Prototype Zero

Shun’s words echoed throughout the battlefield like thunder rumbling through a calm night sky. Genesis stood there staring at Shun’s cold eyes. Genesis dusts himself off and stands firm facing towards Shun without a glimpse of fear in his eyes. Instead, a sadistic smile wipes clear across his face as he prepares himself for the battle that awaits him.

*Inside Shun and Zero’s subconscious*

Zero watches from a distance as Shun is balled up whispering the same words over and over to himself. Zero tries to reach him only to be blocked by an invisible wall that he can’t touch.

Zero: “Link, is there something we can do to bring the connection back under control so that we can keep this Bio-Synchronization lasting? If this keeps up, the connection will force separate us in a matter of time. We won’t be able to match Genesis’s power after that and then it’s all over for us.”

Link: “This is an emotional aspect of Shun’s subconscious. I am only but a program that guides users to unlock the potential of the Bio-Synchronization. Anything else after that is up to the executers of the program itself. If a stable link isn’t able to be kept then one or both of the participants have to make an effort to stabilize the connection. Due to my calculations, you guys have about less than 8 minutes to keep up this connection before you are forced apart. In this time, you must get Shun to calm down. That is all the information I have for you at this time.”

Zero tries to force his way through to the other side to talk to Shun and get him under control but is forced back and throw away from the shock of the barrier that separates the two.

Zero: “Shun!!! You have to level yourself out. You won’t be able to keep this connection up like this! Think of what you’re doing! This isn’t like you at all. You have to keep yourself under control so that we can defeat Genesis together!”

Zero’s plea seems to fall on deaf ears as Shun continues to mutter utterances to himself while balled up floating in the subspace of his mind.

Shun continues to mutter to himself as if he isn’t in control of his own body.

Shun: “Gotta…save them all…. Can’t let him hurt them…. I’ve got to stop him…. How can I do this alone?”

Zero hears his words and it comes to a surprise to him as those words ring is his mind.

“…alone…”
“…alone…”
“…alone…”

Zero: “Why does he think that he’s doing this alone? Does he really feel this way?”

*Back outside in the battlefield*

Shun stances himself, sword in hand ready for anything that comes his way.

Shun: “I’m gonna make you pay for the people you’ve hurt, the pain you’ve caused, and the suffering we’ve had to endure because of your actions! This ends here, Genesis! I’m going to stop you here and now! Let’s go!!!”

Genesis: “All I’ve done was in the efforts to further expose our brethren to the truth that we Machina should be on top of the food chain in the circle of life here on this planet. If a few regular people got hurt because of it, it was because they didn’t belong there or they needed to be a sacrifice for the better cause of Machina superiority. Once we rise to power above all else, there won’t be any nuisances in my way to prevent me from reaching my goals.”

Shun tightens the grip on the hilt of his sword. He grits his teeth in anger at the words coming from his mouth. His anger quelled up inside him as if he didn’t want to hear him anymore.

Shun: “Shut up!”

Genesis: “What?!”

Shun: “Shut up…you BASTARD!!! How can you think of humans as some lowly species under your foot that you can crush with just a single step whenever you please?! We humans have always found a way to overcome any situation. Even if your dream were to come true, I’ll be there rising above the rubble of your destruction to stop you! Enough talk Genesis! This is the end!”

Shun charges at Genesis with blinding speed and slashes with a side strike. Genesis dodges and leaps high into the air, looking down at him as if to mimic him. Shun glances up at him and then looks down at his friends as they pick themselves off of the floor.

Shun: “You guys alright? No one seriously injured?”

Misery sits up to a knee on the ground with Takashia has an arm over his shoulder. Iteza sits up on the ground holding his midsection. Tri-Blaze is slowly picking himself up off of the ground.

Iteza: “I’m fine Shun or Zero or whoever is in there. Don’t worry about us just go after that psycho.”

Misery: “The most that’s hurt over here is my pride. Knock him a good one for us, you two.”

*In Shun’s mind*

Shun: “…you two…”

Zero: “It seems like something’s triggered within him. Maybe if I say the right words to him he’ll return to normal. Shun listen to me. We have to do this together.”

Shun remains unresponsive.

*During the fight*

Takashia: “I may be a little bruised up here but you owe me a sparring match in that form sometime next week. But for the time being-ow ow ow ow! Give him hell, you guys! We’re counting on you!”

