Chapter 4: Wages of Hate
Much of the reaverbots left and every harpies were lying dead in the grounds of Cardon forest. It was night but it was getting a bit bright because of the approaching dawn. Drone came untying the ropes wrapped around the arms of Roll, Data, and Timmy after sheathing his guns he used to blow on the hostage-taking harpies full of holes. First freeing Data, then Roll, last Timmy.
"Alright there, girl" Drone said, while untying the ropes around Timmy "This place is unsafe." Tapping his hand against Timmy's shoulder gently.
"She may be traumatized." Roll commented.
"I know Blondie…" Drone snorted. He lifted Timmy off the ground and carried her like a bride. "But I don't know just how 'traumatized she is for 'losing.'"
"My name is Roll." she stated
"Nice to met you ma'am, I am Drone." he introduced himself.
"Hey guys." X called out as he stepped out of the bushes, waiving his arm, notifying their location. "The invading reaverbots had left." Zero stated, following X out of the bushes
"Megaman! Zero!" Roll greeted running towards and hugging X and Zero.
"Hey. Sorry to break the reunion but…" Drone interrupted. "Lets get-out-ta here; Tim may need some serious treatment. I don't wanna wait til she runs out of breath."
"OK, lets go." Roll answered, lifting Data off the ground. With that, every one of the walked towards the city, Roll led the way followed by Drone, lifting Timmy on his arms, then X and Zero.
Things went fine until they reached Downtown. The place was nearly leveled to the ground, only a few foundations remained intact or barely standing. X was so shocked that this happened and he was worried about Bass and Blues.
"BLUES, BASS, WHERE ARE YOU!" X called out, shouting at the top of his voice.
"WE'RE RIGHT HERE!" a familiar voice came out. It echoed throughout Downtown.
"Led them to the hospital Roll…" X asked "Zero and I will find them…" With that, everyone headed towards Uptown except X and Zero
X raced frantically throughout Downtown with Zero. It was somewhat difficult for X, not because he can't find them but with the fact that Downtown was badly devastated. He thought that someone must have been killed with such a massive attack inflicted on a peaceful island. Zero, somehow, find this pretty normal because of his nature. He was not worried of the deaths or so.
"WHERE ARE YOU GUYS!" X called out again.
"X, Blues is here…" Zero called for X. Blues was under a huge concrete slab that covered his entire body but his head.
"Coming…" X replied, racing to assist Zero
"Let's push this slab off…" Zero ordered.
"Right!" X answered promptly. They pushed the huge weight pinning Blues.
"Are you alright?" X asked Blues
"Uh, yes. That hurts…" Blues gasp. X placed one of Blue's arms over the back of his neck to allow Blues to walk.
"Where's Bass?" Zero asked Blues
"I'm right here already." Bass came upright, walking towards X and Zero.
"You're alright!" X greeted him.
"You're slow." Bass taunted them.
"Who did this? What happened?" Zero asked.
"Someone who called himself, Megaman Ion." Bass answered.
"Who!?" X sound confused.
"You tell him…" Bass told Blues.
"Ion was a guy in white armor." Blues answered "He claimed to be 'Mimic's' subordinate."
"Hey you're alright…" X caught Blues pretending
"You win, but my legs still hurts…" Blues gave his excuse.
"He did this…?" Zero asked
"Must you have to ask everything!?!" Bass growl.
"What's that." X points out, seeing someone in white in a distance behind Bass.
"That's Ion." Bass answered as he turned around "He's probably beaten up by somebody."
"We've got to help him." X said, passing Blues to Zero then racing towards Ion. Bass followed then Zero with Blues on his back.
"Are you alright?" X whispered onto Ion.
"Carnage, he's gone…" Ion gasped.
"What's wrong with you X?" Bass complained as he reached for him.
"He said 'carnage' right" X sound confused "Who is this 'carnage'"
"Beats me…" Bass replied "I don't know!"
