After a criminally long break, you can at last enjoy the next chapter of this story, know as:
-c-c-
Chapter 25: Magma core
The four escapades went to resume their search for a means of escape, but instinctively turned around as one, a profound and echoing banging sound filling the large maintenance station. Just in time to witness the heavily armored gates they had just passed through and sealed, wavering and distorting. More rhythmic pounding followed, a lump starting to develop in the middle of the solid metal surface, the fortified alloy straining to endure the assault.
Bernard and Max, less experienced and easily astonished, could only stare in disbelief at what was apparently the product of the Golem's fists. Michael managed to retain his composure, gracing the spectacle with a deep frown, while their unknown guide's reaction was well hidden behind his helmet.
"Not a moment to lose!" bellowed the black giant promptly. "These bastards will break through any minute now, so move ON!"
The harsh words and their intensity that resounded above the pummeling sounds, seemingly released the three reploids from their stupor and they hurried to follow, knowing very well that to tarry would mean certain death. They soon reentered a network of narrow corridors, apparently running parallel with a great sealed tunnel that was meant to move large vehicles from the nearby hangar area to the maintenance chamber they had just left behind.
"We are almost there" exclaimed the sniper, wanting to both bolster his two companion's hopes and draw power himself. However, he had to slow down and almost stop his mad rush as two Pantheon hunters leaped in their way and leveled their identical busters. "Damn, we are unarmed" he hissed, turning to the mysterious member of their party.
The black-armored reploid had other designs in mind. "Speak for yourselves!" he shouted, much like a battle cry, as he extended his hands towards their two foes, now just ready to shoot at them. Large orange blades of energy erupted from his wrists, their emitters apparently build in his gauntlet armor. Hardly stopping, he slashed with both weapons twice at each foe, respectively severing their busters and heads.
As they pressed on, they encountered more enemies, drones that were fortunately isolated and thus easily dispatched by the ebony armored warrior. At long last, they reached the hangar they sought and paused to admire the sight.
If the previous chamber was large, this one was gigantic. No workers were in sight, the place probably evacuated as the party drew nearer, but there was also an unnerving lack of enemies. Instead, vehicles of many types dominated their vision, from lightweight ride-chasers to scout ships to transport gravi-choppers to large, low-orbit shuttles. They soon started running along the flyers, this time Michael leading the way and trying to decide on what he could pilot easier. He soon stopped before a medium-sized all-purpose shuttle that was easily navigable, versatile enough to outfly most of the other vehicles in either altitude or speed and outfitted with basic battle equipment.
Hardly hesitating, the sniper sprinted to its side, reaching the shuttle's deck ramp and pressing the door's controls. Only to swear as it prompted for a password he was evidently unaware of. The stranger approached determined, probably intending to force the stubborn thing open, but stopped when a hand touched his shoulder.
"The shuttle can't fly if you tear the bloody door from its hinges" claimed Max, sounding amused despite their situation. "Give me some seconds" he added, reaching for the input pad. "I know a bit about security". The scientist's index shifted, a thin wire coming from the finger and touching the device, then seemingly melting in it.
Several seconds passed and the tallest of the four stepped forward, clearly intending to shove Max aside and 'converse' with the door his own way. Mercifully, the portal's safety gave in, all four of them rushing inside and making a beeline for the cockpit.
Michael promptly turned to the controls, sighing in relief as he recognized their function and recalled his pilot lessons. "I need two minutes to warm the engines" he declared before anybody could ask. "We have enough fuel to get us far away from here. Our only problem now is getting out" he added, pointing forward.
Before them, they could see a grant opening, leading outside. Flying vehicles were very maneuverable and most needed little space to take off. The opening was carved directly on the side of Neo-Arcadia's outer walls and was currently sealed by a wide energy field. In cases of emergency, an armored leaf of metal would slide and completely seal the hangar, but the energy field was mainly there to prevent unauthorized ships from entering. Michael soon found he could shut it off temporarily any time from the shuttle's controls.
