MEGA MAN X: AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE
By Erico
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: SIEGE TO SIGMA'S FLYING FORTRESS
"You all set, X?" X looked up from the newest global scans of the focal point of Hokkaido; Sigma's fortress, embedded in the rocks of a high mountain cliff overlooking the ocean. It looked ominous, and prepared for any attack that might befall it. Guns bristled from the top, ready to shoot out any attacking aircraft that would dare make a flyby, and a thick defense shield as well. It would prevent even a nuclear strike from causing damage, much the same way any energy shield would in this day and age of 21XX.
It had been a long month for X, a month in which his life had taken a complete reversal. Cain had gone cripple, finally with a use for his walking stick. Zero had become the leader of the Hunters; X had become a Hunter and taken out 8 dangerous plots and foes; All the hunters save Zero and X had been destroyed in a fierce blitzkrieg by Boomer's forces…and now Sigma was uncovered.
The last vestiges of X's old life had been swept under the door, the cheerful reploid gone to be replaced by a Hunter, with a Hunter's weapons and abilities granted by Light. It left a bitter taste in his mouth, but at the same time it needed to be done.
The person who had asked him the question was Zero, making last minute checks on his Buster and his other systems, making sure they were running at maximum efficiency. He seemed as worried as X, but a bit calmer about it. X shook off the nagging voice in his head that screamed of his lack of ability.
"Zero, aside from some lingering doubts about my abilities, I'm fine. Arm's old mine gave me a full recharge, and plenty to spare." Zero nodded, his smile vanishing in consternation. He could feel his own doubts rising within himself, but he forced them down. A leader's first concern was his men, and the only guy Zero had to worry about was X, who had proven himself to be just as good as any, perhaps even better.
Zero coughed. "X, I can understand why you'd be concerned. But if you let that doubt and fear of failure override the mission, there will be no doubt in the truth that YOU WILL LOSE. It's as simple as that. If you BELIEVE; then you stand a chance. And a chance often decides who lives and who dies in this day and age."
X looked up at Zero, who was smiling lightly. X raised his eyebrows and gave a quizzical smile to his commander.
"What are you grinning at, you ghost?" X's reference to an old Kevin Costner movie was blatantly obvious, and Zero snickered.
"Nothing much, X. I just realized that in your career, you've had enough luck to go from here to the moon. That in itself should keep you in fine condition." X harrumphed and shook his head.
"You jealous?" Zero nodded ever so slightly.
"Just a bit. Can I borrow some of your luck?" X let a thought flash in his brain, and he chuckled.
"I don't know, Zero. You might catch something in the process. No telling where I've been!" Zero chortled and slapped X across the back.
"Keep making comments like that and you'll be a fine example of a Hunter in no time." Just then Cain rapped loudly on the sick bay door. He poked his wizened head inside and frowned.
"You two gonna go save the world already, or wait until Sigma blows us all to hell and completes his human genocide?" X and Zero looked at Cain, then looked at each other and blew out laughing, a gut hurling, belly-slapping roll-on the floor double decker load of laughing that made Cain stumble backwards a few steps.
"What the devil are you guys laughing at?" Cain said, trying not to let the shocked look of confusion on his face drain into his tone. But the look caused X and Zero to only laugh louder, the bellowing beginning anew.
Finally Hazil rolled over with his syringe of reploid anesthetic, a substance which blocked the energy carrying capacity of a reploid's bloodstream, simulating a normal anesthetic's ability to shut down your body's unnecessary functions. Zero waved his mitt at the medical grump and finally stopped sniggering.
"It's all right, Hazil. Cain just walked in at a funny moment, and did a little twist of irony on us." Cain stroked his chin.
"Which would be what? All I said was were you going to wait around until Sigma completed human genocide?" X chuckled and wiped the tears from his face.
"The both of us as reploids are a little more objective about it than you would be. So, we naturally had to think, what would the world be like without Cain?" Cain frowned.
