Part XIX: One For The Road, No Sing Along
Bit checked over Aris and Solar, then went back to being Thermal's personal playtoy. It was not something that Sigma had forbid him totally from, but Bit had a way of making anything seem so horrendous that they should be. Of course, they always had the dumb luck of being caught by one of the other Mavericks, which at least added some excitement and daring to their relationship.
Sir, must you engage in that practice here? Isn't there somewhere else you can go to do that in private?
Bit glanced up from Thermal's face to find Aris, hovering in the doorway to the control center, yellow eyes denoting his intensely disquieted demeanor at the moment.
Leaving his partner on the floor of the center, Bit stood up, looked Aris in the face, and helped Thermal to her feet. Every time that they merged, more and more of Thermal's and Bit's energies were transferred to the other, mutating the weapons centers of the two. That made them much deadlier than before, but at the price of a strong emotional bond between them that grew stronger each time as well.
Suddenly, the screen behind them flashed. A message was coming in from the outside. Bit turned around and saw that Sigma was only a few yards from the door of the base, and was preparing his entry.
Opening the front doors, Bit met his commander outside. Thermal and Aris followed. Sigma's expression immediately twisted when he noticed the strange reploid floating beside his lieutenant, quite indicative of his quandry.
"Bit, you released Aris, I see."
"He was one of only two still left in the containment lab. And one backup isn't enough for the two of us."
Sigma leaned forward, whispering in a very low voice, "There was a reason Aris was put in the lab after he was defeated. Part of that alien creature is linked to his circuitry, and although the virus has taken it over, there is a slim chance he could revert. That was part of the reason X was able to defeat him. He also is far more advanced than any other Maverick at our disposal. The consequences for releasing him are unknown, even to me."
That vivid description made Bit's eyes widen to the size of saucers, not knowing that he may have reactivated their undoing. He took a look back at Aris.
"Well, what should we do?"
Sigma sighed. "The only thing we can do. We have to attack immediately."
"Now? How come?"
"It's not just because of Aris. I think Signas is beginning to get suspicious, and he may figure out that I'm not Cirrus. We have to make sure he's taken care of, so I can use the Hunters' database to design the perfect reploid that can destroy them. It's essential to my plans."
"I see," Bit replied, and turned back to the rest of his group, which now included Solar Leopard.
"Alright, guys, time to move out!"
Zero was brandishing his new blaster when a loud beep began emanating from the computer consoles in the HQ's reconnaissance lab. He turned, and although he expected to see only a few dots, the screen was filled with an enormous red color, signaling that a Maverick with far more powerful weaponry was heading their way.
Cirrus burst into the lab, startling Porter, Alia, and Iris. He was out of breath, and pointing back toward the desert. Zero normally didn't like reploids panting from exhaustion, but he couldn't resist.
"What is Lassie? What is it, girl? Is Timmy stuck in the well again?"
"Bit...army...heading your way. Fast."
Then he collapsed on the ground.
X and Signas were instructing Dr. Light's older creations and Bass on how to fight effectively against Mavericks when Echo and Blitz stormed through the doors to the balcony and out to the open air.
"What's going on?" X asked, lowering his blaster from the shot he'd fired just inches from Bass' helmet. The damage Thermal had inflicted on it during the first battle was repaired, but the black robot did not forget what and who had happened to him.
Echo pointed out to the horizon. "The radar picked up massive Maverick activity heading toward us really fast. Everyone's being ordered to fight them off. Even Rock and the others."
"I guess now we can really see what these things can do," Rock commented, shining his Hyper Armor's cannon. X nodded.
"Yeah, but be careful out there. The Mavericks can be very tough to damage. Even with our weapons."
Running off the join the others, X began thinking to himself.
Why now? And why are they heading straight for us?
Just then, he felt something. A flash, almost indecipherable. X, however, had the training to pick up on it, and what he realized was not good.
They've reactivated Aris. This is gonna be tough.
Bit led his troops toward Neo-Arcadia in an efficient manner, disposing of any nomadic humans that happened to unfortunately stumble across their path. Thermal was keeping up with him, as was Solar, but Aris was far above them, and in front of them, gazing down at the sand and awaiting the upcoming city. In the distance, they could see points of light leaping down from Police Force HQ, which Bit could only assume were those naïve Hunters come to stop them.
