MEGAMAN X : COMPLETION

PROLOGUE : PARADISE LOST

By: Johannah Faythe

"Unbelievable..."

There stood Lumine, director of the Jakob Project, on his knees and staring up at the vastness of space. Axl, X and Zero also stood there with weapons in hand, waiting to see what he would do next.

"You may have have defeated me, bu it's too late to stop what has already begun." Lumine continued, struggling to get his words out.

Silence prevailed for no more than a few seconds before Axl answered, "I'll take on plenty more like you if that's what it takes."

"Heh, you really don't have a grasp of the situation at hand, do you?" Lumine chuckled painfully, "Oh well, you'll find out soon enough..."

Silence prevailed once again. The hunters relaxed their grip on their weapons knowing that this battle had finally ended. X looked to Zero, who simply shook his head "No, there's nothing more to do." The sound of footsteps startled the two friends, and they watched in silence as Axl walked closer to the director's empty shell of a body, now cracked and damaged, forever frozen in his deathpose. He had only taken a few steps when Lumine's body violently shook, opening a crack in his chest and releasing several vines, one heading straight for Axl. He braced himself, but the vine headed for the crystal on his helmet, shattering it and knocking the hunter unconscious. The two other hunters reacted quickly. Zero slashed the vine, causing it to disappear. X caught the young reploid and sent a charged buster shot at Lumine, causing the body to explode; nothing remained of the Next Generation Reploid.

x~x~x

"X! X!" Status report!" Came Alia's voice through X's communicator.

"This is X," he reploid while trying to think of what to say. "Axl... Axl has taken damage, but he's fine. We're heading back now..."

x~x~x

The ride down to Earth was long and silent. X stood near the edge of the elevator with Axl in his arms. The boy occasionally groaned, his face in a pained expression and eyes not opening. Zero was at another end of the elevator, leaning against the wall. Each hunter thought different thoughts, but they were all focused on Lumine's words.

"Awakening... That's how Lumine described it. He said this was evolution. If he's right... then what are we doing?"

"If what Lumine said is right, and Sigma won't be coming back... Maybe this means I won't have to fight anymore..."

Zero looked over at the blue hunter, sensing his thoughts and depression. "Typical X," he thought, and walked up to his friend.

"I bet you've been thinking about what Lumine said a while ago."

X's eyes widened in surprise as he looked over at his red friend.

"Don't let it get to you X. Just becoming Sigma could hardly be called evolution."

The blue hunter looked out to the stars and responded with a small nod. Zero turned around, intent on going back to his wall, but X was still worried about Lumine's final words.

"Anyways, X..."

"I have to tell him something... Might as well tell him like it is."

"Even if us reploids are destined to join the scrapheap when that evolutionary step does come around..."

X's eyes widened with surprise again.

"... We still have to fight. Not only against mavericks, but against our own destinies as well."

With those words, Zero returned to his corner, with hope renewed in both himself and his friend, ready to face whatever challenges await them in the future.

x~END~x