Light saw the monster approaching as he turned on the main defense system, Megaman was out and so was Protoman and Bass…Roll was out collecting data for Light's newest invention.
~I'm all alone here…~ Light thought hopelessly as Alpha Zero tore through the defenses like they were nothing.
Light sighed and turned to the main control panel, inserting the code to bury his latest, and greatest invention ever…his eyes began to water gently as he heard the explosion outside…
"Goodbye X…until we meet again…" Light said in a shaking, breaking voice as he turned to face the monster who had come to reap his soul.
*
ALphaZero blasted through the final barricade and stepped through the smoke slowly, seeing the doctor in front of him.
"Well well well, at least I didn't have to search for you." Alpha Zero said with a tone of sarcastic optimism.
Light grimaced slightly before maintaining himself.
"Wily sent you didn't he?" Light asked quietly.
AlphaZero laughed out loud.
"That old fool has drowned in a pool of his own blood by now…I don't listen to pathetic humans like him." Alpha Zero said coldly.
Light couldn't believe it… surely he hadn't really killed Dr. Wily, and yet he seemed so convincing…and Light's eyes widened as he came to realize that Alpha Zero had truly killed Wily.
"Oh, it wasn't that bad, I made it quick for him, GutsMan though…he required some pain." With that Alpha Zero described the horrors he had executed on GutsMan with sickening detail.
With this horrible revelation Dr. Light staggered back into his main control panel and accidently brought up the plans for X.
"Ooooo…what's that you have there doc?" Alpha Zero asked curiously.
Light grimaced and slapped his forehead…not believing that he had actually shown X's program to Alpha Zero.
Zero looked it over intently…it containing all the information on X except where he was at the present time.
Zero smiled and turned to the Doctor.
"Thank you for this wonderful information…now I believe your existence is obsolete and should be terminated…" he smiled. "…now!"
The sabre moved quickly and left Light in a pool of his own blood. Alpha Zero laughed out loud, his bellows echoing through the hallways as he ran through the remainder of the lab destroying the rest of it completely.
Sigma and Vile stopped at the top of the hill overlooking Light's lab…or what was left of it.
"Damn! Everything we've planned has been sabotaged by that menacing demon!" Sigma growled through his teeth.
Vile sighed and turned away from the ruins.
"It would be best for us to return…we have much planning to do after these recent developments, obviously time isn't willing to change. What will happen will happen, and we will remain as we are now. We need to get to work on a new force and if we're lucky we might be able to attack the modern world while X and Zero are still tied up here…"
Sigma mumbled fiercely under his breath.
"Very well…" Sigma turned to follow Vile, then turned again and whispered.
"God help all who might stand in the face of that beast…this isn't the Zero we know …fortunately..." And with a growl he turned back to follow vile, the portal opening up as they returned to 21XX.
*
GGM spun around bringing his sabre across both X and Zero's chests. They both jumped back quickly as the sabre whisked through the air about a millimeter away from their breastplates as X brought his sword down on GGM's and Zero slashed at GGM's head.
GGM smiled and ducked quickly, letting go of his sabre he threw his hand up violently and knocked the sabre out of Zero's hand, jumping into the air and grabbing it he spun in mid-air and held out his buster, firing a rather large blast under the feet of Zero.
*
~I got him!~ Zero thought as he slashed at the monster's neck, but he was incredibly fast and was under his arm in less than a second, knocking the sabre out of his hand.
~DAMMIT!~ he thought as he turned and saw GGM charging his buster, he leapt forward but the explosion still sent him flying forward. Flipping once he attempted to land on one knee but slid forward and landed on his face.
X saw Zero go flying by and growled, turning to GGM, who was already on the offensive again.
The monster flew towards X at amazing speed from above and flipped forward bringing the sabre down to try and slice X in half.
~Surely he's much stronger than either of us anticipated…~ X cursed himself for the underestimation as he rolled quickly to the left, his sabre still held tightly in his hand he stood quickly and pushed off his left leg throwing out his buster he fired a plasma blast followed by a slash across his chest from top right to bottom left.
*
GGM slashed through the plasma only to have his sabre meet another sabre…and the two blades held there for what seemed like an eternity in the eyes of the ones who wielded them.
GGM's eyes were empty, and were being filled, second by second, with more hatred to help fuel his fight. Suddenly, a great trampling was heard in the open hall.
ElecMan, QuickMan, ShadowMan, DarkMan and MetalMan all ran through the door.
"Gattling!" Quick said with exhaustion.
"We finally found you!" Metal said with happiness.
GGM was a different person now, his sabre held tightly, his armor slightly singed from the earlier blast he turned and stared down his brethren in a fiery rage. And all 5 of them backed up slowly.
"Gattling…what's wrong with you?!" Dark asked cautiously.
GGM growled and pointed at Zero with his sabre.
"Can't you see? This is the one who killed Wily!" GGM shouted in a wild frenzy.
"This is, Zero?" Metal asked with a tinge of doubt.
"Of course it's Zero! We've all seen Wily's latest project and this is him!" GGM was getting impatient with the lack of belief from his brothers.
"But Gattling, take a good look at him…a really good look." Elec said softly.
GGM growled and turned to stare down Zero, and gazing deep into his eyes he discovered something that frightened him to the core of his being.
Inside Zero's eyes there were the stories of heroism, kindness and friendship…things that couldn't possibly be in the eyes of a bloodthirsty killer.
GGM slowly dropped his sabre to the ground.
