*(A/N: The real chapter names are in here, there's just a little...2 in 1.)*

(MMSF OST: "Rocket Shooter" SpaceSimComp Theme)

[Part 1 : "Duck Hunting. . ."]

Valor and MegaMan are in the SpaceSim's Comp, with Cygnus' underlings in the way, they'll need to get through them first!  

After that humorous encounter and talk with those flying ducks, MegaMan sighed. "I'd never thought I'd get obliterated by a bunch of ducks that can shoot stars..."

"Alright, so, how do we get those ugly ducklings that're shooting stars at us?"  Valor looked up at her "helmet", where Chroma's head basically is at.

Chroma was the first to reply, who was putting a finger on his lower, pointed jaw (which was Val's).

He pointed. "Funny enough, you guys should look over there." Across the black platform where the Duckies had tried to destroy them, "See that rocket?" They saw it mounted at the distance. "Perhaps we don't need to find a way to fly, you know." He sent a short, impish chuckle.

"Where are you getting at, Chroma?" MegaMan asked.

"Haha, I like where this is going." Omega chimed in.

"Oh, I see heehee! I guess we could ROAST someone other than Cygnus!" MegaMan has an 'O' for a mouth.

Omega-Xis laughed, "since they're the reason why we can't reach Cygnus yet, we gotta blast those Duckies! The place should return to normal and that planet in our way should disappear." They both nodded. "Well? What are we waiting for?! Let's GO!!"

MegaMan was being dragged by Omega-Xis, "ouch! Don't pull my arm off! Geez..." Then, they all took off running.

Val shouted over the exploding stars as the Quacky Lackeys did the Dance of Stars, "you handle the other five, while we do four!!"

"Ack!" He dodged the star. "Why do I have to do FIVE?!"

"Because I said so! Haha!" They both separated by taking opposite directions when the path forked. 'And because I don't want to do anything.'

The pathways were like space, but rather, much more indigo colored. The sky was made of constellations, though, some of the stars formed unusual images and not the ones that everyone knows. Like Taurus, Scorpious, or Capricorn.

As she passed a few turns when the path became tangled into a mess, she reached a rocket. It was the typical, red-tipped missile that'd you'd expect to see in cartoons.

The duck snickered, "*Quaaack!* You think you can hit me?!"

"You better watch your butt, because I'll make roasted duck outta you!" She grabbed the rocket.

The Cygnus servant flew in circles, taunting her by doing its *quack* noises. '(Ugh, I'm going to get tired of that!)'

She released it!

*Boom!*

"*Quaaaaack!!* L- Lord Cygnuuuuuuuuuussssssssss!!"

*thud.*

"Such a bunch of idiots..." Chroma and Val watched it fall as the little avian became burnt.

'(I have no idea if that was meant to be and they do that on purpose... Or if that's just it... It looks so comical...)' Valor stared.

As she continued on, she heard an explosion go off in the distance, followed by a high-pitched *quack* not long after. She could only imagine Omega-Xis laughing hysterically at the poor ducklings...

Unfortunately, more enemies came, a familiar bird and electrical foe went in front of her."Urgh, viruses. Let's do this quick!"

She narrowly dodged the Crowcars, that zoomed with its blade-like wings. The ZapAces where charging up, Val chose to go after those first since she's in Aqua Form.

"I'm not going to waste my time!" She sliced it with her own blades and zipped to the side, taking note of the incoming crows. "Heh, c'mon!" The Crowcars flew, "right in range... " Valor inhaled, then right before they slashed her, she defeated them with her freezebreath!

"Valor, move!" Chroma bellowed, even though he didn't need to shout.

"Ah!" She got hit by a star, sending her flying! The ducks laughed, pointing at her."Oh, I'm so going to blast them!! Ow..." Jumping away from the danger zone, she rubbed her head.

-5 HP
[VALOR - 145 HP]

"You alright?"

Valor growled. "No, I'm gonna burn them!" A vein popped out of her forehead, which Chroma found amusing.

She skated, getting to another rocket, "*Quaaaaack!!* I loved the way you flew! You flopped like a fish! *Quaaaaack!* Just try to hit me!!"

The laughing fit fueled her anger. "Grrrr.... I'll be sure this rocket hits its mark, you Cygnus-wannabees!" 

