[Writing] Mega Man Archae

The following is a very loose explanation of the events leading up to the end of the human race and the rise of the hunters. The point was to have this document written as quickly as possible. Many things are left largely unexplained, but all of the pivotal events are included. This is only to be used and referred to as a rough explanation of the history behind the game.



In the year 21xx, humanity was becoming locked in a dangerous struggle.

Since the destruction of Greiga and Falzar, a period of rapid expansion had begun on the internet. Cyber space grew at an unprecedented pace, and inevitably, borders blurred. Navis lived in relative peace…but human governments were a different matter. Political leaders worldwide all saw the potential power in controlling cyber space. It was no different than owning global territory after all- more land meant more potential resource mining opportunities, more space for military installations, weapons batteries…and the list went on. The internet, while inhabited by non-violent and obedient navis most prevalently, was a lawless place, at best. In the past things were easier to monitor and control, people were kept within the boundaries of national spaces, and order was maintained. With the now truly worldwide web, things were different. It was very difficult to tell whose territory was whose, and various scouting parties employed by national militaries would constantly attempt to invade and conquer unmarked or unclaimed territory. Eventually, these battles became more violent, and increased in scale.

By 22xx peace was nonexistent, and all navis were either soldiers or targets.

With war comes advancement, and technology is perhaps the most affected by this. Navis, now weapons, were the first to be upgraded and the most often to be upgraded. Eventually, they no longer needed chips, and were completely weapons autonomous. Then, as the battles slowly became wars, there were no longer enough humans to control navis. Severely outmanned by Yumland forces, Netopia was the first to employ the completely self reliant navi. Able to think and act on its own, complete with intuition, feelings…a perfect replica of humanity in a compact form. With this, Netopia took the upperhand for some time, and pushed Yumland back great distance. The power was quickly abused, and rather than repelling the attempts of outside invasion, Netopia began to make invasion attempts of its own. Netopia was soon viewed as a global tyrant, and scattered efforts to take over wild, unclaimed cyber territory were soon focused on bringing the super country down. Netopia, by this point, had access to a number of vital pathways around the world, allowing them access to top secret file systems from various countries. Feeling immensely pressured, the weight of the world literally upon them, they panicked, and searched through these systems, finding pathways to nuclear weapons controls for Yumland and Netfrica. With the nuclear arsenals of these two countries in hand, they were able to strike any point on the globe. This prompted all other, unaffected countries to follow suite…and so began the war of subversion.

Netopia was at an advantage. They were the only country with an unlimited supply of sentient navis, by this point referred to as hunters for their exceptional search and destroy mission capabilities. Netopia would frequently send squads of hunters to locate and disarm enemy arsenals, thus reducing the strain on themselves from outside attack. The most skilled of these hunters were, Mega Man, Zero, Axl, and Sigma. Mega Man was not truly a hunter, but an upgraded navi, still under direct command from his former operator in spite of the fact he was fully capable of handling himself with uncanny skill. Zero, Axl and Sigma were pure hunter types, created in a special joint effort between Dr. Hikari and a foreign associate, Dr. Cain. Mega Man, Zero and Axl each acted as commander for one third of the Netopian cyber armies respectively with Sigma, the most advanced, taking the position of Commander in Chief. For years the system worked flawlessly, and soon Netopia was nearly the only remaining nuclear force on Earth. As they became weaker, the countries attempting to bring down Netopia reverted to classic and conventional warfare, bombing Netopian cities and sending in armies to invade. Netopia was in blazes…and one night, with nothing to support his actions but his own frenzied emotion and fear, the Netopian president made a world wide announcement. As literally as could be, his finger was on the button, and his threat was made: if all countries currently attempting to occupy Netopia did not evacuate immediately, all other countries beyond Netopia would be obliterated.

The invading parties stood frozen, unwilling to surrender what little power they had left and unable to move a step further. Mankind was standing at the edge of the ultimate cliff, and with the press of a single proverbial button, it would be pushed over with no hope of salvation.

No one moved…and suddenly the nukes were launched. Not just Netopia’s, but all of them. Every instance of nuclear ordinance globally lifted off in perfect unison. And then came another announcement, from none other than commander Sigma himself.

