THE TENTH DISK
By blackhart
copyright MM Abacus Fiction, revised 6/26/2001
Chapter Eleven
Sigma
I stalked back to my hidden outpost, infuriated that I was not able to
defeat Zero with X's body. That meddlesome Iris girl... She's the cause of my
failure... I thought angrily. I flew from Zero's meadow and back to a secret
lab, where a new battle body was being constructed for me.
As I came in, I gaped at the splendor of it. It stood about eight feet tall,
weighing a little under a ton. Armed with multiple lasers, near-impenetrable
armor, and enough extra firepower to take down Epsilon's, Delta's, and Pi's
security combined, it was quite a sight. I myself marveled at it,
congratulating the good doctor who built it for me. I walked away in a cheap
Reploid body I had made for myself, evilly grinning as I left the room. He was
very close to completing his task, and once he finished...I wouldn't need him
anymore, and neither would history.
X and Zero were meaningless now. Once this body was finished, I could
ravage any Maverick Hunter, including those two. Soon, I would have no need
to hide in this lab anymore. Until then...I would get some rest. I laid back
onto a cot set up in one room, instantly falling asleep and dreaming of sweet
victory for myself.
* * *
X
Zero looked over at me and gave me a thumbs-up as he sliced open the
door leading into Epsilon's acropolis. With his opening of the massive
portcullis there came a high-pitched whine, signaling us to attack. Security
was on the way.
About ten of the flying nasties from Delta's fortress emerged from the
door, their missiles blazing and scattering the Hunters. Several of us took
to the air, me poking my arm cannon into one of them and firing many rapid
shots into it, until its flight systems finally gave out. I hopped away from it
as it crashed to the ground.
I watched as Zero leapt to one of them, chopping it in half cleanly with his
Z-Saber. After landing, he motioned for a small group of Hunters to follow
him, inside the base, leaving us to deal with the loose ends here. He ducked
inside, but not before radioing me and wishing me good luck.
I said likewise, then took to the rest of the units, as did my group, now.
The aerials were expelled in less than two minutes now that everyone
started to help. Guiding my group in to follow Zero, I saw that his had already
encountered another brand of security: Vile, along with a small group of
drone Reploids, had rounded up a few riding armors; enough to grant us
considerable damage.
"Take out the pilots," Zero told our group, just coming in. "The armors
can work to our advantage, after Vile and his goons are gone."
I nodded. Charging up a blast, I headed for one of the armors before one
of the drones could board it. After I was sure I wouldn't hit any of ours with
the shot, I let fly, pegging the pilot directly in the head. Yeowch.
Dashing to the riding armor, I climbed into its seat, which I found
cushioned and inviting. Taking the control sticks, I guided the armor over to
another group of riding armors, controlled by Maverick drones. Swinging the
titanium-coated fists a few times, I banged them up pretty badly, using the
rockets to escape attacks from the others. After wrecking them pretty
badly, I felt the Hunters could do the rest. They flocked over to the
mechanical armors and began beating on them with their cannons, and kicking
at the drone pilots.
I had been watching as Zero stood in the middle of a large circle of the
enemy vehicles, trying to take them all out with his saber. When that didn't
work, I charged in, landing on one mech and crushing it in seconds. The
others I punched a few times, then let Zero take them out.
Giving him a peace sign, I watched as he returned the gesture and finally
hopped up to Vile's cockpit. The Reploid clone knew he was gone, but still
turned in vain to fire a few of his signature paralysis shots at Zero. He
dodged easily, walking up behind the Maverick's head and slashing him directly
in half.
"Ooooh...." I said. "What a way to go."
Zero kicked the scrapped Vile out of the seat, swinging the controls
around a bit to see how the armor still ran. When he found it was
satisfactory, he nodded and called to me. "How are our groups, X?"
I spoke clearly, walking the armor up next to his. "As far as I know, we
only lost one guy: Lujon, and that was on the way in."
"And the riding armors?"
"Most of them were destroyed, or at least damaged enough to where they
won't run anymore. Only two other mechs survived."
"Who's driving those?"
"Hybric and Khizarr," I said, waving for their attention across the room.
"Have them meet up with us and come over this way. There are two ways
to go here," he said, gesturing towards a fork in the corridors beyond this
room. "We'll send the Hunters that're on foot one way, and we'll travel the
other."
"Fair enough," I said as I beckoned Hybric and Khizarr. "Guys, over here
with me and Zero. Time for the groups to split up."
* * *
Zero, Hybric, Khizarr, and I journeyed into the higher-security part of
Epsilon's fortress, finding about 45 drones, 15 Wily-Bots, and almost 20
older Mavericks. With the mechs, we went through them easily, gaining entry
to yet another compartment, filled half-way with lava.
Dash-jumping with the mechs off the platform, we took a good leap out of
the seats and onto the platform on the opposite side.
Heading further into the depths, we found the X-Hunters: Serges, Agile,
and Violen. Stationed deeper inside the fortress, they were relatively easy
to take out. Their cheap Reploid clones were nothing compared to the real
thing.
Then, as we continued traveling, through the heavy darkness, we saw
something. Two bright red eyes, nestled firmly in the shadow, stared right
at us. From between the eyes, we heard a low growl, then a long plume of
fire shot from its mouth.
"Dragon?" I asked Zero.
He smiled nostalgically. "I know that growl. No, that's no dragon. It's
Dragoon. Magma Dragoon."
