Hello all you readers out there, I’m back. Sorry for the long long long long delay but I had to find someone to proofread this chapter and I got really distracted and really side tracked. Mermul is off to collage. No one proofread this so there will be more mistakes than before. Part of the delay was me trying to find a new proofreader, no luck.

I don’t own medabots, but some characters belong to myself and others,

Ok  Cybertron88 owns Leinda and Jeniffer, and Proximus and Adreastea.

Hunter belongs to Spectral.

SilverStar, Ex, BlueSky, Dagger, the Professor, and any random characters you don’t recognize belong to me. the MAD-MAN

That’s all the ones used at this point, there will be more, I’m sure.

Don’t worry  Kiumu_Ro-Ku-Bee. I still have yours. A brief appearance in this chapter. Should be acknowledged in the next chapter. And séance you didn’t give a description of medafighters except their names ill make some of my own with those names.

How many people actually read that? Not just skim over it.

Please bear with me, I never wrote a character with 2 minds. Well at least not in the same body ;).

*hello* = thought speak

Note- medabots have a diagnosis screen that can be used by the medabot to customize the way they use their parts or activate their special weapons. And can be used to install upgrades and mods. For more info on my interpretations of medabots read my other fic, Medabots Anatomy 101.

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Last time on ROF. Ex battled with his past self, Dagger. The fight was short and fast but a close draw. Star meet Proximus and Adreastea, Leinda and Jeniffer’s medabots. and Ex woke from his ‘coma’ and nearly attacked Proximus before running out. What will happen next? (is it just me or do I make this sound like a soap opera?)

  Riddles of Fate

by MAD-MAN

C8) self control

            Ex had told Dagger what he knew of how they had gotten to this point, interrupted by memories. Ex’s memories, triggered at key points in the story. Afterwards they both relaxed, trying to come out of the deep sleep they where in. Dagger was withdrawn at this point but as soon as he saw a strange bot he lashed out. Ex seized control before a fight could escalate.

            Star introduced everyone as Ex tried to get Dagger to talk, *what was that about. we don’t have any enemies here. Where do you think you are? These people were helping us.*

            Dagger seized control again specking aloud as he left his room, leg dragging, “Mmmust fiiinnd Ggene…”

            *how are you going to find him? You don’t even know how long its been since you saw him*, Ex spoke to Dagger as they made there way down a side street near Leinda and Jeniffer’s house.

            Ex didn’t expect to get an answer but he did, however Dagger spoke more to himself then Ex. *He wouldn’t abandon me. we are the beast of friends*, Dagger muttered aloud as he spoke but it was mostly incoherent.

            Star was following close behind with Adreasta and Proximas, Leinda and Jeniffer had stayed back at the house at the instance of their medabots. Star was talking but she was on Ex/Dagger’s left and Ex couldn’t tell what she was saying. Dagger spun around as a hand touched his shoulder, striking out.

            Ex stopped the blades mere centimeters before stabbing Star’s face. *DON’T HURT HER! if you try that again I’ll kill you!*, Ex put such force into his words that it forced control of their body away from Dagger.

            Ex took control and snapped Their arm down to his side, struggling to keep Dagger from reasserting his own control. Dagger and Ex struggled briefly before Dagger relented shouting, *live me alone you Ghoul*, before hiding back within their medal.

            “let me go!”, Proximas was holding Star back. And Adreastea was aiming her bow at Ex. “that wasn’t Ex trying hurt me. Ex stopped it.”

            Adreastea’s eyes never left Ex, “stopped what hon.?”

            Proximas kept a firm hold of Star and skillfully avoided her claws. His composer was beginning to slip, “Adreastea is right. Something is happing here that we don’t understand. His mind must be unbalanced, possibly from how his medal is damaged like it is. We need to get him to the only man able to properly repair medals. Dr. Aky.”