"I…I don't know what to say…" He stuttered shakily as he fell to his knees.
Zero went and picked up his Sabre and sheathed it while X sheathed his.
GGM looked up at his brothers.
"So, you're telling me that while I've been fighting this one, that killer has been out wreaking havoc?"
Quick sighed and nodded slowly.
GGM growled and pounded his fist into the ground.
"DAMMIT!"
*
Megaman and Protoman got out of their hiding places slowly, looking to GutsMan's remaining pieces they shuddered and turned away.
"Let's get out of here…" Protoman said quietly.
"I have to call this in to Dr. Light, he may be in trouble." Megaman said, not knowing the terrors that had already taken place back at his home, he called in to the lab.
A screen popped up in the destroyed lab. Robots lay destroyed everywhere…far away one could find the mutilated body of a female robot, clutching her heart in torment while she waited for the brother who never came. A doctor lie in a massive pool of blood in front of his main control panel, as the plans for his latest invention flickered on again for just a second to reveal a single letter…X.
*
"Dr. Light? Dr. Light?! DR. LIGHT!!!" Megaman screamed into the communicator.
He knew what had happened and he immediately collapsed onto his knees.
"Damn…I knew it…I knew that monster wasn't finished…"
Protoman found himself in shock as well, reeling from the loss of the day he tried to stay strong for Megaman's sake.
"Come on Megaman…we can't just give up now. We have to try and right these wrongs. I know this is going to be hard for you, it's hard for me too…but we have to continue…" Protoman couldn't speak anymore, his tears had taken over as he began to weep. He wept with such strength as a man who never had cried before in his life as he sat on the floor, his entire body shaking with agony and grief he screamed into the darkness that enveloped them both.
X looked over the 6 robots now, GGM, Shadow, Dark, Elec, Metal and QuickMan. Each of them offering GGM encouraging words, but he knew that none of them helped GGM feel any better. The fact that he rushed into the battle with the wrong Zero opened the doors for Alpha Zero to wreak havoc and destruction all around him while he was busy fighting the other Zero.
"It's all my fault...I can't believe I was so foolish!" GGM exclaimed in anger.
Zero looked around, still not coming to grasp with the intensity of the situation.
"So let me get this straight, there's another berserk version of me running around somewhere around here?" Zero asked doubtfully.
GGM and the other four robots looked to him with a glare of hatred.
"No...YOU are running around killing all those people...it's just not the future you. It's the you that was made in this time." ElecMan said.
Zero cocked his head to one side, the look of confusion more evident than a bright neon sign.
"You were created in this time by Dr. Wily...someone has set "you" free too early, and now you're causing destruction wherever you go." ShadowMan said impatiently.
Zero's look shifted from confused to horrified as he staggered back a few steps.
"That...monster? That monster is me?" Zero asked in amazement.
X quickly ran to Zero's side and held him up, yelling in his ear.
"Get a hold of yourself Zero! That monster is nothing like you! You can't let yourself be fooled!"
Zero shook his head violently, shoving X away.
"Get away from me! Just stay away!!" He yelled as he ran out of the room, confused, angry and unsure of himself and his comrades.
Zero ran outside and down the corridor in blinding speed. Millions of thoughts racing through his head, driving him forward as he sped faster and faster...further and further out of wily's lair until he finally reached the cool, refreshing air outside.
The sun was setting softly in the west as Zero collapsed to his knees.
~What am I? What's going on?!~
Zero suddenly felt a horrifically cold being approaching at incredible speed, and stood up quickly.
*
Alpha Zero stopped on one of the many barren hills surrounding Wily's Lair.
"There are 8 more robots in there...each of them undeniably strong...plus the two unidentified beings in there..." Alpha zero smiled.
"No matter...more pigs to the slaughter!" Alpha Zero chuckled and dashed towards the base at lightning speed.
*
Zero felt the figure approcahing, and he had a strong urge to turn around and run back inside. The same warrior who had battled monsters of unspeakable destructive power now felt enough fear from this entity of evil that he truly felt that running away was his only chance...as he felt the figure growing stronger he turned, and ran back down the corridors.
*
GGM stood slowly, his brothers standing behind him.
"I suggest that you two return to wherever it was that you came from...things may become very ugly soon."
X nodded silently.
"True...I shall get Zero and report back to where I came from...I haven't sensed Sigma or Vile anywhere nearby, god knows what they're planning right now."
Just then a blur of red went jetting by...
"Zero?" X asked curiously as he looked down the corridor, and suddenly got a rush of the entity that was approaching, he slowly turned to the 6 robots.
"Um, you guys might want to get ready for one hell of a battle, whatever it was I just picked up just scared my partner away like a cat does a mouse."
X looked rather serious now.
"And my friend is the farthest thing from a mouse that you'll ever meet..."
GGM looked to his brothers slowly, all of them getting their busters ready.
"That beast killed our master, like hell if we're gonna let him leave here standing!"
The 5 robot brothers shouted in agreement as X made way for them to head out to battle against Alpha Zero.
X then turned the other way and ran in the direction that Zero was...hoping to get to him and get them both back home.
Zero stopped running, and as soon as he did he fell to his knees and began to cry in shame.
~What am I doing? I'm the most fearsome maverick hunter in my time...and yet...whatever that was scared me...scared me beyond my wildest nightmares...~
Zero took a deep breath and heard running steps coming from behind him, with a light calling of his name.
*
"Zero! Zero where are you?" X called desperately...
