Part XX: Bits And Pieces
Bit blasted open the doors to the parts supply. Sigma had deactivated the security fields around the Astro chip, so now they had a clear shot at the device. Thermal, badly damaged from Echo's onslaught of blasts, was strong enough to help carry out the mission. She held her burnt arm carefully, making sure not to hurt it any further. She couldn't believe her eyes on what was inside the supply depot.
Nestled within the massive expanse of the chamber was a single large robotic machine. It looked as if it was almost completed, but there one was thing missing-a head. Below the robot was a small case containing a circuitboard.
Bit pointed. "That's it. The chip. Let's go."
Just as Bit reached the case, a voice erupted from the darkness.
"I don't think so, scumbag."
Turning around, Bit faced Zero, who was holding his saber out menacingly.
"How come?" the Maverick replied, using his magnetic generators to lift the chip and its case and grab it out of sight of the Hunters.
"We know what you're after. And you're not gonna get it."
"You do? Now, what would that be?"
X stepped up, grasping a plasma rifle since his arm cannon was heavily marred.
"You're not getting into the HQ, Bit. It's suicide, you know that."
Bit laughed, mocking the Hunters. "You don't understand, do you? None of you can comprehend what I'm after. Oh, to answer you, X, no, I'm not looking into getting into your precious headquarters. Sigma already took care of that."
Judging from the expressions of his adversaries, Bit could tell they knew Sigma had taken Cirrus' body and was posing all along.
"You see, my mission doesn't involve anything with that place. It deals with this," he continued, thrusting the Astro chip out in front of him. "So, you see, I've already won. This is the last step to your demise, X. Face it!"
"I don't think you understood me, Bit. Because even if you don't go into HQ, you still won't get away with this."
Bit shook his head. "And has anyone told you that you all sound like broken records? 'You'll never get away with this' or 'You're oumatched, give up.' It's really starting to get on my nerves."
"Fine."
In a split-second, X had fired the rifle, and the plasma was coming right for Bit. Throwing aside her own personal inhibitions, Thermal threw herself into the line of fire, absorbing the blast and falling to the ground. She was hurt even moreso than before, but nowhere close to dead.
"Get the chip outta here," she pleaded with him, putting a hand on the case. "It's what you have to do."
"I won't leave you behind. I promise."
"You heard X," Thermal continued pleading, "it's suicide to stay around here."
"But I won't leave you!"
Thermal understood, all too well, that Bit was blinded by the emotional link they shared. He no longer cared anything for the mission, or anything else. Just her safety.
In all that confusion, Zero and X advanced on Bit, and Thermal darted out of the way, only to be faced by Echo and Alia.
"Alright, so we have to fight again," she responded, looking Alia in the eyes.
"That's a matter of opinion."
Leaping onto Alia, Thermal began beating the reploid over the head. Echo was trying to curtain Thermal's sight by firing plasma light blasts into the air, but it didn't help. Finally, she took aim and let go one laser-point of energy, which lanced Thermal's burnt arm.
"Ahhh!"
With Thermal reeling from pain, Alia was able to grab the fox's neck and throw her off, right into a large amount of metal pipes. Echo and Alia, weapons ready, were closing in. Knowing it was her last chance, Thermal powered up a single ball of purple fire, glowing brightly against the dark interior of the warehouse, and hurled it at Alia. The blonde robot dodged the attack, which flew on and struck a pipe, releasing the superheated water vapor into the air and into Bit's face.
As Bit was recovering from Thermal's misdirected attack, Zero punched him square in the jaw, throwing him backward and into the ground. By that time, it was too late.
Echo grabbed Thermal and attempted to swing the vulpine robot around and throw her to the other side of the room, but her grasp slipped and propelled the Maverick into the sharp edge of a broken pipe, piercing her heart and exploding from her chest violently. The scream she let out drew Bit's attention immediately, and he saw what had happened.
"No," he breathed, and quickly regained his posture, hurtling himself at Zero with his saber extended, meaning to decapitate the red Hunter. Moving quickly, Zero spun around and when Bit collided with his back, he lifted the lieutenant and tossed him across the room. Somehow, during all this mess, he hadn't let go of the chip.
Having landed next to Thermal on the ground, Bit took hold of her hand and teleported away. X and Zero looked to each other.
"What about Sigma?" Zero asked, arms crossed.
"Well, we gotta get him out of HQ. And that means we have to fight him too."
"Great," Zero replied. "Just great."
Sigma snickered, trying to access the weaknesses of X, Zero, and Blitz. Those three were especially important to him, as they were the most advanced and mysterious systems the Hunters utilized. And with Signas just cleaned off, he had the promonition that the Hunters would look to him.
"There we go," he said to himself, trying yet another code. The computer beeped back at him, the code having failed.
