Mega Man Neo

Chapter 11: Assault from the Water

"So, where are we Shade?" Mega Man Neo asked.

Neo and Shade exited out of the Raider Airship and onto the grassy fields. They have been in flight for a good 30 minutes after all. They stood before a large entrance leading into a cavern. Shade took a step forth.

"The Raider Airship's fuel tank is empty. We can no longer use the airship unfortunately." Shade explained. "However, I don't think that'll be a problem."

Shade turned her head to Neo with a stern expression. "Neo, Mega, before us is an Energy Crystal Mine."

"An Energy Crystal Mine...?" Neo inquired.

"That's right. I have intel that Mavericks are lurking around this area." Shade said.

"Umm, yeah? Mavericks tend to lurk around everywhere." Neo chuckled with sweat down his cheek.

"No, these aren't wild Mavericks, Neo. Inside this mine is Mavericks under leadership. They are a organized group in other words." Shade explained, looking ahead. "I am told that there is something dangerous being unearthed within this mine; A fragment from an ancient weapon, I was told..."

"If you don't mind me asking Shade, but who has been telling you this type of information...?" Mega Man asked.

"Bass Kai. He tells me a lot of things despite being my enemy... There are zero signs of deceit in his clues, however..." Shade said.

Neo shrugs and clenches his fists. "Alright, so we got some Mavericks digging around for some ancient weapon fragments! Nothing we can't handle, right!?"

Shade did not answer. Instead, she moved her scarf over her lips and held out her arm. To Neo's surprise, a beam-katana materialized out of thin air and she gripped onto it.

"Wha--"

Before Neo could ask the kunoichi any questions, she dashed off into the cavern at such great speed. The surprising part? She made zero sounds in her foot steps! She really IS a kunoichi! He could see her getting farther and farther as she ran into the cavern.

"Whoa...! Where did that beam-sword thingie come from...!?" Neo asked in awe.

"I think that's a beam-katana or something like that." Mega Man explained, also in awe at Shade's speed.

"A-Ah! We gotta catch up with her!" Neo cried.

With that, he broke into a run and sped into the cavern. As he got deeper into the cavern, the light coming from the crystals embedded into the wall were illuminating the dark atmosphere. Though these crystals weren't the Energy Crystals, they were crystals of red and yellow and such. Still, they provided him enough light to traverse through the cavern.

"Geez, it's kinda dark, but even without the crystals' lights.... I can see a little...." Neo said.

"The reason you can see a little is a result of Megamerging with me. You have some of my sight, Rokku." Mega explained.

"Really? Huh, we it does help a bit... I can see farther than usual too. But I knew that part already, hehe." Neo chuckled. "But oh man! Shade already gotten so far away...! SHAA~AAAAADE...!"

Neo started calling out to her. Where did that speedy kunoichi go...?

He traversed further and eventually came to an opening. He stopped as he reached the edge. Before him was a chasm of beautiful sparkles illuminating from the crystals and the glistening water below. There was a bridge imitating the color of this chasm. It was a beautiful sight.

Tons of quartz of unimaginative magical beauty...

"Wow.... This is a Energy Crystal Mine, huh....?" Neo whistled. "So pretty...."

"Really cool!" Mega beamed.

"Neo!"

Mega Man Neo looked ahead to the source of the call. To his surprise, he found Shade standing on the tip of a cherry colored crystal. She was in a squatting position, and the tip of her feet stood perfectly balanced on the tip of the crystal. She used her peripheral vision to gaze back at Neo who stood before the bridge and the water below it.

"Shade...!" Neo gasped, surprised at how he didn't even see her despite clearly being in front of him.

"...Try not to get too distracted by this cavern's beauty..." Shade advised him. "The enemy is near..."

Neo began to walk across the bridge to get closer to Shade. "Well, should we just rush and attack?"

"Not just yet." Shade answered. "Fighting the enemy does not always involve jumping in the fray blindly. Sometimes, we must analyze our situation first before we take action. Never forget that, Mega Man Neo."

The kunoichi began to effortlessly jump from crystal to crystal; Standing on the pointed tips of the crystals each time. Neo had to admit that Shade was... Kinda showing off. True, her accuracy of perfect balance was really cool, but... Was her jumping from crystal to crystal necessary? Couldn't she just walk on the bridge right next to him? He would never ask Shade this out loud, but still.

"We need to split up for just a little while." Shade said.

"Huh? Why?" Mega asked curiously.

"To make things a little bit easier. We can assess the situation on our own and then regroup to combine our information. Besides, I have a very strong feeling that we'll each find something of value..." Shade then stopped jumping, and blushed a bit. A small amount of sweet slid down her cheek as she gazed away from Neo for a second to look at the water.

"...A-And by value, I don't mean the Energy Crystals of course..." Shade blushed.

Neo hadn't noticed Shade had stopped nor that she had blushed. He just shrugged at Shade's plan. "Alright, split up it is!"

Suddenly, as if on cue, the water began to shake, making waves. Shade turned her attention to the water, noticing... something moving within it. Her eyes widened once she saw it's shadow.

"NEO! Look out!" Shade called out.

By the time Neo turned around, a gigantic serpent mechaniloid burst upwards, towering over Neo. The boy's eyes shrunk in shock and fear. Neo began to take quick steps backwards to get some distance from the serpent. Before Neo could shoot a few rounds from his Mega-Buster, the serpent mechaniloid lunged at Neo. Shade watched in horror as the serpent dove at Neo and grabbed him with it's big, wide jaws as it broke the bridge and entered the water.

"NEO!!" Shade cried out.