Chapter 3: Counter the invaders
X and Bass hurried to Barrel's house. It was full of police but there were just a few people gathering around, less than 10. As soon as they arrive, X and Bass hastily went inside the house.
"What happened? Are you alright?" X asked Barrel, who was sitting on a chair in the corner of the living room. Bass approached Timmy.
"I'm alright." Barrel answered.
"You sure?"
"Yes I'm sure, but Kevin may be hurt."
"X…" The Inspector called for him.
"What is it?" X replied.
"Three armed men wearing black fatigue and gas mask stormed in this house." The Inspector said. "They broke through the door although it was locked. One of the guys threw a sleep gas grenade and the second one grabbed the loot. Kevin, still conscious, resisted by charging the second suspect but the third man overpowered him. Kevin received minor bruises on his abdomen currently because he was hit by the rifle's stock, he said. Afterwards they all went out through the window."
"Where did they go now?" X asked.
"We have dozens of witnesses saying that they were picked up by a helicopter right after they got out of the house and headed westward." The inspector said.
"This is my fault…" Timmy sobs as Bass approach her.
"Why?" Bass asked her, sincerely.
"It's because of me that this treasure came to light." Timmy cried. "It's my fault that this happened."
Kevin stood from his chair and tried to comfort Timmy. "Please, it should be mine, I mean, I brought the refractor here." Kevin said.
"No Kevin, don't try to cheer me up."
"Timmy, girl, please don't blame yourself…" Kevin replied
"Yes, you are otherwise hurting yourself of something you did not really commit" Bass said. Timmy began to shed tears. Bass came closer to hug her, trying to make herself feel better. As Bass approach closer, Timmy ran out of the house weeping and Bass followed her. She ran further until she was already very far from the house, about 50 meters.
"TIMMY, WATCH OUT." Bass shouted as he sees 5-foot long, half-human and half reptile robots with bat's wings stalling towards Timmy. She tried to run but it was too late, even for Bass. One of the machines clutches its claws on Timmy's shoulder and flew her southward. She struggled in vain in the creature's grasp.
"What happened!" Kevin asked as he gets out of the house. Another harpy dived for Kevin but X jumped out of the house, through the window, and pinned down the harpy. Bass pushed Kevin to the ground as the third harpy dives. Bass wrestled and knocked down the harpy just to find out that Kevin was being dragged away like Timmy by a fourth harpy.
The harpy was pinning down X. X kicked the harpy off of him. He took the lid of a nearby trash can and whacked it on the harpy's face. The creature tried to regain focus while X picked up an empty trash can and slam's it of the harpy's head then an uppercut on its chin. X thought it was all over when the harpy was down.
X tried to come to Bass' aid, who was still fighting a harpy. As X ran, another harpy rams from behind him and crashed X towards a lamppost. X fell unconscious.
Bass outmaneuvers the harpy in his own match. He got a hold on the harpy's head and knocks it against his knee. The harpy flew away as soon as it recovers from the head-aching knee smash. Bass came to X and help him up.
"Are you alright?" Bass asked X.
"Yeah…just some headaches" X replied massaging his head with his fingers
"Hey! You left your stuff!" Blues yelled as he entered the gates of uptown. He ran towards Bass and passed the gifts he was carrying all the way from the Apple Market.
"We don't have time!" Bass yelled, dropping the gift to the ground "We must go to Cardon Forest, those harpies are taking Kevin and Timmy there."
"What! What!" Blues asked as X dashes out of uptown first. Bass got a hold of the scarf tied to Blues' neck and drag him to follow. "Come on!" Bass shouted and they both left the uptown.
"Hurry!" X and Bass urges Blues, who was behind them. They ran as fast as they can to reach Cardon Forest through Downtown and Apple Market. Still far from Apple Market, X and his gang discovered that reaverbots were falling from the sky.
"Scramble!" X shouted and they all ran for cover to nearby buildings.
"Since when did they learn to leave their nest… worse, weapons are not allowed in this city." Bass reasoned
"This is not good. We need our buster guns now or else were dead ducks." Blues complains.
"Forget the rule!" X shouted even louder. "This means war now!"
The harpies dropped Timmy and Kevin a few feet above the ground in a treeless patch in Cardon forest. They stood up to find a Purifier unit staring confidently in front of their flying ship, the Airship, at a distance. The unit had a white cape, black armor and black helmet.
Kevin stood up to get closer to the unit but two harpies got a hold of his arms and shoulders from behind. He shook his hands a bit to have the harpies let go but it did not work. The harpies pushed him down onto his knees. Timmy came closer to Kevin and a harpy caught her left arm and right shoulder and pushed her to the ground to kneel.
"You Are Kevin." The unit said turning around, revealing his 'blank face', to see Kevin and Timmy.
"What do you want? Why are you doing this? Who are you?" Kevin asked angrily.
"Sorry." The unit apologized with a shrug. "I am Megaman Mimic, I don't tolerate resistance and I came here to ask you a few questions because I have a mission here."
"What question is that." Kevin grunted, shaking off the harpies but to no avail.
"The black refractor, where is it?" Mimic Asked putting his face closer to Kevin's.
"I don't have it anymore." Replied Kevin, shaking his head.