"Suspicious behavior, you two. Are you going maverick as well?" Zero shook his head.
"Hell no, Cain. You know we love ya too much to see you bite the big one too early. But you gotta admit from a reploid's view, it was funny as all getup." Cain harrumphed.
"Whatever. Just do your job, okay? This is one thing I'd like to put behind me as the head of this reploid enforcement agency." X and Zero finally sighed, releasing the last vibrations of happiness from their bodies. From here on out, they could only be serious.
Any mistake would be fatal in Sigma's lair.
"Sir, the MHHQ intercepted our signal to Sting hours ago." Vile said calmly to a weary Sigma, whose pet dog growled beside him at the bearer of bad news. "No doubt because we have heard nothing from Sting, we can safely assume Zero and his friend X have taken out our last operation." Sigma looked up, a sadistic smile on his face.
"Tell me, did any of your reports indicate our smaller operation at Arm's old mine had been destroyed as well?" Vile's shoulders went back, the most obvious sign of emotion in his covered body.
"I didn't pick that up! I didn't even know about it. Sigma, are you-"
"Vile, let's just say there are some things I'd like to keep to myself." Sigma snapped. Vile straightened up and gave a brief nod. Vile understood all too well how important it was to keep to yourself at times. But something this big; it wasn't the brightest idea Sigma had ever had to keep Vile in the dark.
"In the meantime Vile, what do we have in the way of defensive measures once Zero and X show up here?" Vile raised his hand and clicked a button beside Sigma's chair.
"First off, we have the three castle guardians; Bospider, Rangda Bangda, and D-Rex. I'll be patrolling the first level of the base during the assault, with my spiffy 'mech close by, and you'll be heading things up here with your pet and the giant robot. Remember, it draws in its stabilization energy from the main systems. If it goes up, the whole bloody base does as well. I've also included a last-ditch program into it as well." Sigma raised his eyes, stretching the tear marks he had kept from his battle with Zero so long ago.
"Really? What's that?" Vile chuckled.
"I have my secrets too, boss. Needless to say, if they manage to obliterate you, it ain't the end of the world for your reploid mind." Sigma mused over that, wondering if he should threaten Vile with deep saber wounds to make him tell more. It certainly did seem to fit the blaring program in his head. But he blocked it out. He was still stronger than it; he hoped.
"I'll take your word on that, Vile. Are the ground patrol units out and running?" Vile clicked a button on the side of his helmet, a computer display running over the inside of his helmet. Satisfied, he clicked it off again.
"As ordered. Hortoise Tortoises and too many flying drones to shake a stick at." Sigma sighed.
"Small miracles do happen, then."
"Rarely, Sigma. Rarely." But then a blaring klaxon stopped Vile from saying anymore. Sigma looked up, a look of calm on his face.
"They're here. Vile, get to your post." Vile raised a finger.
"One last thing, Sigma-" Vile reached down next to Sigma's chair and punched in a sequence of random numbers. But Sigma noticed then Vile seemed to know what he was doing. They all flashed a satisfying green, and Vile stepped back. The entire complex shook roughly for a few moments, and then ceased. Velguarder got up, sniffing about uneasily at last. Sigma looked down at his pet. What had surprised the calm dog of death so much?
"What was that, Vile?" Vile flashed a thumbs up, letting his eyes glow red for a brief moment.
"Sigma, that's yet another added bonus in the hidden base deluxe package. I also gave it the ability to go airborne. Those Hunters should have a bloody tough time getting to us now!" Sigma smiled widely at the brilliant thinking of his chief architect. He waved his hand lazily, and Vile ran out of the lair and down the long hidden stairway to the first level. Sigma turned his attentions to the defensive monitor. All were flashing green, indicating no units had been taken out. Sigma smiled again.
Things looked pretty bright for the moment. But as he let his smile become his constant stare of solemnity, he remembered just how wild the odds had fluctuated against them. No matter how small it was, there was a chance.