"X…" Ion tried to speak.
"Yes, why did you came here and all these reaverbots?" X demanded as Zero and Blues reached the scene.
"We came here… for the Black Refractor…" Ion let out a soft, almost inaudible tone.
"Why?" Bass inquired.
"The Black Refractor used to seal Carnage." Ion answered, losing his breath as he talks. "Mimic told us to leave but I doubt the Black Refractor was recovered…"
"That stuff was stolen from this island shortly after it was brought here." Bass answered sarcastically
"You must get it back to where you got it before Carnage do…" Ion gasped again.
"Who is Carnage?" Zero asked
"A discharge unit, Special force number 2: Megaman Carnage, as he is known…" Ion gasp. "Megaman Mimic told me end everyone of his troops to leave and I stayed."
"How did you end up like this?" X asked
"I stayed because I want to fight Carnage…" Ion continued "And he beat me right here…uh"
"Ion, let's get you to repair…" X said "There may still be hopes of recovery, you could help us get the black refractor back and fulfill your mission."
"ARE YOU CRAZY…!" Bass growl.
"Its no use…" Ion gasped "I'm not gonna make it…ugh…"
"Ion, ION!" X called out, tapping Ion's shoulder. There was no response.
"He's gone, like he just shut himself down." Zero said.
X just closed Ion's eyes with his fingers "May you rest in peace…" X sighed
"Well. X, you haven't got it yet eh!" Bass snapped, closing his eyes
"Bass…" X approaches him "What's wrong, you acted differently since I got here."
Bass opened his eyes. Both were red and had a cold look onto X. Zero and Blues also saw it and they were horrified.
"You are weird," Bass hissed with his red but cold eyes "helping an enemy…an enemy that had razed your beloved home. THEN YOU WILL HELP HIM!!!"
"You're not Bass, who are you" X demanded
"I am Bass." Bass stated "It's who is talking that is NOT!"
"Let Bass go…" X pointed his buster gun onto 'Bass'
"You wouldn't do that to your 'Bass'" The possessor of Bass taunted. "I am Megaman Carnage, so I would disappoint you asking."
"What do you want!" X growl. Zero's mad and pulled out his light saber.
"I have to make sure that Ion is a sure dead" Carnage spoke through Bass "And I also had an appointment regarding the stolen Black Refractor."
"So!" Zero snapped.
"I have to make sure Ion dies here with some 'message' that is…" Carnage paused "And make sure none of Mimic's troops remained here."
"You're after the Black Refractor too, right?" X inquired
"Exactly, and I couldn't waste any time for that." Carnage goes on. "I better hand over Bass back to ya, I too don't wanna disappoint you. And one more thing, I will be back here sooner than later; just 'when you go after Timmy into the forest' in this very island." 'Bass' closed his eyes and he fainted. X caught him before he could fall.
"Bass…you alright?" X asked
"I felt dizzy" Bass replied while trying to get onto his feet. "Was Carnage here…?"
"He was here alright." X replied
"Lets go to the hospital and meet up with Roll and the others…" Zero stated.
X, Zero, Bass and Blues went towards Uptown. X, somewhat disturbed by the sight of the Downtown's wreckage, fell behind the rest. He had in his mind that Carnage must be a very serious "convict" or so and was sealed for some time using the Black refractor brought here.
They were surprise to see that the Uptown was virtually undamaged. Nearly every building was intact.
"There it is!" Bass pointed out, rushing and picking up his bag he left almost a day ago.
"There you are!" Barrel called out as he stepped out of his house.
"You're alright!" X, Zero, Bass, and Blues greet him.
"You better see Timmy at the hospital!" Barrel instructed them "Roll and Data are there."
"But what about you?" X asked
"Its alright, everything will be alright for now." Barrel replied.
"We better see her…" Zero advised them. "I'll take care of Blues!"
"Ok!" X answered rushing to the hospital, followed by Bass carrying the bag full of stuff. Bass, despite the huge bag on his back, manage to outrun X.