One minute before they could leave, Michael's heart sank. A large squad of pantheons entered the chamber and started sprinting towards their position. "Are you any good with turrets?" he asked, but the question was merely rhetoric, as both Bernard and the black armored reploid were already moving towards the two gunner posts. It soon became a game of time, seconds crawling by at snail's pace and energy turrets trying to maim the pantheons fast enough to keep them away. More enemies would pour in, seemingly two for every one they incapacitated, but Bernard and their guide somehow managed to stem the tide competently.
Michael intended to wait another thirty seconds for the engines to reach optimal state, but the next event forced his hand and the shuttle accelerated forward, towards the opening to freedom. An opening whose lid had mercilessly started to slide downwards. At that point he nearly made the mistake, he nearly forgot to deactivate the energy field. His hand flew at the controls at the last possible moment, transmitting the command just before the shuttle's tip could crush on the wall of force. A moment later the shuttle flew out of the opening and into the dark blue night sky, out of the grant megalopolis and above the sandy wastelands.
-c-c-
"Stop, Axl! Please! Don't hurt yourself any more! Please, listen to me!"
Before his brain could even process the sound, he knew who the owner of the voice was. It felt like a billion years, but he knew he would never forget that voice, a voice that would often startle him during missions, a voice he had learned to trust.
He turned abruptly and saw exactly the one he expected. She was almost as tall as he, her light, green and blue armor and her black bodysuit exactly as he remembered. Her childlike face, crowned by blond hair and a somewhat eccentric headpiece, was filled with worry, just like the times he would return battered from the battlefield.
"Palette..?" he whispered, his own voice sounding foreign to him. "What are you doing here?" he asked weakly.
The girl-like operator reached for him, grabbing his injured hands gently but firmly. "You were hurting yourself" she explained quietly, staring at the blooded appendages. Axl winced a bit as pain registered in his mind, then blushed when he remembered he was without his armor. Palette reached down, her lips touching, then kissing his injured knuckles and he almost leaped in astonishment as all pain vanished. When he looked again, his self-inflicted wounds were nowhere to be seen.
"Palette..." he repeated, this time feeling nausea gnawing at his consciousness.
The navigator smiled a bit, her finger touching his lips and silencing him. "As your navigator and friend, I must make sure you stay safe" she claimed. Her smile faltered. "You have been hurting a lot all these years, haven't you?" she asked, her voice almost desperate. "The Elf Wars and the century that followed. So many friends lost, so many things changed, so many battles."
"N-not really" stuttered the redhead, but he once again felt tears running down his face.
Palette's smile returned and she closed her eyes, gripping his hands tighter. "Stay here" she whispered. "Stay here with me and you won't have to suffer any more. All pain will go away, all worries will vanish..."
Axl blinked, then a grin came to his face. Stay with her. Why not. Stay with a good friend, forget the present, be happy. Then his eyes went wide. "No..." he whispered, then repeated louder "No, I can't."
The navigator opened her eyes and regarded Axl curiously. "Why not?" she inquired. "Why not end the pain?"
Axl rose to his feet and turned his back to the reploid. "Even if so much is lost" he explained "Even if you and so many others are missing, I can still believe I can make this world a better place. And I still have friends that need me."
The black tiger tensed a bit as twin hands embraced him from behind. "I knew that would be your choice" came the gentle response and Axl felt hot tears touching his shoulder's skin. "You just don't know when to give up. That is what I always admired in you, Axl. Do live well."
"I..." he started, turning abruptly, but Palette was nowhere to be seen. The redhead blinked a few times, but turned again as a different voice sounded from behind him.
"So, you are still here Axl" came the solemn, bitter words.
-c-c-
"Everything set" came the voice from his comm. and Zero couldn't help but sigh in relief. "I have hacked into the Neo-Arcadian link successfully. They won't notice we have occupied this factory unless somebody comes to check."
"We still need to take over the facility, Ciel" reminded Bianka and a sigh came from said Resistance leader.
"Be careful, Bianka, Zero" she voiced tentatively. "And thank your little companion on my behalf. His help has been invaluable."
"We will be fine" replied Zero in a neutral tone. "After we signal Colbor's team to move, we will continue to the facility's core to take over" he added, then closed the channel, hardly expecting a retort. "Do you read me Colbor?" he asked after altering the frequency.
