Chapter 6: Disputes and Reconciliation
Sol hid behind a mailbox as he kept the retreating Press Smash within sight, yet far enough to escape its notice. He had been running through the streets for several minutes, passing by various buildings and structures.
As he did, he failed to notice the drone that followed him.
Eventually, he found himself sneaking through a series of warehouses. He tried his best to keep pace with the Smash as it hobbled past the corner. As he reached the end of the array of Buildings, he found what he had been looking for.
He peered around the corner and saw the warehouse that was surrounded by many others, effectively hiding it in plain sight. The Press Smash shambled into the building, the doors closing behind it.
“So that’s where they’re hiding…” Sol mumbled. Now that he had the location, all that was left was to raid the facility. He crept out and approached the building. But as he did, the doors slammed open and a group of six robots rushed out and trained their rifles on him. “Seriously? I’m getting real tired of robots right now!”
Sol pulled out the Drill Crusher and fired at the armed androids with lasers. He neglected to return the weapon to Build when he regrouped as he needed another weapon to use just in case he found the enemy’s base.
The robots scattered as they returned fire. The first three fell to the initial volley of lasers. Sol then charged in changing the weapon into its sword mode. The robots fired at him, but he raised the Drill Crusher in front of him as the blade spun. The rotating drill deflected any shots that would strike him directly, allowing him to get close enough to strike. He slashed at the nearest one, tearing its metal plating apart from the spinning drill.
He then spun around and slashed through another robot’s rifle, leaving it unarmed as he stabbed the blade through its head. He yanked it out as he ducked underneath a swinging bayonet. He quickly used his free hand to shake the Dragon Bottle. Power welled up within him as he swung upward and cleaved the final robot in two.
The martial artist panted as the threat was neutralized. He turned to enter the building once more, but a sudden voice stopped him in his tracks.
“Impressive.” He whipped around to see Blood Stalk sitting on the edge of the roof, playing with the Steam Rifle in his hands. “You seemed to have improved substantially since we last met. Then again, those were only mindless robots…”
“Stalk…” Sol glared as he approached the armored man. “I’m here for answers.”
“Of course you are. Why else would you come to a place like this?”He hopped off the ledge and casually strolled toward him.
“Stop joking around!” He ran at Stalk to punch him in the face. But like before, he caught the attack quite easily.
Based on his concealed mannerisms, he seemed…amused. "Oh," Stalk chuckled, "seems getting you all riled up will boost your level. Let's see how strong that anger makes you."He then kneed Sol in the ribs and flung him away.
Sol recovered and got back on his feet. “You wanna see angry…” He put away the Drill Crusher and angrily shook the Dragon Bottle as blue flames gathered on his fists. “Then you got it!” He charged at Stalk, who appeared bored with his choice of action.
“Is that all you can do? Rush in recklessly?” Sol swung with his right and the man moved to block. But it proved to be a feint as he pivoted on his heel and buried his right foot into Stalk’s exposed side. A burst of flames was produced that forced the man away in a stumble. He followed up with a corkscrew punch to the face and a jumping knee strike. Stalk staggered backward from the combination of hits. “Oof…not bad, kid.”
Sol closed the distance to deliver the final blow: a jumping axe kick. However, Stalk intercepted the outstretched foot with ease and held it in an iron grip. “…but not good enough.” With inhuman strength, the Cobra armored man flung him away into a stack of empty oil barrels.
The martial artist pulled himself out of the mass of crumpled containers and brandished the Drill Crusher once more.
“I’ll applaud your efforts, Sol….but you’re still not good enough. I’m afraid I’ll have to put you to sleep.” He held up his Steam Rifle and aimed to shoot him.
But before he could pull the trigger, a massive blade of wind flew in and knocked him off his feet.
With Stalk on the ground, Flash in his NinninComic form pulled his bike up besides Sol and turned to him. Despite his helmet, Sol could tell he was glaring at him. "Get on," he said in an angry tone while holding out a helmet. Sol wanted to refuse, but more soldiers were beginning to march out the warehouse. Their numbers continued to pour out like water on tap. In mere moments, they would be outnumbered and surrounded.
“Now, Sol!” Flash gave him his final warning. It took everything he had to hold himself back from knocking the martial artist out right then and there.
“…Dammit all!” He finally obeyed and hopped on the Machine Builder behind Flash. But before the latter could use the NinninComic’s concealment Panel, Stalk sat up as if he woke up from a nap.
“You sure you want to leave like this? You haven’t even taken back the Smash you graciously returned.” The red armored man questioned in befuddlement.
“We’ll be back for him!” Flash retorted. He was about to turn to leave, but Stalk’s next words made him pause.
“For his sake, you best return soon. Reverting back to a Smash after extracting their essence takes quite the toll on the subjects Hazard Level...Eh. I’ll give him about a day or two before he kicks the bucket.” Stalk shrugged as he crossed his hands behind his head and lay back on the concrete.
“Wait, what?!” The Rider and the fighter turned to the man in confusion, but the impeding stun bullets left them no other choice but to retreat. Scowling under his mask, Flash pressed the trigger on the Sketch Saber four times.
“CONCEALMENT SKILL!”
A smoke screen enveloped the area, hiding them from sight. He revved the Machine Builder and fled the area at top speed.
Later at the lab, Flash dragged Sol down the stairs and into the room, despite the fighter’s protests.
“Let go of me already! What’s wrong with you?!” Flash threw him onto the floor.
“What’s wrong with me?! What the hell was wrong with you?!” Flash shouted back. He got on top of him and grabbed him by the shirt. “Why the hell would you do that?! I just saved Brawly, and you made him into a Smash again!”
“If I didn’t we wouldn’t have found their base!” Sol threw the Rider off him and got up. “I needed to know where Night Rogue and Stalk were! And he was the best option I had!”
“So you planned on using my friend as bait?! Screw that! He doesn’t have anything to do with this!”
“I wouldn’t have done it if I’d known!”
“So you’re saying you would’ve done it to a total stranger?!”
“Why not?” Sol replied without hesitation. “They wouldn’t have anything to do with me!”
“Don’t you even care? Those are innocent lives you’re talking about!” Flash grabbed him by the neckline of his shirt again. “They have friends and family that care about them! And you’re willing to risk their lives for some selfish goal?!”
“It’s not selfish!” Sol grabbed his wrists to pry his hands off. “I’m just getting justice done for my dad! Is that so wrong?!”
“It is! It’s selfish and egotistical because you can’t just move on from a dead guy that’s buried six feet under!”
Sol replied by bashing his head into Flash’s forcing him to let go.
“You take that back you bastard!” Sol yelled out as he ran towards Flash, slamming his fist into the teen's stomach and knocked the wind out of him. Before Flash could react, Sol then swung his blazing fist around and punched him in the cheek.
"FLASH!" Micro and Sandal cried as they saw Flash fly across the room, his driver and the Fullbottles clattering along the floor as he hit the ground. They turned to Sol as Micro yelled, "Are you nuts?"
"Stay out of this," Sol silenced them with a fierce glare. The two weren’t sure if their eyes were just playing tricks on them, but they could’ve sworn that Sol’s eyes glowed red for a brief second.
Flash groaned as he picked himself up, his cheek stinging from the burn. He looked around and saw Sol charge at him, but managed to act quickly and thrust his leg out. His foot slammed into Sol's stomach, knocking the wind out of him, and giving him the time to get back to his feet. "Your anger makes you stronger, but it also stops you from thinking straight."
Sol growled, "Aren’t you angry?" He rushed forwards to try and punch him again, but Flash managed to side step him. Then he grabbed the teen by the wrist and threw him over to a nearby wall.
"Yeah," he replied as he approached, "I am. But I learned to control my anger a long time ago. I realized it made me stupid, like you."
Sol yelled and jumped up, delivering a knee strike to his face. The musician stumbled and held his nose as Sol grabbed him by the shirt and slammed him into the wall. The fighter then punched him across the face repeatedly. Soon, Flash regained his bearings and grabbed the fighter’s hand. He used his free hand to punch his opponent in the face. While he was stunned by the hit, Flash kicked Sol away. He tried to follow up with a spin kick, but Sol grabbed his leg and flung him onto a table, causing it and the items on it to topple over.