"You can't lie right now with this..." Mimic said, shaking his head. He pulled out a controller, pushed its button and beamed a projection showing Timmy and Kevin with the black refractor back at Chalk Hill. "Now what can you say."
"I said I don't have it." Kevin replied angrily, trashing to break free off the harpies' grasp but escape is still futile.
"Perhaps I have to show you just how serious I am." Mimic said angrily. He turned his attention to the Airship. "Is this thing yours…" Turning to Kevin
The seized man did not reply but kept an angry stare at Mimic.
"I believe it is." Mimic let out his palm and fired a beam.
The one blast broke through the Airship. The ship went ablaze an explosion ripped the ship's bridge. Another explosion tore the ship in a fireball. Smoke went up and pieces of the ship flew in all direction. When the explosions were over, all that was left of the Airship were scrapes and a great fire in its place.
"Why you…!" Kevin shouted.
Timmy was so scared, she could only stare in terror to what is going on.
Kevin burst in rage for the destruction of the Airship. He stood up and overpowering the harpies holding him down. Then he charged onto Mimic, trying to wrestle or strangle him with his bare hands. Kevin got a tight grip on Mimic's neck. Mimic, stood still, as though he didn't feel a thing. He kicked one of Kevin's lower legs so hard that it broke. Kevin screamed in pain and Mimic gave him a punch on his abdomen and a hard uppercut onto his chin. Kevin fell onto the ground, bleeding, but he recovered immediately after his fall.
Kevin stood up again in rage despite his broken leg and charged Mimic. He punches' the unit's featureless face but it did not budge. Mimic struck his elbow onto Kevin's bloodied face. Kevin felt dizzy because of his injuries, weakened by trauma and blood lost. He can still fight a little longer though. Mimic got a hold on one of Kevin's shoulder. He let out a beam of laser from his palm, directly hitting and breaking through Kevin's chest.
"NO…" Timmy shouted in tears as Mimic threw Kevin's lifeless body to the ground several feet away.
"Now you!" Mimic stared at Timmy. "Where is the black the refractor."
"He spoke the truth!" Timmy cried, while still weeping for Kevin. "The refractor was stolen from this island…"
Mimic didn't believe in Timmy's statement. He raised his arm at Kevin, threatening to fire.
"No don't shoot, PLEASE!" Timmy begged.
Mimic did not listen and fired a huge beam. Timmy turned away as the blinding flash of the blast blew whatever was left of Kevin to smoke and fire. Timmy cried and screamed but Megaman Mimic showed no sign of sorrow or anything.
[Backstreet boys, "Larger than Life", Playing]
X, Bass, and Blues were running down the street. Heading towards the Apple Market. Bass stopped, turned around and fired his buster gun onto the pursuing reaverbots. Many of the smaller ones were blown to bits but the larger ones remained intact.
"Bass!" X shouted while running.
"Coming." Bass said as he stops firing and catches up with X and Blues. Just as Bass was back on track, Blues stops and throws a grand grenade onto a huge 'big mouth' machine following them. The tin can blew up. "Yes." Blues cheers to himself and catches up with the rest of the group.
X and his group reached the entrance but it was guarded by a gigantic reaverbot. The reaverbot raises its arms let it down to crush them.
"Hit the deck!" X shouted. He, Bass and Blues jumped in different directions, avoiding the giant's knuckle. X jumped over the reaverbot while firing from above.
"Cover me…" X said to Blues and Bass as he landed.
"You got it." Blues and Bass answered. Blues adjusted his Buster gun at full power. Firing at the street heading north and blow away several reaverbots, big and small, while using his shield to protect himself from small enemy fire and debris.
Bass defended the street leading westward. His buster gun, though it had a slow rate of fire, was so strong. Every reaverbot smaller than a van are blown up in just one shot.
X fired his buster gun at lightning speed while avoiding the reaverbots crushing arms. X took out his shining laser and after avoiding another attack from the reaverbot, he fired his devastating weapon all over the oversize machine. The reaverbot blew up.
"Come on!" X shouted as he waved his hand to show that it is clear.
"You go alone, we've got to defend this city." Bass said while shooting the reaverbots. X looks at Blues, he was just as busy as Bass. X decided to go to Apple Market and to Cardon Forest alone.
[Backstreet Boys, "Larger than life", Ends]
"We are under attack!" X shouted to the people inside Apple Market. Everybody scrambled to the gate towards downtown gate but X blocked it.
"Not in here, the downtown is crawled with reaverbots." X warned "You just… hide in your stores or wherever else safe to hide in this mall. The reaverbots may have also taken over Cardon forest." X wasted no time to get to the gate to Cardon Forest via southern gate. He reached out but discovered that it won't open.
"Darn it." X said angrily, he returned to the gate towards Downtown but it too won't open. "SHOOT! Now what should I do." X was so mad that he kicked the door but it still won't open.
Roll was steering the Flutter. She was somewhat excited to have a reunion with X, Bass, Blues, her grandfather and the rest of whoever is in Kattlelox. She did not know there is a very severe battle in the island. She looked at her watch and see that it is 2 PM, one hour late from her expected arrival, but she wasn't worried about the time.
As she sees Kattlelox Island at the horizon, she felt really glad that 'home' is near. Steering closer to the island, her happiness was shattered to see that there were explosions and other battle activities clashing all over the island, especially downtown.
