Digital Souls
By Wanderer D
Chapter 4
Gabumon's eyes glowed as he stood up with renewed energy. "Gabumon Ultra-Digivolve to: Metalgarurumon!"
Afcaal was blinded by the transformation, while Peregrine, somehow unaffected, stared in surprise.
***
The Axe cut cleanly through the last of Noodleman's noodles. With a cry of surprise, Noodleman stepped back as X approached him.
"You are not a Reploid." X stated facing the almost destroyed Maverick.
"Wh- what do you mean?!" Noodleman asked, backing away.
X shrugged, looking at the trapped Noodleman.
Suddenly Noodle Man's eyes glowed red.
"It's true this isn't a Reploid Megaman!" A raspy voice came out of Noodle Man's mouth. "But you're not going to live to tell anyone about it!"
When Noodleman started smoking and glowing, X's eyes grew wide.
"Uh, oh!" X said.
***
Zero was running to the center of the base, where he had agreed to meet the others when the floor started trembling. Kneeling with one hand on the ground to keep his balance he waited a few seconds until it subsided before standing up again.
"I wonder what that was?" he asked aloud.
***
Afcaal lost his footing when the tower trembled, shaking everything. The gigantic armored wolf in front of him stood passively until it ended.
Its eyes glowed slightly as the wolf walked forward at him. The Reploid's armor changed into a soft blue.
"Ice Star!" Afcaal shouted throwing his arm into the air. Fifteen small ice stars shot out of his body and impacted against the ceiling, walls and Metalgarurumon, covering anything in ice.
The Digimon had stood on his hind legs and protected Peregrine with his body.
Metalgarurumon pushed himself away from the wall, shattering the ice.
"You call that cold? I'll show you cold." He growled.
Afcaal gulped and stepped away.
***
Gripping the needle carefully with his teeth, Metalgarurumon slowly extracted the offending dagger from Peregrine's wing. The Female Reploid moaned as it finally slid out of her wing, spilling a little motor fluid.
Metalgarurumon lowered her to the ground carefully and looked her over. She didn't look too good.
Without the helm, she looked nice, according to Metalgarurumon's understanding of beauty in the human species, she was quite attractive.
However, that didn't change the fact that she looked like sh**. Her armor was badly burnt, and her wings could barely stay straight, her X-Buster was also in a bad condition, every now and then he could see small sparks lighting it's interior, and it smelt of burnt circuits.
"Are you okay, Peregrine?" He asked worriedly.
"Of course..." Peregrine smirked despite the pain. "I'm... perfectly... alright..."
Metalgarurumon decided that if she could joke about it she wasn't hurt that badly. Or so he hoped.
"Well, get on my back, we're going to the meeting point." He offered.
Peregrine complied, easing herself up to Metalgarurumon's back.
"Hold on tight!" The Digimon warned as he jumped down the center of the tower to the ground beyond.
***
Zero had waited for a few minutes before hearing metallic steps along one of the many corridors that converged in the center
He hid inside another as Metalgarurumon walked inside. Zero sighed in relief, but then noticed Peregrine hanging limply on his back.
"Peregrine!"
Zero ran to his friend and carried the unconscious girl to the side tunnel. "What happened?"
He started doing a system check on her while Metalgarurumon explained he battle with Afcaal. Zero sighed when his scanners told him that he would survive.
He then noticed that she had brown hair. He hadn't noticed that before, very time they met she had her helmet on, and since it also covered most of her face none of the team had actually seen her face. She was pretty, not cute like Iris, Peregrine looked more mature...
"MATT!"
Zero started and looked up at Metalgarurumon. "Huh?"
"You were just staring at Peregrine! Didn't you hear me? Is she going to be okay?"
Zero blushed as he busied himself activating some nanites and recovery systems on Peregrine. "Uh, yeah, she's cu- she's gonna be ok..."
Metalgarurumon shook his head. "Hey, weren't X and the others supposed to meet us by now?"
Zero nodded as he stood up. He brought his radio up. "X? You there?" he called.
He frowned at the lack of response. "Afro? Lynx?"
"Lynx here! We need help! Afro's..." The transmission was cut suddenly.
"Lynx?" Zero tried again but received no response.
Metalgarurumon walked up to Zero. "What happened?"
"Lynx and Afro are in trouble!" Zero answered.