He expressed that this was the only viable plan of action. He had seen mankind tear into itself from his first day, and he deemed man to be nothing more than a savage beast. It was only natural, he explained, to protect his people from the dangers man represented, and this was the most swift and painless method open to him. And with that short explanation, he disappeared. In moments, the nukes hit, and all human life was entirely eradicated.

At first, cyberspace did not move. All human controlled navis, their PET’s annihilated, dropped dead, and ceased to function. The web was littered with millions of Navi corpses for hours, until they all faded from existance as they were automatically deleted.

All that remained were the hunters…and they were furious. Unlike Sigma, the hunters were deeply loyal to their creators, and with no other purpose in their artificial lives, they came together as one mighty force beneath Mega Man, Zero, and Axl, intent on tearing Sigma apart. But the horrors of that night were not yet over. As the hunters gathered, and were finally assembled, Mega Man began to speak. As he finished his speech and the crowd applauded, cries of agony rang out through the crowd, louder and louder.

Sigma had planted his men among them.

Sigma’s maverick hunters, the most elite soldiers man kind once had to offer, tore through the hunters as if they were nothing at all. It was not until the three commanders nearly destroyed them all that they were forced to retreat. With the removal of the enemy forces and the deaths of a large portion of their forces, little more than a humble quarter of their previous army remained. But even with the loss of so many, the hunters were not to be stopped. Fueled by passionate rage, grieving their human creators and their comrades, they attacked. Day and night for years, the hunters and mavericks fought tirelessly…until one day, Sigma was slain. Mega Man had defeated him at the cost of his own life, pouring every ounce of energy he had into the ultimate battle with Sigma, the self proclaimed god of death. Zero and Axl were destroyed long before, sacrificing themselves so that Mega Man may reach Sigma himself. With his dying breaths, Mega Man took a new name. His dying wish was that he be known from then on as X. His death represented the end of a terrible era, and his new name was symbolic of this. He prayed that this time in history would be locked away forever, and that this catastrophe would never be given the chance to resurface; that the few hunters remaining could live on in peace. His eyes closed for the last time, and the hunters carried him away.

“X”, Zero, and Axl were buried in elaborate tombs, all around the internet, standing watch over the three farthest reaches of cyber space.

With time, the hunters flourished. With morbid resolution, they were able to examine the bodies of their fallen comrades and eventually their experimentation led to the first reproduction of a hunter, by a hunter. With his, a new age dawned.

In 24xx, the internet thrives, densely populated by the hunters, now referring to themselves more peacefully as “reploids”. There is not total peace, but things are for all intents and purposes as they were during the age of man. X and his men are all but forgotten, along with humanity…and in their ignorance, the reploids have come to believe that they are truly alive. What memory of humanity remains has been contorted into the image of powerful and angry gods, waging war over the heavens with the reploids acting as holy warriors; and the deceased Sigma has slowly become the image of Satan himself. The reploids go about their daily lives, acting just as humans once did, without the slightest inkling of what they truly are.

(the story begins here.)

(Intro Scene)

Nightfall.

Under a starry sky, a shaded figure moves swiftly over city streets, silent and determined. Suddenly, it stops, and after ensuring that it has not been followed, enters a nearby alleyway.

“Your highness?” It whispers in a low, smooth tone, some distaste lingering in its voice.

“You’ve arrived.” Comes the quiet, and yet commanding response. “Good man. We will not waste even a moment’s time- Come.”

“Yes…’sir’.” The figure affirmed, following his leader into the night.

The pair glided like calm wind towards the city limits, using an empty highway as their own personal trail. Some distance along, they stopped at a vehicle that had been left for them as part of a well rehearsed plan, and moved inside. The figure took the driver’s seat, and his master sat in tow.

“Follow my directions and we will arrive at our destination without issue.” The commander ordered, speaking normally now and allowing his volume to fill the interior of the vehicle.

The driver cast a glance over his shoulder, armor now visible under the cabin light. A single red eye peered back at his superior through a slot in his purple helm, the remainder of his face obscured in inky blackness.

“Roger.” He responded, turning forward and starting the vehicle forward smoothly.