He was hoping the Hunters didn't find it.
Along the edge of Hokkaido, the flashing lights of weapons sheds blinked in the darkness, the dimming purple pink sky a twisted representation of what life had become; surreal as a wonderland of death and destruction. Hover drones flew about in a steady search pattern, and Hortoise Tortoises scanned the horizon for foes.
Finally, a pair of warp beams shattered down from the starry sky and reformed into X and Zero. They blinked and then looked forward in disbelief; Sigma's fortress was flying!
"I don't like that one bit, man!" Zero muttered anxiously, holding down his charge for maximum power. X nodded and began to charge his own.
"Mebbe it had gas." Zero frowned.
"Not now, X." He turned around to face X directly. "X, I'll go out ahead and keep the main defense force busy. You sneak in and get to Sigma!" X nodded once in agreement, and then Zero blasted ahead towards the floating behemoth. How he'd get up there, X didn't rightly know. But hey, that was what the guy got paid for. Some of the drones took off towards Zero, but some still stayed. X frowned.
That was smart of Sigma, but it meant bad news for him. Shaking his head, he moved on his own course. The attack plan would take the both of them to succeed, and X wouldn't fail on his part. Of course, his was the easier part. Zero would have to deal with most of what was thrown at them, going head on.
"Times like these I think Zero wishes he had a saber like Sigma." X mused quietly, remembering how Zero had spoken to X shortly after they had taken out Boomer Kuwanger's tower stronghold. The memories were so thick from that short time ago, he could still see Zero leaning against the wall of the reconstructed sick bay.
"X, there's one reason why Sigma is such a powerful Hunter." Zero had said. "That reason is because he's got a saber." X had blinked in surprise.
"What, the big green thing that looks like it came from Star Wars?" Zero chuckled.
"Nah. A lightsaber supposedly works by directing the energies from a power cell through a natural crystal so it bends and forms a solid blade of powerful encased energy. Our own technology has a while to go before it reaches that point. But sabers are a new advancement, and they're powerful. You know plasma, right?" X scoffed then.
"Duh. It's only the most fundamental part of a Buster's function." Zero had frowned at that.
"Don't get snappy, X. I'm still your commander. Anyhoo, a beam saber uses an electromagnetic field to encase the plasma gas, keeping its shape as a sword of light and energy. When you cut something with the saber, the plasma basically eats through whatever it cuts. Even if it is short range only, X; a beam saber is a force to be reckoned with." X smiled.
"Wish you had one?" Zero had smiled.
"No kidding. Remind yourself, that's my Christmas present."
X shook his head and cleared it. "Gotta keep focused on the here and now, chum." X stopped a few yards short of the Hortoise Tortoise in front of him and stopped. He drew his hands back and then threw a Hadouken blast at the missile launching drone. It blew apart with a satisfying rumble, leaving the ground charred and strewn with wreckage. X smiled.
"Zero, I think you'd rather have this."
At the moment, Zero would have appreciated anything more powerful than what he had, which was his Buster. After making an insane jump through thin air and barely managing to clutch a handhold on the flying rubble, he clambered up the side and prepared to face the enemies on the top of the tower. Sigma's main defense force was just that; an overwhelming obstacle course of maverick controlled 'mechs, Bee Bladers in tandem, and so many flying drones and ground based cannons it was overkill.
"CrapnabbitsonofafracshiiiCRUD!" Zero screamed. So intense was the danger around him he could not even finish one curse before starting on the next. He jumped a hoverdrone and smashed it to the ground with his boot, and then aimed at the Bee Blader above. The massive attack juggernaut targeted the Crimson Hunter and began to spit out angry red licks of depleted uranium slugs at the target. Zero dashed to the side to avoid, but saw the second Blader already locking on with his missiles. "Man, this is not good!" Zero groaned. In an act of pure desperation, he jumped towards the first Blader again, letting the second continue the bead. Then he jumped out of the way as the two targeted each other, and then let their savage attacks annihilate the both of them.