~Zero...what's wrong? What was it about that creature that scared you so much?~ X thought with great concern as he noticed Zero's outline ahead of him...on his knees.
"Zero! There you are!" X called as he came up behind Zero.
*
Zero heard X come up behind him and growled softly...
"Go away...I don't need your comments right now X...I have enough shame as it is..." he said softly.
*
"Who said I was going to make comments Zero? You had every right to run from that...thing. Truly its power is incredible... but that's not why I came. Sigma and Vile have dissappeared...I think they went back home..."
Zero growled...a little louder this time.
"Those cowardly beasts...taking advantage of the situation to head back and cause all sorts of damage..."
X sighed.
"We need to head back...now...so why don't we..." suddenly X heard a sound nearby.
"shh..." X said cautiously as he got his X-buster ready...Zero stood and silently took out his Z-sabre.
*
Megaman looked to Protoman and motioned for him to follow after him quietly...
~We're almost there...~ Megaman thought to himself with a smile as he leapt out from behind the wall hoping to roll and slide behind the next wall without being noticed by any guards that were probably left behind.
*
X saw a blur and immediately fired, Zero rushing and slashing wildly at the next body that came out.
*
Megaman didn't know what hit him...suddenly his body was torn apart by a powerful blast, his arms going one way...his legs another, his central body unit completely dissipated as his head rolled back and gently bumped the back wall.
*
Protoman turned to see a flash of green before his top was separated from his lower body...another slash tore his upper body in half, his body exploding with great force sending Zero flying backwards.
*
"Zero?!" X cried as he watched him plow into the back wall.
"Don't worry X...I'm ok..." Zero said with a wince.
"Who were those...oh god!" X cried...realizing the horrifying mistake they had made.
"It's Megaman!" Zero cried in anguish.
"And protoman!" X lamented.
*
Megaman was able to make out their faces...not able to believe that it was actually X and Zero that had ended his long career of crime fighting and destroying robot masters...it was finally his time to go...
~I'm so tired...I'm glad that it's over...but sad that it had to end this way.~
Megaman's head unit was still able to produce some tears as a few gently rolled down his face...he began to utter his last words...
"I...just tell Doctor Light... I'm sorry....I couldn't do more..."
*
X ran to Megaman's remaining unit as he knelt next to it...
"No...you can rest now...you've done enough for this planet...far more than you can possibly imagine..."
X's hands were shaking gently, his eyes beginning to water as he looked away from Megaman in his wretched state...one would hope that such a warrior could die in a more honorable manner.
*
Zero looked to his hands...there was blood all over them...once again stained with the blood of innocents.
"What...have I done?" Zero said quietly to himself...once again falling to his knees onto the floor which was now covered in a thin layer of blood.
*
Megaman smiled at the last line that X spoke.
"Thank...you...X..." he finally said as his eyes rolled back and his head unit shut down...permanently.
*
"Megaman...goodbye..." X was able to sputter before breaking down completely and wailing into the empty hallway. The darkness seeming to creep in on both of the heart-wrenched warriors and consume them...swallowing them back into the abyss of sadness and despair.
*
GGM, ElecMan, DarkMan, QuickMan, ShadowMan and MetalMan all ran outside to meet their oncoming foe.
"This is the one guys...this is the one who destroyed our master...this is the one who tore through our brethren like meaningless cattle..." GGM began to say in a voice through his teeth, the rage growing more and more inside of him.
"We won't let him live to destroy any more lives..." DarkMan agreed with a growl.
Each of their busters began to hum with their attributed gifts as the creature grew closer.
"Indeed brothers...this is the final stand...prepare for the greatest battle of your lives! This is the deciding moment...and I could not be any more proud to be standing on the battlefield with you...my brothers."
The five robots looked to GGM and smiled.
GGM smiled back.
"Here's to victory!" GGM shouted and the five robots shouted back in agreement, each taking a firm stance awaiting the beast's arrival.
*
Alpha Zero saw the 6 robots out front.
~This'll be fun...~ he thought with a menacing grimace as he grew closer and closer, unsheathing his sabre and charging his buster...preparing for a fun battle.
X and Zero sat there for quite a while, revelling in their terrible mistake.
"Zero...Zero we really should go..." X said...his voice still shaking with sadness.
Zero nodded silently.
"We've already ruined things enough around here...let's go home..."
Both of them stood slowly, like the weight of the world had been slammed down on their shoulders...when all of the sudden Zero stopped.
"What is it Zero?" X asked quietly.
"X...we shouldn't leave...not yet. We can't leave those robots to fight that monster all by themselves! We've already ruined too many lives, let's try to save theirs!"
X looked to Zero and closed his eyes.
~The longer we stay here...the more open the hunter base is to attack...but we do owe those robots far more than they could possibly imagine...~
X opened his eyes and nodded.
"Very well..we shall help them..but we need to watch the time and make sure that we're not here too long...every minute is crucial!"
Zero nodded as the two ran out towards where the six robots were waiting for Alpha Zero's arrival.
*
Alpha Zero stopped a few feet in front of the line of robots and smiled.
"I'm glad to see you've come out...it saves me the time of hunting you down one by one to kill you..."
GGM smiled.
"I was just about to say the same thing..."
Suddenly GGM heard behind him the running of feet...and turned to see X and Zero again...with blood all over them...
Zero saw Alpha Zero...and his body went numb.
Alpha Zero sneered.
"I see...so you've made another of me? Fight fire with fire I suppose..."
X couldn't believe his eyes either.
