.
Dossy. It was Dossy. Kizamaro let out a weak laugh at that. Now everyone had seen her. Everyone knew she existed. The mystery was gone. There was nothing left for him.
Dossy let out a loud roar and heaved its body forward, making a large tidal wave that threatened to flood half the town. Everyone else screamed, tried to flee. Kizamaro didn’t even bother moving from his bench.
So this was how it ended, huh. An anonymous death amongst the many soon-to-be victims of the very same creature that had brought him his fleeting fame. He would be nothing but a statistic now.
What an appropriate death for a useless guy like him.
0-0-0-0-0
Gontaaga was a god. That’s what he was told. He could lead everyone in Nanska to prosperity and wealth. That was all he needed to do. Just listen to what Agame-san said and do what he was told. Then he’d get delicious food all the time and everyone loved him and everything was nice. That was it.
Then that boy came. He called himself Solo, called Gontaaga a fake and attacked him. He had been rendered unconscious before the pleas of Agame-san and the people got Solo to relent, if only out of sheer disgusted pity. That event had raised some doubts in the villagers, but Agame-san got them to calm down and accept Gontaaga’s words once more.
Then those foreigners started coming, attracted by those landmarks Agame-san had told him to order to be made. So much time was spent on creating landmarks and entertainment, and monitoring the tourists, that the crops were mismanaged. The majority of them had failed. With that, the few tourists that had come were gone, disenchanted by the unkempt fields, so there was little alternate income. It was a time of famine and poverty.
The people were angry. They cried for justice, for better rulings, demanding Gontaaga to tell them why he had led them down this path of self-destruction. He didn’t know what to do. Agame-san wasn’t telling him anything. He looked just as stumped even as he tried to console the angered people, to stave them off until something beneficial happened. Nothing happened, and the people grew angrier.
Then, Agame-san disappeared. Just went off to the Nanska Ruins one day and vanished. It was the last straw. To lose their crops and their way of living was one thing. But to lose their village chief, who had done nothing but try his best for their future? Unforgivable. He didn’t deserve such a thing. They stormed his pedestal, beating at it, trying to make him fall, and trying to topple it over. What to do? What to do? Agame-san wasn’t there to tell him…
A screech cut through the air, silencing the protests. From out of the clouds, a large red bird came soaring down. Immediately, the people stared in awe, unsure what this was, until a child cried out.
“Look, Ma! It looks like one of those giant drawings on the ground! It’s the giant Mu bird!”
Immediately, whispers broke out amongst the people. Another Murian herald? What could this mean?
“Yes!” cried out the creature in a booming voice. “I am a true herald of Mu! I have soared with Mu in the skies during the days of old, defending it! Now, I come down to defend the last of Murian blood from this famine that threatens them!”
There were cheers. Immediately people began to bow to the giant bird as Gontaaga stared up in awe.
“I know what plagues you so! Those words of who you follow…they are lies, deceitful lies! He is a false herald!”
Immediately, Gontaaga stiffened. First that white-haired boy…now this bird? And now Agame-san wasn’t here to smooth things over…even then, he wasn’t sure if the village chief could smooth things over. Having words come out of a giant monster bird was certainly much more convincing than having it come from a boy his age.
The bird attacked. Beams of light erupted from its wings and struck the base of Gontaaga’s pedestal, toppling it. He screamed as he fell, his cries cut off by the impact with the ground. Dizzy and disoriented, he looked up at the blurry images of the angry villagers.
“Dispose of the false one!” cried the bird. “Make him pay for your sufferings with blood!”
What? No…he couldn’t. His brain still felt fuzzy from the impact, but he knew that it wasn’t good…what could he do? He didn’t know what to do. He needed Agame-san’s advice…
“A…Agame-san…Agame-san said…”
“Silence!” cried out a villager. “How dare you speak of our chief that way! He has done nothing but try to help us, and you would say that he told you things?”
“But…he said…he…” Gontaaga’s words became more and more muddled. Why? Why wasn’t he what Agame-san told him he was? “He…said…”
His words were cut off by a cry as a villager kicked him in the side. That was the signal for the onslaught. Even as the villagers continued to beat him, his mind was engrossed with wondering why. Who was he, if not a herald of Mu? Who…?
The last thing he saw was the red bird flying in circles overhead, still calling for his destruction.