"Loud and clear, Zero" came the response. "Everybody here itches for some action" he continued.
"Damn right!"shouted a different voice Zero recognized as Isis. The red hunter merely slapped a hand on his face while Bianka continued.
"Communications are down, so have no fear of setting off an alarm. Start the operation and have fun, boys and girls!" she ordered and a cheer answered her.
"You seem joyful" noted Zero, his mouth barely curving upwards. Bianka blushed a bit.
"I'm just happy I've been entrusted with such an important mission" she stammered meekly. "And working next to a legendary hero is very exciting" she added hesitantly.
"A legendary hero..." echoed the crimson warrior and a frown replaced the smile.
Oh, the woes of fame, mocked the voice in Zero's head and he mentally ordered it to kindly shut up.
"That Zero you talk about..." he started, turning away from the white ninja and towards the door "that 'legendary hero' is not really me. Perhaps he was me and perhaps he will again become me, but for now I'm just myself" he finished.
Bianka sighed, eyeing her companion sadly, then following his lead, together with the green-capped metool.
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Colbor turned off his comm. then regarded the rest of his companions. Since their objective was to occupy the factory and vacate it of any security mechaniloids not directly controlled by the complex's center, the Resistance commander had brought with him a considerable force. Twenty Resistance reploids were to stay behind as back-up, while the rest of them, forty seasoned members of Colbor's team, would storm the outer and inner defenses. Since Neo-Arcadia never intended to reclaim the factory, many security mechaniloids had been given AI independent from the complex's mainframe, making the mission quite daunting.
Colbor smiled, despite his very realistic doubts, when he regarded the 'special' additions to his team. Bolthor's blunt gray armor was quite an encouraging sight, for Colbor had seen him in action and knew that, while the former bounty hunter was no ancient legend, his battle prowess was way above average. The gray warrior seemed eager and ready to take the whole factory by himself. Just above his head, two lights would circle, very much like irked hornets. Isis and Siri, their white and iridescent glows the only sources of light in the unused sewer shaft, seemed to be equally ready for the task ahead, even though the second would never confess as much.
"You heard them, everybody" exclaimed the commander, not bothering to keep his voice down. "Let's get this mission started!"
No more than two minute later, forty-two reploids and two cyber-elves were basking under the moonless night, carefully examining their surroundings. This time Colbor did choose to remain silent, motioning his unit forward. They effortlessly jumped over the factory's fence and into the patrolled area and pressed on, still undetected. That, however was bound to change soon, specifically when one of the security drones that Zero and Bianka had previously evaded, spotted the large team. The missile-like mechaniloid reacted fast, shutting down the shield disk on its tip and channeling its energy into a sizable bolt that went flying towards the thick of Colbor's troops. They attempted to dodge, but then a black, glowing fist intercepted the shot, deflecting it away harmlessly. Bolthor's feet soon touched the ground after his leap and he smiled victoriously.
"Some warming up is never bad" exclaimed the gray warrior and a blast came as an answer as multiple energy shots reduced the drone to atoms.
Many more mechaniloids followed and Colbor's team was proven to be up to the task. Siri and Isis would fly forward, effortlessly avoiding the friendly fire coming from behind and thinning the incoming ranks, many mechaniloids falling to the ground lifeless after the fae had fried their inner workings. As for Bolthor, he took it upon himself to cover everybody else, decimating any enemy that would somehow survive the thick volley of energy shots. His protective shield flickering to life any time it was needed, he would literally punch the hapless mechaniloids into metal scraps, cheap material yielding easily under his energy-enhanced fists.
The battle went on for minutes and Colbor started to believe the whole mission was going to be easier than he thought, when a cry from one of his solders caused him to abruptly turn.
"Incoming at nine o'clock, sir. It seems like a flock of floppers."
Colbor involuntarily shuddered, for he had learned from Ciel's report that Neo-Arcadia had started deploying the dangerous and formerly banned mechaniloids. He had seen their blueprints and had read their capabilities, but actually seeing them for real was a different matter altogether. And now, the swarm of floppers Zero had tricked earlier that night was almost upon them.