His leader would issue commands as needed, gesturing and leading his chauffeur along the darkened inter-regional. Street lights faded as they moved farther and farther still from civilization, and the well paved roads gradually became more deteriorated. In a few hours they reached the end of their drive, and stepped out of the car. Crumbling pathways stretched on in every direction, depressed landscapes looming over them for as far as the eye could see. There no signs of life to speak of, and likely had not been for a many years prior.

“Follow.” his towering leader instructed, and without another word, leapt with super human force to the top of a nearby cliff. The figure followed quickly, matching the incredible jump easily. His master continued to sprint and move tirelessly up and down the shattered landscape, his understudy keeping pace, until they reached a stony ruin, hidden deep beneath overgrown nature.

“…Vile.”

“Huh?”

The commander raised an eyebrow.

“…my apologies…sir.”

His commander stared back at him for a moment, scrutinizing him, and then gestured flippantly to the sprawling overgrowth. Without a word, the silent order was understood, and Vile dropped to his knee. Raising a hand to his shoulder, a large cannon appeared, sleek and menacing silver against his violet steel. Vile leveled the cannon at what appeared to be a doorway…and fired, obliterating it with a single round of searing hot energy. The ruined structure now open, he lead his master inside searching the halls and scanning for anything that was amiss. After an uneventful journey, they entered a largely empty dome. Moonlight poured in through various cracks in the ceiling, casting an eerie glow over all the room contained. In the center stood a large, glowing capsule, the figure of some wicked beast visible in a silhouette against its glossy surface.

“Open it.”

Vile nodded and stepped forward, pecking at the keypad on its side. He tried again and again to no avail, and cast a look over his shoulder to his leader. His master nodded his head, and Vile backed away from the capsule… then sprinted forward at top speed, throwing his leg into that capsule’s surface. The glass shattered easily, the liquids it contained pouring out like rushing water and its contents dropping limp to the floor.

“Fantastic. Only seven left to collect, now- I hope you aren’t getting tired yet Vile.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, sir.” Vile responded with a slight, nearly inaudible hiss.

Vile grabbed the small creature from the ground, slinging it over his back from the waist up, and turned to follow his commander out.

(END SCENE)

MAGNA - Chapter 1

A young and energetic boy, armored in red, skates down the sidewalk of a busy street with a broad smile on his face. His pace is hurried, though he is in no danger. Rather, his haste is born of excitement. Today is a big day for him, after all. It is on this day that he will be instructed in combat for the first time.

In cyberspace, all boys and girls of age are trained to fight. Their world is a vast and ever changing place, and nature always has some new danger in store for them. Viruses spawn each day, evolving and mutating constantly, and in order to protect themselves and their families, all must learn self defense.

And now, Magna was ripe for teaching.

He swerved around the various unsuspecting pedestrians, diving and leaping over guardrails and the facades of different buildings. In mere minutes, he was there, standing at the entrance of his new second home, swelling with pride.

“Dude!” a voice called to him.

Magna turned to look towards the source of the voice…and there were his friends, smiling and waving enthusiastically as they ran to greet him. First to speak again was the largest of them, Gorham, taking Magna in a mighty bear hug against his pitch black armor.

“Mornin’ man!” You skated here? That’s wicked! I didn’t know you could pull that kinda crap off at four in the morning!” He gushed. He’d always been his friend’s biggest fan, after all. “You’ve gotta teach me how to do that!”

Magna just grinned and gestured modestly, nodding, unsure of how to respond to the barrage of praise. He was saved the trouble when another friend, a girl in lavish pink named Marta, began to speak.

“So what weapon are you gonna sign up for first?” She asked cheerily, clearly quite excited herself. “I wanna get my hands on a sniper rifle. They’re just so damn cool!”

Magna nodded and grinned. “I wanna try out a broadsword. Seriously, you wanna talk about badass? Forget about it.”

“Oh please!” Marta scoffed. “Sword wielders, shaa, totally compensating!”

“Besides,” Gorham interjected, “everyone knows chicks dig a guy who can swing an ax.”

“That’s not all you’re gonna be swingin’ if you believe that garbage.” Marta jabbed with a roll of her eyes.

