Clash of the Guardians I
#1 of Clash of the Guardians
I would briefly like to explain about my story before you begin reading. This is my -first- story, and while I have been showing it to others beforehand for various editing purposes, commenting and rating is highly appreciated. This is only the first chapter and is short, though I plan on a good sized series and want to gauge reader reaction first. The world and concepts are based off of Mega Man to various extents (very loosely at times), namely the first installment of the ZX series, so give credit to Capcom and whatever other parties included. It doesn't follow most things to a T, but uses basic concepts and expands upon them. Hope you enjoy and please comment!
In a rebuilding world of Reploids, humans, and furs, a solitary panther finds himself in search of power among the masses. Many have fallen in this pursuit, but a handful have also succeeded. Those who have discovered and wield it are to be reckoned with, and no faction stands in their way. Why does this panther seek similar strength? To protect the world, to bear its problems upon his shoulders? To render apart the countless dreams, squelching them with his very aura? Not even he is sure exactly why he desires it: all the panther is aware of is that he must obtain it.
Darkness. The immediate world around Rai was shrouded in a veil of shadows, unyielding to even the tiniest shreds of light from the outside. Journeying through the deepest of caverns out in the frontier region far from any known settlement, he desperately sought clues to find another piece of biometal. Aided by his exceptional night vision attributed to his species and an intensely lit red crystal that adorned his helmet, the panther trudged through knee-high, bone chilling water, matting his fur down in the few places it was exposed. Attempting to trace a faint biometal signal he had picked up through his scanners, he continued to venture into the depths.
The legends passed on from hundreds of years ago spoke about a variety of specialized Reploids designed to be perfect specimens of destruction. Most of them fell to the Reploids who fought for justice, although a few incredibly powerful ones had remained at odds with them constantly. A few of those who had both survived and fell in the devastating raids and other events of generally epic proportions continued to live on, at least in a rather unusual way. There were modern living examples of those whom had obtained this power; a handful of humans were found to have obtained the M.E.G.A. System (Meta-Encapsulated Granule Awareness), through which the power of biometals, the semi-conscious fragments of past Reploids that still remained, one would be able to fuse with the biometal and become a nearly unstoppable force. Biometals had recently fallen into both the hands of those who wished for justice and those who yearned for chaos, with those upholding justice prevailing at the very end. After the final showdown, a massive hunt spanning the globe set forth in order to recover other rumored biometals.
The panther found himself in the unnamed and seemingly unexplored caverns in the northwestern sector, Sector N, of the main continent that both furs, humans, and Reploids all deigned as a home, although true Reploids consisted of the minority of the population. The 3 majorities currently co-existed in a facade of peace meant to cover up the remnants of the last great battle. They all had the potential to initiate yet another full-scale conflict, although few truly wished for the endless waves of maverick raids and death that had marred the cities in the past.
Reploids were considered sentient beings, needing no programming to emulate the human consciousness and having been granted human mortality. Regarded as the instigators of a myriad of past wars and conflicts, they remained feared by the majority of humans, although Reploids were essentially one with both furs and humans at this point. With the technology of cybernetic implants, any being could essentially become a Reploid if they chose, although it was a rigorous and often dangerous procedure. Rai had chosen to receive various implants to enhance various aspects of his self, ranging from improved strength to a more viable system of endurance.
Rai was sloshing through the inky water, shivering slightly as his heating system hummed quietly on his back, futile in its attempts to keep his exposed fur dry. Rai stood a few inches over 6 feet tall with short, silver hair spiked back and possessing an almost iridescent quality. His equally silver eyes pierced the darkness around him, scanning for any signs of weaknesses in structural integrity as the faint signal rose and fell, taunting him into believing that it knew where the biometal lay in rest. The majority of his body was covered in grimy and dull armor, exhausted throughout all of his expeditions. While its luster had seen better days, it remained as tough as when Rai first fused with it, and the crystal that acted as an additional energy source still blazed brightly. He was not someone the average being would take lightly in a fight, as many skilled assailants had already found out too late.
The piece of biometal that Rai had the ability to fuse with granted him a rather unique visage. The light black inner layer of the armor began with a thin, fur-tight layer of energy absorbing materials, primarily exposed around the knees, thighs, stomach and chest. His head was adorned with a helmet encrusted with a variable red, arrow shaped energy crystal spanning from his forehead to the rear of his neck, as well as two fairly sized decorative wings jutting up towards the sky accented with blood red at the bottom tips. A golden hue covered most of the external sections of armor, accented by dull pearl-like white fittings and sporadic areas of red. A jetpack of sorts was fitted to his back, allowing him the ability to hover and dash in the air in any direction Rai pleased. A tuft of his silver hair hung down by his right eye, the only portion visible when he was in his armored form.
Earlier in the week, Rai had picked up the fragmented signature as he was traveling through the mountainous sector of the mainland. Stopping by the local settlement to rest for a day before he blindly followed the signal, he thought about his journey so far. Truth be told, he was already in possession of one piece of a biometal said to belong to a Reploid capable of wielding wind and electricity like no other. This piece of the biometal gave off an especially potent energy signal to any who had the ability to detect it, bestowing the curse of simultaneously never being able to let his guard down while granting him great power.
A shockwave resonated throughout the caverns, causing Rai to instintively stop cold and listen intensely ot his surroundings. He pressed his ear gently to a damp stalagmite rising from the floor, attempting to gauge the force of the shock. The panther was well aware of the region's tumultuous and plentiful cave-ins, and was not listening without a slight pang of fear coursing through his body. The shock died down and he decided to press on, the signal growing stronger as he drew near.
Suddenly the signal died, causing him to stop in his tracks again. He stared at his arm scanner in disbelief, raising a paw to bash it in the futile hopes of getting it to function properly. He had designed it himself after he encountered the first fragment of biometal in an effort to discover other biometals, and also to be wary of approaching enemies if they wielded the treasured armor. As his curled up a paw and was about to beat the scanner senseless, it illuminated brilliantly and startled him, making him bend down and squint at the bursting light that eminated from it as he read the data scrolling across the screen. He tilted his head, making sense of the digital numbers in his head and coming to a startling conclusion.
The hell? It's...behind me?!
As if on cue, a glorious pink glow filled the cavern he was in and his eyes widened greatly, turning around sharply to stare at a silhouetted figure aiming for him with a charged up buster on his right arm. Rai took a step back, adrenaline flowing into his system at an alarming rate as his heartbeat quickened its pace and his eyes stared fiercely at the figure with merciless intent, desperately racking his brain to try and think of an escape.
"Looks like the kitty came after all," the figure said in a menacing and self-satisfied tone, unleashing a blast of pink-hued energy at Rai.