Chapter 5: The Rise of the Phantom
As the morning sun shone completely over the city of Mocpac, Zero was still levitating helplessly in mid-air by the means of the Reploid warrior formerly known as Vile. Recently, Vile, second-in-command of the Mavericks, led a Maverick terrorist attack on the up and coming Peace Conference at the Global Convention Center in Mocpac. However, Mega Man X, Zero, Auroran Flash, and Buzzsaw learned of their plan ahead of time and came to put a stop to it. While X fought Vile in the streets, the other three fighters had destroyed the other Mavericks, one by one. During the brutal battles, Zero found a plastique explosive in the alley meant for the destruction of the world's leaders in the Convention Center, and had decided to take it with him as he ran to help X. X was losing against Vile, who laughed maniacally as X tried to crawl away, but received help from the mysterious Reploid Scorch just in the nick of time. Zero appeared behind Vile as this was happening, activated the bomb, and threw it at Vile. The ensuing blast sent Vile flying across the sky and had landed a couple of blocks away. Zero ran to him and expected him to be dead, but Vile somehow survived, and had used some mysterious and supernatural force to heal his wounds, change his appearance, and cause Zero to float in mid-air, disabled and helpless.
He declares that Vile is no more, and that Dark Phantom only remains.
Phantom motioned his hand and suddenly Zero floated towards the dark robot. He dimmed his eyes as he said:
"Zero. My brother. It has been such a long time."
Zero couldn't move. He couldn't speak. He could barely breathe. All he could do was think.
Brother?? Who is this guy? Why is he in my dream? Why is he doing this to me? Zero thought.
"I'm doing this because it's the only way to get your attention.", Dark Phantom said.
Zero was surprised. Phantom knew what he was thinking!
Phantom continued, "But I guess we're not going to get anywhere with you hanging around all day. Please sit down and relax." He then lowered his hand and Zero fell to the ground.
Zero gasped for air and was regaining his strength as he said, "How....did you do that?!"
Phantom answered back, "I carry a great, ancient power that has been within me since the "master" created me. But I could no longer use that power since I was imprisoned."
"What do you mean "imprisoned"?, Zero inquired.
"Several years ago, I attacked Maverick Hunter HQ in an attempt to cripple their advances and get you out of there. However, I was taken by surprise and was almost killed by a Maverick Hunter named Sigma. The very same Maverick Hunter that stole my master's secret weapon and definitely still has it to this day. When I awoke, I was strapped to a table and couldn't use my powers. Sigma stood above me with his eyes glaring, and he told me I would be the first weapon in his crusade to cleanse the world of humans, but I needed alterations. I watched, consciously and helplessly as he painfully modified my body into that of a powerful war Reploid. He then created a new personality and imprinted it in my CPU, which in turn, imprisoned my own personality. This fanatical persona became the murderous Reploid known as...."
"Vile.", Zero finished.
"Yes.", Dark Phantom said.
Zero suddenly flashed back to the dream he had. He remembered the old man saying something about a "secret weapon". What does Dark Phantom know? He thought.
"Are you trailing off, Zero?", said Dark Phantom. "You're thinking about the dream you've been having, are you?"
Zero turned to Phantom, and felt a flame of anger burning in his mind. He said in response, "Yes, and I am sick and tired of all these dreams!!! What is the secret weapon!? How come you know so much about me?! I want answers! NOW!!!"
"Hey! I think he's over here!", shouted a voice from around the corner. Scorch and Royaltie appeared at the end of the alley.
"VILE!!!", Scorch yelled, "You'll pay for trashing my bro!!!", He leveled his Arm Cannon and fired a Level 5 blast at Dark Phantom, only to be stopped by a glowing wall of purple energy.
Phantom, with his arm raised, said, "I believe I am now unwelcome here. I must go."
Zero yelled, "WAIT! You didn't answer my questions!" Zero lunged at Phantom, only to be forced back, lightly, by Phantom's telekinetic powers.
"Your questions will be answered soon enough, brother. We will meet again." With that, Phantom crossed his arms and disappeared in a swirl of smoke and purple light.
"Phantom!!! STOP!!!", Zero yelled. The energy wall had dissapated and Scorch and Royaltie ran to Zero's aid.
"Zero! Are you okay?", Scorch inquired.
Royaltie bumped in and asked, "Zero? What happened here? And where's Vile?"
Zero didn't listen to them. He kept focused on what Phantom said before he left.
Brother? Zero thought. Why did he call me "brother"?
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"You ignorant fools!! You have failed me miserably!!"
Inside Serges's lab in Maverick Headquarters, Frost Walrus and Flame Mammoth are getting quite a tongue lashing from Sigma, the infamous leader of the Mavericks and cruel killer of Hunters and humans everywhere, and are quite fearful of him despite the fact that they are larger than he is.
Frost Walrus tried to explain, "W-We're sorry, S-S-Sigma. But we were caught by surprise by those Maverick Hunters! They were too....."
