A few days had passed since the departure of Applebloom and Big Mac. School had still been suspended since then, but the students were notified that it would start back up again in a couple of days.
This gave Team Build another break after the Smash attack at Applewood Acres.
Flash decided to take this reprieve to visit his hospitalized bandmate, Ringo alongside his band’s drummer, Brawly Beats.
The rest of Team Build was found inside the hidden lab. Micro Chips was at one of the desks, working with the various tools to construct a device of some sort. Sandalwood was inside of the Bottle Purifer working on their latest addition.
Sol was off in the corner of the room doing pull ups. Over the past few days, he moved some of his workout gear into the lab to help give him something to do while the others were working on their respective tasks. As the teen finished another set, he took a break to think.
He had been working with Team Build for about a week and a half, but he’s no closer to solving the mystery of his dad’s death since before he met them. Granted, he’s been through a lot. Fighting Smashes, creating Fullbottles, and even discovering a solid enemy: Night Rogue. But even with all of that, they were still no closer to the truth.
To say that it aggravated him was an understatement. This is another reason why he worked out like this. To stave off any frustrations that would affect the team dynamic. As Flash put it, it was better to do this than to constantly butt heads with the others, specifically Micro.
Despite his talk with the Rider, he still found it difficult to be on the same page as their tech support. Part of it was due to their initial argument about his father and Gizmo. Sol knew what he saw. The only one who could’ve been responsible for his Dad’s death was Gizmo Poindexter. Yet Micro adamantly refused to believe it.
Both of them were pretty stubborn, and their stubbornness translated on how they interacted with one another.
He didn’t think he would ever come to a mutual understanding with the bespectacled teen.
*DING!*
“There’s another one done…” Micro went over to the Bottle Purifier and retrieved their latest addition. Sandalwood, as usual, stumbled out of the machine and collapsed onto the bed. “Comic, huh?” Micro said as he held the yellow, comic-themed bottle in hand. “How odd…”
Before heading off to see Ringo, Flash and Brawly took the time to hang out at a nearby café. It’s been a while since they got together and hung out outside of band practice. The Masked Rider figured it would be best to keep in touch with his other friends.
As they ate lunch, Flash listened intently as Brawly spoke. Their topic of discussion was the Masked Rider Build.
“I still can’t believe there was a Smash attack on Applewood Acres…and you were right there!” The drummer exclaimed. After said attack, Pinkie Pie posted the identity of the strang creatures that terrorized Canterlot.
“Yeah…none of us ever saw that coming…” The guitarist replied. Truthfully, none of them ever foresaw a Smash attack during their search for Applebloom. They certainly did not expect the mob of robots either. How Sol managed to deal with all of them quickly he did not know.
“Thankfully, Build swept in and saved the day, right?” Brawly said as he finished his drink. “The dude’s been saving our butts ever since the Smash appeared two weeks ago! I mean, he even found and saved Ringo!”
“Yeah…never thought he was a Smash. I’m just glad we found him after so long.”
“I know…but how do you think that even happened?” The drummer asked puzzled. “I mean, we know he went missing, but how did he become a Smash? Was he kidnapped by some shady organization or something?”
“Don’t know. Sounds like the plot of some sci-fi novel.” Flash shrugged. Then again, his entire life did turn into a sci-fi based story. “But at least we know he turned out okay. Speaking of which, we should probably get going. His visiting hours won’t last forever.”
“You’re right. Let’s go! Our bass guitarist must be bored out of his mind right now.”
The two left the café, unaware of a person watching them from a few tables over.
“Hm…how interesting.” The man rubbed his chin.
Flash and Brawly had almost made it to the Canterlot Hospital without any issue.
But as they neared, a two black vans and a series of motorcyclists came into view.
“What the? What’s going on?!” Brawly questioned. Flash on the other hand, paled. He recognized those figures on the cycles. They were the robots!
The vehicles soon surrounded the duo. The robots stepped out and aimed their guns at them. Brawly raised his arms up in surrender while Flash noted that their weapons got an upgrade. Their rifles were bulkier and had bayonets that looked like combat knife blades.
“Come with us.” The lead robot ordered in a monotonous voice. “Or face the consequences.”
“Are…are we under arrest or something?” Brawly asked.
“We’re not.” Flash got into a fighting stance. “These are the robots that kidnapped people at the mall.”
“Wait, seriously?!”
“Resist or flee, and you will be shot. Come quietly.” The robot repeated.
“Hm…how about….No!” Flash grabbed the gun from the robot’s hands and bashed it in the head with the butt of it.
The robots then opened fired, prompting the two teens to scramble for cover, which happened to be an alleyway with trash cans. As they fled, Brawly yelped as he was shot in the leg, the limb falling numb. Nothing bled, but he couldn’t feel anything below his knee.
“Wh-what the heck’s going on?!” The drummer screamed as the stun bullets ricocheted off of the stone and metal.
"I-I don't know!" Flash yelled back. He truly didn't. Just why were these guys so adamant about kidnapping people in broad daylight?!
Meanwhile, back at the lab, Micro continued to work on his latest invention while Sol took a break from his workout.
Sandalwood remained asleep. But his phone soon started beeping, alerting the two.
Curious, they walked over and Micro opened the notification. His eyes widened as he saw it was a post from Pinkie Pie on her blog. It read:
Posted by Pinkie Pie:
“Hello everybody! Happy 2 week-a-verssary of Masked Rider Build showing up and saving us from those Smash Monsters! In other news....
THE ROBOT HORDE IS BACK AND KIDNAPPING PEOPLE BY THE HOSPITAL! WHERE’S BUILD?! SOMEONE’S GOTTA STOP THEM! HEEEEELP!!!!”
“What the-?! Why did Pinkie Pie post that?! For that matter, why is Sandalwood following her on the Build Blog?” Sol questioned.
“Everyone in CHS follows Pinkie Pie.” Micro answered him. “Why don’t you?”
“Are you serious? I just got here a week and a half ago! I still don’t know her that well!” The fighter exclaimed.
"Better not let her know that. She'd probably think you don't follow her because you don't like her, so she'd do whatever it takes to make you into her friend. You should have seen what happened with Mr. Doodle when he transferred here two years ago.”
"Why? What happened?"
Micro looked him in the eye with a grim expression. "…You do not....I repeat, do NOT....want to know..."
"...okay then..." Sol wisely backed away. He made a mental note to follow her blog as soon as possible, for the sake of his sanity. "Well, since the robots are attacking, I guess I'd better get out there." He headed towards the door, grabbing his disguise.
"Hang on," he turned to Micro as the teen picked up whatever crazy invention he'd been messing with. "I've finished a little something for Flash. He’s going to need it."
Flash tried to strategize their next move. The situation was not good at all. He then heard something over the gunfire. A series of screams. He peeked into the small gap and saw that other civilians fled in terror, only to be shot and captured by the robots. He cursed. It seemed like they weren't the only victims.
Of all the days to leave the Build Driver and Fullbottles in the lab. How was he supposed to know an attack would happen today?!
He had to get Brawly out of here and contact the lab. He gripped tightly onto the rifle he took. While it would help, they were outnumbered. He turned his head forward and noticed how the alley seemed to go deeper before making a turn. Maybe they had an escape route.
"Hey Brawly, can you move?"
"K-Kinda! My leg's still numb though." The drummer said, smacking his shot leg.
"Okay, here's what we're going to do. You go down the alley and see if you can make it to the other side. Try and get help. I'll cover you with this." He raised the rifle in his arms.
"Dude, are you crazy?!" Brawly gawked at him. "You're gonna get shot!"