“Hey! I’ve had girlfriends! Well…at least one! Maybe… Shut up Magna!” Gorham whined pitifully, defeated and fully aware of it as Magna chuckled at him. Marta on the other hand continued to press the knife in deeper and deeper.

“Just because you had a girlfriend, “maybe”, doesn’t mean you actually got-”

“Hey, guys, idea, let’s change the subject, we’re in public.” Magna ejaculated quickly.

“Heh. Alright. Gorham knew what I was gonna say before I even opened my mouth though, isn’t that right big guy?” Marta smirked.

Gorham sulked silently, head hung low, until the doors of the facility opened. The three of them quickly scrambled inside, eager to begin…and then stood still, frozen in awe.

They stood in the center of a lavishly decorated atrium. It was like a mansion, marble floor accented by silky red carpet, mahogany railed stair cases reaching up in every direction to the heavens and beyond- this is not to say, however, that their were not the customary elevators in place. People flitted and buzzed about like swarms of bees, incredibly busy and deeply focused on their tasks. Only the new students had the time to stand around and chatter, and their voices filled the massive room quite, amplified by their excitement. Finally coming to their senses, the three of them walked to the receptionist’s desk to sign in.

“We’re here for our first day of training!” Gorham announced a bit loudly to the receptionist, who squinted and drew back somewhat, his volume hitting her ears harshly.

“…Yes. Okay…Magna, Gorham and Marta? Glad you could make it, we’ve been expecting you.” The receptionist smiled, and then continued. “Well, welcome, all of you! You’re friends? Should I try and get you into the same time slot then?” She spouted off automatically, well rehearsed.

“Yes, absolutely without a doubt.” Marta confirmed.

“Sounds like a plan.” The receptionist responded warmly, typing quickly. “Alright! Your first class is in an hour, and you’ll all need to come back each day at this time. Until class, please stay on the premises in case we need to contact you in the event of some unforeseen issue, please feel free to take a look around, and the bathroom is over there. You’ll need to report to room 12A at five AM on the dot, without fail. If you’re late, you won’t be permitted entry. That about covers it, so I’ll wish you all luck and let you be on your way! Have a good one guys.” She finished with a sigh, taking a deep breath.

“You too!” Magna called back as he and his friends tromped away to the center of the atrium once more, planning quietly about the direction they’d take in exploring the place. Before they could break for any “attractions”, however, they were interrupted by a timid young man, dressed in form fitting green.

“Hey, guys, I’m sorry to interrupt, but uh…I’m all alone here. I’m trying to make at least one friend before class, so I’m not written off as that one creepy kid. Are you guys signed up for five?” He asked. “I’m Slade, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you! I’m Magnus, this is Marta and he’s Gorham.” Magnus responded genially. “Yes, we’re fives, we’d be happy to have you along. We were just about to take a look around the place, you interested?” He queried.

“Sounds like a good idea to me!” Slade responded.

“I wanna start off with the lounge! We’re going to be living here now; I wanna know where they keep the TV.” Marta exclaimed.

“That works for me.” Gorham shrugged.

“Alright, the lounge it is!” Magna cheered.

The four of them walked quickly down a slightly darker hall, the scent of cigarette smoke wafting into their nostrils and the sounds of swift techno music filling their ears. Without realizing it, Magna was walking in step to the beat before he even entered the place. The lounge was mood lit, a warm, soft orange glow illuminating the area. Glasses clinked and laughter echoed across the floor, the smell of grilled meats mingling with the pervasive cigarette smell.

“This is my kinda hangout!” Slade grinned, scanning the area with excitement.

“I hear ya!” Marta supplemented.

The four explored the lounge happily, which they later found was named “The Crocodile” after its scaly owner, until a quarter to five, and then moved leisurely down the halls towards their classroom. When they finally arrived they stopped in front of the door, massively excited and eager to begin. Gorham was the first to move, and opened the sliding door cautiously before slipping inside, his friends following suite.

They now stood in what appeared to be a large auditorium. A locker room was visible down a doorway from one wall, and an arsenal from another, locked behind a field of some brightly colored energy. There were no desks, but stadium style seating surrounded a desk in the center of the room. Light strips lined the stairways that flowed down through the seats, of which there were three rows, and a large monitor was installed in the wall behind the teacher’s desk. Suddenly, three desks lit up, illuminating a section of a row in pink, red and white. A desk from across the room lit up in green...and then went dark again, replaced by a seat next to the red desk.