All the while, Micro and Sandalwood stood off to the side, unable to bring themselves into the fight. They knew the situation was dire and the circumstances extreme, but they never expected things to get this violent!
Flash pushed himself off the floor and panted. His vision came back into focus to see Sol trying to tackle him. Thinking quickly, he got onto his back and used his legs to fling the fighter away. Sol flew and crashed into his own workout equipment, sending it into a messy heap on the floor. The musician shakily stood up, warily watching his opponent.
The gray skinned teen pulled himself out of the mess and snarled.
He rushed at Flash, wildly swinging his fists at him without any of the skill you'd expect from a trained fighter. Because of this, Flash was able to block and dodge the strikes before once again slamming his foot into Sol's gut and knocking him on his rear. "You only have one bottle, you really think that'll be enough to take out all those robots."
Sol panted before spotting the Build Driver and Fullbottles on the floor. It was then he remembered what Stalk said. If his level had risen…
He crawled toward the dropped items and picked them up before the others could stop him. He equipped the Driver and shook both the Rabbit and Tank Fullbottles in his hands. He stood up as he glared at the musician.
“I’ll just use this instead!” He inserted the bottles.
“RABBIT!”
“TANK!”
“BEST MATCH!”
He turned the crank and two blue halves of the armor manifested.
“ARE YOU READY?”
“Are you crazy?!” Flash tried to stop him, but was pulled back by Micro and Sandalwood before he could get caught up in the moving parts. “Your Hazard Level’s not high enough!”
“You don’t know that!” Sol yelled back. “Henshin!”
The runners slammed into the fighter’s body. But instead of donning him in armor, the Driver electrocuted Sol and produced a negative feedback. He was sent flying into the wall while the Driver and Bottles were forced off of him. He hit the wall and collapsed onto the floor. His Dragon Bottle clattered away from him.
As he dragged himself up, ignoring his protesting limbs, his face was set in a frustrated scowl. “Dammit...! He said my Level increased! So why can’t I use it?!”
“Evidently, your Level isn’t high enough.” Flash said as he picked up the items. He made sure to keep the Dragon Bottle away from Sol lest he do something stupid with it. “This isn’t about personal goals or a game, Sol. This is real and dangerous. What we’re up against is bigger than just you! You and your selfish actions have all but put Brawly at risk of dying!”
In response, Sol just laughed. “You...you really believe that? Newsflash Sentry. Stalk was the one who told us that, and he’s the enemy! He just wanted to psyche us out!” So, used the wall to support himself while standing. “We’ll get him back, so don’t worry.”
“Actually, we have every right to worry...” Micro interjected, causing the others to turn to him. He pulled up visual data on the monitor. “During your...dispute, I scanned Brawly’s body, and learned that his current Hazard Level is lower than from when he turned back to normal. Before it was a 1.5....now it’s sitting at a 0.9.”
He cleaned his glasses and turned to face Sol. “Based on Stalk’s words, reverting back into a Smash weakens the host’s Hazard Level, leaving them less resistant to the effects of Nebula Gas. I don’t know if it will continue to drop, but given my brother’s data…those with a Hazard Level of Zero won’t be able to survive the extraction process and will die. In short…you just sent Brawly to his death.”
Silence loomed within the room as the realization finally kicked in Sol’s head. He looked as if he just got stabbed. His legs gave out from under him, causing him to fall once more. He made no bother to pick himself up. The revelation played through his head like a broken record.
He sent someone to their death. He sent someone to their death. He...in clear conscience...sent someone to die.
His vision grew blurry. At first he thought he was passing out. But the wetness streaming down his cheeks made him realize that they were tears. He curled himself up into a ball and sobbed uncontrollably. Heavy guilt gnawed away at his heart.
The rest of the boys could only stand and watch as Sol had a mental breakdown. They honestly didn’t blame him given what he did and what he just learned. They were still angry at what his did, but it was moreso because of his rashness and willingness to involve innocents. But seeing him like this proved to them that he in fact did have a conscience. Flash stared as the anger and adrenaline finally died down. He finally felt the aches of his own bruises and injuries, but kept himself standing. He frowned due to his own guilt as his scathing words resurfaced in his mind.
None of them approached him, as they had no idea what to do. After what seemed like hours, Sol finally pulled himself off the floor in slow, lethargic movements. He walked past the boys in slow, lifeless movements.
His expression was haunted and his eyes no longer had any spark. Sol trudged up the steps and closed the door behind him. The room was filled with silence once more.
Flash sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. He collapsed into a chair with his eyes downcast. “...Dammit all...”
Sol Burner did not know where he was going nor did he care. He just wanted to be alone. After learning what he had done earlier, he felt like he wanted to crawl in a deep, dark hole and die. He left the tech shop on foot, not even minding the fact he had left his motor cycle back at the empty lot.
He trudged through the streets of Canterlot, ignoring the stares he got from people who eye his injuries.
He didn’t care. He deserved it. Now that the rage and drive had vanished, all that was left were guilt and soul-crushing regret.
What was he even thinking back then? Why did he act so impulsively? He turned an innocent victim back into a Smash just to track down the bad guys’ base. What hurt even more was that said victim was his friend’s friend. And he just risked his life without hesitation. He never knew about the deal with Hazard Levels and reverting Smashes….but it did not excuse his actions.
The more he thought about it, the worse he felt. He claimed he was doing it to find the truth and give his dad closure….but it wasn’t entirely his motives. Deep down…he wanted revenge for his father’s death. He wanted to know why he had to die, and who would want to kill a man like Knuckle Blaze? He was nothing but a retired pro fighter and a caring father.
He went in and acted rashly. Now other people were going to pay the price for his mistakes? What would his dad say if he saw him now? What would his mom say if she knew?
His eyes grew misty as they became downcast. He hadn’t changed at all….he never actually grew up, didn’t he?
“Sol?” A familiar voice snapped him out of his guilt-ridden state. His eyes turned upward to see the concerned visage of Sunset Shimmer.
When Sunset Shimmer walked home from her shift at the mall’s sushi restaurant, she never expected to run into Sol Burner.
She also did not expect him to look like he came out of a fight. Given his profession, she wondered if that was what actually happened? His body was covered in soot. He had visible bruises on his face. He even had what Sunset presumed to be shoe prints on his front.
Above all…she never expected to see him on the verge of crying. His dimmed eyes were filled with unshed tears.
“Are…you okay?” She couldn’t help but ask. Unlike the bright disposition he had when she usually saw him, it seemed like all life was sucked out of him. That he was a dead man walking.
“Uh…y-yeah…” Sol hurriedly wiped his eyes with his sleeve. “I-I’m fine….just…allergies…”
Sunset didn’t believe him, but chose not to pry. She may have the power to read minds and memories, but she chose not abuse that privilege. While she definitely could’ve used her magic to see into his mind and satisfy the curiosities and suspicions she had over him the past two weeks, she immediately dashed those ideas.
Right now, she wasn’t looking at a professional fighter or a guy with secrets. All she saw was a frightened kid beating himself up.
“Um…why are you dressed like that?” He asked, noting her current attire. She was dressed in her work uniform, which consisted of a blue, sleeveless yukata with a blue and white striped obi tied around her waist. On her front was a white apron that had green, chibi-esque octopus and blue waves. Her hair was tied up and had a green, pufferfish ornament in it. Unlike her previous footwear for work, which consisted of wooden sandals, she wore a pair of comfortable sneakers.
“Oh, this? I just got off work. I was heading home, but then I saw you. Is something the matter?”
The martial artist opened his mouth, but his growling stomach answered for him. Now that he thought about it, he missed eating dinner.
“Guess you’re pretty hungry.” She giggled. Then she held up a takeout bag. “Why don’t you have some? I know I can’t think or act on an empty stomach.”
Sol could only nod with flushed cheeks.
The two teenagers found themselves seated at a park bench. Sol picked out pieces of sushi from the To Go box Sunset offered him. He ate quite ravenously, which demonstrated his large appetite. The bacon-haired girl sat patiently as he ate. She was relieved to see that he seemed to have cheered up a bit from before.
Once half the sushi was finished, Sol finally came up for air. “Haa….that hit the spot. Thank you, Sunset…I appreciate it.”
“No problem. Those were just leftovers my boss was going to throw out anyway. But I took them off her hands cuz why not? Free food.”