0-0-0-0-0
Harp Note couldn’t help but cry to herself sometimes. There wasn’t a part of her that didn’t regret what she had done. It was the only way to keep him safe, she knew, but still…she hated being part of the Neo Mu Empire. She hated having to work for them. She hated helping them to achieve their goals. But…it was a temporary thing. She knew that. Rockman would get stronger while she shielded him, and come back to beat them. She knew he would.
Those stories that she had heard about, though…A strange explosion at a movie theatre after a kidnapping (she had heard the victim’s name was Shirogane, but quickly tried to ignore the rest, she couldn’t believe that it was her, that he had failed, that they were both gone), a large prehistoric beast terrorizing Lake Dombra, a giant bird declared a cruel yet efficient god in a foreign land…they were all so strange. Was that the Empire’s doing? Why wasn’t he stopping them? Maybe what she had heard was outdated. That was it. She had been in the Bermuda Maze for so long…it was so easy to lose track of time here. It was endless. That had to be it. Even consoling herself this way, she had to work to restrain a choked sob.
“Ne, Misora…”
“I’m okay, Harp…I’m okay.”
Their reverie was broken by the sound of high-pitched screeching. Something was being dragged across the Wave Road, something that must have had a strong electric field if it was able to replicate the same effect on the insubstantial road that nails did on a chalkboard. It wasn’t being dragged consistently either, if anything it seemed to happen for short periodic bursts…it must have been something heavy, if it could only be moved like that. Even without her sound-based abilities, she could tell this much. Listening further, she could make out footsteps between the screeching noises: heavy, thudding footsteps like a suit of armor, moving slowly and ponderously forward without stopping. It was eerie. Nothing should be that perfectly synchronized, having the same exact time between steps. And yet it was so. Whatever it was, it wasn’t human…was it?
Whatever it was, it was new, and warranted an investigation. It sounded as if it had just entered the Maze, so she went there. What she found was…something that made her think of a Murian grunt soldier. It had legs, to be sure, but it indeed was moving them slowly, mechanically. The sound was being caused by a large, sparking sword being dragged on the floor, much larger than any sword she had seen a Murian soldier wield. Maybe it was a special version? Its armor was certainly different than she remembered, much less round, more…human-like.
“M…Misora! Those waves!”
“Eh? What is it, Harp?” She tried to focus more on the type, felt the waves of a powerful Murian energy, and felt…no. It couldn’t be. Was it really?
“Rockman! It’s Rockman! He came!”
It really was him. Part of her was relieved to see him alive. But the rest of her buried that relief, steeled her resolve. She couldn’t appear like she was partial to him. She had to look like she really was one of them now. He kept coming closer, closer, and she wondered why he was coming so mechanically. Was he tired? Was he at his limits already? No, that couldn’t be it…those waves coming from him were so strong and relentless.
He stopped. So he had seen her. She steeled herself for a happy cry, a shocked whisper of her name, any sort of acknowledgement that would prompt her to respond coldly and without emotion.
It was several moments before she realized that nothing of the sort had come. He was just standing…staring at her with an empty look in his eyes which made her wonder if he really had seen her.
“So, you’re here,” she forced herself to say, wincing internally at the emotion that escaped her voice. “I wondered when you’d come.” Her voice was shaking. She cursed herself for her weakness, before realizing that he hadn’t seemed to hear her at all. Oh, he was still looking directly at her, to be sure. But his eyes were glazed over, they didn’t seem to reflect any light at all, and with that vacant expression it looked as if he was looking straight past her, as if he didn’t really see her at all.
“Rockman.” No answer. This wasn’t right. What was wrong?
“Misora, those waves…” Harp whimpered. “Don’t you recognize them? From that time…”
“…Something wrong, Subaru-kun?”
Subaru turned to face her, a worried expression on his face.
“…Yeah.”
“Well?” She waited impatiently for him to answer. As she did, she felt the briefest surge of energy, the most ethereal and powerful waves she had ever felt washing over her. For a split second she saw a flash of light, a golden yellow glow threatening to engulf Rockman’s body completely, and then it was gone the second he spoke.
“You see…War-Rock ate the OOPart.”
She was silent. Was she seeing things? Rockman didn’t seem to notice anything, that was for sure…
“…Something the matter?” Well, at least he could notice her own worry.
“…N-no, nothing really.”
He seemed fine…maybe she really was just seeing things.
“…That thing, from the museum?”
“Yeah, that thing! I don’t know what happened to them, but I can barely feel Rockman’s own waves! It’s like it’s…taken over or something! Be careful, Misora!”
“W-what?!” And despite Harp’s warnings, she got closer. “Oi, Rockman!”
