Chapter 10: Best of Friends, Worst of Enemies
"ZERO! What are you doing here with HIM?!"
Mega Man X and the Maverick Hunters all stood in awestruck disbelief as they watched their friend and comrade-in-arms, Zero, stand alongside their new enemy, the treacherous Dark Phantom, as his brother. Zero moved forward towards a startled and confused X and replied:
"Dark Phantom is my long lost brother, X. He has helped me find my past, and he has helped me realize my destiny. To destroy you and your friends for all that you have done to us!"
Still confused, X said back, "Zero?! I....I don't understand."
"X.", Scorch interrupted. X turned to face his brother as Scorch stepped towards him and said, "I'm afraid it is all true. We tried to tell you that Zero was Dr. Wily's creation. In today's case, he was once and is now once again a Maverick."
X immediately shook his head and yelled, "No! NO! I WON'T BELIEVE THIS!!"
Scorch grabbed X by the shoulders and yelled, in his face, "X! It IS true! Zero came out of a capsule just like you, and had led several Mavericks in a revolt against the humans! He even killed an entire unit by himself! I don't know what happened that led you two to become friends, but you two were meant to be enemies! He was even your enemy BEFORE he became Zero! Dont you remember? He was once........"
X pushed Scorch back before he could finish and he clutched his head in pain, saying, "I SAID SHUT THE @#$%#@ UP! I DON'T CARE WHO HE WAS! I DON'T CARE ABOUT HIS PAST!ZERO IS MY BEST FRIEND, AND HE ALWAYS WILL BE! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!!" Scorch said nothing more. He simply stood silent in despair as X now turned to Dark Phantom.
"YOU!", X shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Phantom, "You did something to him!"
"I....don't know what you're talking about.", Phantom calmly implied, "All I did was remind him of his past and he simply went along."
"NO!", X yelled as he moved towards Phantom, "You have him under some kind of spell! Let him go now or I'll....", X's advance was suddenly stopped by a swift chop to his chest. He fell down on his back and looked up to see that Zero delivered the blow. He said to X, "You'll what, X! In case you haven't guessed, I'm no longer your friend! All I want from now on is your carcass on a stick, after I give you a good thrashing, of course!"
"Agreed!", Dark Phantom said as he raised his hands, "It is time that we take this battle to a more familiar setting, since it is too crowded here!" His hands then glowed a radiant purple light and the three, including X and Zero, had started to disappear.
"X!", yelled Royaltie.
"MEGGY!", screamed Auroran Flash.
"Don't worry, bro! We'll find you!", said Scorch.
"Don't bet on it, Proto Pansy! You, your friends, and your accursed brother will all DIE! HAHAHAHAHA!! Psycho-Mavericks, CRUSH THEM ALL!!" With that, Dark Phantom, Mega Man X and Zero had vanished completely. The Psycho-Mavericks stood from attention and had started to advance towards the Maverick Hunters.
"Royaltie and I will go and find X!", Scorch said, "You guys keep those Mavericks busy! Let's go, Sis!" Scorch and Royaltie had teleported out soon after that.
"Here we go again!", said Buzzsaw. Ice jumped in and said, "We've got to keep them busy, for all our sakes!"
The suicidal struggle begins once again.
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In a flash of blue light, Mega Man X finds himself in a large arena. Various amounts of rubble rested on the floor, and there is a large hole in the now destroyed dome-like ceiling. This was familiar to Mega Man X, however, and he soon realized where he was:
"Hey!", said X, "What am I doing back in the HQ's training facility!"
"It is so darkly ironic.", said Dark Phantom, from out of nowhere. He later appeared, flying in the air over the arena. He continued, saying:
"In the past, you two were great enemies, always fighting against each other on the side of their respective masters. When you both awoke from your sleep in the capsules, circumstances led you two to become friends, and have fought together constantly to protect the world from evil. Now I have returned to once again let the fires of war burn between the both of you, and finally determine who is the superior model!"