Metalgarurumon looked at Zero as the latter regarded the unconscious Peregrine.
"We can't leave her here." Zero stated.
"Don... Don't worry about me, Zero..." Peregrine said, opening her eyes.
"Peregrine!" Zero exclaimed, echoed by Metalgarurumon.
Peregrine was breathing heavily, watching them as they approached.
"The nanites worked perfectly, I'll be ok in a few hours... you have to help the others." She insisted.
Zero and Metalgarurumon looked at each other.
"Please, Zero, Metalgarurumon. We have a far more important mission to accomplish. We must stop the Mavericks."
"Are you sure, Peregrine?" Zero asked doubtfully.
She barely nodded. "I'll be able to walk in a few minutes, don't worry about me." Zero stared into her eyes for a few moments, then nodded.
"When X comes here, tell him of our situation." Peregrine only rested her head against the wall. But Zero knew he had been heard. If X, no, *when* X came, he would hear the news.
***
Zero and Metalgarurumon arrived at the first of Afro and Lynx's targets. The area was completely destroyed, but when Zero checked the status of the missile he found it had been deactivated.
"They finished their work here. Let's go to the next one!" he shouted over his shoulder.
They dashed/ran down the tunnels to the other target, and as soon as they entered, they noticed Afroman completely covered in ice.
"Duck!" Zero yelled. He followed his own advice and fell to the ground just as a blue ray shot over his head. Metalgarurumon had also jumped out of the way and turned, firing his own beam.
The dark figure jumped up and forward to avoid the Digimon's breath weapon, finally landing on the light.
"You?! Why?" Zero exclaimed as he regarded Ice Lynx in surprise.
"Because, Zero, I have learnt of the true destiny of Reploids!" Ice Lynx laughed manically and shot again.
"What the hell is he talking about?!" Metalgarurumon asked.
"He must have been transformed! Probably by Sigma! The bastard survived!"
Zero used his sword to block one of Lynx's rays as he answered Metalgarurumon.
"You have some things right, my dear Project Zero, but I must tell you that the Sigma part is wrong!" A raspy voice informed them from a loudspeaker in the corner of the room.
Ice Lynx stopped his attack and stood back a little.
"I must say that you passed the test exceptionally well, Project Zero! Hahaha!"
A large screen rolled down from the ceiling, and, when it reached it's full size, the face of a very old man appeared clearly on it. He was a sorry sight, with hundreds of machines, cables and tubes keeping him alive where his body couldn't.
"YOU!" Zero shouted, as flashes of a younger version of this very same doctor invaded his mind.
"Yes, it is I!" the mad doctor cackled. "Dr. Wily! Your creator!"
"You created nothing but this body! You stole my life, you bastard!"
Wily smirked. "I used a program with human behavior I had found. Nothing more!"
Zero gritted his teeth, as he activated his sword to it's full potential, and started gathering energy. Metalgarurumon could see small lights surrounding him. The lights turned yellow, then green.
"You don't know what you did, you imbecile!" Zero challenged.
Wily frowned. "Too bad I couldn't erase parts of your program, but that doesn't mean that I can't control you!"
He leaned forward and typed something in an unseen console. Suddenly, Zero grasped his head and shouted in pain.
"Matt!" Metalgarurumon shouted as he took a step forward. Ice Lynx intercepted him.
"You were a fool, Zero, to believe that I wouldn't have another way to ensure my victory."
Zero stood up straight and didn't utter a word. Wily smiled evilly. "Ice Lynx. Attack Project Zero."
Time seemed to slow down as Lynx jumped at Zero. Zero turned around, expressionless, still surrounded by energy.
The only thing that Metalgarurumon noticed of the exchange was the hum of Zero's blast. The next thing he knew, Ice Lynx was blown away.
"Excellent!" Wily cackled.
"Zero!" Everyone looked at the entrance, where X was helping Peregrine walk inside.
Zero looked at them, unrecognizing.
Metalgarurumon noticed the change in X's armor. He now sported a stylized samurai-looking helmet, whole body armor with white edges against a deep metallic blue. His boots had also changed, instead of the normal blue boots; he now had metallic blue boots with golden highlights going in three lines.
The booster was also lined up by golden lights and it had also the new deep metallic blue look.
Peregrine also looked in far better condition than he had guessed, it seemed that those nanites -whatever they were- had done a good job.
