¶ MEGAMAN¶

CHAPTER FIVE: Misfits no more?

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The brothers formed a defensive formation, with Ryan at the middle. They didn't move, instead they had their eyes wide open to size up their new opponent.

He was donned in a golden trenchcoat that covered his whole appearance. His face was more or less sunk in darkness, under his hood. One could make out that he was a man due to his extravagant muscular build outlined on the coat. He pierced the ground with his sword and left it there.

“Who the hell are you!?”, Luke blurted with a mixed expression.

Normally, he would have psychically traveled into a recipient's mind and sweep through their basic information, so as to identify their strengths and weakness. But this guy in front of him was blank. No. He couldn't touch his mind. It was like the latter had some sort of psychic block device. It was after much futile attempts he decided to ask the question.

The hooded man was about to give a reply, but Sean interrupted abruptly.

“Why are you acting dumb? Haven't you read his mind already?”

“Yeah”, Ryan seconded.

“I can't”, Luke answered, defeated.

“Wha...!”

Bam!

Before Sean could finish, the unknown man's fist connected with his chin, sending him falling into the arms of his brothers, who also staggered to a fall.

The man moved back to his prior position – beside his broad sword. “Are we doing this or not?”

“Why...you!”, Luke sprang to his feet and ran at the man but was intercepted by his brothers. They had their arms against his chest, immobilising him.

“You gotta sit this one out, bro”, Sean suggested.

“Yeah, leave the fighting to us”, Ryan added.

“Whatever”, Luke rolled his eyes and stroded back.

“Hey! Cloak man!”, Ryan shouted as fire engulfed his fists, “No one, and i mean no one, makes a mockery of our brother and stays in one piece!”

“Now, that's the spirit”, the 'Cloakman' chuckled.

“Ah!”, Ryan bent his elbow back, towards his chest as fire raged on both fists before throwing the arms forth, launching two tendrils of fire at the latter.

Cloakman crossed his arms over his face and took both hits without a scratch. Not even a puff of smoke could be seen after the impact.

He released his arms, “I expected better”

Ryan screamed as he shot himself off the ground via jets or fire from the soles of his feet. He descended towards Cloakman in a projectile.

As he got in close proximity, he launched a barrage of fiery punches at Cloakman but the latter just dodged and dodged with ease.

As Ryan attempted another punch, Cloakman took hold of his wrist and slammed him to the ground before tossing his aside.

Ryan collided his back on a wall but managed to land on his feet. He was more enraged than ever. 

Cloakman smirked.

Ryan gnashed his teeth as his whole body lit up in flames. He launched at Cloakman once again in a blurred speed, delivering a successful right hook to the latter's cheek, hurling him meters back. Cloakman twirled like he could walk on air and landed softly.

“All that dramatic show and you couldn't even take me off my feet? You're weak”, Cloakman took a stance.

Ryan's brows curled down in a V, “I was just warming up”

He yanked his arms forth, one after the other, firing balls of fire at the man. The intervals at which each fireball were created almost made it seem like he was firing bullets from a gun.

Cloakman crouched a bit before dashing towards Ryan, evading the flurry of attacks in a blur. He fisted his right hand the instant he could feel the intensity of Ryan's heat.

Bam!

He punched Ryan in the chest, which sent him sliding feets back. Ryan returned his own and they engaged in close combat, puching and kicking at insane speeds.

Cloakman found an opening and placed his palm on Ryan's chest. Ryan's eyes shrunk as he felt his energy being sucked out of him and he couldn't move either. The flame that blanketed his body soon dessipated. He staggered back, covered in fumes of smoke.

Cloakman's right hand was glowing red; all the heat he had absorbed was tanked in there. He locked eyes with the startled Ryan.

“Goodbye!”, he sped towards Ryan.

“Wait...what...?”

Gbim!

Cloakman sunk his glowing fist into Ryan's torso, causing the latter's eyes to bulge out and his mouth to open wide. He was then one shot into the air, tumbling through the clear skies. He crashed somewhere in the street. No one saw him but they heard his fatal descent.

Cloakman opened his glowing palm and inhaled. His body soon radiated a red glow - which was visible through the seemingly unfettered cloak. He turned towards the flabbergasted Sean and Luke.

“Who's next?”

Sean and Luke made eye contact.

Luke was more or less useless in this situation since he had no access to the man's mind. And he wasn't a good fighter either.

Sean was the only one who had the slightest chance of standing his own against the unknown man. But the man just took down Ryan! The strongest of them! He actually attempted to save him but Cloakman's moves were to sudden. Either way, Sean stood up and approached Cloakman. He had no other option.

“You Know what? I've decided to have compassion”, Cloakman started, “Just surrender and you won't end up like your brother”

‘Really?’, Luke pondered as he watched from the sidelines.

Sean scoffed, “Like i care...”, purple aura swirled around his arms, “...mind you, I'm not my brother...”

‘What!? Now's not the time to flaunt your ego!’, Luke yelled into Sean's mind.

‘Just shut up!’, Sean retorted.

“...So let's get this over with”, he completed his statement.

Cloakman shrugged, “ Very well then”

Sean's eyes suddenly switched to purple. Fumes of purple aura swirled around Cloakman and the latter felt his body become null. He began to levitate against his will and pulled towards Sean like a magnet.

Sean had already constructed a large fist over his right arm, waiting for his target to get close.

As Cloakman drew near, Sean swung his arm and connected a spine rattling blow, that shot Cloakman in and out of a residential building.

The force of the blow was so much that it staggered Sean a few steps back.

Cloakman got on his feet, then began to jog towards Sean.

“Finally. A worthy opponent”, he uprooted his sword along the way and he burst into sprint, with the sword raised aloft.

He swung it down at Sean's neck but the latter quickly exuded a purple wall from the body, repelling the attacker. The wall melted but Sean was no longer behind it. This made Cloakman - who was on a knee - raise a brow.

His ears twitched and his senses spiked. He turned on his heels and knee, pushing his sword up to block an attempted slash by Sean, who now held a sword construct.

Sean's strength was way low compared to Cloakman, so the latter just pushed him back and got on both feet. After a second or two, they rushed towards each other.

Clang! Clang!

They engaged in a classic sword fight.

Sean was good, no doubt. But Cloakman was better! I mean, no one could have been able to control such a large sword with one hand so freely. Such fluidity!

Cloakman blocked Sean's down swing with his forearm, followed by an upward swing with his sword, bashing against Sean's sword, throwing it off his grip.

Surprisingly, Cloakman's forearm was unscathed.

He the twirled on his heels in a complete 360° spin, returning with his sword aimed at Sean's torso. He moved so fast that Sean didn't see him coming. But Cloakman just scraped the sword's tip across the latter's torso, tearing his clothes only.

“What the?”, Sean was beyond shocked.

Cloakman didn't relent, he proceeded to hammer his sword's hilt on the latter's temple, knocking him out cold. He took hold of Luke and did the same. He left the scene, then came back with the unconscious Ryan and rounded the trio beside a police vehicle. After that, he vanished.

The cops just stood frozen at the various hideouts; shocked, confused and relieved at the same time.

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