Chapter 3: Hare today…Gone tomorrow
Decked out in full, gleaming combat armor, Zero really was "The Crimson Hunter". Zero was covered in red, from his high-powered dash boots to his strong helmet, he was a blur of red when he moved. And today, he planned on making Sigma eat his words…
"You aren't serious, are you?" asked a worried Dr. Cain. "Very" replied a serious Zero as he checked his Beam Sabre. "But you're sinking down to his level," protested Dr. Cain, "why?" "Because it's the only way to get him. And when I do, he'll see just how dangerous I can be…"
However, unlike the famed mad rampage of Mega Man X some 50 years back, this was a planned attack on the first of Sigma's generals, Hellfire Hare. Everything was planned to the last detail; but you know that nothing ever goes according to plan…
Come on Sigma thought Zero as he blasted another of the Hare's minions into oblivion, even you can do better than this. As if on cue, a never-before seen model mech walker burst through a hole in the wall and came tearing down after Zero, it's metallic legs working in a steady rhythm of death. Holy crap! Thought Zero as he dashed away from the crazed machine, my beam sabre's not going to do anything against that! Dashing away again and again from the mechanized monster, Zero fell back onto his basic training for mechs. I got it! thought a triumphant as he dashed once more, the one weakness of any mech is…it's knees! Dashing forward, he slashed viciously at the mechs knees, which gave way with a satisfying clash as it lurched forward into a hidden trap of spikes, sending debris everywhere. Ducking into the hole the mech burst out of, Zero discovered a fully charged Sub-Tank. "I'll be," muttered Zero, "this will come in handy with the Hare."
From then on in, Zero made a good pace, interrupted only by the occasional mech walker. Each was destroyed by a quick slash to the knees and Zero moved on. Eventually, many walkers later, Zero came face to face with his destination. Stepping forward, the surprised hunter fell into a well-concealed hole in the ground…
Throwing himself to the nearest wall, Zero slid down the rest of the blackened shaft, safe from any possible loss of energy. "Give a whole new meaning to rabbit hole." Zero was notorious for his grim battle humour. "Doesn't it?!" came a high-pitched cackle as lights flashed on and Zero saw, for the first time, Hellfire Hare.
"Hehehe so you made it at last," chuckled Hellfire Hare, "the boss told me about you." "Did he now," replied Zero, " let's see if I can still surprise you!" But it was Zero who was the one to be surprised as the crazed Hare leapt into the air and fired off a pair of ears, which exploded and sent the dazed hunter into the nearby wall…
The battle raged from that point on and Zero found that although physically weak, the hare's weapon kept him from landing a single blow. If this continued, Zero was bound to lose for sure… Zero's energy levels faded more and more after each attack and the last one sent him to the floor, crippled. The Hare readied his gun for the killing blow as Zero prepared himself for a final last-ditch attempt. When the hare landed to shoot, Zero activated the Sub-Tank and launched himself at his enemy. Hellfire Hare was taken completely by surprise and Zero ran him through with his heated Sabre, the killing blow delivered in one fell sweep. "Did your boss tell you about that?" asked the triumphant hunter as he acquired the dying Hare's weapon. "Tell your boss he's next." Zero prepared the base for self-destruction as he warped out. His last coherent thought before warping was that the fires of the self-destruct sequence really did look like the fires of hell, exactly the place he was going to send Sigma.