¶ MEGAMAN¶

CHAPTER SEVEN: Taking a step.

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|Few days later|

|07:30am|

The twilight fog that always descended on the woods at dawn, had began to dessipate, little by little at the rise of the morning sun. The weren't completely gone, their density only got thinner.

Birds sang beautifully in symphony to the rise of morning. Aboreal animals, like squirrels and monkeys hopped from tree to tree to bask in the start of a new day.

Likewise the land animals. Like a white fluffy bunny that hopped fast like its life depended on it. Well, someone was chasing it. What other choice did it have? 

The small person chased after it with a malicious intent, cackling evily....

That was to the bunny's perception though. In actual sense, a child was running after it, laughing uncontrollably, causing the bunny to be far ahead at intervals. 

He was about 3ft tall, with a a fair skin and short brown hair. His irises were blue and he had a pointed nose. He was putting on a red top and jeans shorts, accompanied with Dunlop for his feet. He was non other than Ralph Sylvester, the current host for the Black cosmic force and a foster son to Evex.

The rabbit continued to hop in a sprint, looking for a hole to hide. Ralph was hot on its tail. They had been on this for over ten minutes and the young boy hadn't grown fatigue.

Just then, a burrow was up ahead, pumping the bunny with excitement and it jumped in.

Ralph took the chase so playfully that he had his eyes closed at intervals. By the time he opened his eyes, he had unconsciously passed the bunny's burrow and was confused. As he looked left and right in search of the fluffy creature...

Gbim!

He collided his head against a tree and fell on his butt.

“Ouch!”, he held his head that was throbbing in pain. Tears began to clog in his eyes.

Creak....creak....snap!

The large tree snapped from the point of impact and fell to the other side. Ralph's eyes shrunk in shock, the tears in his eyes dryed up instantly. He then got on his feet as he still ruffled his hair. But, to his amazement again, he felt no pain in his head. Normally, he'd freak out, but Evex had forewarned him of any abnormalities. His lips curved up to a wide smile and he leapt, soaring high above the trees.

“I'm a superhero!”

His voice reverberated across the woods. He hung up there for about a second or two before heeding to gravity's call, as he fell straight down. He screamed like a child, which he was. He was able to leap high, not float...

“Oof!”, he crashed face first into the soil.

He remained there groaning and reminiscing on his foolishness for about a minute or so. He felt his hair sway up. He wasn't moved, thinking it was the wind. But then, something soft and hairy caressed his forehead. This made him tense and precautious. Little by little, he raised his head in intrigue. His eyes fell on the white bunny he was chasing earlier. Its big blue eyeballs looked at the young lad in pity and concern. It was still cautious though, ready to flee if the latter tried any funny movements.

“Hey, little guy”, Ralph whispered as he sat, smiling again.

“Thank you”, he stretched out his palm towards the bunny.

It sniffed, moving its nose consistently as it approached him with caution.

“Come on, it's okay. I won't hurt you”, Ralph said politely.

It rubbed its paws on Ralph's palm at first, causing the latter to giggle as it tickled. It then rested its whole body on the palm in a cuddle. Ralph giggled and lifted the bunny to check its gender. It was a male.

“I'm gonna call you, Theo and we'll be best friends”, Ralph said and softly cuddled the bunny.

‘Wow. He doesn't act his age, now, does he?’, Evex thought watching the young lad from atop a tree.

‘It seems the Cosmic force's effects are kicking in already. He has enhanced senses coupled with enhanced physical condition at this young age. I wonder what he'd become when he's a teenager’, he smiled.

He stood and dropped from the tree, descending like an arrow and finally landing on a knee and fist. His entry startled Ralph and Theo a little.

“Sorry...”, Evex smiled. “I see you've made a new friend, huh?”, he asked looking at the bunny.

”Yes! His name is Theo”, Ralph answered while shining his teeth. 

“Oh. Hi Theo”, Evex waved at the bunny.

“Is it okay if i bring him home?”, Ralph calmly asked.

“It's fine. As long as he doesn't make a mess of the place”, Evex shrugged.

“Yes! Thank you”, Ralph hugged Evex.

The disengaged and Evex squatted, “Looks like the humongous tree didn't stand a chance against you, huh?”