X held up his X-Buster towards Phantom and yelled, "Cut the theatrics, Phantom! Where's Zero!"
Phantom pointed two of his taloned fingers at the other end of the arena across from X, and, in a flash of red light, Zero had appeared. He looked up towards his dark brother as Phantom continued to say:
"Brother! For 100 years you've waited to achieve your destiny, and now it lies before you! Do whatever you must to destroy Mega Man X, and make me and our master proud!"
"This won't take long, brother! I promise you!", said Zero.
"I must now go, as some uninvited guests are heading our way!" With that remark, Dark Phantom began to teleport away.
"Get back here, Phantom!", X yelled. He fired a Level 5 Plasma Blast at Phantom, and it missed as he disappeared. At that moment, Zero charged toward X, uttering a shrill battle cry, and tackled him onto the floor.
As Zero reached for his neck, X yelled, "Please stop this, Zero! We're friends! I don't want to fight with you!" Zero also yelled, "Good! This will make your defeat all the more easier!" As they struggled, X placed his feet on Zero's stomach and pushed him off into a pile of rubble. X spoke to Zero as he got up, saying:
"Listen to me, Zero! I don't know what Dark Phantom did to you, or why you're doing this, but you must stop this fighting and let me help you!"
"The only one that's gonna need help is YOU!", shouted Zero as he picked up a piece of rubble and threw it at X, hitting him in the head. He staggered to the floor and clutched his head in pain as Zero walked towards him, laughing maniacally, and had said, "You've always been weak, X! Sentimentality and devotion had always been your weaknesses! It's clear that Dr. Light had melded you in his image, and being around that loser brother and that ^#%@$ sister of yours pretty much proves it!"
Suddenly, the pain in X's head stopped, and he clenched his teeth in sheer frustration. He picked up a nearby metal rod, got up and said, "Messing with me is one thing, but NO ONE TALKS ABOUT MY FAMILY THAT WAY!!" With that, he charged at Zero and swung the rod towards Zero's head, but the advance was blocked by Zero's Beam Sabre.
Looking into X's eyes, he said, "Whoa, X! I guess you're not as weak as I thought!" X didn't say anything, he just kept on swinging with great force. A makeshift swordfight has begun between the two former best friends, with slicing and blocking happening after each passing moment. X had found a rage within his circuits that he never felt before, and it continues to grow as he fights Zero.
The swordfight continues as events unfold outside.
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"Over here, Roll!", shouted Scorch. Royaltie ran to her brother and stood next to him outside of the training arena. As they surveyed the ruined infrastructure, Royaltie said, "The training arena? Proto, what are we doing here?"
Scorch kept his eyes (visor?) fixated on the building as he said to his sister, "X is in there, somewhere. I can feel his energy signature emitting from this very complex, and I can also feel Zero's. We have to get in there and help them both!" Royaltie nodded in agreement, and had ran in with Scorch, only for them to be stopped and thrown back by a force field blocking the entrance to the complex.
"Proto! Ah, ah, ah, ah!"
Scorch recognized that voice. It was Dark Phantom. He appeared out of nowhere, floating over the two Reploids as they got up off the ground. He descended from his flight as he said, "Don't you know that it is rude to simply walk into a fight unannounced?"
Scorch replied, "And don't you know that it is wrong to imitate an innocent robot and slam his good name? Remember?! You still owe me for that, BIG TIME!"
"Well then, Proto Man!", sneered Phantom, "Let us see if those hundred years of waiting would truly be worth it!" He then raised his taloned hand, charged up a purple ball of energy, and had fired it towards the two Reploids.
"Scatter, Roll!", Scorch yelled. The two siblings then jumped out of the way of Phantom's blast as it reached them and it hit a nearby wall with great force. Scorch then charged towards Phantom and tried to punch him, only to punch through dead air as Phantom had dephased himself. Having missed his punch, Scorch lost his footing and fell to the ground.