            While the others were talking Ex was trying to get his parts to respond better. Imposed over his vision was a glowing green schematic of his parts and medal. For the moment he was trying to remap his medal’s command circuits. when Proximas mentioned repairing their medal Dagger tried to take control again. Ex pushed him back before Dagger could draw Ex into a mental battle.

            Ex finished working on his screens, he wasn’t able fix much. He looked up at the three medabots, feeling a twinge of anger at seeing Star being restrained. He double checked his screens for a moment, “Ssorrry for tthhe conffusion, I wiill explain…”

            Adreasta lowered her arm but didn’t close her bow, “sure as shooting boy. You owe us that.” Ex just nodded, not trusting his voice to function properly.

            Star spun, slipping Proximas’ grip and lightly shocking his legs. She leapt over Adreasta and ran to Ex’s side, pulling his bad arm over her shoulder. She glared back at Proximas, “are we talking out here or somewhere else.” Ex wasn’t expecting Star to go back with him and tell the story.

            Adreasta shook her head as her bow folded itself shut, “I don’t exactly trust neither of you two at the moment. Him for going loco and you doll, you just don’t seam right. Not for any medabot I know.”

            Proximas rested his hand on Adreasta’s shoulder, “no I think we can trust them. And I think it would be better if we didn’t discuss this in public.” They all started back towards the girls house.

---meanwhile---

            the balding white haired Dr. was sitting at a huge upholstered desk. The desk was a mess, covered in folders and papers and countless snack wrappers. The Dr. wasn’t facing his desk but had his large soft chair spun to look out windows covering his entire wall. The city below was crowded and covered in a light haze of smog.

            “I’m sorry doctor, he used the medaforce before ArkBeatle could stop him.”, a man stood in the shadow of a large plastic plant. He comes forward into the light only enough for a mask to be seen. A white mask with wide eyes and a crimson smile.

            The doctor is holding a photo album and the photo of Ex’s shattered medal. The binding of the album is old and worn. The doctor opened it placing the photo inside. As he closed the cover a different photo slips free, he picks it up from the ground. it is a photo of a white haired boy and a deformed KWG medabot. A tear runs from behind his sunglasses, “goodbye my friend. Rest well.”

            The Phantom Renegade slips away, leaving the doctor alone. As he walks down a dark passage he stops, “don’t worry Dr. Aki. Ill find what’s left of your friend.” He starts walking again, not seeing the small dark medabot that is hiding nearby.

---back with our friends---

            Linda and Jeniffer had to be reassured several times that Ex wasn’t going to attack again. Star was telling the story of how she meet Ex for Proximas and Adreasta. Ex had tried to help tell it but his voice still wasn’t working very well.

            Ex understood, somewhat, why Star changed so much of the story. She was quite a story teller, “we had been hiding in a tool shed for a few days while I fixed Ex. We had to run when the owner found us, that was why we where running along the river. We where stopped by Space Medafighter X, he just attacked us for some reason.”

            “what reason could the top ranked medafighter in Japan have for attacking you?”, Proximas kept asking questions that Star had trouble answering. Ex would smile as Star hurried for an answer, what didn’t help was that Proximas kept twisting and untwisting a wire. It was very distracting because of the noise.

            Star was silent for a moment, Ex let go of her hand so he could stop his left hand from jittering. When it stopped he placed his hand back on Star’s. she smiled at him, “I cant think of any reason to hurt him. Except when he dose something stupid.”

            Jeniffer tapped on the arm of her chair, “maybe he wasn’t trying to hurt either of you. There is a rumor that Space Medafighter x is connected to the phantom renegade. The phantom is responsible for stealing rare medals from around the world.”

            Everyone was silent while mulling over this, except for Dagger. *forget this small talk. I need to find Gene. He can fix this, fix me.* Dagger was upset, at least in part by Ex keeping control of their body.

            Ex griped his arm as it started rattling again. Every move he made was followed by several eyes, only one pair held any trust. He hoped Dagger didn’t do anything to ruin Star’s trust. Ex looked up from his hand to find everyone looking at him expectantly. “Sssory, whatt?”