To his credit, Colbor reacted fast. "Back-up team, snipe flock of floppers closing on our position!" he demanded, his comm. relying the order to the troops left behind. Seconds later, he allowed himself to sigh in relief as an explosion came from the closing mechaniloids, more following promptly afterwards.
Sadly, the floppers were just too many to be taken down fast enough. Some of them defied the precise fire meant to detonate them and continued on, accelerating out of the cloud of smoke and fire lingering in the air and approaching the occupied battle team. Many were forced to redirect their fire towards the closing bombs, leaving Bolthor and the elves with as many enemies as they could handle.
Finally, a mere two floppers reached Colbor's team, still capable of decimating the tightly packed group. Many wisely turned tail, fleeing to different directions, and the orange balls simply picked a direction and followed. One of them was detonated by a lucky shot, still injuring five reploids unfortunate enough to be caught in the blast, while the second, by some twist of fate, chose to target Colbor himself. The Resistance commander tried to shoot it down with his energy rifle, but at such close range the flopper easily altered its course to avoid the frantic fire. As a last resort, Colbor ignited his energy axe, opting to use the weapon as a shield and absorb at least a part of the explosion. Holding it before his face, he shut his eyes bracing for what could easily be a fatal hit.
-c-c-
"What do you mean 'they stole a shuttle'?" demanded a positively enraged voice.
The reploid at the receiving end of the transmission was particularly glad he didn't have to face Copy X's wrath in person.
"We did not expect them to be so capable" responded Fefnir meekly, the otherwise bold guardian cowering under the condemning, albeit remote, voice of the flawed copy.
Said voice lost its ferocity and suddenly turned calm, as calm as a tiger ready to leap at its victim. "Nobody will escape from Neo-Arcadia's prisons, guardian Fefnir" he continued, perfectly calm. If nothing else, the change unnerved the red warrior even more, causing him to involuntarily shudder. "You will use any means possible in order to terminate this ragtag band of mavericks. Do I make myself clear?"
Fefnir nodded vigorously, then slapped a hand on his face in frustration. Before he could acknowledge the command, the Copy of X had left the channel.
"Bad news commander?" purred a sultry female voice, its owner standing at an entirely unprofessional distance.
Fefnir allowed himself a smile. After Copy X's presence was lifted, he felt his spirits soaring. "Not really, Anubis" he replied, working hard to both ignore the jackal reploid's attitude and to avoid looking at her very unflattering face. "On the contrary, we will finally get some action. Some goons managed to break out of their cages and we get to discipline them. Gather three Jin'en divisions. The fools need some practice anyway."
"As you wish, master Fefnir" came the response from the other reploid, her body virtually in contact with her lord's. "A date it is" she whispered to him with gusto.
Fefnir rolled his eyes. "Really, Anubis, you should stop talking to my sister. Leviathan just keeps rubbing off on you..."
The Jackal reploid swiftly pecked at her general's cheek, causing Fefnir to assume a quite mortified visage, then took off swiftly, floating away.
The red general could only shake his head. Opening his comm. again, he coughed, assuming his most commanding voice. "This is general Fefnir speaking. Prepare to launch a medium ground-to-air homing missile. I'll be at the command center in three minutes and everything must be ready."
Ignoring the operator's response, he started walking in long strides, the hints of a smile still on his face. He did feel a bit sorry about his prey, but most of all he felt excited. He had remained idle for entirely too long for his tastes.
-c-c-
"So, you are still here Axl..."
Said reploid froze as soon as his eyes met a pair of green orbs staring at him from a very familiar and very embittered face.
"X?" he muttered at length. "What are you...?"
"You never fulfilled your promise, Axl" responded X, interrupting him. "You promised you will bring Zero back, you promised you would persuade him not to seal himself."
"I tried to" said Axl, his eyes lowered, his face grim. "I tried to but I was too late to stop him and too weak to save his body. But..."
X all but ignored him. "I waited for a long time, Axl. A century is a long time and I was alone. As the months became years, I started losing hope. And now look at the world. Utopia became nightmare. A cruel copy uses my name to kill."
"It's not my fault" complained the black tiger, all but yelling. "It's not..." he muttered.