"And we're gonna get taken unless we do something!" Flash snapped back. "We don't have any other ideas! We gotta get out of this! So you in?!"
"....alright!" As much as the drummer hated this plan, he didn’t see any other option.
"Good....let's go!" Flash ran out of their cover, guns blazing. His random fire managed to hit a fair number of the robots. Some of them dropped their captured victims and returned fire. He ran around, trying to avoid getting hit. By some miracle, the stun bullets missed him. He dived down to take cover behind a nearby car.
“Alright, Flash. Let’s not panic. It’s just like a first person shooter game….only its real! It’s just like a video game…!” He peered over the car and returned fire. He struck two of the robots in the head and shot their weapons out of their hands. However, he got careless and one of the bullets got him in the arm. He felt a shock and his arm fell numb. He ducked behind the car once more.
“Ow! Not like a game! Not like a game!!” Flash cried as he tried to shake the numbness from his arm. He managed to get enough feeling to grip his gun. Gamer strategy was not working. He needed to take a different approach…
“Aaaaugh!” Brawly’s scream tore him from his thoughts. Flash’s head whipped around to see the flashes of light emanating from the alley. Two robots walked out dragging an unconscious Brawly Beats.
“Brawly!” Flash tried to help his friend, but the rest of the droids surrounded him and blocked him off. The guitarist’s rage grew as he saw his friend carried off to who knows where.
“Get out of my way!” Fueled by panic and adrenaline, Flash stabbed the bayonet of his gun into a nearby robot. The others turned to fire.
Flash spun around with the robot still on his bayonet. He used it as a shield to block the bullets as he charged in and tackled a line of robots to the ground. The lifeless droid on his blade flew off and pinned the others to the ground.
He tucked into a roll and grabbed a nearby rifle. He landed on his feet, dual wielding a pair of stun rifles. He whirled around with his fingers on the triggers. The stun bullets produced enough of a jolt to stun the robots’s movements upon contact. Some of the projectiles also knocked the rifles out of their hands.
Once the robots were disarmed, he ran up to them and swung at them using the rifles as clubs. Some of them went down, but one of them tackled him to the ground. The two rolled as the firearms clattered out of his hands. Flash landed on his back and kicked the robot away. As he stood, he found himself surrounded by armed droids once more.
But before they should shoot, a familiar barrage of lasers impacted them and punched holes through their chassis. Flash turned to the source and saw a disguised Sol closing in on the Machine Builder. He swerved to a stop with the Drill Crusher in gun mode in one hand.
“Take this!” He threw Flash an object that he caught. Looking at it, he saw that it was a watch of a unique design. How was this supposed to help him?!
“Put it on and press the top button!” Sol instructed as he shot more at the robots. For those that came close, he punched or kicked away with the Dragon Bottle bolstering his strikes. Flash did as instructed. A series of tubes manifested from the watch and wrapped themselves around him. They converged and he soon realized he was wearing his disguise. Mask, goggles, and all.
“Wh-whoa! What is this?!” He looked at the watch in amazement.
“Micro’s new toy! Now hurry up and transform so we can beat these tin cans!”
“But I left my driver at the lab!” Flash argued. While he had his disguise, it didn’t help if he couldn’t fight the robots.
“Press the right button!” Sol kicked one of the robots’ head clean off its shoulders.
“Right button-whoa!” Flash yelped again as the watch manifested the Build Driver and a set of Fullbottles. The former appeared on his waist while the latter appeared in his hands. “How did-?!”
“Stop gawking and transform already!” Sol screamed as he dove behind an upturned car to avoid gunfire.
“R-right!” Flash did as he was told and shook the bottles and twisted the caps before inserting them in the Driver.
“RABBIT!”
“TANK!”
“BEST MATCH!”
“ARE YOU READY?”
“Henshin!” Flash yelled as he was donned in the armor once more.
“FULLMETAL MOONSAULT!”
“RABBIT-TANK!”
“YEAH!”
“Now that I’ve got the Winning Formula…” Flash begun. His left leg glowed as the spring wound up. Using Rabbit’s power, he sped over to the nearest robot and punched a hold clean through its torso with Tank’s power. “…I’m sending you all to the scrap heap!”
The other robots diverted their attention from Sol and open fired at Flash. The stun bullets bounced harmlessly off of the Build Armor. While they were distracted, Sol jumped out of his hiding spot and inserted the Hedgehog Bottle into the Drill Crusher.
"HEDGEHOG!"
“VOLTECH BREAK!”
Sol pulled the trigger and a volley of energy spikes shot out and impaled half of the remaining forces. Flash dispatched the other half with a series of quick, consecutive strikes with the power of a Tank.
Soon enough, the two remained standing amongst a mass of broken, smoking mechanical parts.
Once the immediate danger had passed, Flash scanned the area for his missing friend. He then saw Brawly as he got carted off in one of the vans. The robots got in as it drove off.
“Get back here!” Flash rushed over to the Machine Builder and started it up. Before he could race after them, the sound of slow clapping was heard.
Out from the alley where Flash and Brawly previously hid, a red, cobra-themed figure stepped out. “Bravo, bravo….you truly did well in dispatching the small fry, Build.” The man said in a deep voice.
“A…Cobra…?” Sol asked quietly upon seeing the insignia on his chest.
“Out of the way! I need to go after them!” Flash yelled at the stranger.
“Of course you do….that is precisely why I’m here.” The man said, standing right in front of the machine. The two then realized he was here to stop them.
“Who are you?!” Flash demanded, noting how similar his armor was to a certain bat-themed figure. “Are…are you with Night Rouge?!”
The Cobra man chuckled. “Indeed I am. We’re partners in this little venture. Which is why I cannot let you to take back our much needed guinea pigs.”
Flash growled at the statement while Sol stared with tightly clenched fists.
“As for me….well…call me Blood Stalk.” The man, now identified to them as Blood Stalk, said before he pulled out his steam-punk gun. “And I’m here to put you two to sleep.”
Before Flash could react, Stalk pulled the trigger and a burst of energy struck him point blank. Flash was thrown off the Machine Builder and tumbled away. Stalk steadied his arm to shoot again. But his aim was diverted by Sol, who wrenched his arm to the side and pushed him back.
Stalk didn’t seem fazed. The fighter charged in for a punch to the face. But the Cobra man caught the fist with ease. Rather than counterattacking, he seemed to examine the appendage in his grip. Sol tried to pull away, but the grip was iron-clad. Finally, Stalk spoke.
“Hm…2.2. Haa…you know, Sol,” The fighter perked up as the man spoke his identity. “…your father would be sorely disappointed in you. Your hazard level is simply too weak.”
“Y-you…you know my Dad?” Sol asked, pushing aside as to how Stalk knew him in his head. This was more important. Could he have finally found something?
“Why, I know a lot about him. I know a lot about you as well…” Stalk said as he twisted the fist in his hand. “But…why should I tell someone as weak as you?”
“Why you-!” Before Sol could finish, Stalk pulled him in and kneed him in the stomach. He then threw the winded teen at the rising Build. The masked rider saw him coming and managed to jump over him before Sol could knock him over.
Build landed near where Sol had dropped the Drill Crusher and picked it up and pointed it at Stalk. The armored man in turn, pulled out a machete like weapon that he then folded up before attaching to the end of his gun. Now in a bayonet like design, Stalk began firing at Build.
Seeing this coming, the rider used Rabbit’s jumping ability to leap away while firing his own blasts. Stalk saw them coming and used the knife on his weapon to slash at said attacks and knock them away. Then, from out of his right arm, he launched a long black whip like cord with a stinger on the end of it.