“Well, tell your boss that its some of the best sushi I’ve had.” He gave her a small smile as he handed her back the box.
“That’s good. And hey, you’re smiling again.” The girl noted. However, his grin immediately fell.
“I…I was…?” Sol’s gaze turned downward. “…I…I don’t think I deserve to do that….”
Now Sunset was both curious and worried. His current behavior is a far cry from their initial meeting weeks ago. She was tempted to use her magic to find out, but she chose to respect his privacy. Furthermore, she didn’t think his current state needed any more alarm or stress from Equestrian magic.
“…do you…want to talk about it?” She finally asked. “I know it’s not my right to pry…but I’ve learned that if something’s bothering you, talking to a friend helps.”
“Huh?” He turned to her. “We….we’re friends…?”
“Of course we are.” Sunset looked him in the eye. “It may have been a short time, but I’ve thought of us as friends after getting to know you. Of course, there’s more we need to learn about each other to be good friends, but good friendships take time and….sorry, I’m just rambling again.” She shook her head.
“No, no it’s fine…I just…it just surprised me was all…” He admitted. “Sorry….I was just thinking about earlier…”
“Did something happen?”
“I….I made a huge mistake…”
“A mistake?”
The martial artist bit his lip and nodded. “A pretty big one. I…I was just too impatient and….and now other people are paying the price for my idiocy…”
The bacon haired girl was surprised. She didn’t know the specifics about what happened. But the way Sol said it….it sounded pretty dire. She wanted to ask him, but his anguished expression dissuaded her.
“…I just don’t know what to do now…” He ran both hands through his hair.
Sunset stared at him. He was in genuine anguish. He was frightened, guilt-ridden….everything she had been after Princess Twilight saved her from the Element of Magic. She could see a bit of her past self in Sol. He regretted his actions and wanted to make things right.
He just needed a push in the right direction.
“…that sounds a lot like what I went through about a year ago.” Sunset said, causing Sol to face her.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean what I said. About a year ago, I did something pretty stupid all because I was too impatient to wait. And what happened? A lot of people got hurt because of me. All because I was so blind to every other method to get what I wanted. I chose to go the easiest route, even if it was the wrong one.” She divulged the turning point of her past, yet omitted the details regarding Equestria and magic, knowing that Sol Burner had no idea about either topic.
“…why are you telling me this?” The martial artist asked in confusion.
“It’s because mistakes are just a part of life.” Sunset answered easily. “People always try to avoid them no matter what. But in doing so, they would end up making other mistakes. It’s not always a matter of not making them, but how you act after making them.”
“But how should I begin to act after what I did?” Sol asked, desperate for an answer.
“I don’t know. Mainly because I don’t know what your mistake was or who was involved, but I won’t pry into that.” She shook her head before continuing. “…In my case, whenever I make a mistake, I think about the people I respect the most and how they would act. It usually helps me figure out what to do.”
Sol sat there, letting Sunset’s words of wisdom sink into his mind.
The girl’s phone then beeped. She took it out and her eyes widened. “Oh wow! It’s gotten that late? Sorry for leaving abruptly, but I need to get home. I need to feed my pet lizard Ray. I hope what I said helped.”
The martial artist nodded. “It did. Thank you, Sunset…thank you…”
“It’s no problem. See you later.” With a wave, Sunset headed for home.
Sol Burner was left alone. He had a lot on his mind as he processed what Sunset told him. Soon, he knew what he had to do next.
He needed to see his mother.
Meanwhile…
Back at the lab, the atmosphere around Team Build was somber as they cleaned up after Flash and Sol’s scuffle. Flash and Sandalwood handled the heavy lifting while Micro looked over the blueprints for the warehouse that Stalk, the robots, and Brawly were hiding in.
He analyzed the blueprints once. Twice. Thrice. Four times. But after each critical observation and search, he couldn’t find any other way to get inside.
“Dammit!” The intellectual of the group cursed as he threw the blueprints onto the table. “There’s no other way inside!”
“We can’t give up though! Brawly’s gonna die if we don’t do something!” Flash argued.
“I know! But I can’t find any other way how to sneak in!”
“I have an idea!” Sandalwood interjected. “What if Flash posed as a pizza delivery guy and they let him in?”
The blue haired and bespectacled teens glanced at one another before turning to their green haired friend. “Uh, dude? I’m pretty sure they would know that none of them ordered pizza. That’s just asking for me to get captured and/or shot.”
“Oh…” Sandalwood visibly deflated. “Oh, how about acting as a warehouse inspector? They would have to let you in to see if their building is up to standard.”
“Is that even a real thing? Because if it were, then I’m sure they would know about inspection schedules. If not, then I’m gonna get shot.” Flash rebutted.
“Then how about…” From there, Sandalwood suggested one crazy plan after another. Some consisted of acting as a guy looking for a warehouse job using a fake ad, driving a van straight through the front entrance, even to the point of acting as a girl scout selling cookies.
The first was a no-go because they would immediately see through the deception.
The second was doomed to fail because they were trying to save Brawly, not accidentally hurt him.
And the third was a definite no because:
1. He was a guy.
2. He’s older than the membership age for girl scouts.
3. They had no cookies to sell, and he wasn’t taking his sister’s girl scout cookies because she needed to sell them.
4. He had more dignity than that.
So as it stood, they had no plan to gain entry into the warehouse. As Flash stared at the blueprints of the building, he couldn’t help but recall the truck that pulled up to the warehouse earlier.
Maybe…
About an hour later, Sol Burner found himself in front of the Canterlot Hospital. He sighed as he entered the building. He checked in with the front desk, the receptionist smiled upon seeing him.
“Oh, Sol. You’re back.” She then noticed his scuffed up appearance. “Oh dear. Are you alright?”
“I’m alright. I just…fell down some stairs. I’m fine, really.” Sol said with a tired smile. “Something like that won’t keep me down.” The receptionist looked unsure, but decided to trust the boy as she knew him quite well. “I’m just here for a visit. Is that okay?”
“Of course it is.” The woman nodded as she typed at the computer. She then handed him a visitor’s pass. “You know where the room is. Please be aware that visiting hours will end in two hours.”
“Got it. Thank you, Ms. Aid.” The fighter then made his way to the designated room. He found himself standing before a room numbered 107. He opened the door and peered in. “….Hi mom….I’m back.”
Silence greeted him. He quietly closed the door behind him, pulled up a chair, and sat by his mother’s bedside.
Every time he came here, it was never easier.
His mother, Spirit Healer, was one of the hospital’s top doctors. She was strict yet kind when raising Sol. He remembered when she told him that she and his father met when he came in after a match and needed his dislocated shoulder treated. From his memories of her, she had always been a strong, smart, and kind woman.
This is why the sight before him breaks his heart.
Spirit Healer lied motionless on the hospital bed, her entire body wrapped up in bandages. Her right arm and left leg were encased in casts and suspended while an IV drip was attached to her arm. The only other sounds that came in the room were the steady breathing from her respirator mask and the heart monitor she was hooked up to.
No matter how many times he came here, it still hurt all the same. It all started a few years ago. His mom had been coming home from work when she got caught up in an accident on the highway. It had been bad. Her entire body was burned and her arm and leg were crushed. The combined shock and head trauma sent her into a comatose state.
Even after three years, she still hasn’t woken up.
Sol shook his head. He didn’t come here to reminisce. “….Hi…mom…it’s me, Sol.”
The body didn’t respond. But he continued.
“I’m sorry….I screwed up, mom….I screwed up bad…” He rested his forehead on his knuckles. “Remember those friends I mentioned last week? The ones that can help me find out what happened to Dad? I…I went behind their backs and did something to get one of their friends in danger…he could even die from this. I…I didn’t know it would happen, but I did it anyway…It’s all my fault and I can’t take it back…”
His voice cracked as his body trembled.
“Even now, I still haven’t grown up from being that selfish, short-tempered jerk, have I…?” Even though he had an idea of what to do thanks to Sunset Shimmer, he still felt disappointed in himself. He failed to properly learn from his parents’ teachings. He just kept getting swept up in his anger again and again.
It seemed that he would end up making errors again and again. But like Sunset said, it was simply a part of life. Looking back, he can recall one time when he screwed up as a child.