"Not again," he seethed, drawing a fist back to strike the computer in anger. Just at that moment, he heard a voice behind him.
"You know, violence will get you nowhere," it was Zero. "Sigma."
Sigma laughed, the body he'd inhabited glowing with a dark light.
"You're very good, Zero. You figured it out. But you're too late. Signas is gone, I have all you Hunters' secrets, and there's absolutely nothing you can do to stop me."
Just as Signas had seen, Cirrus' body mutated, spikes lining a robe that appeared, as the facial scars reappeared and the insignia of Sigma's Maverick forces took shape on his arms.
"Now what are you going to do about it?" he mocked Zero, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I dunno 'bout you, Sigma," he replied. "But I'd watch my back."
With that, Zero turned and exited the room, as if he was okay with the fact Sigma was inhabiting Cirrus' body and was inside Maverick Hunter HQ. But as he was about to attack the red Hunter, Sigma suddenly fell down, reeling from the plasma blast that he'd received from behind.
X stepped from the shadows, newly repaired arm cannon smoking. Blitz leapt from a nearby bulkhead, aiming his blaster right at Sigma's face.
"Well, aren't we the resourceful little robots?" he sneered maliciously at the Hunters. He raised his gaze to Zero, who had turned back in the doorway.
"You know, Zero, you're like me. We both have that destructive edge. But, with all the times I tried to get you to join my ranks, you never did. X never did, but somehow some of your violent tendencies have rubbed off on him. It's a shame, really."
"Shut up, Sigma," X snapped, pressing his foot against the back of the Maverick's head. "You're the only one that deserves it."
"You Hunters are really pointless. I can bring more injury to all of you than those simple blasters on your arms. Just watch me!"
In a flash, he was gone. Blitz checked the radar. He was no longer in the base either. X could still feel him, though. He was somewhere in this area.
You know, X, if you're trying to find me, it's useless. I'm not even there. But of course you won't believe me. As long as I live, that base has my presence, if I'm there or not. You'll be looking over your shoulders every minute.
"Come out!"
I told you, X, I'm not there. I'm miles away, and you can't find me. How do you like that?!
Zero spoke up this time.
"He's not here, X. He's telling the truth."
Lowering his cannon reluctantly, X calmed down. Zero and Blitz led the blue robot out of the room after making sure that the access codes had been changed and Cirrus was no longer allowed in the base.
Bit blasted open the doors to the parts supply. Sigma had deactivated the security fields around the Astro chip, so now they had a clear shot at the device. Thermal, badly damaged from Echo's onslaught of blasts, was strong enough to help carry out the mission. She held her burnt arm carefully, making sure not to hurt it any further. She couldn't believe her eyes on what was inside the supply depot.
Nestled within the massive expanse of the chamber was a single large robotic machine. It looked as if it was almost completed, but there one was thing missing-a head. Below the robot was a small case containing a circuitboard.
Bit pointed. "That's it. The chip. Let's go."
Just as Bit reached the case, a voice erupted from the darkness.
"I don't think so, scumbag."
Turning around, Bit faced Zero, who was holding his saber out menacingly.
"How come?" the Maverick replied, using his magnetic generators to lift the chip and its case and grab it out of sight of the Hunters.
"We know what you're after. And you're not gonna get it."
"You do? Now, what would that be?"
X stepped up, grasping a plasma rifle since his arm cannon was heavily marred.
"You're not getting into the HQ, Bit. It's suicide, you know that."
Bit laughed, mocking the Hunters. "You don't understand, do you? None of you can comprehend what I'm after. Oh, to answer you, X, no, I'm not looking into getting into your precious headquarters. Sigma already took care of that."
Judging from the expressions of his adversaries, Bit could tell they knew Sigma had taken Cirrus' body and was posing all along.
"You see, my mission doesn't involve anything with that place. It deals with this," he continued, thrusting the Astro chip out in front of him. "So, you see, I've already won. This is the last step to your demise, X. Face it!"
"I don't think you understood me, Bit. Because even if you don't go into HQ, you still won't get away with this."
Bit shook his head. "And has anyone told you that you all sound like broken records? 'You'll never get away with this' or 'You're oumatched, give up.' It's really starting to get on my nerves."
"Fine."
In a split-second, X had fired the rifle, and the plasma was coming right for Bit. Throwing aside her own personal inhibitions, Thermal threw herself into the line of fire, absorbing the blast and falling to the ground. She was hurt even moreso than before, but nowhere close to dead.
"Get the chip outta here," she pleaded with him, putting a hand on the case. "It's what you have to do."
"I won't leave you behind. I promise."
"You heard X," Thermal continued pleading, "it's suicide to stay around here."
"But I won't leave you!"