Too bad what we need is right under their noses, he thought, checking the readouts on the position of the Astro chip. Sigma had already gone back to make sure that while the Hunters were distracted with Bit's attack, he could disable the security fields around the long-forgotten device. His next move would then be to eradicate Signas from the picture, and he had told his lieutenant exactly what he planned to do.
"I want you to make sure Signas is backed into a corner by your troops so I can pretend to save him and drag him into the closest alley or area and get rid of him. Got it?"
"Perfectly," he had replied, British accent bristling with the electricity he always felt before a sinister plot was carried out.
Having come close enough to the city, Bit was confronted by a large group of Hunters, headed by X, Zero, Dr. Light's pitiful excuses for robots, and others that he couldn't identify. Sigma was also nearby, in Cirrus' body, waiting for the signal.
"What do you want, Bit?" X demanded, thrusting a finger at the attacking reploid.
"Haven't I made myself clear in the past?" Bit said, then leapt forward. "I want you to die, X!"
Repelling Bit's attack with his cannon, he flung the robot back behind his group of cronies.
Bit got to his feet. His armor was spotless, absolutely unharmed.
"You'll pay for that."
After the initial exchange, the entire area was engulfed in utter chaos. The Mavericks were more than a match for several of the Hunters at once, and divvied their enemies off to fight. X and Signas took on Bit, while Porter, Alia, and Roll were using different elements of their robotic equipment to make it easier for the two guys to battle the Maverick lieutenant. Echo was holding her own against Thermal, and Proto and Rock were both squaring off against Aris. Bass and Zero were trying to chase down Solar, having switched over to the Hyper Armor.
X swung another punch at Bit, missing at the last second. Bit responded by throwing a ring of purple energy into Signas to hold him off while he swiped at X with his saber. Striking the blue robot's cannon, the saber inflicted considerable damage, circuitry sparking on X's arm. That done, he began walking towards Signas, slowly backing him up to a nearby warehouse much like the one Blitz destroyed. Right before he was about to strike the saber forward on the Repliforce commander, Bit was thrown through the air by a blast from within the storage facility. Cirrus appeared, grabbed Signas, and took him inside.
"Thanks, Cirrus," Signas said, trying to break the energy bond that Bit had secured to him. "Can you get me outta this thing?"
Cirrus had been staring down at the ground, and seemed to be changing somehow. His body didn't alter itself, but there was an element to him now that was not like the Police Force leader now. Looking back up to Signas, his eyes glowed dark red, a thirst for carnage in his facial expression. Signas' eyes widened.
"Wha-what's going on, Cirrus? What's wrong with you?"
The reploid laughed. His eyes had subsided into a purple color. "You don't get it, do you, Signas? You know who I am. You've fought me all this time, and you were dumb enough, as the other Hunters were, to allow me into the Hunter HQ and steal your secrets. I knew you were catching onto me, and that's why I have to destroy you."
"What? Didn't you just save me from Bit?"
"Bit's my pawn. He serves me faithfully. I told him exactly what to do so I would be left alone to destroy you personally."
Just then, a piece of Cirrus' armor began to glow, shaping itself into a symbol. Signas realized, far too late, what he was faced with when the light cleared, leaving a distinctly greek letter with eyes and teeth imprinted upon it. Cirrus' eyes became crossed by two red scar swaths, his back elevated to support the spikes that now adorned the shoulders of the robe that materialized on him.
"Sigma," Signas breathed, voice low from shock.
"That's right, Signas. I'm back. And I've been surviving inside Cirrus' body since he was killed by my last host. He was Hunter too. His name was Enigma, and it was only when I infected him that Cirrus took over. But alas, he couldn't resist me either. Poor thing."
"So what exactly are you going to do to me?"
"Well, why don't you wait and see!" Sigma yelled, thrusting a saber that he created in his hand into Signas' chest. The reploid began gasping for air, his circuitry severed to his power generator.
"You won't get away with this, Sigma," he strained under his breath, since the pain was too great to handle properly.
"See, Signas, that's where you're wrong," Sigma replied, crossing his arms and reverting all the changes that had occurred just moments before to normal. He leaned forward, looking Signas in the eyes, once again appearing as Cirrus. "I already have."
Signas was too weak, and slipped away into unconsciousness, awaiting death, and fell to the floor.
Walking out of the warehouse, Sigma rejoined the battle, striking singular blows with Bit to communicate the events.
