[AUTHOR'S NOTE]
Hi everyone! This is the entire original An Axl Story that I have written over a long period of time easily lasting 10 years or so. It was recently completed, so my (mainly) life's work is done! Refer to my Author's Note at the end of Chapter 15 of AN AXL STORY REWRITTEN in case this is your first time seeing this.
The entire original An Axl Story consists of 7 batches of story and summaries, in the order which they were written - First Series, Continuation, Existpeace, Origintale, Greatfriction, Big Consummation and Epilogue Twist. The first three batches are stories on their own, and there's a summary of these three before Origintale, the second three batches are summaries, and Epilogue Twist ... is a surprise-surprise short story. You'd see why.
With that, I hope you'd enjoy the original work from which the rewrite REWRITTEN was derived of. That said, I'm still working on REWRITTEN, I'm only posting the originals here because the many batches were scattered all over the Internet, so I wanted them all in one place.
Thank you, enjoy yourself, comments crits and opinions are welcome!
AN AXL STORY FIRST SERIES
Chapter One: Takeover
In the year 21XX AD, rebellious Reploids caused the human population to try migrating to the Moon for security. However Maverick Hunters X, Zero, Axl and friends put such activities to an end, simply by defeating Sigma and for the first time, Lumine. This marked the end of the so-called "new world" ideology. This happens when the government realised their stupidity of migrating to the Moon just to escape such rebellions. Peace can only be achieved by Earth's proper being only.
Under the lead of the Prez Corp., the major investor of many social projects in the Federation, many companies demanded a ban to manufacturing new Reploids with ability to copy Reploids' data. The Jakob Tower (the Orbital Elevator) and any facilities on the Moon were subjected to massive dismantling. Funds were instead used for improving the world's terrible conditions. Thanks to Prez Corp's marvellous contribution to technology, the Sigma virus was successfully eradicated around the world and any further attempts to recreate copy abilities in new Reploids were banned.
Back in the gigantic Hunters HQ, things were better, since there were less rebellions and sabotages. A sullen-looking Signas was walking with briefcases away from the HQ because he was fired by an overwhelming majority no-confidence vote and was replaced by X. However this wasn't the case for Maverick Hunter Axl.
Axl had been in an unconscious state only for a day since a giant tentacle erupted from Lumine and shattered his head gem. There was a rumour that Axl had been infected with a virus from Lumine, just like the way Sigma was originally infected from Zero years ago. That has yet to be confirmed by Hunters scientists.
Outside the observation room, X and counterpart Alia watched a silent, sleeping Axl in the maintenance capsule. Since Axl's acceptance as a Hunter, X has been constantly worried for Axl's welfare. Watching an anxious X walking back and forth, Alia tries to calm him down.
"Aw come on X. Axl will probably be okay in a couple of hours or so. Then he'll be active again on duty." said Alia.
"No, this is not okay! A new virus program might even take over Axl and use it for rebellious purposes. Peace has finally stepped in the world and who knows, Axl's body may be a source of outbreak!" X replied back. Alia could only sigh.
Meanwhile, in the capsule, an undetected data soul starts to activate itself and respond to its host.
In the computer brain of Axl, Axl wakes up and gets up, only to find himself surrounded by pitch-black darkness with various shapes of data flowing endlessly without any direction.
"Oh… where am I? Why can't I open my eyes?" Axl groaned.
"That's easy. Your physical mechanisms are temporarily inactive but your subconscious just started to be active. Good day, Axl." A cold familiar voice replied behind him. Axl was shocked. "It can't be!"
Axl turned around. A very familiar projection of a Reploid in white armour, a pile of purple hair covering the right eye and extended purple hair back of his hair, was standing a few feet away from Axl. It was Lumine.
"YOU! The Director of Jakob we were supposed to protect!" Axl yelled.
"EX-Director. If I am not mistaken, the government and other investors would have withdrawn from Jakob and started tearing it apart and I am fired. Why so tense, Axl? Can't stand the leader of new generation Reploids?" Lumine taunted coldly.
"How in the world did you get here? In my head?" Axl yelled again.
"Well, I'd say that my data soul transfer program was successful. I have been electronically transferred to another Reploid that share the same structure and internal coding like me. It doesn't have to be a head gem. As long as the tentacles get contact with the slightest electronic component, I can be transferred. Permanently." Lumine sneered back.
An evil smile became an evil sulk when Lumine suddenly pounded on Axl onto the floor in the pitch-black space. Lumine released a bright red glare of light that caused Axl to scream all he could, under the boots of a Maverick.