But even as the explosions of the Bladers were starting to build, a 'mech was racing towards him with a maverick reploid at the controls. Zero grimaced and leapt into the air, letting the 'mech slide underneath him before he dropped down and grabbed the maverick by the shoulder blades, throwing the pilot out. The maverick screamed as he flew out of the cockpit and plowed into the ground, and as he landed Zero was closing the bubble canopy above him.
"Stinkin' rookies. Don't they know you have to close the top to have it do any good for you?" Zero muttered. He breathed a bit easier with the 'mech at his command, smashing through the other three 'mechs with ease and pounding the final Blader into submission. At last, the area around him was empty. Zero sighed in relief, scanning the area around him for vital controls to smash.
But one caught his eye; "Hoverplatforms? What the frack wuz Sigma thinkin?" Zero grumbled as he hopped out of the 'mech and walked over to the console. The cool night breeze blew his blond ponytail back as he pounded a few buttons on the device, and the full moon lit up his entire body.
With a satisfying clunk, the console flashed green. Zero smiled. He'd made X's life a little easier, at least. Now the upgraded Hunter would have an easier time making it to the ever vanishing fortress with the hoverplatforms providing a system of transport to a hidden side entrance of the fortress.
"X, you owe me big for this one." Zero heckled as he walked back to the vacant 'mech. "For I have mavericks to destroy before I sleep."
If X would have had the time to thank his friend, he would have. As it was, X faced perhaps less peril than his trigger happy comrade, but nonetheless a devastating amount. A Hortoise Tortoise early on had managed to nick him with a lucky shot, one that had cost X the ability to unleash the Hadouken until he was at full vitality again. But X found that the Fire Wave worked just as well, perhaps even better for the moment. There was no pause time in his ability to use it, it just fired. That meant instant gratification when their armor melted away, and their vital circuitry shorted out in a fiery sputter of death, triggering the explosions that turned the once mighty juggernaut into a pile of smoking metal. X stopped and looked around him;
There were no more Tortoises for him to take on. He looked up, to see the flying fortress moving farther away from him. All his euphoria began to drop in stunned disbelief, for now he was stuck here and Sigma had escaped.
That's when he noticed a series of green platforms flying out of a side entrance in the fortress, and floating downwards making a series of moving steps. It seemed someone had sent out platforms to allow him to make it to the fortress. And in a flash of gratitude, X smiled.
"Zero." It seemed the Crimson Hunter had come through once more with the impossible task, allowing X the ability to make it after all. Unfortunately, hoverdrones made their presence known among the hoverplatforms as well. X checked his energy meter; 93% health, 74% Fire Wave.
"Dang!" X grumbled. "Oh well, not like it'd do me much good up there." X sighed and switched back to his Buster. Those drones would be a major problem. Making the jumps up the moving steps would be hard enough, but with buggers in the air that would knock him off of them, he'd be dead in an instant. For all his technology, X knew he wouldn't do too well falling off the high perch and crashing into the water and rocky shoals below. But X never ran out of ideas-or weapons, either.
He switched to the Rolling Shield, charging it up. When it reached full capacity, he released the trigger. Instead of a ball of energy that rolled along the ground, the energy crept out of his Buster like honey and surrounded him in a meshing of protective energy. X sighed a bit easier. "Hoverdrones may be fast and dangerous, but they can't take much abuse." The Rolling Shield would keep him covered for the time. He made his first jump, trying to ignore the empty space beneath him as he leapt from solid ground to the first platform. He arrived with a thud, and his wobbly legs managed to hold onto the grip. X sighed in relief and looked around him.