"So is he gone?" Bit asked, saber pushing against Sigma's arm.
"Yes, I made sure of it."
"Good," his lieutenant answered, thrusting away. Sigma had one more thing to do, though. Seeing that Bit was about to attack Zero from behind while he dealt with Solar, Sigma leapt into Bit's swing path too fast for him to compensate and move the saber so it wouldn't hit his commander. Sigma fell to the ground, shoulder damaged. He began acting as Cirrus.
"Zero! I'm hurt! I can't fight anymore!" he called. The red Hunter glanced back while he repelled Solar's claw swipes.
"Then go back to base! Quick!"
Sigma smiled maliciously at Bit, letting him know it was a part of the plan, and dematerialized, headed back to the Hunter base.
Meanwhile, Alia had begun to fight Thermal with Echo. The three women were locked in the deadliest cat-fight ever recorded.
Thermal powered up, throwing huge balls of purple flame into Echo. Her sessions with Bit had altered her energy weapon composition, and therefore had made her that much stronger. Echo blocked, aiming at the vulpine reploid and firing rapid shots of plasma into her. Alia, preoccupied with watching X fight, didn't see Echo signal to her.
"Move outta the way! Thermal's heading straight for you!"
Alia hadn't heard the warning, and ended up catching Thermal as she stumbled away from Echo's attack.
"Great! Alia, keep her restrained!"
Doing as she was told, Alia wrapped her arms around Thermal's allowing no motion for the fox.
Echo stepped up to her. "This is where you end your attack."
Blasting Thermal, Echo looked away as the Maverick let out an ear-piercing scream that reverberated into the city for miles. Unfortunately, she'd only been damaged on the arm, which was twisted and burnt beyond use. Echo cursed her blaster for not being as powerful as it should be, and in the confusion, Alia let Thermal go.
Rock and Proto were busy fighting Aris at the moment, but couldn't see the ancient creature raise a singular hand and erupt it into flame and cosmic energy, flying at Proto and ripping off a part of the Hyper Armor. Rock couldn't see him either, receiving the full blast of the energy in the chest a few seconds later. The armor, thankfully, saved them from mortal wounds, and only knocked them down. Rock and Proto both rebounded, and stood back up, facing the cloaked Maverick once more.
Setting his shield on homing, Proto hurled the device at Aris, striking the reploid in the back and disabling his speed drive. The strange robot also began having convulsions of some sort, and a weird, telepathic voice boomed in their ears.
No, mustn't let the virus take over. Must fight it. No!!!!!!!!
He glanced to the two robots fighting him. You will die, Maverick Hunters!
Rock looked at his brother. "Guess he's back under."
"Yep."
Leaping forward, Proto tackled Aris and pinned him to the ground, giving Rock a clear shot.
"Now!"
Aiming his cannon, Rock pushed off a blast of energy that rent Aris defenseless, smoking on the ground. Another body added to this massacre.
Zero and Bass, likewise, had their hands full with Solar. The Leopard was charging this way and that, making it hard for them to shoot him. The few blasts they had connected with the Maverick had made him stagger, and that helped a little, but not much.
Bass flew into the air, using Treble as his wings. Spotting the spotted cat, the black robot took precise aim and fired, only to be met with a mountain of sand exploding in his face. Leopard appeared behind him.
"Looking for me!" the feline yelled, firing a blazing hot star of energy into Bass' armor. During the time the energy was scorching Bass inside and out, he saw that Solar seemed to be energized with energy. While Solar had gone to try fighting Zero, he had an idea.
"Zero!"
The red Hunter bounded across the sand to his partner in battle.
"What?"
Bass was sweating visibly from his face, even though he didn't have sweat glands. The energy had other side effects.
"I think that Solar can only get real power from the sun. If we get him in the dark, he'll power down."
"Why didn't I think of that!" Zero replied. He noticed a storage shack at the edge of the city. "There! That shed! It's got a shaded area and an energy field. We can get rid of him there!"
"Yeah. Follow my lead," Bass said, getting near the hut, but not quite in the shade. "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty."
Solar glanced over to Bass, and then to Zero. He realized that there was an energy field behind the black robot. He could knock him into it and only have to deal with one Hunter.
Charging at Bass, Leopard didn't expect him to grab his collar and swing around, throwing the cat not only into the shade under the shed's awning, but also into the plasma field surrounding it. He was paralyzed against it.