Sigma stopped him and yelled, "That would never have happened if the entire mission remained COVERT! That means you're supposed to remain QUIET and OUT OF SIGHT, and it's obvious you two imbeciles don't know the MEANING of the word!" Sigma walked towards the mainframe on the wall and pushed a few buttons, revealing a Spycam clip he had pirated on the vidscreen. The clip showed a dark street in the city of Mocpac, and Frost Walrus in a trenchcoat walking out of a place called "SOUP NAZI'S DELICATESSEN".
"The Spycams caught YOU coming out of the neighbourhood deli!" Sigma said as he thrust an accusing finger at Frost Walrus. The icy robot blushed and nervously said "oops".
Sigma turned his attention toward the mainframe again, punched a few more buttons, and a clip of Mammoth and Walrus fighting in the streets appeared on the vidscreen.
Sigma then said, "The Spycams also caught this interesting scene. The scene of you two fighting in the streets while you were supposed to be fighting Maverick Hunters! And this purple weakling of a Reploid could've been destroyed then and there by you two! But she ended up blasting you halfway across the city instead!"
Sigma stared at them evilly while Mammoth and Walrus wore dumbfounded, scared looks on their faces.
"Would any of you care to explain?!!", Sigma said in an aggrivated tone.
Frost Walrus jumped up and said, "Actually Sigma, that wouldn't have happened if Mammoth here didn't lose his temper!"
Flame Mammoth butted in and said, "Wait a minute! I wouldn't have lost my temper if HE hadn't fired his stupid Frost Tower at me, causing me to let go of that Hunter!"
"I wouldn't have fired if YOU let me have a piece of the action, Dumbo!"
"I would've let you fight if you let me have some soup, Tuskbreath!"
"Aw, shaddup about the soup, Dumbo! No one cares anymore!"
The two continued to go at each other's throats as Sigma uttered a low-pitched growl and unsheathed his Beam Sabre.
*Sheesh! I'm saying "Beam Sabre" one too many times. Bloody favouritism!*
*I'll stop ranting now. Let's get back to the story!*
"DUMBO!"
"TUSKBREATH!"
"FAT@$$!!"
"ICECHUNKY BA-"
Suddenly, in a bright slash of light, the two Mavericks suddenly stopped arguing and fell to the ground, and their heads came falling after *heehee lil' nursery rhyme quote there*. Sigma had severed their heads with his Beam Sabre.
"THERE! Now I should have some peace and quiet!", yelled Sigma as he twirled his (ahem!) weapon.
At that moment, Serges, one of the X-Hunters and main scientific expert for the Mavericks, walked into the lab.
"Oh dear!", said Serges, "And I just cleaned this lab yesterday!" Suddenly, Serges's disgust became fear as Sigma whirled around and pointed his Sabre menacingly at the diminuitive
Maverick.
"As for you, Serges!", yelled Sigma, "You have failed me also! Gator and Hornet were found destroyed along with the others! Your Stealth Batteries were useless against the Maverick Hunters!"
Serges added nervously as he stared at Sigma's Sabre, "B-But that can't be! They've tested out perfectly in the trials! I've tested them ten times with no flaws! They were foolproof, I tell you! T-T-The Hunters must've just been.....well......lucky!
Sigma, having calmed down a bit, drew back his Beam Sabre and sheathed it as he said, "Hah! In my experience there's no such thing as luck!"
"I wouldn't say that, Sigma." said a voice from out of nowhere.
Sigma whirled around at the sound of the voice, yelling out, "Who said that?! Who's there?!"
Suddenly, a purple light appeared before Sigma and Serges, and soon materialized into a dark robot with a cape. It was Dark Phantom.
"Luck comes in all forms. Even for Reploids and Mavericks alike.", said Dark Phantom as Sigma unsheathed his Beam Sabre.
Pointing it at Dark Phantom, Sigma yelled, "Who are you?!"
Obviously unmoved by Sigma's threatening gesture, Dark Phantom calmly said, "You don't remember me? You should, since I fought you once before. I am the warrior you once knew as Vile, the maniac you transformed me into. I am the warrior you defeated all those years ago during your transition into a Maverick. I am Dark Phantom!"
Sigma, surprised and drawing back his (well, you know!), said, "Dark Phantom? Ah yes....YES! I remember you now! You were the perfect first addition to my army! I see you got rid of the modifications I gave you all those years ago."
Phantom's eyes glowed bright red at Sigma's sentence, and retorted, "Gave? You made these modifications on me against my will! And while I was awake I may add! You made me into a monster, killing any human that stood in VILE'S way, doing horrible things that I, as my true self, would NEVER do!!"
Sigma smiled and said, "Yes! Vile was my greatest warrior. He killed more humans and Maverick Hunters than any one here. He made me as proud as a son to his father. Why he would be the heir to my throne if Vile were still here. Ah.....the perfect heir.....the perfect son....." Sigma was suddenly enraptured in a tender moment.
"Well, guess what, Sigma?!" Phantom yelled, "Now that the "Vile" persona is destroyed, your "great warrior" will soon become your greatest enemy, and your mad dream will eminently become your living nightmare!!"
