Armored Hero R # 2 The Chosen

Authors Note

As another chapter is finished I should mention that this whole story is based on a Tabletop game am playing. Not sure if I mentioned this in the prior Author's Note but am doubling down on saying that part cause I adapt everything from my Savage Worlds Solo sessions into written form including the combat encounters so if the combat sections of the story seem a bit gamey or repetitive that's likely why. Regardless I finally introduced the crossover aspect of the story with the appearance of two characters from different IPs one from Sentinels and the other from XCOM

Chapter 2 - The Chosen

I woke up to the sound of some kind of medical equipment, I was back to normal on a hospital bed. The room was bright white like most hospitals, there was a TV tuned to some talk show hanging from the top of the room in a corner just out of the way of the rest of the things in the room. It seems like my bed was the only one taken though there was another bed in this room.

I sat up from the bed only to be greeted with sore muscles and broken bones, seems am still hurt from earlier. I looked around for the Driver given to me by that alien and low and behold it was still on my waist, wouldn't the doctors have taken this thing off? More importantly, how did they take off the armor I was in, did the device just wear off? It's hard to believe it actually worked, though it didn't help much during the fight with the alien soldiers. but then again when I landed a blow it knocked the leader back into the wall...maybe am just not fit to wield this thing. Wait, I was flying through space last time I checked...what is this place?

The door to the rest of the world opened up and walks in this hulking man in a white superhero suit complete with a blue cape like it was some kind of make-a-wish visit! he sees me shocked with a blank stare and smiles and says to me.

"Seems like you're awake, am sure you have a lot of questions for me so I'll just let you shoot."

I took him on this offer and asked the most pressing question I had. "Who are you?"

"Am Paul Parsons the 8th, but most know me as Legacy."

"Where are we?"

"We're on the Legacy Station floating in-between universes, seems like your world was taken by the Arkans Empire."

"You mean the space elves?"

"Funny name for them but sure let's call them space elves. they've conquered your world and you somehow escaped via one of their escape pods...you got lucky as we almost didn't search for pods that day."

"Whoa hold up, my world? you mean the planet right?"

"Well, technically the Arkans have control of the whole universe but yeah the majority of the life was on your Earth." He notices the driver on my waist and asks "Did the doctors forget to remove that thing?"

"Oh yeah this thing was given to me by one of the aliens that helped me escape, its suppose to be a weapon that transformed me into a Kamen Rider."

"A Kamen Rider? what are you talking about- Wait a weapon!?"

"Yeah"

"Well take it off! This is a hospital!"

"Oh Right! Sorry, let me just pull on this-" I tried to unbuckle the driver but I couldn't find the right button or switch to remove it but I couldn't find it. "Ahm I can't find a way to remove it-" I found a switch on the back and felt relieved. "Ah, this switch must work!" I flicked it and then suddenly a light shined and it projected...that alien! it was like a hologram of some kind.

The glowing seethrough alien spoke. "If you are seeing this message and are not Zora himself that means there is a slim hope to stop the wild conquest of the Arkan Empire. This device is bound to a human I deemed fit to wield it. This device houses a power that's able to stop Zora's ambition and to ensure no evil hands may claim it the device binds itself to the host and changes their body to better suit their role as Zora's enemy. my name will be struck from the Arkan records of history but I must do something to help the ones suffering from our race's armies and so I've created the Armored Device to aid you're cause, if I am right about the rebels I hope this chosen one has been delivered to those that will aid him in the coming battles ahead. There are more messages to come that will unlock over time. good luck, Ryan Roads for I deemed you perfect for wielding the Armored Device not just because you are physically capable but because prior to your capture I've searched for one pure of heart to temper the raw power of the Armored Device with a kind heart. You may doubt your legitimacy now but with the right allies and training you'll become a soldier for peace...goodbye."

Both I and the man in the room were silent for a moment until Legacy broke the silence. "What just happened?"

I replied "I don't know but, that looked just like the alien that gave me this driver. He pushed me into an escape pod and sent me off the castle, at least he called it a castle. I never even learned his name."

"You're saying an Arkan helped you escape with a weapon to fight their leader?" "I don't know but I think this driver is bound to me like he said...does that mean I have to fight one day?"

Legacy was silent to me for a minute and then said. "I know people that will know what to do, am hoping that you won't have to fight but...if what that hologram said was true you may have been chosen to fight against evil...it's not a job for everyone but at least you're not alone. Come we should meet up with the science and engineering leads and see if they can't find out what that thing on your waist is, for all we know it could be a bomb." Yikes, that would be terrible. As Legacy led me out the door I thought to myself "Could I really do this?". Even with the power of this suit, I struggled against a single soldier let alone an empire.

