#now i've stocked up on inspiration and anger at the very end of Stream's last episode haha]]

[tomahawk-swing]

☯ Fighting Duo! :0

send me ‘☯ + a scene from my characters canon’ and i will drabble it from my character’s POV. 

The end was near.

All these fights, the weeks of defending Densan City, of defending the Earth against the Asteroids - all lead to this final battle. The last boss was standing there, too many meters above the ground, towering above the CrossFusion Members. Regal’s dead corpse laid between them, a reminder of the fate that awaited the whole squad, should them stand up to Duo.

And behind the giant Navi, the void. The Earth used to be there. 

Dingo wanted to scream and shout, but he felt Tomahawkman hold him back. There was no longer a planet for the move to revolve around, no longer a home for him to come back to. Shanka, Maha, Dekao … Everyone was gone, except for the CrossFusion team. 

They were humanity’s last hope. The entire weight of humankind rested on their shoulders.

Duo’s voice filled the void once more, but nobody dared to move. Standing at the back of the group, CF Tomahawkman spared a second to observe his teammates. Some looked shocked, others looked outright desperate, but they all knew that any kind of action was pointless. Duo had just wiped out the entire planet - what could an operator and their Navi do against that kind of monster ?

Dingo couldn’t process any of what Duo said. Technology, evolution, mistakes … Elimination. None of it made any sense to him. All he knew was that his friends were dead, and that his entire planet had disappeared into pixel dust. 

Don’t do anything stupid, Dingo. We need to move as a group ! Tomahawkman reminded his operator, when he felt Dingo try to step forward. Just as he spoke to his operator’s ears, a silhouette leapt into the sky.

CF Colonel was the first - and only - of the CrossFusion team to try and stand up to Duo. Was he braver than the rest of the team ? Or did he realize that they had nothing left to lose, aside from their own lives ?

His attempt was in vain. CF Colonel was sent flying to the ground in a flash of light, and the rest of the group shared a single gasp. They all realized it now : if they didn’t stand up to this gigantic alien, no one else would.

“Let’s fight, everyone !” Netto’s voice boomed, resonating deep within the hearts and cores of each of his comrades. 

Nobody needed any orders, any explanations. CF Tomahawkman took a spot in line, his axe firmly brandished, ready to attack as soon as everyone else was ready. Dingo and Tomahawkman believed that with CrossFusion, they had discovered the true meaning of teamwork ; but now that they stood alongside the rest of the team, with the fate of humankind in their hands, they truly realized how important it was for humans and Navis to have each other’s backs.

Resolve filled CF Tomahawkman’s eyes. He tightened his grip around his axe, his gaze set dead on the enemy. Duo might be a gigantic Navi from outer space, but surely, there had to be a way to beat him ! There was nothing this axe couldn’t slice through-

There was another, blinding flash of light. Everything went black.

Dingo !! Hang in there, Dingo ! Can you hear me ?! Tomahawkman’s yelling voice eventually woke Dingo up. Despite the massive hit they had taken, their CrossFusion hadn’t broken apart.

A warm sensation prickled at Dingo’s hand. Through half-open eyes, he saw his palm light up under CF Tomahawkman’s glove, and witnessed Duo’s crest rise up from his skin. The glowing symbol floated in the air, and faded away along with everyone else’s. 

Duo’s trial was over. They had failed.

CF Tomahawkman felt his consciousness slip away again. When the two partners opened their eyes again, they were no longer sharing the same body.

The moment he regained consciousness, Tomahawkman rushed to his operator’s side. He heaved the boy against one of his knees, and immediately checked his pulse. He didn’t even realize that, for the first time in his short life, he was holding his operator in his arms.

Dingo’s eyes twitched under their eyelids, and heavily opened. A very faint smile tugged at Dingo’s lips when he saw the concern on his Navi’s face.

“It’s weird …” Dingo whispered. “Seeing your face for real …”

“Don’t waste your breath …” Tomahawkman sighed. A smile formed at his lips as well, a smile of relief. They had both believed that Duo was going to kill them.

