Chapter 7: Big O VS Big Gamma

Roger fired an Arc Line to get Big Gamma's attention. Big Gamma turned around and faced him. Dr. Paneel and Dr. Pallack's voices came across the comm, sounded like an eerie, echoing oily screech, as they had merged into one body, in order to pilot Big Gamma.

"Negotiator, what a pleasant surprise! But your efforts are futile. For you see, we have become one! And we have become one with Big Gamma! You cannot stop us."

Indeed, they connected themselves to Big Gamma to control it better from their single body. Roger placed himself and Big O in front of them.

"Whoever the hell you are, I'm not gonna let you destroy the city. Either crawl back to the grave where you belong or give me the pleasure of sending you there!" Roger yelled.

"HA! The city? You think too small, Negotiator! We are on the verge of resetting the world!"

"Stop this now before a bunch of innocent people get hurt!"

"Unfortunately, Negotiator, we have waited three resets to finish what we started, and we have taken measures to make sure Wayneright's brat does not interfere this time or the little Angel child. We have finally harnessed the energy of creation and turned into a much greater power than ever before! We will reborn the city into the image it was always meant to be. BIG GAAMMMAAA! SHOWTIME!"

"BIG O! ACTION!"

Big O and Big Gamma both threw the first punch, meeting halfway. There was a loud bang and a sound wave from the speed and force suddenly crashing into each other. The sea around them sloshed around, sending waves crashing onto the sea wall on the surrounding shores. Roger held the joycon in place, struggling as Big Gamma tried to push back.

"Crow Boy, I'm getting massive energy readings off that thing. Fight smart! Don't get caught in a power struggle!"

Roger heard Beck on the comm and swung his left arm, still free, making contact in Big Gamma's abdominal, and fired the Tri-Sudden Impact on both arms. Beck had been right. The force of the attack was strong, but it pushed Big O back, gaining distance now. The fight was on.

However, there was no damage on Big Gamma. Roger grimaced, but fired two moby dick anchors at Big Gamma, controlling the rocket propelled anchors around and around until he wrapped Big Gamma in the chain.

"Beck, can you find weaknesses on this thing?" Roger called back into the comm, trying to hold Big Gamma in place to stall for time.

"I'm trying Crow Boy, but this thing is powered up to the max. Do not take any direct hits until I can figure out what's going on."

"Weaknesses?" cried the doctors, "Try a taste of your own medicine, Negotiator!"

An Arc Line beam fired Big Gamma's eyes and Big O held up his arm to block. There was an explosion, which shook the cockpit. Roger held on tight. The chains attached to the anchors broke free and Big Gamma freed itself from the chains.

"That doesn't feel normal," he said tensely.

Roger looked on the center console and found that Big O had sustained damage to the outer part of his arm, Level 3.

"Level 3 damage, but how?!"

"GOD DAMNNIT CROW BOY! CAN'T YOU DODGE?"

Roger braced himself, moving the foot pedals and the joy con arms, going in for another attack.

BAM!

Big Gamma once again blocked it, but Big O was now close. Roger pressed a button on the right side of his console, firing a Chromebuster at close range. There was a flash of bright pink light, followed by an explosion. Roger once again put distance between Big O and Big Gamma, breathing hard. But through the cloud of smoke, Big Gamma emerged rapidly, throwing a punch, its saw cuffs whirling fast. Roger had seconds to react, redirected the arm upward with a block, feeling it hit Big O's shoulder, but sending them flying back and landing into the water.

Roger was breathing hard now. This fight was definitely far from over. Roger maneuvered Big O, making him get up. Big Gamma remained standing from his last attack and didn't approach him.

They're toying with us. They're seeing what we got.

The thought of this infuriated Roger, but anger gave way to worry. If they were that confident in Big Gamma's power, Roger needed to think of something, and fast.

"Negotiator, we have two years to study your technique! You're washed up. Bow down before the power that is Big Gamma!"

Roger grimaced.

"Tch! He thinks he can win this fight with no problems. Big O, let's show him what we're made of!"

Roger drew the joy con back, twisting it and releasing it, waiting for the O Thunder joy con to rise. Once it finished its assembly, Roger grabbed it and quickly moved it forward, firing the O Thunder at Big Gamma. The plasma gatling gun fire erupted from Big O's arm, firing multiple shots in Big Gamma's direction before a large plasma circle closed in on the target and exploded on contact.

Roger steadied his breath, the smoke immersing their target. Roger felt the earth shake beneath him and saw Big Gamma emerge from the smoke, looking scratched up, but otherwise, no damage sustained from his last attack.

"Beck! Give me something!"

"Crow Boy, I'm trying, but this thing… it's just keeps taking your beatings like they're nothing! AH CRAP!"

"What's going on…"

But the momentary distraction was all Big Gamma and the doctors needed, firing a furious number of punches at Big O, sending Roger back. Roger held tight, feeling his head rattle from the loud clangs and fired two more hip anchors into the ground to prevent himself from falling down once more. As he steadied himself, Roger saw Big Gamma closing in the gap, bearing down on him once again. Roger moved both joycons and foot pedals forward and Big Gamma and Big O became locked in a power struggle, each one trying to gain ground over the other.

"You're out of your league, Negotiator! Surrender now and your death will be painless!"

"Like hell I will!"

"Why are you so insistent on fighting us? Join us! Join us in resetting world in our perfect image and we will spare your former android!"

