Singularity Paradox

Disclaimer: Mega Man X and its related properties all belong to CAPCOM. The ones I own are the ideas that came with this.

I. Platina Alpha

Twelve Sarcophagi.

Set in a circle, almost akin to the hours in a clock, these sarcophagi stand out as relics enshrined in an ancient tomb. The ray of light creeping in from above was not supposed to appear. Its presence meant one thing; this place of eternal rest was disturbed by those from the outside.

"Is it time for us to rise?" a voice asked in a gentle tone. The question was aimed to no one.

In unison, all twelve sarcophagi responded as the etched lines and patterns on their shells began to resonate with their light. At that very moment, a monolith began to manifest at the very center of the circle. A pillar with a serpent coiling around its length, aiming to slither upward towards the tip. A flash of crimson glimmered from its eyes, almost as if it was gazing up through the ray of light that it basked in.

"Then we rise. The appointed hour is nigh."

In the year 21XX, the Maverick Wars broke out. The long-standing conflict caught both humans and innocent Reploids in the crossfire. Tensions rose with numerous uprisings. Eight of these were led by Sigma, a former Maverick Hunter who has gone rogue. This coup d'état brought about countless cataclysms, including the harrowing Eurasia incident. The most recent one also caught the Jakob Project into the maelstrom.

New Generation Reploids were discontinued due to the Copy Chip fiasco, and the point of how these new models have the DNA signature of Sigma. But despite these preventive measures, the needs of the people superseded the warnings and pushed with their eyes set towards space. The Moon was the start of a new frontier.

The Maverick Hunters still kept on with their duty. Signas still leading one of the main Hunter bases. X and Zero still led the frontlines, while Axl remained under observation before rejoining them.

Time marched on. The clockwork pushed with its gears. The hands now point towards Midnight.

The year is 22XX. Our tale begins here.

Hunter HQ, Abel City, 1500 hrs.

"X, do you read me?" her hands frantically typed on the keyboard panel as she called out. On her screen, she could see a myriad of information on the area. His life and energy levels were set on the corner while the main window displayed the real-time visual feed. What she can see at this point is this figure clad in shades of blue aboard an Adion Ride Chaser as it darts through the highway.

"This is X. I hear you loud and clear," the youthful voice of her partner came in response, "What's the situation, Alia?"

She looks at the map window on her display, noting a huge signature as it moves closer to the city proper.

"I'm picking up a concentration of Maverick Readings from the edge of the City. I'll send you a visual and the specific coordinates now."

With a few keystrokes, she sent the data to X.

"This one appears to be a Carrier-type Mechaniloid. We have some Hunter Units and Repliforce Units setting up defensive lines to stop it from getting close to the city. You'll need to stop this machine from the inside. Zero and Axl will join you shortly."

"Roger," X responded with certainty.

"Oh, and X..." Alia started but paused midway.

"Yes?"

"Take care out there," her voice seemed softer than usual. Most of the time, Alia would have a firmness in her tone as she helped the Hunters assigned to her. Especially when it comes to X.

"I will, Alia," came X's reply. It was also soft before the tone shifted to a decisive one, "I'm beginning the mission."

Alia couldn't help but smile for a bit. As she glanced to her side, she noticed Palette give her a knowing smile. She shifted her attention back to her console and continued with her work.

Highway to Border, Abel City, 1500 hrs.

The Ride Chaser continued to speed through the highway, dodging vehicles and obstacles before him. It did not take long for the cityscape to change into the dry and dusty plains. From beyond, he could see a gargantuan object making its slow advance to the city. It was as Alia described; a massive mechaniloid that would easily count as a Carrier-Type. Before X could raise a question, he noticed a swarm fly out from the object.

"X, I'm detecting a massive number of Maverick signatures coming out from the Carrier-Type. You will need to find a way to get past them." Alia remarked through her comm line.

Before X could say anything, a salvo of artillery fire came forth from the defensive lines. He saw the barrage of energy blasts, artillery shells, and missiles streaking towards the growing swarm. It was soon followed by a series of explosions that soon became plumes of smoke. It was at this point that X saw his chance.