"*QUAAACK!* That sounds about righ... Wait a second!!! WANNABEES?!?!" 

She gripped the rocket, "Take this!" Fire spat out from the rocket's thruster, like a jet.

"*Quaaack!!* Nooooo!!" It scrambled, panicking and shouting.

*Boom!*

"There gonna wish we weren't able to fight them, instead of being up there."  She huffed. The missiles weren't the kind that would tail those devil birds, she really had to aim and time it.

"I wouldn't mind finding out what they taste like." She shook her head. 'How would he eat one while in this form? Now's not the time...'

*thud.*

Somewhere, she saw the missile fly its way to one of those ducks, and exploded like fireworks when it hit. The yellow duckling was now burnt to a crisp, blackened and dropped dead like a fly.

After Valor (with a fed up expression...) demolished her 3rd sitting duck, MegaMan also took down another. Upon seeing that they're slowly decreasing in numbers, the Quacky Lackeys became very paranoid, suddenly, they all were starting to summon a barrage of stars!

Valor, who was unfortunately in a four-way path, was the one being targeted...

"*QUAAAAACK!!!* TAKE DOWN THAT LOBSTER! REPOSTION!!"

"L- Lobster?!?! Why- AH!!!" Completely forgetting that, there was a storm of shooting stars!

"Go! Valor!!"

She swiftly dashed, narrowly avoiding both the stars and the blast radius of them! "Uragh!"

-5 HP
[VALOR - 140 HP]

To her misfortune, before she reached the outside edge of the dark platform, the star crashed into her from the sky. She got propelled.

"*Quaaaack!* Look at that flying lobster!" They roared into laughter once again.

"Call us lobsters one more time, and their going to wish they had never existed!!" Chroma yelled.

As another rocket hit right on the mark, the Duckies that were too busy laughing, exploded.

"*Quaaaaaaaaaaaack!!* No!!!!" Being the last bird left, it flew around frantically.

"Time to blow you sky high!!" Val, with an evil smirk, got the missile and activated it.

She let it fly!

"*Quaaack...* L- Lord Cygnus, f- forgive meeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!" It cried, watching the missile before it collided... To the bottom.

*Boom!*

"Now that's what I like to call the 4th of July! Barbecuing ducks and watching fireworks!" She got the last laugh.

Returning to the meeting point, the planet that blocked them had been broken down into nothing but little data.

"Time to get that sissy bird creep!" Omega-Xis eagerly said with a little chuckle at the end.

With a low growl, Chroma spoke. "I want some payback, blowing those birds to bits still didn't satisfy my anger..."

"What happened?..." MegaMan asked reluctantly.

"You don't want to know, I bet Omega will call us that too..." She crossed her arms and grumbled, both Val and Omega glaring at each other for a quick second. "Enough of that, we need to hurry for the sake of others..."

"Yeah."

[Part 2 : "To Show White Feathers."]

They both proceeded...

Cygnus and Dubius was there, in front of the system's control and monitor. He stood tall, straight, and his wings flapped gently behind him. He looked graceful, from afar, one would mistake him to be an elegant swan. However, upon approaching him; who stood still in place and silent; the shiny and razor-sharp glint of his feathers proudly showed it's deadliness. There was a heavy sense of evil around him...

"We've got you now!" MegaMan boldly announced.

"Hmm?" The tension in the air intensified as he slowly turned around, his eyes gave a death glare at the duo, as if they're the most disgusting scums of the planet. MegaMan couldn't help but shudder a bit under his threatening gaze, Valor glanced at the huge monitor at the back; she looked at everyone who's running out of oxygen, clenching her hands tightly. "Humans? Here? Who are you?" His voice laced with hatred, he narrowed his eyes.

"Hey, Cygnus." MegaMan's partner replied, scanning at the enemy before him. Valor took on a stance, staying quiet.

Another voice sounded, surprised at his presence. "I- Impossible! Omega-Xis?" He chuckled lowly, smirking at him. "Heh, heh, heh, heh. I'm surprised to have run into you, and what is that form? It looks like you fused with a tiny child."