"What....what are...you?" X asked slowly.
Alpha Zero chuckled.
"I am Zero...the final and greatest invention of the late Dr. Wily. Unfortunately for Dr. Wily, he wasn't able to understand that I don't take orders from anyone..." a dark smile spread over Alpha Zero's face.
Zero took a shocked step back...mouth agape in utter shock and disbelief.
"Dr. Wily...?" Zero mumbled to nobody in particular...finally falling back...landing on his backside.
Alpha Zero laughed.
"I guess this copy is faulty...surely you forgot to implement any type of courage in this one..." Alpha Zero gave Zero a look that sent chills down his spine.
Zero finally put his front back on, grimacing...more enraged than he ever had been before and stood quickly, unsheathing his Z-sabre.
"I don't care who the hell you say you are...this is where you put up or shut up!" Zero charged forward and spun, slashing at Alpha Zero's chest.
Alpha Zero chuckled and leapt back, pushing off his left foot as he landed he brought his knee up into Zero's chin...sending him flying.
Zero backflipped in mid air and landed on one knee holding out his buster arm he fired a medium sized blast, pushing off both feet into an aerial flip to land on the other side of Alpha Zero he charged again, bringing his sabre up from the ground into a powerful upward slash, attempting to slice Alpha Zero in two.
Alpha Zero growled and spun with his sabre, slashing the blast in two and turned to Zero, bringing his sabre down, hard, on the oncoming attack and smiled slowly.
"I see you at least have some spirit...that's good..." Alpha Zero chuckled and brought up his left foot to kick Zero's right shoulder hard enough to set him off balance.
Zero took the hit and rolled to the left, sliding he stood firm again holding his sabre ready.
As X watched this battle which he thought he would never see a emergency call came from deep within the fabrics of time.
"X...X! This is Signas...we need your help! Get Zero back here immediately! We're under attack! I repeat we're under att..."
the voice suddenly died out.
X looked up to Zero and the monstrous Alpha Zero...and called out to his comrade.
*
"Zero! Zero we need to go! NOW!" X called.
~Damn! Why now?~ Zero turned to X.
"I'm kind of busy! What's the big deal?" Zero asked rather impatiently.
X growled.
"Hunter base is under attack! That's the big deal!"
Zero stopped suddenly as a powerful slash came from Alpha Zero, GGM charged forward and met Alpha Zero's sabre with his own.
"GO! NOW!" GGM cried as Zero nodded quietly, running after X...finally turning to GGM and the others.
"Best of luck! All of you!" He finally turned to follow X deep into Wily's lair.
*
X and Zero made it into the deepest room of the lair and X put in the coordinates on his arm-panel.
"Alright...we'll have a lot to do as soon as we get back..." X said quietly..seeing Zero was deep in thought.
X gently put his hand on Zero's shoulder.
"You gonna be ok?" X asked with a tinge of concern.
Zero nodded silently.
"Let's just go home..." he said with a mumble.
X closed his eyes.
"Very well...21XX...here we come..."
The room erupted with a thunderclap as the two heroes dissappeared into nothingness.
Alpha Zero saw his clone escape...as well as that other mysterious blue robot and growled lightly, pushing off of GGM's sabre into a backflip he tried to make his way after them..but the 5 robots stood in front of the entrance.
"You're not going any further..." QuickMan said with a grimace.
Alpha Zero chuckled.
"I suppose I'll be delayed slightly while I'm killing each of you slowly...seeing as how you've caused me so much trouble I'll make sure your deaths are as slow and painful as GutsMan's was."
GGM and the others growled softly.
"We'll see who dies today!" GGM cried as he charged again, sabre unsheathed and brought the sabre down at Alpha Zero's head...hard.
Alpha Zero brought up his sabre to block it as suddenly 5 huge blasts came towards him from nowhere.
pushing off of the blade into a backroll he launched himself high into the air, over the blasts...just then GGM jumped into the air also, holding out his sabre he spun in the air, knocking Alpha Zero's sabre away throwing out his right fist, smacking Alpha Zero in the face, sending him reeling backwards into the rocky ground.
Alpha Zero bounced roughly off of the rocky, jagged ground... and backflipped landing on one knee he looked up to GGM who now had two sabres.
~How could this ancient robot be so strong?~ Alpha Zero thought with a scowl.
*
GGM spun both of the sabres around...not really having experienced that kind of combat in training...backflipping he landed on the ground on one knee.
DarkMan looked to his brothers.
"Let's give GGM a break and take care of this one ourselves!"
Quick, Metal, Shadow and ElecMan all nodded with agreement.
Dark charged first, followed by Quick, Metal and Shadow all in a line behind him with ElecMan tailing in the rear.
Dark jumped and front flipped over Alpha Zero, the other 4 creating a small circle around Alpha Zero.
Alpha Zero chuckled.
"So be it..." he growled suddenly and in a blur brought his knee up into MetalMan's stomach spinning around, his foot connecting with Metal's head sent him flying to the side...turning quickly he jump kicked at QuickMan's head...sending him rolling backwards, turning to the left he did a wide sweep kick on Shadow and DarkMan, knocking them off balance before kicking dark square between the legs sending him flying off like the greatest punt in all of football history...a blast went off behind him as a sabre came whizzing from next to him.
rolling forward he turned and grabbed the hilt of his sabre, spinning around nullifying the blast from ElecMan he charged, punching Elec in the gut then bringing his knee up under ElecMan's chin.