Metalgarurumon looked from the two new arrivals to Matt and back to them. "Watch out! Wily has taken control of Matt!"
"Zero! Kill that overgrown armored Chihuahua!" Wily ordered glaring at them.
The screen was destroyed by three of Metalgarurumon's missiles, but Wily's voice could still be heard on the speakers.
"And destroy Megaman! You must destroy him and that other Reploid!"
X pushed Peregrine away from him as Zero dashed towards them, the movement was too fast for Peregrine and Metalgarurumon to follow, but X was fast enough to catch Zero with a crash and a screech. Zero activated his boot- thrusters and pushed X to the far side of the room.
X managed to stop Zero's momentum and grabbed his sword arm with his left hand as he struggled to break Zero's hold on his neck with the other.
Screaming, Zero picked up X and threw him against the wall, blowing it up with his blaster and bringing it down on X.
Ignoring the grunts from underneath the twisted metal, he turned around and attacked Peregrine. Metalgarurumon tackled him just as he was about to cut her in half. The two rolled on the ground, Zero trying to get a good shot and the Digimon trying to hold him down long enough to reason with him.
X finally pushed himself out of the rubble just as Zero batted Metalgarurumon away with a backhand and started to stand up.
X's armor changed into yellow as he used his latest power. "Noodle Whip!"
The metallic band with the stupid title enveloped Zero, pinning his arms to his sides and keeping him in the same place as he struggled to get free.
"Peregrine! Go get Wily!" X shouted. "We'll keep Zero occupied!"
Peregrine nodded and ran towards the door. It was obvious she hadn't been completely regenerated by the nanites, and that her wings weren't healed yet.
After she was gone, X couldn't hold Zero much longer and the latter ripped the bands to shreds. X changed back to his armored blue self and began charging his blaster.
"Matt! You have to fight it! Please!" Metalgarurumon bellowed to Zero's back.
X noticed Zero's eyebrow twitch. "Gabumon! Watch out!"
Metalgarurumon was taken completely by surprise by Zero's blast. He flew back with an energy ball spinning against his armored stomach and stopped when he hit the immovable wall.
***
Peregrine logged into the main computer and started looking for a probable place for Wily to be. Finally finding a room with all the appropriate needs for a human to survive, she started down the stairs in the center of the castle.
She eventually found the room she was looking for. A huge double-door prevented the entrance of unwanted visitors.
She stopped to consider for a moment before she began to charge her blaster. After a few seconds she released a blast that would've made X proud. The door shuddered, and after four more blasts she finally broke through.
Stepping through the gapping hole she regarded the sorry creature Dr. Wily had become, forever tied to a huge life-support system.
The mad doctor smiled at her. "So, it has come to this. You know, X never had the courage to kill me the many times we fought."
Peregrine charged her booster and pointed it straight at his head. "Release Zero. Now." She ordered.
Wily laughed. "Zero can't be released! The program that created his personality as you knew it was changed the moment I gave the command! Zero will destroy everyone and everything in this planet."
Peregrine didn't waver, although she was worried. "What would you get out of that?!"
Wily shrugged, making the cables and tubes connected to him waver dangerously. "Nothing. Which is what I have. My only wish now is to kill X. Then I will have fulfilled my vengeance against Dr. Light!"
Wily started laughing like a maniac. "Look! Zero is about to kill those two, he'll then destroy everything!"
Peregrine looked at one of the monitors.
***
X pulled Zero back. He had his friend in a Full Nelson and was slowly managing to move him away from Metalgarurumon.
After being slammed to the wall, Metalgarurumon had been unable to move out of the way as Zero dove into him and began pounding with abandon.
X had tried various times to pry him off, but each time Zero had thrown him, backhanded him and kicked him away. This time however he finally had a hold and was able to avoid further damage to his new friend.
Zero, now concentrated on X, bent forward, lifting X from the ground and jumped against a wall, slamming the other Reploid against it and lessening the hold.
As Zero stepped back, X fired at him getting a full hit on the torso. Zero stepped back a only few steps then grinned madly. Both friends started charging their boosters preparing to fire.
Finally Zero punched twice, sending twin spiraling comets as X fired his own gigantic blast.
"No!"
Metalgarurumon slammed against Zero's side just as X's blast was about to hit him. Zero fell to the ground as Metalgarurumon received X's shot fully.