"Zero come quick!" she cried. "There is something going on…Kattlelox must be under attack!"
"I know…" Zero respond as she entered the bridge. "This is not good."
"Unwelcome visitors!" Mimic respond, seeing the Flutter coming closer. He floated high into the sky and morph his right arm into a single barrel rocket launcher or a cannon. "Suck this!" He shouted as he fired a missile towards the Flutter.
Roll scream as she steered the Flutter sideward, avoiding the missile. She sighed for relief then she heard a loud explosion from the engine room.
"Roll, the missile U-turned and it hit the engine room." Zero informed her "We will crash if we get hit one more…" Before Zero could finish, the Flutter shook again as another missile hit the left turbine.
"Zero…" Roll cried in fear. "The Flutter is out of control…I mean, it would be impossible to shake another missile now."
Zero chance upon another incoming missile propelling directly into the bridge. "Evacuate!" Zero shouted, grabbing Roll by her wrist as they exited the bridge. Half of a second later, the missile made its impact, the bridge blew up and the Flutter began to lose altitude.
Down below, Mimic watch in pride as he sees the burning Flutter slowly went down to earth above him and towards the east of the Main Gate. Timmy, though she didn't know who was or were in the Flutter, succumbed in grief to see it go down. Then more tears fell from her eyes.
Bass is very busy shooting down as much reaverbots as he could see, and as so as Blues. Bass sees a vending machine, inserts some money, and gets a soft drink. Still, he was busy shooting reaverbots. He suddenly sees another big mouth reaverbot shooting lots of grenades.
"Want drink?" Bass threw the empty soft drink can into the reaverbots mouth. It stops shooting bombs because the can got tangled in its internal machinery. The big mouth malfunctions, walks around without coordination, crashes into the city wall, and came to a stop for good but it didn't blow up. Bass then went back to his shooting frenzy, taking down a bunch of onion bots hurling grenades and fireballs.
Blues took down some reaverbots, but still, there was still more coming than he could bring down. He threw a grand grenade and sent every small reaverbot flying in pieces. Blues watch in relief but a canine (Cerebus) bot jumped out of the dust and pinned him down. Blues kicked the gigantic dog off him and he was away running. The dog robot was fast and Blues knew that he could not outrun the beast. He sees a lamppost, jumps on it, wraps his arms on it, spins around, lets go, and kicks the metallic hound by its face. The canine fell near a fire hydrant and Blues shot the fire hydrant. The canine short-circuited with the flowing water, collapses as it ceased to function.
Bass was pursuit by so many reaverbots that he was now wondering, how did they got so many. He jumped atop of a building, stared at the sky and saw the Flutter burning and going down to the Main Gate or the Old City. Just at the same time, Blues jumped at the other building besides his.
"Hey Blues, I need a lift to the Old City." Bass called out. "The Flutter is crashing that way."
"Alright!" Blues responds. They both jumped. Bass hopped on Blues' shoulder in mid-air. Bass was reaching high enough to get over the walls of the city when was pushed against something like an invisible shield. Bass restored his balance and landed safely back on downtown.
"What happened!" Blues asked, coming down to see Bass.
"There is a shield." Bass replied.
"Let's just used the door." Blues said. He rushed to the eastern gate, leading to the old city, Bass was right behind him. Blues inserted his Citizen's I.D. but the door didn't respond.
"Hurry." Bass urges Blues.
"I'm trying…" Blues replied. "It won't open…"
"Definitely it won't…" A purifier unit answered a city block away behind Blues and Bass. He had a white armor and helmet.
"Who are you!" Bass asked angrily, aiming his buster gun at the stranger.
"I am first class purifier unit: Megaman Ion." The unit introduces himself. "And you two are in big trouble…" More reaverbots came, from the sky and elsewhere from downtown. The machines and Ion surrounded Bass and Blues in every angle, except the gate to the Old City.
"We're trapped like rats in the corner." Blues commented.
X decided to climb his way out of the apple market by the roof. He jumped and reached the canopy of one of the stores.
"Here I go" X almost reached the top but fell short. He tried again and just as he reached the top, somebody came crashing from the roof. It sent X falling down back onto the pavement of the market.
"Ouch, what the…" X stood up brushing his back from the painful fall. "Who are you?"
"No." the stranger answered with an evil look from her eyes. He had green and gray armors, green helmet and jack on his left eye. "I am Mimic's general" The unit continued. "…First class purifier unit: Megaman Deadeye."
[Apollo 44, "Charlie's Angels Theme", Playing]
Deadeye kicks X. X jumped back and avoided it. Deadeye jumped and gave X a flying thrust kick at mid air. X was sent flying and crashed into the wall to the south, eventually cracking it a bit.
X jumped and pinned down Deadeye and he kicked him off. Deadeye punches X but miss it. X caught his left arm and locked it on his back. Deadeye hits X from behind with his elbow, another elbow strike hit the blue bomber by the face and forcing X to release his arm. Deadeye kicks X on his abdomen. X succumb to the pain and Deadeye grip the back of X's neck. Deadeye sent X's head crashing onto a wall, eventually damaging it badly.
X kicked Deadeye off and fired his shining laser onto him. Deadeye got hit, dead on, and crashed on a nearby trash can. X races down to finish Deadeye, still firing his shining laser. Deadeye managed to jump away from the laser, bounces to the wall with his feet, and punches X while in the air. X crashes into a shelf inside an open bookstore.
