R.O.C.K On!

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Luna frowned as she decided to head towards the signal. She was angry with Caramon and just wanted to smack him. Then she hit water. When she noticed she'd have to go across it she gave a soft sigh.

"I don't really want to go....is it possible for us to swim it?" Luna asked I.

"Yeah we can swim it. Are you SURE you don't want to wait for Caramon and Z?"

"I know you like Z and all but Caramon is on VERY thin ice. We're gonna go without him, then he can't say anything about my hair without getting attention. And I'm certainly not going to talk to him."

She found a spot to sit for a moment, just watching the water. She was tired, angry, and most of all worried about him. She had no idea what was going on and knew something was going to happen. She wanted to work on something, ANYTHING to help. Never had she heard of anything like that happening to a person. Then it hit her, maybe this 'mother' could help. Maybe she had some answers or at least some help. She held I up as she calmed herself.

"Rock on" she said a bit glad no one was around to see her.
 
So my father got up to... Officer, I believe?

First class. Out on a wasteland mission when he found me.

I assume he wasn't looking for you?

He was in charge of protection of the search party, or something. It was a ruined Raider air cruiser.

...You think he would be owed a favor?

No promises, especially considering how he refused to turn me over.

Cormag's idea of a plan was certainly quite the stretch, considering the risk of it. Marching up to the military one was discharged from and asking for an airship was not something considered wise. But it might be the bare amount necessary to get on the island without incident, and get off of it, too. Walking down the avenue of the business district with Iscariot trailing close behind, Cormag had to consider what options were truly available with battling the throngs of the post-lunch-hour crowd.

"The plan," Cormag talked idly to Iscariot among the horde of people, "...is hopefully to get an airship from the military. I may not still be in, but they ought to make some sort of pass for my dad's sake." This, of course, came without any guarantees, but if it could be done, the airship would be by far the best way to get in and out of where they needed to go.

First and foremost, however, came the job he already had. Finally reaching the report office for the local law enforcement, Cormag motioned for Iscariot to remain outside. "Sorry, but business comes first. Since I answered the call, they'll expect a report out of me, most likely. Just... wait out here, or something," Cormag shrugged. He didn't like this particular situation anymore than Iscariot might have liked this delay (not much), but it wasn't time to take unwelcome chances yet.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans for the pair.

----------------------------------

"Look, I'm Cormag Barreton, you know who I am-"

"Indeed. Now be quiet."

"I'd like to know why this is ne-"

"Be quiet, or you're guilty, both of you."

A begrudging silence.

"Now, I'm going to ask you a few questions. Don't answer until I'm done asking, then I expect you to answer honestly and completely. Once you do and we're, we can all wrap this case up, nice and easy."

So much for that. Cormag and Iscariot sat beside each other in what might as well have been an interrogation room, for all the sparsity and glum it contained. The two men had been thoroughly searched and removed of their weapons and tools, locked away in some cabinet they hadn't discerned. The director sat across from the pair, flanked by bulked, professional guardsmen and holding a clipboard and pencil, scribbling down his judgements.

"So," the director began, motioning for the guards to set down a duo of objects, "What are these artifacts?" Biometals F and S were set down, just slightly out of arm's reach without standing.
 
Iscariot crossed his arms and sat in stony silence, as if having become one with the room itself, austere and lacking of sound. Underneath the black-tinted glasses, his eyes moved onto the purple artifact on the table for the span of a few seconds, the light in them bearing a mix of an unassuming agitation and the tiniest hint of worry, despite what he'd have others (as well as himself) believe. Iscariot's eyes worked their way up, and naught but further agitation reflected off of them when he gave the director and his guards each a look for the sake of evaluation.

"Formalities." Iscariot turned in Cormag's direction, any emotion discernible from his expression swayed into obscurity by the high collar of his clothing. "Now do you see why I don't bother?" said the man aloud, to the others of which it would seem as if he'd have it directed at the other man. In place, his next words would then seem odd and disjointed in a non-sensical fashion, but Iscariot was not one to pay it mind. "You should speak for us two. A stranger's words would carry less weight, the circumstances aside." Iscariot spoke to Cormag, as such. Perhaps there was the shadow of a smirk on the man's face when another voice spoke up, carrying a detached grimness that felt almost in tune with the current situation our heroes found themselves in, but neither Model S or he himself would've recognized it.

"Sweaty palms, and... What the heck did that guy have for lunch...? Augh. Get us out of here already, Iscariot!" pleaded Model S, an imaginary unease resounding within a clammy torrent that rode up its metallic spine. It didn't feel like replying to its biomatch any more than it already did.
 