X made an about face, turning his back to Axl. "Everybody regarded me as their hero and their leader. Everyone praised my battle and leadership skills. And yet nobody cared for the real me. Nobody would really befriend a 'legend'" he exclaimed bitterly, practically spitting the last word.
At first Axl had nothing to say. He merely sat on the plain, white ground feeling miserable and guilty, mindlessly staring at his friend's and mentor's back. But then something clicked in his head, something rebelled against his state of mind. He hopped on his legs again, reaching for X and laying a hand on the older reploid's shoulder.
"There is still time" he exclaimed. "We are still alive!"
X tilted his head and threw him a half-amused glance. "Are we?" he simply asked with bitter irony.
Axl smiled in response. "There is always hope, X. It is one of the things you taught me. You never gave up, whatever the odds might have been. I won't disappoint you, I won't give up either."
"I see" replied X and this time his smile was sincere, as if a weight was lifted from his shoulders. "That's more like the Axl I know. Totally irresponsible but also determined. I hope we can meet again soon, kid. For real, that is..."
Axl cocked a brow. "What do you mean 'for real'" he inquired, but X simply faded away, disappearing with a smile still on his face.
"Figures you wouldn't be smart enough to know, prototype."
Axl snapped his head to the left, a grimace of hatred on his features. "You!" he bellowed enraged.
-c-c-
A wave of heat and hurt washed over Colbor and he kept his eyes closed, expecting the worst. When his body failed to register any real damage, he opened them again, only to see a gray-armored back. Bolthor discarded the still burning remains of the large drone he had used as a shield, savagely bashing them on an unfortunate pantheon guardian that had come too close for comfort.
"It seems the rumors about you being an unlucky commander hold some water" he mused, his hand reaching forward and grabbing a robotic guard dog by the neck, right at the peak of its leap. The canine squirmed around frantically, futilely trying to bite the gray warrior, but he used his other hand to bash half of its head off its body.
"That's not true!" complained Colbor, his energy axe swiping madly and biting at a pantheon hunter's side. "Statistically, I'm the commander with the second best success to mission ratio" he added, sidestepping to avoid a shot and trying hard to disentangle his weapon.
Bolthor raised a brow while using the dead mutt in his hand as both a shield and a club, blocking an energy baton and knocking three pantheons off their feet with a wild arcing motion. "Who is the first?" he inquired, discarding the carcass and dashing to neutralize the dazed but still functional drones.
Colbor managed to draw his axe back, only to send it forward again, this time severing the X-droid in half. "His name was Milan" he added sadly. "We lost him when Ciel found Zero."
Bolthor stomped on the last of the three pantheon's head, then stopped to consider his commander's words. "I'm sorry..." he added meekly.
Colbor shook his head, a hint of a smile on his face. "Milan was like a father to most of us. But if he could see us grieving over his death, he would be taunting us as if there was no tomorrow. "
The bold warrior smiled too, then frowned, scanning his immediate area. A handful of Resistance members was lying on the ground, injured but fortunately alive. And the only thing that remained of the drone guard were ugly heaps of burning materials. "It seems we won for now" he offered, sounding somewhat disappointed.
Colbor ignored him, calling the backup unit that saved them minutes before. Expertly, he switched the most injured soldiers with fresh ones, left a couple of medics behind to tend to them and hurried forward. They soon reached the factory's gates, huge and solid slabs of metal that could withstand anything but the strongest of artillery. Fortunately, they were wide open and inactive, Ciel's wit and Zero's skill succeeding were weapons of mass destruction could not.
Just before the entrance, Colbor addressed his subjects. "Ok, ladies and gents. Our mission is plain 'search and destroy'. We need to make sure the place is safe for our technicians, then we need to help Zero reach the core. The main security systems are down, courtesy of Dr. Ciel, but there is still battle to be fought."
"Charge!" screamed a particularly slim voice, Isis taking point and floating forward while pulling a very reluctant Siri along.
The mechaniloids that remained inside, never really stood a chance. Pantheons, cannonhoppers and spiderbots alike would try to hold the Resistance back, futilely, as their numbers were small and with the security center down they lacked any semblance of cooperation. Colbor's unit cleaned the first floor easily, then stopped before the stairs leading to the next one.
