Tekkaman Flame

1. The final Test
Systems rebooting.
Power restored.
Running diagnostics...energy reserves low...conversion engines viable...anesthetic subroutines unavailable...all other systems: GREEN.
Vocal patterns detected in surroundings. Analyzing...dialect interpretation complete.
"-some kind of alien plant machine, or something."
"I can see that, Susan, but where did it come from?"
"It fell out of the sky, from what I was told."
Engaging optic sensors. Visual data interpreted.
Two subjects detected. Identical genetic material. Subjects identified as human females, adolescent. Low physical strength, high intellectual quotient. Chance of conversion survival: low.
ERROR: energy reserves for conversion engines low. Priotrity dictates at least one complete specimen created per conversion pod. Engaging timer. Protocol dictates utilize subject with highest conversion survival ratio detected within time limit. Stand by.
"SO what are we supposed to do with it?"
"What else, Mary? Disect it."
Tools analyzed. Threat to unit minimal.
"Hey! So thi is the lab."
Subject identified. Human female, early adolescent. High physical quotient, medium intellectual quotient. Subject shows low recovery potential. Chance of conversion survival: medium.
"Sissy! What are you doing in here?"
"Johnny said you do a lot of cool stuff in here. I wanted to check it out."
"Woof!"
New subject identified. Genetically modified canid. High intelligence quotient. High physical quotient. ERROR: incompatible with conversion process.
"Yeah, come on Susan, Mary. What's wrong with letting Sissy see what goes on in here?"
New subject identified. Human male, early adolescent. Medium physical quotient. Low intellectual quotient. High recovery quotient. ALERT: subject shows signs of frequent recovery from major genetic modification. Genetic material extremely adaptable. Possible signs of low level energy generation capabilities. Chance of conversion survival: high. Estimated completed unit capabilities: high. Action determined. Conversion subject selected.
"I mean it's not like there's ever anything really dangerous in here-"
Proximity alert. Engaging capture of subject.
"-WAAAAH!"
Capture complete.
"Johnny! Are you okay?"
"Get me out of here!"
*BANG! BANG!*
"Wha? Metal?"
Anesthetic step ignored. Begining Tekkaman Power Process.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"
"JOHNNY!!"
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What...what's happening...my body...my mind...something's not right...
"DUKEY! Get Jillian. It's some kind of alien plant, maybe she knows what to do."
Mary...that name means something...who...
My sister...she's 15...I...
I'm Johnny Test...13 years old...
Why is it so hard to remember...
"I'm on it Mary!"
Dukey...my dog...my best friend...
"Let go of my little brother you stupid alien freak plant!" *CLANG!* *CLANG!*
Susan...Mary's twin...my other older sister...
I hear crying...that's important...why is it important?...
"I brought her!"
"Good work Dukey!"
"Susan, Mary, what's going on?"
Jillian...princess of Vegandan...she lives nearby...
"All Dukey said was some alien plant thing had eaten Johnny-" *Gasp!*
"Jillian, do you know anything about this thing?"
"...Radam..."
Radam...that means something...my head...too much information...head hurts...
"Jillian what are you doing?"
"Preventing a cataclysm."
*FWEEEE-* *CRASH!* *CHEEW!*
"What do you think you're doing? Are you crazy?"
"You could have hurt Johnny!"
That voice...I know that voice...
"Johnny is already lost to us. You think I want him dead? It's too late to save him, and if he comes out of that thing intact, he will be the worst monster this world has ever seen."
I'm...a monster?
ERROR: threat to unit exceeds safety protocols. Acelerating conversion.
Wha....pain...too much...can't think...
"Susan and Mary can fix him! They're geniuses! Johnny's death is never an acceptable choice, do you hear me you psycho alien bitch?"
That voice...it's...
ERROR: Neural mapping not proceeding acording to projected ratios. Refining...
Cecilia Blakely.
Sissy.
Sissy was crying...
...because of me.
ERROR: Neural mapping failure: Abort, Retry, Fail? Retry.
It's all coming back. No! This is my body! My mind! It will not be used against the people I care about!
Conversion complete. Speciman is fully functional Tekkaman. ERROR: Interior temperature's exceeding safety levels. Error...Error...Er-
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The plant suddenly burst into flames from the inside as it burned, melted, and disintegrated into nothingness. As the flames subsided, Johnny stood amongst the embers, seeming no different. He gazed around at those around him, seeming not to recognize them. Then his eyes fell on Sissy, and he was suddenly back to normal.
"Okay, maybe there is some dangerous stuff in here after all." He looked down, and desperately tried to cover himself. "Why am I naked?"