"Everyone in this world shouldn't have their fate decided by someone who doesn't understand them! You walk on the path of darkness and despair, too weak to seek a better answer than what was given to you so many years ago! Dorothy would never forgive me if I joined you! Her heart, whether human or android, is worth more than that image of the world you have! I made a promise that no matter how bad things got, I would never give up! I'll protect her with my very life! AND I STAND BY THAT NOW!"

He felt the necklace from Dr. Plebanski on his chest inside his shirt. He needed to solve this case and conclude terms and he would. For Angel, for his friends, for himself, for Dorothy. So that they could be free.

"THEN YOU LEAVE US NO CHOICE BUT TO DESTROY YOU!"

"Big O, we won't let this world be consumed by darkness again! Big Gamma, SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT AND I'LL GIVE YOU MY BEST! I WON'T LET YOU DESTROY THE WORLD!" roared Roger.

************************

Beck became distracted by a loud explosion. Norman, at the beginning of the fight, had detected a large swarm of enemies approaching the mansion, and had gone up stairs to defend the home from invasion on the roof facing the south end. Many carcasses of robots had fallen onto the street by his steady hands and machine gun he had been using.

"What the hell, Gramps? Are you alright up there?" Beck yelled into the speaker for the house.

"Quite jolly, Mr. Beck! Please don't worry about me, I have this under control! Please continue assisting Master Roger!"

One robot had got too close which caused the loud explosion. Norman adjusted his aim once again.

"You sons of bitches are quite the cowardly bunch to attack while Master Roger is gone! No matter, that's what the 50 BMG is for!"

Norman fired another round at one of the robots trying to descend onto the roof. The robot was torn to pieces.

"Obviously, these are not very well built, but their numbers do make up in size…WHOA!"

Norman took cover on the ground seeing a large volley of fire power move upward, the robots that had been descending upon the mansion, now erupting into balls of fire. Norman covered his head from the falling debris. The robots were gone. Norman looked up and slowly got himself to his feet, dusting off his jacket. He grabbed his high-powered rifle, carefully approaching the edge of the railing, but then he heard Dastun called up via the comm.

"Are you alright up there, Norman?"

"Chief Dastun, sir! Thank you for the assistance!"

"My pleasure. But we got a problem. We got an opposition of tanks coming here. Not sure if there's more robots coming. I think they think Dorothy's still here, but I know you're helping Roger with the fight. I got four squads here to help with this part of the fight. Once we can push that opposition back, I'll leave a squad here."

"Say no more, Chief Dastun! I'll be more than happy to join the fight!"

"But what about Roger?"

"I have complete faith in Master Roger and Mr. Beck's skills. They will win this fight."

"Well, I could use the manpower and any extra firepower."

"Say no more and I'll bring extra presents out for our special guests."

Norman hurried back inside to go downstairs to raid his weapons cache, to see what else he could carry and loan out to the officers and Dastun.

******

"YOU'RE ON THE OFFENSIVE CROW BOY! KEEP GOING!" yelled Beck, jumping up and down.

But Roger was not focused on comm. Roger had gained ground and was now firing a furious number of punches at Big Gamma, forcing it back from the main channel of the river where it met the sea, away from the bridge. His arms were aching from moving the joycons back and forth in quick succession, but he didn't dare stop. It was the first attack they had gained the upper hand, finally delivering an uppercut to knock Big Gamma off balance.

"BIG O! NOW'S OUR CHANCE!"

He slammed open the lid housing the Missile Cannon Party controls and he slapped his hand on all of them. Rockets and machine gun fired at Big Gamma, causing multiple explosions. But Roger didn't stop there. He fired an Arc Line into the cloud of the smoke, resulting in another explosion. Roger's breathing tensed, but he kept up the attack, firing one more beam attack, and then finishing with a Chromebuster into the cloud, resulting in another large explosion. Roger took a few steps back, breathing hard.

"Way to go, Crow Boy!"

"Shut up, Beck! We're not done yet…" growled Roger.

Roger saw a shadow move from the smoke and out stepped Big Gamma. Roger's attack had only resulted in soot on the armor.

"What's this thing powered with? That should've done something!" yelled Beck

"It's Dark Matter, which got corrupted by humanity when they decided to play with it."

"What the hell is that?"

"I don't understand it myself, I didn't really have time to ask what it was made of when I was with Big Ear. All I know is that it's made this megadeus impervious to any of my attacks."

How can we counter something like that?

"Hmm… this fight is getting boring. I think it's time we take off the training wheels and show the Negotiator our real strength, Big Gamma!" screeched the scientists.

Big Gamma suddenly moved quickly and closed the distance. Roger tried to guard, but was too slow, sustaining damage to the abdomen on Big O. The center comm began beeping loudly. Level 2 and Level 3 damaged had been sustained. Big O was still standing, Roger breathing hard. He put up his guard again as Big Gamma came in for another round of punches, this time with the saw cuffs going on each arm.

It's like every time this thing hits me, it deals a lot of damage. It must have something to do with that energy Big Ear talked about…

Roger yelled as Big Gamma broke his guard once again, sustaining two punches in the center of Big O's chest plate. Roger struggled to regain balance in Big O, but then saw the flash of an Arc Line beam from Big Gamma. It smashed into Big O, causing a loud explosion.

Beck saw the damage on the console. Level 4 had been sustained to the chest area, near the cockpit.

"SMITH!" yelled Beck.

TO BE CONTINUED

Next - Act 34: War's End