'How did things get to this point?'
This was the thought running through metal man thought processor. He stood before a fresh corpse of his own making, his first ever kill of a human being.
He has hurt others, threatened to hurt people under Dr Wily orders. But this was different. He never killed before.
-Moments earlier-
Thud thud thud
Metal man was running forward following the tracker he placed into everyone phone in the crew, a precaution of sorts that he figured would come in handy in their line of work.
"Heh their not laughing now are they?"
They mocked jokingly, saying he was too paranoid but look who was right!
After he was able to stop his fall after the police helicopter tried blowing up his friends and the cunning making everyone fall into the hallow. He stopped a fall that would mean certain death for normal individuals if unfortunate to fall into the top of a hollow. He stopped his fall by stabbing into the closest object being a building with his saw blades.
Afterwards when he finally got down landing on a empty street he dashed off to every nearby tracker he can trace.
He found some of his friends alive and helped them make their way out of the hollow. Others was….
Unfortunate to have a bad roll of the dice in terms of luck. Either having been killed by etherals getting torn to shreds or falling to their death from the random teleportation when entering a hollow.
Metal man made sure to avenge those killed by etherals. It was the least he could do for failing to reach them in time.
It took time to lead each individual he found that fell into the hollow and lead them out of the hollow, he even had to cut through several etherals foolish enough to face robot master built for battle. However this took precious time for his search.
"Go through here quickly! Head to the hide out it's where everyone else is" Metal man ushered one of his fellow red fang gang members he found who was hiding under a car that had ether crystals growing out of it.
"W-wait have you seen Miguel? Double MM you gotta find him quick man! His ether aptitude is low" said the npc looking bozo that the author did not feel like describing his looks.
Metal man pushed he who shall not be named as -I could not be bothered to care- forward towards a hollow exit while speaking, "I'll find him don't worry, he'll be okay!" Metal man promised his comrade who he shoved into the exit.
Turning around metal man briefly paused as many etherals came out of nowhere blocking Metal man path.
It was several Tyrfing and Alpeca etherals that came out to play, unfortunately for them Metal man was no basic human. He didn't hesitate to take out several saw blades and started throwing them while running towards the group of low tier enemies.
One saw blade flew straight through an Tyrfing core making it collapse killing the etheral on the spot. Two saw blades flew through the air and cut clean through two Alpeca who both was standing atop of the ruined public transport bus. Both Etherals was attempting to to shoot liquid ether from afar but Metal man had range like them.
He was running and fighting, not trying to kill all the etherals in his way but get passed them. Stopping to fight wasted time, whoever was left in the hollow amongst his friends was at risk of death or corruption
"Get the hell out my way!" He shouted while taking out another saw blade and used it for melee when another Tyrfing blocked his path. His quick agility allowed him to reach the Tyrfing before it could ever reach him, the Tyrfing tried to fight back by raising its arm blade to swing it at Metal man.
But metal man was faster in ever way compared to the basic fodder etheral. He swings the saw blade in his hand cutting the etheral straight down the middle of its body, this made it split in two which resulted in the creature body breaking apart.
Standing a bit behind the now dead etheral who disintegrated was the rest of the etheral group charging at metal man with the intention to rip him to shreds, the shooters firing their liquid ether from afar while the more melee adapted etherals charged with arm blades raised.
"Tsk what a bunch of assholes"
Metal man charged forward with flinging saw blades left and right cutting through etheral limbs. He didn't attempt to finish any of them off if he could help it. He was on a timed rescue and time was currency he currently lacked.
Metal man makes a sharp turn down an alley that had a large broken building which collapsed onto the closet structure to the left. This created an unstable roof that looked like it would collapse at the slightest impact from anything.
"Oh great just why I fucking need!"
The reason for metal man annoyance was a large ethereal who was blocking his way, it's arms was shaped like big rock clubs attached to the arms. It was tall and appeared muscular despite its skin probably being made of a sturdy material than flesh. It's head if you could call it had white ether rocks growths pointed outwards in a circle around its core.
It was a Goblin Etheral and it seemed to have finished up chasing down a hollow raider, and smashed the person head into a bloody paste. The etheral turned its large body to face the sound that it heard approaching it. Metal man wasn't in the fighting mood, he simply slides between the Goblin legs as it finished turning. It completely missed a swing on him. The strike it made was powerful having shattered a good chunk of the stone floor and sent vibrations across the small enclosed area. The goblin turned to face where metal man went after it missed it strike.
The robot master was already up, running out the exit of the dangerous alleyway and turned a bit so the etheral could see Metal man giving the goblin middle finger. "Missed me bitch! Ahahahahah!"
The goblin reasonably was enraged as it roared out loud. It didn't even know why it was angry just that the gesture the strange looking 'human' made him upset. The dangerous ethereal tried to give chase, however metal man threw one saw blade that flew through the air. It cut clean through one side of the unstable makeshift roof above the alley, the saw blade then did an arc circling back around to cut through the outside.
It was enough to destabilize the already unstable looking structure. The Goblin just nearly exits the alley before the entire roof collapsed onto the goblin with a thud!
"Let that be a lesson to pay attention to your surroundings dipshit"
He mocked while still running and hypocritically was not looking where he was running. He turned his head only to see himself running straight into a spatial node that was in his pathway.
His view was covered in partials before the clear sky with a hollow above it met his gaze.