"There seems to be an active security device there" warned Siri, indicating a contraption lodged just below the ceiling.
The rainbow-colored elf, despite her accurate observation, was too late. Before she could finish her sentence, a crude eye flashed red on said contraption and a fraction of a second later the factory seemingly came to life. Wild sirens started blaring and every light source assumed a reddish hue, causing everybody to tense.
As soon as the alarm started, Zero and Bianka's weapons seemingly appeared in their hands.
"I thought we disarmed the security system" muttered Zero, eyeing his surroundings wearily.
Bianka, her two red daggers firmly held, nodded. "What happened, Dr. Ciel?" she asked after hastily turning on her communicator.
"Some backup system I could not trace, I fear." Came the answer, the young scientist trying her best to sound calm and collected. "Still, Neo-Arcadia will have no way to learn about this. It is more a show that a real alarm and..."
Not letting Ciel to finish, the green metool bumped on Bianka's leg, demanding her attention.
"Warning!" is said, its voice still mechanical, but this time with a hint of urgency. "This unit's sensors have confirmed the inner gate leading to the core has started to descend. Haste is encouraged in order to meet the mission's objectives."
Zero and Bianka both looked at Nephar in astonishment, but regained their wits instantly, dashing forward at top speed. None of them paid attention to the fact that the weird metool matched their pace with ease.
Ignoring the stairs leading downstairs, they dashed through a narrow corridor and ended up in a large gallery. At the opposite side of the chamber, a massive, insanely thick blast door was slowly sliding downwards. And in the middle of the room, a large group of pantheons was already shooting at them.
Nephar never slowed down. Reaching its maximum velocity, it withdrew inside its green cap, inertia causing it to slide through the enemy ranks with all the subtlety of a bowling ball, sending many witless drones flying.
Zero passed through half the X-droid lines, leaving ruin in his wake, then leaped high, exchanging his saber for his triple rod. Just before he could land behind the last of the pantheons, he fired his rod backwards, using the drone as a springboard. His backside barely touching the floor, he proceeded to slide under the descending barrier.
Bianka danced around most of the pantheons until one of them somehow managed to thrust its energy baton squarely at her face. She easily dodged, losing precious time in the process. With few options left, she dashed forward, avoiding a second attack, her hand clasping the pantheon's neck. Allowing her legs to leave the ground, she twisted around the dazed drone once, using its neck as her axis and breaking it in the process, then let go, catapulting herself forward. She hit the ground a meter before the metal slab's end, attempting to slide the rest of the distance but knowing she hardly had time.
"Hurry up" bellowed a voice from behind her and she complied. Half running, half crawling, she cleared the last of the distance, noticing that the gate was lowering a bit slower now. Just before it reached the floor, producing a loud thump, she caught the image of Bolthor letting go of it.
"Are you alright?" asked Zero concerned, extending a helping hand.
"I'll live" she replied dizzily, accepting the help and rising to her feet. "How are we going to open this thing?" she inquired after checking her surroundings.
Zero tried his comm. a couple of times, but soon gave up. "I guess we can open it if we reach the core" he offered, this time not sounding particularly concerned.
The trio soon reached a large elevator and started going downwards. The change was almost immediate, as the temperature started rising rapidly and a strong smell of sulfur covered any other olfactory signal.
"Since the core was locked down, this unit's masters will have to take an alternate route" droned Nephar, its eyes moving from one reploid to another.
Zero braced himself for the worst. "What exactly is this 'alternative route', Nephar?"
"Through the magma vats, of course, master Zero" it replied, as naturally as if it was talking about yesterday's weather.
-c-c-
An energy-encased fist landed once again on the hard surface, producing a remarkable dent but nothing more substantial. Bolthor grunted in annoyance. "This damnable door is just too thick" he complained, even as he coiled back for another strike.
Colbor winced as the blow caused all immediate surfaces to resonate. "At least you were able to momentarily hold the thing" he replied, shaking his head. "Nothing would survive getting crashed like that."
As on cue, the two cyber-elves came out of the wall. "It's no use" growled Isis. "The field around the core is huge and as stubborn as a million volts. We have no way to pass" she added enraged.
