Chapter 7: Shorting Circuits, Live Wires
"Alex, there's something you need to know about the next mission": said Zero as he and Alex made final preparations for the next mission. "We have discovered a cache of a new type of nerve-gas created by Sigma hidden in Short Circuits lair. It kills both reploids and humans. You will be responsible for destroying the cache. I will take out Short Circuit. Can you handle it?" "Yes sir!" said Alex, saluting smartly. With that, Zero and Alex warped out of Maverick Hunter HQ.
"Only two of em boss?" asked Short Circuit, "isn't that kinda small for an attack force?" "No." replied Sigma, growing impatient, "these are their best agents. The best of the best. You must destroy these two and protect the cache of nerve gas at all costs! Do you understand?" "Yeah boss, I got it" replied Short Circuit, a plan already forming in his mind. "Good," replied Sigma as the communications screen went black, leaving the Maverick General to his thoughts.
The two Hunters shot small explosions abounded as Short Circuit's poorly organized defenses to pieces. It was obvious that Short Circuit had underestimated them, but that is never an excuse for cockiness… There are always a few surprises left lying around. Out of nowhere, two Blast Hornets appeared and fired missiles down upon the intruding Hunters. "Alex!" yelled Zero as he dashed away from the missile fire, "you know what to do!" Leaping up, Zero neatly decapitated his Hornet in a slice of his heated Beam Sabre, the headless hulk exploded when it hit the floor. Alex dispensed the other Hornet with his slash and blast technique. This done, the two Hunters continued on their way deeper into the base. Coming to a fork in the paths, the two Hunters parted ways, Zero going to Short Circuits battleground, with Alex going the opposite way on his search for the nerve gas.
As Alex made his way down the darkened corridor, he was VERY aware of the absence of his fellow Hunter. However this fear dimmed with every enemy Alex took down. Blast Hornets were not a problem now, and as he continued on his mission he realized that he was learning. He was learning to live, he was learning to won, and most importantly, he was learning to depend on himself. This dependency was put to the ultimate test as a mech appeared out of the pile of junk it was hiding in, it's pilot glaring down at the young Hunter…
Zero slowly made his way down his respective end of the base, a cool head in control all the way. Although there were innumerable enemies in his way, Zero fought with an intensity that can only de seen on the battlefield. Because of this, he was not slowed down in the least. Sensing that he was at his destination, Zero awaited Short Circuits' arrival with the calmness of an experienced warrior. "Zero!" rose the shout of Short Circuit, "we meet at last! I have heard much about you." "And what have you heard, you poor excuse of a Maverick! I have already taken down your friends Hellfire Hare and White Wolf with little effort. You will be no different!" Short Circuits face flickered in a moment of fear but he quickly regained his composure. "You mock me Hunter!?" screamed the enraged Maverick, "and yet you have always left everything to X and your friends, doing nothing yourself. X is now dead, his parts reside in the possession of the Mavericks. But now you're all alone…." "You've touched dangerous ground, Maverick," growled Zero, not bothering to hold the contempt in his voice in check, "we end this now." And with that spoken, the battle began.
Alex jumped back as the mech attacked, catching him completely off guard. Having no knowledge of mechs or their systems, he could only dash away as his mind frantically searched for an answer to this new menace. This mech could be extremely useful, thought Alex as he dodged yet another attack, which means that I only want to get rid of the pilot and leave the mech intact! With this in mind, Alex did what no other Hunter ever did in history. He leapt at the mech as it came charging down at him. Holding his beam Sabre in front of him, he stabbed it through the glass of the pilot section, instantly killing the Maverick pilot. The mech came to an instant halt and Alex commandeered it, continuing on his mission with a newfound confidence.
Short Circuit was fast, very fast. Zero needed an idea to both slow him down and defeat him at the same time, and he fell back on his earlier battle skills. The solution dawned on him in an instant and when Short Circuit charged him, he leapt to the side and unleashed the full fury of the Frost Buster on the helpless Maverick general. Short Circuit was frozen solid instantly, as his internal systems shut down one by one. Zero quickly acquired the Lightning Ray, and made his way to the rendezvous point, anxiously awaiting Alex's return.
Alex encountered no resistance from that point on and quickly set the bombs around the nerve gas canisters. Leaving the area, he quickly made it to the rendezvous point, trigger in hand. The two watched the completion of their mission as Alex pushed the button that turned the once spotless base of Short Circuit into a living Inferno.
Sigma screamed in rage at the destruction of his nerve gas, which was to play an intregal part in his plans. Resolving to take it out on X, he upped the training level by leaps and bounds. However, this proved fruitless and Sigma exercised his control over the once proud Hunter, finding sick enjoyment in this task. Zero's made this personal. He will live to regret it. I'll make sure of it. Looking X straight in the eye, he felt the fear again, and stormed out of the room, leaving a satisfied X looking at his departure with a gleam in his eye.