The story is based around the events of Mega Man X8 and Mega Man X: Command Mission. Since X8 chronologically comes before Command Mission, the story will begin right after its ending events.

If you haven't yet played Mega Man X8 and don't want to know what happened at the Lunar Base, I recommend you don't read this story.

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Since the beginning of time, humans have dreamed of the power of a God, the power of creation. Two scientists realized that dream when they created the first humanoid being, a robot. One of the scientists received all glory for the creation and as, the other became corrupt with jealousy, a war ensued between the two. Good and light against evil and wile.

In pursue of the power to defeat the other, both sought a more powerful human-like being, one that would be able feel and think for themselves, just like humans. They started their own projects to create these beings, projects that their bodies wouldn't be able to see through. The light scientist made a being based on his greatest creation: a replicant humanoid stronger than anything he ever made, so strong that even he feared it. The wile scientist made a being based on his very first creation: a replicant humanoid built as a war machine and equipped with the power to corrupt the other.

It is unknown why these two replicant humanoids never fought as they should've, but both awakened nonetheless.

Zero awoke.

"Wh...what..." He was surrounded by pitch-black space, nothing else, no stars, no light. The only thing he could see was his own armor-covered body which at the moment was giving its own mystical glow.

"Zero!" said a cruel and scratchy voice.

"Who's that?" Zero asked, looking around furiously. His words echoed around the room, slowly fading away and then shouting back at him again.

"You already know who I am, fool!"

"...That voice."

"That's right, me."

"No...I still don't remember you..." As Zero tried to think, a short and shadowy figure began to appear in his head.

"Hahaha, a son should never have trouble remembering his father!"

"His...son...?"

"Foolish son...it doesn't matter. Soon you'll know everything, and then you'll be back under my control to see me rise against the world once again!"

"Against the world? Wait...you!"

"It begins today!" The room instantly went white and Zero's eyes were forced to a close.

Now the two scientists live on in different forms to make sure their greatest creations do what they were meant to.

One would give birth to a new era of terror.

The other would end it.

-

The Elf Wars

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Chapter 1 - Lunar Struggle

"YOU!" Zero sprang out of his capsule. He woke up to his regular room in the Maverick Hunters Base, not a dream this time. He looked at the door in front of him, the place he first saw the man he just talked to.

"Zero?" called out a voice inside of Zero's head.

"Who's there!" shouted Zero, he drew out his saber and got it in stance.

"Calm down, it's me." Layer was speaking to him through radio. "Are you okay? We could here you from here!"

Zero lowered his saber and quietly looked around the room. The shadowy image of his father returned to his mind.

"Zero?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. I was just having a bad dream."

- - - - -

"Zero, everything okay?" X was waiting in front of the door to the Teleport Room. "I could hear you yell from my room."

"Everything's okay," said Zero as he walked by him.

"Okay..." They both stepped into the room and the topic ended just like that.

"Had a good night's sleep, X, Zero?" said Alia. She was typing into a large computer near the door.

"Yeah, you Alia?" said X.

"I didn't go to sleep."

"Alia's been working all night!" called out Pallette cheerfully, she was sitting next to Alia.

"I'm trying to figure out what happened to Sigma at the Lunar Base," said Alia, not looking up from her work.

"We already told you, he was blown to pieces by us and then crushed by Lumine," said Zero.

"I know, I mean-" Alia stopped her work for a second. "I'm trying to figure out what happened to Sigma's virus. Every time you were able to defeat Sigma, his virus would escape from his destroyed body and infect another reploid, which is how he's able to come back every time." Her eyes shifted back to the computer screen and she began typing again.

"Go on..." said Zero.

"Well, this time there was no one at the Lunar Base for Sigma to infect to. You guys, Axl, and Lumine were the only ones left at the base when Sigma was destroyed," she continued.

The trio made an agreement before the mission to Lunar Base that the third member of the three would destroy any leftover mechaniliods that the first two didn't destroy. This was to make sure that no maverick would be left standing after they were done.

"Besides, according to your descriptions, it didn't look like Sigma would've even had enough energy to release his virus after being so thoroughly destroyed by Lumine." She paused again for a moment. "I think this is might actually be the end of the Sigma Virus."

X and Zero looked at each other, astonished. Pallette and Layer looked at each other hopefully. The two navigators didn't really understand what incredible news this was to the two Hunters, who had been trained under Sigma's wing when they had just joined the Maverick Hunters. It was Sigma who had taught them to become such powerful Hunters and who had tested their will time and time again, year after year. To them, it was not only the final, true death of their greatest enemy, but of their ex-mentor, ex-leader, and ex-friend.

"I hope so..." said X, looking away from Zero and down at Alia. "This means the end of Sigma's terrorist attacks. He's finally paid for the millions of lives that he taken." X looked away from Alia and instead stared at the ceiling. He wore a smile but his eyes looked thoughtful.

"Yeah, retribution," said Zero.

"So how's Axl?" asked Pallette, she got up from her seat and stood behind Alia and her computer.

"He's still unconscious, but he'll be up again by this afternoon, hopefully."

"He's still not up?" asked Layer, she said it worriedly and looked at Zero for some reason.

"It's not so easy to fix a broken crystal you know," said Zero. "I still remember when I was recovering from my broken crystal, back when I just joined the Hunters."

X looked at Zero in shock, Zero returned him a quizzical look.

"Wasn't Sigma the one that broke his crystal..." thought X.

An alarm sounded and the whole room began flashing red. Alia's computer monitor changed.

"No!" shouted Alia.

"What's wrong?" asked X.

"I didn't save any of my work!" she said.

"...What about the alarm?" asked Zero.

"Um..." Alia searched around her monitor. "Maverick activity at...the Lunar Base!"

"What!" shouted Zero he ran behind Layer and Pallette, pushing them aside.

"Hey!" yelled the two.

"The readings are coming from..." Alia stopped and no one spoke. The alarm could still be heard yelling every other second. "The same area you faced Sigma and Lumine."

"...Damn, it's Sigma isn't it...?" said Zero in a disgusted tone. Beeps were heard from Alia's monitor.

"...No. It's someone different."

- - - - -

The Lunar Base was left unchanged since the Hunters' last arrival. It appeared that no one had made plans for a visit since the last incident.

"It's just as quiet as before..." said X.

"How can Alia even tell it's a Maverick when it's not doing anything?" asked Zero. He unexpectedly began running ahead. X dashed to catch up.

"The readings said his DNA had traces of Sigma's Virus. For now they think his only priority is to escape Lunar Base."

"Okay, so we'll catch him during his escape and destroy him so the Sigma Virus will have to leave his body again. But what if there are still other reploids around?"

"Well...then we'll have to..."

"Destroy them all...?"

"...Let's hope it doesn't come to that...there!" X and Zero had only reached their destination halfway when something appeared before them. It had an unusually slender body that seemed to be made of liquid energy and had a head with two horns like an ox. Its body looked as if it were crumbling apart.

"Sigma!"

-To Be Continued...