Siri also shook her head disappointed. "What's more, the gate's controls are beyond the field. We can only wait."
Disappointment spread like wildfire in a summer noon throughout Colbor's ranks. The commander himself felt particularly useless at that point. Before he could conjure a plan, Isis' voice resounded again, this time thoroughly frustrated. "What was that blond chick doing anyway!" she demanded. "She was supposed to shut down the security and she screwed up!"
The following hit, curtsey of Siri, almost knocked the white cyber-elf off the air. "Dr. Ciel is doing her best!" cried her companion. "Don't blame her for things beyond her control!" she added, her aura flaring wildly.
Isis glared. "What matters is that Zero is currently in there and we can't help him" she added solemnly, still a bit dazed.
That was enough to cause Siri to calm down, descending and gently touching the floor. "Please be safe, Zero" she muttered to herself, her tiny hands coming together in prayer.
-c-c-
"Jump!" ordered Zero and he, Bianka and Nephar leaped at the same time, landing on the worker droid's load.
The flying mechaniloid was hardly affected, since said load was far heavier than the trio. Levitating above a huge pool of boiling lava, it was in charge of constantly moving the thermal rods that converted heat to energy from their point of creation to their point of use. Since such rods were in need of constant recycling, the mechaniloid would ceaselessly fly to and fro, to satisfy the demands of its programming.
Even though the molten metal below them was covered by a special field that would only let a fraction of heat to pass through, Bianka could still feel her face burning any time she glanced downwards. She tried very hard not to think about what a drop would feel like.
In contrast, Zero was calm, albeit still alert. Occasionally, he would fire a second level charge from his buster, taking care of the meager security drones, mainly spiderbots that were too slow to notice them. Sometimes his eyes would fall on Nephar that rested just beside his leg and he would slightly frown.
Quite a sight that metool, mused what he had come to call as 'the Voice'. Really complex systems. I'm curious about its origin.
Zero rose a brow. So you don't trust it, either, do you? he mentally inquired.
The voice shrugged.Not any less than I trust the rest of your 'friends', squire. It's just puzzling to meet it like that.
The red warrior smiled. So, your advice is to trust no one? He chuckled. Quite a paranoid perspective. I mean, why should I trust you in the first place?
Quite a healthy perspective, if I do say so myself. You need to spend years with somebody to really trust them. You can never be sure when they will stab you in the back. And of course you shouldn't trust me either, kid. At least not any more than you trust the rest.
Aren't you a wily old coot, mused Zero and the voice performed the mental equivalent of a wince.
After a while he continued. Anyway, what about that Bianka girl. Surely she has some skill, but she might drag you down in a pinch.
Zero frowned. Or she might drag me OUT of a pinch. And also, having somebody else around might help me... help me retain control, he added hesitantly, remembering what had happened during the fight with Maha.
No answer was forthcoming and soon the trio reached the end of the road. Jumping off the mechaniloid, they landed on a small platform and went up another level.
"Warning" started Nephar once again. "This unit's masters should be aware that the next corridor houses intense security measures that include high energy emitters. Caution is advised."
Both reploids nodded and pressed on...
-c-c-
The pantheons pointed their busters forward while their target, a civilian reploid of no remarkable design, shied away as if trying to squeeze itself through the wall his back was at. A flash filled the world and the two drones fell lifelessly on the ground, devoid of energy. A sphere of blue light zapped past the reploid that had yet to realize his fortune, and vanished into the wall.
-c-c-
Two reploid soldiers found themselves colliding with a wall, their faces housing a quite unflattering expression. Their former pray, a team of three minor Resistance members, was too busy fleeing to appreciate either the density of said energy wall that vanished shortly after or a blue flash that streaked through the nearby bionic vegetation.
-c-c-
The Resistance soldier tightened his grasp on his rifle, his eyes scanning his surroundings. Summoning his courage, he abruptly turned around, weapon poised. What he saw was a Neo-Arcadian spiderbot lying just behind him, apparently deactivated. The next thing that caught his attention was what seemed to be a cyan shooting star.