“What am I gonna do…?” A young Sol Burner questioned as he picked up the broken pieces of his dad’s Championship trophy. He just wanted to get a closer look at it from the shelf. How was he supposed to know it wasn’t strong enough to support him?
“Sol? Are you okay, honey? I heard a crash!” His mother, Spirit Healer, appeared in the room. She was a young woman with ashen gray skin and azure hair that fell down to her nape. Her orange eyes shimmered in concern.
“No…” Sol sobbed as he held up the broken trophy pieces in hand. “I….I broke daddy’s trophy…!”
"Oh sweetie..." Spirit knelt down and hugged her son close. "It's alright. It'll be okay..."
"B-but...daddy's..."
"Not going to be mad at you. It's just a mistake. He'll understand."
"But...what should I do? I just wanted to see it closer and...!"
"It's alright Sol. You just made a mistake, that's all." She held him at arms length and looked at him in the eye. "We all make mistakes from time to time. And it's alright that we make them as long as we own up to them and do everything in our power to make it right. Do you understand?"
"....N-not really..." Sol admitted.
"That's okay." She giggled as she hugged him again. "You'll understand someday. When that happens, you'll know what to do. I'm sure of it."
Sol opened his eyes as he left the memory. He didn't know why he recalled that specific scene from his mind right now. He didn’t know if was divine intervention, or if his Mom really answered his pleas, but it was definitely what he needed. He stared at his mom's unmoving body and stood up. He gently wrapped his fingers around her hand. "....Thanks mom. I know what to do now. I'll do whatever I can to make things right. I love you." He leaned over and kissed her cheek before exiting.
All alone in the room, Spirit Healer's unconscious body lied there. Unbeknownst to anyone, a single word escaped her lips.
"....Sol...."
After Flash explained his plan of infiltrating the warehouse via sneaking onto the delivery truck, Micro and Sandalwood stared in silence.
“Dude…I’m gonna just say this but, that plan is totally crazy! In a bad way!”
“We don’t have any other options though.” Flash countered. “It’s the only one we have.”
“But you’ll be going in alone in a warehouse filled with armed robot minions, mutated monsters, AND Blood Stalk! Heck, even Night Rogue might be there! This plan is suicide!”
“That’s why he won’t be going alone.” A familiar voice interjected. All heads turned to the stairs to see Sol Burner enter. “I’ll be going with him to make sure Brawly is saved.”
Micro’s face twisted in a scowl. “After what you just pulled earlier, why should we even trust you? You’re the reason why we’re in this mess in the first place!”
“I know.” Sol turned to him, his eyes completely serious. “That’s why I’m here now. I just want to help undo my mistake.” He then bowed before them. “Please….just let me help...let me make things right…”
Flash stared at him suspiciously. He couldn’t simply forget what Sol did and what he said earlier. But then again, he said some pretty hurtful things himself earlier. And he seemed sincere in his request to fix things. Finally he relented. “….Fine. You can come with.”
All eyes turned to him in surprise. Sol was visibly relieved and opened his mouth.
“But!” He raised a finger to cut him off. “You have to follow every order we give you. If you can’t do that, then you can forget about helping us. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” The gray skinned teen nodded.
“Okay. So here’s the plan.” He quickly went over it, sparing no detail about how he intended for them to get in. "But whatever you do, do not engage in a fight unless absolutely necessary, understand, Sol?"
"Got it. But what if we run into that Stalk or Night Rogue guy again?"
"Then we'll have no choice but to fight. But only then. Are we clear?"
"Crystal." Sol nodded before letting out a yawn. "Sorry...I'm just....tired...." he had been through quite the emotional turmoil in the past couple of houses. He then walked over to the bed and fell on top of it. In seconds, he was sound asleep.
The others just stared at his unconscious form.
“…Are you sure we can trust him with this, Flash?” Micro questioned their Rider. “After what he did, can we really trust him with anything anymore?”
“Guys, I know what Sol did was pretty bad. But deep down, he’s a good person at heart. He wouldn’t have saved all those people or cry after learning about Brawly’s condition if he wasn’t. He just needs the right guidance. Besides…”
He looked back the Sol’s sleeping form. “If his Hazard level really is growing like Stalk claimed, then he could become a threat if he’s not shown the right path. I just can’t let that happen in good conscience.” Flash thought back to his days as a child after his dad died. If it hadn’t been for his family and friends, he wasn’t sure what type of person he’d be.
He knew Sol was going through the same thing he did, but it didn’t seem he had anyone close to properly guide and support him. He wanted to help, but he didn’t know how. As he mentally debated, his eyes caught the sight of the Transteam Gun on the main monitor.
To think Gizmo made a device that only used a single Fullbottle to transform. If Sol’s Hazard Level eventually did reach 3.0, then he could become a Rider to and properly help out in a fight. But he only had the Dragon Bottle to use. His gaze lingered on the draconic Fullbottle. If only there was a way for him to use it alone to transform….
His eyes widened as realization struck. His friends were confused by his sudden change of demeanor.
“Flash? Is something wrong?”
“Guys? I think I have an idea.”
Meanwhile…
Back at the warehouse, Stalk stood over the glass chamber that housed the Press Smash. He tapped the glass as if it were a fish aquarium. The Smash inside groaned in agony.
Further back on the platform sat Night Rogue in his chair with folded hands. “All you’ve done so far is to use him to raise Build’s Hazard Level. Just what are you trying to accomplish?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Blood Stalk asked as he turned and leaned against the tank. “I’m just hungry for strength.” He then climbed up the steps to stand beside the bat themed warrior. “Before we have the boys take the next step, they need to learn a bit about themselves…”
The next day, Team Build put their plan into action.
Multiple workers could be seen around the warehouse loading and unloading boxes. Many of them walked around the warehouse tending to their duties.
Off to the side were a stack of crates that the workers had finished unloading. The heads of Flash and Sol peered out over the mass of boxes, silently observing the area. The two were dressed in the same jumpsuits as the workers to blend in. Flash carried a duffle bag that hid their change of clothes and a surprise.
They still waited to see if the truck had arrived yet. Flash quietly spoke into his phone. “Micro, any sighting yet?”
“Yeah. One is on its way ETA is approximately three minutes. Get ready. Be careful out there.”
“Got it. Thanks.” He ended the call.
“So, how are we going to get on the truck when it arrives? Should I run decoy so you can get on?”
“No, I have a better idea.” Flash set the duffle on one of the crates and opened it. From the bag flew out a small, hand-held sized creature. Its appearance was dragon-like with a bulky body and a slot on the top. It was primarily black and gold with blue metal lining its torso. It let out a small cry as it flew around, playing a techno beat as it did.
“Wh-what is this…?” Sol asked as he approached the creature.
“This is Cross-Z Dragon. It’s for you.” Flash answered. “There’s no telling what kind of trouble you’ll get into. So he’s your pet and babysitter.”
Sol just silently stared at the mechanical dragon, transfixed by it. Flash wasn’t sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him, but were Sol’s eyes sparkling? “Uh…you okay?”
“It’s…it’s…” The gray skinned teen stammered before he snatched the critter out of the sky and pressed it close to his cheek. “Soooo adorable~!”
“….uh, what?” The musician blinked.
“It’s just so cute! It’s like a little dragon partner!” He nuzzled his cheek into the mechanical creature. “Who’s a good little dragon? You are, yes you are~!”
Cross-Z Dragon wasn’t sure what was going on, but it seemed to enjoy the affection its new master was giving it.
Back at the lab, both Micro and Sandalwood were speechless about what they were seeing through the drone’s video feed.
Flash continued to stare silently, slightly disturbed at what he was witnessing. He blinked before he cleared his throat. “A-anyway…we’ll have Cross-Z Dragon cause a distraction while we hop onto the truck. It’ll follow us to the warehouse. Got it?”
“Right.” Sol said as he reluctantly set the little dragon down. “Do your best, okay? Don’t get caught and stay safe.”
“Burrah!” The mechanical critter chirped as Sol pet its head before it flew off.
“Bye-bye!” Sol waved before turning back to Flash. “So, ready to go?” He was greeted with Flash’s bewildered stare. “…you okay?”
“….Sol? Just what was….that?” That surprising exclamation and contrast previous known personality traits that disturbed the musician.
