Okay, time for some serious notes here.

Technically, the last chapter was very different from what normally happens, but this particular chapter marks the first major deviation from the main storyline. It's mainly because of what I believe to be the nature of weapons such as Giro's Z-Saber, but it also has to do with my original plan to make this story the first of a series. As for what will happen, you'll have to wait and find out.

That's actually another major point. As I noted earlier, my middle name could possible be 'Detail', since I put as much detail and technical odds and ends into my story as possible. So if you encounter something that doesn't make sense now, or that doesn't make sense because of your knowledge of the Zx game, I ask that you be patient and wait. I will do my best to explain all the unknown elements in later chapters. If you feel I have forgotten something later on, though, let me know, and I'll try to fix it.

Also, the mysterious observing unknown has apparently earned the designation, "The Observer". Until I reveal him for what he truly is, that is his 'name'. Feel free to guess, but I won't say if anyone is right or not.

And finally, there is some debate as to whether or not Zx takes place 100 years or 200 years after Megaman Zero, which takes place in 22XX. In this story, it is 24XX, two centuries after the events of Megaman Zero.

-Ainrhyr-

Disclaimer: See previous page.


Rise of the Chosen

Chapter Eight

A Legendary Battle


Almost there, almost there, almost- The thought repeated itself through the observer's mind as he jumped, dashed, and essentially blazed through the area. He could feel the tension in the air; the subtle silence that told him, and only him, that history was repeating itself in some manner. He didn't know what exactly was happening, but there was a significant amount of bad things that had happened in the past, and he personally didn't want any of them repeated. So he moved as fast as his ancient body would carry him towards Area D, where the proverbial storm clouds were gathering on the horizon.

Almost there, almost there, almost there…


Slowly, Aile raised the X-Buster and leveled it at her friend. "I'm sorry for this, Giro."

She fired.

Giro dodged the initial shot, and dashed at Aile, sword coming down in a vertical slash. Aile shot to the side, and began charging another shot. Giro chased after her, his immense sword pointed straight at her. She fired a charged shot at Giro's charging form. It hit full on, but to her surprise, the blast splashed against a white/purple barrier that appeared just around Giro's form, dealing no visible damage even though it stopped his charge.

Aile, the unknown presence must be empowering Giro's personal shield. We'll have to drain it before we can deal any significant damage.

Aile didn't really want to deal any significant damage to Giro, but she didn't tell X that.

Giro suddenly slammed his sword blade into the ground, and a column of orange light shot up from the ground around him. The column faded, but another column shot up further out from him. The spreading attack was coming rapidly at her.

Aile, dash forward NOW!

She did so, and the third column leapt up scant millimeters behind her. She was inside the column, and Giro was still there in the center. "Come on, Giro! Fight it!" She screamed, launching another charged blast at him. It hit full on like the last one, but this time the impact sent him sprawling.

Giro leapt back up, however, and jumped high into the air. Recognizing the move from what she'd seen of him during the fight with the flying vessel in Area B, Aile dashed under him while he was airborne, and he brought the saber down with great force onto nothing. Aile hadn't had the time to fully charge another shot, but she fired what she had, and a medium-sized green plasma burst splashed against his back.


There it is! The observer felt ecstatic as he spotted the massive structure that was Slither's head office. Effortlessly climbing the structure from the rear, he landed on the top, to gaze down at the events below.

What he saw shocked him.

The two legends are fighting each other? I guess history does repeat itself in a fashion. After all, those two were destined to fight in the past. I guess they were destined to battle here too.

He couldn't intervene yet, so he settled in to watch. But if this battle played out like it had in 21XX, he already knew what would happen.


If I can keep my distance, I might be able to win this…

But she couldn't keep her distance very well. As she'd dodged his airborne strike, she'd spared a glance around and realized that the entire area was surrounded by mavericks. But they didn't attack her; they merely stood and prevented her from fleeing the area, essentially giving her very little room to maneuver. And every time she got enough room between herself and Giro in the limited space she had, he'd come charging towards her with insane speed, sword poised to strike.

And her instincts told her that she was as good as dead if that saber managed to hit her.

Giro spun to face her, but this time he slammed his sword against the ground, actually shattering the steel and concrete debris at his feet and sending the sharp fragments flying towards her.

Aile, shield your eyes!