He still didn’t respond. She was close enough now to see how truly dulled his eyes were. A wave of fear washed over her. He wasn’t gone. Was he?
“H…Hey…Subaru-kun…?”
A reaction. His eyes had changed. The pupils had shrunk, almost as if he had been shocked by her addressing him. He was looking directly at her now, his eyes meeting hers. Was that him? Was he there?
“H-hey…”
“You’re dead.” The faint whisper caught her off guard. It was quiet and dull and she barely heard it, even with her sound-based abilities, and for the briefest of moments she wondered if he had actually spoken.
“S…Subaru…kun?”
“You’re dead.” There it was again, slightly louder, but still barely above a whisper. “You’re dead. You’re dead. You’re dead…”
She didn’t know what to say. Unconsciously, she took a step back, terrified. What had happened to him? As she listened to him continue to whisper under his breath, she noted the slight changes in his tone-it was getting slightly louder with each repletion, and was that…agitation? It was subtle, but it was there. His voice was starting to quiver, and she realized that there was some part of him surprised to see her. Did he…did he really think she was…what could have happened to him, to make him lose faith so easily? Why hadn’t he been looking for her…and by extension, had he even tried looking for the others?
She had to reassure him. Somehow, things would be okay if she did that, right? It would compromise her position, but…she knew he would never get strong enough to defeat them regardless if he stayed like this. Slowly, carefully, she came forward, putting a hand on his shoulder. Immediately, the whispering stopped, and his eyes fixated on her face again, still with that same vacant expression that only showed the slightest awareness of her presence. That was enough. As long as the smallest part of him was still there, then…
“I’m not dead.” Immediately, she heard his breath hitch in his throat, and she knew that he had heard her.
“I’m right here, Subaru-kun…I’m right here.”
There was silence between them yet again. She watched his eyes travel, look at different parts of her face, before focusing on her own eyes again, and she saw the briefest glimmer of something like hope enter them.
Then his eyes glowed bright red, and he was gone.
“Misora, watch out!!!”
It was only Harp’s warning that had saved her, as she barely dodged the sudden swipe of the large sword that would have cut her straight in two. Her body froze in terror as she heard him let out an almost inhuman roar that didn’t sound anything like him and watched his face contort into an expression of pure rage.
“BEgonE, sPECter oF tHE pASt!!!”
“W…what…?”
“Misora, don’t just stand there, he’s coming!”
Once more, she just barely dodged his next attack, and the fight was on.
0-0-0-0-0
Rockman thought of nothing as he continued to drag himself through the Bermuda Maze, slowly and methodically. His mind was near-empty, save for the angry voices that continued to echo through his mind, whispering of hate and anger and revenge, directing him to the maze’s center. In the beginning, he had thought about how easy it was just to let them lead him around, but it soon became tiresome to think even that, and by the time he had slaughtered the false apparition of Harp Note, he had barely felt anything as she disappeared. Driving off a strange blue Denpa being afterwards brought up no feelings at all.
So when he found Burai at the center of the maze, it was little surprise that he felt nothing when he saw him. Only the vaguest of memories floated through his mind: he knew this person was important for some reason, but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what.
“REVENGE…” hissed the voices, just as they always did.
“Re…venge…” his mind repeated back tiredly, just as it always did.
“THIS CHILD…HE IS THE ONE.” That was new. But Rockman could barely bring about enough energy to raise his level of alertness slightly, never mind question the voices as to why. It didn’t matter. They told him anyway.
“HE IS THE ONE WHO TOOK THE OTHERS FROM YOU. LET US SETTLE THIS FOR YOU…JUST AS WE ALWAYS HAVE.”
“…Revenge. I…see.” That was the end of any new observations. Instead, his mind retreated into the mass of voices as the OOPart took control of his body yet again.
Rockman registered nothing of the battle except for its end: Burai, despite his immense strength, was unable to stand against the OOPart and the unadulterated rage of Mu’s voices. Rockman came to just in time to see Burai skewered on the sparking blade.
Watching the life leave Burai’s eyes, Rockman felt…nothing. It was done. The tribe of Berserk had come through again. This was nothing new. If anything, this was the last thing…wasn’t it? That was all he needed for them to do…right? He didn’t need to be awake anymore, did he? That was good…he was…tired…
Before the voices could speak to him again, there was a pain in his chest as something stabbed into him from behind, he felt the angry voices scream as they began to fade.
Then there was nothing. Without the voices in his mind supporting him, Rockman passed out.