"Aaaahhhhhh! What are you doing?! Aaaahh! The pain!" Axl painfully asked.
"Silly Axl. I'm taking over your control mechanisms. Then I will bust out of this place, wherever we are now, to further the rebellion against the old world!" A cruel-looking Lumine said through sickening smiles.
Outside the maintenance capsule, shielded by a layer of thick glass, scientists busily pressed buttons and levers to try to calm down the turbulent shaking of the capsule. Jerky movements of an Axl in critical conditions shook the capsule heavily.
"Commander X, the subject is being taken over by an unknown program! It appears to be highly-rebellious and vies for control of subject's body!"
"This isn't good! With the subject's abilities, the program attacking will permanently disable any means of communications we have!"
X and Alia lean on the thick layer of glass and watch the shaking increase more violently. Certain cracks were noticed on the capsule as violent hand movements hit harder and harder to break free of any locks.
"Axl! Put yourself together! Fight the program!" X yelled.
"Don't give up! Come on!" Alia joined in the support call.
An extremely worried Zero barged into the laboratory. "What's going on?"
"We don't know for sure. Something is horribly wrong with Axl's control systems!" Alia replied back, fixed on the violent capsule.
"Axl! Be strong!" Zero screamed all he could.
In Axl's computer brain, the pain continued on Axl. Lumine who had his eyes shut, blinked them open. He looked at the poor suffering Axl.
"Hm. I am close to taking over your control mechanisms. Next is to make my physical features appear on this body and wake up." Lumine sneered.
That sparked direct opposition from Axl against the now-powerful Lumine.
"Lumine, NO! You're bring yourself terrible death!" Axl yelled out.
That instantly got Lumine's attention. "Oh? And why should I not continue any further?" He asked back while outside, Axl's appearance has begun to change.
"You have my assurance that X and Zero will do anything just to stop you from your nefarious ideals, even if it means blasting and slashing me to pieces!" Axl replied confidently. The pain decreased.
"That is not possible. You do realise I am having your body and life hostage, don't you? They wouldn't dare to take your life so easily." Lumine countered.
"But, they can retrieve my brain back. It's so hard, it can be scanned and my data soul, if that is what you call it, is retrieved in a new body. YOU will be discarded as trash by virus-resistant technology in the labs." Axl said through gritted teeth.
"But I am not a virus, dear boy." Lumine said.
"But you have the ability to spread to other electronic components, don't you? The new Prez Corp technology will stop even that." Axl said.
"Where did you get this information?" Lumine asked.
"X told me while you were 'kidnapped'. Recently created technology to brain cleanse a corrupted data soul while recycling the body, creating a new personality.'
Lumine halted his waves of control-grasping moves and lifted his boot away from Axl's head. Axl took relief while Lumine seemed to be taking second thoughts about his plans in near future. He then gazed on Axl.
"Alright. I'll spare you for the meantime, only because you convinced me so. I will remain in standby, watching your every move. I will occasionally pop up to taunt you. BUT should you or anything else reveal my existence here, I assure you I will not hesitate to cause any trouble." With that he disappeared and Axl got his control back.
Axl opened his eyes. His looks are now exactly the Axl he should look like. His status became normal but the scientists couldn't trace the unknown program. But that didn't matter. X and friends went in to embrace a weak Axl and sent him to the resting chamber where hunters rest. Axl wondered how he was to deal with his parasite in the future, just before he was handcuffed and slept.
Chapter Two: Jerkiness
Two days passed just like every other day. Only that certain things are different. News regarding Axl's abnormal conditions two days earlier spread so far, out to the ranks of the majors. Axl felt this was much worse than the perception X had on him back in the times where Red Alert went Maverick.
He was being whispered about in that corridor of lockers. Tired with himself, he retreated to the resting chamber again. Walking around didn't make him feel better. He had to be patient with Lumine's constant teases and insults, seeking to undermine his confidence. But that didn't matter.
All that Axl was concerned of was that Lumine had been in standby mode all this while, not trying to vie dominance over his control mechanisms. He could take on the insults from everyone else but taking over his body, he will definitely not tolerate.
Axl continued to rest his head on the table in his cubicle, supported by his arms. He didn't have his usual mood of seeking inspirations from the Internet news clippings he put on the walls with duct tape.
In fact he didn't feel like doing anything at all.