*…you guys…maybe I’m not…doing this on my own after all…*

Shun launches himself in the air towards Genesis with sword in hand and swipes at him with an upward strike. Genesis blocks with a barrier made of the same psychic energy he uses in his attacks. He takes the full force of the impact, which pushes him further up into the air at an intense speed. Genesis puts his arm out forward in front of him, and fires a rain of psychic blasts downward on Shun.

Genesis: “Nightmare Shower!”

Genesis fires dark energy continuously at Shun rapidly like a machine gun. Shun, with his sword in his left hand, slashes at the energy pulses, shattering and stopping them in midair. Shun reaches Genesis and attempts another strike at him, only to be parried by him. Shun then reaches to his left side with his right hand and unsheathes a second sword and lands a hit on Genesis, dragging him through the air and him crashing into the ground.

Genesis: “Gaaahhhhh!”

Genesis is winded as the strike sends him flying. Shun descends after him. Genesis makes a huge impact into the ground behind Takashia and the rest of the guys. The impact sends debris and dust flying towards them.

Takashia: “We should take cover somewhere. We’re not in the best shape to be involved in this fight right now. Let’s move.”

Iteza nods his head in agreement as him and Takashia move out of the opening in the battlefield to prevent collateral damage. Takashia grits his teeth in frustration as he watches the clash in the air between Shun and Genesis ensued.

Takashia: “We can’t sit by idly and watch on as Shun fights to protect us! We’ve got to help somehow.” (He’s grown so much in such a short time.) “It’s about time we take counteractive measures. Misery and Tri-Blaze, we fight as much as we can to support Shun in this battle. This is a very tough time for us guys. Misery, jump through the trees and launch projectile attacks at Genesis in order to disorient him and deal some damage. Tri, I’ll need you and Iteza to coordinate some attacks from the ground while staying hidden to have the same effect and help Shun defeat Genesis once and for all. Let’s split up from here!”

Takashia and Misery head west through the forest that surrounds them while coordinating attacks with Iteza over the comm system in their watches. Takashia runs on the ground while Misery jumps through the trees. Meanwhile, Iteza and Tri-Blaze run east through the forest to launch attacks to create a diversion.

Takashia: “Now! Misery, launch Dark Ball! Iteza, your turn!”

Iteza: “Tri, Fire Blast!”

Misery and Tri-Blaze launch their individual attacks into one big attack that makes a clean hit on Genesis’s back. Genesis turns around to launch an attack at his opponents in the forest. The attack impacts and causes explosions near Shun’s friends. Shun catches Genesis from behind and sends him from the sky crashing into the ground.

Shun: “You shouldn’t take your eyes off of your opponent!”

Zero struggles to get through to Shun’s subconscious before the time runs out.

Zero: “I only have about 5 minutes left. Shun! Why won’t you let me through to you? We need to do this together!”

The barrier between Zero and Shun’s subconscious remains strong and intact.

*Meanwhile*

Aione: “My parents are safe and the guys are out there fighting Genesis right now. We need to get there as soon as possible, Mirage.”

Mirage: “Of course. My sensors are picking up a huge energy source up ahead in that section of the forest with the dark could above it. It must be coming from Shun and the rest of the guys. We’ve gotta push forth and make it there in time. I have a bad feeling something bad is about to happen.”

*Back at the battlefield*

Shun: “I’ve gotta stop you here and now, Genesis! Even if it kills me I’ve gotta destroy you.”

Genesis: “What about Zero? Does he feel the same way?”

Shun’s eye widens at the question.

Shun: “What does that matter? Both Zero and I want to stop you no matter what the cost. What about Kosuke? I’m sure he doesn’t expect to have his body abused and beaten all for your selfish goals of conquest.”

Genesis: “What I do with this body is my business.”

A surprised look sweeps across Shun’s face.

Shun: “Does he even know that his body is being manipulated like this? Just as a tool for your own means? Just a host body to Bio-Synchronize with and use up like a parasite?”

Genesis: “When I rise to power, the people I use will just be another archive in my history as I rewrite and make a story of my own to live on forever. So what does it matter if I use a few bodies for my own goals?”

An enraged Shun charges in with a cross slash. Genesis puts up an arm to guard with dark energy.

Shun puts pressure on the sword and it starts overpowering Genesis.

Shun: “Bodies…just BODIES?!!! How careless can you be?! How can you do such horrible things to these people? These people have friends and family that care about them and you’re taking them at your own expense!”

Genesis’s guard can’t maintain his guard. Shun sweeps his sword downward and breaks through his guard. He twists his wrist and backslashes Genesis, which pushes him back with damage to his midsection. Shun starts walking towards a damaged Genesis.

Genesis: “To actually think you were able to deliver this much damage to me. You must be strong. Nightmare Assault!”