Tomahawkman gently let go of his operator, and let the boy slide to the floor again. He didn’t lose his smile as he got up, and exchanged a glance with the twelve other Navis. This battle wasn’t over yet.

Duo’s offers tore a chuckle from Tomahawkman. After all the destruction, after all the death - after he had directly attacked Dingo, did Duo really believe that they were going to betray their human partners ?

Every Navi had their input, their thoughts on the matter. “If I wasn’t here, who’d take care of Dingo ?” Tomahawkman pointed out, a smirk spreading across his face. Truly, the boy would be lost without him - literally.

Duo didn’t appreciate hearing his offer denied. Tomahawkman’s smile faded into a nervous scowl : this time, Duo was going to pull the trigger for real.

Like hell we’ll let you delete them … Dingo thought to himself. He could feel his heart resonate with those around him, a new surge of hope coursing through the thirteen human souls. Dingo wasn’t going to die with his face against the ground.

“Dingo …!” Tomahawkman called out in stupor as his operator rose to his feet, his arms slightly stretched by his sides.

Dingo had unconsciouly chosen a pose halfway between protection and aggression. He was ready to grab his tomahawk, no matter how puny the weapon was against a giant alien Navi. He was even ready to throw a punch at that gigantic foot ; he’d be happy with even grazing that monster’s armor.

Thirteen humans stood to protect their Navis. Baffled by this act of resistance from an inferior, imperfect species, Duo had no other choice that to eliminate them all. 

Dingo and Tomahawkman braced themselves. Surely, this time, the end had come. They would die standing on their feet, resolve carved into their faces. At least Shanka and the rest won’t wait too long, Dingo thought, as he closed his eyes for the last time.

But the end didn’t come. 

A shouting voice forced Dingo’s eyes open. Once again, Barrel had stepped forward, this time to offer himself a sacrifice. Dingo had never really understood who this man really was, not did he really understand why his sacrifice would put an end to the war, but it was too late to ask.

A bittersweet taste filled Dingo’s mouth. Even if Duo accepted this deal, and if Barrel really went on with his insane suggestion, it wouldn’t really feel like winning. A twinge of guilt tugged at his heart, powerlessness made him clench his fists. It was unfair, to let Barrel and Colonel shoulder the entire weight of mankind - to win this battle without even a proper fight.

Dingo heard Netto scream out the man’s name, and saw the duo rise into the dark skies. The deal was sealed.

There was another flash of light, and Duo disappeared. Dingo and Tomahawkman covered their eyes as the sky exploded, and trillions of tiny pixels gathered to recreate the Earth where they were born, and where their loved ones, hopefully, had returned to life.

An invisible hand wrapped around Dingo’s waist, and the landscape around him disappeared. The next thing he knew, he was floating in the air above a pit of bright light, with his eleven comrades around him. He could feel his PET’s weight against his stomach, and hoped that Tomahawkman was there as well.

Dingo was the last to step out of the light, and land safely back on ground. They were greeted by Dr. Hikari and Meijin, unscathed and unaware of the fact that they had just been brought back to life along with 99.99% of humankind.

After checking that Tomahawkman was alive (albeit in sleep mode), Dingo had a glance above his shoulder, then down at the palm of his right hand. Duo would never come to Earth again. They had failed the test, but thanks to Barrel’s sacrifice, humankind was allowed to live on.

One more surprise awaited the group. A vaguely familiar voice rang above their heads, and an even more familiar face appeared on the screen behind them. The sight of Barrel, now an elder, reminded Dingo of the sacrifice that had been necessary in order to save everyone. He felt reassured by the smile on the man’s face - his journey had been a long, but fulfilling one. 

The screen went black again, and Dingo felt the rest of the group hold their breaths. They all seemed to realize that, finally, the battle was over.

Dingo’s first thoughts went to Shanka. He would need to visit her as soon as possible, even if it took every single Zenny of his savings. 

But even before that … He needed a good plate of MaHa Ichiban curry.

#iiguess #drabble #[[well that took the whole evening to write x) 2 good hours #i'd been thinking about this for nights on end and then got a huge depressive spell over the afternoon #now i've stocked up on inspiration and anger at the very end of Stream's last episode haha]] #Rockman.exe