Build saw it coming and jumped away, back-flipping as he switched the Drill Crusher to its sword form. Once he'd landed, Build used the sword to knock the cord away and he rushed towards Stark and swung the weapon at him. But Stalk, holding his weapon in a back handed grip, blocked the first swing and leaned back to avoid the next one. Build then attempted to slam his foot into Stalk's chest, but he crossed his arms to block the attack while staggering back.
Build followed after him and swung the Drill Crusher at him again, Stalk once again managing to block it with his own weapon. But Build had been expecting this and pushed both weapons upwards before spinning on his heel and swing the blade around, striking Stalk's chest. With the armored man staggering back, he then thrust the lance forward in an attempt to impale him. But even though his attack struck a bulls-eye, all it did was push Stalk back a little more.
"Not bad," Stalk said as he watched Build rushing at him. The Drill Crusher began to spin as he swung it down towards him, but he simply raised his own weapon to block. The Drill Crusher hit the bayonet, the spinning drill causing it to roll off the end and knock Build off balance. Stalk used this opening to perform a spin kick and hit the masked rider in the stomach, an explosion of purple occurred upon impact and sent Build flying backwards.
Build grunted as he hit the ground, but quickly rolled back onto his feet and jumped up. Seeing Stalk was skilled enough to counter his weapon, he threw it away before he began to turn the crank.
“READY?! GO!”
Red and blue energy covered Flash's body as the spring on his leg compressed. He jumped up high into the air before flying forward.
“VOLTECH FINISH!”
Stalk seemed to chuckle as he watched Build flying towards him, ready to deal a powerful kick to him. He threw his own weapon away before holding up his hand, actually managing to grab Build's foot.
“YEAH!”
The two forces pushed at one another, Build expecting to break through but was shocked to see Stalk was able to hold him back. "What?"
"Nice kick," Stalk told him before putting some more effort into his arm and pushed Build away. He grunted as he hit the ground, quickly sitting himself up to see Stalk waving a smoking hand around. "I'd put that Hazard Level at 3.2." He turned towards him, "but there's room for growth." He moved over to where he'd tossed his weapon and picked it up and detached the blade from it. "Now, as much as I’d like to play with you more, I’ve done my duty. So for now….Ciao~” With a pull of a trigger, the gun produced a mass of steam that swallowed him. When it dissipated, he was nowhere to be seen.
“What the…where did he go?!” Sol questioned as he scrambled up.
“I…I don’t know…” Flash shook his head as he called Micro in his helmet. “Guys! Any sign of him?”
“No. I’m trying but…I can’t find anything. No trace, no trail…it’s like he just disappeared! But that’s impossible!”
“So you’re saying he just vanished? Or teleported?”
“Uh…speaking of vanishing,” Sol shook his shoulder, alerting him to the sound of sirens. “We should probably vanish ourselves before the cops get here.”
At the Research Center…
Multiple reporters could be seen entering the building, ready to watch a press conference that the research center's head was going to give. As everyone sat down, the reporters spotted the head along with the rest of his family.
Night Light stood at the podium while the Sparkle Family sat off to the side. Cadence, Shining Armor, Twilight, and Spike sat down in a row of chairs. Next to Twilight was her mother, Twilight Velvet. She was a middle aged woman with a light gray complexion, light blue eyes, and purple, white streaked hair. She was dressed in a blazer and skirt just like Cadence and her daughter given the professionalism of the event. Shining Armor and Night Light were dressed in suits themselves. Spike was the only one exempt for obvious reasons.
Standing next to Night Light was his assistant, Dusk Walker. The bespectacled man stood at attention.
The head of the research center began the conference, soon being swarmed by multiple, overlapping questions. “Please, settle down.” Night Light said to control the crowd. “Questions one at a time, please. First, you in the back.”
The designated reporter stood with a notepad in hand. “Director Light. Given the recent string of attacks and kidnappings here in Canterlot, has anything been found from the remains of the robots you and your team retrieved?”
“We have thoroughly examined the parts. However, whoever engaged in direct combat with them had been thorough themselves. The memory chips housed inside the head have been damaged. The very few that we had found to be mostly intact have been wiped clean. As we scanned them, we discovered that they contained a deletion program that erases all relevant data should the unit be substantially damaged. My scientists are currently working to see if there is a way to restore the data and discern the truth of their motives.” Night Light answered.
Satisfied by the explanation, the report sat down as another stood up. “Director Light, even if your company hasn’t discovered anything regarding the robots, have you and your team found anything about these Monsters?”
“Unfortunately, we have not discovered anything new.” Night Light shook his head. “We interviewed the victims who were discovered to be the monsters. However, they all displayed a common trend of memory loss. It would seem that whatever mutation or transformation they went through, their minds haven’t been able to properly endure it. We are overlooking their recovery at the moment to determine if their memories will eventually return. Other than that, there is not much else we can do at the moment.”
Another reporter stood. “Sir. In light of recent events, what are your thoughts on the Masked Rider Build, who has been making an effort to save people from these attacks?”
Night Light paused for a moment to take a sip of walker, collecting his thoughts. In truth, he was curious about the man behind the mask. He was sure it was not Gizmo, given his disappearance months ago. He wondered how someone could even access his equipment.
The Director finally spoke. “In all honesty, I am elated that there is someone who is capable of fighting these creatures and keeping the populace safe. I was informed by my son, Officer Shining Armor, that conventional weaponry does not seem to affect them. However, this unique equipment of Build is able to properly defeat these monsters and return them to normal. I could only hope to meet him in person one day to inquire about his technology. If used properly, then maybe we can discover other means to keep the public safe.”
“On that note, Director.” Another reporter towards the front said as she stood. “As a whole, have you and your team taken measures to ensure the safety of the public?”
The Director of the Research Center paused for a bit before he chuckled, confusing the audience. “I am so glad someone had asked that. Given recent events, I felt that it was time to upgrade our security. Not only to keep the Research Center safe, but all of Canterlot as well.” He gestured to Dusk Walker, who nodded and signaled a pair of workers off stage.
The two workers walked on stage with a new figure walking between them. It greatly resembled one of the robots that had been on the news recently. However, it was different as its helmet was colored a lighter gray than the ones kidnapping people. It also wore a dark blue jumpsuit with the Research Center Logo on its breast. Its appearance had caused uproar in the audience.
“Ladies and gentlemen…” Night Light announced, quieting down the reporters. “Allow me to introduce the Canterlot Research and Development Center’s latest form of security, the Guardians.”
“Director, isn’t that one of the robots that assaulted and kidnapped civilians the past week?” One of the reporters questioned.
“It is true that the Guardian greatly resembles those robots. That is because we reverse engineered the parts that we obtained to create them.” The Director answered. “I admit it was a controversial decision to make. However, given the recent dangers on the streets of our fair city, I believe it is a necessary endeavor. The Guardians were designed and created to protect the people of Canterlot from these unknown robots and monsters.
“While it is all well and good that the Masked Rider has made an effort to keep us safe, he is but one man. He cannot be everywhere at once when danger arises. We hope that through the Guardians, his workload would be alleviated, if only slightly, as we can rest easy knowing our friends and family are safe.”
From the side of the stage, Night Light’s family smiled at his decision. However, Twilight felt a sense of unease. While these Guardians were made from scratch after utilizing the originals’ design, she can’t help but feel wary of them.
The Director then scanned the crowd. “Now, are there any more questions?”
Everyone’s hands were raised.
“Well….that was exhausting…” Night Light sighed as he reclined in his office chair. He didn’t expect every single reporter to have more questions. But then again, that’s the way of the media. They wanted every detail as possible.
