Authoress' Notes: Ok people, few words before you start reading. First, words in italic mean thoughts. Second, I don't know the name of the city in MMX4 which The Sky Lagoon came crashing into, so I gave it the name Horizon City. Third… oh just go on and read!
Fatal Fate
Part I: Chapter1
Thus began the chronicle…
Pain. Terrible pain was stabbing her whole body. She opened her eyes slowly. Her view was blurred with trickles of blood. She barely lifted her battered body, wincing as she felt sharp pain in her bleeding head.
"Wha… what happened?" the girl wheezed, searching around with her vivid, pansy-purple eyes for someone to answer. She was absolutely shocked when she saw the horrifying sights surrounding her. Gasping sharply, she gaped at what was once Horizon City, her eyes growing round with alarm. She couldn't believe her eyes. Everything was in ruins. The whole city was blazing with dancing flames of fire… the entire place was almost wiped out.
What happened? Is it the end of the world? she wondered dazedly.
She tried to remember what had happened before she passed out. She was on the outskirts of the city, when a loud, roaring sound pierced the air. It sounded like an enormous, plummeting object. She looked up in surprise, and suddenly, a gigantic shadow was cast over the whole area, hiding the sun from her completely. The last thing she remembered was a thunderous crash accompanied with a rumbling earthquake. After that, everything went black.
Was it a meteor? the girl wondered, and then she decided that it wasn't the right time for questions. She had to get out of there as soon as possible.
The girl looked down at her artificial body to check her condition. Yes, she was a Reploid; a female Reploid with shoulder length magenta hair and a violet and gold armor. Her round purple control chip was placed in the middle of a shiny silver circlet, which was a part of her head instead of a helmet.
She was suffering from some bruises, but no serious injuries. All her parts were functioning well. The inner scan's results told that there were few damages in her inner system. Fortunately enough, the auto-repair system was capable of handling them without a hitch.
Not only had she survived the disaster, she was also miraculously in a good shape. She got to her feet instantly. At first she felt giddy, her legs too shaky to support her weight. She collapsed back down on her knees despite her efforts to keep her balance. Before long, she recovered her balance and the dizziness disappeared.
It was a grisly carnage, and the sight was beyond description. Standing on a high spot, she was able to see that the center of the city was buried completely under that thing. Wait a minute… wasn't that thing … Sky Lagoon City?
So that was what happened. Sky Lagoon, the floating city, fell down and crashed into Horizon City.
But how did that happen? What on Earth caused this disaster? These questions and million others were exploding in her head like fireworks.After a moment of reflection, she decided darkly that any chance of finding any survivors under Sky Lagoon didn't even exist. However, she decided that it wouldn't be impossible to find some survivors inside Sky Lagoon, with a bit of luck.
There might be survivors... They need help… I must go to the rescue! It's my duty as a soldier in the Repliforce army!
"YIKES!" a Reploid shrieked while barely dodging a huge plasma shot that came out of nowhere. He had a chin-length auburn hair and gray eyes and had a white and bluish tinted armor. He looked in the direction where the shot came from and saw three heavy-armed Mavericks glaring at him.
"Vould you be more careful wiz zese veapons you 'ave, s'il vous plait (please)? Someone might get 'urt, you know!" he sneered in a strong French accent.
He was treated to some more shots that blew up the spot in a blur. When the heavy smoke that covered the Mavericks' view had cleared, there was nothing but ashes where the Reploid was standing. Self-satisfied, the three Mavericks guffawed with sick pleasure.
"Excusez-moi (excuse me!)!"
The voice gave the Mavericks quite a jolt. When they looked behind, they were shocked to see that Reploid standing with his arms akimbo, smirking.
"I 'ate to disappoint you, but you missed me!" he grinned.