~This is going to be a tough battle...~ GGM thought as he held his sabre true in his hand.
~I'm all alone here…~ Light thought hopelessly as Alpha Zero tore through the defenses like they were nothing.
Light sighed and turned to the main control panel, inserting the code to bury his latest, and greatest invention ever…his eyes began to water gently as he heard the explosion outside…
"Goodbye X…until we meet again…" Light said in a shaking, breaking voice as he turned to face the monster who had come to reap his soul.
*
ALphaZero blasted through the final barricade and stepped through the smoke slowly, seeing the doctor in front of him.
"Well well well, at least I didn't have to search for you." Alpha Zero said with a tone of sarcastic optimism.
Light grimaced slightly before maintaining himself.
"Wily sent you didn't he?" Light asked quietly.
AlphaZero laughed out loud.
"That old fool has drowned in a pool of his own blood by now…I don't listen to pathetic humans like him." Alpha Zero said coldly.
Light couldn't believe it… surely he hadn't really killed Dr. Wily, and yet he seemed so convincing…and Light's eyes widened as he came to realize that Alpha Zero had truly killed Wily.
"Oh, it wasn't that bad, I made it quick for him, GutsMan though…he required some pain." With that Alpha Zero described the horrors he had executed on GutsMan with sickening detail.
With this horrible revelation Dr. Light staggered back into his main control panel and accidently brought up the plans for X.
"Ooooo…what's that you have there doc?" Alpha Zero asked curiously.
Light grimaced and slapped his forehead…not believing that he had actually shown X's program to Alpha Zero.
Zero looked it over intently…it containing all the information on X except where he was at the present time.
Zero smiled and turned to the Doctor.
"Thank you for this wonderful information…now I believe your existence is obsolete and should be terminated…" he smiled. "…now!"
The sabre moved quickly and left Light in a pool of his own blood. Alpha Zero laughed out loud, his bellows echoing through the hallways as he ran through the remainder of the lab destroying the rest of it completely.
Sigma and Vile stopped at the top of the hill overlooking Light's lab…or what was left of it.
"Damn! Everything we've planned has been sabotaged by that menacing demon!" Sigma growled through his teeth.
Vile sighed and turned away from the ruins.
"It would be best for us to return…we have much planning to do after these recent developments, obviously time isn't willing to change. What will happen will happen, and we will remain as we are now. We need to get to work on a new force and if we're lucky we might be able to attack the modern world while X and Zero are still tied up here…"
Sigma mumbled fiercely under his breath.
"Very well…" Sigma turned to follow Vile, then turned again and whispered.
"God help all who might stand in the face of that beast…this isn't the Zero we know …fortunately..." And with a growl he turned back to follow vile, the portal opening up as they returned to 21XX.
*
GGM spun around bringing his sabre across both X and Zero's chests. They both jumped back quickly as the sabre whisked through the air about a millimeter away from their breastplates as X brought his sword down on GGM's and Zero slashed at GGM's head.
GGM smiled and ducked quickly, letting go of his sabre he threw his hand up violently and knocked the sabre out of Zero's hand, jumping into the air and grabbing it he spun in mid-air and held out his buster, firing a rather large blast under the feet of Zero.
*
~I got him!~ Zero thought as he slashed at the monster's neck, but he was incredibly fast and was under his arm in less than a second, knocking the sabre out of his hand.
~DAMMIT!~ he thought as he turned and saw GGM charging his buster, he leapt forward but the explosion still sent him flying forward. Flipping once he attempted to land on one knee but slid forward and landed on his face.
X saw Zero go flying by and growled, turning to GGM, who was already on the offensive again.
The monster flew towards X at amazing speed from above and flipped forward bringing the sabre down to try and slice X in half.
~Surely he's much stronger than either of us anticipated…~ X cursed himself for the underestimation as he rolled quickly to the left, his sabre still held tightly in his hand he stood quickly and pushed off his left leg throwing out his buster he fired a plasma blast followed by a slash across his chest from top right to bottom left.
*
GGM slashed through the plasma only to have his sabre meet another sabre…and the two blades held there for what seemed like an eternity in the eyes of the ones who wielded them.
GGM's eyes were empty, and were being filled, second by second, with more hatred to help fuel his fight. Suddenly, a great trampling was heard in the open hall.
ElecMan, QuickMan, ShadowMan, DarkMan and MetalMan all ran through the door.
"Gattling!" Quick said with exhaustion.
"We finally found you!" Metal said with happiness.
GGM was a different person now, his sabre held tightly, his armor slightly singed from the earlier blast he turned and stared down his brethren in a fiery rage. And all 5 of them backed up slowly.
"Gattling…what's wrong with you?!" Dark asked cautiously.
GGM growled and pointed at Zero with his sabre.
"Can't you see? This is the one who killed Wily!" GGM shouted in a wild frenzy.
"This is, Zero?" Metal asked with a tinge of doubt.
"Of course it's Zero! We've all seen Wily's latest project and this is him!" GGM was getting impatient with the lack of belief from his brothers.
"But Gattling, take a good look at him…a really good look." Elec said softly.
GGM growled and turned to stare down Zero, and gazing deep into his eyes he discovered something that frightened him to the core of his being.
Inside Zero's eyes there were the stories of heroism, kindness and friendship…things that couldn't possibly be in the eyes of a bloodthirsty killer.
GGM slowly dropped his sabre to the ground.
"I…I don't know what to say…" He stuttered shakily as he fell to his knees.