“You did fantastic, honey.” Twilight Velvet congratulated her husband. “You did well to last during that two hour press conference.”
“I’m amazed that we lasted that long as well.” Shining Armor said as he sat down in one of the guest chairs. “Never thought it would go for that long.”
“Well, given the recent string of attacks, the media is no doubt looking for answers.” His fiancée answered. “So you can’t really blame them with all of the questions.”
“Good point…now all I need to worry are your Guardians replacing the police and putting me out of a job.” He joked to his father.
“Believe me, son.” Night Light chuckled. “That was never my intention. If anything, the Guardians will help you and the others so much; you would have much more free time. That way, you and Cadence would have more time to plan that wedding of yours.”
As the father and son went back and forth, Twilight Sparkle remained quiet. Her face was one of deep thought. Spike, who had been in her lap, looked up at her in concern.
She had so much going on in her mind right now. The recent robot attack, the new Guardians her parents’ department had created, and most of all…Build. He was a complete enigma to her. She saw that he was a relatively skilled fighter with a wide variety of gadgets that were just so technologically advanced and unique. His belt, his weapons, his armor, all of it stimulated her scientific hunger to know more. Her curiosity also extended to who was behind the mask.
It was a common question amongst her friends. They wanted to know who Build was as well. Sunset was still wary of him as they don’t know what his motives are. But since he hasn’t actually done anything malicious, she had given him the benefit of the doubt for the time being. The rest were as curious as she was to learn of the identity of the man who saved them time and time again.
Even back at Applewood Acres, he had been wearing a disguise before he changed into his armor. Just who was he?
“-ly? Twily?!”
“H-huh?” The youngest child of the Sparkle Family snapped out of her thoughts. Her brother had shaken her out of it. “You doin’alright? You’ve been pretty quiet.”
“Oh, sorry. I….I was just thinking about the Guardians….” Twilight answered. “It’s surprising that you used those robots as a basis when making them. Have you made any additional features or modifications to them?”
“If you’d like, I can tell you more about them.” Dusk Walker said as he entered the room. “Director Night Light’s truly outdone himself on them.”
“Come now, Dusk. I can’t take all the credit.” Night Light waved him off. “It’s only because of you and the others that these Guardians came to be.”
“But it was only because of your ingenuity that the concept came to be in the first place.” His assistant countered. The rest of the family watched as the two went back and forth trading compliments. It was mainly how the two proverbially ribbed each other. Twilight giggled throughout the exchange.
Twilight was surprised by his appearance, but didn’t find it unwelcome. Over the years she’s known him, Dusk Walker has always been an intellectually gifted individual. She was able to relate to and understand him when discussing advanced topics. Their conversations were fresh breath of air from the stifling, isolationism back in her time at Crystal prep.
Given his intelligence, it was no wonder that Dusk Walker was her father’s personal assistant.
“Speaking of opportunities,” Twilight Velvet asked her daughter. “Have you already sent in your applications to ChangeMaker Incorporated and DarkShroud Industries?”
“I did. And tripled checked to make sure everything was in order before submitting. I hope they get back to me soon.” Twilight answered.
“Don’t worry, Honey. I know for a fact that either company would love to have you for that internship program.”
In order to build up her college resume, Twilight thought it would be best to gather some experience and credit. So she applied to two of the three largest corporations in Canterlot City for internships. She would’ve applied to the Research Center as well, but given that her father runs it and her mother is the lead scientist, it could’ve led to some issues regarding familial bias.
The exchange soon came to an end as a swift knock rapped on the closed door. Dusk Walker walked over to let the person in. His eyes widened when he saw who came into view.
It was an elderly, red-skinned man that stood about half a head shorter than Dusk. This was mainly due to his hunched posture. His suit seemed to hang over his thin, wiry frame. He lacked any hair atop his cranium, yet had a show white beard that was long enough to reach his waist. His yellow eyes were sharp and focused. In his wrinkled hands was a walking cane that supported him.
“D-Director Tirek.” Night Light shot out of his seat upon seeing his facility’s benefactor. “What brings you here, sir?”
“Hello, Night Light.” Tirek greeted with a deep, scratchy voice as he hobbled in. “I’ve heard about your little Guardian project and thought it is best to speak with you about it, personally.” His eyes scanned the room. “Although, I did not expect your family to be here as well. But where are my manners…?”
Tirek bowed his head in greeting to the rest of the Sparkle Family and Cadence. “Greetings, everyone. My name is Tirek. I am but a simple benefactor to the Research Facility.” He then turned back the Night Light. “I apologize for my abruptness, but I have something that I need to speak to you and your wife about immediately. Alone.”
Night Light and Twilight Velvet realized what he was referring to. The Director gestured to his assistant, who picked up immediately.
“This way, everyone.” Dusk Walker told the Sparkle Siblings, Cadence, and Spike as he ushered them out. “Allow me to show you to the Guardians to get a closer examination. Once everyone filed out, the door closed and locked behind him.
The red skinned man then turned back to the two. “I take it I don’t need to explain why I’m here?” Unlike his jovial visage before, his expression was stern.
“About the Masked Rider, I take it.” Night Light grew serious as he folded his hands on his desk.
“Why else would I be here? Considering it’s the secret project your little missing scientist has created. Yet he’s still missing and someone is running around using his equipment.” Tirek eased himself into a chair and sat across from the Director. “Tell me this. Why were you unable to find the Build System until some random element appears wearing it?”
“I’m sorry, sir. But Gizmo was extraordinarily thorough in erasing evidence and traces of his data and information when he went off the radar. We weren’t even aware of an unknown group manufacturing the Smash and the rogue robots.”
“Obviously.” Tirek scoffed. “I had hoped that the money that I invested into your department was being put to good use. But given in light of recent events, I am beginning to have some doubts.”
“I’m sorry, sir. I truly am.” Night Light bowed his head. “We were unprepared for these events. But we are doing our best to properly address them.”
“I see…” The elderly man tapped a finger on his temple. “I sincerely doubt your little Guardians are enough for what is to come. But I’ll withhold my judgment until results are produced.” He then pulled himself up and hobbled over to the door. “I suggest that you work harder to uncover this little ‘shadow organization’ and retrieve the Build System. Otherwise I may have to reallocate resources and finances to ChangeMaker Incorporated and DarkShroud Industries, who I know will do whatever it takes to get the job done.”
Tirek opened the door. But before he stepped out, he gave the two one last look over. “Do not disappoint me.” He then slammed the door shut.
Night Light and Twilight Velvet were left alone in the office. The Director bowed his head….and slammed a fist onto his desk.
At the Lab…
After the recent Robot Attack, Team Build was in a buzz. Flash had been restless since they got back. He wanted to go out and chase after the robots to get his friend back. But Micro adamantly told him to wait to plan their next move. Sol on the other hand had been playing with his own Storage Watch, as Micro named the device. Using the Build Driver as a basis, he had created portable devices that would allow the two to store their disguises and don them quickly when the need arises.
In Flash’s case, it also stored the Driver and Fullbottles in order to transform on the fly. Granted, they were untested prototypes, but their first activation seemed to work well.
Sandalwood on the other hand, was still snoring on the bed.
“I still can’t believe I let them get away!” Flash punched Sol’s punching bag that he brought. “I could’ve stopped them, but…!”
“Flash! Take it easy…” Micro tried to calm his friend down. “What’s done is done, alright! Blaming yourself like this isn’t helping anyone!”
“But what else can we do?!” Flash retorted. “We don’t even know where they took Brawly! For all we know, they made him into a Smash by now!”