X, in turn, was also hit by Zero's twin comets of destructive energy. The Reploid went tumbling to stop against the wall.
Zero stood up and threw X to where Metalgarurumon had regressed into Gabumon. Again charging his blasters, Zero prepared to destroy them.
***
Peregrine gasped and grabbed a nearby microphone. "Zero! Don't! They're your friends!" she shouted.
Wily laughed manically.
"Please! Matt!" She tried again.
***
As Zero pulled back his arms to shoot one last blast, the Digivice that still hung from his belt started to shine.
Gabumon opened his eyes weakly. "Matt, I know you won't do it. Because we are friends. And you have the crest of friendship!"
X also coughed and looked up. Zero shoved his fist forward and released his blast.
Gabumon opened his eyes -he didn't remember closing them- and looked behind him. A huge hole loomed behind him. He looked at Zero, who had fallen down on his knees.
Zero looked up and smiled.
"Matt!" Gabumon shouted happily and jumped forward to hug him, ignoring the pain in the ribs for the moment.
***
"No!" Wily bellowed.
Peregrine smirked. "It's your fault, Wily. You have done harm for the last time."
"But, why?! Project Zero was my perfect creation! He was supposed to kill Megaman X!"
"You don't really know, do you?" she asked.
"Know what?!" Wily was angry, but if he knew what was wrong with Project Zero and this stupid Reploid told him, maybe he could...
"You didn't steal a program to create Zero," Peregrine frowned and looked coldly into his eyes. "You murdered a kid and trapped his very being in Zero's body. You cannot control a soul. It has been proven that even the Maverick virus can be fought back by a heart, synthetic or otherwise!"
Wily was silent for a moment, then he started to laugh. Peregrine jumped back in surprise as a clear crystal bauble closed around Wily.
The crazy doctor smirked at her. "Don't think you've won, dear, I'm activating every missile in the base to be shot. And there's nothing you can do about it!"
Peregrine looked in despair at the monitors indicating the various missiles engaging.
Charging her booster she turned around to face Wily just as the alarms went off.
The crazy doctor smiled. "Killing me won't change anything."
"No, but it'll make me feel better." She answered.
"In any case remember that Reploids must follow the three rules of robotics. And you shall not harm a human being."
Peregrine's eyes flashed. "Yes, but victims of the Maverick virus are excluded from those three particular rules. Even surviving it and staying with the good guys doesn't mean that they check my programming to ensure they exist."
Wily's eyes opened wide as Peregrine fired. However, someone had grabbed her blaster hand and moved it, making her miss the shot by centimeters.
Both looked at Wily's rescuer in surprise, until the doctor cackled.
"Shocker! Well done! Now, kill her!" he ordered.
Shocker ignored him, locking stares with Peregrine instead.
"Get out of here, Peregrine." Shocker warned.
"I can't! That idiot just activated the nukes!" She shot back.
Shocker shook his head. "I've got it covered. The missiles won't be shot. The charges are in the deepest bowels in the castle. Now, go back to Zero, X and that Werewolf of yours. I'll take care of Wily."
Peregrine stood a couple of steps back then regarded Shocker. "Why did you stop me? I could have had finished everything right now."
Shocker smiled. "Simple. You've never shot a human in cold blood. And I don't want you to start. Go to him now. I'll follow you."
Peregrine nodded and started walking away, but just as she walked out of the door it sealed shut. Peregrine turned around and began hitting it. "Shocker! Get out! Now!"
On a monitor next to the door, Shocker's face appeared. "Tell Zero I'm sorry. Goodbye my friend. Don't remember me as your enemy. Think of the good old days."
Peregrine slammed her fist against the monitor seconds after it went dark.
"Shocker!" she shouted.
***
Wily was having trouble breathing. It seemed to him that liquid fire burned his lungs every time he tried.
Sparks flew and cables dangled from the ceiling of what used to be his laboratory. That dragon Reploid had burst out shooting lightning bolts all around, and burning itself in the process. He hadn't killed him directly, but there was no way for him to walk out of this one.
And he didn't want to. An overhead speaker announced that only two minutes remained for the launch, but Wily wasn't interested in that.
What had stricken him was the evident pain in the female Reploid's voice as she tried to convince this one to go with her.
The voice from the speakers started the count back to zero.
