Megaman Xtinction: Future's End
Chapter 2
by Mirai X
X's heart sank as he slowly approached the meeting chamber of Maverick Hunter HQ. He was beginning to feel a bad omen brewing. Not just at his mentor's recent frame of mind and absence, but also at a Maverick attack reported to him earlier that morning. An experiment peice of high tech equipment stolen from Sonaku Labs. To make matters worse, the scientist who had been working on it, Dr. Edmund St. Paul, had been working under a grant--and a triple encrypted hard drive. And Dr. St. Paul had been killed by an unknown assailant while defending his work. The strange burn marks around the fatal neck wound and the strange metallic claw embedded in the steel wall were all that was needed to convince X that a Maverick, and not some powermad human, had committed the homicide and robbery.
But the thing that disturbed X the most was what anyone would want with a device that not even the chief executives of Sonaku Labs had information on? Unless....
X stopped dead in his tracks. "No....." He clenched his fists. He knew that the only reploid--or in this case, Maverick--who could find the means to access a triple encrypted computer in the deepest sanctum of an already heavily protected research facility. That that meant one thing that X, Zero, and every hunter in Tokyo had dreaded the thought of.
Sigma was alive.
Zero's eyes snapped open, his hunter's instinct springing forth from the back of his mind and burying his thoughts. Having been in the wrong frame of mind to remember his sword, Zero was left with nothing more than his fists to defend himself against the oncoming attackers. He sprung sharply to his feet, baring his teeth in a snarl of rage and torment. These 2 attackers had caught him at a VERY bad time. Z saber or not, this duo was about to feel every bit of inner hatred and sorrow the Crimson-armored Maverick hunter had felt since the fourth Maverick rebellion.
The smaller assailant, reminiscent of a large, purple armored wolf, soared past Zero and behind the falls, almost getting a mouthful of Zero's long, golden mane. The larger one landed silently in front of Zero, a cold expression on his face and his arm cannon point-blank at Zero's.
Undaunted, Zero ducked quickly, and before the dark armored reploid could react, his canine companion, who was diving at Zero again from behind, dove straight into him, sending them both from beneath the falls and into the river.
Almost immediately, they lept again from the crystal waters, continuing their assault. The reploid crashed into Zero, attempting to pin him down. Zero responded by kicking him off and back into the rocks behind them. The reploid's counterpart landed beside him, leaving the three of them facing off at a standstill, glaring coldly at one another.
Raged burned intensely within Zero. His scowl deepened as he examined the pair. He didn't recall seeing them before. Were they Mavericks? Zero wasn't sure, and he certainly didn't care. All he could feel at the moment was the desire to destroy them. It was unlike anything Zero had felt before. He stumbled a bit out of his fighting stance, clutching his head. He grimaced in pain, withholding a cry of agony. His cybernetic brain was on fire, his thoughts shrouded in this strange feeling of hatred. He didn't even remember where he was anymore. All he knew was that whatever was happening to him, he wanted it to go away fast.
The black-amored reploid lowered his guard. The same cold look on his face, he approached the ailing hunter at his own steady pace, water bouncing noisily from his surface. He calmly laid a hand on Zero's soaked blonde scalp and closed his eyes. The sapphire jewel on the mysterious bot's head lit up.
Zero's eyes snapped open. His senses returning, he found his bent head staring straight at the abdomen of the same reploid who had moments ago interrupted his meditation along with that cybernetic wolf of his. Dumbfounded, Zero raised his head to look at the young face with the strange purple markings. He stood there a moment, studying his coal black eyes. They looked solemn and cold, almost as troubled as Zero himself. He also carried an aura of arrogant contempt about him, as if he were somehow superior to Zero in his own mind. The mist from the falls and the water falling all around them made him appear to be that much more hardened.
Zero finally found his voice, though it came as a low croak.
"H......how.........? Who........ are you.......?" He managed to choke out.
The reploid responded by turning back toward his dog, walking slowly over toward it. He scratched it between the ears calmly, not bothering to look back at Zero.
"I'm sorry for attacking you," He began slowly. "I had to be sure you were who I thought you were. Even though you're not exactly as I pictured you."
Zero stared intently at the back of his black, cobra-esque helmet. "Who did you think I was...? And how did you do...... that..... to my head...?"
"I didn't cause it, if that's what you're thinking," He replied. "It is, as they say, a part of you. It was Father's farewell gift to you, and his final curse to this world."