"Alright, Zero. Now blast him!"
Zero took aim and fired a single laser shot, straight through Solar's chest. A few moments of sparking and shaking from the field, and he deactivated. Zero blew the smoke from the cannon.
"That was easy enough."
Bit contacted Sigma over his com device. "We're getting pummeled here. We need to get what we need!"
Dodging another attack of X's and Porter's, Bit struggled to stay standing as he slid backwards in the sand.
"Alright, Bit," Sigma answered, "I'm transporting you and Thermal to the warehouse. The others were destroyed."
"Okay."
A few seconds later, Bit and Thermal were dissolved in the air, surprising the Hunters. X looked around, as did Porter, Echo, and Alia, who were still fighting.
"Where'd they go?" Alia asked.
X's worried expression was directed at the city. He glanced at a radar on his cannon.
"They transported into the city. They're almost on HQ!"
Zero's voice cut through the cacophonous chatter of the other robots. He had stepped into a warehouse.
"X! Come here! Quick!"
Following Zero's voice into the warehouse, X didn't expect to see Signas, generator fluid leaking from his chest, lying on the floor, slipping in and out of consciousness.
"What happened?"
Zero shook his head. "I don't know. I found him this way."
Signas barely raised his voice. "Cirrus...Sigma...Cirrus sigma."
"What? He's babbling like an idiot," X commented.
"I think he's trying to say something to us seriously, X."
Signas nodded limply. "Sigma took Cirrus'...body. He's using...it to infil...trate the...HQ. You've...gotta...stop... him."
"What!?" X and Zero cried in unison. They were even more desperate now to get back to the city.
Signas reached up and grabbed X's arm. "Do me one favor, X. Don't let him get away."
"I promise."
Calling Porter, Roll, and Alia into the warehouse, X instructed them to help Signas while he took care of Sigma, Bit, and Thermal.
"No way! We're coming with you!" Alia yelled, glancing to Echo, who'd just walked in.
"Fine. But the rest of you, make sure that Signas doesn't slip away."
"Okay, X," Porter said, calling Iris in to help her and Roll. X, Alia, and Echo teleported away, followed by Zero.
Bit checked over Aris and Solar, then went back to being Thermal's personal playtoy. It was not something that Sigma had forbid him totally from, but Bit had a way of making anything seem so horrendous that they should be. Of course, they always had the dumb luck of being caught by one of the other Mavericks, which at least added some excitement and daring to their relationship.
Sir, must you engage in that practice here? Isn't there somewhere else you can go to do that in private?
Bit glanced up from Thermal's face to find Aris, hovering in the doorway to the control center, yellow eyes denoting his intensely disquieted demeanor at the moment.
Leaving his partner on the floor of the center, Bit stood up, looked Aris in the face, and helped Thermal to her feet. Every time that they merged, more and more of Thermal's and Bit's energies were transferred to the other, mutating the weapons centers of the two. That made them much deadlier than before, but at the price of a strong emotional bond between them that grew stronger each time as well.
Suddenly, the screen behind them flashed. A message was coming in from the outside. Bit turned around and saw that Sigma was only a few yards from the door of the base, and was preparing his entry.
Opening the front doors, Bit met his commander outside. Thermal and Aris followed. Sigma's expression immediately twisted when he noticed the strange reploid floating beside his lieutenant, quite indicative of his quandry.
"Bit, you released Aris, I see."
"He was one of only two still left in the containment lab. And one backup isn't enough for the two of us."
Sigma leaned forward, whispering in a very low voice, "There was a reason Aris was put in the lab after he was defeated. Part of that alien creature is linked to his circuitry, and although the virus has taken it over, there is a slim chance he could revert. That was part of the reason X was able to defeat him. He also is far more advanced than any other Maverick at our disposal. The consequences for releasing him are unknown, even to me."
That vivid description made Bit's eyes widen to the size of saucers, not knowing that he may have reactivated their undoing. He took a look back at Aris.
"Well, what should we do?"
Sigma sighed. "The only thing we can do. We have to attack immediately."
"Now? How come?"
"It's not just because of Aris. I think Signas is beginning to get suspicious, and he may figure out that I'm not Cirrus. We have to make sure he's taken care of, so I can use the Hunters' database to design the perfect reploid that can destroy them. It's essential to my plans."