“What? Can’t a guy like cute things?” The fighter shrugged.
“No, but…you know forget it. Let’s just go.” With that, the two initiated the next phase of the plan. As if on cue, the truck arrived as workers loaded several boxes onto it. Cross-Z Dragon did its part by making copious amounts of noise in the background in the form of falling objects. While the workers were distracted, Flash and Sol snuck aboard inside and hid behind stacks of crates.
Once the noise stopped and the workers found nothing out of the ordinary, they continued their task. Before long, the truck was filled and ready to be shipped off.
Cross-Z Dragon flew inside the truck and remained unnoticed.
The ride continued in silence as the two waited. Eventually, Sol decided to break it. “….hey.”
“Yeah?” Flash faced him.
“Y’know, about Brawly…” Sol looked down. “…I’m sorry.”
Flash stared wide eyed for a brief moment before looking back down. He raised his head again with a small smile on his face. “Thanks…but I’m not the only one you need to apologize to.”
“I know. I’m just…sorry. I didn’t know what I was thinking.” The fighter looked back with shame.
The musician stared at him, noting how the guilt still ate away at Sol. He thought it was good that he felt remorse for his actions. But it obviously weighed heavily on his mind.
“…Did you know? At first, I was terrified about being Build. To be a hero. I was afraid I would slip up and get myself killed, ending up like my own dad and making my mom and sister sad. But when I got the courage to act and saved my friends and sister, that’s when I realized. When I use this power to help someone, I can’t help but smile. It makes me happy from the bottom of my heart….you just can’t see it because of the mask.” Flash admitted.
Sol stared at Flash before his face grew downcast.
“I mean, don’t get me wrong.” The musician continued. “I’m still trying to find the truth of what happened, but I don’t prioritize it above everything else. As long as the Smash exist, innocent people are gonna get hurt. And I’m the only one who can fight them off. So if it’s a choice between finding the truth or saving people….I will always choose to save people.
“…I thought by helping you guys, I could learn the truth of that night. That’s why I joined you and helped you fight.” He then turned to look Flash in the eye. “But you….you’re different. Even when you saved strangers, you still smile. Me? I’m just the selfish jerk who fought for his benefit. I just wanted to know what happened….why did my dad have to die? Why did they leave things like that?!”
The musician stared at the fighter with empathy. He knew what he felt. He experienced the same thing a long time ago. “…I honestly don’t know. When my dad died, I always thought it was some big conspiracy caused by other people. That they killed my dad for some reason. But it turned out to be nothing more than a simple accident. Something went wrong at the wrong time. I just…refused to accept it. I wanted someone to blame. Someone to take revenge against. But it never worked out. In the end, Sol…you just need to accept things and move on, no matter how long it takes.”
The martial artist sat there and digested those words. Flash continued.
“And….I’m sorry, too. I….I shouldn’t have brought up your dad like that yesterday. It was disrespectful and completely uncalled for. I was just angry and…I’m sorry.” The musician bowed his head in apology.
“…It’s alright. We both did some pretty stupid things. So I guess we’re more or less even for now.”
The rest of the trip was in silence.
The truck soon slowed to a stop before turning and backing up. “Looks like we’re here. Get ready.”
“Right.” Both Flash and Sol got into position, donning their hard hats and bandannas to hide their features.
The truck door raised itself. The drivers started to move the boxes out one by one. By the time they nearly reached where Flash and Sol were, Cross-Z Dragon flew out and blared loud techno music. The noise alerted the workers and the robots towards the source. The little dragon led them away from the truck and the entrance, providing an opening.
The musician and the fighter snuck through the open door and into the warehouse. Flash quickly pulled Sol to the side and hid behind a stack of barrels. They peered out and saw a pair of robots moving some of the boxes. They soon stopped in front of a stack of crates. One of them opened the side and revealed a hidden staircase that led underground.
They walked through and closed the door behind them. Once the area was clear, the two teenagers approached the hidden exit. “Man, they even have secret doors too.”
“What else do you expect from some evil organization?” Flash rhetorically asked as he opened the crate door. “C’mon. Let’s see if Brawly’s down there.”
They then heard a techno beat, which notified them of Cross-Z Dragon’s arrival. It landed on Sol’s shoulder while Micro’s drone hovered over Flash as they climbed down the stairs.
“Wow…it’s like a maze down here.” Sol commented as he looked around the metal pathways.
“Yeah, it’s not gonna make finding Brawly easy.” He then pulled out the Build Phone to contact their team mates. “Micro, have you found anything?”
“I’m having the drone scan the area. Right now, I’m getting data to piece together a map of the floor you’re on now.”
“Think you can guide us to where Brawly is?”
“I’ll do my best. But my scanner is pretty basic. I can only detect readings when they’re within a range of 5 meters and not obscured by anything. I’ll have to upgrade it later. Sorry.”
“It’s fine. We’ll take what we can get at this point.” Flash sighed. “So where to first?”
“If you go down the path you’re on, you should come across a clearing that leads to an underground water way. Be careful, I’m picking up moving objects. Likely more robots.”
“Got it.” He ended the call and turned to Sol. “Looks like we’re going ahead. Stick to the shadows, there are more robots further up.”
Sol Burner nodded in confirmation as the two crept through the corridors. They made it to the clearing and saw two robots patrolling over a platform. They kept vigilant watch for intruders.
“Sol…” Flash said as he took off his warehouse overalls and donned his disguise. The fighter did the same. “Distract those two, and I’ll take them out.” He strapped on the driver and shook the Ninja and Tank Fullbottles.
The fighter nodded and quietly darted around to get in position. Flash inserted the bottles.
“NINJA!”
“TANK!”
“Hey!” Sol announced after popping up from under the platform. “What’s up, rust buckets?” The robots pointed their guns at him. But a transformed Flash appeared and attacked the closest robot. He cut its weapon in half with the Drill Crusher before he tossed it over the railing. The second tried to attack but Build parried its strikes easily slashed it with the Drill Crusher and Sketch Saber simultaneously. It fell to pieces as it clattered down the steps. They stopped next to its inactive, sparking companion.
“Okay, we’re good.” Flash and Sol crossed the room and climbed the steps of another platform. What they saw caused them to stop at the top.
“Help!” A terrified victim cried. “Help me!” He was currently being handled by two men in white hazmat suits and gas masks. They were leading him into a glass chamber while a third suited man held the panel open.
The one with the panel looked up and saw the two disguised teens, quickly alerting the others. “Wh-what the?!”
“What…is this place…?” Sol questioned as he went to the ground floor. Flash was equally perturbed by the evil laboratory setting.
“Flash!” Micro voiced in. “This must be where they turn people into Smash!”
“You sure?”
“What else would they use an evil laboratory like this for?!” Micro asked rhetorically.
“Wh-what are you doing here?!” One of the workers cried. His shout snapped Sol back to reality as he recalled what he wanted from here in first place: answers. Without warning, he grabbed the nearest worker by the arms and pried him away from the terrified victim. The others tried to pull him off, but were unable to even budge him.
The fighter spun around and kneed him in the stomach. He then delivered an axe kick to his back and knocked him out. He then grabbed one of the supposed evil scientists and slammed his body through a metal rack and into a wall.
“You work here! So you must have answers! What happened on the night of October 15?!” Feeling his frustration and ambition spur him again, he shook the scientist in his hands. “Why did my dad have to die?! Where’s Gizmo Poindexter?! Talk!” His screaming set off a chain reaction as many of the kidnapped victims strapped to rows of beds screamed for help and terror.
The only freed prisoner tried to make a run for it, but an energy projectile struck him in the back, causing him to collapse in a still heap.
“Stop shouting!” A familiar figure shouted as he walked down the stairs on the far side of the room. The rest of the prisoners quieted down, fearful of being shot as well. The figure stepped into view, revealing himself to be Blood Stalk…with a wicked-looking gun in his hand. “…It’s rude to our guests.”
Sol flung the terrified scientist to the side, his attention focused on the Cobra man. “….Stalk…”
Flash prepared himself for an inevitable fight.
“Don’t move now.” Stalk said as he causally strolled over. “I’d hate to kill an important specimen.”
“…Specimen?” Sol repeated. A second later, his anger flared up again. “I ain’t no one’s lab rat!” He charged at Stalk to punch him. But he easily sidestepped and caught the arm in the crook of his elbow.