Omega snapped back, "what about you?! Aren't you using a weakling of a man?" Cygnus scowled. "Before you fused with him, he could never have  brought himself to do something like this."

Val spoke, demanding an answer, "what did you do to him?!" Cygnus stared down at her, disgusted by her human emotions.

He took a look at her, taking in every detail; which made Valor slightly creeped out. "And who might you be?"

"I am Chroma. Just like my partner and ally, we're here to tear you to shreds for this! I have no interest to let something like the Andromeda Key to be taken, just to reawaken a being to destroy worlds!" He growled menacingly, who has taken his real form and appeared right by her side.

Cygnus spat, "Pah! Are you one of those who has witnessed the true power of our king?" Chroma gritted his teeth, he was on extreme edge, even Val couldn't understand. "Heh, heh, heh, heh. No matter... I will answer your question," his calm and cold laugh rang throughout the area. "I didn't do anything to him. This was what he wanted, isn't that so?"

"Wh- what?..." Valerie asked almost inaudible, her partner vanished.

"I was betrayed..."

--
Outside of the Comp. . .
--

Everyone who was under the influence of the Swan Dance were getting exhausted, the SpaceSim's lack of air as well as the low oxygen were soon going to take a deathly toll on everyone. All three of them inside of the machine were being shown on each of the screens that were built into the jet-black contraption.

The person in the blue-colored spacesuit saw all of them, "Those two on the monitor... Is that MegaMan? That wasn't a dream?..." Staring at Val, "I never got that one's name... Just who are they?..."

If Luna had never remembered that Valor was part of the reason why she's alive, she would have called her a monster; Val didn't look anything like a human, unlike MegaMan. But this was the second time she has seen her along side with her blue hero; though, something did seem a bit different about that person the last time she saw Valor...

Cygnus Wing bellowed, anger and spite seeped into his own tone. "The FlapPack was MY invention! Aaron....... He!......." Tom couldn't even say it all at once. "He claimed it was his own!!"

He unfolded his white wings, and with a powerful gust, he was in the air! Valor and MegaMan tensed, she crouched lower; blades at her sides, and MegaMan readied his buster; pointing at Cygnus Wing!

"It's not true! I never claimed that, I swear!!" Aaron shouted, wishing all this to stop.

Cygnus Wing craned his head to the side, giving a side glance towards his hated colleague. His eyes brimming with utmost fury and anger, his voice was eerily tranquil again. "Hmm? You can hear us, Aaron?" He grimaced, saying his name with such loathe. "Hmph, those were some ugly lies you just spewed there."

"But it's the truth! I absolutely, positively never claimed that! I would never steal anyone's invention!" Mr. Boreal desperately begged, but in response, Dubius laughed. A heartless and merciless one.

"Aaron..." A baleful smile danced across his face. "I want to thank you, because you are the one who made me realize that betrayal is the essence of society!!" His smile formed into an ugly sullen look.

"It's like he's been brainwashed." Val mumbled.

--

He turned back towards the two, rising in the air bit by bit. His posture was still holding it's elegance, 'if only we could fly...' Valerie thought.

Omega groaned, "It's hopeless! This guy won't listen!"

"So now what?" Megaman looked at him.

"We use brute force, what else! We have to, it's all up to us!" Both MegaMan and Omega gazed at his silver white wings.

"We have to hurry too, those EM viruses don't look too friendly."

"Valor's right, they're getting restless back there." Chroma said, who's still furious.

"Omega-Xis." Cygnus started. "The Andromeda Key is with you yes? In that case, I'll be taking it back." Val and Chroma stepped forward with a determined glimmer in their eyes, growling. "Heh, heh, heh, heh, here I come!" The duo readied themselves.

"I won't be betrayed again. If you want betrayal, if you want to feel the pain of betrayal..." He had a twisted scowl on his face, "Then I will be the one to deal it in spades!"

"Here he comes! Rock his world!" Omega shouted, there was a sound of eagerness and fire in it.

"Wave Battle!

Ride On!!"

"Cygnus Feather!" He prepared to release his attack! Fluttering his large wings, he whipped them with a quick jerk, unleashing a barrage of knife-like feathers!

They embedded itself down the rows, MegaMan vaulted to his left, firing his MegaBuster while Valor went to the right, charging her energy.

