Note From The Author: A special thanks to Erico, who had the idea of the internal deletion that is mentioned in this chapter.
Chapter 12: The Calm Before The Storm
X lay amongst the great piles of burnt machinery and mangled wires that made up his cell thinking of ways to escape. On that same starry night of his fabled escape from Maverick Hunter HQ, Sigma had called to his Maverick-infested self and like a fool, he had answered.
X was confused. About the world, about himself, about everything, and the virus had taken advantage of this. Without even bothering to fight in his state, X had walked back to Sigma's seemingly open arms like a good little reploid, only to face the harsh reality of tranquilizers, and a cold, dark cell whose only scenery was mangled machinery and the broken, poisoned, once-proud Hunter it's only occupant.
As X lay, his thoughts invariably turned to Sigma, and his anger flared. That bastard Sigma's scheming for him, Zero, for the world. His planning, his life. They all had to be ended. X knew he was planning something big, but what it was was still unknown. How long he sat in that dismal room he didn't know, the remnants of any traceable time lost in the depths of his despairing mind. X was jarred away from his thoughts to the harsh reality of his current situation as Sigma gleefully entered the room, and X resumed his ever-present struggle against the Maverick virus that had invaded his body.
Sigma laughed as X lurched forward, cradling his head in pain as the virus attacked his systems. X cried out in sharp pain as Sigma forcibly lifted X off the ground, pulling him to his smiling face. Glaring pure hatred at the Maverick, X used his anger to regain full control of his body and he spat. Sigma blinked in surprise as a warm, gooey liquid hit his eye, and he glanced down at X.
"HA!" laughed Sigma, "you enjoy winning small battles don't you? And yet, come the big tests, you always lose. You have yet to grasp the big picture." At this, Sigma laughed even louder, but quickly regained his composure. "Although my nerve gas was destroyed, it was only the first supply. I already have a new batch in the works and it should be ready soon. And once it's done, I will rule supreme as I have always been destined to. Let's see you stop me this time." X leaned forward, leering. "Ok Sigma, but only because you asked so nicely."
Sigma never saw the punch, but he felt it. X dropped from the Maverick's grip as Sigma doubled over from the punch to his gut. X rolled and stood up in a fighter stance. His foot shot out and caught Sigma square in the chest, sending him backward. "Damn you Sigma!" yelled X as he sent Sigma into the wall. "You come in here all smug," another punch to the gut, "having fun plotting the downfall of my friends and the entire world!" X punctuated this last statement with a kick to Sigma's head. "I told you once I would be the one who made you pay, and I fully intend on keeping that promise."
Sigma fell to the ground coughing for air as he vainly struggled to counter the vicious attacks of the enraged Hunter. And for the first time in his life, Sigma felt fear in his heart. And even more unnerving to him, with each hit delivered, Sigma felt his power on X falling away.
"Die you bastard!" screamed X as he delivered a strong punch to Sigma's jaw, "Die like all the others you've killed in your self-fulfilling quest for a madman's rule!" Sigma slumped to the floor as X glared down from above, readying for the killing blow. At the same time, Sigma laughed, a deep belly laugh, and X hesitated. Sigma's foot lashed out and soundly connected with X's knee, making him cry out in pain. The tables were slowly turning.
Sigma's foot neatly tripped X, and the once proud Hunter crashed to the floor in a heap. Adrenaline can only do so much. Sigma grabbed him and threw him into the wall with his full force, making a large dent in the reinforced steel. Sigma's arms flew out in a flurry of hard punches to X's ribs. X slumped to the ground, beaten and bruised and imprisoned once again by the forces inside his head. I'm sorry Zero. I tried. I really did. He will die, but I couldn't do it today. Please forgive me…
"You ungrateful wretch! How dare you attack me! I am your creator! And you are an obstacle. Luckily for you, you are a needed one. If I didn't need you I'd have you shot right now! But you, my miserable friend, still have a job to do. You have yet to kill Zero, the only threat to me. So, rest up you pathetic piece of scrap metal, this is but the calm before the storm." Laughing to himself, Sigma cast X aside and stormed out of the room, cackling evilly to himself.
