DUTY of a HUNTER
By Cyrus E. Koldstone
The following story is one that I'm using in another fanfic that I'm currently working, but I thought it was so good that it should be in a piece all by itself. It shows what happened in Zero's mind during the brief moment right before he and Iris faced off on board the Repliforce WEAPON Station during Mega Man X4.
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"Iris?!"
There she stood, at the gateway that led to the entrance right before the grand chamber where the General lay in wait; still pondering over all that he had done. In her hands she grasped a small purple orb of shimmering light. Slowly, the tears still wet on her face, she looks at Zero from across the room.
"So you and X fought with my brother…"
Zero lowered his head, his long blonde hair hanging down at his side as if also in regret. He had no choice in the affair; it was his job, his duty to stop Repliforce! He didn't want to do it, but there was no other choice.
"I'm sorry…"
Her eyes welled up in her face, the tears now streaming forth, her mind unable to take all that has happened. Her brother… dead… He was dead! The Colonel was dead!?
Then it happened, the cord in her mind snapped and the soft twinkle dimmed a bit in her soft brown eyes.
"Then it's over Zero. Everything…"
Zero looked up, and was horrified at what he saw. Running her hand over the purple sphere of energy, the ball began to pulse with a new power; its transformation code activated, it started to power up.
Zero panicked at what he knew she was about to do… force him to do because of it…
"Wait Iris! Listen to me! PLEASE!"
A small smile crosses her angelic face; she knows what she has to do now.
Everything… everyone was gone; there was nothing left for her now, but to avenge what she had lost.
"Good bye, Zero…"
Zero started to run for her, trying to stop her from tapping in the final sequence onto the ball. His DASH boot roaring to life, he sped to her faster.
Time began to slow
He sees her hands let go of the ball as its pulses one final time of the chaotic energy within.
"IRIS!!!"
The ball rose up into the air, purple electrical sparks flying off it, showering her body in their luminescent glow.
Then it happened.
Warp trails surrounded her small frame, encasing them in the Super Juggernaut armor from within the gem.
Zero fell to his knees as he saw the last of Iris encased in a metallic frame of death.
Now the tears were streaming down his face, and he couldn't stop them… he didn't want to.
Reaching behind his head, he pulls out his trusted Z-Saber, igniting the powerful cyan Plasma bladed, letting its hot fury blaze in his hand.
"I'm sorry Iris…"