He landed on the ground, since all of his feathers were gone. But the feathers too, also began to deteriorate, leaving deep gashes on the floor.

"Take this, WideSwrd!" The blue bomber dashed ahead with the help of his partner, slicing him!

"Uragh! Why you!" He grasped his arm.

-80 HP
[CYGNUS WING - 520 HP]

Valor had it ready. "Swan's Dance!" He spun zipping to MegaMan with sharp wings, cutting the air!

"MegaMan!" At the calling of his name, he dodged! She skimmed across, with Cygnus right in her line of fire. "I heard birds don't like the cold!" She taunted, "raghhhhhh!!"

She roared, letting out a frigid wave of ice! Val hopped away, her mouth had a visible, cold trail of mist oozing out.

-40 HP
[CYGNUS WING - 480 HP]

"Curse this ice!" A skin of frost formed over his right wing, rendering it useless!

"How 'bout we melt it for ya?" Omega yelled, "let's heat things up!"

"HeatBall1!!" Using this chance, MegaMan used a BattleCard!

"With an extra bit of punch!" Omega snidely added.

He threw the explosive, and the size and energy from it was more than a normal one that Val last remember using...

The veil of an icy fog and huge, black smoke from that bomb had dropped the visibility by a lot. They couldn't even see him...

-60(+10) HP
[CYGNUS WING - 410 HP]

A blur of black and white flashed by!

"What the?!- Urg!" Valor got pecked on and swarmed by white birds! "Get off me!! OW!"

-20
[VALOR - 120 HP]

MegaMan was having trouble himself, unlike the ducks, they were actual Cygnets that were plucking them with their sharp beaks. "Ack! That hurts!!"

-20 HP
[MEGAMAN - 125 HP]

"What kind of coward are you to would use underlings against your opponents?!" Omega uttered out, biting the birds furiously.

They chased them away, as Cygnus laughed, "as long as I get that Andromeda Key, it doesn't matter who's a coward or not!"

Chroma grunted, "this isn't good..."

"What?"

"The viruses are getting attracted again. Like our last little feud with MegaMan."

True enough, viruses started to appear. It may seem little in numbers, but it'll grow and it'll be trouble if the duo can't stop Dubius soon!

"I'll slice you into pieces! Cygnus Feather!" Using his regenerated feathers, he was going to unleash it again!

"Not so fast!" Thanks to her icy attack earlier, it had formed a frosty layer over the ground, allowing her to skitter across even faster! "ThndrBall1!!"

*ZZZZZT!!!*

Catching him off guard, she zommed near him and fired a fearsome ball of electricity! Although very slow, it didn't matter since she was right next to him.

"Uragh!!" The shock made him paralyzed!

She slid to the side. "Hiya!" Appearing above him, it was then MegaMan's turn to slash him with a green blade! As usual, after using it, it also disintegrated into nothing.

-80 HP
-80 HP
[CYGNUS WING - 250 HP]

"Uragh! Get those fools!!" Cygnus Wing commanded, seemingly losing his composure little by little as the battle goes on.

"Yes, Lord Cygnus!"

"Oh no, not again!!" Valor and Chroma growled, "I've had it with these birds! FireRing1!!" Just like the rockets, she burnt them and turned the flock into charcoal. They fled, with their tail feathers behind their legs. Most notably, it was the white-feathered birds that were the most timid ones.

Rolloing across the battlefield, the ring of fire was heading towards Cygnus Wing!

[CYGNUS WING - 250 HP]

He dodged it by the hair, er, feather; Val caught it and it was snuffed out and vanished unto thin air. "Crud... It was so close." She cursed. 'If I was a tad bit more accurate...'

She whipped her blades out, it made a deadly, clear sound of a *shing...* that echoed.

With the help of Chroma's aim, she shifted her feet and prepared to slice him again!

"Agh!" Right when she zipped towards him, they materialized in front of her and she hand to back away. "Dang it, these viruses are in our way." A cloud of them appeared, blocking them from Cygnus.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh! You're outnumbered! It's pointless to continue this fight!" Cyngus yelled with triumph, laughing.

They fought off a horde of enemies, one of those electric viruses had zapped MegaMan, because Valor was an element disadvantage! "Crud! MegaMan!"