The director's face seemed to thinly swatch through several different expressions in response to the well-obscured man. Neutrality turned to vague interest, then a conglomeration of frustration and confusion that could just as well reflect the saying, "Now you see why I don't bother," before finally setting on an interest of greater focus in Cormag's direction. For all the while, the too-similar, horizontal face continued to gaze silently at them, pondering whatever judgements could be in this particular set of potential conflicts; of many in his career, one might assume.

So it was up to Cormag to explain themselves? Perhaps Iscariot was sick of doing that before even starting, but Cormag would only be slightly more eager than his partners if he weren't so ticked right now. But that sort of attitude clearly never helped anything well in his experiences before, so for the moment the Biomatch had to deal with it. Perhaps the sort of advantage the Biomatches had over their current overseers, as it were, was that Biometals only resonated with people they specifically chose to match with. Model F was echoing round-robins of insults in Cormag's head while Model S voiced its complaints, and the director and guard didn't so much as bat an eyelid. Fantastic... to some degree, one might suppose.

"They're Biometals," Cormag finally, surely and absolutely said.

Silence. The director, pen still poised, raised an eyebrow. More silence.

"...Ahem. I believe I informed you to answer-"

"They're Biometals. That's what they are. That's it," Cormag, despite how 'cool' in all of the right and wrong ways his observers appropriated him to be, was being exact. Not specific.

"...Very well," the director scribbled for a second, pushing a thin-rimmed pair of glasses up his nose like a matter-of-fact nerd. Exhaling a brief sigh, he continued, "Why do you have these, 'Biometals'?"

Cormag flatly pondered for an answer before replying, "Because they appeared for us when we needed them."

More scrawling, a pause, then lower scrawling, perhaps a footnote. "And... when did you 'need' 'them'?"

"Massive Maverick assault on the Slums across Southeast Business District borderline, 10:47 AM today."

A brief stop for recognition and incredulousness, then a longer series of scratchings of pen-to-paper. "It would, therefore, be safe to say that all personnel each obtaining a Biometal were thereupon involved in the incident?"

"...nnnNo. I would say, maybe, 'against' the incident, more like."

"...specific choice of words..." the director mumbled without regard to the surrounding ears, perhaps mouthing to mirror the content of his new set of writings. As he stood poised to ask a new question, there was a beeping from one of the guards' belts. Unclipping a device not unlike a PDA, the guard glanced at it, then the director, "Sir, you have company for you in the lounge."

An exhilarated sigh. "Now?"

"Now."

Liquid sarcasm whirled his pupils in a circle as he stood up, clipboarded report and pen in hand, looking to the group and ordering, "Stay here, don't cause any trouble, and I'll be right back." With a stride to the room's solitary door and the swipe of a keycard from outside, the man exited the room. The door slammed shut again, automatically locking and leaving the Biomatches, guards and Biometals left with the dull buzz of the lights above.

Aaand there goes our way out. This is absolutely FABULOUS, am I right?. Freaking idiots...
 
Caramon knocked once more, then three more times ten minutes later, before giving up, placing his head in his hands as he sat down.
"I guess she's not here. Any ideas, Z?"
'We could try leaving a note and wait until we get a call. You never know, it might just work.'
"And in the mean time, I can see if Luna's by the docks. She always loved the water, I guess that's why I's such a good match for her."
'I guess so.'
Before he left, he placed a folded note on the door with his PVP (Personal Video Phone) number inside, hoping that she would contact him soon if he didn't find Luna on his own.

As he headed for the docks, he saw a bit of a commotion in the direction of the scrapped Maverick, picking up the pace so as to leave the area before it got sealed off for the clean-up.
Upon reaching his destination, he spotted a shape in the distance sitting on the edge of the dock, a large boat in the water blowing its signal horn as he tried to call out to see if it was who he thought it was.

Running top speed, he made his way down the steep ramp towards the water, unable to stop himself, as he tripped, barreling past the person and careening into the water, the added weight on his left arm causing him to struggle in his attemps to swim, his floatation mechanism still in need of repair from the conflict with the Maverick, as he slowly began to sink.

He aimed his cable at the dock and fired, remembering that he had yet to attache a new hook to it, as it flailed out of the water, gently lapping the side of the dock, a small piece snagging on the wood, yet slipping as he tried to reel himself back up to the surface.

