THE TENTH DISK
By blackhart
MM Abacus Fiction, revised 6/26/2001

Chapter Twenty-Five

X

I walked noiselessly back to Zero, Iris and Roll.
"They're gone," I said. "Back to their own time."
Iris nodded. "Good. History can finally complete its course again."
Roll walked over, took my hand. I hugged her close to me. "Another
battle of the war is now over."
"And for the first time, I'm glad I've had someone to share my
victory with," I said, pecking her on the cheek.
Roll closed her eyes, shot a look to Iris. Iris nodded back at her. "X,
Zero, we've been meaning to tell you both something."
I eyed Zero suspiciously. He gave a look of pure innocence,
shrugging his shoulders.
"What is it, Roll?"
She lowered her head, then brought it back up. Taking a deep
breath, and clinging still more firmly to my hand, she let fly with a string of
syllables: "Iris and I have decided to look for someone who can build a
resistance program for the Sigma virus, something that can combat the
virus itself. We feel as if the Hunters aren't moving fast enough in that
regard. Their research is based too much upon funds and resources. We're
going to try to find a private scientist who can do some extra research for
us."
I smiled. "Good idea," I said. "As long as sigmae mavericus is still
roaming around, we can fight all the giant robot suits we want. It won't get
anything done until we can find out how to get rid of the virus."
She nodded. "We thought it was a great idea, too, when we
discussed it with Enker, before..." and then her voice trailed off. I
understood.
"So you're going to travel off with Iris and look for this scientist,
right? Great! We can put some of our top Hunters with you and have then
help you compile reports to send back to the Hunters!" Zero said.
Roll nodded to Iris. She picked up where Roll had left off, with a sigh:
"That's the thing, Zero. We wanna do this alone, apart from t he Hunters."
"And there's no guarantee on when or if you'll see either of us
again," Roll said quietly.
Zero's eyes suddenly widened. "So you're--leaving us?"
"Admit it, Zero. You want to see Sigma gone more than you want to
be with me," Iris said, her eyes sparkling.
He lowered his head. "That's not true."
She tilted his chin up with her fingers, looked into his eyes. "You
know it is."
He sighed. "I don't want to see Sigma gone more than I want you
here with me. I just want to see Sigma gone so we can always be together."
She nodded. "And if we find someone who can get rid of Sigma, we
can be together always, Zero."
He turned around. She took both his hands and dragged him off into
a corner to talk privately. Roll turned back to me. "Well, don't you have
anything to say?"
I stayed silent, shaking my head. "No," I whispered. "I just have to
ask you why you're so confident that you'll succeed."
She smiled. "Maybe that's the Maverick presumptuousness still in
me."
I glared. "Don't say that."
"If we can find someone who can defeat Sigma, we can save
everyone."
"But the Hunters have their top scientists on it, and we still haven't
figured it out, even with test subjects and after five encounters with the
virus itself!"
"But we can do more research with a scientist who has nothing
better to do than all of the Hunters combined," she urged. "Listen to reason,
X. If we can do this, we can destroy him!"
"Small victory," I said. "Someone else will probably pick up where
Sigs left off."
She snuggled up underneath my chin. "But if he's gone, that leaves
the way clearer for peace."
I hugged her tightly. "You're right," I whispered in her ear. "Just
come back someday, will you?"
She closed her eyes, squeezed my shoulders. "I'll do my best."
I wiped a tear from my eyes. "I love you, Roll. Take care of
yourself."
She nodded back, turned away. I smiled as she turned back around
with a flourish to kiss me. Her embrace was desperate, confused--uncertain
of the future. Iris and Zero had resolved their own arguments, and they now
parted as Iris approached me, and Roll, Zero.
"Listen," she addressed me, "Zero'll need some support while we're
gone. Think you can handle it?"
"I've done it before," I said. She smiled, hugged me. I let go of her,
and she and Roll rejoined one another in front of both Zero and I.
"Got the anti-portation field down yet, Chakra?" Roll asked across
the room.
"Sure thing, Roll. We'll see you around."
She nodded, took her sister's hand. "Bye, guys," she said, blowing a
kiss with her free hand. Iris did likewise, and gave Zero a wink.
As their forms evaporated into streaks of light and headed out from
the fortress, Zero came to offer me solace. I gladly accepted, and gave my
own in return.


The war, for now, has ended. Sigma still lives and will show himself again, but
he has been weakened. X and Zero still wait for the day when they must fight
one another, but this has seen to increase their natural bonds much more
deeply than they imagine. Why are they destined to fight? Why were these
two brotherly friends chosen by fate to battle against each other? As they
have both learned during this battle, only time will tell, and time is perpetually
patient.
They have lost their loves for now, but have gained the hope of Sigma's
destruction someday soon. When their girls return to them, they will have
their happiness again, and hopefully, for all time.


-The End-