"First one down. About another five hundred to go." X grumbled, exaggerating the number. It was pretty quiet as the platform moved forward, getting within range of another moving green lift. At least, it was quiet until a slight kaboom shuddered through his shield. X swiveled his head to see the fried remains of a hoverdrone flailing downwards in a terrifying arc, and a small dent in his Rolling Shield that soon expanded and became normal. He smiled for a moment as he checked his energy. "Hmm. Still the same. Two notches less." He knew the science behind it.
As long the blow did not fully overwhelm the Rolling Shield, it would draw in its regenerative powers from his core energy, leaving the Rolling Shield energy alone until it would be used again. The downside to the shield was he could not fire a weapon of any kind while he was inside of it.
"Forgetting the fact I hate having to shoot anything." X sighed. He jumped off his platform and onto the next.
The cycle continued for what seemed like an eternity, the platforms keeping in perfect synch with the ever-seagoing fortress. And X always made the leap, for any less meant certain death, and the drones would always burst into slag at contact with his barrier.
And at long last, X made the final jump into the maintenance port that his platforms had emerged from. Two turn cannons activated instantly at his step, and X slammed his shield into the one stuck to the ground. The barrier finally sputtered out of existence and X took out the top one with a well placed Rolling Shield shot. He checked around himself for any other enemies, but it was barren. His sensitive hearing could pick up the droning of more foes ahead, but behind him and in his general area was quiet.
X had finally infiltrated Sigma's fortress. And like the grain of sand that causes a clam to make a pearl, the maverick threat had also caused X to be transfigured into a hero. He checked his energy meter and smiled.
"Not bad." It wasn't full health, but very close. He was doing incredibly well for the threat.
But this was a minor threat he had faced so far. X couldn't help but wonder what Zero was putting up with.
If X would have traded places with the Crimson Hunter at that very moment, he would have been obliterated.
Zero had blasted the top off of a ventilation shaft, taking a slip jump that twisted his body into an odd contortion. The reason for the jump was pretty obvious to anyone watching; it was needed to dodge the three incoming missiles from the launchers. Each spiraled toward him, each missing by the narrowest of margins as they continued on their arcs, slamming into the hordes of security devices that were also firing at him.
Taking a cue from the interim, Zero wasted no time in slipping down the exhaust pipe, firing several shots directly upwards to discourage any mavericks that might have tried to follow him. As he continued to fall, he could hear one scream in pain as they were blasted from the chute's opening. He had to smile at that.
"Nice try, maverick. But I'm still one step ahead of all of you!" Zero finally found the bottom to his ventilation shaft, slamming hard. His systems absorbed the shock with little notice, but his bootprints were firmly planted in the metal.
With his reploid adrenaline, or what was closest to it in a way, Zero turned at lightning speed with his Buster leveled. It worked, for a surprised maverick in full body armor raised a smaller laser blaster. Zero took him out with little notice, and found the rest of the area barren of foes. Zero sighed in relief and took stock of it all.
"Ten minutes in this place and still no end in sight." Zero looked down to the now smoking crumpled metal of his maverick foe. The laser blaster in his hand was a dangerous tool. Less reliable than a Buster, it could only be used once before it needed a recharge. The upside to the laser was because of its advances, it could burn through almost anything. Thankfully, no way had been found to make the laser a reusable weapon, or the defensive technology wouldn't be able to catch up. Zero kicked the weapon away, just to make sure any final jerks of the now fizzled servos wouldn't activate the device.
"Too bad you were on the wrong side, brutha." Zero muttered. "I had to put the smack down on you all." He shook his head. "Watch it, Zero. Too many old gangsta rap tunes in your head."
With the all clear set, Zero moved on ahead. But a noise stopped him dead. He leaned up against the wall, squirming into the shadows, trying to hide himself as best he could.
The figure who was clomping down the halls came into view, sweeping his head from side to side in a careful manner so he could see through his helmet. His hands were loose and relaxed, but the cannon on his shoulder was prepped and raised. Zero hid in the shadows even more, hoping that Vile wouldn't see him.