Legacy showed me around the station, at least I think it's a station. It's so huge I couldn't believe it. he told me we were heading to the science and engineering labs at the station. we've met up with both the scientists and engineers and I had to put up with a lot of tests, I couldn't be bothered to remember them all but the eggheads insisted it was all important so I just went along with it. Legacy oversaw from afar as I could tell, he seems caring or at least interested in how the tests went on. I demonstrated the transforming abilities of the driver, as now that's what they're calling it. They must have heard me describing it as such. I performed physical and mental exercises as the scientists and engineers took notes. I've learned a bit about my new powers from these tests. for starters, I have to press some buttons to transform. One button selects the form and the other activates the full transformation. The red form I took on performed well in the physical exercises so I guess I have increased strength when using it. As the testing increased we tried more dangerous and taxing experiments such as endurance testing where they see just how far I can push the suit. I could lift more than I was used to, bullets bounced off my armor when shot at and I could react much quicker than normal as well. it's been only a day and am already exhausted. I should rest but I should ask the science and engineering guys if doing so would be okay.

It's the next morning and I've gotten my own place to stay on the Legacy Station. I was told that I would be treated as a refugee since my home was taken by the space elves, I know their called Arkrans but I like calling them space elves better. I've got a short while before testing began again so am left wondering what to do, normally I'd play my tabletop games but I left that all behind when I was taken by the space elves. I did have a TV and some basics like a desk and a bed. for a refugee, I seem to have it pretty good. Things were getting quiet until a knock on my door came. I had a feeling Legacy would want to see me eventually, I walked to the door and opened it. but it wasn't him, it was some gritty man wearing some kind of uniform. I stared at him, awaiting an introduction, and give one he did.

"My name's John Bradford, I was the executive officer of XCOM but due to the arrival of the Arkans, my work with XCOM had to be put on hold as a new threat appeared. You must be Ryan, the escape pod refugee of yesterday's search."

Ok so he's a military guy, I had to ask something simple of him. "What happened to Legacy? He seemed pretty interested in me, no wait not like that but he-"

"Work came up for Legacy, yesterday was supposed to be his time off but he likes working overtime when it comes to helping people and the Union's cause. I happened to notice your testing, seems you got stuck with an alien weapon strapped to your waist."

"Yeah, am still getting used to this thing, it's like a weird dream come true." "I've seen this driver in action...and I thought it was just the kind of power our group needed for a while now."

"Needed? you don't mean for fighting do you? I barely know how to use this thing."

"Yes but what if I told you that the XCOM trainers would be willing to teach you basic combat and that the XCOM scientists can start researching your driver full-time in order to learn more about this thing? I know am coming on a bit strong here but after Legacy told me the story around your arrival here I can't help but shake the feeling that your driver could be a major turning point in the Union's fight against the Arkans."

I thought about this more a short moment, I was chosen by that nameless alien to take this device and from the sound of his message, he picked me out of all the others... John spoke again

"Of course am not forcing you to join or anything, am sure you still have a lot to think about and am aware you were a civilian before this whole mess started so-"

"I'll do it. I may not know how to use this driver yet but if am the only one able to use it I may as well try my best to put it to good use."

John smiled and said, "Then let's get started, I've already told the non-XCOM scientists and engineers that you may be recruited today so we can just get down to business."

As I followed John towards what he calls the XCOM sector of the station he filled me in on the happenings in the multiverse.

"You see Ryan we're been fighting the Arkans for quite some time now. It first started with the AM Incident, it was the first major conflict the Arkans sparked in order to fool the majority of the occupied populace in the multiverse that the Arkans are bringers of order and peace... Obviously, that's a load of crap...Their invaders like Advent before them. They gave terrorists the ability to travel the multiverse so that when they come to 'save' the multiverse at large they have an excuse to effectively take over as an authoritarian government."

"I can bet Legacy hated that part."

"Damn right he hated that part, Their fascists seeking power over the weak. In fact the main thing their trying to do now is to gather powerful weapons and artifacts from the many universes that hold them and when the few people powerful enough went to try and stop them they were hunted down and either killed or captured."

"So where do I step in?"

"Well, we need all the help we can get to weaken the Arkan Empire, performing calculated attacks at the Arkan Empire where we can. while each mission may seem small in nature we hope to perform enough missions to weaken the Empire to a point our big hitters can overthrow their rule over a given region of the multiverse."

"But the multiverse has to be like a massive place...how can we even affect a part of it let alone the whole place?"

"It's not going to be easy that much is for sure, but am sure as hell going to try anyways."

Chapter End