As he began to run out of air, his descent began to feel as if time were going in slow motion, the shapes above the water moving almost as if someone were playing them frame-by-frame on their vid-screen.
Z begged and pleaded with him to take off the armor on his arm, yet Caramon shook his head.
A small smile crossed his lips as he tore Z from his neck, the Biometal floating on the bubble caused by his words.
"I'm sorry."

As Z floated to the top of the water, he began calling out to anyone who would listen, almost as if he were shouting at the top of his lungs, a tone of fear and horror mixed with sorrow ringing in his voice, uncaring of who answered the call, as long as Caramon could be saved.
'Help! Please! He's drowning! He's nearly to the bottom, and I can't save him! Someone! Anyone! Please, help him or he'll die!'
 
Luna stared out at the water for a moment then, something rolled past her. It didn't register until I and her heard Z shouting. Without a second thought she dove into the water and looked around for a second. When she saw Caramon her heart nearly sank. She might be angry with him but she still cared. She swam straight for him and grabbed him, wrapping her arms around him. She pulled him up to the surface and grabbed Z. She didn't say a word as she managed to pull him out.

You're lucky we were here Z.

As her armor vanished she checked his breathing. She frowned when she noticed he wasn't breathing. She took a deep breath and performed mouth-to-mouth, just wanting to save him.
 
Z's tone was sorrowful, yet had a hint of joy to it as he spoke to I.
'I'm glad you were. I wouldn't be able to get very far without him, but I could never live with myself if I were to ever lose you. I love you too much to be able to go on without you.'

Caramon's eyes flew open, yet he did his best to hold back a coughing fit to enjoy the feeling of Luna's lips against his.
When he finally couldn't take it anymore, he sat up and grabbed her, holding her tight as he coughed out his words.
"I'm...sorry. I...lost track...of time."

After he had calmed down, her looked into her eyes, a bright smile on his face as he noticed her hair, his own now having partial streaks of blonde showing through.
"I was right, you do look adorable with blue hair." he said, kissing her forehead.

He ran his hands through it and burried his face in her chest, sobbing as he held her in his arms.
"I thought I'd lost you. You don't know how relieved I am to see you. I searched the whole of the District for you until I thought of here."

He looked back into her eyes as the fresh dye began flowing from his head, leaving only the last several inches of hair a blood red, the rest a deep gold, before he looked out onto the water, his tears ceasing.
"This's where we met, isn't it? I thought I remembered it right. If you hadn't been here, it would've been a fitting place to die."

As he held up his left hand, he noticed that the new gauntlet he had made had slipped off, revealing that the cracks had spread even further, now almost entirely encompassing the outer shell of his arm.
"Well, since I already worried you by almost drowning from trying not to worry you, I suppose I don't have any choice but to tell you what I found out about this.
I know I said we'd do this together, but I didn't want to make you worry more than you had to.
I love you, but there are some things I couldn't stand to burden you with, which it seems I'm going to have to do anyway...
Do you want the good news, or the bad news first?"
 
Luna's worried expression turned to anger as he talked. When he spoke of dying there she seemed infuriated. She hadn't even noticed his hair yet. When he finally finished speaking she slapped him. She was almost too angry for words.

Looks like he's in for it now Z.....She's been on edge the entire day. If she hadn't been given the next two weeks off she certainly would've been fired.

"You IDIOT!" She yelled at him, "You're always going around and doing things behind my back leaving me all alone to worry and wonder where you are! You NEVER think about sharing what's wrong! Your arm proves it! I oughta THROTTLE you!! You're lucky we have someplace to be!"

Her anger wasn't spent but frustrated tears streamed down her cheeks, "If I lost you....I can't even think about it you moron!" She pushed him away, clearly upset with him. She took note of his hair now but decided against saying anything, she was just too angry. "Now what the heck do you have to tell me?!" she glared at him as she spoke, making sure he knew he was in hot water.
 
Z was slightly confused as I's remark, as well as Luna's words.
'She got two weeks off? And where are we supposed to go? I've been asleep for awhile, so did I miss something important?'

As Caramon looked into her eyes after she slapped him, his own reflected his regret and sorrow.
"I know that I can't make up for my mistakes, but I can at least stop hiding things from you. I discovered that this isn't the Maverick virus, but it's something even worse."

He turned away from her, afraid to look her in the eyes any longer, before getting on his hands and knees.
"I only do what I do because I love you, and I don't want you to get hurt. I know it isn't right, but you're my whole world, and if anything were to happen to you, I'd never forgive myself..."