2. No Regrets
Johnny lay in bed, not sleeping. The day had been hectic.
It had started the way weekends usually did. He and Sissy had been bragging, trying to one-up each other, and it had ended in a video game tournament. Then he had to complain about his defeat, claiming video games were nothing to the real thing. That had led to the trip to the lab...and the plant.
He steered his mind away from what had happened to him in the plant...what he'd learned. Afterwards, though, he hadn't let on to anyone that anything was different. He'd made sure to go through all the physical tests with no more than his old abilities, and nothing new registered on his sisters scanners. Jillian was suspicious, but as she wouldn't explain what she knew, they ignored her for the most part.
He was glad for that. If she had told what she'd known, his sisters wouldn't have let him leave the lab until they'd figured out what had happened to him...or worse, how to undo it. Not that he liked the change...but he knew he would need it soon...for the sake of others.
Sissy had barely maintaned her composure for long. Once she was sure he was okay, she had punched him hard on the arm, saying it was for worrying her, and left. He barely felt the punch, but he pretended it hurt.
The signal had been sent, and the Radam were on their way. They knew a new world awaited conquest. He shuddered.
"Johnny? You okay?"
Dukey. He should have known he wasn't sleeping either, after what happened. "The plant thing still freaks me out, that's all," he lied easily. He hated how easy lieing had become, but he had to protect them.
"I get that. I thought I'd lost you boy." Dukey nuzzled him. He scratched Dukey between the ears.
"Dukey," he asked carefully, "let's say, hypothetically, that you knew to the exact moment when your life would irrevocably alter beyond recognition. Would you do anything differently?"
"Johnny? What's bugging you?"
"Other than the plant?"
"No, I mean since when do you know the word 'hypothetically?' Or 'irrevocably?'"
"Hey! My grades aren't that bad."
They shared a laugh.
"I don't know Johnny...if I knew I had a time limit...I'd try to live without any regrets. You know...leave nothing undone or unsaid. In my case...I guess nothing different. I already live without regrets."
"You wouldn't tell Dad about you?"
"Well, maybe on the last day, you know. I like how I live with him now, you know?"
"Huh. Thanks Dukey." He curled up. "G'night, buddy."
"G'night Johnny. Try to get some sleep. Tomorrow's a school day."
The next morning, Johnny woke up early. Stretching he moved around the room collecting what he'd need for the day. Resting his hand on his computer, he thought, *No regrets, huh? I wonder what I'll regret doing.*
The Tekkaman curciuts in his hand glowed breifly as he linked with his computer, and a picture of him and Sisssy at his last birthday came up. He hadn't known why he invited her then...but it was beginning to make sense now.
"If only I knew what to do about it," he said with a quiet chuckle.
A rapid flow of information scrolled by, and he smiled. He had a plan now. Taking action, he headed to the bathroom to wash up.
The computer shut off behind him.
After school that day...
Sissy walked home from the bus stop. Then she heard a familiar voice.
"Hey Sissy! Wait up!" Johnny ran up to her.
"Hey Test! What's up?" She smiled as she saw him, but quickly schooled her face.
"Oh, not much. It's just I have two tickets to the debut of the new Speed McCool movie this Friday night at 7, and I was wondering if you wanted to go with me?" He said it very casually, but his look was anything but casual.
Sissy stopped dead. She'd been wanting to see that movie when it came out, but she hadn't been able to get a ticket. How did Johnny get two? Then the rest of the implications sank in. "Johnny...are you asking me out on a...date?"
"Yep." His ready answer surprised her, and she took a step back. "Is that okay?"
"W...what brought this on?" She wasn't ready to answer, so she tried to stall for time.
"Remember what happened in the lab yesterday?"
She'd never forget. She'd never been more scared in her life. "Yeah."
"It made me realize...a lot of things. I mean, I go in there a lot, testing whatever my sisters are inventing. Risking my life, and for what? Cheap thrills? I realized just how close to death I walk every day with how I live my life." He sighed quietly. "What happened yeserday put it all in perspective. And while I can't change how I live my life without changing who I am, which I don't want..."
He reached out and gently touched her cheek.
"...I can make sure I don't live with regrets. What's here between us, Sissy...I'll be honest, I don't know what it is, or where it might go...but I know I'll regret not trying to find out. So what do you say, Sissy? Movie Friday night? I'll pick you up at 6:30."
She smiled up at him, and ducked her head shyly, blushing. "Johnny...I'd love to."
He smiled back at her, his world finally feeling...complete.