"I'm going in," X replied as he brought the Ride Chaser to run faster. With a push of a button, the thrusters on the vehicle flared out to increase the Ride Chaser's velocity.

As the vehicle sped onward, now off-trail and straight towards the Carrier Mechaniloid's direction, the beeping of warning signals echoed as he noticed a barrage of airborne hostiles zooming in. These appeared to be drones armed with vulcan fixtures and auto-cannons.

X has to act fast.

The drones began with their strafe, firing a barrage at the Maverick Hunter. X managed to bob and weave past the gunfire, countering at them with the mounted blasters on his Ride Chaser. Seeing a boulder jutting out before him, he noticed how it was inclined at an angle. It was something that X saw as an opportunity to act on the maneuver.

Darting towards the boulder, he made sure that his velocity remains constant. The droids gave chase and a few others also went ahead of him in attempts to put X inside a pincer formation. Noting how some of the drones would swoop in for their strafe attack, he countered with the blasters mounted on the front. The energy bolts managed to take a good number of those drones that swooped down. As he closed in on the boulder, he pressed a button on the steering bar. This caused the thrusters to increase in output, granting a sudden boost of speed.

Using this momentum, X brought the Ride Chaser to hurtle off the boulder, going in mid-air. The drones closed in, noting how he was an easy target at this point. Noting how they are closing the distance; the Ride Chaser went for a colliding dash. The burst of momentum, coupled with the projected energy field from the vehicle, caused the drones to shatter on impact. It was at this point that X did something unlikely with the Ride Chaser, pressing the button on the center.

Initiating Flight Mode

At most, the Adion was designed only to sustain the dash then land on the surface. This particular one began to display something that was not part of its original design. The modifications manifested in a flash of light, causing the Ride Chaser to change shape. On the rear half of the vehicle was a module comprised of thrusters and a pair of wings. On the front half, it had a more pointed appearance. The Ride Chaser had a more avian appearance at this point.

This was the Cavalerie, a Ride Chaser variant that incorporated the same technology used in the X Armor system. Though in this case, it has the same resemblance as that of the Ultimate Armor Mk. IV.

Somehow, he could hear Alia letting out a giggle from across the line.

"You actually used it," she said through the line. Her excitement was hard to stifle but she still made attempts at maintaining composure.

"Our little project had some use after all. Thank you, Alia." X replied as he took flight. This time, he gained altitude and darted towards the Mechaniloid.

With the Cavalerie Ride Chaser flying towards the Carrier, he could see a possibly entry point past the numerous swarms of drones and other Mavericks blocking his way. From behind, the salvo of blasts and projectiles streak past him as it began taking out a good number of hostiles before him. Taking this moment, X flew in with the Ride Chaser and fired at the various drones as he pushed further towards the Carrier. As soon as he reached the docking bay, he jumped off the vehicle.

The landing was an easy one, but it was soon met by opposition. The Mavericks opened fire with their firearms and busters. Quick to his feet, X dashed towards the nearest crate and took cover. With a quick tap to his left wrist, he started calling back to the base.

"Alia, anything from Zero and Axl?"

"They're on the Carrier with you," Alia answered, "They took on different entry points but they should be with you shortly."

"I'll need the shortest route towards the key areas in stopping this thing." X leaned against the crate as he started looking for other areas to dash to.

"Palette and Layer will get you more information on that. It'll take a few seconds. Clear the area for the time being."

"Roger," X affirmed as he caused his right hand to switch to its buster form. Judging from the odds that he has; he could work his way through despite their numbers. He started charging his weapon, letting the energy levels climb. Noting that it has hit two tiers, he took a moment to breathe deep.

The azure-clad Hunter stepped out from behind the crates, dashing towards the open. For a brief moment, he was able to spot the ones firing at him. He noticed about five of them with their weapons aimed at the box, now shifting their focus towards X. Faster and in momentum, the azure Hunter unleashed a charge shot at the group. The massive energy projectile overwhelmed the five humanoid Reploids, exploding from the attack.