Deadeye hastily approached X from the rubble but can't find him. Deadeye came closer and he sees a huge poster of a naked lady from a pornographic magazine. He pause to stare at the poster when suddenly a small missile broke through the picture and hit him dead-on. X crashed down to finished Deadeye. To no avail, Deadeye easily got up from the missile attack and gave X karate chop. X raised his arm, blocking the attack, but he felt that his arm's armor was slightly damaged.
X and Deadeye fought all over the pavement of the Apple Market until they reach the southern part of Apple Market, near the electronic shop. X kept raising his arms to block Deadeye's kicks and punches, each were incredibly strong that X felt that he will surely wore down if he takes more any longer.
X was getting tired, Deadeye sure is tough. Deadeye turned around, and gave X a very strong thrust kick that it broke through X's blocking defensive arms. X was sent flying and spinning in the air before his face smacks the ground.
"Have another trip…" Deadeye grabs X's wrist and neck, lift him up like a barrel and threw him into the electronic shop by its glass window.
Deadeye went in the electronic shop, grabs a toaster and whacks X's head with a toaster. X caught the toaster and punches Deadeye at the face. Deadeye retreated, grabs a twenty-one inch TV, and races to slam it onto X. X jumps, grabs on the store's hanging air condition pipeline, and struck Deadeye's hands, and pushes down the TV onto Deadeye's head using his feet. The TV got stuck on Deadeye's head and X plugged the TV's cord into an outlet. Deadeye shook as electricity rocked his circuits. Finally, after several electric bursts, Deadeye fell knee first then face down.
[Apollo 44, "Charlie's Angels Theme." Ends]
X walked out of the store calmly. As soon as he nears the gate, Deadeye stood up, bursting at blazing speed. Deadeye pinned X on his back. He squeeze X's neck, commando style, so hard that X felt his circuits almost going out.
[Apollo 44, "Charlie's Angels Theme." Playing]
"Had enough!?" Deadeye asked sadistically as he tightens his grip on X.
"You're…just…so…. Persistent…" X gasped as he pulled out his blade arm and stabbed it onto Deadeye's knee, down his leg and out his heels. Deadeye let go of X to comfort his pain only to be hit in the eye by the shining saber. Blinded and crippled, Deadeye retreated and X began charging up both his shining laser and his buster gun at maximum level.
Deadeye had barely recovered when X finished his charge and fired madly from his buster gun and his shining laser, pushing Deadeye at full force towards the southern gate. After almost a minute of fierce shelling, X ceased fire and started breathing hard in exhaustion. No one can stay at one piece at that much punishment.
[Apollo 44, "Charlie's Angels Theme." Ends]
When the dust cleared, X sees Deadeye still standing but in miserable shape; his armor was badly damaged and his helmet was cracked. Unbelievably, Deadeye is still in one piece.
"This not over yet…" Deadeye said. "My backup files will bring me back." Deadeye gave a grim grin X. X somehow didn't understand what he means of backup files. Deadeye went limp and fell to the ground face first. X let out a sigh of relief that Deadeye is gone. He was still wondering how the others were doing outside Apple Market.
X tried to climb the walls to leave the market for the forest. He could barely climb one of the store's canopies. Just when he grabbed on the canopy, he lost his grip and fell back on the pavement. X tried moving his left arm and it hurts.
"Man…" X frowns. "What am I going to do now…"
Bass and Blues separated as they tried to defend themselves rather than defending the city. Reaverbots are everywhere and they just keep on coming down from the sky. To make matters worse, Ion began shooting them like running rats for a target practice.
Their battle littered the town so much that the whole downtown area was deluged with metallic scraps and building debris.
"Bass, do you have a feeling that these reaverbots are coming from the sky…" Blues asked while looking high above.
"What the heck are you talking about!" Bass replied in a doubtful tone.
"Look up there…" Blues pointed to the sky.
Bass stared at the sky while running with Blues. He could see hundreds of reaverbots being dropped from gigantic capsules but they are so high they all look so small "(Sigh) How the hell are we going to take them down! They're so high up. I mean, those giant brown vitamin tablet are as small as your morning tablets from here"
Blues and Bass bump their faces against a pillar for staring at the sky instead of watching where they were going. The force of their impact forced them to fall on their butts a few feet. They gazed up to find out that they hit the legs of a 100-footer reaverbot.
"Look out!" Bass yelled as the huge reaverbot raised its leg to stump them.
The force of the metallic giant's foot sent shock waves over downtown, blowing away Blues for some distance. They were able to avoid being crushed but still they sustain some damages from the shock wave. The shock wave also brought some fogs because of the scattered debris the reaverbot had just stepped on. So thick that it was impossible so see anything but dirt.
"Bass!" Blues called out, hoping that his partner wasn't splat yet. He still couldn't see anything then he could see a dark spot, thinking it was Bass. Half of a second later then did he realized when it was all too late, it was the reaverbot's arm. Blues was hit so hard he was sent flying off the smog where he was to the rooftop of a nearby house.
Bass lay stuck piled underneath a slab large enough to cover a motorcycle, so heavy he could hardly get himself out. After pushing it off, he wondered what happened to Blues since the fog also covered his vision. As the dust faded, he found out that the same giant robot had been waiting for him.