Before any of the confused Mavericks could react, the Reploid grabbed two cylindrical shaped laser guns attached to each side of his waist. He shot his enemies with strong green laser beams that pierced the heads of two of them and knocked them lifeless right away. The third one managed to dodge swiftly to the right, saving himself. In a split second, he showered the Reploid with at least dozen of bombs simultaneously.
"Eat zis, smart guy!" the Maverick snarled.
Amazingly, the Reploid grinned nonchalantly then vanished into thin air, just like that! He had an impressing ability of vanishing and materializing himself to short range distances.
The Maverick gawped stupidly, his eyes as wide as saucers. The next thing he knew that someone was tapping on his left shoulder. He looked to his side just to see his rival pointing the laser weapons straight at his head. He was smirking again.
"You lose, dopey!"
In the next moment, the Maverick was lying still on the ground with a big hole in his head.
The Reploid blew at the top of his weapons with a smirk on his face. He reattached the two laser guns back to his armor.
"I could 'ave played a little longer wiz you, boys. But I'm afraid I didn't 'ave the time for that. I 'ave to look for my friend w'o might need my 'elp," he snickered, stepping on the motionless bodies.
Without wasting any more time, he left the skirts of Horizon City and rushed to the Sky Lagoon, which had settled on Horizon's central sector.
The floating city, which wasn't floating any more, suffered atrocious devastation. The female Reploid from the Repliforce searched for survivors in the northern area to no avail. Nonetheless, she didn't give up. She decided to explore the eastern area. To get there, she had to go through the sky-high motorway bridge. It seemed safe enough, except for some cracks and holes here and there, which could be easily evaded. She went pounding along the road as quick as she could. Out of the blue, a thundering quake stroke the place. The female Reploid was swaying to and fro, finding it difficult to keep her balance.
Much to her horror, the cracks in the motorway started to become longer and deeper. The cracks quickly met each other, causing greater chasms to form. Consequently, the ground under her feet collapsed. She shrieked in terror as she fell.
Fortunately, she managed in the very last second to grasp at the edge of the damaged bridge. With her legs dangling in midair, she looked down cautiously. She gulped when she realized that it would have been a very long journey down, where there is nothing but a sea of flames. If she had fallen from that height, the fall could have killed her immediately. She could have been crushed like a tin can.
Phew! That was close!
When she was just about to climb up, she was surprised to see an ugly Maverick looming over her out of the sudden.
"Oh no… not now!" she gasped in law voice.
The Maverick laughed devilishly, stepping with his giant foot on one of the girl's hands, which were hardly gripping the edge.
"Going down, love? Let me help ya!"
Brutally, he tried to smash the poor girl's hand in order to force her to loose her grip. She groaned in pain, struggling to keep her hold firm.
It was a hard task, however.
Apparently, the Maverick was enjoying this. His continuous roaring laughter made her feel sick. Her eyes smoldered with rage.
"I'm not the one who's going down… I think you are!" she snarled. In the briefest second, she grabbed a special lance that was attached to her back. It was a risky move since she stood a big chance to loose her grip. Nevertheless, she had no other choice. The Maverick could kill her anyway.
The lance was soon activated, revealing a sharp, huge purple plasma head. In a single motion, she cut out her enemy's foot which was stepping on her other hand. Before he knew what hit him, the Maverick found himself loosing his balance. He fell down at once, his roaring cry pierced the air. His cry was getting further and weaker along his way deep down, until it muffled completely.
She wasn't safe yet. Another danger threatened her life. Her fingers suddenly slipped. She thought fast and reacted faster: she dug the lance into the edge to save herself. She made it again, but probably only for a short while. Her lance wasn't stable enough to support her for a long time, threatening to let her down at any moment.
The girl started to wonder if she was ever to get out of this trouble.
"Help! Somebody… anybody…. HELP!" she screamed at the top of her voice, praying that no Mavericks would come to torture her before someone could come to her rescue.
The next few moments seemed like eternity. Suddenly, scurrying steps were heard. She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw a familiar face popping out of nowhere above her.
"Julian! Thank God!" she exclaimed heartily.