Aile immediately dismissed the X-Buster and covered her face with both arms. The fragments slammed into her own shield, draining it significantly. Fortunately, the few shards that penetrated the shield were deflected by the X-Armor.

But Aile felt something was wrong, and X cursed as he realized he'd made a mistake.


I remember this. And if memory serves…

Giro shot metal fragments at Aile, and she protected her vulnerable face with her arms. But she also blocked her sight, and Giro moved in for the kill.

He recognized the move. He'd seen it before, a long time ago.

…That was the only battle X ever truly lost against him…


Aile moved her arms, and her eyes widened when she saw Giro rushing her, sword poised for a horizontal slash. But she remembered that she still had a stored charge shot.

Everything seemed to slow. It would all come down to this.

Aile brought her arm up in slow motion, the X-buster forming in a flash. Giro closed, and the sword started moving in her direction. The X-Buster rose. The sword fell.

Aile unconsciously removed the recoil buffers from the X-Buster, to fall away from the sword's blow, and it probably saved her life.

The X-Buster fired at virtually point blank range. Giro flew back and Aile fell backwards.

The Z-Saber, which had originally been aimed for her neck, cut across her forehead instead. The very tip of the plasma blade effortlessly cut through the X-Armor's helm, and just barely scraped across her forehead.

Aile screamed at the contact. It felt as though her head was splitting apart. For all she knew, it already had.

She fell to the ground, clutching her head through the ruined helm, knowing that it was over; that Giro would kill her now. So she curled up on the ground, and waited for it to end.


I don't remember that happening.

The observer focused in on the two fallen shadows of the legends, noting that they both appeared to be alive, although the girl seemed to be hurt badly. Hopefully, she would live, but he couldn't really tell from that distance. But at least they were no longer fighting, at least at the moment.

I guess I have to keep watching, and see what happens next.


Eventually, a few minutes later or so, Aile managed to fight her way out of the searing pain, and forced herself upright.

Giro was just stumbling upright as well, and she numbly realized that she had dealt severe damage with her close range shot.

Furthermore, she realized he seemed to be struggling with himself. Giro had to be fighting back.

She called the X-Buster, and leveled it at Giro, just in case. As she did, she realized that the sword had cut across the Buster as well, as it sported a large, jagged cut along its length. She hoped it wouldn't fail her if Giro lost control again. "C-come on Giro! Fight it! I know you're st-strong enough…" Blood started trickling into her eye from the wound on her forehead, and she blinked rapidly to keep it clear. She couldn't afford to move her hand. She needed it to hold the X-Buster up. Her strength was nearly gone…

Giro was clutching his head, and the evil red eyes on his visor were flashing as Giro fought for control.

"I-I know you can do it Giro! Come on!"

Finally, Giro gave out a yell that seemed to be his own, and the red eyes faded from his visor. Giro had retaken control.

"U-urgh…Aile…Aile! Are you alright!?"

Despite her injury and her exhaustion, Aile felt a sense of relief as she lowered the X-Buster. Giro was alright, even if she wasn't. Her body felt like rubber, she was so tired.

Giro started running towards her. Then, a massive purple lightning bolt hammered the hapless ex-Guardian, casting him to the ground. He didn't move.

"Giro!!"

Strength born of desperation filled her, and Aile ran up and knelt next to her friend. He didn't appear to be conscious.

"Model X, the blue Mega Man. Model Z, the red Mega Man. What disappointments. The Guardians have found nothing but useless refuse, it seems."

Aile looked up. Standing there were the three figures from earlier: The purple and grey armored male, the white, green, and yellow armored female, and the immensely tall figure from before.

Aile scrambled upright and leveled the X-Buster at them, praying that they didn't notice the damage to the weapon. "Who are you!?"

The tall reploid, who appeared to be the leader of sorts, held out his hand. Aile's eyes widened. In his hand was obviously a Biometal of some kind. He was a Chosen One!

"The name is Serpent. I am the ruler of all I see. I am the Model W Mega Man!"

Aile ignored the second and third sentences. Her brain had focused immediately on the first statement.

"Serpent!? You're the president of Slither Inc.!"

Serpent smirked. "It seems that my reputation precedes me. Not that that knowledge will help you, blue Mega Man!"

She didn't pay attention to the malice in his voice. "You're the one responsible for the mavericks and what happened to Giro!"