Although he had been given 5 days off, orders from the high ranks (mostly X, he's the new Hunters Commander) he couldn't find anything to keep him busy. Lumine was blabbering much insult on him.
"Well, judging by the situations, I'd say that Pallette must be your counterpart navigator. Have you been trying to get her attention lately?"
"Aw shaddup. She's my navigator during missions and that's it! Enough already Lumine! I'm tired of you. I don't know why this must happen to me." Axl blasted at him in his thoughts.
Conversations between the two usually happen in Axl's computer brain since there is no such device as speakers integrated in him, so no one heard them.
"Axl, you already know the reason all this things happen to you."
"Refresh my memory then." Axl grew even more tired.
"It's because of my presence, dear boy. My attempts to control you made you famous. It's so hard to find any Reploid that have the same functions and structures like me these days. I had to make sure the 'new world' would not cease to exist."
Axl had a sudden flashback to what Lumine said previously. "…should you…reveal my existence here…I will… any trouble by any means."
"Hey that's not what I said." Lumine gave a slightly positive response.
"Prove me wrong." Axl retorted.
"I never said 'by any means'. Dear Axl, has your brain lost its memory? That's so sad. Let me supply you with some of mine." Lumine held out his left hand.
But Axl snapped it away. "I don't help your help. Thanks but no thanks."
"So sorry. I thought that while I remain in standby here, I could be of any ready assistance." He sneered back.
Finally Axl decided not to care. Then the alarm rang.
"All Hunters proceed to the resting chamber immediately." Just when Axl wanted to participate to rid himself of boredom, X confronted him.
"Axl you can't leave. Your body needs rest."
"X I've taken too much rest. Now just let me fight some Mavericks before I really die in this place."
"Aw bully for the Commander." Axl ignored Lumine.
"Axl are you sure you can handle this? You have 3 days off."
"Well, bully for that leave notice. I'm healthy already. Just let me go."
X closed his eyes to think. Even Lumine paused his insults. Axl was anxious to get into some action, if X gives his consent. Then X looked up.
"Alright. Go. Just be careful. Any trouble and I'd see that Alia teleports you immediately back to base."
"I told you, I'm fine. Nothing will happen to me, promise." He runs out.
In the command room, X watches Zero lead two Hunter units storm a weapons warehouse of the latest Reploid uprising. Axl was under top priority watch.
"X, relax will you? I'll bring him back when he's terribly injured."
"Alright Alia. If you need me, I'm in my office." X walks off.
It turns out that Axl was right after all. He made it through the mission without a single scratch, ending the new uprising with defeat of the Maverick leader, and if he wasn't mistaken, he saw a bespectacled human of messy brown hair slip away. But he chose to ignore that.
"Congratulations Axl. You showed some strength back there. But you would have done better if I gave you some power support."
"Stop your comments, Lumine. Don't you dare try to stab me in the back."
"Oh so sorry. I thought I was stabbing you right on your FACE all this while." Lumine gave a light, evil laugh. Axl ignored him further and walked down the corridor, wanting to head for the medical facility for checkup, only to be stopped by Zero.
"X wants me to tell you that Pallette needs someone to help her arrange all Hunter record files and history. Go to the computer labs now."
Axl gave a nod and started off but was paused by Zero.
"By the way, your performance just now was great. See ya." Zero walked off.
At the computer labs, Axl faced his navigator in a room filled with a big stack of papers and barely anyone else. "Well don't just stand there, Axl. Help me sort out the papers according to their respective Hunters. Got it?"
Axl nodded and set out to work. He concludes there's got to be thousands of papers to hundreds of Hunters, after 32 minutes of sorting.
The situation gave Lumine a good chance to act. Something real bad.
Out of nowhere, Axl lost control over his hands and they began moving on its own, sorting papers at speed Axl couldn't possibly reach.
"Hey! What are you doing? Give me my hands back!" Axl scowled.
"Oh I thought you needed help. I didn't think a Reploid like you worked so slowly, even when it comes to sorting papers. I must say I am disappointed with you, dear boy." Lumine gave a louder laugh.
True Lumine was. In 5 minutes 'Axl' had sorted out a thousand over papers linked to over 200 Hunters. Just when Axl got up, Lumine made him slip and fall flat on the floor.
A concerned Pallette immediately got up from her chair too to tend to him.
"Axl are you okay? Thanks for the paper-sorting by the way…"
Axl's hands suddenly reached up to Pallette's collar and seized it. A different looking Axl gazed upon her as he raised her up in the mid-air and laughed evilly.