            Star griped Ex’s hand and gave it a nervous squeeze, “Leinda asked you why you ran out when you came out of your coma?” she sounded like she wanted to hear why as well, just not in front of others.

            Ex was waiting for this question to come up, even then he was hoping it wouldn’t be asked. “IIIee wassnt in co-”, Ex’s voice froze when Dagger grabbed control away from Ex.

            *you wont tell them anything! I want my medal back to myself*, Dagger’s thoughts were full of venom. The two begin to struggle for control.

            *they might be able to help us find someone to fix our medal.*, Ex knew everyone was watching him but first he had to control Dagger.

            “NO!”, Dagger had such force behind that one word that it came out as words than thought. The whispered conversation between the two girls stopped and Adreasta’s bow unfolded with a click.

            Dagger continued unaware, or uncaring, of what was happening around them. *no one works on me but Gene. Gene is the only person I ever let touch my medal.*

            “Ex? What’s going on? are you ok?”, Ex was sorry to case Star so much worry he couldn’t even reassure her until Dagger quit fighting him over control.

            *its my medal too. And we need to work together to find a solution.*, Ex didn’t know if there was a solution. But he did need Dagger’s help to try.

            *it is MY Medal! You are nothing more than a ghost program created by my medal. You are nothing but a corrupt program!*, Ex was shocked by the truth in Daggers words.

            All Ex was a personality created when Dagger’s damaged medal couldn’t find the data that was Dagger. Ex felt himself slip away from the world as realization pulled him deep into the darkest parts of his mind. He was surrounded by that unexplainable feeling of wrong that he always felt and always pushed away. the feeling that made him run from Gorge…

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            Star was worried about Ex. He wasn’t talking he wasn’t moving, he wasn’t doing anything. His hand was slack in hers and his eyes where rapidly changing between two shades of red.

            The girls and their medabots didn’t like this. Ex had already given then more surprises than they would have liked, and here was another. The two girls stood back and whispered between themselves while Adreasta and Proximas slowly moved between them and Ex, weapons ready but lowered.

            Ex’s hand yanked away from Stars, his eyes had finally gone back to red. A lighter red than normal for Ex. He stared at Star and she shivered at the lack of emotions in Ex’s eyes. Ex stood and walked away, diapering out the doorway followed by the slamming of the outside door.

            Star begin to follow but stopped and looked back at the strangers she was beginning to like. She knew they would help her if she asked, maybe even if she didn’t. “thank you for everything you’ve done. Ill come back and tell you what happens after I know myself.” She stopped unsure if she should continue, “I need to help him myself.”

            Leinda came forward, arm held out in silent plea of understanding, “SilverStar. Please let us help you, both of you. We…”

            “we cant help them” Jeniffer interrupted Leinda. “neither of them can be helped until they know what’s wrong.” Jeniffer’s words stung.

            Star was ready to retaliate but stopped when she saw her eyes soften for a moment. Star tuned and went out the door without another word. She was almost certain she would meat this strange little family again.

            She looked around the darkening area, seeing no sign of Ex. She had waited to long inside and ex was gone. She turned and started to run back to the nearest sewer entrance, back to the medabot city. Before dropping down the sewer gate she glanced at the sunset as it colored everything red and orange.

            She had to find Ex, she needed to search and someone who could find anything. She needed the Hunts.

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There you go readers, another chapter of ROF. Again I’m sorry for the long long delay but I got sidetracked by one shot ideas and games. Not to mention a week of hard work followed by a few days in the dentist chair. And I’m writing an original fiction for a contest entry.

I’m afraid the next chapter will take some time. not as long as this one did but a while.

Has anyone else noticed that the medabots section is beginning to die? I know it’s a horrible thing but it is sadly true. To any dedicated fans of medabots (or obsessive nuts who love it for no reason) I implore you, don’t let this world of small fighting robots die. Review everything. Read everything. Trade ideas with other authors. Anything to keep interest alive.

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