3. The Last Day

Three months later...the night before the invasion...

Johnny and Sissy had been going out, and they were both loving every minute of it. They'd gone to movies, amusement parks, smoothies...always together. While Sissy loved it all, finally being able to act on the feelings she'd always kept hidden, she noticed Johnny always seemed...tense. Maybe a little...over-eager. At first she just relegated it to 'I almost died' syndrome, as she termed it, but...the longer they were dating, the more he was like that. If she had to explain it...she'd say it was like he had an incurable lethal disease, and was trying to sqqueeze as much life as he could into the time he had left, and was determined to spend it with her. This thought worried her, and made her almost as eager as him.

Tonight, though...he seemed absolutely calm. They were stargazing, lying on their backs in the park, gazing up at the starry sky. She pointed up at the sky suddenly. "Look! A shooting star!"

"Make a wish," Johnny said with a smile.

"That's easy," she said. "I wish this night would never end."

"Yeah...me too." He sighed, then turned to gaze on a specific area of the sky. His eyes had been going there the entire night. Sissy was tired of it.

"Johnny? What is it?"

He was quiet for a while. "Sissy...hypothetically speaking-"

"Hypothetically? A six-syllable word? You're making me nervous."

"Ha ha. Seriously though...if you knew that the world was going to change drastically tomorrow...that this might be the last night of your life...what would you do differently?"

Sissy was quiet. Unlike Dukey, she wasn't about to shrug this off. "Johnny, what is it? No half-answers, no secrets, no never minds. If we're going to do-" she gestured to the field, the stars, them "-this, you need to tell me what's been bothering you. Ever since you came out of that pod-" she shudders, then continues. "You've been acting like time's running out. What's going on?"

He looked at her for a while, then spoke. "Do you remember what Jillian said when she tried to destroy the pod while I was inside it?"

"About you becoming a monster?"

He nodded. "That pod was a creation of a race called the Radam. It was designed to turn people...into weapons."

She gasped. "But...but it didn't work on you...did it?"

"Only halfway. It completed the physical transformation, but it wasn't able to rewrite my mind. But it did download a bunch of information about the Radam into my head."

"Why couldn't it rewrite your mind?"

"I fought it. At first, I was losing. But then..."

"But then...?"

"I heard you stop Jillian from destroying me...what you said to her...and I heard you crying."

"You...you mean...?"

"The reason I'm not a slave to the Radam war machine right now...is you."

Sissy was quiet for a while, glad the night hid her blush, not knowing Johnny could see it. "But...if you don't serve them-"

"They're coming."

Sissy stared at him. "Have...have you told anyone?"

"The government knows, and have been preparing for the past three months. My sisters have enough weapons stockpiled to hold out long enough to develop appropriate countermeasures. Jillain and her parents already know about the Radam."

"...when will they get here?"

"Tomorrow."

"!!!"

"See those stars?" He points at the area he'd been staring at. "They aren't stars. They're the Radam fleet. They'll be here tomorrow."

"And...what will you do?"

"I'll fight. Tonight is my last day as plain old Johnny Test...and tomorrow may be my last day of life."

"Johnny..." Suddenly she leaned over, wrapped her arms around him, and kissed him, deeply passionately. They'd kissed a few times since they'd started dating, but none like this. Then she pulled back. "Johnny...promise me you'll come back to me. Promise...promise you won't die." Tears run down her face, and her voice is choked.