"Axl… akk …what are you doing… stop it…urkkk…" Pallette hit 'Axl' repeatedly on his hands to release her. By now some Hunters have noticed this and barged in to help Pallette.
"Axl what are you!? Mad!? Release the navigator now!"
In his computer brain, Axl was desperately trying to regain controls over his body from a raging Lumine with insanity.
"Lumine, stop this! I'll be killed for this!"
"Oh do I ever want such a thing to happen to you." An evil snicker was heard. Full of rage, Axl pounded on Lumine but Lumine disappeared, so Axl regain full control over his body.
His rocket legs suddenly fired out of control, releasing a choking Pallette while he flew towards the glass wall of the lab. The glass shattered to millions of pieces, shocking other passer-bys.
As if the trouble wasn't enough, he crash-landed into another pile of lockers AFTER falling down two floors, denting along pipes and doors. Axl couldn't bear any more pain. He could only curse his inhabitant before he eventually passed out. A huge crowd surrounding him was formed.
Nearby Reploid guards arrested the mangled Axl and decided to take this matter to Commander X. X thus couldn't believe his eyes but he had no choice to resort to drastic measures to stop Axl and quickly sort out the damage he had done.
Axl had completely no idea what would be done to him; he was truly unconscious.
Chapter Three: Paleness
Axl has certainly gotten into a lot of misery lately although it is only 3 days since Lumine revealed himself. He tasted the insults and curses of many other Hunters, far worse than that of X's refusal to accept him as a Hunter and having to battle Sigma. Today after the trouble he caused in the labs, thanks to Lumine, he was to experience something more dreadful.
Axl was being quarantined from any physical contact.
He had his systems restarted active again. Using enough energy, he forced his eyes to open to see his new surroundings. Though feeling very tired, he managed to look around. He appeared to be in a room filled with greyish cushions on floor, three walls and ceiling. But the other one wall was thick glass and the door thick steel.
Axl tried to reach his hands but he couldn't. It seems his hands were bound to his body, not free. He tried getting up but imbalance made him fall down again. He looked on his body and was shocked.
He was strapped up with a white flexible titanium sheet, clung together by belts.
Immediately he looked at the wall of glass. Many machines with large screens displayed status charts and bars. Graphs of stability were plentiful. Scientists were busy tracing out the source of madness he caused in the HQ. Barely 2 feet away from the glass outside were X, Alia, Zero and Layer.
"Riight. Tell me again how we scan the unknown program inside Axl since that tentacle thing smashed his head gem." Zero asked lazily, looking at the already-repaired head gem of Axl.
"Zero, heat and radar scanners are implanted in that observation room. They emit high frequency waves and reflect back, thus indicating Axl's status. Another harmless laser is fired to try to detect the position and status of the unknown program. You should have paid attention to the scientists." Alia sighed.
"Whatever, so long as the science can stop all the Maverick madness and powers my saber. I'm going for a security patrol around Big City." Zero walked away fast.
"I hope this problem will be solved quickly. I may be new here but I am sure that Axl has never ever acted this strange before." Layer said after a long silence.
"You're right. I hope we get to ask Axl to reveal to us what is wrong with him. We are friends after all." X folded his arms while Alia spoke to someone else on her communicator.
Though X and the two navigators cannot hear whatever Axl said in the outside, Axl can hear whatever they said in the quarantine room.
"Remember, dear Axl-" Lumine started.
"Yeah yeah, I know, I know, still clear in my head! Don't reveal your existence or else you will cause destruction. Just stop bothering me. I'm so tired of you…" Axl lied himself on the cushioned floor to a near petrified posture.
Lumine only gave a small giggle, though small but full of evil. Axl cursed him back under a breath but then did nothing except lie on the floor and stare at the ceiling.
"Commander, the past 85 minutes he has shown no signs of any sudden erupting hostility. The subject has long remained stable ever since he crashed into the lockers on the 13th floor." A fellow scientist reported.
"Yes thank you. I think we have had enough of that story. Alia you can resume your duties again. Layer here is enough." X's orders were final. Alia nodded and returned to her post.
Inside the room, an eruption was about to begin.
"Poor, poor dear Axl, haven't you ever thought why your friends treat you so cruelly only 3 days since you got back from the Moon?" Lumine said.
"They are only treating me like this because of you! You purposely used my body to conduct your deceitful activities! I accept that! I understand their view of me! And I am going to continue keeping you in here since you are such an evil Reploid!" Axl yelled out at him.