At last, Vile passed him, and Zero grinned widely. Now he had the element of surprise on his side. Silently he eased out of the niche and raised his Buster up. Hoping to add confusion to Vile's day, Zero blasted a shot to the side of Vile, causing a pipe to rupture at the blow.
Vile jumped upwards as Zero had planned, but didn't turn around to see who had fired it. He ran, because he knew by the shot's power who was wielding the weapon; Zero.
"Crap!" Zero muttered angrily, dashing after the maverick. If Vile got away-
Well, needless to say then their operation would be pretty much botched.
X was making his own way through the fortress, climbing up the service ladders and blowing away the few final Ball De Vouxs in his way. Then, a row of nothing. But he took the chance and charged his Buster again.
Climbing up the final ladder, X thought he heard something falling from above. He took his stance on the platform and turned about-
And was surprised to see Vile falling from below. The maverick was equally disturbed at the sight of him.
"X! Crap, now the both of them are on my tail!" X blinked.
"Both?!" The answer to that question came suddenly as Zero warped down from his position above. He didn't turn to face X, but his shout echoed backwards easily.
"X, stay back! I'll take him on." Vile took his chance and ran through the rotating door close by. Zero followed, getting through before it slammed shut. A surprised X looked down, and then shook his head.
"Easy, X. Zero's on the job." But Zero might need his help. X kept holding the charge on his shot, and then dashed through the door as well. It took him to a mini-room, where the noises from the passageway next was.
The whine of a Buster being charged, then released. The smack of metal meeting metal. A cry of pain-the slamming of heavy hydraulic legs-and the hum of a force field being activated.
"What the-" X grunted in surprise. Something had happened which had ended the battle rather quickly. And the knot in his stomach told him it wasn't good.
He clambered his way up to the final door and through it. Falling down and landing on the floor, he noticed this room was a bit wider than usual. And the reason for it stood tall and menacing on the other side of the room. X's eyes widened in surprise as he saw the aftermath of the quick fight.
Zero was caged inside a restraining cell, crouching to avoid the energy bars. And a smug Vile was at the controls of his super 'mech once more. The same mech that X had lost to on the night so long ago: Now it was back, and it seemed to be more menacing than ever. Vile laughed happily at the sight of X.
"Stay where you are X, or Zero's history!" Vile motioned a massive 'mech arm at the cell, where Zero spat angrily and burned holes into Vile's visor.
"Don't listen to him, X! Take him out now!" Vile chuckled even more at that.
"Dream on, Zero! X knows he can't defeat me. My armor 'mech is more than a match for his ancient weapons!"
In that single sentence, the horrible revelation dawned on X.
He would lose.
That's not to say he put up a good fight; X did his very best, striking with everything he had. From a massive purple plasma blast to the venerable Fire Wave, nothing seemed to penetrate the thick armored carrier's hide. Nothing.
And as X became weary, he dodged less and less blows. Zero's mood turned from foul to fear, and Vile became even more confident.
At long last, Vile opened his bubble cockpit and released a paralyzing blast from his shoulder cannon. A broken and tattered X took the shot full force, and the horrifying memories of Tokyo park came back to him.
Zero had been there to save him then.
But now Zero was trapped as well. X crumpled to his knees as the surging power raged through him. Vile's eyes flashed a brilliant red as he walked over and placed X far away from him. Even with the pain in his mind, X knew what the maverick was going to do.
He was going to make a huge thrust and slam X against the wall, crushing every circuit and microservo in his body. Vile cracked his knuckles and shook his head.
"Say goodnight, Hunter." Vile's arms came to rest on the controls once more. "You will lose this day-and pay the penalty for destroying my comrades." X shook his head sadly, trying to force the tears of angry defeat backwards. If he only had more time, he could take his new armor enhancement and channel the paralyzing energy into usable life energy. But time was one thing he did not have. Silently, he bowed his head and shut his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Zero. I failed." X said quietly. Time seemed to slow down at that moment-
Until a loud scream of fury rampaged through the room. X opened his eyes and slowly turned his head upwards, to see the reason for the cry.