Shun: “Readying Guardian’s Force!”

Genesis’s body swirls with a concentration of dark energy as it forms around his body like a barrier. Shun’s body forms a white light around his body while he stances up with his sword ready. Genesis launches at Shun, throwing a flurry of punches and kicks charged with dark energy. Each attack from Genesis is countered and blocked by a perfectly placed slash from his sword. The clash continues until it comes to a stalemate between Genesis’s fist and Shun’s sword. The impact creates a swirl of wind that pushes back and silences the field. Both fighters are equally matched. The struggle ends when both fighters jump back for a final strike to end the battle. Zero watches from inside and counts the final moments of their combination until they are forced to separate.

Zero: “90 seconds left. Shun…wake up!”

Shun’s subconscious body starts to thrash about and disrupt the harmony of their minds.

Zero: “What’s going on, Link?”

Link: “It seems all of Shun’s anger and frustration is surfacing in a negative way and it’s messing with the link between you two. You must restore the harmony of the link or you’ll be forced to separate.”

Zero: “I know, but how?”

Zero struggles against the barrier and feels that it’s weakened from the last time he tried to force his way through. Zero struggles through it and focuses his strength at one point and pushes forth.

*Meanwhile*

Aione: I’ve finally made it here. Is that Zero and Shun? Have they actually combined? Is that Genesis?” Aione glances over and spots Takashia to her left. “Takashia! What’s going on?!”

Takashia: “Shun and Zero combined and now they’re fighting Genesis combined with Kosuke and it looks like he has the upper hand on him until he started raging and thrashing about. It looks like he’s struggling inside.”

Shun starts swinging his sword around wildly and smashing the ground. 45 seconds left.

Shun: “I…have to do this.”

Aione: “I wish there was something could do to help.”

Aione walks out into the open towards Shun and watches him thrash about in anger smashing his sword into the ground multiple times. Genesis watches from afar injured and plotting his next move. Aione grabs Shun and wraps her arms around him, which starts to calm and enraged Shun. Genesis notices the opening and goes for the finishing blow to Shun.

Inside their shared mind, Zero struggles through the barrier and starts to penetrate it. Zero puts his all into pushing through as he makes it through and manages to get through to Shun. Ten seconds are left until forced separation ensues.

Zero/Aione: “You don’t have to do this alone.”

Shun opens his eyes and sees Zero. Shun’s body calms down and relaxes in Aione’s embrace. A smile comes across Shun’s face. Genesis’s attack closes in within inches of Shun.

Shun: “Thanks guys. I’m glad to have all of you guys by my side.”

Shun catches the punch with his hand and throws a left straight. His punch makes contact and hit Genesis directly in the face, sending him flying back into the trunk of a tall tree.

Shun: “I’m sorry Zero. I shouldn’t have kept all my feelings hidden and let them control my actions. Can you forgive me?”

Zero: “Save all the apologies for later after we defeat Genesis. I’ve been listening from inside and hearing all the horrible things you’ve done to people you’ve come in contact with. You must pay for your crimes today! Let’s finish this, Genesis!”

Genesis: “There is no power that can suppress me! I am the supreme power in charge here. There is nothing that can stop me! Nightmare Assault!!!”

Shun: “I’m tired of hearing him talk! Guardian’s Force!”

Both of the combined forms ready their stances as they prepare for their final attacks.

Genesis: “Death’s Palm!”

Genesis launches forth with his hand outstretched to Shun engulfed with dark energy that burns like a flame.

Shun: “Blade of Fury!”

Shun unsheathes his second sword that both extend and charges at Genesis. They both clash in the middle and strike each other. One sword strike Genesis across the chest and blocks one of Genesis’s hands, while Genesis blocks one sword and hits Shun with the other hand. Shun uses the space gap from the attack to counterattack. He spins around and uppercuts Genesis with both swords with incredible strength and launches his into the air. Shun jumps up after him and catches up with him in midair.

Shun/Zero: “Two-sword Style: Sword Dance of the Dragon!”

Shun and Zero serves a flurry of slashes that are too quick for Genesis to guard against or defend. The final strike sends Genesis crashing into the ground, creating a crater on impact. The force sweeps through blowing back all the trees and debri around the battlefield.

Shun lands on the ground seeing a figure beginning to move in the cloud of smoke left from the impact.

Zero: “You just don’t give up do you? I’ll make sure you never stand again!!!”

Zero and Shun charge in with sword in hand and about to deliver the final blow when a scream echoes through the air.

“NNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!”

-End