"Insolent fool!", yelled Phantom as he phased back to normal. He then held out his hand and raised Scorch in the air telekinetically. Royaltie saw this and fired a Level 5 Narrow Plasma Blast into Phantom's back and yelled, "Let my brother go, you shadow-faced schmuck!"
"Gladly!", yelled Phantom. He swung his hand towards Royaltie and had telekinetically threw Scorch at Royaltie, knocking them both down to the ground. Phantom then took his telekinetic power and had lifted a large nearby boulder. He hovered it over their heads as he said, "*sigh* I tire of this! Now it is finally time to bid you adieu, Proto Jerk! Say hello to your brother for me when you ALL die! HAHAHAHA!!" He then dropped the boulder on the hapless Hunters.
Suddenly, Scorch had sprung up and grabbed the boulder in its mid-fall. He held the boulder over his head with great strength as he said to Dark Phantom:
"MY NAME......IS SCORCH!!" He then gave it the ole' heave-ho and threw the boulder at Phantom. Phantom had stopped the boulder in front of him in mid-air with his telekinesis, but Scorch then quickly drew his blaster and fired a Level 5 Plasma Blast at the boulder, causing rocks, pebbles, and dust to rain on Dark Phantom, blinding him. With that, Scorch charged towards the dark Reploid and gave him two hard punches to the stomach and a swift spin kick in the head, knocking him down.
The visor-wearing Scorch then leveled his charged blaster down at Phantom and said, "That was for me, my brother, my sister, and my friends! Have you got anything to say before I blast you to kingdom come?!"
Phantom looked up at Scorch with glowing red eyes and said, "Yes........DIE!!!" His computerized brain then flashed different lights on and off, and Scorch was suddenly thrown back violently into a wall by Phantom's arcane powers, and was pinned there. Before Royaltie could react, she too was thrown back and pinned to the wall.
With that, Dark Phantom arose, and had charged purple energy into his hands and waved them in a karate-style maneuver. After a second of maneuvering, he brought his hands together, in true Ryu/Ken/Akuma style fashion, and had launched a giant fireball towards the two trapped siblings. This caused a great explosion, and had caused Scorch and Royaltie to fall to the ground, with purple bolts of energy crackling throughout their bodies.
"Scorch, I.....I can't move!", said Royaltie as she laid incapacitated near her equally helpless brother. Scorch replied, "Neither can I, Roll. I'm so sorry. I never expected this to happen!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Now who is the helpless one!", said Phantom as he laughed and walked casually towards the two paralyzed siblings.
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With the metal rod still in his hand, Mega Man X swung two more times at Zero. One swing knocked his Beam Sabre away from his hands, the other swing struck Zero in the head, causing him to lose his footing and fall. Zero didn't take this lightly, however, and his eyes burned with rage. He sprang up, punched X in the face, picked up his Beam Sabre, spin-sliced the metal rod in two, and had done a successful spin-kick to X's stomach, causing X to fall back and double over in pain.
As Zero stared coldly at him, X suddenly thought to himself, What in the heck am I doing?? Zero is my friend! Fighting him and being angry about what he said won't make anything right! What would Dr. Light do at a time like this?? I've got to think clearly! I've got to get through to Zero! But how?
Zero said to X, "Well, weakling?? What are you waiting for?? Fight me or die!"
When it finally came to X, he regained himself and replied, "No Zero. I won't fight you anymore. I'm sick and tired of fighting my best friend, and I'm sick and tired overall of this endless war. So go ahead and finish me, if this is what you really want."
Zero's face had worn a look of arrogance as he said, "You really are pathetic, X! I thought you were a much better warrior than before. I guess I was wrong." He then stood ready and said again, "Farewell, X! Prepare to join your maker!" With that, Zero spinned towards X with Beam Sabre ready, and just as the Sabre was about to reach X's head:
"At least Iris will be proud of what you are doing!"
Suddenly, Zero stopped, just as the Sabre was about to hit X's neck, and had backed away from X. His face now wore a look of confusion as he looked at X with questioning eyes. After a moment of silence, he said, "Iris? W...Wha......What do you mean??"