Zero had smashed through the paralyzing bars and destroyed his prison, and now he had leapt onto the top of the 'mech itself.
"What the he-" Vile began, turning around. Zero threw a powerful punch at the maverick, decking him aside for a moment.
"Perhaps you will win, Vile-BUT I'M NOT THROUGH YET!" Zero raised his arms, forming both of them into powerful Busters. X gasped at the sight, for he knew all too well what it meant;
The funny thing about Busters is this; you can't use both at once. To do so overloads the plasmic barriers and unleashes their savage unfocused fury on whatever may be close-which usually includes the reploid stupid enough to try to the move.
"Zero! NO!" X screamed. But Zero didn't listen. He jammed both Busters deep into the cockpit of the machine and began to charge. The distinctive whine was followed by smoke and explosions, as the plasma overload took Vile's 'mech with it, eating away at the power balancing circuitry until it also began to explode. A bright flash enveloped the room, a blossom of fiery death and balancing escape.
And when the light cleared, Zero was gone. So was the 'mech. But Vile and X were still there. X gritted his teeth angrily, his tears finally beginning to spring forth uncontrollably. Zero had sacrificed himself to allow X a chance.
"Goddamnit, Zero! Why'd you have to go and do that?" X screamed angrily. He finally took his time, beginning to let Vile's energy shot convert to life energy as the maverick brushed the dust of the explosion off himself.
"Curse that Hunter! I loved that 'mech." Vile shook his head. "What a useless gesture! I cannot be defeated so easily!" X gritted his teeth.
"Your life ends now, you monster." Finally, the energy conversion finished and flowed into his body. His energy meter filled up completely, and the last few sparks flew off his body. Vile stumbled back in shock at the display.
"What the!" Vile stopped and smirked. "It doesn't matter how much energy you absorb, X. You'll never be a match for me!" But X didn't listen. His hatred of Vile had now swelled up to an unbearable level. He was at full health, and he would use all his power to send the accursed maverick where he should have been born.
Oblivion.
Vile made a huge leap over X, preparing to fire a shot in his back before the Hunter came to his senses. But it was all slow motion for X as he swiveled, tracking Vile's every inch and forming a ball of energy in his hands. When he gauged where Vile would land, he shut his eyes and screamed the angriest cry he could muster, finishing the Hadouken and flinging it along a parallel to the ground.
Vile had barely hit the ground when the energy blast hit him. And even though it was smaller than the massive plasma blasts from X's Buster, it did far worse;
The energy instantly overloaded Vile's fusion generator, sending the reaction into critical and over within microseconds. Vile didn't even have the time to scream as he was torn apart by the angry flash of nuclear fire within his belly, blown apart and vaporized so all that was left of him was his upper body and an arm, which flew high up, slammed into the ceiling and fell at a steep angle in a surreal slow motion before finally thudding to the ground and no longer moving.
And then X breathed. He opened his eyes, and turned to face where he had first seen Vile. But now he saw a sight far worse.
His Commander, his partner-His friend-Zero was now nothing more than a ruined upper body framework, bleeding, not moving and not groaning. X screamed in shock and dashed over as fast as he could muster. He knelt down, holding what was left of Zero up so he could speak.
Through a bleeding mouth and crackling, dying servomotors, Zero blearily focused on X, unable to manage the smallest of smiles.
"Vile-gone?" X sniffled.
"Yes. But you-" Zero coughed abruptly, sending a spurt of blood onto X's blackened armor.
"X, I've taken far too much damage. Auto repair systems can't-handle it." Zero shut his eyes at long last. X pulled him closer, his hot tears falling onto the dying form of his friend.