"See you later…!" Blues called out.
"Is she alright?" Roll asked as the doctor exited the room.
"She'll be fine." The doctor replied "She is just in shock and some emotional exhaustion. All she need is some rest."
"Roll!" Bass greets as he approaches Roll. Bass hugged her and she hugged back.
"So glad that you're alright too!" Roll replied. "Where's Blues?"
"He's with Zero." X answered as he entered the hospital "Probably inside Barrel's house."
"How's Timmy?" X asked.
"She needs some rest." Roll answered then turned to the doctor. "Can we see the patient."
"Of course." The doctor replied.
Roll rushed to the room. Bass followed, still carrying the bag full of toys and stuff, then X.
The room was solemn white. Timmy was sleeping in bed and Drone sat on a chair beside her.
Roll, Bass and X gathered around her. They seem a bit concern though they had just met this frightened girl less than a day ago.
"She will be alright, just as the doctor said" Drone ensured them.
"We're sorry for this" X held Timmy's hand.
"She is still exhausted, she can't hear you." The doctor said
"I'll watch her, please…" Drone asked, "perhaps the people of the island may need your help out there."
"Alright." Bass replied as they left the room. Drone stayed behind, as the window projects the sun's ray from dawn to morning.
"Roll, Bass, X" Barrel called for them at the waiting room as they had just left Timmy's room earlier.
"Timmy will be alright." Roll said
"The inspector just had an initial report on the island…" Barrel said.
"Report…?" X sound confused "What does it say…"
"He said that the cost of damages and repairs will cost the island at least 500 million Zenny."
"W-Wh-What!" Bass yelled, in shock
"That is just initial, things could get even worse." Barrel said
Tron and Teisel and two servebots also entered the hospital. Rather than arrogant, they also had a sincere look on their faces.
"Tron, Teisel" X sound surprise "What are you doing here."
"We heard of a horrible attack on this island." Tron said, sounding even more sorry.
"Yeah, they were after the black refractor." X said
"Huh!" Barrel sound shock. "How did you know"
"A dying unit named Ion said it." X stated "He said it was used to seal Megaman Carnage."
Barrel was so shock, he felt his chest aching. He stood still and like he had seen a monster.
"Gramps, Are you alright." Roll rushed to her grandfather's aid. Holding him so that he won't fall.
"Who?" Teisel sound confused
"It has come to pass…" Barrel sigh.
"Did you actually know Megaman Carnage?" X asked.
Barrel nod "I do…And I should have paid more attention much earlier."
"The helicopter's too slow!" A thug commented as he holds the black refractor.
"Like do you know any other way of transportation?" another thug complained
They directed the helicopter and landed on the island just large enough for the helicopter to land on.
"The engine's overheating…!" a thug called out
"Looks like things has got to wait."
Just as the three of them got off, two purifier units waited outside and their buster gun aimed at the thugs. One was colored violet and the other was yellow.
"Surrender!" The violet unit demanded.
The thugs just pulled their own guns and started shooting. None of the bullets made it; all fell short of even scratching their armor.
The violet unit delivered two shots, knocking out two thugs. The yellow unit took down the third with an electrical shock from his buster gun.
"Search the chopper." The violet unit ordered. The yellow unit rushed into the helicopter. Within a moment, he got out.
"Let's get out of here." The yellow unit said out with the black refractor on his hand. The violet unit turned around, set his buster gun to maximum, and shot a plasma bullet incinerating the chopper together with most of the tiny island.
"This is second class, purifier unit Megaman Tracker." The yellow unit said "Recovery of the black refractor accomplished." He turned to the violet unit "Shocker, we can go now."
"Not so fast." A familiar voice came.
Tracker turned to the source and saw Megaman Carnage hovering right in front of him. Before he could react, Carnage caught his wrist, holding it so hard that it crushed. Tracker screamed in pain.