The building-size machine swings his foot. Bass easily dodged it and countered with a shock wave of his own from his Forte buster. The shot seem to only budge the giant as it was hit at the belly.
Bass ran since the reaverbot's size showed that he couldn't take down that thing in a shootout style. The reaverbot followed him running too. As he ran, he continued shooting it hoping to find some weak spot or to wear it down slowly.
Blues woke up from the rooftop of a house, dizzy. He was about to think why he ends up there, partly because the impact of the reaverbot's titanic fist gave him a hangover. Just as he could restore his focus, he saw a white unit on top of another building across the street.
"Ion…" Blues said, in a fainting tone.
"Well, nightmares in a daydream eh!" the unit taunts. "I think that is just the teaser."
"Where's Bass!" Blues demand.
"Him…well he's on a bug hunt with a giant. That is, he's the bug!" Ion remarks leaping off the building.
He landed right behind Blues, turned around and kicked. Blues crouch, dodged the attack, leaped high and fired a beam from his buster towards Ion. Ion jumped just in time to avoid Blues' laser.
"Its all over!!!" Ion announces as he leaped to crash onto Blues. Blues picked up a bag of cement and threw it onto Ion. Ion shot at the cement bag, resulting into forming a cloud of 'dust' that blinded his sights. Before the blinding smog could clear, Ion saw a bight light from within, which turned out to be a laser from Blues.
The laser struck Ion and he fell into the streets from high above, making his fall so hard he got knocked out.
"Blues!" Bass called out. "Aim at the giant's head. It's his weakness!" Blues followed Bass as they leaped from building to building, finding the best spot to shoot. At the same time, the 100-footer metal continued its relentless pursuit on them.
"Here. (Perfect place to flat Ion)" Blues signaled
"Ready…Fire!" Bass yelled as they both fired their buster guns simultaneously at the head of the giant robot. It got hit so hard that it went ceases its chase for a second then recovered.
"Fire two!" Blues ordered as they again shot the giant with an even bigger 'beams'. The giant's head remained intact after impact but its eye shut down and it started to fall.
Down below, Ion was just starting to get up when he suddenly noticed that the giant metalloid is falling right above him, and its too late to run. Ion screamed in fright as it falls and slams him flat like a puny insect.
"Alright!" Blues and Bass cheered after bringing down their gigantic adversary. They leaped and gave each other a 'high five'. Their cheers went dim when they saw the laying giant started shaking.
"Get off me you oversized piece of scrap!" Ion's complaining voice came from underneath. Unbelievably, Ion lifted the enormous robot off him. He turned around and sees both Blues and Bass stunned and still. Ion gave them a very grim and horrific look with his face crumpling more than raisins.
"You will pay big time for this…" Ion warns "And I mean really BIG!" Ion grin and growl like an animal as he tensed himself.
Suddenly, his entire body started shaking and growing. His muscles became more profound as his armor started to change shape as his body started growing slightly in size but greatly in circumference. Then nerves started bulging from all over his body.
Bass and Blues watched in horror as they witness Ion's hulk-like transformation. When it was all over, Ion took one deep breath and tensed his right arm for a moment to see his new muscular body. Strangely, his armor was flexible enough and didn't tear apart as his body changes and enlarges.
"Ready or not…" Ion said softly "HERE I COME!" Ion charges at speeds so fast neither Bass nor Blues could anticipate. Ion struck Blues with an uppercut, sending him flying over the walls, where Blues struck the invisible shields then fell onto the ground hard.
Bass shot Ion at point blank range with his forte buster but it was only good enough to push Ion for a few feet.
"Is that all you got?" Ion taunted and charged at Bass so quickly, Ion already caught his leg and threw him into the air and onto the nearby buildings.
Bass tried to get up as fast as he could from the rubble but Ion was already there. He caught Bass and slammed him back and forth for over ten times before throwing him back into the air.
Bass landed into the streets much harder than Blues earlier. He could barely opened his eyes when Ion dived into him, butts first, onto his belly. Bass screamed in pain as the mad 'gorilla' beat him up.
"I'll teach you some more MANNERS!" Ion grunted, squeezing Bass neck as to pop his head off.
The sun was setting and the sky was red and was getting darker. Zero came closer to the area where Mimic and his harpies were holding Timmy as a prisoner. Roll followed him while holding Data.
"You stay here…" Zero told Roll. "Its safer here. That guy got some company with him."
Roll stayed behind with Data. Zero tried to get closer by using the trees of the forest to get to the clear area where Mimic was interrogating Timmy. Mimic then turned his attention to the bushes. Zero felt that he was watched, despite his confidence on his hiding tactic.
"I know that you're hiding there, stranger." Mimic called out. Zero slowly came out of the bushes and tall grasses.
*Shoot, how did he find me here…* Zero thought angrily. He couldn't believe that someone could foil his plan, especially if the one who did it doesn't have any eyes.
"Get him!" Mimic ordered some of his harpies to get Zero. Zero pulled out his light saber, colored yellow, and the harpies were torn to pieces before they knew it. All Timmy could see was a single slash but it was actually over twenty slashes done in a tenth of a second or less time.
"Looks like those harpies are no match for you." Mimic said, taking his cape off and pulled out his own light saber, it was colored blue.