As soon as the dashing motion pushed him far enough, he started running. The other Reploids in the area continued with their spray of buster and blaster fire as he rushed for the door. The shots missed but the distance and proximity to his body was narrow. His buster hummed with the stockpiled energy, ready for another charged shot. In that every moment, he took aim at the remaining group (about seven of them) and unleashed another full-charged shot. The explosions after that blast put him at ease as he continued on towards the door.

"X, listen up," a familiar cheery voice came through the comm line. The Hunter recognized her immediately, "Axl is on his way towards the bridge to highjack the carrier. Zero is heading towards the engine room and have it ready for decommissioning in case the hacking fails. Up to you where you wish to go."

"Thanks, Palette," he replied as he started sorting through the information on his HUD, "Anything else I should look into?"

"There is a room that doesn't seem to be part of the plans on this ship. I can plot that route for you. Just be ready for anything."

"Please do, I'm heading to that area now."

The map on his HUD began to display the specific route. It was leading towards an unmarked room with a number of Maverick readings concentrated around the passageway. Seeing this particular situation, he started rushing forward with buster ready for combat.

"Looks like this won't be easy," he whispered as he ran through the passageway.

Mechaniloid Carrier, Path to the Engine Room, 1515 hrs.

The humanoid Mavericks scrambled in confusion as a crimson figure streaked forth to them. Two of them fell into the ground in clean halves; each part severed cleanly. The other Mavericks tried to keep up, but the swift dashing motion was hard to catch. It did not take long for the squad of eight to fall into severed pieces. Now in front of the door towards the bridge, the crimson figure stood still as the saber's glowing blade vanished.

"Layer, anything on what's inside the engine room?" the crimson Hunter asked as he sheathed his saber onto his backpack.

"I see about eight signatures in the area. Be ready to take them out, Zero." the woman advised with a low tone through the comm line.

"Then I have to blitz through," Zero remarked with a dry tone as the door hissed open.

Seeing what was inside, there were eight humanoid Mavericks manning the various panels on the engine. Some of them turned around and noticed the crimson warrior, causing most of them to panic and reach for their weapons.

"Intruder!" one of them yelled, only to fall into pieces from the sudden swing of Zero's saber.

Noting the size of the room and the presence of the engine, most of them switched over to melee weapons, comprised of beam daggers and heat axes. Seeing this, Zero dashed forth with a thrusting strike, impaling the other Maverick before him. The rest charged in from all directions. Being the type to not stay in place, the crimson swordsman rushed towards the next enemy.

This particular one had a heat axe in hand. As the assailant rushed in with a downward diagonal slash, the swordsman took the chance to parry it then followed it up with a fluid slash, decapitating the opponent. Zero then dashed towards another and slipped past it; a horizontal slash running that particular Maverick through.

Three more Maverick darted towards his direction, heat axes in hand. While poised to strike, Zero noted how he was surrounded. In that same momentum that he used in running his enemy through, he executed a spinning slash. All three were caught by the motion, severing them into pieces. At this point, only two of these humanoids remained.

The other two noticed the situation and were about to attack, only to see a scarlet shadow rush at them. Out of the two, one of them exploded from that strange attack.

"Are you going to stand down or what?" Zero asked as he pointed at the lone minion with the glowering neon-green blade.

This one, armed with a beam dagger, had only one answer. It threw the dagger at the Hunter. With one quick swing, he flicked the dagger away with his saber. Without any effort of thought given, he dashed forward and impaled the Maverick with a saber thrust. Now, it was only Zero that remained in the engine room.

"Layer, I just cleared out the Engine Room," Zero reported through his comm line, "What's next?"

"Keep the area secure," Layer answered, "Plant the device on the console so I can start with the control override."

Zero takes out a device almost similar to his saber grip. He turns the pommel clockwise, causing the other end to open up and reveal the protruding plug points. As he placed the device on the socket beside the input terminal, he watched the screen open various windows. A command prompt window opened as it began to stream with various lines of code. It was a visual queue that Layer was taking action.

"What's the status on the other two?" Zero asked, now curious about their progress.