Thermal understood, all too well, that Bit was blinded by the emotional link they shared. He no longer cared anything for the mission, or anything else. Just her safety.
In all that confusion, Zero and X advanced on Bit, and Thermal darted out of the way, only to be faced by Echo and Alia.
"Alright, so we have to fight again," she responded, looking Alia in the eyes.
"That's a matter of opinion."
Leaping onto Alia, Thermal began beating the reploid over the head. Echo was trying to curtain Thermal's sight by firing plasma light blasts into the air, but it didn't help. Finally, she took aim and let go one laser-point of energy, which lanced Thermal's burnt arm.
"Ahhh!"
With Thermal reeling from pain, Alia was able to grab the fox's neck and throw her off, right into a large amount of metal pipes. Echo and Alia, weapons ready, were closing in. Knowing it was her last chance, Thermal powered up a single ball of purple fire, glowing brightly against the dark interior of the warehouse, and hurled it at Alia. The blonde robot dodged the attack, which flew on and struck a pipe, releasing the superheated water vapor into the air and into Bit's face.
As Bit was recovering from Thermal's misdirected attack, Zero punched him square in the jaw, throwing him backward and into the ground. By that time, it was too late.
Echo grabbed Thermal and attempted to swing the vulpine robot around and throw her to the other side of the room, but her grasp slipped and propelled the Maverick into the sharp edge of a broken pipe, piercing her heart and exploding from her chest violently. The scream she let out drew Bit's attention immediately, and he saw what had happened.
"No," he breathed, and quickly regained his posture, hurtling himself at Zero with his saber extended, meaning to decapitate the red Hunter. Moving quickly, Zero spun around and when Bit collided with his back, he lifted the lieutenant and tossed him across the room. Somehow, during all this mess, he hadn't let go of the chip.
Having landed next to Thermal on the ground, Bit took hold of her hand and teleported away. X and Zero looked to each other.
"What about Sigma?" Zero asked, arms crossed.
"Well, we gotta get him out of HQ. And that means we have to fight him too."
"Great," Zero replied. "Just great."
Sigma snickered, trying to access the weaknesses of X, Zero, and Blitz. Those three were especially important to him, as they were the most advanced and mysterious systems the Hunters utilized. And with Signas just cleaned off, he had the promonition that the Hunters would look to him.
"There we go," he said to himself, trying yet another code. The computer beeped back at him, the code having failed.
"Not again," he seethed, drawing a fist back to strike the computer in anger. Just at that moment, he heard a voice behind him.
"You know, violence will get you nowhere," it was Zero. "Sigma."
Sigma laughed, the body he'd inhabited glowing with a dark light.
"You're very good, Zero. You figured it out. But you're too late. Signas is gone, I have all you Hunters' secrets, and there's absolutely nothing you can do to stop me."
Just as Signas had seen, Cirrus' body mutated, spikes lining a robe that appeared, as the facial scars reappeared and the insignia of Sigma's Maverick forces took shape on his arms.
"Now what are you going to do about it?" he mocked Zero, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I dunno 'bout you, Sigma," he replied. "But I'd watch my back."
With that, Zero turned and exited the room, as if he was okay with the fact Sigma was inhabiting Cirrus' body and was inside Maverick Hunter HQ. But as he was about to attack the red Hunter, Sigma suddenly fell down, reeling from the plasma blast that he'd received from behind.
X stepped from the shadows, newly repaired arm cannon smoking. Blitz leapt from a nearby bulkhead, aiming his blaster right at Sigma's face.
"Well, aren't we the resourceful little robots?" he sneered maliciously at the Hunters. He raised his gaze to Zero, who had turned back in the doorway.
"You know, Zero, you're like me. We both have that destructive edge. But, with all the times I tried to get you to join my ranks, you never did. X never did, but somehow some of your violent tendencies have rubbed off on him. It's a shame, really."
"Shut up, Sigma," X snapped, pressing his foot against the back of the Maverick's head. "You're the only one that deserves it."
"You Hunters are really pointless. I can bring more injury to all of you than those simple blasters on your arms. Just watch me!"
In a flash, he was gone. Blitz checked the radar. He was no longer in the base either. X could still feel him, though. He was somewhere in this area.
You know, X, if you're trying to find me, it's useless. I'm not even there. But of course you won't believe me. As long as I live, that base has my presence, if I'm there or not. You'll be looking over your shoulders every minute.
"Come out!"
I told you, X, I'm not there. I'm miles away, and you can't find me. How do you like that?!
Zero spoke up this time.
"He's not here, X. He's telling the truth."
Lowering his cannon reluctantly, X calmed down. Zero and Blitz led the blue robot out of the room after making sure that the access codes had been changed and Cirrus was no longer allowed in the base.