Zero's eyes widened. "You know about Dr. Wily.....?"
The figure snorted arrogantly and turned his head back to Zero. "Know about him? I was created by him. Same as you...... Brother." He said, uttering the last word almost inaudibly.
Zero's mind was in shock. He knew bits and peices of his own dark past, and he also knew Dr. Wily had never created a sane robot. Yet this being before him, the one calling him family, had been cool and calm throughout the whole fight, yet still giving it his all. But why? Was Zero truly that much stronger than him?
"What do you mean.......?" The crimson armored hunter asked slowly.
"I mean, that we were both created a couple of years apart..... both for the sole purpose of ridding this planet of my old rival, Megaman."
"You mean X?"
The reploid paused. "X?"
Zero took a holo projector from a storage compartment in his ankle. He aimed it at a smooth rock surface and activated it. A 3D image of X projected onto the cold, wet stone.
It was now the reploid's turn to be surprised. X looked remarkably like Megaman. From the blue armor to the sapphire eyes of purity and determination. One thing was missing, though. The innocence Megaman had always had was absent in this......X. He had seen far more in this cruel world than his old enemy. This almost brought an emotion akin to sadness to him. It was like seeing a childhood accquaintance as an adult. You can't help but admire their growth, but at the same time, feel regret for having missed out on the change from child to adult.
But he knew he couldn't help it. Andat the same time, he knew X and Megaman were 2 different beings....
He had witnessed Megaman's death with his own two eyes. Yet not by his own two hands. He glared silently at Zero silently. He had watched this very robot single-handedly destroy everything he knew once, almost a lifetime ago. Yet this confused, however goodhearted hunter before him was somehow so different. Only when Zero had suffered his headache had the being of death and destruction he knew of resurface. And those fighting moves were still the same ones that had destroyed the others. Megaman, Protoman, Roll, Rush, and every other creation Dr. Light had ever made were wiped from existance.
He smiled bitterly. He hated Wily for doing that to him..... for denying him the right to destroy Megaman. Yet at the same time, he thanked him. Not only for his existance, but for opening his eyes to the truth......
**Flashback**
"Megaman! Move!" Protoman shouted, jumping to his brothers aid and using his Break shield to block a monstrously huge blue blast.
"Thanks, Proto." Megaman panted. They both stared out from behind the shield at the golden-haired demon that had attacked them. A single tear rolled down Megaman's face as he beheld the prone, limp forms of his sister and his dog, both with gaping wounds and sparks flying from torn circuits.
Protoman silently pulled his younger brother closer. Megaman lowered his head, fighting back more tears. "Rush....... Roll....... no......." He sobbed.
"Be strong, little brother..... There's hope yet." Protoman comforted vainly. Deep down, he knew the only one of them that were leaving this laboratory alive was their unknown attacker. Protoman had never sensed such power. Not from himself, Megaman, Bass, or any of Wily's robots. This was a nightmare.
A cruel laugh errupted through the lab atmosphere. The unknown attacker smirked evilly as he raised his Z buster. "Are you ready to die, you bastard piece of junk?" he crooned to Megaman.
The blue robot shook violently, barely able to withstand his sorrow.
"You know," He continued harshly, "Of all the kills I made today, perhaps the most satisfying was that old human. Light? Wasn't that his name? Or was it Father I heard you call him?"
Megaman could stand it no longer. His eyes blurred and his heart broken beyond repair, Megaman's left fist retracted into his arm and the barrel to his Mega buster emerging. He faught his way from Protoman's grasp and launched himself forward.
"FATHER!!!!!!!" He screamed, his voice full of rage and anguish.
"Join him in Hell, weakling." Zero spat coldly, preparing to finish his target off.
"Megaman!!" A new voice rang out.
Distracted, the blonde robot looked up, a white metal foot colliding with his cheek.
Bass regained his balance, glaring hatefully at him. Treble joined him at his side.
"Wily said he's mine to finish, Asshole!" Bass accused. Treble bared his fangs and growled menacingly, mimicking his master's reaction to Zero.
Just then, Megaman's charge ended as he lept blindly at the murderer of his family, buster charged and fury engulfing his heart.
"DIE!!!" Megaman screamed.
The evil, crimson demon casually swatted Megaman against the wall, leaving a huge crack and rendering the blue bomber unconcious, the tears all but faded from his eternally young face.
He continued to glared coldly at Bass. "Leave me to my work, fool. This is a man's job."