"Sissy...I will protect the Earth, its people, and...especially you, with my life."

"That's fien, but...not with your death. Promise me, Johnny, please!"

Hearing and seeing the flow of tears, he pulls her to him. "I promise, Sissy." He didn't know if he could keep this promise, but she needed him to make it.

4. Battle Joins...Unleash the Fire

Johnny stood in the front yard of his house. It was early morning. The sun still wasn't fully up. He was watching the sky. Today was the day...the day the Radam came to Earth.

Glancing back at the house, he watched and waited as everyone awoke slowly. He had a few hours to make sure everyone was safe. He'd let them awaken on their own. Dukey was already up, and came out to join him.

"Johnny, you're up already? That's not like you."

"Dukey...Susan and Mary have an emergency bunker, right? For various apocalyptic events?"

"Yeah...why?" Johnny's calmness was worrying.

"Once everyone's awake...get them down there."

"WHAT!"

"And tell Susan and Mary to get anyone else who's survival is important to them down there as well. They'll probably want to bring Gil and his family. Also, get the Vegandens down there, too."

"Johnny, what are you-"

"Then go get Sissy and her family, and get them into the bunker as well...then seal it shut."

"JOHNNY!" Dukey was appalled. "Why are you doing this? If it's this dangerous, why aren't you coming down there? How do you know about all this? How am I supposed to-"

"Get the Vegandens first. ...tell them the Radam arrive today."

"Johnny...who are the Radam?"

Johnny started to respond, then turned his head up. Time was shorter than he thought. "The Earth's worst nightmares. GO! They're almost here!"

Hearing the urgency, Dukey rushed off. First he grabbed Jillian and her family. The word 'Radam' had them grabbing everything weapon based in their arsenal and running for the Test house. Then he went inside. Everyone was already up.

"Dukey, what's wrong boy?" Hugh was starting to clean, and Lila was getting ready to go to work.

"Susan! Mary! Johnny says to get everyone to the emergency bunker, now! No arguements!" Dukey turned to dash back out.

"Did...Did Dukey just talk?" Hugh and Lila asked, thouroughly shocked. Mary took the opportunity to grab them and drag them to the bunker. Susan wanted answers, though.

"Wait a minute! What's going on here?"

Jillian grabbed her. "The Radam are an alien war machine dedicated to wiping out all other forms of life, and they're coming here TODAY!"

"SO they're like the Dahleks, then?" Susan asked, rushing to the lab to grab some essentials.

"1,000 times worse." Jillian rushed to the bunker.

Susan activated emergency teleporters, warping Gil and his family into the bunker, then rushed down below.

Meanwhile, Dukey rushed into the yard with Sissy and her parents trailing close behind. Her father was not amused. "What is this all-"

"Mom, Dad, get inside, follow the dog. I'll explain when I join you." Hearing her urgency, they followed the talking dog. She turned to Johnny. "Johnny, I want to help!"

"Sissy," he said, snapping his wrist making his Tekkcrystal appear in his hand, "you need to get inside, now." His crystal was bright yellow, with a red fringe at the outer edges, like crystallized fire.

"But, Johnny..." She looked at him, her eyes pleading.

Meanwhile, in the bunker...

"Susan, I got the exterior optics activated." Screens showed the outside of the house on all sides, as well as views of space. Everywhere a threat might come from.

"I've got everything else set up, Mary." The lab in the underground bunker had most of their more dangerous experiments. While several things they had made could be termed weapons...these were the things they had designed to be weapons. They made things like the Bling Bling Blaster look like spitballs.

Looking at the moniters, Susan asked, "What are Johnny and Sissy doing outside?"

Dukey ran out.

Back outside, Johnny turned to Sissy. "Sissy, I have to fight, and I'm the only one who can. Please, be safe."

"But Johnny..."

The time was now. He knew what he had to do. Taking her by the arm, he pulled her into one last passionate kiss, then pushed her to Dukey. "Get her inside, then seal the bunker!"

"Right!" Dukey grabbed Sissy and threw her over his shoulder.

"Johnny!" Sissy called out to him, reaching for him.