It seemed that their creations had achieved a state far beyond what he and Light had imagined. Somehow, they had given real life to these beings. A soul.
"Light, old friend... if you could only see them now..." Wily whispered just as the count reached zero.
***
Thirty kilometers away, the door to the Hunter's ship had just been closed and the still frozen Afroman had been shoved into the back of the storage room when they saw the explosion through the front window at the same time everything started to shake violently.
Gabumon shouted and closed his eyes tightly as the brilliant flash hurt his eyes.
"Zero, will the ship survive the Electromagnetic wave?!" X asked worriedly as the ship started shook.
Peregrine did a quick check. "Yes! But we'll have to wait for it to pass before activating anything!"
Gabumon looked up at Matt in confusion. "Electro-what?"
Zero grabbed Gabumon's shoulder with one hand, and slipped the other over Peregrine's shoulders as he braced himself. Peregrine looked in surprise at him, but he only smiled.
"You'll find out what it is just about... now." Unexpectedly, the ship shuddered and sparks flew out of the consoles. It lasted a few seconds before finally dying down along with the flash of light.
Zero let go of Gabumon. And looked over to X. "Let's go home, X."
Gabumon crawled onto a seat and curled up. "Yes... home..." he yawned.
***
End Chapter 4
Gabumon's eyes glowed as he stood up with renewed energy. "Gabumon Ultra-Digivolve to: Metalgarurumon!"
Afcaal was blinded by the transformation, while Peregrine, somehow unaffected, stared in surprise.
***
The Axe cut cleanly through the last of Noodleman's noodles. With a cry of surprise, Noodleman stepped back as X approached him.
"You are not a Reploid." X stated facing the almost destroyed Maverick.
"Wh- what do you mean?!" Noodleman asked, backing away.
X shrugged, looking at the trapped Noodleman.
Suddenly Noodle Man's eyes glowed red.
"It's true this isn't a Reploid Megaman!" A raspy voice came out of Noodle Man's mouth. "But you're not going to live to tell anyone about it!"
When Noodleman started smoking and glowing, X's eyes grew wide.
"Uh, oh!" X said.
***
Zero was running to the center of the base, where he had agreed to meet the others when the floor started trembling. Kneeling with one hand on the ground to keep his balance he waited a few seconds until it subsided before standing up again.
"I wonder what that was?" he asked aloud.
***
Afcaal lost his footing when the tower trembled, shaking everything. The gigantic armored wolf in front of him stood passively until it ended.
Its eyes glowed slightly as the wolf walked forward at him. The Reploid's armor changed into a soft blue.
"Ice Star!" Afcaal shouted throwing his arm into the air. Fifteen small ice stars shot out of his body and impacted against the ceiling, walls and Metalgarurumon, covering anything in ice.
The Digimon had stood on his hind legs and protected Peregrine with his body.
Metalgarurumon pushed himself away from the wall, shattering the ice.
"You call that cold? I'll show you cold." He growled.
Afcaal gulped and stepped away.
***
Gripping the needle carefully with his teeth, Metalgarurumon slowly extracted the offending dagger from Peregrine's wing. The Female Reploid moaned as it finally slid out of her wing, spilling a little motor fluid.
Metalgarurumon lowered her to the ground carefully and looked her over. She didn't look too good.
Without the helm, she looked nice, according to Metalgarurumon's understanding of beauty in the human species, she was quite attractive.
However, that didn't change the fact that she looked like sh**. Her armor was badly burnt, and her wings could barely stay straight, her X-Buster was also in a bad condition, every now and then he could see small sparks lighting it's interior, and it smelt of burnt circuits.
"Are you okay, Peregrine?" He asked worriedly.
"Of course..." Peregrine smirked despite the pain. "I'm... perfectly... alright..."
Metalgarurumon decided that if she could joke about it she wasn't hurt that badly. Or so he hoped.
"Well, get on my back, we're going to the meeting point." He offered.
Peregrine complied, easing herself up to Metalgarurumon's back.
"Hold on tight!" The Digimon warned as he jumped down the center of the tower to the ground beyond.
***
Zero had waited for a few minutes before hearing metallic steps along one of the many corridors that converged in the center
He hid inside another as Metalgarurumon walked inside. Zero sighed in relief, but then noticed Peregrine hanging limply on his back.
"Peregrine!"