The girl suddenly spoke up. "You're shaking…is it anger…or fear?"

Aile realized she couldn't hold her arm steady. It was getting harder to maintain her focus. The Z-Saber's superheated edge had essentially cauterized the skin on her forehead, but exposure to the air and her recent movements had caused it to crack and split. She was losing blood that her brain required to function properly, and it was dulling her senses; deriving her of focus. She shook her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts, but the numbness was still there. But there was anger in there as well, and she drew on it to give her a bit of focus. It worked, although maybe a bit too well.

"You're the one who protects everyone! How could you be behind it? How could you do this!?"

Aile started charging the X-Buster. She didn't care anymore. She felt X yelling at her to stop, but she ignored him. She was going to put a stop to this once and for all, even if it killed her.

Had she been listening to X, she would have heard him warn her that the X-Buster couldn't hold a high-level charge because of its damage.

Serpent noticed the energy building in her buster. "Prometheus, if you could."

The purple armored reploid, obviously Prometheus, stepped forward, hand resting on a weapon hilt of some kind. "I admire your courage girl, but what you're doing now is just plain recklessness."

"Quiet!!"

She fired, and the half powered shot lanced towards Serpent. Prometheus activated his weapon, a beam scythe, and swatted the attack back at her.

Fate and fortune were in her favor. Had the attack been at full power, it might have killed her.

As it was, the weakened attack tore through her nonexistent shields and hammered into her buster arm, spinning Aile like a top before she came to rest. She looked at the affected arm, and gasped as she noticed the damage to her weapon. The X-Buster was warped and deformed from the attack, and it would obviously be unable to fire another shot.

"No…"

Serpent crossed his hands behind him imperiously, and started pacing. "Beings who can control the M.E.G.A. System and transform with the power of the Biometals, such as you and I, are called Mega Men, or Chosen Ones. We are the chosen few with the power to shape the world to our liking. We are the shepherds who will guide the flock of the people into a new world. That is the reason we exist." He turned to Aile with a contemptuous look. "But you and your friend have proven with your pathetic skills that not all Mega Men are fit to rule."

He raised his hand, and power collected in his hand. Aile braced herself as best she could.

The same purple bolt of lightning that felled Giro struck her with immense force, sending her to the ground. But even though her body shuddered as the energy ripped through it, she realized with shock as Model X screamed in her mind that the blast hadn't been meant for her.

The X-Armor vanished, leaving Aile prone on the ground. Although she was conscious, she didn't move. She literally couldn't. The lightining bolt had shorted out the tiny power converter in her body, which supplied her cybernetics with energy to function. Her cybernetics were dead, and her entire body felt like it was several hundred pounds heavier.

Serpent shook his head. "How pitiful. Pandora, retrieve the passwords."

The white armored girl nodded, and dispatched her helmet's twin mobile cannon modules, which floated over Aile and Giro. Aile and Model X felt some data being copied and siphoned away, but they were two exhausted to resist.

Prometheus gazed coolly at them. "That was easy. What should we do with them?"

"Leave them to the mavericks, and carry on as you were. A battle between the evil Mavericks and the good Slither Inc. security force will be classic, and the people will celebrate the valiant defense force. These two will be casualties of the battle, and will be quickly forgotten. This façade will only have to endure for a little while longer. After all, soon they will all be sacrificed to Model W.

Aile was spent, but she managed to raise her head at that last statement. "W-what!?"

Pandora's mobile guns retreated back to their controller. "Passwords retrieved…"

"Excellent! Now that we have all the passwords, we can continue with Project Haven. Come along, you two. It's time we left these two to their fate."

Serpent disappeared, shortly followed by Pandora. Prometheus remained however, gazing at the fallen transporters. "…He said they were incapable of losing. Was he wrong? Or is there more to come?"

He gazed at Aile, who met his gaze. "If you manage to survive this ordeal, perhaps we'll meet again."

Then Prometheus vanished, and the mavericks began closing on the fallen Chosen.


AN: I figured that Aile, being essentially a rookie, couldn't possible take out Giro without sustaining some sort of injury, since he's practically an elite. And given that a beam saber is essentially a shaped blade of superheated plasma, it would sear and/or char any wound it delivers, especially against human skin. Lucky for Aile, Giro missed what he'd been aiming for originally. But how will this severe burn/wound affect the rest of the story?