He looked back at her, holding out his left arm to her so she could see the full detail of what was going on.
"This is from the Nightmare virus. It infected many Reploids over a hundred years ago, yet the Maverick Hunters X and Zero stopped it, but now it seems that it's been recreated, this time fused together with the Maverick Virus to make it more stable."

A smile appeared on his lips as he clasped his hand around her's.
"Zero told me that he had been able to stop being a Maverick by integrating the virus into himself and taking control, effectively making him stronger, so I hoped to be able to do the same, so that you wouldn't have even had to worry about it, yet here we are."

He rose to his feet, placing Z back around his neck as he gently ran his thumb over the ring on her finger.
"To tell you the absolute truth, I'm afraid.
Afraid of what I may become as I try to take hold of this virus. Afraid I may hurt those I love.
Afraid I might lose you.
That's why I try to do things on my own like this: because I don't want you to get hurt.
If I ever did anything to hurt you while trying to take control of this, I'd never be able to forgive myself."
 
"So instead of coming to me for help, instead of telling me what was going on so I could understand, You decided to do this all on your own?! So, you thought it would be better if I thought something was wrong with me if you hurt me instead of understanding what was going on? You're an idiot. A HUGE idiot," Luna hissed, "Look, we have to get going.... we have somewhere to be. The Biometals are being called."

Z didn't you notice the signal? It's the mother signal....We need to get going.

Luna still looked angry at him but knew they had to get going. She took a deep breath and decided to cut the tension, she loved him too much to stay angry. "So....you're a blondie huh?" she said quietly, trying to change the mood.
 
Both Biometal and Biomatch were dumbfounded by the statements of a call, answering almost in unison.
"What call? We didn't hear anything."
'What signal? I didn't hear anything.'

Caramon looked up, his hair laying down on his face as he realised that the dye had washed out as Luna commented on it.
"Yeah, yet another of the secrets I've kept from you. A while back, you said you liked red-heads, so I kept making sure to dye it, hoping I could get you to fall for me. Pretty stupid, huh? Change the outside when the inside's all that truly matters. I guess that doesn't help my case much, though..."

He looked deep into her eyes, almost as if he were afraid to look away.
"I won't keep secrets from you from now on, unless it's for something special.
I'm going to have to learn to share my everything with you if I'm to ever be able to be one with you."

He wrapped her in his arms, leaning in to kiss her, his lips mere inches from her own as he gently ran his fingers through her hair and down her spine.
 
Luna sighed, unable to stay angry for now. She frowned when he talked about not hiding anything from her. She was hiding something from him. Some of the dye had faded where he ran his wet fingers though it revealing a lighter blue, her hair took color quite well. She looked away from him for a moment. She wanted to tell him but was too afraid to.

Z, we got a signal...from mother. We need to head to a little island out there. How did you not get the signal? Anyways...we should get out there, the others will probably show up there as well. So, Z...That's all true? With the whole virus thing? Are you going to be okay?

"We should get out there...." she said quietly, "I can swim us over there."
 
Z's reponse to I's statements showed that he had become even more confused than he'd been before.
'Mother...? The only "mother" I ever remember was the Mother Elf, but I thought she left a century ago.
I was asleep for most of the day, so I didn't hear any signal.
But why would that be weird that I didn't hear it? Don't you sleep? And you mean that speck across the water? Why do we need to go there?'

His voice took on a more somber tone as he continued, an apologetic feel to the words he spoke.
'I was a Maverick, yes, just as you, S, W, and F were once considered. I remember your true names, not the elements that comprise you now, but if you wish me to still call you by the letter of your element, I'm fine with it. This new virus, however, is a bastardized amalgamation of the other two that I'd encountered.'

His tone became even more serious, yet had a touch of hope to his words.
'The Nightmare virus was given a body by using my own DNA as a base, allowing it to create a clone capable of doing anything my original body could. Unlike the Maverick virus, it isn't cured by destroying the host body, it can survive on its own for a time, until it finds something else to infect.
I'm going to be just fine, but I don't know what'll happen to him if we can't integrate the virus properly. I have faith in him, though, so don't worry, we can pull through this.'

Caramon stopped, gently grabbing her chin and making her look him in the eye before speaking in a gentle tone.
"I know when something's bothering you, my dear.
You think that after all this time, I wouldn't be able to tell when something's bothering you?
I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's pestering you."
 