Metal man was still running only to realize he wasn't moving.
Slowly metal man reached down to try and touch the floor with his eyes closed and felt nothing.
He opened his eyes to look down amd notice he was in the air, with no floor under him and was several miles in the air.
"Oh. Oh that's not good." Metal slowly turned his head to look at you the reader and held his hands together in a begging gesture.
"Help- AHHHHH"
He then plummets as I the author now have to repair the fourth wall break with glue and flex tape.
-some time later brought to you by Dennyboo-
He was too late.
In an abandoned grocery store stood Metal man before a friend. Ether crystals sprouted around the area.
Metal man was staring at Dorion who gave him a weak smile, even as ether crystals was forming on various parts of Dorion body. There was even ether crystals growing out of his eye. His breathing was labored with difficulty.
"Just make it quick. Don't let me turn into a monster, please double MM?"
Metal man speech modular and all functions related to them worked perfectly. Yet he couldn't find it in himself to speak no matter how much he tried. He wished within all his being that he could provide words of comfort, anything to ease his friend or save him in some way.
But ether corruption at a certain stage cannot be reversed.
his arms moved to grab a saw blade from his shoulder and prepared to throw it in one hand. "It was a privilege…..to be your friend."
He didn't throw the saw blade this time and moved his hand away from his saw blade. He would rather put his friend out of his misery by hand. He slowly crouched before Dorian and began to reach out with his hands.
Dorian closed his eyes already knowing his time was up. Metal man made sure he was quick, the quickest he ever moved. The fastest he ever acted. His hands flew out twisting Dorian head snapping it, death was instant. Dorian body immediately went limp. All breathing ceased.
Metal man stared at Dorian body for a few moments then stood back up. He raised one hand to his helmet to cover his eyes.
"Why did Dr Wily see fit for us to have emotion? Tch what a prick…."
Metal man then began to storm off towards the last tracker. He was going to bring back Miguel silver if it was the last thing he does and then get revenge on the cunning hares, then the public security bureau.
Metal man ran off into the hollow and followed the tracker he had on Miguel. He was glad it still worked.
A voice in the back of his mind told him traitorous thoughts. 'It must've been too late, Miguel ether aptitude was low.'
Metal man ignored such thoughts, yet ran even faster than he has ever before. He didn't even run this fast when fighting the blue bomber.
Perhaps it was because he wasn't truly fighting for himself but because he was programmed too.
This wasn't the case here. He had something besdies his programming. He had friends now! Family!
He lost Dorion. He lost others to the hollow. He cannot afford to lose the one who found him offline in a junkyard about to be scrapped. The man who gave him another chance to serve and fullfill his function as a robot master!.
Fate was cruel however. By the time Metal man reached the tracker it was already far too late.
The tracker he has been tracking in the hollow led him to a discarded ripped up piece of Miguel shoe. Metal man froze briefly, his processors working double time on this new turn of events.
That same storage box he stolen from the white Star institute was here. The same one the cunning Hares stolen from them.
The sound of something rushing at him from behind was enough to alert him out of his daze, he turned and dashed to the side flinging his throwable weapons at his unknown attacker.
Saw blades went flying towards the Dullahan Etheral who moved its shield infront of its body to protect itself, the saw blades impacted the shield and embedded deep into the ether shield of the Dullahan.
'They must not be allowed to get away with this.'
The etheral swung its long ether blade across aiming at Metal man neck. But the robot master slides under the strike, quickly kicking off the ground when he came to a stop to leap over the Dullahan with the left over momentum.
'They did this to Miguel.'
Everything screamed that this was Miguel. His ether apitude was low after all...metal man wasn't quick man. He wasn't fast enough to check an entire hollow built like a maze to reach Miguel in time. Not with each person that fell into the new emerged hollow.
The etheral tried to turn quickly to swing upon with its ether sword. However Metal man was faster on the draw, his saw blade already in motion when it was thrown. The saw blade cut clean through the ether core that served as the Dullahan head and embedded in the concrete wall behind
'Cunning hares….ill kill them! I will avenge the master! I will avenge everyone who fell into the hollow!'
The etheral core began to split in half, its stability ruined from being cut in two. It began to break down in particles that was quickly followed by the rest of the dullahan who fell onto its knees and bursted into ether particles.
"Those thieving bastards! None of this would've happened if they minded their business! RAAAAAAAAHHHH ILL KILL THEM!"
He didn't care how hypocritical he was. He didn't care if he was right or in the wrong. He was overwhelmed with emotion of grief and anger of loss and he needed to vent frustration on those he hold responsible.
His robotic eyes landed on the storage box. Hands shaking he clenched them into fists. "They want this garbage? Okay they can have it. Over my dead body."
They'll be coming for this thing and he can wait. He had all the time in the world to wait within the hollow.
He was immune to ether corruption. How? He did not know but metal man won't complain.
He will use this gift to plan a long elaborate ambush. Get his revenge. For himsel and the gang.
"I should've killed them when we had them corned! Damnit!"
With a shout Metal man punched the nearest object, being a stone wall that shattered from the strength of his blow and from how weak the structure from ether corruption in the air.
"They'll come for this storage box. When they do I will be ready."
———————
Damn I took forever to upload a chapter
God damn sorry everyone who reads my garage:>
Hope you all have a safe day and get the character you want in ZzZ if you play of course:p
Might come back and update this chapter, could always improve ya know?