Lumine's fists clenched more. Anger was rapidly rising from him. Finally he was no longer patient of his host.
"WHY YOU LITTLE!" Lumine emitted tonnes of red glaring light from him and his eyes were glaring crimson from the anger. Axl was stunned from that and realising Lumine was attempting full force to gain control, he emitted his own blue light to fight the advancing Lumine.
Back outside, the charts, bars and graphs were suddenly out of range. The needles on all measuring meters bounces off the limits. The alarm rang out loudly, shocking X and Layer. The scientists busied themselves again, trying to clamp the increasingly volatile condition.
"The unknown program's back! The subject is experiencing the rapid spread of its activities, whatever that is! We are now firing a laser that can suppress all activities of the subject!" The scientist increased a lever on a machine.
X and Layer looked on anxiously, hoping a calm to prevail. Despite the many complications present, it all happened in a petrified Axl on the floor.
The two personalities were fighting to reclaim the right to control the body. Fierce opposition continued on.
"You fool! I shall resume control of this body and with my powers, I am truly unstoppable! The new world will be created over a matter of time and you will submit to my rule!" Lumine said with evil eyes.
"Not if I can help it! I will not surrender to you!" Axl emitted more of his blue light to counter Lumine's advance.
Lumine smiled a little. "You've got some great courage and strength. But my powers are far greater than yours!" Folding his hands crossed, he broke than cross and in turn released more powerful rays of speeding crimson light.
The power was clearly too much to resist. Axl began to be overpowered by the surge of Lumine's power. Bit by bit, Axl began to bent more towards the ground of
the subconscious' black-pitch floor.
"Grr… must stop Lumine… Aaaaaargghh!" Axl cannot take it anymore.
In the quarantine room, the petrified became un-petrified. 'Axl' was able to stand up properly and revealed his cold, cruel face. This is due to Lumine's strong power able to quell Axl's power that 'Axl' was able to take control.
"Hm? It seems here that you have some control over a certain area. What could it be?" Lumine stood next to an Axl hurt on the floor. Crimson waves are still flowing.
Axl turned up to him. "Well… I still can't afford to let your physical looks…just so easily exposed now, can't I? We had an agreement…"
Lumine looked on with a little self-realisation in him. After seconds of storing, he looked upwards.
"Hm. Quite right. No matter, I'm sure I can still afford to show my purple hair and eyes, can't I?" Lumine-controlled Axl begins to release strength to break the titanium strap that has tied him up.
Some of Axl's brown hair was turned into purple and expanded outwards to cover his right eye. A few seconds later, the titanium strap was torn to pieces. That alarmed X as he switched to battle mode with his Buster ready.
'Axl' first tried to escape by using his might to break through the 5-inch thick glass window. Repeated crashes made the glass crack and around 2 inches of thickness was reduced.
Realising it was futile, he turned to barge against the 2.5-inch thick metal door. The chances of success were much brighter there. He managed to create a dent, increasing as he continued to ram against it. X prepares to shoot in case the subject escapes.
"The laser has failed! The dominant program is the unknown one! Run for your lifes!" All scientists ran away, fearing any attacks on them.
Lumine was close to escaping the quarantine room. Then he halted his steps. In the computer brain, Lumine stopped to talk to Axl for a moment before he made his escape.
"You see, dear boy. The new world is inevitable. Don't worry I'll spare you to be my assistant. Gwahahaha- what the?!" Lumine was utterly shocked. Axl turned around. A much brighter, stronger pink light appeared from nowhere, thus neutralizing Lumine's crimson light. Lumine lost his control of Axl and was extremely tired.
"Grr…I will stop here. Mark my words, Axl. I will return after I have quelled that new aura!" With that, he disappeared and Axl was back in position.
Layer saw a floating stunned purple-haired Axl fall to the floor and the purple turning to brown and not covering Axl's face. Axl returned, extremely tired, and tried to open his eyes again. X has apparently knocked down the door and tended to him.
Axl was taken to his resting chamber and on-lookers were dispersed. Mechaniloid guards were stationed around his capsule to grab Axl when out of control. X seemed to be in deep thinking. The unknown program has disappeared again and security is increasingly in danger. What would he do?
Layer whispered suggestions to him and he was satisfied. "But we must first get others' approval first. Then we'll do what you say." Both walked off to his office. As Axl lay asleep, secrets were unveiled and measures, more drastic than quarantine, were about to be taken to deal with the brown-haired Reploid.