“We would’ve saved him if that Stalk guy hadn’t got in the way…” Sol interjected as he approached the two. “It’s because of him we failed. Heck, we didn’t even come close to scratching that guy!” Not to mention, Stalk knew about his father. He was just itching to go after him for answers.
“Where are these guys even coming from?!” Flash exclaimed. “It’s like they’re popping out of the woodwork! First Night Rogue, now Blood Stalk? Just who are they?!”
“I don’t know…” Micro admitted. “But fortunately, my drone took a few pictures of him during the battle.” He gestured to the supercomputer in the lab. “I’m having the computer scan them. Hopefully, given that his gun seemed to use a Fullbottle, or at least something similar, we can find a match.”
Almost immediately, the computer beeped to indicate that it found something. The noise woke up Sandalwood as he stared at the screen in confusion. The four went over and saw that a new video file pulled up. One named Transteam Gun. It started to play as Gizmo Poindexter appeared on screen.
“Salutations members of the scientific community.” The genius scientist greeted with a wave. “To continue off my earlier discussions regarding nebula gas, allow me to show you another invention I have created.”
He showed off a black handgun with silver engine parts that lined up the side. It also had red, green, and yellow tubes connected to the side. At the bottom was a rectangular extrusion connected to a notch about as large as a Fullbottle cap.
“Let me present to you….the Transteam Gun!”
“Hey, that’s the gun Stalk used on us!” Sol pointed out.
“Man…is this convenient or what?” Sandalwood added.
“Both of you, quiet!” Micro shushed them, wanting to hear the explanation.
“You see, after completing the Build System, I realized that not everyone can properly use it since having a natural hazard level of 3 is a rarity in itself.” Gizmo explained. “So, I devised a simpler means of transformation that is accessible at a lower natural Hazard Level of 2.5. You see, the Transteam Gun is a device that allows the user to done a suit of armor like the Build System.”
He pulled out a new Fullbottle with a snake-like motif and stuck it into the underside of the gun.
“COBRA!”
“The activation command is Blood Mist in Neighponese, which is Jouketsu.”
He then pulled out a card and slid it into a machine off screen below the camera.
A hologram appeared next to Gizmo, revealing the visage of the Cobra-themed warrior.
“Wait, that’s Stalk!” Sol cried in outrage. “I knew it! I knew that bastard’s up to no good!”
“Calm down!” Micro snapped back. “It’s not my brother! That’s just a hologram of the suit! They don’t even sound the same! It’s clearly someone else using the gun!”
“But how did they get it! Can you answer that?!”
“He…he probably stole it from him!”
“Then where is he now?!”
“Come one dude, break it up!” Sandalwood and Flash pulled the two apart before they could get into another argument. “Fighting’s not gonna solve anything!”
“He’s right! Let’s just keep watching the video and see what we learn. We still don’t know much about the gun.”
The two glared at each other before reluctantly obeyed. Gizmo continued to explain.
“This is Blood Stalk. The next step for the Rider system, allowing normal people with the minimal required Hazard Level to transform. This was intended to be a mass produced system that would allow soldiers and police officers to combat the Smash.”
His expression grew grim. “Unfortunately, we currently unable to lower the required Hazard Level value. While we do have means to increase them via enhancement procedures…I highly advise against it. The success rate to even obtain a 0.1 increase is simply too low….and the risks far too great.”
The implications were not lost on the teens. And based on how Gizmo said it, he’s witnessed these risks first hand.
“Now, before I continue. I must be fair to warn you all. While a person can use the Transteam Gun with a low Hazard Level…there is a contrast to using it.”
“What cost would that be? Must not be great if it’s a project to mass produce super soldiers…” Sandalwood wondered.
“You see, while a lower Hazard Level is used to transform, the power gained from it is fixed. What I mean is, that unlike the Build Driver, the Transteam Gun has no capability of increasing the user’s Hazard Level. You see, during my research, I learned that one’s Hazard Level is related to one’s power when influenced by Nebula Gas. For instance, a person with a Level of 3.5 will be stronger than a person of 3.1.
“It is because of this lacking capability that the user of the Transteam gun must rely on their natural skills, abilities, and fighting experience when engaged in combat.”
“Wait, so the higher our Hazard Level is, the stronger we’ll be?” Sol questioned in interest.
“It seems that way. And the Build Driver has that ability…” Flash trailed off before recalling what Stalk said earlier. “Wait…3.2? Hey Micro. What are our Hazard Levels now?”
“Huh?” Sandalwood asked. “Why? Aren’t they the same?”
“Well, that Stalk guy said something about 3.2 when he touched me, and this video got me thinking…what if my own level increased?”
Micro realized what he was getting at. He quickly grabbed the scanner and pointed it at him. “3.2….it…it really did rise!”
“So, going off of this…if the Driver is raising my level…then wouldn’t I grow stronger too?”
“That seems to be the case. But what triggers such a change?”
“Hey, hey!” Sol jumped in. “What about me?! Stalk told me I was a 2.2 or something!”
“What?! But that’s impossible! You couldn’t even wear the Driver! It couldn’t possibly increase by natural means!” Micro refuted.
“Just give me that!” Sol snatched the scanner out of his hands and pointed it at himself. The screen beeped as it said 2.2. The fighter showed it to the intellectual, who stared gobsmacked.
“It did increase! But…but how?!”
“No clue…but does this mean I’ll be able to use the Driver too?” He questioned the two. “Hey, maybe we can take turns on who gets to be Build…”
“Maybe…” Flash waved him off as he stared back at the screen. Going by the logic of this revelation…the musician became disturbed. If the Transteam Gun was unreliant on the Hazard Level for the wearer’s power…just how strong was Stalk naturally?!
He could take whatever he could dish out…just how much of a gap was between them? He stared at the gun held in Gizmo’s hand on screen. Noting how it only utilized a single Fullbottle to initiate a transformation, in contrast to the Build Driver needing two.
“But now we know what we’re up against…” Micro said, snapping out of his stunned stupor caused by Sol. “Given how your fight went, you two lack the means to defeat him. But this is also good news.”
“How is getting our asses kicked good news?” Sol questioned while he picked up the Ninja Fullbottle and tossed it in his hands.
“Didn’t you hear what my brother said? Transteam Gun users have their Hazard Levels locked. In other words, they can’t get stronger through the means of Nebula Gas. Flash, and you to a lesser extent, on the other hand, are capable of increasing your Hazard Levels. Given enough time, we may be able to beat him.”
“But we don’t have time.” Flash pointed out. We don’t even know how the rising Hazard level thing works. And the more we wait around, the more people are going to get hurt. And more of a chance they’ll be made into Smashes.”
“I know.” Micro nodded. “That’s why we have to increase our arsenal.” He scowled at the Comic Bottle inside the Build Driver on the table. “If only I knew what to pair this up with! I tried Hedgehog, Lion, even Sol’s Dragon! But nothing works!”
While Micro tried to figure out which bottle to test next, Sol looked down at the bottle he had been tossing in the air. His vision shifted between it and the Comic Bottle before something inside him seemed to click.
Before anyone could ask what he was doing, he knelt down and slotted the bottle into the slot next to the one holding Comic. "What are you-" Micro began to ask before seeing the circuits light up, revealing what he'd been looking for. "No way."
Flash and Sandalwood rushed over and looked down at the panel, seeing the combo that was making it glow. "Ninja...Comic?" Sandalwood asked.
"Weird combo," Flash said before turning to Sol. "What made you try them?"
