The Reuniting

Waking Up

Just as Mace finished his last word, the usual opening in the ceiling from the previous tests had revealed itself with it releasing a massive jet black robot in the process.

Sub: Alright, Jackson... You and Steve fought this thing before. How did you guys manage to beat it?

Jackson: I'm not sure the same methods as the last few times will work against this one...

Sub: What, why wouldn't it?

Jackson: Well, before, that robot wasn't three times our size...

Mace: Correction! Before, the robot wasn't created by me, but this time, you will fall.. to my creation! Null... Kill them both...

Per Mace's request, the robot activated itself and would immediately begin striking at the two adversaries with the two of them managing to barely dodge every strike it made at them. Sub would attempt to freeze it, but upon being frozen, its body would begin to heat up, thus melting it free. Jackson would then take a shot of his own at the mechanical monstrosity smashing the ground in front of him to cause an earthquake, but Mace seemed to have prepared the robot for that as well with two giant pillars releasing themselves from the back of its feet and into the ground planting itself so it couldn't move. Once the earthquake had subsided, the robot began to charge Jackson hitting him with its fist causing him to go flying into the wall nearly knocking him unconscious.

Sub: Jackson! Are you alright?!

Jackson: Y-yeah... I'm f-f-fine... That thing packs one hell of a punch though, I'll give it that...

Sub: Come on, there's gotta be some way that we can beat this thing, right?

Jackson: I... I'm not sure...

Mace: I'll answer that question, Sub! No... There's not a thing that the two of you can do to stop me or my robot. I have transformed Null into the ultimate fighting machine! I have made him strictly for the purpose of ending the two of you, and once I'm done with you two, I'm gonna go pay your little friend, Steve, a visit!

Sub: Regardless of if you can take the two of us, do you seriously think that you have what it takes to kill Steve? He's stronger than the both of us, so what makes you think that just by defeating us, you can defeat him?!

Mace: Oh, how soon we forget such important details! Here, I thought that you were the smart one, Sub, but then, you make a foolish comment like that... How saddening... Keep in mind, your friend just so happens to be in a coma right now, so even if my robot by some span of the imagination couldn't take him, it wouldn't much matter, now would it?

Jackson: You.. won't touch him... We'll destroy this damn thing.. and when we do.. it's your turn to face the consequences...

Mace: Are you... Are you actually threatening me? You, Jackson? Of all the people to threaten me, it's the one that's barely standing after just one strike! Haha! Maybe Null happened to hit you a bit too hard there! Don't worry, though... He's just about to put you out of your misery!

Meanwhile, Steve was still in his coma and still talking to his dreamt up version of Neos.

Steve: Wait... If it truly is him.. then how am I supposed to beat him if he's truly that strong?

Neos: Hmmm... I guess I never thought about that one... I don't know, just wing it?

Steve: Wait, are you serious? You want me to just wing it?

Neos: Yeah, sure, why not? It's worked out for you every other time, hasn't it?

Steve: Well... I guess.. but I didn't have to fight him... I was fighting people that I could handle fighting...

Neos: Look, if ya ask me, you're gonna be alright. You just have to have faith in your friends and in yourself, and once you've managed to do that, you'll have absolutely nothing left to fear.

Steve: You.. really think that?

Neos: I don't just think it... I know it. Steve, when I was around, I don't think I explained to you enough just how great of a friend you were rather than a brother...

Steve: Wh-what do you mean by that?

Neos: What I mean is that while we were siblings, I still felt like you were a friend more than I did anything else... I felt as though I could tell you absolutely anything, and you wouldn't even consider telling anyone else... Anytime I was upset or angry, you'd immediately start acting dumb just to make me laugh a time or two... You were always caring of me.. even as my younger brother... I was supposed to take care of you, but it seemed like it was the other way around so much... I just... I just want you to know that I never took any of that for granted... You truly were the best friend and brother I could've ever asked for, and that's why I want you to move on from me... I want you to continue on living because you've earned that right... You need to find that determination that you have hidden deep inside of you, and you need to put it to use. Sure, this type of thing can get a bit dark, but I know that you have what it takes to engulf that darkness in light... Your light... So go on... Your friends need you now...

Steve: I... Thank you Neos... I love you bro...

Neos: I love you too little brother... Remember... I'll always be right by your side no matter what... I promise...

Neos slowly began to fade in front of Steve as well as the entire grassy plain around them as he began to slowly fall into the abyss of his own mind.

Steve: Alright... I can do this... There's no going back now... I'm gonna stop him.. no matter what it takes...

In the real world, Steve's body began to show signs of activity with his fingers beginning to slowly twitch and his feet beginning to move.

Steve: I'm done... No more dreaming...