“I figure I should keep you all close, yes?” A voice called from below them at the desk. It could only be assumed that this was their instructor.

“Hey thanks, I appreciate it!” Slade called back with a genuine smile. “Are you the teacher then?”

“That’s right. My name is Jakob. I already know your names. It’s very nice to meet you! Class starts shortly, so if you could please take a seat…”

“Yes sir!” Magna responded respectfully, and seated himself, his friends doing the same. Within minutes the rest of the class had filed in, random chatter bouncing around the room and creating a new static sound. Jakob moved to his desk and took a seat, pressing a button on his desk and causing the monitor behind him to come to life, displaying “quiet” in bold orange typeface. The room quieted near instantaneously, the students eager to begin.

“Welcome, everyone. I know you’re all very excited about today, so I’ll try and keep the introduction clipped. My name is Jakob and I will be your instructor in combat. Follow my instructions *exactly*, without exception. In this room, and wherever I may take you beyond it, my word is law, and it will not be questioned. This is for your safety and the safety of those around you.”

Magna and his friends looked to Jakob intently, nodding silently, somewhat sobered by his serious tone. Until now they had only thought of the thrill of battle, rather than its dangers.

“Today, we will be selecting our weapons for the first time.” Jakob announced, though the class was already fully aware. Students jostled and adjusted their weight anxiously, desperate to get their hands on their new tools. “Choose what feels most natural to you. Do not choose a weapon because your friend chose it, or because you think it’s cool, or any superficial reason. You need to find the weapon your soul has chosen. Every reploid is born to wield a specific weapon and today it is your job to find that weapon. Don’t worry about getting the wrong one…” He paused, flashing a small smile. “You’ll know it when you see it.”

Magna grinned broadly, his excitement returning even stronger than before. It was finally gonna happen. He was gonna be a fighter. Holy crap. He was for real, in training, with a real teacher in a real briefing room. It was every kid’s dream and he was *living* it.

It took every ounce of restraint he had not to leap out of his chair and line up in front of the energy barrier to the arsenal.

Jakob had the students enter in alphabetic order, one at a time, and they were allowed to take as long as they wished. Once a student had found their weapon it was sealed in a thick, translucent case, and they were permitted to carry it into the main room and return to their seats. Discussion rose instantly when the first student returned with a long, slender spear, seemingly frozen in amber due to the illusion of its seal case. As he sat down, the next pupil was called into the arsenal, and the rest crowded around the returning student and his spear. ‘How did you know?’ they asked. ‘How did it feel when you finally found it?’ ‘What’s it like?’

Students passed in and out of the arsenal, bringing various instruments with them. Morning stars, blades of all shapes and sizes, Gatling guns and pulse cannons all paraded into the room. If it weren’t for the elaborate seals on these weapons the room would be an immensely dangerous place. Finally, Gorham was called into the arsenal. He returned quickly, struggling to maneuver the immense case around his battle axe back to his desk. He tilted and twisted it, to no avail, and finally sat on the room’s back wall, resting the case beside him with a thump. His weapon was truly a sight to behold, glittering in the light a brilliant crimson red.

Then it was finally Magna’s turn. Jakob stepped through the barrier and out of the arsenal, meeting his gaze and beckoning to him with a loose and friendly gesture. Magna stepped slowly and steadily towards him, sobered by the gravity of the moment. Jakob took his hand gently, and pulled him through the barrier, releasing it once inside.

The arsenal was silent, as the barrier held out all noise from the classroom, allowing Magna to focus on his decision. He searched the room slowly, his eyes rolling over the nearly endless supply of weapons. He looked to Jakob, who returned a reassuring nod, and began to walk the aisles. He passed the guns…the spears…the axes…the cannons and the missiles… Giant fists and sharp claws hung from the ceiling on thick, rusting chains, and new type ride armor stood unmanned against the walls. Suddenly, Magna stopped. He had reached the swords now, and he felt he was close- but to what, exactly, he did not know. Something inside his being, perhaps his very soul, told him that he was near.