“I warned you.” With his free hand, he extended his wrist to Sol’s neck. A sharp black tube extended from his bracer and pierced the fighter’s neck. A second later, his skin started to become horrendously discolored as he screamed in agony. He collapsed on his knees as the venomous purple spread throughout his body.
“Sol!” Flash rushed to the aid of his friend who managed to crawl away from Stalk. The musician got a better look at his condition and blanched. The fighter’s ashen skin turned a sickly shade of purple as he continued to scream in pain. Flash then realized what it was. “P-poison…?” Sol’s cries gradually fell as he fell limp. “Hey! Sol!”
“What a shame.” Stalk lamented as he crouched down. But his disappointment faded quickly. “Oh well. We got another specimen after all.”
“Wh-what do you mean?”
“Despite your lack of exposure to Nebula gas, your body has achieved a Hazard Level that is exceptionally greater than the norm. Most have a range of 1.0 to 1.9, causing them to transform when given a dose. But you have the 3.0 needed to use that Driver of yours. Well, 3.2 now, anyway.” He pointed at the device on his waist.
Flash and the others were startled by this. Just how did he know about the Driver?
Stalk walked to the side and leaned on a set of pipes. “That’s what makes Faust so interested in you. Little Sol Burner is exceptional as well.” He then pointed to the agonized teen who tried to lift his head. Now the others were terrified. How did he know Sol’s identity? Did he know all their names too?! And what was Faust? The name of their group? “He has a unique gift of adapting to and synchronizing with the Nebula Gas, particularly that bottle he has. Not to mention how rapidly his Hazard Level is rising.”
He then looked back at Build. “And to think that you of all people happened to luck into be the Masked Rider…That makes you extremely unique specimens!” Stalk cheered whilst pointing his gun in the air.
“So…that’s all we are to you….what everyone is to you…?” Flash growled as he stood up. “Just…specimens under a microscope?!” The way Stalk spoke aggravated him, as if he simply treated everyone as test subjects. Lab rats with complete disregard for their well-being. He annoyed him when he stopped him from saving Brawly yesterday. But now just listening to him angered him even more. How can anyone have a complete disregard over human life?!
“Pretty much.” Stalk waved his hand. “But like I said, you are the extreme rarities. Much more interesting than the others; couldn’t handle the procedure before they expired. Oh well, there are plenty more people in the city to use.”
Just like that, something within the musician snapped.
“You bastard!” Flash roared as he replaced the Ninja bottle with a shaken Rabbit Bottle.
“RABBIT!”
“TANK!”
“BEST MATCH!”
He ran at Stalk as he turned to crank, completing his transformation.
"FULLMETAL MOONSAULT!"
He swung the Drill Crusher at the Cobra. Stalk spun around and avoided the attack, which hit the pipes and released a blast of Nebula Gas into the Rider's face.
Build was disoriented for a moment. But he found his target and attacked again. Meanwhile, the other prisoners screamed in fear from the fight. They were afraid they would be dragged into it. The scientists on the other hand dragged their unconscious co-worker and fled the scene.
“Stop!” Sol yelled out before he cringed in pain. The poison continued to eat away at him.
Stalk backed away and sidestepped another swing. The Drill Crusher sliced through a computer module like butter. “Don’t screw with me!”
Blood Stalk hopped and spun as if he were playing a simple game. He stared at the enraged rider with intrigue.
Sol Burner tried to pull himself up, but the poison completely overwhelmed him. His body was on fire as every little movement, every twitch, every breath was agony.
“Burrah!” A familiar cry made him look up. Cross-Z Dragon flew down and bit on his neck.
“Wh-what are you doing…?” The dark patches on his skin rapidly receded as a sucking sound was heard. Once his skin color returned to normal, Cross-Z Dragon let go and flew up with a cry.
No longer in pain, Sol sat up and examined his poison free body. “I’m better now…” The mechanical critter turned and spat out the poison that plagued him. He looked up to his savior and smiled. It landed in his hands with a happy cry. “That was amazing, buddy.”
Back with Flash, he continued to attack Stalk relentlessly. Stalk dodged or blocked the attacks with ease, as if he wasn’t even trying.
Tired of seeing his mask, Flash grabbed him by the shoulders and dragged him aside. He then delivered a heavy punch right in the face, sending Stalk to crash into the pipelines. He grabbed him again and threw him to the ground. He mounted the Cobra and delivered punch after punch to his face.
“Who?! Who put that gas in my friends?!” Flash shook him before punching him again. “Who took away their freedom?!” Another punch. “Who toyed with their lives?!” And another. “Who toyed with everyone’s lives?!” Another. “Was it you?! Was it Rogue?! Who’s in charge?!”
Sol and the other members of Team Build could only stare in shock. Never before have they seen Flash so angry. Not even in his fight with Sol yesterday. While he was mad, he kept his rage in check, which let him win over the enraged Sol.
But here? He had no such restraint. Every move was to lash out. Every attack was unfocused. Every strike lacked finesse.
“Answer me!” Flash screamed right in Blood Stalk’s face.
The man in question could only laugh in amusement. “hehehehahahahaHAHAHA…!” It only served to aggravate the Rider even more.
“What’s so funny?!” Flash yelled as he hit him in the face over and over again. “Give them back! Give back the lives you stole!”
“So you lose control the second you learn the fates of the failed subjects?” Stalk questioned. He detached the bayonet blade from his Transteam gun, pressed it against Build’s body, and pulled the trigger.
The Blast sent Flash high into the air, his damage monitor going critical at an instant. He crashed onto one of the empty prisoner beds and rolled to the floor. His transformation was automatically cancelled. The musician clutched his stomach in pain.
“Build!” Sol yelled in concern.
‘That blast was no joke…’ Flash thought with a cringe. ‘Just one shot forced me out of the armor…!’
“Frankly, you’ve disappointed me!” Stalk proclaimed a he stood. He then aimed his gun at the unarmored Flash. “I suppose the party’s over, now.”
He then turned the gun up, and pulled the trigger. The ceiling broke apart as concrete rubble rained down on them.
“Thanks for the fun~!” Stalk raised his arms and spun around before he walked away.
Behind him, the robots rushed in and unchained the prisoners from the beds. Flash pulled himself up using a bed as leverage. “Wait!”
Right before he left, Stalk patted a weakened Sol on the shoulder. “See ya.” The fighter quickly shrugged it off.
“Get back here!” Flash yelled after the retreating Cobra. Before he could get far, Sol grabbed and held him in place. “Let go of me!!”
“Fuahahaha…!” The red armored man’s laugh echoed through the lab as he retreated.
“I won’t let you escape!” The musician tried to break free. The robots dragged the hostages away.
“What about the hostages?!” Sol retorted. “We haven’t found Brawly either!”
“Shut up! This is the only chance I got!” Flash continued to thrash around. “Let go of me, dammit!”
Sol had enough. He threw Flash against the metal banister and held him by the shoulders. “Snap out of it already!” He punched him across the cheek for good measure.
Like magic, Flash stopped as his rage gradually died down.
“…Did you forget already?” Sol asked. “Yesterday, you told me that anger made you stupid. Act all crazy. That’s why you learned control. And earlier you told me that you put saving others over finding the truth. Back then…I was so envious. You were able to know what to do what’s right without hesitating. I knew you were a better person than I was…”
He threw Flash onto the steps. “So where is all that now? The truth? Or saving people? Which is it?”
Sol crouched down to Flash’s eye-level. “What’s it gonna be?”
Back at the lab, Micro and Sandalwood remained silent during the exchange.
Flash kept silent as his eyes took in all that was around him: the destroyed machines, the collapsed ceiling, and the hostages being dragged away. It was because of his mindless rage that things turned out the way it did. He missed a chance to properly save the people imprisoned and find Brawly. He acted rashly and it cost them.
As he thought and reflected, finally, he had an answer. “…isn’t it obvious?” He pulled himself up with a new spring in his step. “I choose to save people!”
Sol’s face broke into a genuine smile and stood next to him. “Hell yeah.”
“Try not to get in my way.”
“Right back at you.”