"Who are you? Show me your skill." Zero told Mimic. "If you think you are so good."
"I am Special Force unit number 7, Megaman Mimic." Mimic answered. "You're request GRANTED!" Mimic slashed his sword in the wind and carved out a flat, parabolic wave of energy heading toward Zero. Zero quickly raised his saber and saved him from the incoming sonic slash.
Darkness was approaching fast. There was a very small 'crescent' left of the sun at the horizon. A while later, the sun completely disappeared as it set and night falls upon Kattlelox.
["Mortal Kombat Theme (Instrumental only)", Playing]
Zero and Mimic were facing each other at a distance of about twenty meters. Zero's eyes, reflecting Mimic and his light saber, tensed in anger as he concentrates for the battle. He is taking a backward stance with his light saber pointing diagonally to the left of Mimic. Mimic was somewhat confident, he was standing still and upright. He pointed his light saber downward. His metallic, shiny, bare face cast Zero like a mirror.
Zero tightens the grip of his light saber, shouts in rage, and charges first, pointing the saber's tip towards Mimic. Mimic immediately followed up, dragging and scratching his saber's 'blades' on the ground.
Zero and Mimic clash their light sabers. Mimic slashed but Zero's figure was gone. Zero dive and slash at Mimic but he too was gone.
Zero paused for a half second as he loses Mimic's presence. Then Zero noticed something very fast, as quick as lightning, was going towards him. He quickly launches himself to the sky. Less than a second later, he saw that the spot where he last was on the ground vaporized (but not by an explosion).
Zero landed back on the ground. He cannot sense Mimic anywhere. Then just when he thought that Mimic must have fled the battle, or so, he saw some debris (earth) flying. The debris moved like a raging snake. He could not figure who or what is doing it. For him, whoever, if it were Mimic, was doing so must be either invisible or moving at a very high speed that light may not have a change to reflect at its surface. Zero jumped back and charged against the raging adversary, bursting clouds of dust as they collided.
Zero, thanks to his powerful saber, pushed and blows back the mysterious 'rage'. Zero finally found Mimic, exhausted and panting.
"Is that all you got?" Zero asked with an arrogant slang.
"No…I think I have even more." Mimic replied confidently.
Mimic raised his saber and a blue lightning came down, Zero barely missed the strike of the blue thunder. Zero got back on his feet, lunged to battle Mimic while avoiding the lightning strikes from the sky.
"I got you now!" Zero thrust closer and closer to Mimic. But when he got too close, Zero was greeted by dozens of lightning surrounding Mimic. Zero was launched a hundred feet away from Mimic before crashing to the ground. He hit the ground so hard that it patched the surface he landed bared of grass.
Zero opened his eyes as he recovers almost as immediately as he was countered. He didn't, however, have the time to recover completely his energy when another lightning came down to strike at him. Zero noticed that he had lost his mechanical light saber so he formed his hand into a fist and pulled out his spiritual light saber again and used it as a shield. It worked well the incoming lightning was easily blocked and absorbed by his spiritual sword.
Zero got up, and raced towards Mimic while scratching the tip of his sword on the ground. Mimic was still shooting lightning to hit Zero. However, Zero was much faster this time that most the lightning weren't fast enough to hit him and those who hit him fell short of stopping or even slowing him down.
Zero was getting too close that Mimic had, again, to summon dozens of lightning around him. Every lightning Mimic used to protect himself was unable to do anything to Zero.
"Arial" Zero shouts as he performed his technique. Zero slashed his sword five times but it was so fast that it was more like five slashes done at once, even for Zero. Mimic saw this and at the last remaining possible time, raised his sword to block it. When Zero's slashes hit Mimic's blocking sword, a huge flash followed by a loud 'Bang' came and Mimic was sent flying in flames. (This flame, though it appears like fire, is not really fire, it was rather spiritual energy but just as destructive as natural fire.) Mimic's red-hot figure was moving so fast that it destroyed a nearby hill as it crashed to it like a bullet from a firearm hitting a mount of dirt.
Just as Mimic crashed to the hill, Zero took one deep breath. He isn't sure if Mimic is still alive. The dust hasn't completely cleared yet then suddenly Zero saw Mimic jumping out of the bulldozed hill. Mimic was still red hot and as soon as he got to his highest altitude of his jump, at 200 feet, he slashed his sword vertically towards Zero. Mimic let out a huge tornado made of white rays of light.
Zero made a long backward jump to his side. He evaded the tornado but noticed that he sustained some scratches to his armor. With that observance, Zero noticed that the tornado itself is equally dangerous and destructive as a light saber but at a much larger scale.
Mimic landed on the ground, feet first. He made another slash and out comes another tornado swirling horizontally instead of the 'natural' tornado that stood vertically.
Zero jumped up in the air to avoid the tornado. As he landed back on the ground, He faced the raging the Mimic, this time with two light sabers. Zero tried to block the attacks of Mimic light sabers. Zero was outmatched because his adversary had two light sabers and he only had one.
Mimic made more slashes of his sabers. Zero blocked one slash but unable to block the uppercut strike of the other sword. Zero jumped back to avoid it. Mimic made an 'X' swing of his two sabers and summons two tornadoes spiraling at each other.
