The Meaning of X
Hello everyone. I will keep the authors note up here short, for reasons I'll explain at the bottom.
This work is not in any way meant to infringe on the copyrighted characters or concepts owned by Capcom, nor is any money being made off of this story in any way, shape or form.
This story is in a way a prequel to "The Value of Zero", and I have taken some liberties with the exact placement in the X timeline this takes place in. All of that said, let's dive right in.
MMX
It all happened faster than anyone could have known. A Maverick gang had taken numerous humans and innocent reploids hostage, armed with military equipment and itchy trigger fingers.
In the ensuing standoff, X and Zero managed to save the civilians, but a single energy blast from an anti-reploid turret nailed the sapphire clad robot in the chest. X hadn't thought about what would happen, he simply acted, jumping in the way of the blast.
Had X not, it would have nailed the golden haired hunter square in the back before he could have seen it coming. Ever the protector, X had used himself as a shield to protect his best friend, barely managing to fire off a fully charged buster shot at the turret, blowing it up.
So, this is how it ends, power core's ruptured, nothing I can do to fix it in time. Funny, it feels like I have all the time in the world.
The Neo-Blue-Bomber looked at his friend, someone who had almost become a brother to him, the robot that had been made for the sole purpose of destroying everything that had made. And here that robot was, lunging at X as his body fell.
I'll be offline before I hit the ground, even before Zero catches me.
Every fraction of a second passed as though they had been stretched to resemble eternity. X used those moments to send his memory files back to Maverick Hunter HQ. He couldn't transfer his core programming without being plugged into a transfer unit for a new body, so all he could do was take the terabytes upon terabytes of information that he held in his memory and transmit all of it to the place X had called home for almost fifty years now.
There, at least the others will have those files to preserve. Funny how I go out, killed not by my best friend or my worst enemy, but by helping save innocent lives from a barrage. At least Zero took out the last of the weapons platforms. The civilians are safe.
The kids look scared. I don't blame them, I'm scared too. It's only been a whole second since the barrage hit. Humans always say they see their life flash before their eyes when they die…I wonder if this is the robot equivalent, seeing everything in slow motion as everything finally stops.
Well, , I hope I did you proud. Heh, X, an unknown variable, able to be anything the equation requires. I hope I lived up to that potential.
Now, down to business, setting up the link...there we go, transmitting this as my last will and testament. I, Megaman X, hereby bequeath all of my worldly possessions to my best friend, Zero. As to my position in the Maverick Hunter chain of command, I promote Axel to my post. To all those who knew me, don't remember me as a hero, or as a robot. Remember me as Dr. Light did, how he looked at all of robot-kind: as people.
Farewell, friends. X…signing out.
And like that, the last work of the genius Dr. Light finally went offline, forever. Zero had indeed managed to catch him before he hit the ground, but it was too late. What moments before looked like a young man in armor was now nothing more than a soulless hunk of azure scrap metal, his right arm severed at the elbow, his chest partially caved in and exposed, some of the armor blasted away, his helmet cracked diagonally on the right side; his entire being lifeless in the ruby armored arms of his best friend.
Zero wanted to roar to the heavens in pure rage and sorrow. He wanted to see the maverick scum responsible suffer for their actions, were it not for the fact that they were already dead by way of his saber and a few last second buster shots from X. Instead, Zero turned that pain inward. Silently, without as much as a backwards glance, he walked with X's body in his arms, stopping only to pick up his severed arm, still in Buster Mode, resorting to laying it across his fallen friends waist as he walked.
Zero could have easily teleported back to MHHQ, but he was too stricken with grief and anger to do so. Instead, he walked, silently swearing, tears running down his face. Out of the buildings he passed, human and reploid alike watched him, X still cradled in his arms.
Nobody who saw them said anything. X was THE template of all reploids. Without him, there would be no reploids at all. To see the robot that had, in a way, been the father of every one of them, they respectfully bowed their heads. The humans couldn't believe that their protector was gone. They couldn't believe that his face, so much like a human's, would never again speak, would never again smile as he played with the children or be concerned as he helped everyday civilians.
X had earned the world's trust simply by being who he was. X, that which possessed infinite potential, and dedicated it to protecting those who could not protect themselves. X, Infinite Generosity, Infinite Kindness And Infinite Compassion.
That is...was, the meaning of X.
MMX
So, I wrote this story for two reasons, the first is because I love the Megaman series, the X and Zero games being some of my favorite games of all time.
But there is another, more selfish reason I wrote this story. At the time of this stories posting, it has been a little over two months since my father passed away due to pancreatic cancer coupled with an infection.
I suppose in a way, this story is something of therapy for me.
I still miss my dad, but I have to keep moving. For now, this is the best that I can do.
Thank you all for reading, and thank you to those of you who review this story.
I am grateful that I am fortunate enough to receive such kindness, and I hope to return that kindness with more stories to entertain you all soon.
Until next time my friends, this is KRO, wishing you all well.