Mega Man X: The Mist Enigma

Chapter 25: ENS

A Reploid figure slowly descended to our location. It wore a lab coat similar to Gate's. When it touched ground, its face was in full view. A face with pure red eyes and an elongated mustache. The Hunters and I were in shock.

Gate fell to his knees. "Master Isoc, why? I was just preparing to kill them," he stammered in fear.

"You have had more than enough time to finish your task," Isoc thundered. "This job could have been finished days ago. But you decided to toy with the Maverick Hunters. You are a disgrace to my creations."

"Please, Master Isoc," Gate bowed, "Give me five more minutes. I promise I can destroy them."

Axl scratched his head. "I'm confused. Wasn't Isoc originally one of Gate's followers?"

Alia answered, "He was. But remember that that isn't Gate. It's just Mist."

Isoc thundered again. "I entrusted you with control over your ENS brothers. I gave you a task to perform, and you could not accomplish it. You have expended your usefulness!" With that, Mist began quickly seeping out of Gate's body. He screamed violently.

All the Mist, or ENS as Isoc put it, collected in a cloud above him. Gate's body limped backwards, again offline. Isoc looked to Alia, his voice much calmer. "Do with the body as you wish. I would prefer no distractions right now."

Alia nodded. She ran to Gate's body and clutched his head. "It's alright now," she whispered. "No one will use you again. I promise." With that, she teleported back to HQ, Gate in tow.

Isoc then looked to me. "You might want to take care of that one as well." He pointed to Dynamo, still not moving. Why he told me was simple. Isoc knew I would also be a distraction. This was to be between him and the Maverick Hunters. X specifically, if my hunch was right.

"Sure thing," I nodded. I picked up Dynamo and prepared to warp out when Axl shouted at me.

"What's the matter with you? You're just going to leave us high and dry? You're going to make us fight him by ourselves? You got some nerve!"

I let out an aggravated sigh. "I'd be in the way. Besides, you can take him." I warped back to base. Lifesaver stood ready with a stretcher. I placed Dynamo's body on it, then looked to Lifesaver. "Clean him up good."

He nodded, "Of course." He then carted Dynamo into ER. I turned to Layer and Pallette. "What's Alia doing?"

Layer responded, "I'm not sure, but I'd imagine it involves Gate."

Pallette butted in. "Are you sure you shouldn't help them?" I calmly nodded and sat at Alia's desk. From then on, I was going to stay on the sidelines; be an observer.

The Hunters readied their weapons. "How are you alive, Isoc?" X cried. "We saw your soul leave your body."

"Well," Isoc replied calmly, "my soul came back. It is as simple as that. Actually, my soul returned not too long after it left. That gave me plenty of time to finalize my plan."

Zero inquiried, "Finalize? You mean you've been planning this for some time now?"

Isoc smiled slightly. "Yes, Zero. Those few years ago, I was actually preparing to do in Gate myself and take Sigma under my control. Of course, I cannot do that now, so I decided to perfect Gate's original plan. What you have been calling the Mist is, as that woman Reploid said, a series of nanomachines infused with the Nightmare. It causes all of the same effects on Reploids, and now it does the same to humans as well, as evidenced by that outsider. The ENS: Eden Nanomachine Swarm."

Axl raised an eyebrow. "Eden? You mean like 'Adam and Eve' Eden?"

Isoc nodded again. "Precisely. By eradicating the world's population, human or not, this creation of mine shall turn the world into a real life Garden of Eden!"

The Hunters gasped, as did we at base. "You plan to kill the entire Earth's population?" X screamed. "That's insane!"

Zero growled. "So you want to start over from scratch, don't you?"

Isoc chuckled. "My Zero, you catch on quick. Yes, I shall eliminate all those on Earth. Afterwards, the ENS will recreate life itself. Also, it shall govern the new denizens of Earth. The planet will finally be the utopia it is meant to be!"

X shook his Buster in rage. "No! I can't let you do that!"

Axl and Zero prepared for battle. "That's right!" "We'll never let you do something so ludicrous!"

The ground began to shake. "I expected you to say that," Isoc said. Suddenly, the area of Gate's lab rose to the sky in a flash, crashing up through gravel and concrete to do so. The Hunters and Isoc were preparing to fight a mile or so above ground on top of a large pillar of rock and metal.

Isoc crossed his arms over his chest. "I did not think you would agree with my plan." A massive amount of ENS rapidly collected around him. It began forming a sort of solid shape. "Let me prove to you that my plan shall work." The ENS formed into two large arms at Isoc's sides, his arms still crossed over his chest. His eyes widened with power. "Can you not tell what has happened to this world? It is corrupt with war, bloodshed, famine, and so much more. But I have the tools that can stop it all. Why do you detest this? Isn't this what you wanted all along, Mega Man X?"

X looked down. "Yes. I'd love nothing more than to see a world of peace and tranquility." He looked back to Isoc, cross. "But if it means killing so many innocent lives to do so, I want no part of it!"

"Neither do I!" Axl said. "There's no reason to commit genocide!"

Zero pointed the Z-Saber at Isoc. "I've seen enough death in my life. And I refuse to see any more!"

"To think," Isoc solemnly said, "I would have let you live, Zero. But alas, you must be wiped clean from the planet as well. Trust me, this hurts me as much as it hurts you." The right arm formed a fist and thrust towards the Hunters. Easily dodged. X fired three charge shots in succession to Isoc's face. He was not fazed. In return, Isoc swiped X to the other side of the arena.

Despite his wings were smashed, Axl fired lasers rapidly at the ENS arms. Again, no damage. The left hand opened and fired ENS in beam fashion. Axl jumped over it and landed in front of Isoc. He pointed the barrel of his pistol at Isoc's forehead. He pulled the trigger. Even at point blank, Isoc was not affected by the blast. The arms rose to the sky, hands clutched, then rocketed down with quaking force. Axl was blown away by the shockwave.

Zero leapt high into the air with Z-Saber above him. As he came down, so did the saber. When he was inches away from slicing Isoc in two, Isoc held out one of his arms as if to stop Zero. With the velocity Zero fell, his chest was impaled by Isoc's arm. Zero coughed up blood. Isoc smiled wide. "Yes. Yes! You are now mine once again Zero!"

Isoc's arm glowed white, his smile growing. Zero's eyes rolled back. Layer and Pallette were confused. "What's going on?" "What is he doing to Zero?"

As I prepared to answer, Alia walked in. "He's stealing Zero's soul," she said with a hint of anger. The other navigators stood up in unison with a "WHAT?!"

"She's right," Signas said with head down. "Isoc is taking Zero's soul and adding it to his own. His power is going to skyrocket."

Pallette covered her mouth in shock. "Oh my God!"

Layer was frozen in shock. "No. Zero..." She began sobbing.

Alia went to comfort her. "Don't worry. X and Axl will get him back. I know they will." I did as well, and I knew that they'd defeat Isoc somehow. But this move was so unexpected. X and Axl will have a much harder time than I thought. Isoc was one hell of an evil genius. That further fueled my hunch.