"No, Zero! You can't die on me! I'll get you back to Cain-he can fix you up!" Zero jarred his eyes open, with a burning fire that signaled the last embers of his life.
"NO! Not-not enough time, X. I'm too far gone now. But you-You are stronger than I thought. Maybe you can destroy Sigma. You must X-the world depends on you now." Zero shut his eyes, and sighed a long and painful sigh, until at last his head fell back limply. X's eyes widened.
"Zero!" He shook his friend hard, but got no response. "ZERO!"
At that point, X's world shattered. All the death and suffering he had seen combined in his gut as a massive roiling storm.
Cancer. Jim Dacker. His friends Boomer and Flame.
And now Zero. Damn the mavericks.
Damn Sigma.
"DAMN YOU, SIGMA!" X screamed, finally unleashing the fire in his body. His very frame seemed to blare angrily at the boiling cauldron within. He screamed, screamed long and screamed hard.
Screamed loud enough to be heard throughout the entire fortress.
Screamed louder than when Cancer had died in his arms.
X screamed his last scream in those final moments.
When he stopped, his frustration, his sadness, his melancholy ways had all vanished.
What X had been was now gone forever. The Hunter he thought he had become was nothing compared to now.
Now, like his brother Mega Man before him, X was something more.
X was the only chance for peace.
High above the first level, in the topmost spire of the flying fortress, a brooding Sigma sat in his chair. Velguarder paced the floor, switching between whining and growling at whatever was upsetting him. Sigma had no doubt his faithful pet had the same thing on his mind as his master did;
X.
The cameras in the first level didn't lie. X was strong, no doubt about it. He had managed to infiltrate through an air duct with the help of Zero, taking out the small resistance and then moving on.
Zero had done the unthinkable and broken the golden rule of Busters, and by doing so had eliminated Vile's 'mech. And then as he faded away, an enraged X had dispatched with Vile in one blow.
"One blow!" Sigma cursed. His brow wrinkled worriedly as he examined it again. "How did he obtain such power? What gave him such devastating might?" Sigma frowned and shook his head.
The X he had known in his Hunter days was gone. This new X was far too strong, light years beyond the whimpering fool that had almost succeeded in halting the Rogumer's escape on that Independence night of July 4th.
His new armor had given him incredible strength and speed, ample enough to worry Sigma himself. Sigma's Unit had been fearful because they worked as a team, all at once and never by themselves.
When Sigma had sent them off on their own missions, things had gone horribly wrong, and X had obliterated every one.
Now with Vile gone, it was just him. Just him, his dog, the drones and the few remaining mavericks in the fortress.
The mavericks which would soon be dead. Sigma had no doubts in his wicked mind that X would not be stopped by much. Even the 'blanks' of Vile's design seemed destined to fail, as Boomer's blank had been eliminated as well shortly after Vile.
"This will not be easy-far from it." Sigma muttered to himself. He looked at Velguarder and whistled. The reploid dog looked up at its master expectantly, and Sigma lowered a pointed hand.
"The both of us will have to do our very best. Otherwise, we'll be dead." Velguarder's metallic hair bristled upwards as he bared his teeth and growled. Sigma nodded slowly.
Velguarder had no intention of letting X get the better of him. Sigma would do the same as his loyal pet.
But the odds were stacked against them now. It may not have seen like it by pure numbers, but emotion does many things to performance.
One Hunter. One goal. An incredible suit of seemingly everlasting power. And the anger and hatred of the mavericks to crush any that would stand before him. Sigma clicked on the footage of the first castle guardian's demise.
Bospider, a lightning quick drone with a chaotic attack pattern had been the first to stand in X's way. But X had blown him away with only a dozen blasts from Chill's Ice Shotgun, then glared angrily at the camera.
"You're next, Sigma." X had then blown the camera to atoms and moved on to the next area.
Sigma angrily punched the video clip off and slammed his chair. What angered him was not that X was trying to destroy all of them-
What angered him was the fact X could.