The surprised expression on the Reploid's face soon turned into a mocking one.
"What do we 'ave 'ere? If zis wasn't man cheri (my dear) Eve 'erself! So, my brave soldier," he grinned, "'ave I missed something 'ere? Looks like you're in a bit of a jam down zere."
"Very funny, Julian!" she grunted. "Now make yourself useful once in your life and give me a hand!"
"Quoi (what)? But Eve… if I give my 'and, I vill become one-'anded! 'ow am I supposed to fight Mavericks wiz one 'and?" he jeered.
Julian's absurd manners were driving the poor girl crazy. This guy had never stopped mocking before, even during battles and crisis.
"YOU MORON! Do you think this is the right time for your ridiculous sarcasm? Just PULL ME UP!" she boomed, giving him a black look.
"You didn't say s'il vous plait."
If looks could kill, that guy would have been dead by then.
"You are impossible! Just wait until I put my hands on you! If you don't pull me up at this very moment, I swear I'll…"
"Ok ok! Just 'old on."
"I am 'olding… I mean holding on!"
He caught her hand and pulled her up effortlessly. After being saved, Eve heaved a deep sigh of relief. She glared at her savior.
"Thanks for nothing, Julian!"
The other Reploid was laughing loudly with tears in the corners of his eyes. "You should 'ave seen you face in the mirror, Eve! You looked as vite as a ghost!"
Eve swallowed all the curses she intended to spit out at him, knowing it was a waste of breath to argue with this carefree friend. Despite his annoying manners, he had been always there for her, through thick and thin. He wasn't just her comrade in the Repliforce army, he was also her best friend whom she cherished like a brother.
"Ok mister smiley, what are you doing here anyway?"
He barely stopped laughing and wiped his tears. "I came looking for Oscar. It never crossed my mind that you vould be on the Sky Lagoon too."
"I wasn't. I just came to look for survivors."
"Ah! You came to ze rescue zen ended up being ze one screaming for 'elp!" he chuckled.
"Oh shut up! Hey… did you just say that Oscar is on the Sky Lagoon?"
"Oui (yes), I'm afraid. 'e came after 'iz beloved," he sniggered.
"You mean Iris, the Colonel's sister?"
"W'o else, man cheri?"
"Hmmm… I hope they are both fine. Maybe we should start looking for them before things become worse here…"
Eve said her last sentence while narrowing her eyes at the awful sights around her. "I just wonder what caused this disaster…"
"Ze thing I'm sure about iz zat ze damn Mavericks are loitering in ze w'ole place."
Eve raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You met some Mavericks too? What the hell are they doing here in a time like this?"
She hit her forehead with her right palm. "Of course! It's just obvious… the Goddam Mavericks did it!" she growled. "Hell on the Mavericks!" she cursed with untold rage, clenching and unclenching her fists, as if ready to rip off the head of the first Maverick to encounter after this conclusion.
"Come on Eve, let's split up. I vill go to ze vestern area, and you go to ze eastern sector."
"I was heading straight there before the earthquake. Ok now, let's hurry up!"
"D'ccord (alright). Take care of yourself!"
"Watch out!" Mega Man X shouted to warn his red friend when a Maverick appeared behind the latter suddenly, ready to attack. Zero reacted quickly by spinning around to face his enemy. With his famous saber, he sliced the Maverick in two.
"Thanks for warning me, X" Zero said.
"Any time, pal!" X replied while blasting another Maverick who appeared on his side with an energy shot from his trusted X-buster.
With his piercing azure eyes, Zero stared at the grisly remains of a dead woman's body. He clenched his fists in frustration. "Damn the Mavericks! They'll get the punish they deserve for this carnage!" Zero hissed in exasperation through his clenched teeth.
X knelt beside another body, grief tearing him apart. Gently, he closed the dead man's eyes which had shocked looks in them. The poor man must have experienced untold horror in his very last minutes when the disaster happened. He gave a bitter sigh that seemed to be coming from the very depth of his heart.