0-0-0-0-0
Phantom Black reveled in this new power he was granted. Successfully pulling the OOPart out of the boy and leaving him to die as a hollow shell of himself…he had brought Doctor Orihime the treasured relic and gotten rid of a major obstacle at the same time! How perfect for her. Soon, she’d allow him to form a BrotherBand with her, and he’d be powerful just being associated with her. With Burai’s death happening as well, he’d be his second in command next to Empty...who was still recovering from the wounds that Rockman had given him, and thusly he would be first in command indefinitely. It was perfect.
The sound of heavy footsteps made him start. Who was this who would dare to approach Mu? How would they have gotten this far? Doctor Orihime and Hollow were already inside, and Solo and Harp Note were dead, so there shouldn’t have been anyone else in their group outside other than him…and nobody else was powerful enough to find their way through the Bermuda Maze…right?
Phantom Black was startled to see Rockman’s form coming up the stairs. Not only that, but he was holding himself differently: while he still moved like a jerkily-controlled puppet, he was moving with much more energy in each step, as if he was assured in his strength. Not to mention…
“…That form! Impossible…I ripped that OOPart right out of you!”
His words were greeted with a vicious grin and glowing red eyes.
“OUR POWER IS INFINITE. LEAVING EVEN JUST THE SMALLEST SLIVER INSIDE THIS BODY IS MORE THAN ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH ANY MINOR INCONVINECES LIKE THIS.”
Phantom Black couldn’t help but be taken aback by the sound of the child’s voice. It was nothing like the young, strident, almost innocent tones of the boy from before, and it was even different from the possessed shrieks and wails he let out when fighting both Harp Note and Burai. There was nothing left of the child at all. Instead it was a medley of voices, all combining to make a deep rumble that echoed long after he spoke. The boy grinned again, a small amused twitch of the lips that barely showed teeth.
“YOU WILL SUFFER FOR FORCING US THROUGH THIS INDIGNITY, HOWEVER. EVEN SO, WE MUST THANK YOU FOR AT LEAST ONE THING: WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE SUPPORT WE WERE GIVING THE BOY SUDDENLY GONE, HIS CONSCIOUSNESS SHATTERED. THERE IS NOTHING LEFT OF HIM NOW. THIS BODY IS COMPLETELY OURS TO USE. IT WORKS WELL.”
“Hah!” Phantom Black worked to keep the bravado on his face. “As much as you boast about your power, it doesn’t change that the majority of it is being used to resurrect Ra Mu this very moment! Channeling what little you have through a young boy…it’s nothing but a pitiful attempt to cling to power! You won’t last against me!”
The grin he received in return unsettled him despite himself.
“AND WHAT DO YOU CALL YOUR ACTIONS, PARASITE? CLINGING ONTO ONE WHO CLAIMS TO USE THE POWER OF MU…YOU WILL ALL PERISH FOR DARING TO TAKE OUR POWER FOR YOURSELVES. BEGONE!”
0-0-0-0-0
Regain the power. That was it. That was all the tribe needed to do. Reclaim the OOPart that had held them captive for so long, and revive themselves. While they could thank the foolish woman for reviving their god, they cursed her for using them to do it. However, breaking the seal that Mu had put around the OOPart proved to be a simple task. Retrieving it, however, was not.
Because Ra Mu was listening to the commands that woman had given it, it refused to acknowledge their own words and commands. She had overwritten it, somehow. Vile human! She would be the next to die. Until then, Berserk was forced to dodge around its attacks, fire potshots to weaken the beast’s core, until it was weak enough to penetrate with their sword.
“THUNDERBOLT BLADE!” The sword grew, charged its power. One, two, three slices, and it was done-the core was gone, and they could reach out-
And then their consciousness broke. They had miscalculated the extent of their power, had forgotten how little was left them, and had used it all in that final reckless attack. There was nothing left in the body they had worked so hard to acquire.
The form of Berserk vanished. Left in its place was the empty body of Hoshikawa Subaru, still alive, yet dead. No life was visible in his eyes, even as his heart continued to beat.
He had fallen victim to the same thing that had taken the tribe of Berserk so many millennia ago: the weakening of his bonds, the loss of his support, and so the OOPart had taken him and consumed him like it had the rest.
There was nothing left. It was easy for Ra Mu to rebuild its core and dispose of him.
0-0-0-0-0
“You have averted…a future of destruction. But should Link Power be lost, your world will crumble. Remember…bonds are fragile and easily broken…”
“I understand! I’ll do whatever it takes to preserve Link Power!”
0-0-FIN-0-0