"I seriously doubt it, my dark friend!", said Sigma as he raised his Beam Sabre. He then sliced Dark Phantom in the middle, only to slice through dead air. Agitated, he sliced again and again but couldn't make a scratch. Sigma couldn't understand why he couldn't kill Phantom, then he looked at him and suddenly realized that Phantom had molecularly dephased himself, turning himself into a real "phantom".
"Nice try, Sigma!", said Phantom, laughing under his breath, "Because of my powers, you can no longer touch me. But I can touch YOU!" With that, Phantom raised his arm and telepathically threw Sigma at a wall with violent force, and then fired a purple blast of energy at him. The blast hit with such force that Sigma crashed through two walls. He suddenly felt half of his energy depleted as he laid there! Dark Phantom's powers had a profound effect on his systems......even the Sigma Virus that makes up almost all of Sigma himself!
As Sigma tried to get up, Dark Phantom waved his hand in front of Serges.
Serges nervously asked, "W-What are you going to do to me?"
Dark Phantom replied, "I'm going to show you your true destiny, Serges." With that, Serges suddenly disappeared in a haze, as well as the limp, decapitated bodies of Flame Mammoth and Frost Walrus. Sigma recovered from his bout, still dazed and confused, and suddenly realized what happened.
"What? How? Why?", stuttered Sigma.
Dark Phantom peered at Sigma with bright red eyes and said, "Surprised, Sigma? You should be, since I've decided not to destroy you.....yet! I want you to live to see your henchmen, rebuilt and converted into Mavericks more powerful than ever before. I want you to live to see us take over everything around you and destroy the Maverick Hunters, and make you suffer as I have suffered. Then I will destroy you! You had better lick your wounds and say your prayers, because your humiliation and defeat is your future!"
Sigma's face cringed in anger at Phantom's declaration, but couldn't retaliate because of Phantom's arcane prowess (-those two previous words mean magic, OK?) affecting his systems.
"And the future is inevitable! HA HA HA HA!", said Dark Phantom as he disappeared in a swirl of smoke and light. Sigma was now alone in the now ruined lab.
"It's impossible!" Sigma said to himself. "How could he affect my systems? How could my energy be down by so much like that??!" He then calmed down and wore an expression of pure evil on his face. "Well, he won't defeat me! I always knew that strange Reploid would get his old persona back someday, and I have fortunately prepared for that occasion! Dark Phantom is going to play right in my hands! He will be the one to unwittingly give me the one power I need to destroy my enemies and rule the world once and for all!!! Hm hm hm hm hm ha ha ha ha ha!!!"
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Still confused, Serges looked around as to where he appeared at. Surveying the building, he concludes that he might be in an abandoned warehouse somewhere, but he doesn't know for sure. As he thought about what Dark Phantom has in store for him, Serges wandered into an open-door room and suddenly reeled back in shock. Inside the room there were eight tables, four of which were each lined up on each wall, and on the tables were what Serges was horrified to see:
It was the eight Mavericks that the Maverick Hunters defeated earlier. Their tattered, torn, mutilated bodies laid there like bodies in a sickly disorganized morgue.
As Serges backed out of the room, he was suddenly stopped by a figure behind him. He whirled around and fell to the ground to see Dark Phantom appearing before him. The dwarfish Maverick tried in vain to crawl away from the dark robot.
"W-What do you want from me?!", cried Serges.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Serges.", said Phantom casually. "I need your help."
Serges got up and calmly said, "You need MY help? What do you want ME for?"
Phantom turned his head to the bodies lying on the tables and said, "I need you to rebulid these Mavericks. This time, however, you must remake them using these blueprints." Phantom raised his arm and suddenly, in a flash of purple light, a rolled up blueprint appeared in his hand. After Phantom gave it to him, Serges reviewed it and later said in a cowardly tone, "It seems easy enough. I shall begin right away!"
Serges then nervously added, "B-But when would you like to have them....well.....finished?"
Dark Phantom stared down at the Maverick and calmly said, "Whenever you are ready. Unlike Sigma, I am very patient with my henchmen, and I NEVER destroy one for doing a bad job like he did with those two giant Mavericks. Everyone deserves a second chance. Now, get started, and expect a well-deserved reward when you finish successfully." He then turned around and walked casually out of the room.
Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, Serges said, "I think I'm going to like working with him. Hee, Sigma's a Rogaine-challenged retard anyway, always barking orders. Well, time to get cracking!", and had started working on the Mavericks with a bright, upbeat attitude.
Opening a large window, Dark Phantom stared out at the city of Enlitia and said to himself, "Soon Zero. Soon, you will return to the fold and join my side. Then we will destroy our enemies and take over the world AND the humans that rule it. Just like the master had wanted for our future!" He then maniacally laughed with his arms outstretched as he watched over the very large city and yelled out "And the future is inevitable! HA HA HA HA HA HA!!"
It was time to prepare.
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