X looked up at Zero in hesitation. "Zero," he started, "do you really believe that the Repliforce's really responsible for this?" he asked cautiously, walking to his old friend's side. There was a moment of uneasy silence in which they merely gazed at each other with a somber expression on their faces. Zero then shrugged. "Life taught me that anything's possible, X," he answered solemnly. Zero suddenly remembered their encounter with Magma Dragoon in Sky Lagoon just before it crashed into Horizon City. The ex-Maverick Hunter admitted that he had been behind the incident. He also declared that it was with the help of the Repliforces. Zero winced at the memory.
"But… the Repliforce soldiers are supposed to be on our side! They have been helping us since the third uprising!" X protested.
"I know X, I know," Zero sighed. "The Colonel of the Repliforce is my friend. I respect him and trust him very much. However, it is my duty to find out if the Repliforce have turned into Mavericks and caused this tragedy as we were informed in the HQ," the red Hunter declared then he bit his lower lip.
"There must be some kind of misunderstanding! Our allies couldn't have become Mavericks so suddenly!" X practically shouted with a violent shake of his head. He just couldn't accept the whole thing. "It just doesn't make any sense!"
Here we go again. This kind of arguments with him are getting on my nerves… he thought with a scowl. "When will you accept the fact that any Reploid, and I mean any Reploid, can become a Maverick, X? It's the truth, like it or not!" Zero said in a harsh voice. He took a few steps away from X, as if trying to tell him that he wasn't ready for any further discussion in this matter.
X had no intention of dropping such a critical subject so easily. "You talk as if the whole thing is none of your concern!" X retorted. He dashed and barred his friend's way, eyeing him with pained looks. The latter halted his tracks and gazed back. "How could you be so indifferent about this problem?" X asked in an arguing tone. "Those Mavericks were once our comrades… our friends! I know our duty is to neutralize Mavericks' threat, but haven't you asked yourself for once why all this is happening? Why things have to be like this? Why are we fighting instead of living a peaceful life away from wars and bloodsheds?" X choked, his whole frame shaking slightly.
Zero began solemnly, wrinkling his forehead even more, "X, listen to me carefully." His jaw tightened, yet his tone remained mild. "This isn't the right time nor place for discussing this non-existent Utopia of yours, where Reploids coexist with humans happily. As long as Reploids are threatened to be affected by that damn virus, the world shall always suffer." He added impatiently, "It's about time you've taken that for granted."
"So you're saying that our destiny is to fight… nothing else but to fight?" X asked with a tremor in his voice, his eyes widening in alarm.
"Welcome to real world, Plato!" Zero snapped almost aggressively with a grimace.
The blue Hunter's heart sank. He just couldn't lump it… He was tired from all those bloody battles. X refused to resign himself to the idea of spending the rest of his life as a warrior, let alone the fact that it wasn't impossible one day he might find himself becoming a Maverick. He had been dwelling on these dark thoughts since the last uprising.
Much to Zero's surprise, X started to shout frantically.
"BUT I DON"T WANT TO! I am sick of all those wars! Each time we defeat the Mavericks, we find ourselves facing another uprising! We are just wasting our time!"
Zero would usually keep his cool in a situation like this. It wasn't the first time X would start such an argument, but his tantrums had become a real pain in the neck lately. Zero was in a somber mood on that particular day that he let fly at X. "Just cut the crap, X! Stop overreacting and try to grow up, will you? We don't have any more time to waste on this bullshit! We are Hunters. Our job is to chase Mavericks and fight them. PERIOD!" Zero took a deep breath then continued. "If you wish to quit, fine! The world needs tough fighters to protect it, not cry-babies!" he barked, shoving X aside. He talk a few steps before he felt his arm being grabbed by his companion and forcing him to turn around and face him. Zero's was stunned when he saw that X's eyes were glinting with tears.