-20 HP
[MEGAMAN - 105 HP]

She had pulled out a BattleCard, "MegaMan, catch! Wha?! H- hey!!" A Cygnet snatched it in midair! "That's my Recovery20!"

The avians laughed, soaring above with the card dangling to mock them.

"Grr! I had enough of this! Let's rip through that crowd!" Omega shouted.

"GrndWave1!!" Upon announcing it, a pickax formed in his hand, and MegaMan brought it down; it created a shockwave that tore through the group and at straight at Cygnus Wing!

"URAGH! Y- you pathetic, annoying pests!"

-50 HP
[CYGNUS WING - 200 HP]

"Put your shield up!!" Valor commanded, and he did just that. "Time to clear this!" She threw something! "PowerBomb1!"

Thanks to his defenses, he remained unscathed from that powerful explosion that did its job. The force of the blast blew away the flying ones too, and the card dropped. She gave it to her ally.

"Phew... Thanks."

+20 HP
[MEGAMAN - 125 HP]

"FOOLS!" He was now a mess, he had lost all of this composure. "You'll never understand! Betrayal is the essence of society-"

"ENOUGH!!" She bellowed, her blood boiling. "You're wrong!" Valor announced courageously. "It isn't the essence of society, whatever that alien said to ya, you're way off!"

"Hah! What would you know about betrayal?!" He directed his attention to Valor, shaky from the wounds.

"I've seen and felt betrayal before! It may not had happened exactly like yours, but I've felt the pain too! It was just given to me in a different way, but in the end, it was still the same!" She slashed the air and stomped the ground, "Cygnus! You're a coward, every single one of you darn FM-ians!"

"Valor..." Chroma said lowly, though, he was unsure of what to say exactly.

"Remember this! You think betrayal is everything? My name's Valor, and you better tuck this under your wings and never forget it!" Chroma used his vision and aimed, while she positioned her blades by her side. "For betrayal to exist, there has to be trust first!!"

"T- trust?!" Dubius grimaced.

Luna caught what she said, she whispered her name. "V- Valor..."

"Let's do this with one fell swoop. MegaMan!"

"Got it, Valor!"

"Let's rumble!!"

"Let's buck wild!!

"JETATTACK1!"

"YOU'LL NEVER UNDERSTAND!"

His body started to become unstable.

"Well done, Mega..." Cygnus uttered out.

"Urgh..." Cygnus Wing himself could barely stay in the air after that hit.

Aaron Boreal finally called out after watching the duo duke out against him. "C- can you hear me? Tom... Please stop!" He begged. "Please listen to me!"

They all panted hard, and looked at the screen.

"Tom... I think there is a misunderstanding."

"A- Aaron... I- I see you've all stopped dancing..."

"I would never steal anyone's invention."

"P- please don't lie... I heard you... You were bragging to the kids about the FlapPack."

"N- No! You've got it all wrong!" Luna intervened, everyone had gathered around the machine.

"'The FlapPack is my assistant's invention.' That's what Mr. Boreal said!" Even Zack joined.

Bud added, "he said it was really good and he praised it!"

"L- lies!!" He gave a glance to everyone. "I- I see... You're banding together... In an effort to defeat me..."

"...What?..." Boreal started. "...what do I have to do to make you believe me?..."

"Something you do to make me believe you?..." He mumbled. "I know... How about this? Aaron, I want you to show me proof..." He gave a glance at Valor. "Show me how one person trusts another..." Val didn't like it...

"What do you want me to do?"

"I want you...
To remove your helmet."

"Wh- what?!" Valor had a terrible feeling. Chroma appeared right beside her and held her back with his arm.

"Right here, right now."

"C- Chroma! He can't..." He didn't reply, he only stared ahead. Val gritted her teeth, MegaMan stared at the scene unfolding, silent.

"What?!" Boreal exclaimed in shock.

The tour guide of this place floated forward. "His helmet?! But there no oxygen in here!"

"What if I were to say, 'I filled this space with oxygen earlier'? Would you believe my words?!"

Aaron remained dead silent.

Valor looked at Chroma, who also gave a sideways glance at her. He let his arm fall to his side, not saying anything. She didn't utter a word...