X replied to Zero, "Don't you remember, Zero? Don't you remember how much she loved you? When Repliforce started its coup, she never wanted any of this to happen. She never wanted you OR the Colonel to fight. She just wanted you two to step back so the General could create a world where only Reploids exist. She tried to convince you NOT to fight, but you kept going anyway. When you killed Colonel, that was it for her. She tried to force you to stop fighting, and it costed her life. She died because you kept going and didn't stop. If you kill me, well.......that's a real good sign that you're stopping. You've stopped protecting the humans and Reploids that you and I have spent a great deal of our lives protecting. Iris should be really proud of you. You're actually going to help create a world where only Reploids exist, and where all humanity is gone forever. She would have wanted it that way."
Suddenly, Zero's head began to hurt greatly. He clutched his head, kneeled, and screamed in pain. As he hurt, the world around him suddenly began to become bathed in a bright white light *say that five times fast!*, and a voice kept calling for Zero. A girl's voice.
"Zero! Zero!"
Zero knew that voice. It was Iris. She suddenly appeared, lying down lifeless on her backside, a few feet in front of Zero. At that moment, a piece of history is replayed once again in a dream state:
"Iris! Iris!"
"Zero...."
"Hang in there, Iris!"
"Please. Stay away from Repliforce. Let's live together.......in a world where only Reploids exist."
"Iris, there's no world just for Reploids! It's only a fantasy!"
"Yes. I know. But I wanted to believe it. I wanted to live....in a world where only Reploids exist.....with you."
"Iris."
"Uh.....Zero......."
"Iris! Iris! Iris! Iris. IRIS!!!! AHHHHHHHHH! NO! THIS ISN'T HAPPENING! THERE'S NO REASON FOR ME TO GO ON! W....WHAT AM I FIGHTING FOR???!!!"
Zero had suddenly snapped back into reality and had screamed in absolute agony. X had immediately reared back from Zero's outburst, and had saw tears streaming down Zero's face. Looking at X with sparkling eyes, he stammered as he said:
"I.......remember! I REMEMBER!!" He then buried his face in his hands and cried.
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At the MHHQ Town Square, Slash was being pushed down hard by a column of wind created by Storm Eagle. Ice was being tossed into the air by Frost Walrus and slammed to the ground with great force. And Aurie and Buzz, both bleeding and bruised, were being backed into a corner by the rest of the Psycho-Mavericks, who's laughing all the way as they pointed their weapons at the two hapless Hunters.
"I don't think......we're going to....make it, Buzz!", Aurie weakly said.
Buzzsaw replied, with a look of concern on his face, "I know, Aurie. But if we have to go down, we'll go down together, as best friends and Maverick Hunters!" Aurie smiled at that remark.
Flame Mammoth said to them, "We'll make you cry for mercy when we pull off your limbs!"
Buzzsaw wore a look of determination on his face as he said, "Bite me, you hot-aired gasbag!"
Aurie also said, "Yeah! Come and get us! Tear off my limb and I'll just shove it up your fat @$$!" With that, they both fired fully powered rapid-fire blasts at the group of Mavericks.
At the same time, outside of the training complex, Dark Phantom lifted up a still-helpless Scorch by the neck with his own arm and said to him, "I should just charge you with energy and explode you right now! But I think it is more rewarding to just rip you apart with my bare hands!"
Scorch weakly said, "You....schmuck." Royaltie screamed, "Scorch!!", as she laid paralyzed on the ground.
Phantom raised Scorch higher and had raised his other taloned hand towards Scorch's stomach as he said, "Here's to one hundred years of humiliation!!"
Suddenly, a bright blue flash of light had appeared in the skies over MHHQ. The Maverick Hunters, the Psycho-Mavericks, and Dark Phantom all stopped at once to see the bright light moving towards the HQ.
As he dropped Scorch to the ground, Dark Phantom had yelled out, "What kind of sorcery is this?!"
Everyone continued to watch as the light came closer....and closer.........and closer.
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