-c-c-
You must recover your strength, Zero. You must become strong enough to correct my failings, to do what I'm currently unable to. I'm doing my best, but my best is just not good enough...
X continued floating at top speed, his actions a drop of water in the ocean, but sincere enough.
-c-c-
The door before them opened automatically and they proceeded in a long narrow corridor, featuring an identical portal to its opposite side.
"Warning!" chirped Nephar, its voice breaking the lingering silence. "This unit's sensors indicate a massive energy source straight ahead. This unit theorizes there is a guardian posted ahead to hinder the masters' progress to the core."
Zero stopped on his tracks, inhaling deeply. "Are you both ready?" he asked some seconds later.
"Sure thing" replied Bianka, her dagger already ignited, her voice revealing concentration.
"Affirmative" replied Nephar, although its voice was as neutral as possible.
The crimson warrior nodded, then all three walked through the last gate in unison.
-c-c-
And here ends the most late chapter up to date. Although I won't promise a fast update, I believe the next chapter, which will include the hydra boss battle, of course, will be ready sooner than this one. Also, for further questions, suggestions, comments or plain chitchat you can contact me at Aria6's forum, a link for which can be found in my profile.
To PhiloWorm:Emulators? No, I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. You CAN'T mail me to ask about emulators :D Give Nephar more personality? You have no idea what I have in stock for that nephrite metool! Appearances can be deceiving. As for new Ocs, I have already planned the next couple or so. Feel free to mail me suggestions, though, as always, I promise nothing. You don't know what El hazard is? That's ok, I have really weird tastes :)
To bluepaladin42: I fear you had to wait entirely too long, but better late than never they say. W00t for metools indeed.
To Wolf Hawk Vulcan: Nephar is more of a spy, of course, but he is reasonably loyal to Zero. I hope you approve of Axl's adventures in this chapter.
To yamiangie:Everybody is welcome to the bar thread. Orson needs the funds anyway. Don't worry, Cinnamon might still get a cameo. Or more. I know Axl's armor is most likely 'navy blue' but for me it is far closer to black.
To MyGBAcanTalk: Alive is an overstatement. I'm a bit undead right now... After the subtle Star Wars easter eggs, how could I leave Star Trek outside? Next on, Babylon 5 :D
To DemonBredChild:I always triple-check, but some things, mainly similar words, often elude me. I have thought of trying to find a proofreader, but I'm very pensive about such prospect for... many reasons.
To DarkEcho-in-the-sky: Glad to have new readers on board!
To maverickhunter9:Of course he is XD You have no idea how many plotholes the games have. Just trying to cover all that is a neat challenge.
To comnerd: Thanks for the praise. My first and foremost concern IS the plot and I'm glad it seems to be working. As for my English aptitude, I hope it keeps getting a bit better with every chapter. I try to explain the X series elements as much as possible, but you are right, sometimes I do get carried away a bit.
To isisi2k2: I don't mind reviewers that are late. I myself am notorious of late reviews. Wily after the classic series is an almost untouched subject in fanfiction. There are hints all over the games, though... Unfortunately, I left you at the boss' threshold. Literally. I always like to have boss battles in exclusive chapters.
To Razorwind:Welcome on board too. Ciel growing up with the guardians is one of the few things I'm really proud of. My reasoning was that Ciel had to be close to X to even attempt to make a copy. Whoops, yes that kind of error is rather ridiculous. I'll have to fix these things... sometime.
To nameless:Satisfied readers make a storyteller happy!
To BassXXM: However irregular, this story will continue, have no fear.
To Fate: I might not be writing huge, tiny-chaptered exe stories, but yes 180 plus reviews is truly an honor. As for Zero's hibernation site, it's one of the most multifaceted plotholes of the Zero series. Placed 18K meters below ground, for example. The best explanation I can think of right off the bat is that Weil had no reason to return, Light had no better place, staying around during the Virus purge would be dangerous, etc. The protection might have been passive, but it's all about camouflage. If you don't know something is there, elaborate offence might attract you rather than repel you. As for the fire chip, I'll do the same I did with the thunder chip. Incoming log file!
To creator168: As per your wish, behold this new chapter! And welcome, of course.
That's all for now, folks. Be so kind as to leave a review!