"YEEAARRGGHH!!!" Protoman cried as he thrust himself at Zero.
The scarlet-armored robot raised his charged buster, and with a malicious smile, fired a hole straight through the red and grey hero's chest. His singed corpse rocketed across the room and landed in a pool of crimson blood, right next to his creator.
"Such Heroic nonsense." He said coldly, then turned to Bass. "What's it gonna be?" He challenged.
"You have 2 choices: live and leave......" He grinned evilly. "Or stay and die. Your call."
Bass turned his gaze to Protoman, oblivious to the robot's words. Why? He thought.
He knew there was a time when Protoman hated Megaman possibly even more than he himself did. But why had he switched sides? Why had he given his life for his once mortal enemy?
Could there be more to this existance than strength of body? Was that why Megaman was always able to beat himself and Protoman, as well as Wily? Because he sought the well being of those closest to him, even at the cost of his own life?
Bass felt a shame beyond shame overwhelm him. The only one he really cared about in this world was himself. Even his dog Treble was no more than a tool for power. Yet, as he looked down at his canine partner, he saw the same determination in Treble's eyes as he knew had been behind Protoman's dark visor. The wolfish robot was willing to give life and limb for Bass, when he himself scarcely cared if he left this complex alone, just so long as he killed Megaman.
"Time's up." He said curtly, pointing his Z buster at Megaman, and with a mighty white-hot blast, the heroic blue bomber was no more.
"BASTAAARD!!!!" Bass howled, leaping at Megaman's assailant, pelting the reploid with his chain cannon's violet plasma spheres.
He laughed maniacally, unphased by Bass' shots. He then lazily raised his deadly Z buster once more, and shot a hole clean through Bass' stomach. He convulsed and dropped where he was, agonizing in pain. He grimaced bitterly. His first heroic act, and he was already down for the count.
Treble roared loudly, preparing to step in and seek retribution for his master's fall.
"T..Treble..... no...... Stay boy...." The wolf bot looked back, concerned for it's master's safety. It then took it's stand by placing himself in front of Bass, prepared to take any oncoming hits.
The reploid scoffed. "My work here is done, boy. Watch yourself. Next time, it might be you I purge from existance." And with that, the golden-haired Maverick lept nimbly through the sky light, back to Wily's lab.
Bass winced in pain as Treble nudged his face with his snout, wimpering. It was then that Bass raised his hand to scratch Treble behind the ears for the first time. He laughed bitterly.
"I'll be alright, boy...... Let's..... go home......" Suddenly, though, the world around Bass went black, and he fell into unconciousness, where he's stay for the next 35 years.
**End Flashback**
"You never did tell me your name." Zero, who had been using the reploid's remembrance time for his own thoughts, said quietly.
The reploid looked at Zero and smiled. "Call me Bass, brother."
"Alright, Bass, why are you here? And what do you want with me?"
"I want to save you...... From yourself." Bass said, symbolically tapping his temple.
"Alia......" X began, "I'd like to talk to you. I think that maybe Sigma's still-"
"Alive?" The the female reploid finished grimly. She motioned to a monitor, where none other than Sigma himself was on live television, a strange little device tucked under his right arm.
"I wish you were wrong, X....... I wish you were wrong......"
They both sat silently and watched the maniacal Maverick on the television. He was currently in a fit of evil laughter.
"He's been challenging you and Zero for the past ten minutes, X. I don't like it. He seems too overconfident, even for Sigma."
"And plus, he's doing this alone. No signs of any other Mavericks."Signas added as he entered the room, wearing a worried expression. "That strange machine he has worries me as well. I fear that's what was stolen this morning from Sonaku Labs. This battle won't be an easy one, X. Be cautious. My instinct tells me Zero won't be joining you on this one."
X nodded. He knew his mentor and friend would be sitting this one out, wherever he was. He knew this was it. There'd be no one to pull his ass out of the fire this time. It was time X proved himself to be a true Maverick hunter.
And with that, the blue reploid turned around and started for the speeder bike hanger.
This was the moment of truth.
To be continued.....
What is Bass doing in this timeline? Is his effort to help Zero in earnest? Will Zero even accept his help? And if so, can they make it in time to help X defeat Sigma, or will the next blue bomber face this challenge alone, as he intends? And what is Sigma so confident about?
Find out in Megaman Xtinction: Future's End Chapter 3.
Comments and constructive criticism welcome.