Wild Fangs
(X series AU where Zero is aware of his self being the maverick virus origin and X being his "tamer" as both try to find a cure for the maverick virus)
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Megaman X series characters.
Chapter XI: Duty
"I'm afraid I cannot grant that request nor I'll be joining that anytime soon." Storm Eagle said as he point his buster towards the ebony devil who halted halfway towards them.
"Is that so...?" licking his lips "More blood to feast on then." he said before vanishing from their sight.
"So that means we can work together now?" Dynamo said as he leaps beside the eagle-type maverick.
"Yes, we're against the origin so there's no helping it." he said as he kept on scanning the area.
"Can you spot him?" the whole area now filled with cold mist, thermal scanners were proven useless since the demon does not give off any heat.
"I'm already doing the best I can... Wait..." felt a much colder presence near him and without a word, Dynamo leaped away from him as if neglected the alliance offered earlier.
"So this is your best?" a silky voice whispered beside him "Pathetic." slams Storm Eagle's head towards the floor with his right hand. He then reached for both of the eagle's wings, holding them tightly as he placed his right foot heavily on his prey's back. "You should have listened to me, little bird~" effortlessly, he has torn the left-wing as the maverick screeched in pain.
"Looks like it's time for my great escape." Dynamo said to himself as he slowly retreat into the mist when suddenly, he felt numbness throughout his body.
"Don't fret, I'll deal with you sooner than you think." with the bounty hunter bound by his Dark Hold, he returned his attention towards the wounded maverick as he kneels on his prey's back to add more pressure. "Your scream is much more pleasing than that pathetic mammoth or that insolent chameleon... I never heard the penguin's though." gripping tighter oh the remaining wing as he leans down near the eagle's left ear "Glad to hear it, little bird." leans closer as he whispers "Time to sleep~".
"You're... insa-!" the ebony devil roughly bites his neck and rapidly draining all his nanites.
Once done, he stretched his huge demonic wings once more as he stands to face his petrified victim.
"Hmm... That was refreshing..." licking his lips as he released his Dark Hold "Your turn..." hovering once more as his cold pale blue eyes narrowed.
"What a troublesome day... Next time, I won't accept jobs like this..." Dynamo sighed as he charges his buster.
On the other side of the area, X remains unconscious as his repair nanites rapidly trying to fix his damages as soon as possible. Then, a pair of hands checked him before reaching out for some tools within the portable surgical kit.
"X, hang on...!" Gate said as he began repairing him. "You're not allowed to perish here, you hear me?" he's just thankful that he came across with Zero's clone the moment he exit the infirmary, cutting his travel time in great lengths.
Gate hoped that his voice will reach him. Inside X's mind, however, his memories began to drift back to the time he first tamed the crimson demon.
Three months ago...
"Secure the area, don't let him reach the surface!", Commander Sigma ordered as medics tried to stop the bleeding found in his fuel tank. He was forced to retire from battle after receiving a fatal blow that damaged not only his fuel tank but destroyed both of his massive mechanical legs. "I didn't expect that maverick to wake up sooner that I thought." he bit his lips as he stared at the monitor where two units are battling a lone crimson reploid then, he spots someone who isn't supposed to be there. "What's X doing there?! Get him out of there! Now!"
"I'm afraid we can't send anyone at the moment, Commander Sigma. Our reserve units were mysteriously paralyzed in their quarters." one of the navigators informed him.
"Dammit! You better get out of there alive X!" clenches his fists "We cannot afford to lose you, our only immune hunter..!" he said as he helplessly watch the monitor.
They outnumbered him greatly but it doesn't seem to bother him at all. In fact, he's much pleased having so many playmates that came rushing down to him after he thrashed what used to be a private laboratory. He smirked each time he heard the crushing sounds of circuits underneath the armors of his playmates after receiving a swift heavy jab from him. His crimson eyes sparkle whenever he saw them squirt out reploid blood after he torn off one of their limbs. Then he laughed whenever they die in his hands while cursing him. But each time they land a hit on him, which is very rare, the attacker receives a reward from him. The reward of being a walking ticking time bomb maverick which lasts for thirty seconds after the infection.
And this time, the one who landed a hit is a blue reploid who had been patiently waiting for the crimson to step at his firing range. The shot was straight to the crimson's head that sent him flying to the wall behind him. It was the first time that the demon got knocked off his feet which made the remaining hunters rejoice for a brief moment until he stood up again, his right hand covering his face. When he removed it, he saw it filled with his own blood. It was his first time someone managed to do that much damaged on him. He just stood there, staring at his bloody palm.
This gave the blue reploid a chance to signal retreat to his remaining comrades. He planned to trap the crimson within the laboratory the moment everyone escaped. It has been a brilliant plan since the demon is still in some sort of trance, ignoring them completely... Until one tripped and made a noise upon his fall. That instant, their chance for survival became impossible.
After a few seconds, various reploid parts and blood flew into the air around the blue reploid. The screams of his dying comrades echoed in the room that made him panic. Faster, he thought, he must stop the crimson before they all die. He tried to find the elusive demon to shoot it down but the pace wasn't the same as before. The demon has practically vanished from his vision. Then, without warning, a huge metal cabinet flew towards him. He rolled to his side to avoid being crushed by the massive metal. Upon impact, he realized something after he saw where it landed, it wasn't meant for him. It was meant to block the only path outside. He then looked around, all his comrades have perished, only he and the crimson remains.