X's world swam as he leaned his battered body against the steel wall. He was himself, for now, the virus was in submission for the moment. Tears flowed freely down the Hunter's cheeks as he sat, remembering. Zero, their first meeting, their friendship, Zero's death. His awakening. His teachings. And the fact that he would be forced to kill him. At this, energy flowed through his being. This cannot come to past. I must stop it. I must escape. He would not be a slave to a maniac's machinations.
Idiot, thought X as he slid his door open, too busy laughing to lock the door. X padded quietly down the prison hall hallway, his boots making little noise on the padded floor. If anything, X was glad Sigma was vain in his floors. It helped him stay quiet.
X approached the main hallway of the prison hold cautiously, fearing an attack. However, his body visibly relaxed as he noted the sleeping forms of the two guards. Making a note to compliment Sigma on his security forces, X delivered a sound chop to the back of each guards necks, rendering them unconscious. X slipped through the door into the next area of the compound, unaware that Sigma had been following him the whole time, snickering all the way…
X was ecstatic. He was already halfway through the compound and he hadn't encountered any resistance at all. Sigma's been taking over the wrong reploids, thought X ruefully as he slunk through the hallways of Sigma's lair, they all like to sleep a lot. However, X suddenly felt unsure, as if a force was following him. X quickly slipped into a nearby storage locker, and quickly closed the door. He was the only one in the room.
"Time for some hardware," whispered X as he looked around him. It was a weapons supply closet, and it catered to his every need. Reaching forward, X picked up a level 4 X-Buster, and snapped it on. Almost as quickly, he morphed it back into his hand. Now was not the time for firepower. And if he was caught, then he had an unknown weapon. Before leaving, he grabbed three partially hidden Sub-Tanks, and stored them in his chest next to the one he already had from his encounter with Zero. He was fully loaded.
X stepped out of the locker, seemingly unchanged, and Sigma followed in eager pursuit. He was enjoying himself so much, he forgot to check the locker, and therefore didn't notice the missing Buster or Sub-Tanks, or the fact that X was walking differently now. X was walking with the self-assuredness of a warrior reborn.
X arrived at his destination, the entranceway looming over his head in front of him. Overjoyed, X rushed at the door only to fall crashing to the floor as the virus released itself from it's remission. Seeing this, Sigma stepped out from the shadows. And he laughed.
X lay in his subconscious mind, allowing himself a brief respite from Sigma. Images from time long gone by swirled in his mind, and X made a decision. X stood, and he looked at the virus with new clarity. You have won for now, virus, and we both know I am not strong enough right now. But there will come a time when you will finally know defeat, and I will wipe you from my systems forever more. Remember it virus, and fear. Remember…
X stood, and slowly turned to Sigma, calm radiating from his features. "Hello Sigma." "Why hello X," replied the gloating Maverick, "I see you are standing high right now. Quite a change from before. You remember don't you? You lost last time. Are you planning to try again?" X shook his head. "Very good Maverick, you are not as stupid as you often look. You have killed many Sigma, and rest assured, I will kill you. But, I will let you live a little longer. Long enough to feel my pain, others' pain, and even your own. And I will set things right. And then, you will die. Nothing more, nothing less. And then blackness will once again welcome your twisted soul with open arms. But this time Sigma, you won't be coming back." And with that, X walked past Sigma, walked past the unconscious guards at his door. He entered his cell and sat down, the door closing soundly behind him. And he waited.
"Whaddya got doc?" asked Zero as he and Alex entered the doctor's office. "We've just detected two of Sigma's generals locations." Cain pointed to a map on his computer screen. "Artillery Aphid is located here, in southern Cuba. Crunch Crab is here, in the southern Caribbean waters." "Right," said Alex, "I got the Aphid. I'll be back to deal with crab-face later." Alex rocketed out of the office in an orange warp trail to the southern shores of Cuba, and it's green fields.
Two minutes later, Zero stood up. "I'm going Cain, I've got a score to settle with Crunchy," said Zero, checking his Sabre, "and this time, he's not getting off so easy." "Zero, what are you talking about?" "Long story Cain, maybe I'll tell it to you sometime. To make it short, remember the limp Crunch Crab has?" "Yeah…what about it?" I gave it to him. Gotta jet!" Zero rocketed off in a blaze of red, and Cain was left alone in his office to wonder the meaning behind The Crimson Hunter's statement.