By blackhart
copyright MM Abacus Fiction, revised 6/26/2001
Chapter Eleven
Sigma
I stalked back to my hidden outpost, infuriated that I was not able to
defeat Zero with X's body. That meddlesome Iris girl... She's the cause of my
failure... I thought angrily. I flew from Zero's meadow and back to a secret
lab, where a new battle body was being constructed for me.
As I came in, I gaped at the splendor of it. It stood about eight feet tall,
weighing a little under a ton. Armed with multiple lasers, near-impenetrable
armor, and enough extra firepower to take down Epsilon's, Delta's, and Pi's
security combined, it was quite a sight. I myself marveled at it,
congratulating the good doctor who built it for me. I walked away in a cheap
Reploid body I had made for myself, evilly grinning as I left the room. He was
very close to completing his task, and once he finished...I wouldn't need him
anymore, and neither would history.
X and Zero were meaningless now. Once this body was finished, I could
ravage any Maverick Hunter, including those two. Soon, I would have no need
to hide in this lab anymore. Until then...I would get some rest. I laid back
onto a cot set up in one room, instantly falling asleep and dreaming of sweet
victory for myself.
* * *
X
Zero looked over at me and gave me a thumbs-up as he sliced open the
door leading into Epsilon's acropolis. With his opening of the massive
portcullis there came a high-pitched whine, signaling us to attack. Security
was on the way.
About ten of the flying nasties from Delta's fortress emerged from the
door, their missiles blazing and scattering the Hunters. Several of us took
to the air, me poking my arm cannon into one of them and firing many rapid
shots into it, until its flight systems finally gave out. I hopped away from it
as it crashed to the ground.
I watched as Zero leapt to one of them, chopping it in half cleanly with his
Z-Saber. After landing, he motioned for a small group of Hunters to follow
him, inside the base, leaving us to deal with the loose ends here. He ducked
inside, but not before radioing me and wishing me good luck.
I said likewise, then took to the rest of the units, as did my group, now.
The aerials were expelled in less than two minutes now that everyone
started to help. Guiding my group in to follow Zero, I saw that his had already
encountered another brand of security: Vile, along with a small group of
drone Reploids, had rounded up a few riding armors; enough to grant us
considerable damage.
"Take out the pilots," Zero told our group, just coming in. "The armors
can work to our advantage, after Vile and his goons are gone."
I nodded. Charging up a blast, I headed for one of the armors before one
of the drones could board it. After I was sure I wouldn't hit any of ours with
the shot, I let fly, pegging the pilot directly in the head. Yeowch.
Dashing to the riding armor, I climbed into its seat, which I found
cushioned and inviting. Taking the control sticks, I guided the armor over to
another group of riding armors, controlled by Maverick drones. Swinging the
titanium-coated fists a few times, I banged them up pretty badly, using the
rockets to escape attacks from the others. After wrecking them pretty
badly, I felt the Hunters could do the rest. They flocked over to the
mechanical armors and began beating on them with their cannons, and kicking
at the drone pilots.
I had been watching as Zero stood in the middle of a large circle of the
enemy vehicles, trying to take them all out with his saber. When that didn't
work, I charged in, landing on one mech and crushing it in seconds. The
others I punched a few times, then let Zero take them out.
Giving him a peace sign, I watched as he returned the gesture and finally
hopped up to Vile's cockpit. The Reploid clone knew he was gone, but still
turned in vain to fire a few of his signature paralysis shots at Zero. He
dodged easily, walking up behind the Maverick's head and slashing him directly
in half.
"Ooooh...." I said. "What a way to go."
Zero kicked the scrapped Vile out of the seat, swinging the controls
around a bit to see how the armor still ran. When he found it was
satisfactory, he nodded and called to me. "How are our groups, X?"
I spoke clearly, walking the armor up next to his. "As far as I know, we
only lost one guy: Lujon, and that was on the way in."
"And the riding armors?"
"Most of them were destroyed, or at least damaged enough to where they
won't run anymore. Only two other mechs survived."
"Who's driving those?"
"Hybric and Khizarr," I said, waving for their attention across the room.
"Have them meet up with us and come over this way. There are two ways
to go here," he said, gesturing towards a fork in the corridors beyond this
room. "We'll send the Hunters that're on foot one way, and we'll travel the
other."
"Fair enough," I said as I beckoned Hybric and Khizarr. "Guys, over here
with me and Zero. Time for the groups to split up."
* * *
Zero, Hybric, Khizarr, and I journeyed into the higher-security part of
Epsilon's fortress, finding about 45 drones, 15 Wily-Bots, and almost 20
older Mavericks. With the mechs, we went through them easily, gaining entry
to yet another compartment, filled half-way with lava.
Dash-jumping with the mechs off the platform, we took a good leap out of
the seats and onto the platform on the opposite side.
Heading further into the depths, we found the X-Hunters: Serges, Agile,
and Violen. Stationed deeper inside the fortress, they were relatively easy
to take out. Their cheap Reploid clones were nothing compared to the real
thing.
Then, as we continued traveling, through the heavy darkness, we saw
something. Two bright red eyes, nestled firmly in the shadow, stared right
at us. From between the eyes, we heard a low growl, then a long plume of
fire shot from its mouth.
"Dragon?" I asked Zero.
He smiled nostalgically. "I know that growl. No, that's no dragon. It's
Dragoon. Magma Dragoon."