Ralph tilted his head to look at the felled tree, then turned back at Evex. “I don't know how it happened. I hit it with my head and it snapped”

Evex smiled, “Now you see why I've been telling you to be careful of what you do? This is but a small fraction of the ultimate cosmic power embedded in you, young Ralph”

Ralph nodded as he clearly understood. Other kids his age wouldn't understand a thing.

“That means we need to start training as soon as possible”, Ralph suggested.

“What? No. Your body is still fragile and little”, Evex declined.

Ralph raised a brow, ”Really?”, he shifted to the side to allow Evex see the divided tree behind, “Is it?”, he smirked.

“Err...i don't know...”, Evex was contemplating.

“Pretty please?”, Ralph pleaded, holding up Theo as both of them gave cute puppy faces.

Evex sighed in defeat; the lad was smart, no doubt. “Okay. Fine. But we're going slow and steady”

“Yes! Yes!”, Ralph danced around in joy. 

He was so engrossed in it that he mistakenly threw Theo up, above the tree lines.

“Theo!”, he yelled in fear.

Evex caught Theo in time before he touched the ground, then looked at Ralph angrily.

Ralph smiled sheepishly, “Slow and steady it is”

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|The Mega lab|

|The roof|

Dr.Martin, his wife – Elains Martins and his four year old son – Shane Martin, were standing on the wide roof of the facility.

He was clad in a short sleeve multicolour shirt, black trousers and shoes. Eliane was clad in a blue gown that stopped below her knees. Shane was standing between them, beaming with smiles as he enjoyed the grand view from up there and how the wind blew against his face.

Dr.Martin had laid off all his workers after the meteor explosion. The Mega lab, being the epicenter of the omnidirectional explosion, was more overwhelmed than the rest of the city. Some workers were severly injured, while some got burnt to crisp. The ones that got powers when out of control.

He was struck with shame, regret and disappointment. He felt it was best to let them go. And also because he wanted to spend quality time with his family. His work had always kept him away.

Shane clasped and pulled Dr.Martin's trousers continuously. His father bent and lifted him.

“I like the view from up here, dad”, Shane said.

“I know, it's nice. And guess what? One day, when you're mature enough, this whole facility will be yours, my son”, Dr.Martin sighed.

“Ya think he knows what you're saying?”, Elaine asked with her classic black american accent.

“I don't want to be a scientist, dad. I want to be a cop!”, Shane proudly said as he held a funny facial expression, which he thought was looking bold.

“What?”, Dr.Martin was surprised.

“Looks like he does”, Elaine couldn't help but laugh.

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|West Avenue|

Residents gathered round a two-storey building that blazed in flames. Fire fighters were already at the scene, trying their best to put out the flames with their water hoses, but it just intensified instead.

“What in the world?”, the Fire Chief marveled.

The building shook a bit and a part of its wall came crumbling down. Onlookers scampered to safety.

”This is bad. We have a woman and her kid in there!”, the Fire Chief exclaimed.

The building shook again, this time with much more intensity. Everyone knew what was going to happen next, so they fled the scene completely, including the fire fighters.

Shatter!

Every window in the building shattered to shards of glasses as the whole structure came crashing down.

”Oh no!”

Everyone froze in dismay.

“Chief! Look!”, another fire fighter called the attention of the Chief towards a man in a golden cloak, crouching as he carried a subconscious lady and child in his arms. He stood up afterwards.

Everyone was marvelled.

It was Cloakman and he's saved their lives, again.

The firefighters quickly ran up to him and collected the lady and baby. They had black layers of smoke on them.

“Give them first aid and oxygen as fast as you can. They've inhaled a lot of harmful carbon”, Cloakman ordered.

“Hey! Cloakman!”, Marc called as he ran up to him.

“Thank you for saving our lives the other time”, he appreciated amidst pants, bowing involuntarily as he did so.

He heard no reply, so he decided to look up, only to see that Cloakman was long gone.

Marc gasped.

|20 minutes later|

|At a bar|

“Well, that was rude”, Flynn said and laughed.

“Yeah. Who does he think he is?”, Marc was furious. He gulped down a cup of vodka and slammed the cup on the counter.

“Easy there, Marc. Why take it so personal?”, Flynn asked.

“All I'm trying to do is build a stable relationship with him, to make him work with C.C.P.D....”, Marc gritted his teeth.

“And how are you gonna do that? Beat him up and drag him to the station?”, Flynn scoffed.

Marc sighed, “We're gonna hunt this man down!”

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