Zero, the strongest Maverick... and yet the strongest Maverick Hunter. Who was he? Who is Zero? Perhaps the answers can only be lies... Zero, the righteous warrior or the evil destruction that will soon consume the Earth and... everything.

Zero slowly walked down the cooridor. His footsteps could be heard everywhere. The echo moved across every room within a large radius of himself. His eyes flashed red, and his face could only show a deep frown of disapproval. His left arm hanging down at his side, as if broken, defied his strong right arm. In his right arm held the red blade that consumed his enemies to the core. He held it to the straight right, occasionally cutting straight through the walls of the cooridor. Indeed, he was a deadly foe. And yet there were still Mavericks who tried to stand in his path.

"So you've come to fight Sigma? Hah hah. Zero, Zero, Zero... you realize things so slowly. It took a volcano for you to realize that I betrayed you. And now it will probably take your death to realize the mistake you made when you didn't make sure I was destroyed."

"It can always be fixed, Dragoon. Goodbye."

"Haha... always going all out and trying to finish your battles quickly? It won't happen this time. I'm quite a bit stronger now."

"Please... shut up... I'll spare your life if you just move..."

"You're scared to fight me. You just want Sigma to have all the fun? Hell no... you're not worthy. Fight me Zero! Come at me..."

"Just let me through..."

"I see you really don't want to fight me. However, if you fight me, you can go straight to Sigma. If you try and avoid me, there are seven other Mavericks to kill. I trust you'll make the right descicion."

Zero lifted his head for a quick second. "Alright, I will beat you. Unlock the gate to Sigma first."

"It is done. Don't try and run there now."

"I stick to my deals, don't worry."

Immediately, Zero jumped over Magma Dragoon, and slashed him hard from behind. Magma countered by kicking him. Just in time, Zero jumped back up before being immolated by the lava. Zero dashed back at Magma Dragoon, cutting a deep wound at his neck.

Magma Dragoon growled and fireballs flew to Zero. While Zero jumped in every direction to dodge them, he took the chance to grab him.

"Do you want me to let go, you weak fool?" His voice so deep and destructive, painful and fearless, and just...so evil.

"No, I'll make you!" Zero slid his blade right through Magma Dragoon's stomach, and lifted him up. "Ah hah hah hah... Ah hah hah hah hah! I've got you now!"

Zero threw the tip of his blade to the ground, and crushed Dragoon with his powerful foot. Quickly, the Maverick jumped back, and fell to his knees.

"Giving up?"

As soon as Zero lowered his head, Magma Dragoon opened his mouth as wide as he could, and lava boiled to Zero. He jumped up towards the wall, and propelled himself at the stupid Maverick. In a flash, Magma Dragoon's arm was cut off.

"You... bastard!" Magma Dragoon took his left arm and thrusted his claw straight through Zero's chest.

"Aaaargh!" Zero screamed in rage, and his blade sliced through Dragoon's left arm. He took the claw out of his own chest, and jammed it right into Magma Dragoon's head. Blood and flames spurted everywhere, and Zero delivered the final blow... He slashed vertically, horizontally, and then lifted his blade high above his head. Zero grinned. He was the Judicator once more.

Zero sliced Magma Dragoon's entire body straight in half. The blood flowed onto the room, and flames burned his openly wounded chest.

"Prick... Damnit... How the hell am I gonna heal this. Argh. Oh well." Zero sat down in an isolated corner, holding his chest tightly to stop the freely flowing blood.

"That damn Dragoon... to believe that he was on the good side... heh. I remember so clearly that day. He was... in fact... a supreme soldier. I was the only one he couldn't beat. He ripped X apart. He was too violent and outrageous for X. Just as I myself am. Heh...too soft. If I ever do go Maverick, I hope X is strong enough to kill me."

Zero sighed. "My life is pretty much over anyways. Iris is gone. Iris.... I killed her. I should die. X... I must die... urgh... Iris... X... I am... a mere murderer... kill me."

"Damn... I'm going insane. I am truly going insane. I don't want to die. Yet the only thing I have left on this world is X and revenge. I'm all evil now. I think I'm going Maverick...."

"Someone... someone.... SOMEONE SAVE ME FROM THIS MADNESS!"

"X, I hold loyalty to you alone. Everyone else must die. And you must kill me. I am a mere murderer of Vengeance. I am... aargh! I'm nothing! I'm a worthless lifestealer! My only tribute to this world is you now. And that, in itself, is why I am going to kill Sigma and save the Earth. For now, however, I must heal my wounds."

"Regeneration. One hour. Unconciousness. If I am to be killed by some Maverick, so be it. Most will be too afraid to come near with that damn body over there... hah... I wonder why I didn't go insane when I killed Magma Dragoon... and yet... I couldn't kill the General. Strange. Oh well. Start Regeneration." And with this, Zero's eyes closed and the self-healing process began.