The two faced forward as Flash pulled out two familiar Fullbottles. “Now….let’s begin the experiment.” He shook the bottles as another series of math equations floated around him. He twisted the caps and inserted them.
“NINJA!”
“COMIC!”
“BEST MATCH!”
He turned the handle as Sol stepped to the side, knowing what was coming.
“ARE YOU READY?!”
“Henshin!” The runners slammed into him and donned him in the Best Match.
“THE STEALTHY ENTERTAINER!”
“NINNIN-COMIC!”
The Sketch Saber materialized in his hand in an underhand grip.
“YEAH!”
“Let’s go!” Sol charged in whilst shaking the Dragon Bottle.
“Right!” Flash followed with gusto.
Build struck the robots first, while Sol knocked another away, freeing one of the hostages from its grasp.
“Get out of here!” Sol quickly escorted the man away from the battle.
The trend continued as Flash attacked the robots to prevent them from interfering while Sol corralled the hostages away from the fight.
Once he got the last hostage away, Sol inquired if they were alright. They failed to notice the cracks in the ceiling propagating until the room started to shake.
“The exit’s over there!” Build pointed. “Come on!” The group fled to the stairway, but stopped in their tracks as the Press Smash appeared. Electricity crackled along its body and didn’t seem to fare well. It walked into a wall and fell down; it struggled to get back up.
“Brawly…”
The Smash’s body continued to spark as it growled in pain.
“Is it just me, or is his acting strange?” Sol questioned. The two looked at one another before back at Brawly.
Build’s forehead emitted a light as it scanned the Press Smash’s body. Multiple equations and readings popped up on his visor, explaining what the case was.
“He was given more gas than he could take. If the growth continues, he’s gonna rupture in a minute.” He said morosely.
“No way!”
“Get the hostages out quick!” Build ordered as he kept the Smash occupied.
“On it! This way!” The martial artist led the prisoners up the stairs while Build fought Brawly.
The fighter led the hostages above ground. “Keep going!” They listened and kept running away from the collapsing building.
Sol turned around to see if Flash and Brawly made it out yet. To his dismay, he saw no sign of them. “Are…are they seriously still in there?!” Going against normal rationale, the martial artist ran back inside the warehouse.
Meanwhile, Flash and the Press Smash continued to fight. He ducked underneath a punch and countered with an uppercut. As it stumbled back, Flash pressed the trigger on the Sketch Saber thrice.
“WIND STYLE: TORNADO SLASH!”
A gust of wind swirled around the blade like a tornado. As the Press Smash charged in, The Masked Rider swung the blade again and again in a succession of direct hits. However, with each hit, the ceiling grew more unstable.
After the fifth swing, Brawly as knocked down as green gas exuded from his wounds. Flash panted heavily, exhausted from the ordeal. But at least it was over. He pulled out an Empty Bottle to extract the essence. But before he could, a slab of rubble broke loose and slammed between him and his friend.
“No! Brawly!” Flash tried to get over it, but could not fit through the gap with his armor on. The shoulder pieces and eye visors got in the way.
“Flash?! Brawly?!” Sol yelled as he entered the room. He saw Build, but no sign of the Smash. “Where’s Brawly?”
“On the other side! Ceiling came down….I can’t reach him!” Flash panicked. Everything happened too quickly and they were running out of time before Brawly exploded or they’d be buried alive.
The blue haired fighter stared at the Empty Bottle and the gap through the rubble. Steeling himself, he snatched the Empty Bottle out of Build’s hands and squeezed through the opening after the transformed drummer. As soon as he did, more pieces of the ceiling crashed down and closed the opening.
“Guys!” Flash tried to get to them, but the raining concrete made it difficult to advance.
“Dude, get out of there! The place is coming down!” Sandalwood screamed in alarm.
The Rider wanted to retort, but knew his friend was right. “….Dammit!” Left with no other option, he exited the lab and ran up the stairs.
As soon as he got away from the warehouse, the building caved in and blew up in a fiery explosion. The blast was so intense that Flash had to shield his eyes. When it died down, he and the others could only stare in horror.
The warehouse was in pieces and the surrounding area had collapsed. Some parts were still on fire.
The Rider fell on his knees and felt like crying. Just like that, both of his friends were gone. “They….didn’t make it….” Before he could lament further, he noticed a figure in the dust.
From the ruins walked out Sol Burner with a living, yet unconscious, Brawly Beats supported by him. They looked up and saw Build. Sol tried to say something until another explosion went off, sending them flying forward. The fighter hit the ground while the drummer rolled until he hit a stack of crates.
“Hey!” Flash screamed in relief as he rushed up to his partner. “Are you okay?! Please tell me you’re okay!”
“I can….honestly say…” Sol coughed before smiling. “…I’m surprised….that we’re even alive…!” He then turned to the drummer. “How’s Brawly?”
The drummer groaned in pain in response. The two were relieved that he was alive.
They then turned to the exploding ruins of the warehouse. Another explosion occurred, this time swallowing everything above ground, robots included, into the fiery chasm below.
“Well…we’ve done it now…” Sol said. If they hadn’t got the attention of Faust before, then they definitely have now.
“Yeah…But at least we saved innocent lives.” Flash looked back to the rescued hostages, who were celebrating their freedom. He noticed that the number was fewer than the people he remembered being kidnapped weeks ago and yesterday. He frowned upon recalling Stalk’s words. Many of them hadn’t survived the experiments. But he hoped desperately that others were still alive, just housed in different facilities. He doubted Stalk or Faust would destroy their only base.
But for now, he needed to make sure the others were okay. But first, he needed to make sure of Brawly’s condition. He scanned him with the helmet and was relieved to find that his life was not in immediate danger, but he needed medical attention. He did the same for the other hostages. They were definitely traumatized and needed medical attention as well, but they would live.
Then they heard the sirens of police cars and ambulances. Given the explosion, it was surprising they hadn’t arrived sooner.
“We should go.” Flash activated the Machine Builder as Sol gave the unconscious drummer to one of the freed hostages.
“Make sure he gets to a Hospital safely when the police and paramedics arrive. Okay?”
“Sure but…who are you guys?” He asked, wanting to know the identity of their saviors.
“…I’m the Masked Rider Build.” Flash answered as he and Sol got on the motorcycle.
“And I’m his partner…” Sol tried to think of an alias name before Cross-Z Dragon landed on his shoulder. He suddenly realized what to call himself. “…call me…Cross-Z.”
Build pressed the Saber’s Vortex Trigger four times; the fourth panel lit up.
“CONCEALMENT SKILL!"
Smoke covered them as they left on the Machine Builder. By the time the authorities arrived, they were already gone.
The police and paramedics drove to the warehouse district as soon as they caught wind of the explosion.
They were surprised and horrified to see the scene of the incident. An entire Warehouse had blown up and caved in on itself, being reduced to a fiery pit.
The ambulances carefully examined and treated the hostages while a pair of workers loaded Brawly Beats onto an Ambulance for hospital treatment. To their relief, despite his injuries, his condition was stable. At the cornered off scene, Lieutenant Shining Armor examined the wreckage. The officers stationed under him worked to find pieces of evidence and gathered testimonies from the victims.
Shining Armor was not surprised to learn that Build and his partner, now dubbed Cross-Z, were involved in this. But the other stuff he learned greatly disturbed him. Human experimentation? Transforming into monsters? What kind of sick people would do such a horrible thing?!
As an officer of the law, Shining Armor swore to uncover this fiendish group and bring them to justice.
As much as he didn’t like to admit it, he had to thank the Masked Rider for saving the people today.
But just was that weird feeling in the back of his mind?
“So the organization is called Faust?” Sandalwood questioned. Flash and Sol made it back to the lab to discuss their findings with the rest of the group.
“It would seem so.” Micro nodded. “At least we now know that Blood Stalk isn’t acting by himself.”
“But what does it mean though?” Flash questioned. “We know that he’s working with other people, but we don’t know who they are. We’re still no closer to the truth.”
“But didn’t you say that they may have other bases in the city?” Sol asked. “You said that Stalk wouldn’t destroy their only base like that. So we might have other chances.” He then looked down. “That is…if I’m still on the team.”
The three other teens looked at one another before turning to Sol Burner. While he did do something horrible by reverting Brawly back into a Smash, he definitely owned up to his mistake in today’s actions. He even stopped Flash from going crazy and leave the hostages to die.