Zero went and picked up his Sabre and sheathed it while X sheathed his.
GGM looked up at his brothers.
"So, you're telling me that while I've been fighting this one, that killer has been out wreaking havoc?"
Quick sighed and nodded slowly.
GGM growled and pounded his fist into the ground.
"DAMMIT!"
*
Megaman and Protoman got out of their hiding places slowly, looking to GutsMan's remaining pieces they shuddered and turned away.
"Let's get out of here…" Protoman said quietly.
"I have to call this in to Dr. Light, he may be in trouble." Megaman said, not knowing the terrors that had already taken place back at his home, he called in to the lab.
A screen popped up in the destroyed lab. Robots lay destroyed everywhere…far away one could find the mutilated body of a female robot, clutching her heart in torment while she waited for the brother who never came. A doctor lie in a massive pool of blood in front of his main control panel, as the plans for his latest invention flickered on again for just a second to reveal a single letter…X.
*
"Dr. Light? Dr. Light?! DR. LIGHT!!!" Megaman screamed into the communicator.
He knew what had happened and he immediately collapsed onto his knees.
"Damn…I knew it…I knew that monster wasn't finished…"
Protoman found himself in shock as well, reeling from the loss of the day he tried to stay strong for Megaman's sake.
"Come on Megaman…we can't just give up now. We have to try and right these wrongs. I know this is going to be hard for you, it's hard for me too…but we have to continue…" Protoman couldn't speak anymore, his tears had taken over as he began to weep. He wept with such strength as a man who never had cried before in his life as he sat on the floor, his entire body shaking with agony and grief he screamed into the darkness that enveloped them both.
X looked over the 6 robots now, GGM, Shadow, Dark, Elec, Metal and QuickMan. Each of them offering GGM encouraging words, but he knew that none of them helped GGM feel any better. The fact that he rushed into the battle with the wrong Zero opened the doors for Alpha Zero to wreak havoc and destruction all around him while he was busy fighting the other Zero.
"It's all my fault...I can't believe I was so foolish!" GGM exclaimed in anger.
Zero looked around, still not coming to grasp with the intensity of the situation.
"So let me get this straight, there's another berserk version of me running around somewhere around here?" Zero asked doubtfully.
GGM and the other four robots looked to him with a glare of hatred.
"No...YOU are running around killing all those people...it's just not the future you. It's the you that was made in this time." ElecMan said.
Zero cocked his head to one side, the look of confusion more evident than a bright neon sign.
"You were created in this time by Dr. Wily...someone has set "you" free too early, and now you're causing destruction wherever you go." ShadowMan said impatiently.
Zero's look shifted from confused to horrified as he staggered back a few steps.
"That...monster? That monster is me?" Zero asked in amazement.
X quickly ran to Zero's side and held him up, yelling in his ear.
"Get a hold of yourself Zero! That monster is nothing like you! You can't let yourself be fooled!"
Zero shook his head violently, shoving X away.
"Get away from me! Just stay away!!" He yelled as he ran out of the room, confused, angry and unsure of himself and his comrades.
Zero ran outside and down the corridor in blinding speed. Millions of thoughts racing through his head, driving him forward as he sped faster and faster...further and further out of wily's lair until he finally reached the cool, refreshing air outside.
The sun was setting softly in the west as Zero collapsed to his knees.
~What am I? What's going on?!~
Zero suddenly felt a horrifically cold being approaching at incredible speed, and stood up quickly.
*
Alpha Zero stopped on one of the many barren hills surrounding Wily's Lair.
"There are 8 more robots in there...each of them undeniably strong...plus the two unidentified beings in there..." Alpha zero smiled.
"No matter...more pigs to the slaughter!" Alpha Zero chuckled and dashed towards the base at lightning speed.
*
Zero felt the figure approcahing, and he had a strong urge to turn around and run back inside. The same warrior who had battled monsters of unspeakable destructive power now felt enough fear from this entity of evil that he truly felt that running away was his only chance...as he felt the figure growing stronger he turned, and ran back down the corridors.
*
GGM stood slowly, his brothers standing behind him.
"I suggest that you two return to wherever it was that you came from...things may become very ugly soon."
X nodded silently.
"True...I shall get Zero and report back to where I came from...I haven't sensed Sigma or Vile anywhere nearby, god knows what they're planning right now."
Just then a blur of red went jetting by...
"Zero?" X asked curiously as he looked down the corridor, and suddenly got a rush of the entity that was approaching, he slowly turned to the 6 robots.
"Um, you guys might want to get ready for one hell of a battle, whatever it was I just picked up just scared my partner away like a cat does a mouse."
X looked rather serious now.
"And my friend is the farthest thing from a mouse that you'll ever meet..."
GGM looked to his brothers slowly, all of them getting their busters ready.
"That beast killed our master, like hell if we're gonna let him leave here standing!"
The 5 robot brothers shouted in agreement as X made way for them to head out to battle against Alpha Zero.
X then turned the other way and ran in the direction that Zero was...hoping to get to him and get them both back home.
Zero stopped running, and as soon as he did he fell to his knees and began to cry in shame.
~What am I doing? I'm the most fearsome maverick hunter in my time...and yet...whatever that was scared me...scared me beyond my wildest nightmares...~
Zero took a deep breath and heard running steps coming from behind him, with a light calling of his name.
*
"Zero! Zero where are you?" X called desperately...
~Zero...what's wrong? What was it about that creature that scared you so much?~ X thought with great concern as he noticed Zero's outline ahead of him...on his knees.
