//------------------------------// // Watch Out! // Story: Mother X: Father // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// The figure glowered down at them, standing imposing over all of them. "You were expecting something, I'm sure, some low ranked Starman perhaps, chosen *click* to be just enough to be spared to eliminate you all as weak as you are. You, Buzz Buzz and Moondancer *whirr* likely thought you could handle what came. You expected a minor hurdle...but it was I, Captain Deepsea, who arrived to block your path!" "Why would such a high ranked Starman come all the way out here in space and time?" Buzz Buzz demanded, gathering his PSI as best he could. "I didn't, *bzzz*," Captain Deepsea explained. "I knew from when Master Giygas listened to the Apple that this would be where the Earth's chosen would rise from. I did not know who or when *click*, but I knew where. So I came here and hid myself away in Sleep Mode, set to activate when the PSI impression of the equine passed." His optic blazed. "I could have guarded the Zexonyte, but there would have been no point. The five of you then could have bested me...but the goal of guarding the Zexonyte was to prevent your message, and thus stop the Chosen Four from gathering." He turned towards Ness, who braced himself with his cracked bat. "Now that I know which is the *whrrr* Earth's Chosen, far simpler to simply kill him now." He raised his arm and fired off a powerful beam. "Watch out, Ness!" Buzz Buzz called out as he cast Reflect, managing to deflect the beam out of the way and protect everyone for a time. "You can't keep that up *c-click* forever," Deepsea observed flatly. "My PSI reserves dwarf yours, and you have no way to recover them without your shell. Eventually, it will run out...and you don't dare attack me physically, reduced as you are." "He might not," Moondancer called out, "but I do!" She swung the Borange Ray up and pulled the trigger. As the wave of madness energy lashed forward, Deepsea vanished...only to reappear as it passed. This repeated for the second shot. "I have incorporated a delay into my transporter engine," he stated bluntly. "This makes it ideal for evading your weapon, which takes some time between salvos to charge up another shot." "I have more than just my gun!" Moondancer snapped as she unleashed Shockwave Gamma. Deepsea wrapped his cape around his body as the blasts of energy struck home, letting it wash over him. "Did you think I was *whrrr* unprepared for that?" he taunted. "I *click* studied everything your group did. I prepared for all conceivable attack strategies." "Prepare for this!" Ness suddenly cried out, leaping forward and swinging the cracked bat over his shoulder. "Ness, no!" Buzz Buzz screamed. As Ness swung with the bat, Deepsea lashed out. One arm struck the bat on the crack, shattering it. The other struck Ness right in the gut, sending him bouncing along the ground and leaving a trail of blood. "NO!" Buzz Buzz screamed out, rushing over to try and help. "And with that the prophecy dies," Deepsea declared as he gathered his PSI. "With this, Giygas' victory is assured..." Moondancer rushed to Ness' side along with Buzz Buzz, her entire body shaking. It couldn't be...they couldn't have lost already. The prophecy...that was the only way to find the key to saving Giegue. If Ness died... A cold grey aura swirled around Moondancer as she let out a despairing wail. She felt her PSI energy dissipating, dropping to nothing... Deepsea staggered back as his attack deflected off a grey shield that had surrounded everyone, slamming back into him. "W-what?" he demanded, stunned. Ness gasped for breath as he sat up, wincing as he felt his ribs rapidly healing from the breaks Deepsea had inflicted. "What the...?" he managed to gasp out. "You're alright!" Picky cried out happily. "Quick, we need to find a way to stop Deepsea!" Buzz Buzz called out. "This won't last long...wait a minute! In Moondancer's bag, a bat!" Jumping to his feet, Ness reached into Moondancer's bag until his hand wrapped around a bat that felt like it was made for his grip. It was covered in circuitry and symbols, and he felt it responding to the power of his mind. Ness equipped the Tech-Club PSI Bat! Atk +150 Def +50 Guts +150 Strikes at Giygas' madness in the target, driving it out and dealing non-lethal damage. Buzz Buzz' gasped as he managed to get a read on how the bat was reacting to Ness' PSI. "Ness! That weapon is designed to react to Giygas' energy in those affected by it! Strike with all your might, and drive his influence out of Deepsea! It's our only chance!" "You think I am *whrrrr* mad?" Deepsea declared angrily. He pulled his cape back, proudly displaying his emblem. "I am a soldier of Giygas, the Transcending Lord! I swear by my emblem, I will not be swayed by your trickery-" Rushing forward, Ness swung the PSI Bat as hard as he could, aiming the 'sweet spot' right at Deepsea's emblem. Deepsea tried to strike out at Ness physically and with his PSI, but it continued to bounce off the grey energy field. He warped away to dodge the swing, but Ness quickly pulled the bat back and swung again...making contact on the emblem just as Deepsea reappeared. SMAAASH!! Deepsea was sent flying back through a nearby tree before crashing into the one behind it, slowly sliding down the bark. The point of impact - his much vaunted emblem - was cracked and sparking. His optic flickered frequently in various colors. When he spoke, his voice sounded off, and was in a sing song tone. "What is love? Pony don't hurt me...pony don't hurt me...no more..." With that, he warped away. As the grey field faded away, Moondancer slumped over...only to be caught by Ness. "Easy now," he offered gently as he slowly set her down on all four legs. "Dunno what that was, but it saved our bacon." Buzz Buzz floated silently. He did know what it was. He'd witnessed Giegue gathering red energy like that to empower himself the first time the group had tried to confront him, using anger to fuel his PSI. Moondancer had just tapped Emotion Driven PSI...and that was very dangerous for her. Yes, it gave great power...but at what cost?