"I see," Bit replied, and turned back to the rest of his group, which now included Solar Leopard.
"Alright, guys, time to move out!"
Zero was brandishing his new blaster when a loud beep began emanating from the computer consoles in the HQ's reconnaissance lab. He turned, and although he expected to see only a few dots, the screen was filled with an enormous red color, signaling that a Maverick with far more powerful weaponry was heading their way.
Cirrus burst into the lab, startling Porter, Alia, and Iris. He was out of breath, and pointing back toward the desert. Zero normally didn't like reploids panting from exhaustion, but he couldn't resist.
"What is Lassie? What is it, girl? Is Timmy stuck in the well again?"
"Bit...army...heading your way. Fast."
Then he collapsed on the ground.
X and Signas were instructing Dr. Light's older creations and Bass on how to fight effectively against Mavericks when Echo and Blitz stormed through the doors to the balcony and out to the open air.
"What's going on?" X asked, lowering his blaster from the shot he'd fired just inches from Bass' helmet. The damage Thermal had inflicted on it during the first battle was repaired, but the black robot did not forget what and who had happened to him.
Echo pointed out to the horizon. "The radar picked up massive Maverick activity heading toward us really fast. Everyone's being ordered to fight them off. Even Rock and the others."
"I guess now we can really see what these things can do," Rock commented, shining his Hyper Armor's cannon. X nodded.
"Yeah, but be careful out there. The Mavericks can be very tough to damage. Even with our weapons."
Running off the join the others, X began thinking to himself.
Why now? And why are they heading straight for us?
Just then, he felt something. A flash, almost indecipherable. X, however, had the training to pick up on it, and what he realized was not good.
They've reactivated Aris. This is gonna be tough.
Bit led his troops toward Neo-Arcadia in an efficient manner, disposing of any nomadic humans that happened to unfortunately stumble across their path. Thermal was keeping up with him, as was Solar, but Aris was far above them, and in front of them, gazing down at the sand and awaiting the upcoming city. In the distance, they could see points of light leaping down from Police Force HQ, which Bit could only assume were those naïve Hunters come to stop them.
Too bad what we need is right under their noses, he thought, checking the readouts on the position of the Astro chip. Sigma had already gone back to make sure that while the Hunters were distracted with Bit's attack, he could disable the security fields around the long-forgotten device. His next move would then be to eradicate Signas from the picture, and he had told his lieutenant exactly what he planned to do.
"I want you to make sure Signas is backed into a corner by your troops so I can pretend to save him and drag him into the closest alley or area and get rid of him. Got it?"
"Perfectly," he had replied, British accent bristling with the electricity he always felt before a sinister plot was carried out.
Having come close enough to the city, Bit was confronted by a large group of Hunters, headed by X, Zero, Dr. Light's pitiful excuses for robots, and others that he couldn't identify. Sigma was also nearby, in Cirrus' body, waiting for the signal.
"What do you want, Bit?" X demanded, thrusting a finger at the attacking reploid.
"Haven't I made myself clear in the past?" Bit said, then leapt forward. "I want you to die, X!"
Repelling Bit's attack with his cannon, he flung the robot back behind his group of cronies.
Bit got to his feet. His armor was spotless, absolutely unharmed.
"You'll pay for that."
After the initial exchange, the entire area was engulfed in utter chaos. The Mavericks were more than a match for several of the Hunters at once, and divvied their enemies off to fight. X and Signas took on Bit, while Porter, Alia, and Roll were using different elements of their robotic equipment to make it easier for the two guys to battle the Maverick lieutenant. Echo was holding her own against Thermal, and Proto and Rock were both squaring off against Aris. Bass and Zero were trying to chase down Solar, having switched over to the Hyper Armor.
X swung another punch at Bit, missing at the last second. Bit responded by throwing a ring of purple energy into Signas to hold him off while he swiped at X with his saber. Striking the blue robot's cannon, the saber inflicted considerable damage, circuitry sparking on X's arm. That done, he began walking towards Signas, slowly backing him up to a nearby warehouse much like the one Blitz destroyed. Right before he was about to strike the saber forward on the Repliforce commander, Bit was thrown through the air by a blast from within the storage facility. Cirrus appeared, grabbed Signas, and took him inside.
"Thanks, Cirrus," Signas said, trying to break the energy bond that Bit had secured to him. "Can you get me outta this thing?"