"Zero! There you are!" X called as he came up behind Zero.
*
Zero heard X come up behind him and growled softly...
"Go away...I don't need your comments right now X...I have enough shame as it is..." he said softly.
*
"Who said I was going to make comments Zero? You had every right to run from that...thing. Truly its power is incredible... but that's not why I came. Sigma and Vile have dissappeared...I think they went back home..."
Zero growled...a little louder this time.
"Those cowardly beasts...taking advantage of the situation to head back and cause all sorts of damage..."
X sighed.
"We need to head back...now...so why don't we..." suddenly X heard a sound nearby.
"shh..." X said cautiously as he got his X-buster ready...Zero stood and silently took out his Z-sabre.
*
Megaman looked to Protoman and motioned for him to follow after him quietly...
~We're almost there...~ Megaman thought to himself with a smile as he leapt out from behind the wall hoping to roll and slide behind the next wall without being noticed by any guards that were probably left behind.
*
X saw a blur and immediately fired, Zero rushing and slashing wildly at the next body that came out.
*
Megaman didn't know what hit him...suddenly his body was torn apart by a powerful blast, his arms going one way...his legs another, his central body unit completely dissipated as his head rolled back and gently bumped the back wall.
*
Protoman turned to see a flash of green before his top was separated from his lower body...another slash tore his upper body in half, his body exploding with great force sending Zero flying backwards.
*
"Zero?!" X cried as he watched him plow into the back wall.
"Don't worry X...I'm ok..." Zero said with a wince.
"Who were those...oh god!" X cried...realizing the horrifying mistake they had made.
"It's Megaman!" Zero cried in anguish.
"And protoman!" X lamented.
*
Megaman was able to make out their faces...not able to believe that it was actually X and Zero that had ended his long career of crime fighting and destroying robot masters...it was finally his time to go...
~I'm so tired...I'm glad that it's over...but sad that it had to end this way.~
Megaman's head unit was still able to produce some tears as a few gently rolled down his face...he began to utter his last words...
"I...just tell Doctor Light... I'm sorry....I couldn't do more..."
*
X ran to Megaman's remaining unit as he knelt next to it...
"No...you can rest now...you've done enough for this planet...far more than you can possibly imagine..."
X's hands were shaking gently, his eyes beginning to water as he looked away from Megaman in his wretched state...one would hope that such a warrior could die in a more honorable manner.
*
Zero looked to his hands...there was blood all over them...once again stained with the blood of innocents.
"What...have I done?" Zero said quietly to himself...once again falling to his knees onto the floor which was now covered in a thin layer of blood.
*
Megaman smiled at the last line that X spoke.
"Thank...you...X..." he finally said as his eyes rolled back and his head unit shut down...permanently.
*
"Megaman...goodbye..." X was able to sputter before breaking down completely and wailing into the empty hallway. The darkness seeming to creep in on both of the heart-wrenched warriors and consume them...swallowing them back into the abyss of sadness and despair.
*
GGM, ElecMan, DarkMan, QuickMan, ShadowMan and MetalMan all ran outside to meet their oncoming foe.
"This is the one guys...this is the one who destroyed our master...this is the one who tore through our brethren like meaningless cattle..." GGM began to say in a voice through his teeth, the rage growing more and more inside of him.
"We won't let him live to destroy any more lives..." DarkMan agreed with a growl.
Each of their busters began to hum with their attributed gifts as the creature grew closer.
"Indeed brothers...this is the final stand...prepare for the greatest battle of your lives! This is the deciding moment...and I could not be any more proud to be standing on the battlefield with you...my brothers."
The five robots looked to GGM and smiled.
GGM smiled back.
"Here's to victory!" GGM shouted and the five robots shouted back in agreement, each taking a firm stance awaiting the beast's arrival.
*
Alpha Zero saw the 6 robots out front.
~This'll be fun...~ he thought with a menacing grimace as he grew closer and closer, unsheathing his sabre and charging his buster...preparing for a fun battle.
X and Zero sat there for quite a while, revelling in their terrible mistake.
"Zero...Zero we really should go..." X said...his voice still shaking with sadness.
Zero nodded silently.
"We've already ruined things enough around here...let's go home..."
Both of them stood slowly, like the weight of the world had been slammed down on their shoulders...when all of the sudden Zero stopped.
"What is it Zero?" X asked quietly.
"X...we shouldn't leave...not yet. We can't leave those robots to fight that monster all by themselves! We've already ruined too many lives, let's try to save theirs!"
X looked to Zero and closed his eyes.
~The longer we stay here...the more open the hunter base is to attack...but we do owe those robots far more than they could possibly imagine...~
X opened his eyes and nodded.
"Very well..we shall help them..but we need to watch the time and make sure that we're not here too long...every minute is crucial!"
Zero nodded as the two ran out towards where the six robots were waiting for Alpha Zero's arrival.
*
Alpha Zero stopped a few feet in front of the line of robots and smiled.
"I'm glad to see you've come out...it saves me the time of hunting you down one by one to kill you..."
GGM smiled.
"I was just about to say the same thing..."
Suddenly GGM heard behind him the running of feet...and turned to see X and Zero again...with blood all over them...
Zero saw Alpha Zero...and his body went numb.
Alpha Zero sneered.
"I see...so you've made another of me? Fight fire with fire I suppose..."
X couldn't believe his eyes either.
"What....what are...you?" X asked slowly.