"Tracker!" Shocker rushed to his aid.
Carnage uprooted Tracker's arm as though it was just a leg or a wing from a fried chicken and took the Black refractor from tracker's amputated arm. Carnage threw Tracker's broken arm to Shocker so hard that it knock him out.
Carnage wedged his hand onto Tracker's chest and ripped off and removed his internal core generator (equivalent to removing the biological heart from a human being). He turned and swing and struck his heel onto Tracker's face, causing him to fall towards the ocean below as he crush Tracker's generator with his palm.
Carnage let go of the pieces of the generator and shot a huge orange laser, engulfing Tracker completely. The laser made contact with the ocean's surface and explode in a huge tsunami.
Shocker began shooting with his buster gun. Carnage was able to glance then disappeared and reappeared a few feet closer.
Shocker fired again and again Carnage disappeared and appeared even closer by another few feet. To Shocker, every time he shoots at Carnage, he just vanished like a ghost. This was actually Carnage's lightning movement, so fast it becomes invisible to see.
Close enough, Carnage crumpled the tip of the barrel of Shocker's buster gun, making it impossible to shoot any further. Carnage gave Shocker an upper cut, launching him up in the air. Carnage suddenly appeared above him and picked him so hard, his back armor broke. Shocker could hardly feel himself falling back onto the ocean as the excessively hard hit terminated most of his circuits.
Shocker managed to see the ocean's surface getting closer then Carnage appeared. Carnage shot an orange laser onto Shocker, also ending up in a huge blast that his figure too vanished.
"No one's messing with my powers ever." Carnage held up the black refractor. It started glowing violet then its black coloring started fading as flashes of violet goes on and off.
Carnage felt energy entering then brimming within his as the black refractor faded further until it just disappear.
"And now…ah!" Carnage whispered then raised his voice to a full-scale roar "REVENGE…!!!" His voice was so loud it could be heard for nearly a hundred miles.
Barrel entered the dining room. There is a long table at the center where X, Zero, Blues, Bass, Roll, Tron, Teisel, and two servebots sat on the chairs around it. Much of the room had scattered books, machine parts, cables, wires, and circuits.
"This is diary…" Barrel introduces an old book it was badly torn in the ravages of time. "Is over 200 years old."
"200 years old!?" X sound surprised.
"It belongs to my great, great, great grandfather, Gear Gasket." Barrel sound sincere and frown "According to this diary, he actually met Carnage. There is so many text but to make it short, Megaman Carnage was an aberrant unit!"
Barrel opened the book and turned some pages to lead the others to the topic as he sits down a chair. "When Carnage was apprehended, a black refractor appeared on a gun-like weapon to another unit. It was then used to seal Carnage."
"Mr. Gasket, did your ancestor, Gear Gasket, actually helped seal Carnage?" Teisel asked.
"I don't know." Barrel answered. "When this happened, he was still a child, he may not remember it much because he was loitering in the ruin with some explorer when he witness this.
"There is a description of Carnage here." Barrel clears his throat. "A unit in black armor, gray cape with black shoulder pad, red eye, and blue untidy hair but not long."
"It's him Teisel!" Tron yelled out as she jumps out of her seat.
"You met him!!?" Teisel sound surprise.
"Yes." Tron answered, sound scared. "I tried following him. I was curious. He must have got angry that he shot and nearly destroyed us together with the Gasselcraft yesterday."
"You mean…that morning that turned the Gasselcraft around!" Teisel answered back.
"He will be back" X said, standing up from his seat. "He said he will."
"What are we going to do?" Zero asked, still sitting on his chair.
"I don't know about him." X answered. "What concerns us now is the reconstruction of Kattlelox Island."
"You got that right X." Roll affirms. "And I have to fix the Flutter."
"How long will it take?" Zero asked
"At least a week…" Roll answers. "And a lot of money for replacing fully damaged parts."
"Like, we're going to crack every one of our hard-earn beans for this…" Blues sigh.