Sol hummed for a moment, trying to think up the reason. "I'm...not sure. They just looked like they went together." If this had been a comic, a light-bulb would have appeared above his head as he realized something. "Wait a minute, it's like that comic."
"What comic?" Micro asked.
"You know," Sol said. "That Neighponese comic. The one with the ninjas and the main character has some kind of...wolf monster sealed inside him." He saw the others weren't catching on. "It got made into an anime." Still nothing, "Which spawned several movies." Zip, "It just got a sequel series!" Zilch. "Have you guys been living under a rock?! Micro! I thought you watched anime!"
"Not the mainstream ones. I tend to avoid those," Micro said while looking back down at the panel. "I wonder what kind of weapon we could make for these?"
"And that's where I come in," Sandalwood said while grabbing some pens and paper before pulling Sol over to a pair of chairs. He sat them down, "Tell me everything you can about this show." Sol hummed before remembering several details, Sandalwood nodding while drawing. Eventually, he completed his work. "Behold," he spun it around, "My masterpiece."
The three looked at the drawing and once again, the design was barely understandable. A collection and yellow and purple boxes with stick men scribbles inside them. "Err...Flash?" Micro asked.
"Yeah," Flash took the drawing and grabbed the art supplies before quickly drawing a more understandable design. When he was done, he held it up for everyone to see. "What do you think?" The three looked it over and saw it was a sword like weapon with a blade that was split into four sections, each one designed after a comic panel which were all shown to be blank. "I wasn't sure how to do the drawings," he said while looking at Sandalwood. "Is this what you were going for?"
Sandal scratched his head, "Don't know what you decided to make another. They look exactly the same to me."
"Right," Micro sarcastically replied before taking the drawing and moving it over to the computers for scanning. "Just tell me what’s supposed to be in the panels."
"No prob," Sandalwood said. Now that the team had their goal set, they got to work.
Later that night…
Night Rogue sat in his chair, deep in thought. He ignored the screams of terror and pain from the glass chamber as another human was converted into a Smash for their purposes.
But that was precisely why he was mentally debating. Their next target is the Canterlot Research Center. Given how the Masked Rider and his compatriot thwarted them at every turn, they decided to strike and take Pandora’s Box .
Originally, he would not resort to such a hasty plan. However, their plans were proceeding much too slow. Build’s power grew at an alarming rate while they were still unable to produce the Smash necessary for their complete plans. They needed to speed up the process. As such, they needed more Nebula Gas, much more than what their own Panel could produce. Only the Pandora’s Box was capable of providing what they required.
But the more he thought about it, the more he felt…odd. As if something inside of him was dissuading him from following through the plan of attack. For some strange reason, he started to feel as if he had reservations about it.
“Penny for your thoughts?” A voice spoke from behind him and tore him from his musings. Night Rogue turned to see Blood Stalk approach.
“Why…why are you here?” Rogue questioned.
“Is that supposed to be a trick question?” The Cobra-themed man tilted his head as he leaned on the railing. “I was just dropping by to see the next subject’s progress, only to see you brooding over something. Care to explain?”
Rogue scowled at his words, but stayed quiet. As he thought about it, maybe Stalk could help him with his dilemma. He always seemed to know the right words to spur him on, to continue and pursue their grand design. So he spoke.
“I…am not sure about this plan anymore.”
“Hm? Why is that? Just a while ago you were all gung ho about attacking the R&D Center.” Blood Stalk pointed out.
“I know….but that’s what vexes me! I don’t know why! Why do I feel hesitant now?!” Rogue slammed his fist onto the arm of his chair. “Why have I lost my nerve now of all times?! I don’t understand! It’s as if something is telling me to refrain! I don’t know what to do!”
“Easy, easy boss…” Stalk said as he rested a hand on Night Rogue’s shoulder to calm him down. “You’re worrying too much. Don’t worry. After all…everything you do is for the greater good. Remember?”
Night Rogue remained still as the words sunk into his brain. “…Greater…good…yeah…for the greater good…that’s right…”
“Exactly!” Stalk nodded as he walked over to peer over the railing. “So…what is it that you want to do?”
The bat themed warrior stood on his feet and gave his orders with determined clarity. “…We will proceed. We will send the Smash to attack the Research Center. Initiate the process.”
“Perfect~! Well said, leader.” Blood Stalk praised. All the while, he had a malicious grin beneath his helmet.
The Following Morning…
As soon as Flash and Sol arrived in the lab, they were met by the sound of Micro's voice. "FINISHED!" They followed the voice and saw him sitting at a desk with a sword like device in hand. Like in Flash's drawing, the sword was split into four sections and each section hand a cartoonish drawings on it.
He stood up and swung the sword around. "I can't wait to see how well it works!" He then swung in so much the weight overtook him and he fell back, "WOW!" Flash quickly grabbed the sword and pulled it out of his hand, wanting to get the weapon away from him before he hurt himself.
"So this is Ninja Comic's new weapon," he looked it over and noticed the images on each panel. "We got a name for it yet?"
"You know it," Micro replied as he stood up. "I spent the whole night thinking about it and I've decided to call it the four panel ninja sword."
Flash and Sol both shared a look, not happy with the name at all. Flash looked back at him, "how about...Sketch Sabre."
"Huh," Micro thought it over, "I guess it could work."
"I just tried to think what Sandalwood would suggest," Flash looked around. "Where is he anyway?"
"Oh," Micro pointed at the bed, "He fell asleep." The two saw he was indeed asleep on the bed, but not for long.
The smash detector suddenly went off, waking Sandalwood and making him cry out in surprise. "What the-?" He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, as Micro rushed over to the computer.
"The Smash appears to be heading towards the Research Center!"
"What?!" Flash asked before rushing over to him and seeing he was right, "Oh no! Mom should be getting into work right now!" He clicked the button on his watch and morphed into his disguise.
"Shouldn't we let them handle it?" Sol asked as Flash headed to the door. "They've got those new robots." As the Team worked on the Sketch Saber yesterday, they learned about the Research Center's new Guardians on a News Channel Micro pulled up to keep updated. It was interesting to know that they took measures to defend against the Smash....even thought they essentially reused the kidnapping Robots designs to be remodeled as protectors.
"They might not be enough," Flash replied. "And besides, even if they did beat it. They don't know how to extract the essence." With that, Flash rushed out the door.
As he left, Sol couldn't help but think about what he'd said. "What do you think would happen?"
Micro looked up from his computer, "If what?"
"If you beat a Smash but don't take its essence." Micro thought about this, obviously intrigued by the question. But it was Sandalwood that replied.
"Well the Smash are basically animals, right?" The two turned to him, as he continued to lie in bed. "What do you think happens to an animal if it loses a fight?" He looked over at Sol, expecting an answer, but the teen just shrugged his shoulders. "They'd go home to lick their wounds and recover."
This got Sol thinking. If Smash really were like that, then where would they go after losing a fight? Maybe...back to the lab they were created in. "Aren't you going?" He turned to Micro.
"Yeah," he replied before heading for the door, "I'm going."
Going to find some answers.
The Research Center…
Everything was in chaos.
People fled in fear as the building fell into lockdown. Approaching it was a Smash.
This one was one of the oddest yet. Its appearance could be best described as a mass of chain links one would see on a bicycle of motor. Its body had varying shades of gray and some yellow rivets. Its arms were a mass of chain links that resembled fists.
The Guardians stationed outside lined up to prevent it from advancing any further. They kept shooting it with their rifles. Unfortunately, their own version of stun bullets did not faze it in the least.
The Smash roared as it swatted two Guardians away and continued its march. Another row of Guardians tried to rush it using their bayonets, but the blades did nothing to pierce its thick, armored hide. But they did scratch the monster. As it did puffs of an unknown gas spurt out and made contact with the machines.