"Do you enjoy being a fighter, Zero?" X asked in a weary voice. There was such anguish in the gush of grief that accompanied his words. "Is this the life you've been always longing to since the first day you've opened your eyes to the world? For God's sake Zero, is this is the only interest in your life?"
His words hurt Zero deeply. The red Hunter suddenly remembered the strange dream that was haunting him lately. It was a blurry dream, but clear enough to tell that it was connected to Zero's mysterious past. It had shattered, foggy memories about his own creator. Zero was still unable to recall his creator, but his words were stuck in his mind.
After him. Destroy him.
Him who? Zero hadn't bothered to think about it. The only thing he was concerned about the fact that he was created to be his master's revenge on a certain rival. Maybe X was right… fighting was the only interest in Zero's life. He was created to fight… to kill. Was it in his blood after all?
When X noticed the hurt expression on Zero's face, he felt terrible guilt. "Zero… I… I am sorry. I didn't mean it…" he stammered apologetically .
"It's ok, X. No offense taken," Zero said flatly. "Just let's finish what we are here for. We have a mission to accomplish, remember?"
X nodded half-heartedly. He drew a deep breath. "I'll check the eastern sector, you go to the western. I just hope we are wrong about the Repliforce…" His words ended in a dismal whisper.
"Me too, X. Me too," Zero said sincerely.
Zero started to run, when he heard X calling out for him suddenly. He turned around and looked at X. "What is it now?"
The blue Hunter spoke, bowing his head sheepishly. "Please forgive me for all that fuss. I just… feel lost…"
Not as much as I do. "Cheer up, buddy. I'm not mad at you. I know how do you feel, but I want you to be strong enough to face the reality, no matter how bitter it is. You have to, X. As you can see, Earth needs us. We are the only ones capable of saving it from total destruction," Zero said in mild softness.
X's face lit up slightly. He smiled gratefully at his faithful friend and mentor, who had never failed to support him when ever he felt weak and helpless. "Thank you for understanding, Zero. You are the best."
Zero gave him a wink. "Any time, pal."
Eve sighed desperately. She couldn't find any human survivors in the eastern area. Some Reploids were lucky enough to make it. It was very natural, considering that their bodies were much tougher than that of a human being. However, those Reploid survivors were in serious condition, suffering severe damages. Eve managed to contact the Repliforce base and give them the coordinates of those injured. They were teleported to the base, where the medical service team would take care of them.
In the neighborhood, a Maverick Hunter was searching the area for any clues about the terrorists responsible for this disaster. He was oblivious to the bunch of Mavericks watching him from afar.
"Look! That must be Mega Man X," a Maverick said to his three companions. They were standing on the ruins of a giant building, watching the blue Hunter running through a main road.
"He doesn't look strong to me," another one grunted scornfully.
"Yeah," the third agreed, cackling, "He is nothing but a tiny old piece of junk!"
"Maybe, but remember that he had defeated the boss three times before," the third remarked cautiously.
The second Maverick gave him a sidelong glare. "Don't tell me that you're afraid of this little blue kid! And you call yourself a Repliforce soldier!"
"Huh! You talk as if we are Repliforce soldiers! It is the boss who ordered us to join the Repliforce as a part of his new plan!" the forth snapped.
"Oh shut up you two! We are through here. Let's just get the hell out of this place," the first one growled.
"Hold it! There is no need to be in a rush!" the third exclaimed in a harsh voice.
"What do you want us to stay here for? Do you have something in your mind?" one of them asked impatiently.
"You bet!" he smiled slyly. "I was thinking about blowing that blue Hunter into smithereens."
His companions exchanged surprised looks. The confused expressions were soon replaced with evil grins. The idea of annihilating the Mavericks' loathsome foe was more than welcome.
X felt uneasy. Something was irritating him. He had the feeling of being watched. He looked around carefully but couldn't catch a glimpse of any moving figure. Nevertheless, he was certain that someone was hiding somewhere close, ready to pounce on him mercilessly. The blue Hunter charged his buster readily, preparing himself to any surprising attack.