Cirrus had been staring down at the ground, and seemed to be changing somehow. His body didn't alter itself, but there was an element to him now that was not like the Police Force leader now. Looking back up to Signas, his eyes glowed dark red, a thirst for carnage in his facial expression. Signas' eyes widened.
"Wha-what's going on, Cirrus? What's wrong with you?"
The reploid laughed. His eyes had subsided into a purple color. "You don't get it, do you, Signas? You know who I am. You've fought me all this time, and you were dumb enough, as the other Hunters were, to allow me into the Hunter HQ and steal your secrets. I knew you were catching onto me, and that's why I have to destroy you."
"What? Didn't you just save me from Bit?"
"Bit's my pawn. He serves me faithfully. I told him exactly what to do so I would be left alone to destroy you personally."
Just then, a piece of Cirrus' armor began to glow, shaping itself into a symbol. Signas realized, far too late, what he was faced with when the light cleared, leaving a distinctly greek letter with eyes and teeth imprinted upon it. Cirrus' eyes became crossed by two red scar swaths, his back elevated to support the spikes that now adorned the shoulders of the robe that materialized on him.
"Sigma," Signas breathed, voice low from shock.
"That's right, Signas. I'm back. And I've been surviving inside Cirrus' body since he was killed by my last host. He was Hunter too. His name was Enigma, and it was only when I infected him that Cirrus took over. But alas, he couldn't resist me either. Poor thing."
"So what exactly are you going to do to me?"
"Well, why don't you wait and see!" Sigma yelled, thrusting a saber that he created in his hand into Signas' chest. The reploid began gasping for air, his circuitry severed to his power generator.
"You won't get away with this, Sigma," he strained under his breath, since the pain was too great to handle properly.
"See, Signas, that's where you're wrong," Sigma replied, crossing his arms and reverting all the changes that had occurred just moments before to normal. He leaned forward, looking Signas in the eyes, once again appearing as Cirrus. "I already have."
Signas was too weak, and slipped away into unconsciousness, awaiting death, and fell to the floor.
Walking out of the warehouse, Sigma rejoined the battle, striking singular blows with Bit to communicate the events.
"So is he gone?" Bit asked, saber pushing against Sigma's arm.
"Yes, I made sure of it."
"Good," his lieutenant answered, thrusting away. Sigma had one more thing to do, though. Seeing that Bit was about to attack Zero from behind while he dealt with Solar, Sigma leapt into Bit's swing path too fast for him to compensate and move the saber so it wouldn't hit his commander. Sigma fell to the ground, shoulder damaged. He began acting as Cirrus.
"Zero! I'm hurt! I can't fight anymore!" he called. The red Hunter glanced back while he repelled Solar's claw swipes.
"Then go back to base! Quick!"
Sigma smiled maliciously at Bit, letting him know it was a part of the plan, and dematerialized, headed back to the Hunter base.
Meanwhile, Alia had begun to fight Thermal with Echo. The three women were locked in the deadliest cat-fight ever recorded.
Thermal powered up, throwing huge balls of purple flame into Echo. Her sessions with Bit had altered her energy weapon composition, and therefore had made her that much stronger. Echo blocked, aiming at the vulpine reploid and firing rapid shots of plasma into her. Alia, preoccupied with watching X fight, didn't see Echo signal to her.
"Move outta the way! Thermal's heading straight for you!"
Alia hadn't heard the warning, and ended up catching Thermal as she stumbled away from Echo's attack.
"Great! Alia, keep her restrained!"
Doing as she was told, Alia wrapped her arms around Thermal's allowing no motion for the fox.
Echo stepped up to her. "This is where you end your attack."
Blasting Thermal, Echo looked away as the Maverick let out an ear-piercing scream that reverberated into the city for miles. Unfortunately, she'd only been damaged on the arm, which was twisted and burnt beyond use. Echo cursed her blaster for not being as powerful as it should be, and in the confusion, Alia let Thermal go.
Rock and Proto were busy fighting Aris at the moment, but couldn't see the ancient creature raise a singular hand and erupt it into flame and cosmic energy, flying at Proto and ripping off a part of the Hyper Armor. Rock couldn't see him either, receiving the full blast of the energy in the chest a few seconds later. The armor, thankfully, saved them from mortal wounds, and only knocked them down. Rock and Proto both rebounded, and stood back up, facing the cloaked Maverick once more.