"Axl is still on his way to the bridge," Alia replied to the crimson Hunter's question, "As for X, he's heading deeper inside. Be on standby just in case any of them called for assistance."

Mechaniloid Carrier, Path to the Bridge, 1520 hrs.

With the path lined with fallen humanoid Mavericks, the gunslinging Hunter clad in black, gray, and red sauntered towards the door. The red accent lines and his chest piece began to glow and shimmer as he got closer. In a flash of light and coded data, his appearance changed to that of a Reploid trooper, bearing the same greenish armor as the Mavericks within the ship. As the door hissed open, he noticed the contents of the room.

Two of the panels have two of the humanoid Mavericks working on it. Another one was at the center, manning what appears to be the helm. Seeing that he was blending well, the newcomer walked a bit closer and noted that there was no one else.

Looks like the games begin here.

It took three well-aimed shots. The Mavericks lay sprawled on the ground, motionless and with visible exit wounds on their bodies. The Hunter was back in his normal guise, disabling the copied appearance from earlier.

"Now then, time to get the hacking procedure going." He took out a cylindrical device, almost akin to a saber grip. Turning the pommel side clockwise, it caused the other end to reveal its plug prongs. Seeing the panel has a fitting socket for it, he inserts the device and lets it do the work. "Hey Palette, you hear me? Time to get hacking."

"Leave that to me," the comm line came on with a familiar cheery tone. It was enough to make the Gunslinger smile.

"Say, what's the status of the other two?"

"X is heading further inside the ship," It was Alia that replied at this point, "Zero has the Engine Room taken care of."

"Well, once you have control, let me know. I can work on steering this thing away from the city."

Mechaniloid Carrier, Central Passageway, 1530 hrs.

X rushed through the corridors; following the path laid out through his mapping system. So far, the resistance in this area consisted mostly of mounted turrets and Reploid Guards that have gone Maverick. The further he went, the more he noticed that the security thinned out. It took about a few seconds to find himself standing before a massive door. Before he could say anything on the matter, it opened up.

"Was that supposed to happen?" X asked almost thoughtlessly in a whisper. By instinct, his arm shifted towards its buster form and entered with caution.

It seemed dark from the way the lights illuminated the room. Most of the lights pointed towards the very center where a circle of strange objects was situated. It appeared to be twelve coffin-like structures laid down in perfect symmetry. At the very center was monolithic structure, almost akin to an ornate pillar. Its carving was that of a serpent spiraling in its ascent towards the top. The azure Hunter marveled at the sight, though he continued to check for his surroundings. A sudden beeping broke the silence.

"X, I detect a massive energy reading from that room," Alia reported through the comm line. Her voice showed a hint of concern about the situation, "It seems to be coming from that structure in front of you."

"Welcome, Dear Hunter," a gentle voice welcomed him.

This caused X to point his buster at the monolith, noting it to be the source. Luminous lines spiraled upward from the pillar as it converged at the very top. It appeared first as a glowing ball, but it soon took on a humanoid shape. The light dissipated to reveal its detailed features of this strange being. It had a pale gray body with pristine white armor on the arms, legs, and torso. A halo-like visor covered its eyes. Long flowing hair of gold seemed to act like wings on its back, making the creature seem celestial in nature.

X remained vigilant; buster still aimed at this strange being.

"Identify yourself," he spoke with authority, "Comply or I will shoot."

"Dear Hunter, you jest," the figure chuckled as it hovered from the pillar, "You realize that you are in the presence of divinity. Do not be brash before Platina Alpha."

"Are you in control of this ship?" X raised the question, still cautious and combat ready.

A chuckle escaped Platina Alpha's lips as it replied, "Perhaps..."

"You realize that you are headed for a collision course to Abel City. I ask you to turn this ship around." X stated.

He held hopes in which the creature would comply and stand down. It would be an ideal outcome where he would not resort to fighting. But with what he experienced for the past few years; it would always escalate to an outright battle. The creature began to hover upwards, ascending further up as wings of light materialized. Platina Alpha's hands started to amass power in the form of luminous orbs of energy. It began as a playful chuckle, which soon grew into hysterical laughter as the being made its reply.