This time, the tornadoes had vacuums winds and Zero can't get away for being too close to them – at twenty feet. It is now impossible to escape for Zero, worse the helical tornado of doom is fast approaching him.
"Battalion Charge!" Zero thrust toward the tornado at blazing speed, hoping he could strike at them hard enough to break the tornado or go through them to hit Mimic. Zero was thrusting so fast and at energy so intense that yellow flame-like 'chi' is surrounding him as he move on his rage. As he and the helix collided, thing end up in a great explosion. The blast was so strong nearby trees were sent flying into the sky, carved out a crater about 25 feet in diameter and it was loud enough to be heard in almost every corner of the island.
Before Mimic or anyone could find out what happened after the explosion, Zero lunged from the shrouds of dust and raging towards Mimic. Zero was somewhat bruised as Mimic could see, making him more confident. As Zero got close enough, Mimic raised one of his swords and a huge tornado surrounded Mimic. Zero was sucked up by the tornado, sent him flying to the air for half of a mile before Mimic stopped the tornado. Zero was so dizzy he could not land well as he fall and crashed hard on the ground with his shoulder.
At first, Zero could hardly get up or even get his focus right. Soon he did, Zero jump as high as he could, and seem to prepare an air attack on Mimic. Mimic raised his sword again and summons a tornado at his saber's handle instead of a light saber. Zero glided into the tornado's funnel.
Zero concentrates and intensifies his energy while in the tornado. "Nine Dragon Head Strike – Battalion Charge Combo!"
A huge energy surrounds Zero inside the tunnel racing downward like a fast-moving bullet racing on the rifle's barrel. Mimic swirl his sword to make it harder for Zero to get around the funnel then he narrowed the tornado to stop him, but there was no avail to his counter attacks. When Zero was half way from the funnel's entrance to Mimic, the tornado died out since it was force too much to close yet unable to stop Zero. Mimic slashed his two swords together and summons the two tornadoes spiraling at each other and coming towards Zero. As the tornadoes struck Zero, their spiral bond broke and both tornadoes were sent into the sky apart. In the last effort of self-defense, Mimic sealed himself in a thick layer of whirling winds and raining lightning.
Zero, now appearing as a he yellow glowing ball, crashed into Mimic. The lightning and the tornado shields of Mimic couldn't stop Zero. Zero crashed and struck Mimic with 9 slashes at a time in 9 angles. Mimic blew up in another more ear-deafening explosion. The explosion rocked the entire island and bored a crater over a hundred feet wide and twenty feet deep.
["Mortal Kombat Theme (instrumental only)", End]
As the dust settled, Zero was breathing. He was exhausted from his battle against Mimic. He went closer to the crater to see if Mimic was still alive or was he incinerated. As Zero looked around, he couldn't find Mimic. Just when he thinks it is all over, Zero turned to save Timmy from the harpies.
"Give it up!" Came the voice of Mimic. Zero searched and saw Mimic standing in front of Timmy. He was holding the same light sabers and was a little bruised.
Zero was intimidated and he was about to resume battle.
"If you don't surrender…" Mimic cautions as some harpies dragged Roll and Data out of the bushes for Zero to see. "Your friend's going get it!" Mimic pointed out.
"I'm sorry Zero…" Roll apologizes. She felt that she made a terrible mistake for getting caught.
Mimic let go of his light saber; morphed his arm into an attached mini-bazooka or cannon, and pointed its barrel to Roll.
"Don't hurt her!" Timmy said. "Its me that you want…"
"Thank you for volunteering." Mimic replied with a slang of appreciation. He grabbed Timmy by her shirt and clutched her in a commando grip. Mimic pointed the barrel of his cannon arm onto Timmy. "Surrender now or she gets it." Mimic ordered while energizing his cannon to shoot at Timmy in case Zero doesn't comply.
Zero sheathed his spiritual saber and stood still. Mimic then turned his cannon and shoots it at Zero. Zero had a chance to get away, and even move away from the shooting of Mimic's cannon. But he didn't. That's because he knew that if he does anything unfavorable to Mimic, the hostages' lives will be in greater danger.
Zero received the firing dead on and got stun. His armor was damaged. He tried to get up but with previous damages from his battle with Mimic made it impossible to recover.
"No…!" Timmy shrugged from Mimic after seeing what he did to Zero. But to no avail, Mimic's grip is so firm that it's just not possible to escape. Yet she didn't stop struggling to break free.
"That is just the teaser. You haven't got the real one yet." Mimic taunted. He energized his weapon again but this time it was a much longer phase. A ball of light was then forming at the tip of the cannon's barrel. It grew larger until it was the size of a car.
"See you in scraps…" Mimic hissed. Just before he was going to shoot, Timmy raised her legs and pushed the cannon. The huge ball of energy missed Zero because of Timmy's intervention and it hit the unused wall outside the apple market. The shot destroyed the wall and the pieces were flying all over the forest proceeded by a strong wind.
"Why you little…!" Mimic got enraged. He let go of Timmy where two harpies held her. Mimic punched her so hard (in term of human strength) at her abdomen that Timmy fainted. The harpies released her as soon as she fainted.
"This is the farthest you can get! I'll mangle you with this" Mimic raised his light saber, apparently to jab at Timmy in her sleep. Just when he was about to thrust his saber, a force from shotgun pellets stunned him.