The Guardians glitched out before they collapsed like puppets with their strings cut.
This continued as more and more Guardians fell trying to stop the Smash. It was all for naught. The Press Smash soon stood among the decommissioned robots.
It wasn’t until a series of laser blasts struck it, forcing it to stop.
Flash and Sol pulled up on their respective motorcycles, the former shooting it with the Drill Crusher as the latter shook the Dragon Fullbottle.
“Well what do you know? Guess the Guardians weren’t enough after all.”
“At least it’s one less thing to worry about.” Flash said as he reverted the Machine Builder into the Build Phone and pocketed it. He then equipped the Driver and shook the bottles before he inserted them.
“RABBIT!”
“TANK!”
“BEST MATCH!”
“ARE YOU READY?!”
“Henshin!”
“FULLMETAL MOONSAULT!”
“RABBIT-TANK!”
“YEAH!”
After transforming, Flash changed the Drill Crusher into sword mode and rushed at the Smash alongside Sol. Build struck its side with the rotating blade, causing it to stumble. It recovered and tried to swing at him, but he ducked underneath the punches. Sol followed in next. He weaved through the Smash’s strikes and punched it right in the chest.
An explosion of fire forced it back as Sol continued his assault. He followed up with a roundhouse kick to the face a reverse hook kick to the side. As it staggered, he delivered a series of consecutive strikes to the upper torso before he forced it back once more with a strong punch.
He immediately backed up to give Flash a clear shot. The Rider inserted the Hedgehog Bottle into the Drill Crusher and pulled the Trigger.
“HEDGEHOG!”
“VOLTECH BREAK!”
Energy spikes impacted the Press Smash, knocking it down. However, the monster proved strong and pulled itself up, rearing to go for round to.
The two were happy to oblige it.
As the fight continued, Blood Stalk peered around the corner. He shook his head in disappointment at the sight.
“Huu…given how they based these Guardians off our own bots, they should’ve done better than this. But then again, they weren’t built to withstand a Smash individually. But against a Rider together on the other hand….”
He raised his hand and snapped his fingers. All around the three fighters, the lights in the robots heads blinked as they restarted. They stood up at attention and marched together to form a platoon. The sight momentarily distracted Flash and Sol.
“What the-? How are they getting up?!” Flash asked in confusion. He also didn’t like the fact that their visors were trained on them.
“Oh relax! If they’re anything like the ones at the Acres, then these guys will be easy! We can take them no problem!”
The robot platoon before them turned around and flexed their bodies. Their jumpsuits ripped apart as their armor plating tore through. Then...much to the shock of the two, they stacked themselves on top of one another, creating a giant, bipedal mech that stood several meters above them. Underneath its head was some sort of gun wheel composed of the gathered soldiers and their rifles.
As if it were a beast, the mechanical monstrosity raised its head and roared.
“....well crap.” Flash bluntly commented.
“...Since when the hell could they do THAT?!” Sol screamed. Seriously, they never knew about this.
The giant mech immediately spun its turret, hailing gun fire upon them. The two fled and found shelter behind the stone sign of the building.
“Okay, just how can it get any worse than this?!” Sol questioned.
“Dude? Don’t jinx us!”
“Isn’t there anything that we can do?!” Night Light asked in alarm. Everyone in the monitor room had just witnessed their previously decommissioned Guardians re-activate and somehow combine into a towering, bipedal monstrosity.
“I-I don’t know!” Twilight Velvet answered. “We never even gave the Guardians a function like that! We also programmed them to minimize collateral damage not….this!”
On screen, the mech continued to fire indiscriminately without any focus towards the Smash. It even chose to attack Build and his companion just because they were nearby.
“Isn’t there anything you can do, Dusk?” The Director questioned his assistant.
Dusk Walker was at the monitor. He tried to override the Guardians programming and regain control to no avail. “I’m trying! But none of the override commands are working! It’s as if someone else is controlling them remotely!”
“Did you try shutting them down?”
“First thing I tried, but it’s not going through!”
The rest of the department struggled, trying to find a way to regain control of their rogue Guardians.
The mech continued to fire indiscriminately. Flash and Sol remained behind the stone sign devising a new plan of attack. As they did, the press Smash continued to advance to the Research Center.
Sol noticed this and realized they were out of time. “Hey Build.”
“Yeah?” Build turned to him.
“You go handle the Smash. I’ll deal with the mech.”
“Are you serious? Dude, that’s not like with the robots! That thing is massive and could crush you!”
“Well, we don’t have a choice! Unless you have any other ideas!” Sol argued.
Flash bit his tongue, knowing he had a point. If they didn’t act fast, the Smash would break into the building and attack innocent people. And his mother…
He clenched a fist as he finally relented. “Fine.” He pushed the Drill Crusher into the fighter’s hands. “But you better not die on me!”
“Don’t worry.” Sol nodded. “I plan to live!” Without another word, Flash activated the Machine Builder and summoned it. He got onto the bike, revved it, and shot forward like a bullet. He waved through the gunfire and rammed right into the Press Smash.
The crash took it off its feet as Flash pushed it away to another location, safely away from the Research Center.
Sol breathed deeply, knowing that this will be an intense fight. He dashed out of his cover and shot at the giant mech.
Said mech diverted its complete focus to the teen. All of the hanging guns turned and pointed at a single direction before firing once more.
With impressive reflexes, Sol dodged the gunfire and returned fire. He aimed at the joints of the mech, believing them to be a weak point he could exploit.
He successfully knocked off a few of the robots from the main body. But to his dismay, the robots got up and reassembled themselves onto the mech.
“Oh, come on!” He yelled, frustrated by the fact it could rebuilt itself. He then yelped as he narrowly missed a stray shot and ducked behind cover once more behind a wall. He peered past it and fired another volley of lasers, this time at the gun mounts. Like before, he knocked a few robots off the mech, but they reassembled soon after.
He ducked behind the wall once more to try and think. While he found he could break off some of the robots, it is useless as they could reassemble themselves. He needed a way to take out most of them in one shot.
Flash tore through the streets as fast as he could on the bike, making sure that the Smash had no reprieve to stand its ground.
“Is there anywhere I can fight this guy without dragging civilians in?!” Flash asked through the comm.
“There’s an empty lot just a few blocks ahead! You should be fine there!” Micro responded.
“Awesome! Be sure to let Sol know when he’s done with his fight.”
“Will do.”
Flash cut the call and revved the Machine Builder to go faster. In under a minute, they arrived at the aforementioned spot and he skidded to a halt. The Smash flew forwards from the sudden loss of momentum and tumbled to the ground. But it pulled itself up and charged at Build as soon as he got off the machine.
He ducked under one swing and jumped back to avoid another. As the Smash reared its arms for a double handed over smash, Build jumped above it using his Rabbit foot and kicked the Smash in the head. As he landed, however, he learned that it didn’t have much effect. He then decided it was time to changes tactics.
“Well, seeing as I gave my weapon to Sol…” Flash pulled out the Gorilla and Diamond Bottles and shook them. “Why don’t we settle this with a fist fight?” He replaced the bottles and turned the crank.
“GORILLA!”
“DIAMOND!”
“BEST MATCH!”
“ARE YOU READY?!”
“Build up!” RabbitTank became replaced by GorillaMond as the runner-like constructs slammed into him.
“THE DAZZLING DESTROYER!”
“GORILLA-MOND!”
“YEAH!”
The newly armored Rider pounded his fists before he fell into a fighting stance. “Let’s go, big guy!”