She, the guide, said in bewilderment. "You filled this space with oxygen? But that's impossible! How?"

"What if I said I did it last night?"

"No..." She was at loss for words.

"See, just as I thought. You can't trust me can you? You have no reason to trust me either... I may be lying, and maybe so are you. You see?! That's how it is! We can't even trust are so-called friends! To say nothing of other people!"

"You want me to take off my helmet?"

'N- no, Mr. Boreal wouldn't!..' It went through Val's mind, and she was sure that it went through everyone's head right now.

"Yes. One simple task... But you can't! Can you?! You won't!"

"I trust you, Tom." He calmly stated, reaching for his helmet...

The female staff worriedly replied, "M- Mr. Boreal?! Y- you're not serious?!"

"(There's no way he's going to!)"

Everyone tensed! "(M- Mr. Boreal!!...)" Val whispered. MegaMan couldn't say anything at the moment, he just gazed at Mega.

He removed it!
The tour guide completely panicked, everyone did...

Cygnus Wing was shocked...

He breathed in. "There really is oxygen in here." Val slumped, letting out whatever breath she held for the longest time.... "But it's a bit thin... Not the best either."

"No way... There really is oxygen?" She asked, befuddled.

"I- Impossible... But what if I was lying? What then?..."

He smiled. "I'd have dealt with it then, if I had to. But like I had already told you, I trust you."

"You trust me?! You risk your life based on that?"

Boreal gave a light chuckle. "The Tom I know would never, ever put anyone in danger."

"B- but!!"

"I'll say it as many times as I need to. I trust you. So plase trust in me!" He paused for a bit, rubbing the back of his neck. "Um, was I a bit too forceful there? Eheh, heh."

Cygnus Wing dropped to his knees. "Nngh..."

"Don't listen to him. He's trying to trick you again." Cygnus said.

"Tom, I want to ask you one thing." His face serious. "Do you know why BrotherBands exist?"

"(BrotherBands...)" MegaMan said under his breath.

"What kind of question is that...? There useful. Isn't that the only reason?"

"You're wrong. The reason we need BrotherBands is because relationships are the essence of society."

(MMSF OST : "Moving Scene")

"...!" His eyes widened.

"I know what happened to you in your past. So I understand why you lost your faith in society. But please don't think that the only thing in this world is betrayal."

The FM-ian struggled. "Don't listen to him! Betrayal is all there is!"

"Look around you! Look hard! If you do, I'm sure you'll see! You'll see the good things in this world!"

He remembered Valerie and him talking to each other, Geo and their confrontation, and lastly... Mr. Boreal and him forming a BrotherBand that night...

"And believe you'll begin to realize that this world isn't such a bad place after all."

These words also hit Valor, it really wasn't such a bad place considering that she does have some people who she kind of enjoys being with...

"So please listen and believe in what I'm saying! Tom!!"

He yelled in pain, "nnngh... Aaaaah!"

Cygnus bellowed. "What the- ?! Aaaaaaaah!!"

There was a bright flash just like when he was Wave Changed into Cygnus Wing!

The twosome covered their eyes!

As soon as it faded... Tom was unconscious in the floor, he had reverted back to his old self. "Huh? He changed back?" The boy in blue wondered.

Omega explained. "He chased Cygnus out of his heart."

"To think that an FM-ian would take advantage of Mr. Dubius like Cygnus... Disgusting..." Val thought aloud solemnly.

The others outside of the Comp had no idea what happened. Mr
Boreal shouted, "Tom! Are you OK?! TOM?!"

"Mr. Dubius!!"

"We must take our leave Valor, our work is done here and the Andromeda Key is safe...for now." Chroma and Val turned to them. "Take care."

They pulsed out.

"C'mon. Let's get moving too, before things get messy. This guy's fine, and he'll wake up soon enough."

"Yeah..."

Mr. Dubius woke up a few hours later. His memory of what had occurred was spotty and unclear to him, and he was a little confused. But clearly remembered what Boreal said.

"Relationships are the essence of society."

--

A/N: Art drawn by yours truly, and this shall conclude the Cygnus Arc. I hope you had enjoyed it and had a bit of a laugh here and there!

(Full Page of Manga)

JaneValentine007, pulsing out!