I'm talking about the one who MADE us into Biometals. Remember her? Sheesh you're clueless....and...I'd rather not think of those times. I've moved past that, I'm here to fight mavericks not fight for them. You'd better keep a tight reign on him, I don't think she can take much more of this. The last thing we need is her deciding to simply ignore everyone. But we really should get out there, figure out what's going on. Everything that's been going on, us finding our matches....there's a reason for it. Maybe the one calling us has the answers.

Luna shut her eyes with a frown. "Ever since I was a kid I've been dyeing my hair. You've never seen my natural hair color....and I don't plan for you to. Anyway we should get going...I'm sure the others are waiting for us. If we're gonna fight we all need to be on the same page, this might be the best chance at it all." she said firmly.
 
'You know I didn't mean anything by it, Lev.
I honestly don't remember.
One minute I was in my Mega Man body, and the next I was a hunk of metal inside a Maverick.
Luna's a strong girl, and Caramon won't give her up without a fight, so it should be fine.
This "Mother" may know a few answers, but the biggest question is why the viruses have been re-released after the peace I fought so hard to achieve had finally come to fruition.
I honestly thought that you died when we fought Omega in my original body, but how did I know it was you when we met again in this form?'

Caramon gently lifted her head, looking into her eyes as he kissed her, a smile on his face as he lifted her into his arms.
"You were worried about something like that? I don't care if I ever get to see your natural color. As long as I'm able to see you smile even once more, it'll fill my heart with so much joy.
Where are we going, my love? And how are we going to get there?"
 
Please....Just....call me I. I don't like thinking about all those people I hurt. That name...it wasn't mine. It was just one they gave to me. If anything...I'd rather YOU pick a name. But that's not really important. Luna's....not as strong as you think. I'm sure your questions can be answered there....I hope.

Luna gave a soft sigh and looked at him. "But here you are saying you're going to be completely honest and yet I can't even stomach the thought of you knowing my hair color....Anyways...If you'd been listening to what I was saying I was going to swim us there. We have to go to some coordinates that I received. I was about to head there on my own...I'm still mad at you though," she explained. It was clear that she wanted to get moving, she wanted to figure out what was going on and perhaps this mysterious 'mother' could help her figure out how to help Caramon.
 
'For now, I'll do as you ask and call you 'I', but when I find a name worthy of such a beautiful soul, I'll see if you like it.
If she isn't, at least Caramon's as stubborn as I know he is.
Then we should be off. The sooner we get some answers, the sooner we know what to do.'

Caramon wrapped his arms around her into an embrace, one hand around her waist, the other gently holding her head, as he spoke into her ear, softly and compassionately.
"You're here, that's all that matters. I love you, and I'm never going to let you go, even if it gets as far as you hating me, I'll always love you."

As Caramon stepped back, he struck his pose, moving the Biometal in the sideways Z-shape as he spoke out the lines of his activation code, the armor that formed over him looking strange due to the left arm not being transformed.
"If you want to leave now, I suppose we should be underway, then. I was just wondering, though, how exactly do I need to hold onto you in the water?"
 
Luna blushed slightly as he whispered into her ear. She then gave a soft sigh and held up I. She said the activation code and was in her armor again. She looked at him and shrugged. She hadn't exactly thought the plan through. She gave a sigh and looked around, hoping no one would really notice them just standing there and talking. Part of her wondered what exactly would be waiting for them, after all I hadn't said much about it, just that they needed to go. She didn't like it but what else could she really do?

"I dunno....hold on tight and pray I don't go too fast?" she said with a slight smirk, "Because from what I can tell.....I'm REALLY good at swimming. This thing on the back of my head? It's a motor made just for swimming. So really I don't know the best way for your to hold on other than to say hold on tightly."
 
"Well, if I have to hold on tight, I might as well get comfortable."
Caramon knelt down and wrapped his arms around her waist, gently placing his head on her chest.
"Is this alright? Or should I move my hands lower?"

Caramon was really meaning to be playful, yet his tone of honesty betrayed his intentions to her as he and Z said the next line in unison, unaware that it was aloud, of their individual partners.
'"You're so soft and warm. I could just stay like this forever..."'
 
Luna blushed darkly. "If you move your hands ANY lower I'll slap you!" She said a bit embarrassed. The two of them heard them say what they did, Luna could feel her face head up more. Neither really knew what to say. Instead of speaking she jumped into the water and headed off towards the island, holding onto him tightly. Luna had no idea what to say, after all she was with the man she loved but she was also headed to an important area. Part of her was worried it was a trap, though I assured her it wasn't.

Even if it is, we're with Z and Caramon. There's no way that they'd let us get hurt. Don't worry.
 
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