Setting his shield on homing, Proto hurled the device at Aris, striking the reploid in the back and disabling his speed drive. The strange robot also began having convulsions of some sort, and a weird, telepathic voice boomed in their ears.
No, mustn't let the virus take over. Must fight it. No!!!!!!!!
He glanced to the two robots fighting him. You will die, Maverick Hunters!
Rock looked at his brother. "Guess he's back under."
"Yep."
Leaping forward, Proto tackled Aris and pinned him to the ground, giving Rock a clear shot.
"Now!"
Aiming his cannon, Rock pushed off a blast of energy that rent Aris defenseless, smoking on the ground. Another body added to this massacre.
Zero and Bass, likewise, had their hands full with Solar. The Leopard was charging this way and that, making it hard for them to shoot him. The few blasts they had connected with the Maverick had made him stagger, and that helped a little, but not much.
Bass flew into the air, using Treble as his wings. Spotting the spotted cat, the black robot took precise aim and fired, only to be met with a mountain of sand exploding in his face. Leopard appeared behind him.
"Looking for me!" the feline yelled, firing a blazing hot star of energy into Bass' armor. During the time the energy was scorching Bass inside and out, he saw that Solar seemed to be energized with energy. While Solar had gone to try fighting Zero, he had an idea.
"Zero!"
The red Hunter bounded across the sand to his partner in battle.
"What?"
Bass was sweating visibly from his face, even though he didn't have sweat glands. The energy had other side effects.
"I think that Solar can only get real power from the sun. If we get him in the dark, he'll power down."
"Why didn't I think of that!" Zero replied. He noticed a storage shack at the edge of the city. "There! That shed! It's got a shaded area and an energy field. We can get rid of him there!"
"Yeah. Follow my lead," Bass said, getting near the hut, but not quite in the shade. "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty."
Solar glanced over to Bass, and then to Zero. He realized that there was an energy field behind the black robot. He could knock him into it and only have to deal with one Hunter.
Charging at Bass, Leopard didn't expect him to grab his collar and swing around, throwing the cat not only into the shade under the shed's awning, but also into the plasma field surrounding it. He was paralyzed against it.
"Alright, Zero. Now blast him!"
Zero took aim and fired a single laser shot, straight through Solar's chest. A few moments of sparking and shaking from the field, and he deactivated. Zero blew the smoke from the cannon.
"That was easy enough."
Bit contacted Sigma over his com device. "We're getting pummeled here. We need to get what we need!"
Dodging another attack of X's and Porter's, Bit struggled to stay standing as he slid backwards in the sand.
"Alright, Bit," Sigma answered, "I'm transporting you and Thermal to the warehouse. The others were destroyed."
"Okay."
A few seconds later, Bit and Thermal were dissolved in the air, surprising the Hunters. X looked around, as did Porter, Echo, and Alia, who were still fighting.
"Where'd they go?" Alia asked.
X's worried expression was directed at the city. He glanced at a radar on his cannon.
"They transported into the city. They're almost on HQ!"
Zero's voice cut through the cacophonous chatter of the other robots. He had stepped into a warehouse.
"X! Come here! Quick!"
Following Zero's voice into the warehouse, X didn't expect to see Signas, generator fluid leaking from his chest, lying on the floor, slipping in and out of consciousness.
"What happened?"
Zero shook his head. "I don't know. I found him this way."
Signas barely raised his voice. "Cirrus...Sigma...Cirrus sigma."
"What? He's babbling like an idiot," X commented.
"I think he's trying to say something to us seriously, X."
Signas nodded limply. "Sigma took Cirrus'...body. He's using...it to infil...trate the...HQ. You've...gotta...stop... him."
"What!?" X and Zero cried in unison. They were even more desperate now to get back to the city.
Signas reached up and grabbed X's arm. "Do me one favor, X. Don't let him get away."
"I promise."
Calling Porter, Roll, and Alia into the warehouse, X instructed them to help Signas while he took care of Sigma, Bit, and Thermal.
"No way! We're coming with you!" Alia yelled, glancing to Echo, who'd just walked in.
"Fine. But the rest of you, make sure that Signas doesn't slip away."
"Okay, X," Porter said, calling Iris in to help her and Roll. X, Alia, and Echo teleported away, followed by Zero.