“…What are you talking about?” Flash asked. The decision was unanimous. “You never left in the first place. And that’s not changing anytime soon. After all, we’re partners aren’t we?”
The martial artist stared at them in shock before a genuine smile spread across his face. Cross-Z Dragon cheered, sharing its master’s joy as it landed on his head. “Thank you guys….thank you….”
“No problem, man.” The guitarist nodded. “Now that we know about this Faust group, we should probably start investigating where their other bases might be.”
“Well, that’s probably not going to happen for a while.” Sandalwood rubbed the back of his neck. “We won’t really have the time to do something like that.”
“Huh? Why?”
“It’s because school’s starting back up in a couple days.” Micro answered. “They finally got the building repaired and we’re heading back. So we should probably lay low for a while. With everything that’s happened this past week, all the students are gonna gossip about Build and you….Cross-Z.” He looked to Sol with a raised brow at the last part.
“Hey, Flash has a code name to use. I figured that since I’m fighting, I’d need one too. By the way…” He reached up top to pet the mechanical dragon. “Thanks a lot for this cute little guy. He saved my life.”
“Burrah!”
As the conversation continued, the super computer beeped. Micro walked over and pulled up the news. He programmed it to alert them of any news stories or new developments regarding the Masked Rider, Smash, robots, or anything related to keep them up to date. It was another press conference held by Research Center Director Night Light.
“I would like to formally thank the Masked Rider Build and his partner, Cross-Z, for their actions the past two days.”
“Hey, that’s us.” Sol stated.
“If it weren’t for these two heroes, the monster would have attacked and destroyed this very building, putting hundreds of lives at risk. They have also given a lead to the true culprits behind these monster attacks and robot kidnappings; and organization that calls themselves Faust. They have discovered their base and rescued the hostages imprisoned inside. Build. Cross-Z. If you two are watching this, then thank you for everything you have done for this fair City.”
To be Continued…
Stats
Page generated in 0.048 seconds
Total duration
719 users online
1,423,672 hits today, 2,139,894 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
I get the feeling Cross-Z is gonna make an appearance very soon. Yosh!
Still, I do have to wonder who Stalk's human identity is in this story. Or does he even have one and is just purely Stalk?
Sol's mother is going to die, isn't she?
That was intense.
Aww, you know, there's something oddly attractive about tough guys who like cute things. 
After that ending with Shining Armor and Night Light, I sure hope that the speculation about Night Light being a brainwashed bad guy turns out wrong. They seem like good people. 
That seems important.
I loved the moments with Sol and Sunset. The two have a little bit in common, especially with how they described their mistakes to each other. It'll be fun to see more interactions with Sunset/The Rainbooms with Team Build.
The moment with Sol and his mother was emotional, especially that last part.
With how Sol reacted to the Cross-Z Dragon, I feel like he might get along well with Fluttershy and all the animals she takes care of. I also expect her reaction to Cross-Z Dragon be the same as Sol's.
I loved the way Sol and Flash had their conversation similarly to Sento and Ryuga from the actual Kamen Rider episode. Choosing saving people as Build more than wanting answers from the bad guys.
Let's see how everything goes in the next chapters with the gang returning to classes. I can expect more stuff involving the Rainbooms before we see the guys in action again. We're approaching RocketPanda if you're going by the actual show enough. For now, I'm just waiting for the girls to find out and probably help. Sunset chose not to use her magic on Sol, so we'll need to wait until the girls decide to find out what Team Build is up to. I'd also like to know how the girls are healing up after the first few Smash attacks.
I'm just wondering two other things. What would Sol's reaction to Spike talking be? And what do you think Sol's voice sounds like?
9699770
I'm hoping that Shining Armor could become a Kamen Rider, or at least let in on the secret and helps out.
9699771
Thank you for your support as always.
I cannot confirm or deny the significance of the red eyes.
Yes it will. But those won't be until later. How much later I cannot determine.
And I'm glad I got that emotional moment down. Still working on writing those, but glad it conveyed what was intended.
And we always intended for Sol to gush out over cute things when we made him. And he most definitely will find all of Fluttershy's animals adorable, in addition to the Rainbooms pets. They just have to fear him glomping them.
Thank you. I just couldn't resist adding that part in. I loved that scene as it helped get their priorities straight. I just hope I also did Blood Stalk justice. He's one of my favorite characters in the entire series and made the show pretty enjoyable.
Yep. Next chapter is back to school days, as well as keeping the ball rolling for the plot, as it will kick start what happens in future chapters in a way. And don't worry, the girls will be featured as well. And Sol makes some more friends.
In regards to Spike, I would imagine Sol would crush the talking puppy in a death hug of pure cuddles. As for his voice...I honestly didn't think about of what he would sound like. Sometimes I imagined him to be like Kanji Tatsumi from Persona 4. But I'm not sure what voice would fit him perfectly.
9699795
Kanji would be a great voice for Sol, but maybe not as deep as him. Maybe more similar to Ryuji Sakamoto from Persona 5? I think that would be a good voice for Sol Burner.
The idea of Sol gushing over all the pets and probably hugging them tightly is adorable. Flash better not invite him over to his home because one of the online shorts shows that he has a dog of his own. I can also see Sol really liking Sunset's gecko, Ray.
I'm looking forward to all the character interactions and what will happen for what you have planned.
9699795
I just hope Opalescence doesn't end up turning him into Nick Fury.
9699811
I don't think so. For reasons that I will not disclose for the sake of spoilers....given how animals are more perceptive than humans in regards to danger, I would imagine they would fear him and stay away instead.
9699803
That....actually sounds perfect. It definitely fits.
9699803
While I can't tell you future story elements for the sake of spoilers, I can tell you some scrapped story elements I had in mind if you'd like over PM.
9699876
Fire away
Wow, that was pretty intense. The fight between Flash and Sol in the beginning was pretty brutal, though I think Flash was justified since Sol put an innocent civilian in danger, and that civilian happened to be Flash’s friend. I smell shipping fuel between Sol and Sunset, that is going to be interesting. Sol gushing over cute things was hilarious, but who can’t do that for cute things honestly? I’m glad Brawly is going to be okay, and this experience just showed that Flash and Sol need each other to keep each other in check. Good luck Build and Cross-Z.
Am I the only one who wants BraKaWani to just appear, play his flute and have Stalk strangle himself?
You’ve made a punchable villain.
9701672
Blood Stalk was always punchable. But with the way he acts, it's like "bored intern" meets a cold and calculating sadist.
Really liking this. Currently I'm in episode 17 of Build and I have to wonder how will you adapt some elements. The fact that there is no sky wall dosen't seem to have that much of an impact but things with Night Rouge and Blood Stark may be another thing aswell the thing with what you will do with Gizmo.
9704137
Yeah. It was inspired by it. Given how Build saved them, we thought it would be a way for the students to gossip on media.
9704150
Yeah. That’d also work. Sorry, but it’s kinda difficult for me to properly grasp Pinkie’s character and portray her. I’m still trying.
Classic Stalk.
Classy.
That is... Uhhh... Quite tactless. I'm all up for these two to dig their own holes deeper. Maybe I should lend them a shovel?
Your comment just now suggests something else, Flashy.
Uhu. And the Oscar goes to, Sol Burner!
Good, old Sunset!
Uhhh... That's your argument? Really? Not that this is an evil research facility and so on? Like, who orders pizza to a place like that?
Ok, but seriously, this scene had me cracking up. My god, those are some of the worst planes I've ever heard.
So... I might be wrong here, but casts and bandages are supposed to heal the body. Usually, things like this heal way before the three-year mark. So, is she just in a catatonic state, or are her limbs permanently mangled? And even then, the burn wounds would be healed by now and turned into scars, right? So... The bandages and casts seem weird to me. Could be wrong though.
The plan is better than the ones before.
Or... You know? You just give him a pair of yours? I know why you are doing this, but... That's not really the first thought that would come to my mind there.
Huh, so Micro build this in a night? A bit fast, but I can roll with it.
I did not see this coming, but I approve!
Please, please no revived dads here!
Welp, that was a bust.
I wonder where that came from anyway. Can't be the same way it was there in the original...
Man, you two are alike.
Not a bad chapter. Quite enjoyed it.