"I know you're there!" he shouted fearlessly. "Show yourself and fight, you coward!"
"We are no cowards, son of a bitch!" one of the four Mavericks boomed from a high place. X looked up to them.
"Be ready to die, stupid Hunter!" another one snarled while blasting a powerful shot from his cannon at X. The latter deflected the shot with one from his buster. The second Maverick launched a small rocket at X, who managed to leap high and avoid the danger. When he landed, his enemies jumped down, surrounding him. X narrowed his gaze, scowling. "Before the party begins, I want some answers," he said sharply. "Who are you?" he demanded.
"We are from the Repliforce," the second answered slyly. "At the command of our General, we let the Sky Lagoon crash into Horizon City, with the help of Magma Dragoon, and we attacked it afterwards to make sure no survivors will live to tell what happened here!"
X closed his eyes and clenched his fists. So it is true… the Repliforce are Mavericks now… All those innocent people have perished because of them!
The blue Hunter opened his eyes wide, flaring with fury. "That's all what I need to know!"
He showered his enemies with a dozen of blasting shots, which succeeded in hitting two of them badly. The other two attacked him with their plasma scimitars. X was able to duck both of them and shift swiftly to his right. He punched one of them hard in the stomach, and then he knocked him out with three punches on the face. The other Maverick tried to slash X with his scimitar, but the blue Hunter managed to kick his attacker's hand which was grasping the weapon, sending it flying away. The Maverick threw a punch on X's face, catching him off balance. He lifted X high and threw him savagely on a close wall, causing it to collapse on the Hunter. X was buried under the fallen wall, hurt and unable to move.
The Maverick roared with laughter, feeling proud of his achievement. "You're nothing but a weakling, X, just as I expected. I didn't think the battle would end so fast, though!"
Much to the Maverick's surprise, X managed to get himself from under the rubble in a blur.
"I won't be defeated so easy, Maverick!" he shouted, sending a super shot from his buster that penetrated his rival's chest, killing him.
The other three got up despite their wounds, insisting on destroying Mega Man X more than ever.
"You're doomed this time, X!" one of them shouted while launching a rocket at X, then another, then another… X rolled on the ground away from the rockets until all of them missed him. In a blur, he jumped up to his feet and charged his buster again.
"Now it's my turn!" he cried.
At the same minute the Maverick was about to shoot another rocket, X blasted a shot to the rocket launcher. The weapon exploded instantly, destroying the Maverick as well.
Two down and two left.
The remaining two Mavericks were boiling with rage. "Why you bastard! You're gonna pay for this!" the first one snarled.
"DIE, X!" The other one opened his fire at X from his flame thrower. X leaped high and made a midair dash toward his enemy. He blasted a shot into his head, finishing him off.
X turned around to face the last Maverick. "Looks like it's just you and me now," he said sulkily. "I am offering you a chance to surrender."
The Maverick cackled. "Ha! In your dreams, X! I'm gonna send you straight to hell!"
X squinted his eyes. "Have it your way then."
His rival charged with his scimitar at X with all his might. A bloody battle lasted for some time. Both of them were seriously hurt. X's armor was severely damaged, which weakened him noticeably.
Unfortunately, when X was just about to blast his enemy once and for all, the Maverick managed to slash across X's right eye in a swift motion.
The blue Hunter screamed in great pain. He put his hand on his injured eye and fell down to his knees. The pain was intolerable, even for a strong fighter like him.
Ahhh! My eye! Dammit…
The Maverick took X's pathetic condition in advantage. "Poor little X lost one of his pretty eyes. What a pity!" he guffawed evilly. He raised his scimitar high, ready to jam it into the helpless Hunter's head.
"Say your last prayers, hero!"
Just when the scimitar was about to touch X's helmet, a sudden purple light flashed in the site…