He turned around and sees X shooting his shining laser, directly hitting Mimic and pushing him far into the masses of trees. X blasted his buster gun and his shining laser onto the harpies. Several harpies received critical damages. The surviving harpies ducked as X dashes to the forest to go after Mimic.
The remaining harpies scrambled to seize back Timmy, Roll and Data. Before they could do so, Drone came out and started firing his shotgun onto the harpies. The harpies turned their attention onto Drone but they were no match for him and his shotgun. Some got near enough but Drone easily whack them with his shotgun. Another harpies got so close but Drone thrust his barrel onto its mouth, fired his gun, and blew its head off.
With all his bullets run dry, Drone dropped the shotgun and pulled out a pair of 9mm pistol. The last of the harpies fell after Drone emptied his first clips.
Mimic could barely get up with his injuries. X apparently had partially melted his armor and burned part of his shoulder. Then he started to stand on his knees.
"Hold it!" X ordered as he pointed his buster gun onto Mimic.
Mimic ignored X's warning and stood on his feet then Zero appeared from behind him. Zero pointed his light saber onto Mimic as a warning that if he runs, the saber's tip will pluck him.
Seeing that it is an almost checkmate situation, he stared at the sky to think of a decision to make. In shock, large orange lasers were firing from the sky towards the floating giant capsules carrying his troops. Yes! Only Carnage could shoot such huge laser beams! And he's destroying the air carrier!
With that Mimic felt fear. X and Zero could even see him trembling as he stopped and continuously watched the fireworks.
"Evacuate all troops!" Mimic said hastily and nervously in his radio by his wrist before X or Zero could say anything otherwise. Knowing that Mimic had given up, X and Zero lowered their weapons then Mimic fled then burst at high speed, leaving Kattlelox due east with some of his troops.
"You're not so strong as I thought…ha" Ion laugh, still inside downtown and still in his incredibly muscular and heavy-built body, as he watches Blues and Bass laying motionless on the ground. Much of downtown's buildings were razed into the ground, with only a few heavily damaged ones still standing.
"Then let me give YOU a real challenge!" A voice came from behind Ion. He turned around and saw Carnage, standing still with his arms folded on his chest.
"Didn't Mimic ordered an evacuation, that is – the abortion of this so called operation of yours" Carnage grinned.
Ion turned. "Who cares of an evacuation, if I beat you, I will be even greater than Mimic himself. So prepare yourself!" Ion dashed and punched Carnage dead center at the face. Unbelievably Carnage stood unharmed despite the tremendous impact of Ion's fist.
"This is very embarrassing but true, despite your macho body, your strength bear no fruit." Carnage turned around and applied a reversed dragon-tail-whip kick, striking Ion's chin so hard that Ion was launched up over the walls and struck the shields above the walls much harder than Blues or Bass that a lightning spark was bright enough to be seen in the entire city.
Ion slowly got up shortly after his fall then sees Carnage marching slowly towards him. Ion noticed that the shield cause burns on his back and his lower jaw was almost dislocated. That is where he noticed that Carnage's kick was much stronger than Mimic had warned him earlier that day.
"Well, need another warm up or what?" Carnage asked him in a very disrespectful manner.
Ion fired a laser from his palm, like X's shining laser, striking onto Carnage. Ion was shock to see that it was ineffective against Carnage. In fact, the laser isn't even strong enough for Carnage to budge.
Realizing just how strong the aberrant unit is, Ion was overcome by his fear of Carnage that he didn't noticed that Carnage was just a step away from him now. Carnage caught Ion's firing palm, his grip was so hard that it crushed Ion's palm.
"It's my turn now." Carnage warns, holding Ion's crushed hand and throwing him above the north gate of downtown faster than a bullet travelling after being fired from a gun. Just a few feet before impact, Carnage appeared in front of him and gave him an uppercut, sending him up into the air. At five hundred feet or so Carnage appeared again and stuck Ion's back with a 'double hand axe.' Ion was falling quickly onto the ground and Carnage caught him before he could crash and carried him into the air.
"You're not worthy for the ground." Carnage declares as he got a hold on Ion's neck. "This is where you're supposed to be into…"
Carnage carried Ion and choke-slam him to the shields above the wall. The shield counteracted by pushing Ion off but Carnage held on his grip, pushing Ion harder into the shield. Carnage pushed Ion harder as the shield pushes Ion away, causing a massive glow. Ion tried to get it loses but he couldn't. Carnage's grip is stronger than steel and he keeps on tightening it as he pushes against the shield. The green glow of the shield intensifies that it could be seen flashing from outside the island. Finally, short circuit took its toll and the shield explodes then it ceased.
"Worn out already?" Carnage dropped Ion. His body shrank back to its original form as he landed. Carnage didn't chose a good place to land on; as Ion tried to move, he noticed that a long sharp metal had pluck through his chest. Carnage descended slowly walking around Ion in a circle before kicking the pointy metal, causing it to curve in a 90-degree angle on that had blown a hole on Ion's chest. Ion screams in pain.
"You scream like a girl." Carnage commented, stomping onto Ion's metal-pierced chest, causing more damage. So much pain yet so much more exhausted that Ion could only tremble a bit with his mouth open before losing all his senses altogether as Carnage slowly floated upward then flew towards east before anyone could enter downtown.