"Let me help you fix the flutter." Tron volunteers.
Timmy sadly walked on the sidewalk of the Uptown area of the city. She had told Drone to leave her alone for a while and Drone easily obeyed her. Its been ten days since Mimic led a large scale attack which left Kattlelox Island devastated. She felt so unwelcome yet she wasn't. This was partly because she felt responsible for the attack for bringing the black refractor to the island.
She walked on to the Downtown area where the scenes shock her a lot. The whole area was completely razed to the ground. A lot of workers were in the site rebuilding houses and buildings while cleaning up the mess that were still left after the past days. No wonder, she thought, why X and the others kept out of the downtown area.
"Timmy!" X called as he approaches Timmy.
"You kept me out of here…" Timmy replied.
"Um…yes"
"Why did you…"
"I…I can't tell you…It's just that…"
"You're hiding something this big!" Timmy raised her voice then shedding some tears. "You're hiding this huge place so that I won't know what's really going on!"
"Timmy…" X came closer, trying to comfort her.
"Stay away!" Timmy pushes X and ran towards the Apple market.
"No, Timmy!" X followed as Timmy enters the market.
X was slowed down by the downtown's rugged terrain. Every smooth pavement was wreaked and the footing was very bad; which is why even heavy equipment could hardly make a good run. Timmy ran without a care, she managed to get up after she stumbles on rocks and debris. As Timmy rushed, she was unable to notice the people staring at her in downtown.
Timmy exited the market to Cardon forest just as X enters its vicinity. And as X enters the left the market, Timmy was already in a distance but she was slowing down. The distance of running and the pain of grief wore down her endurance. Not for long, X caught up with Timmy, crying.
"Timmy why did you run." As X comforted Timmy as she cried on his chest.
"I've done…too much…horrible things…at you…and your island." Timmy sob
"It's not your fault." X replied.
X raised his head in alert. A strong tingling stuck his mind as he switches his arm to his buster gun.
"X…" Timmy whispered.
"There is someone else here." X whispered back, as he looked around. Able to sense but unable to see who ever it is.
"Excellent sense." A voice came as a unit stepped out of the foliage. It had black armor, gray cape, and red pupil-eye and bluish untidy hair. He stood almost a foot taller than X.
"You're…" X sounded unsure.
"Yes, I am Megaman Carnage." He introduces himself.
"Why are you here? What do you want!?" X demanded
"First, to fulfilling my promise." Carnage stated "Perhaps you forgot the message I gave your 'Bass' with?"
"X, are you…" Zero came then he turned surprised as he sees the black unit "Alright?"
"Well this is turning into a party." Carnage joked. "But I should not be long…" Carnage pulls out a silvery refractor a bit bigger than his palm and tossed it on to Timmy. Timmy caught the refractor and slowly stood up.
Carnage turned around, as he was about to leave but X pointed his buster gun to him.
"What's with the barrel?" Carnage asked in sinister slang.
"Many people had sacrificed their lives for your freedom." X said. "Even her friend had given up his life as a consequence."
"Blame it on Mimic." Carnage points out. "It was his fault."
"You cannot replace a life with a refractor." Zero supports X's claim.
"Hey!" Carnage turned to Zero "That is no ordinary refractor…It can power a city as big as this island for more than a hundred thousand years."
"You're so ungrateful." X taunted
"Yeah, like you can just replace a life with something like that." Zero pointed out further.
"Do I look like I can revive a dead person!" Carnage raised his voice.
"X, Zero, please stop." Timmy interrupts.
"Timmy…" X sound confused.
"Kevin is gone, there is nothing we all could do to change or replace that." Timmy sounded sad.
"Hey!" X called out but it was too late. Carnage sped out like a smokeless rocket and almost immediately disappeared into the sky. "Darn it! He got away."
"Not so…" Zero smirked, pulling out a calculator-size monitor with small buttons. "I got him tagged…"