Turning to face the sky, Johnny held up his crystal. "TEKKSETTER!"

Sissy was witness then to an astounding transformation.

"What the hell are these energy readings?" Susan asked as they watched through the cameras.

"It can't be..." Jillian was shocked. "The Tekkaman Power Process...Johnny's a Tekkaman!"

Flames surrounded Johnny, burning away his clothes. The flames became hotter and denser. Crystalline formations erupted from his body, and the flames took on the shape of a bird, its wings half-folded, then began to crystallize around him, forming light but durable armor plates. Shaping around him, it formed into a knight-like armor, but streamlined in a space-age style. Nacels appeared on his back, and energy projectors on gauntlets and shoulders. Two large energy collectors appeared on his shoulders, shaped like armor plates. The whole armor was yellow, with a red fringe that curled back like rising fire. He looked like a metallic fire elemental. Spinning, he struck a pose.

"TEKKAMAN...FLAME!"

Susan rounded on Jillian. "What the hell just happened to our brother?!"

"The Tekkapod...it turned him into a Tekkaman...but he still has control of himself..." Jillian couldn't wrap her mind around it.

Darth Vegan, however, looked pleased. "We may just survive this yet."

Johnny turned to face the sky. The armor shifted, flattening out and transforming until he resembled some sort of futuristic jet, and a firey aura surrounded him. The nacels ignited, and he took off like a rocket, leaving a sonic boom in his wake.

"He just broke escape velocity!"

"YOu mean made it?"

"Made nothing! He's going fast enough to escape Jupiter's gravity well!"

"Susan! The space monitors!"

Everyone looked at the spatial view...and felt afraid.

Arranged in space were the most fearsome creatures they had ever seen. Twice the size of a tank, they seemed organic, but moved like a mindless swarm. The Radam Spider-Crabs, a fearsome sight alone, numbered in the hundred thousands as they approached Earth. Behind them...were no less than seven capital ships. No force of Earth's could take on this horde. It seemed the Earth was doomed. Until...

The fiery comet Johnny had become rocketed through the armada like the reaper's own scythe, leaving destruction and carnage in his wake. A full 500 spider crabs fell as he rocketed crazily around the formation.

"Wow...Johnny's pretty good." Susan was impressed. Her brother wasn't half bad at this.

Mary, meanwhile, was working the controls. "Johnny's armor is pretty high tech, so it must have a communications rig or something-"

Suddenly Johnny's voice came over the comlink. "AAAAHHH!!!! How do you stop this thing!?"

It was all Susan and Mary could do not to facefault.

Darth Vegan seized the com. "Johnny, the Tekkaman armor reacts to thought. Mentally command it to stop and-"

THe armor instantly stopped and returned to its normal configuration. The flaming aura, however, continued and destroyed an extra 100 spider crabs before pettering out.

"Whoah...this thing is AWESOME!" Suddenly, energy projections came out of the shoulder units, and Johnny grabbed them. THey took the shape of two wicked looking swords with a link at the basde of the hilt. "Sweet!" Swinging them, Johnny charged in, slashing at the ammassed Radam hordes.

Seeing a large swarm, he got an idea. Curling into a ball, the flame-like projections on his armor reversed direction, and he spun like a buzzsaw, cutting through the entire formation in a flaming spiral. SHifting back, he looked at the carnage he wrecked and whistled. "And Dad said I'd never learn anything useful from video games!"

Back in the bunker, Hugh stared at his sons power. "How am I supposed to ground him when he misbehaves now?" (Some parental behaviors never change.)

Meanwhile, Sissy had been rummaging in the hanger, searching for something useful. Spying something intruiging, she said to herself, "This will do..."

Up in space, the spider crabs pulled back. The Radam saw that a wave onslaught right here was not proving useful. Johnny smirked to himself. "Looks like their running away," he said, as he connected his two blades into a Tekklance. Then he frowned.

From one of the capital ships, three streaks approached him. They halted a good distance in front of him. He found himself now facing three Tekkaman, each double his height, and ready for battle.

CoolCool(test)

colour dont work

Glad someone somewhere finally has something nice to say about this story.

...or for that matter, anything to say about it. YOu're the first to comment on it anywhere.