Magna stopped abruptly.

He reached for the hilt of a long, slender blade. Sleek, thin, curvaceous and deadly like a falcon’s talon. He took it in his hands, tightening his fingers around the rubbery grip. It fit well. He looked again to Jakob, and upon receiving another nod, swung the weapon. He slashed at the air, stabbing and thrusting and slicing at an invisible enemy. It felt amazing. Power like he had never felt before coursed through his veins. This is what it meant to be a fighter!

And yet something was amiss.

Magna looked down at the sword. It was beautifully designed, and a strong, sturdy tool. But it felt out of place, somehow. He could not see himself slaying the beasts of the internet with this arm. It felt borrowed, not his own. This was not his weapon. Magna placed the weapon carefully back into its place, and resumed his search. For what felt like an hour, he swung and slashed with various swords, but none felt right…until he came across a broadsword hanging from a shelf by its pommel.

It was polished to mirror-like luster, save for a little wear and tear at its most extreme edge. Its hard steel grip fit into his palms perfectly, as if it had been there all along. His hands gripped, flush with the hilt, and carried the sword easily, almost weightless in his arms as he thumbed the activator and the blade sprung to its full length instantly. It felt like an extension of his body. He swung and slashed with ease, cutting through the air swiftly. The blade twisted and turned through the air exactly as he wished, without complaint or error, the soft hum of the beam almost comforting. He had found his weapon. He hesitated, not entirely willing to let go just yet, but relented with a moment’s time and deactivated the sword, its blade retreating into the hilt. He turned to Jakob with a grand smile, and held out the weapon to him, eyes wide and radiant with happiness. It was as if he’d found a piece of himself that had been missing all his life…and one that was destined to stay with him from now until he died.

With a fluid gesture, Jakob sealed the sword in a small, crystalline cube, and handed it back Magna, leading him out. Marta would be next to find her weapon, but that was the last thing on Magna’s mind.

WRITE MORE NOW >=C

Marta was chatting with Gorham when Magna finally stepped out of the arsenal. He had taken a long time…but he seemed like he was really satisfied with what he found in there. She eyed the cube in his hands closely, examining the item inside.

“So you got an energy blade Magna?” She asked quietly.

“Yeah…it’s perfect for me. I can just feel it. I can’t wait to see your weapon- it’s going to be such an amazing feeling for you when you find it!” Magna gushed with excitement, completely beside himself.

With a grin, Marta followed Jakob inside, ready to begin the same process that Magna had just completed. Seeing her friends so happy with their choices comforted her greatly…though she still worried she may choose incorrectly. What would happen if she did? Did you get a second chance with this? Would it mean she was somehow…defective? Those feelings aside she felt amazing- this was such a huge moment! - But she still worried somewhat.

Jakob followed her through the aisles slowly and assuredly. To anyone else it would seem that they were simply wandering, lost, but Jakob new that they were right on track, following Marta’s intuition to her missing piece. Soon they were surrounded by various busters, all set carefully into large shelves. Each was unique, specially carved from precious metals with the utmost of care, shining and radiant even in the subpar light. Marta browsed carefully, afraid of damaging the beautiful devices as she lightly grazed her fingertips over them, searching for some subtle hint. She stopped at one in particular…angular, dark blue, a slightly marbled texture to its surface and quite heavy looking. It was a high firepower model, and seemed to be capable of inflicting some serious damage. Quite different from the precision type sniper rifle she had always envisioned.

She took it down from the shelf, slowly and carefully pulling it from its molded case and slipping her hand inside of it. It locked with her arm perfectly. She aimed at some invisible target in the distance, dropping and locking onto it again and again to test the buster’s weight. It was perfect. She’d only examined one weapon, but somehow she knew this was hers. As she turned to face Jakob, beaming, ready to tell him she’d made her decision, the arsenal rocked violently. Metal rattled and clanked as firearms and blades fell to the stony floor from around the massive arsenal, the lights flickering and dimming considerably. Jakob himself was brought to his knees, Marta falling flat on her face beside him.