Alpha Zero chuckled.
"I am Zero...the final and greatest invention of the late Dr. Wily. Unfortunately for Dr. Wily, he wasn't able to understand that I don't take orders from anyone..." a dark smile spread over Alpha Zero's face.
Zero took a shocked step back...mouth agape in utter shock and disbelief.
"Dr. Wily...?" Zero mumbled to nobody in particular...finally falling back...landing on his backside.
Alpha Zero laughed.
"I guess this copy is faulty...surely you forgot to implement any type of courage in this one..." Alpha Zero gave Zero a look that sent chills down his spine.
Zero finally put his front back on, grimacing...more enraged than he ever had been before and stood quickly, unsheathing his Z-sabre.
"I don't care who the hell you say you are...this is where you put up or shut up!" Zero charged forward and spun, slashing at Alpha Zero's chest.
Alpha Zero chuckled and leapt back, pushing off his left foot as he landed he brought his knee up into Zero's chin...sending him flying.
Zero backflipped in mid air and landed on one knee holding out his buster arm he fired a medium sized blast, pushing off both feet into an aerial flip to land on the other side of Alpha Zero he charged again, bringing his sabre up from the ground into a powerful upward slash, attempting to slice Alpha Zero in two.
Alpha Zero growled and spun with his sabre, slashing the blast in two and turned to Zero, bringing his sabre down, hard, on the oncoming attack and smiled slowly.
"I see you at least have some spirit...that's good..." Alpha Zero chuckled and brought up his left foot to kick Zero's right shoulder hard enough to set him off balance.
Zero took the hit and rolled to the left, sliding he stood firm again holding his sabre ready.
As X watched this battle which he thought he would never see a emergency call came from deep within the fabrics of time.
"X...X! This is Signas...we need your help! Get Zero back here immediately! We're under attack! I repeat we're under att..."
the voice suddenly died out.
X looked up to Zero and the monstrous Alpha Zero...and called out to his comrade.
*
"Zero! Zero we need to go! NOW!" X called.
~Damn! Why now?~ Zero turned to X.
"I'm kind of busy! What's the big deal?" Zero asked rather impatiently.
X growled.
"Hunter base is under attack! That's the big deal!"
Zero stopped suddenly as a powerful slash came from Alpha Zero, GGM charged forward and met Alpha Zero's sabre with his own.
"GO! NOW!" GGM cried as Zero nodded quietly, running after X...finally turning to GGM and the others.
"Best of luck! All of you!" He finally turned to follow X deep into Wily's lair.
*
X and Zero made it into the deepest room of the lair and X put in the coordinates on his arm-panel.
"Alright...we'll have a lot to do as soon as we get back..." X said quietly..seeing Zero was deep in thought.
X gently put his hand on Zero's shoulder.
"You gonna be ok?" X asked with a tinge of concern.
Zero nodded silently.
"Let's just go home..." he said with a mumble.
X closed his eyes.
"Very well...21XX...here we come..."
The room erupted with a thunderclap as the two heroes dissappeared into nothingness.
Alpha Zero saw his clone escape...as well as that other mysterious blue robot and growled lightly, pushing off of GGM's sabre into a backflip he tried to make his way after them..but the 5 robots stood in front of the entrance.
"You're not going any further..." QuickMan said with a grimace.
Alpha Zero chuckled.
"I suppose I'll be delayed slightly while I'm killing each of you slowly...seeing as how you've caused me so much trouble I'll make sure your deaths are as slow and painful as GutsMan's was."
GGM and the others growled softly.
"We'll see who dies today!" GGM cried as he charged again, sabre unsheathed and brought the sabre down at Alpha Zero's head...hard.
Alpha Zero brought up his sabre to block it as suddenly 5 huge blasts came towards him from nowhere.
pushing off of the blade into a backroll he launched himself high into the air, over the blasts...just then GGM jumped into the air also, holding out his sabre he spun in the air, knocking Alpha Zero's sabre away throwing out his right fist, smacking Alpha Zero in the face, sending him reeling backwards into the rocky ground.
Alpha Zero bounced roughly off of the rocky, jagged ground... and backflipped landing on one knee he looked up to GGM who now had two sabres.
~How could this ancient robot be so strong?~ Alpha Zero thought with a scowl.
*
GGM spun both of the sabres around...not really having experienced that kind of combat in training...backflipping he landed on the ground on one knee.
DarkMan looked to his brothers.
"Let's give GGM a break and take care of this one ourselves!"
Quick, Metal, Shadow and ElecMan all nodded with agreement.
Dark charged first, followed by Quick, Metal and Shadow all in a line behind him with ElecMan tailing in the rear.
Dark jumped and front flipped over Alpha Zero, the other 4 creating a small circle around Alpha Zero.
Alpha Zero chuckled.
"So be it..." he growled suddenly and in a blur brought his knee up into MetalMan's stomach spinning around, his foot connecting with Metal's head sent him flying to the side...turning quickly he jump kicked at QuickMan's head...sending him rolling backwards, turning to the left he did a wide sweep kick on Shadow and DarkMan, knocking them off balance before kicking dark square between the legs sending him flying off like the greatest punt in all of football history...a blast went off behind him as a sabre came whizzing from next to him.
rolling forward he turned and grabbed the hilt of his sabre, spinning around nullifying the blast from ElecMan he charged, punching Elec in the gut then bringing his knee up under ElecMan's chin.
~This is going to be a tough battle...~ GGM thought as he held his sabre true in his hand.