Should Have Let Me Die

"Any suggestions?" I asked as I hopped over the now slower spinning shell.

I had been able to get the thing to slow down as I dialed up, but it was still rotating at an incredible speed. The problem was that this bug turtle shell was made out of the same crystal as on the wall.

Both times that I had tried to get under it just lost my hands. Eva was able to repair me fast, but this thing was tough.

Even slowed down, with it still spinning, and the crystals made it like a grinder. I suddenly remembered something, and jumped straight up, and stuck myself to the roof of the cave.

"Very good, as I said before you need to remember that you have more than just one power," Eva explained to me.

She was right, there was the second Gate, Reach. I started to stick lines of power to the roof, then I used power blasts to connect them to the shell.

Soon, the cave was filled with a screeching noise. The shell couldn't move so only the feet were squealing now.

That was what I was waiting for, and I dropped from the roof, stomping down as I did. The green guts squirted out as the reversed geode shell collapsed, and the cavern went quiet.

"That was gross, god, what was he thinking?" I asked no one.

"You won, but the crystals are all glowing still and none of the actual crystals on the shell broke. Only the rock cracked, so whatever is powering them is still here. I have seven entrances on scan right now, one moment while I calculate the most likely course," Eva explained.

"You are right, I did get my win, and it wasn't an easy fight, but a valuable lesson. I need to start using all my powers, and not just one at a time," I said looking around the cave, but then a red line appeared leading to a tunnel opening.

"This is the most likely path to get us to whatever type of core this place has. The other places are just empty caves and there is one that leads up," Eva told me.

"How are you doing the scans? Shouldn't I see a light beam of some shit?" I was a bit confused as I walked forward, following the next tunnel.

"Sonar, I can create maps of the current area, and areas close that sound can reach. I use high frequencies so you won't hear them, but I can make a basic three-dimensional map from them as we go.

"That's amazing, good job! Here I thought you have such crazy technology... never mind," I said as Eva giggled as she shuffled things around on my HUD. "Okay, so then how did you create those, and this and these? You were this advanced before, right?"

"The stronger you become, the stronger I can become, and we have all the memories from Transport and Universal Watch. I will slowly alter the suit, and soon you will be able to transform into a Dragon. Keep going, you are doing great," Eva told me.

"Thank you for that, other half! Okay, there is a light there up ahead, are you hearing the humming, or is that just me?" I asked as I could hear a humming like I was standing beside a power transformer, maybe more of a buzz.

"Yes, I can hear it, but the sound is blocking my scans so be careful. There must be some kind of massive energy source, but who knows what it is," Eva cautioned.

I took my time, but it didn't take long, and I was confused for a moment, but then I blinked big metal eyes. No fucking way.

There was a massive shifting silver-gray cube with strange markings on it… wait, no those were faces on the cube. 

"Eva, can you freeze the picture for me?" I asked.

"No, sorry, the HUD doesn't have that feature yet, but you can speed up to slow it down," Eva explained to me.

That made sense, kind of. What did we not have a camera feature yet? Frigging cellphones had them, but I didn't, ugh. 

I concentrated and felt myself start to dial in as the cubes shifting surface started to slow as I got closer. There was a laughing male face on every inch of the cube in different stages of laughter.

Fucking Dave, was this what I thought it was? Only one way to find out.

I drew my hand back and slapped it on the cube, and I was in a white room.

"Look who found the easter egg! I honestly didn't think you would find any of them."

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I looked down at my hands. That voice could only be one person, but I was almost worried that I would turn around and he wouldn't actually be there.

"Hyde, how long are you going to stand there?" Dave asked from behind me.

I sighed and turned, but broke out into a stupid grin as I saw blue jeans and a white t-shirt. Dave was standing with the same stupid grin.

"Hey bro, long time no see, but that's the understatement of the year. I can read your progress files, and it looks like something has gone wrong in the game. Sorry if I sound weird, I am only just a copy of Dave, so I just have the memories…" Dave was cut off as I squeezed the life out of him.

Dave hugged me back, and even though this wasn't the current him that was fighting in the game, it was still him. Man, this was better than any win, and I really need this.

"I know It's been hard, I can see, but I can't do much for you, well except for this little bad boy! Remember as kids? What did we collect and play the most of?" Dave asked me as I let go of him.

Dave was bubbling with excitement, so I thought about it, but that was a billion years ago, figuratively speaking. I guess for some of us like Dave, those memories would never be far away, and I just needed to think.

"I will give you a hint, Dad found a box of them at a garage sale, and they were all-metal! You would also play the bad guys always, but only because they had a cooler name!" Dave said with excitement.

"Shut the fuck up, this is not the AllSpark!" I shouted at him, hoping I was wrong.

"Ha, yes, no, maybe, kind of, sort of, but different?" Dave said with his stupid grin.

"I will hit you. Spit it out nerd, or I give you a swirly."

"Sure blady, I think I have something in my teeth, can I use your forehead as a mirror?" Dave laughed at me. "Okay, for serious now."

"Do you know how unserious you sound when you say it like that?" I said giving him a dirty look and advancing with my fist raised.

"Put your damn hand down before you hurt yourself. Fine, you're no fun, I will tell you, sit down and stop acting like a barbarian," Dave said, waving and two chairs appeared.

"So, then what is this? If it's not the AllSpark from Cybertron, then what is it?" I asked, taking one of the chairs and Dave took the other.

"My version of it, it will allow you to transform, but into anything at will. I also can see that you and the girl's built some toys, lots of them. Those will be helpful in this world to face off with Talon," Dave told me.

"Toys? What, you mean by the Dragon Armor? That hardly counts as toys," I said, giving him a raised eyebrow.

"Not just your A-Type armor, but the fifty set of living R-Type armor you have built on your ship? Haven't you seen them?" Dave asked with a perplexed look.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" I asked confused, but then it hit me. "You mean the surprise Titania has been working on?"

"Whoops! Well, cats out of the bags now. Yeah, Her and your other wife Haruna, that you just found, jeez Hyde, did you just forget about her!" Dave scolded me.

"Don't, I already know I fucking suck at this. Yes, I did forget about her, but what does she have to do with the surprise?" I asked, sighing.

"She can create basic nymph's from her magic since it has evolved twice now. The nymphs are pairing with the armor, and once you use the third Gate on them, you will have an army of evolving warriors!"

Haruna hadn't talked to me after we got back, but I hadn't seen her. I was really bad at this, but there were some many mouths to feed when it came to giving out my attention.

"So, I have an army, and possibly a wife that hates me. Anything else I don't know about of great game wizard?" I asked my brother tiredly.

"Cheer up, she isn't mad, but I won't spoil any more. Now, let's talk about the TechnoTransmuter!" Dave said with excitement.