"Ah, you entertain me so. How about you supplicate and give your devotion. Humor me, child..."

Once again, X saw the worst-case scenario unfold before him. He started to amass energy towards his weapon, readying a charged shot,

"HUMOR ME WITH YOUR DEATH!" Platina Alpha yelled with madness as it launched the orbs towards the azure Hunter.

Thus, came the first move. X dashed away to avoid the incoming spheres. At that same moment, he took aim and went for a charged shot. While he was able to dodge one sphere, the other came too close to his feet as it unleashed a shockwave. This threw X off-balance for a moment, causing him to stagger for a bit. The charged shot he unleashed ended missing by a few inches due to the deflected trajectory, causing the projectile to hit the wall. Despite which, a quick step allowed him to regain footing and went on in setting up his position. This time, he was charging up as he ran.

X dashed with a frantic interval as a few more sphere flew to him. He was able to evade the series of explosive blasts. As he used the emergency maneuver system for the last time, he noticed an opening. It was then that he took aim and hoped.

The charged shot flew towards the angelic target. The sudden impact from the blast caused Platina Alpha to flinch, making it lose altitude and plummet towards the ground. Whether it was a lucky shot or a calculated attack was anyone's guess. For X, it was the right time to counterattack.

Platina Alpha tried to regain its bearings, only to end up being pelted with a barrage of buster shots. This sustained strafe caused the brilliant creature to howl in pain as it ended up collapsing on its knees. The wing-like appendages soon covered the creature, the succeeding buster shots bouncing off from this defense. Noticing that his attacks were not doing any damage, X began to gather energy once more for his buster.

To X's chagrin, he was unable to release the charge shot as a flash of light caused Platina Alpha to vanish. The Hunter stopped for a moment.

"Tch, where are you hiding?" he grunted as he looked for his adversary, now marked as a Maverick due to its hostile actions.

"I must thank you, Dear Hunter," Platina Alpha's voice echoed within the room, "You have given me enough as an introductory offering."

"What do you mean?"

At this point, Platina Alpha reappeared at the top of the monolithic pillar. This time, its wings now spanned open in full form. The body of this celestial creature pulsated with energy as if it was emitting waves of light at a steady pace. It was then that the comm line came through.

"Hunters, do you read me?" Alia's voice came with a frantic warning. "I am detecting a massive energy spike! You need to-"

"Receive my gift for you," Platina Alpha's voice now boomed with power as the creature and the pillar it was on top of began to hover along. The other twelve coffins hummed as the light that covered them resonated and pulsed in tandem.

"Today, Dear Hunter. I bless you with this new world! TAKE IT!"

X could not react fast enough. He was unable to dash away or take a shot. He stood there, seeing the inevitable as a massive flash of light flooded everything around him.

As far as his eyes could see, everything was consumed in a white light. With it came silence.

Notes:

Adion – This Ride Chaser model first appeared in MMX4. Armed with a mounted cannon in front and an offensive acceleration system that allows it to dash and collide against Mavericks. Its agility is what makes it a fitting vehicle on any surface, whether on land or water.

Cavalerie– This Ride Chaser model variant made its appearance in the Rockman X Giga Armor X figure (Model No. ADU-R381B). This particular model originally used the Rush Jagt support robot as the frame chassis for the GBF armor that X uses on this figure. For purposes of the fic, it instead used the Ultimate Armor as the basis and the Adion as the frame chassis instead. Thus, making it come out as an Adion Custom that X uses for this mission.

Ultimate Armor Mk. IV– This is the Ultimate Armor that made its appearance in MMX4-X6. The numbering was in reference to the game where it made its debut. You could say that Dr. Thomas Light made his attempts at creating the armor and this one worked out well (with its notable risks, of course).

A/N:

It's been long since the last time I wrote a fanfic. I would say somewhere close to a decade. Due to some things that happened in real life, I might end up discontinuing other stories. But we'll see where this new creation goes. The continuation is under way and it'll pop up within the week. I do hope you join me with this journey.

I'll see you again.

Sydney Grise