Guess he saved him for last to be tortured, he thought to himself as he aimed his buster towards the demon who's staring at him with cold blood-ruby eyes. They stood there motionless.
"Why are you doing this?" he suddenly asked, breaking the silence.
The crimson just tilted his head with blood still on his face.
"Does this mean that being the origin, you have no speech capabilities?" he lowered his buster. "Let's stop this senseless slaughter." his buster reverted back into his normal arm.
The crimson seemed to be curious about the blue reploid's action and vanished only to appear right in front of his playmate who got startled but remained calm.
"What do you want to achieve?" their eyes met "Who made you?" he stayed still.
The crimson opened his pale bloodstained lips, revealing a set of protruding white fangs, yet no words came out. Just his cold breath that the azure felt on his neck as the crimson leans on him.
"I'm X... What's your name?" he continued as his eyes follow the crimson's movement.
Again, no words came but the crimson responded in the way the azure hunter least expected. The fangs he has seen earlier made its way on his neck as the crimson slowly locks him within his arms. Bit by bit, the fangs sinks further as the warm blood filled the gap between it and the azure's skin, which touched by the crimson's cold tongue.
"Let... Go... It's no use... It won't work... On me..." but the crimson just did the opposite, embracing him tightly as the demon greedily lapped the oozing warm blood from his wound.
Then the crimson suddenly stops, carefully releasing him. As much as the azure hunter's surprise he saw the demon gave out an innocent child's smile, save the blood allover his face.
"Could it be that... You have been spreading the virus in order to find someone who's immune against it?"
The crimson just nodded as he rests his head against the azure's.
"Why?" their eyes met and he noticed that the blood-ruby eyes were filled with sadness.
"... Lonely."
With that single word, X understood him. It gave the azure hunter hope in curing mavericks for despite from his insanity, the origin is capable of learning. He maybe programmed as a demon by default but if he will learn things that considered as moral, perhaps... Just perhaps, it will eliminate the threat of the maverick virus.
"I did not sign for this!" Dynamo exclaimed as he barely evaded the ebony's left claw, leaving him deep claw marks over his chest armor. "Take this!" throws five spinning blades towards him as he leaps and shoots straight down where the blast splits into two. One towards the demon and the other towards X's location
As the ebony's counter, he punches the ground and sends projectiles in a fan like pattern. Destroying the blades and the blast that was aimed at him while some went into the bounty hunter's direction. The other blast nullified by his clone who was guarding X as Gate repair him.
This time, the ebony devil remained silent like the time he slaughtered the arachnid-type mechaniloid. But the biggest difference is that he no longer shows any kind of emotion as he continued to shred the bounty hunter with his claws after receiving two fatal shots from the last attack. This scene made Gate shivers as he continues repairing X as fast as he could.
"X... Come on, snap out it already... I've repaired all the major injuries, what's going on?" he felt the clone move towards him "Huh?" the clone suddenly kicked him in his stomach, making him fly towards a maverick that was running towards them.
"Finally, I've found you X!" slammed his fists together "My time to duel you!" sees something flying towards him "What's that?"
"Argh!" Gate exclaimed as his back slammed against the face of the mandrill-type maverick as they both crashed to a nearby pillar at the hallway. Knocking both reploids offline.
When the clone was about to deliver the final blow, he heard a familiar warm voice, commanding him to stop. He turned to its owner and found X already back on his feet. The azure hunter then gently placed his right palm on the clone's forehead.
"That's enough, you've done well... Please return now to your origin and tell him I'm fine now." he said as he caresses the deep sapphire gem on the clone's forehead.
With a nod, the clone vanishes as X placed his right hand over his chest, summoning one of his armors.
"I guess I could thank him for getting them out of the way since I do not wish to increase the casualty list anymore... It's time to end this, Sigma!" he then shines brightly as his Ultimate Armor materialize.
"Is that so? Since when did you learn to fight back? I thought you disliked violence?" Sigma said as he emerges from the thick mist in front of X.
"I fight to protect and that's exactly what I'm going to do now." charges his buster as he aim it at Sigma.
"Protect what? That devil? Those fragile humans? Our fellow reploids?" he suddenly laughed "X... If you will just join me, together, we can make the world a better place."
"By turning all reploids into mavericks? Using me to control Zero, making him eliminate anyone who opposes you and your twisted ideals? Wiping out humans just because they're far inferior to us? If that's all you have to say, I will decline your offer. You're no longer the commander I've respected... You're nothing more but just a maverick and as a hunter... It is my duty to stop you!" he then released a full charged shot.
"Ha! Brave words, let's see if you'll be able to resist me after I made you as my personal puppet!" slicing the charged shot into half by his beam sword as he dashed towards X.
Author's notes:
...greetings~
...well first, I want to thank 0kamiB1ue for the reviews and to all who's still reading up to this point~
...guess the finale is coming unless those whispers continue to keep me awake at night something about iX or whatever.
...again, my deepest thanks~