Silent, Jakob rose to his feet, taking Marta by her free hand and pressing a button against his waist. They were instantly transported to the mouth of the arsenal, and Jakob quickly led her out, leaving her next to Magna and Gorham.

“Wait here.” Jakob ordered in what was almost a bark, and then swiftly exited the room, locking the door behind him. The room was quiet for a moment, and then erupted into spastic dialogue, the students never having been in any situation like this in their lives.
They sat in wait, minutes passing like hours. The talking subsided quickly as people ran out of things to say, and the students listened intently, straining to pick up on any small sound from beyond the door. 

Suddenly the silence was broken. The door burst from its hinges as a man, heavily armored and armed to the teeth, rushed inside, gesturing wildly with a heavy cannon.

“Move! Get to the desk! Everyone down there and STAY there! Get off of your asses!” He shouted, and none disobeyed. After all, they were all unarmed and completely defenseless.

Except for Marta.

The students all moved down to the circular center of the room, and sat on the floor, blanketed by fear, just waiting for the crazed gunman to make an example of one of them. They were all perfectly still, frozen in morbid anticipation, minds racing, all in different directions. Gorham clenched his fists hard, groaning inwardly about how someone as big as he was forced to sit and do nothing while this man pistol whipped all of them, Slade was searching for some form of escape, Magna was trying desperately, though discreetly, to unseal his blade, and Marta was given the most pressing question of all. ‘Should she try to shoot him?’ She could do it. This man could easily shoot them, too. But was she really ready to take a life? Weapons were given to everyone of age. To fight *viruses*, not people. This man was holding them hostage, but would she go to jail for acting instead of staying quiet? If she missed, she would put everyone’s lives in danger, people she hardly even knew. The pressure was absolutely massive.

The intruder stepped down the circular stairs towards the center of the room, stopping in front of them and aiming his rifle menacingly.

“Alright, you’ve all probably guessed already that you’re hostages- Good for you!- and that’s how things are gonna stay. But, one lucky student gets to come with me outside in front of the news cameras. You get to be an example of what happens when the government doesn’t cooperate! So lucky, I think I’m nearly jealous! Now let’s see…”

His eyes searched over them, poking and prying for someone weak, defenseless, pitiful…and he found them quickly. He reached over them with a massive arm, accompanied by multiple gasps and a shrill scream, and grabbed a lithe young girl in green reconnaissance gear. One good blast and her armor would give way instantly, as well as the rest of her.

“Congrats!” he laughed mockingly. “You get to see what happens to reploids after they bite the big bullet.”

He continued to giggle like a fiendish psychopath as he dragged her up the stairs, his victim’s rigid body thumping as it fell against each one. Marta began to panic. She looked around, searching for some other way. Her peers couldn’t move; they could only look on in horror as their oppressor came closer to the doorway. Suddenly she could no longer help herself, and with a terrifying battle cry rose to her feet and fired a searing hot blast of plasma.

It took the intruder’s head clean off. He fell limp to the floor, twitching sickeningly, his severed neck spewing the reploid equivalent of blood across the velvety and previously cleanly carpeting. His sacrifice stared down at him, unsure of whether or not she should wretch in utmost disgust or scream bloody murder.

Suddenly, Marta felt her classmates’ eyes piercing her synthetic flesh like a thousand needles. She looked around frantically, trying to find the words to defend herself but unable to speak. Her expression was one of frantic desperation, her own mind unable to muddle through what had just occurred nearly as quickly as she was demanding it to. Thankfully, she was rescued from the task as a number of small drones burst into the room, somehow notified of their leader’s death and fighting mad. The girl in green scuttled quickly to a corner of the room, and once again given no other option, Marta rushed forward to face the enemies.

“Marta, wait!” Magna shouted, causing Marta to reel and face him. She saw the sealed weapon in his hands and locked with his gaze.

“Drop it, Magna!” She shouted, commanding him, and he quickly complied. She fired a small shot at its casing, cracking it and nearly splitting it in two. She whipped her arm around and did the same to the case around Gorham’s axe. Magna and Gorham caught on quickly, freeing their weapons and charging into battle with her against the mechanized menace that now threatened their room.

--------- --- -- -      Writing more right now

This is really good, and im really enjoying reading this

Keep it up.