The Smash roared as it charged at Build again. It swung with its left, but Build raised his Gorilla arm to block it. He staggered from the impact, but stood his ground. He countered with a Diamond fist punch. The Press Smash withstood it as it went to return the hit.
Sol grunted as he tried to force the massive metallic foot that had him pinned to the ground.
The mech found his hiding spot and dragged him out. He tried to shoot it again, but it just kept reconstructing itself and gave chase. It soon caught up with him and pinned him with its foot.
He continued to struggle for his freedom. He tried punching it, shooting it, but nothing worked. He thought about using a Voltech Break to blast the monstrosity and break free.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t use a Voltech Break because Flash took back the Hedgehog bottle. That was when he remembered he actually DID have another Fullbottle. He pulled out the Dragon Bottle from his pocket and stared at it. His resolve hardened as he shook the item and twisted the cap. He plugged it into the Drill Crusher.
“DRAGON!”
The mech saw what Sol was doing and aimed its guns at him. Sol responded by pointing the gun at it and pulled the trigger.
“VOLTECH BREAK!”
A mass of blue flames gathered at the tip of the barrel before launching itself at the fused mech in the shape of a dragon. The blast struck it head on, forcing its body off of Sol as it staggered. The robots that made up its limbs broke apart from the force of the impact, crippling the structure and sending it crashing to the ground.
“I did it!” The disguised teen cheered as he got up. However, that cheer came to an abrupt end when he saw the fallen robots reassemble themselves onto the mech once again. “Oh come on!” However unlike before, he noticed something. While the majority of the robots seemed to shift positions while rebuilding, one of them appeared stationary. Could that have been the cornerstone that held it together?
Either way, Sol realized that the mech had a weak point. And while it was putting itself together, he needed to strike now! Instead of using a Voltech Break to try and melt the robots, he decided to strike its weak point through brute force.
He changed the Drill Crusher back into sword form and removed the Dragon Fullbottle. He shook the small item in his hands, letting its contents empower him in a blue haze that covered his hand. He switched the Drill Crusher into a back hand grip, reared his arm back, and threw it as hard as he could.
The weapon shot through the air like an arrow. It flew through the gap of shifting robots and impaled the stationary Guardian straight through the chest. The robot sparked from its gaping hole before exploding. Upon its destruction, the rest of the giant mech fell apart, the other robots deactivating.
Sol breathed a sigh of relief, now assured that the mech was defeated. He rushed past the remains and picked up the Drill Crusher. Now that his opponent was defeated, he had no other reason to stay. He got on his motorcycle and rode after Build, hoping that his fight hadn’t ended yet.
Then he realized that he had no idea where Flash had gone with the Smash, causing him to stop. But as he did, his cell phone rang. He pulled it up and saw that the caller was Micro.
The exchange of fists between Build and the Press Smash continued. It wasn’t until the Smash went for a wide swing that Build ducked underneath and chose to end the stalemate. He jumped up and tried to counter with an uppercut, but the Smash leaned back to avoid the hit. Surprised by the dodge, Flash didn’t expect the chain-covered fist strike his solar plexus.
He grew winded from the punch, leaving him wide open to the Smash’s assault. A barrage of chain-like fists rained down on his, barely giving him any time to recover and counterattack.
But as Flash endured the blows, he couldn’t help but feel something was off. Normally, the Smash were wild and attacked mindlessly. So why...?
Why was this Smash attacking in a pattern? In a certain tempo? Left. Right. Left. Left. Both. Left. Right. Left. Left. Both. Etc.
This wasn’t some random series of punches. It was the exact drum beat to one of his Band’s Songs.
As the final punch tossed him into the air, he was slammed with the realization. There was only one person he knew who knew that type of beat. Was this Smash....? Could it be?
"Brawly," Flash pulled out two of his bottles and began to shake them, new mathematical formulas appeared around him. "…if that's you in there, then I'm sorry…but I have to do this." He stopped shaking the bottles and quickly used them to replace the ones in his Driver.
"NINJA!"
"COMIC!"
"BEST MATCH!"
He turned the crank as new armor pieces appeared. One side was purple, the other yellow.
“ARE YOU READY?!”
“Build up!” The runners slammed into him, donning in a new suit of armor.
“THE STEALTHY ENTERTAINER!”
“NINNIN-COMIC!”
“YEAH!”
The new armor that encased Build was unique. The organic parts of the armor greatly resembled that of a ninja from feudal times. It was a mix of dark purple and black with a long, ninja scarf trailing from his right shoulder. His left eyepiece was an elongated, purple shuriken. The inorganic parts of the armor were black and yellow. His left shoulder had a series of images that resembled comic pages while his left hand was covered by a piece of armor that resembled an inkwell pen. The right eyepiece resembled a pen drawing inside an open book.
As his armor changed, the Sketch Saber appeared in Build’s hand. He gave it a twirl as his scarf fluttered.
The Press Smash roared as it charged at Build….again. Build easily sidestepped its punch as his visor shone a bright yellow light. Humanoid images of light appeared around the Smash.
Build raised his sword hand and slid it along the eyepiece. “With this, I have the winning formula!” He twirled the Sketch Saber and pressed a button on the handle. The first panel on the blade glowed.
“CLONE JUTSU!”
He swung the blade as swirls of purple and yellow light converged at various points around the Smash. Said points exploded into clouds that read BOOM! From those clouds appeared solid copies of Build’s NinninComic form.
The clones rapidly jumped around and over the Smash. While it was confused, Build rushed in and slashed the monster along its chest. Then another clone dropped in and kicked it. The rest continued to leap all around it. The clones then ran circles around it, greatly disorienting and confusing it.
“Let’s end this!” Flash pressed the trigger on the Sketch Saber twice, causing the second panel to light up.
“FIRE STYLE! FLAME SLASH!”
The circling Builds glowed a fiery red as their swords ignited. The real masked Rider jumped high into the air, blade brandished. He swung down and slice through the Press Smash’s body, causing it to explode in a mass of green flames. Its body collapsed to the ground as the clones converged back into a single Build.
Knowing that the threat was now over, Flash removed the bottles and undid his transformation. He then pulled out an Empty Bottle and used it to capture the Press Smash’s essence. Once it was fully extracted, it reverted into the form of Brawly Beats.
“So it really was you, Brawly…” He knelt over the unconscious teen, relieved that he was alright. “Just hang tight, buddy. We’ll get you help.”
“Hey Build!” Sol called out as he ran up to the two. “Finished your fight?”
“Yeah. Got the Essence extracted and everything.” Flash stood up and dangled the Smash Bottle in front of the fighter. “Guess you took care of the-Guh!”
He was cut off as Sol buried his fist into Flash’s solar plexus. The musician choked as the air was forced from his lungs and the pain flared. His eyes shakily shifted over to Sol, whose eyes were hidden by his hood.
“Wh….why….?” That was all he could say as he lost consciousness. Sol grabbed him and gently set him on the ground. He then picked up the fallen Smash Bottle and walked over to the unconscious drummer.
Without hesitation, he twisted the cap open and sprinkled the essence onto Brawly’s body. Before his eyes, the body mutated back into the Press Smash. He grabbed Flash’s body and hid behind a slab of concrete.
The Smash got up and looked around. But it failed to find any enemies. Given its wounds, it needed to recover. It turned around and left the lot. Sol quietly tailed it, leaving his motorcycle behind.
“I’m sorry, guys…”
It pained him to do this, but this was his best chance to find out more about the Smash, Blood Stalk, and the incident.
And he’d be damned if he let those answers escape his grasp.
To be Continued…