Zero ran to his friend and carried the unconscious girl to the side tunnel. "What happened?"
He started doing a system check on her while Metalgarurumon explained he battle with Afcaal. Zero sighed when his scanners told him that he would survive.
He then noticed that she had brown hair. He hadn't noticed that before, very time they met she had her helmet on, and since it also covered most of her face none of the team had actually seen her face. She was pretty, not cute like Iris, Peregrine looked more mature...
"MATT!"
Zero started and looked up at Metalgarurumon. "Huh?"
"You were just staring at Peregrine! Didn't you hear me? Is she going to be okay?"
Zero blushed as he busied himself activating some nanites and recovery systems on Peregrine. "Uh, yeah, she's cu- she's gonna be ok..."
Metalgarurumon shook his head. "Hey, weren't X and the others supposed to meet us by now?"
Zero nodded as he stood up. He brought his radio up. "X? You there?" he called.
He frowned at the lack of response. "Afro? Lynx?"
"Lynx here! We need help! Afro's..." The transmission was cut suddenly.
"Lynx?" Zero tried again but received no response.
Metalgarurumon walked up to Zero. "What happened?"
"Lynx and Afro are in trouble!" Zero answered.
Metalgarurumon looked at Zero as the latter regarded the unconscious Peregrine.
"We can't leave her here." Zero stated.
"Don... Don't worry about me, Zero..." Peregrine said, opening her eyes.
"Peregrine!" Zero exclaimed, echoed by Metalgarurumon.
Peregrine was breathing heavily, watching them as they approached.
"The nanites worked perfectly, I'll be ok in a few hours... you have to help the others." She insisted.
Zero and Metalgarurumon looked at each other.
"Please, Zero, Metalgarurumon. We have a far more important mission to accomplish. We must stop the Mavericks."
"Are you sure, Peregrine?" Zero asked doubtfully.
She barely nodded. "I'll be able to walk in a few minutes, don't worry about me." Zero stared into her eyes for a few moments, then nodded.
"When X comes here, tell him of our situation." Peregrine only rested her head against the wall. But Zero knew he had been heard. If X, no, *when* X came, he would hear the news.
***
Zero and Metalgarurumon arrived at the first of Afro and Lynx's targets. The area was completely destroyed, but when Zero checked the status of the missile he found it had been deactivated.
"They finished their work here. Let's go to the next one!" he shouted over his shoulder.
They dashed/ran down the tunnels to the other target, and as soon as they entered, they noticed Afroman completely covered in ice.
"Duck!" Zero yelled. He followed his own advice and fell to the ground just as a blue ray shot over his head. Metalgarurumon had also jumped out of the way and turned, firing his own beam.
The dark figure jumped up and forward to avoid the Digimon's breath weapon, finally landing on the light.
"You?! Why?" Zero exclaimed as he regarded Ice Lynx in surprise.
"Because, Zero, I have learnt of the true destiny of Reploids!" Ice Lynx laughed manically and shot again.
"What the hell is he talking about?!" Metalgarurumon asked.
"He must have been transformed! Probably by Sigma! The bastard survived!"
Zero used his sword to block one of Lynx's rays as he answered Metalgarurumon.
"You have some things right, my dear Project Zero, but I must tell you that the Sigma part is wrong!" A raspy voice informed them from a loudspeaker in the corner of the room.
Ice Lynx stopped his attack and stood back a little.
"I must say that you passed the test exceptionally well, Project Zero! Hahaha!"
A large screen rolled down from the ceiling, and, when it reached it's full size, the face of a very old man appeared clearly on it. He was a sorry sight, with hundreds of machines, cables and tubes keeping him alive where his body couldn't.
"YOU!" Zero shouted, as flashes of a younger version of this very same doctor invaded his mind.
"Yes, it is I!" the mad doctor cackled. "Dr. Wily! Your creator!"
"You created nothing but this body! You stole my life, you bastard!"
Wily smirked. "I used a program with human behavior I had found. Nothing more!"
Zero gritted his teeth, as he activated his sword to it's full potential, and started gathering energy. Metalgarurumon could see small lights surrounding him. The lights turned yellow, then green.
"You don't know what you did, you imbecile!" Zero challenged.
Wily frowned. "Too bad I couldn't erase parts of your program, but that doesn't mean that I can't control you!"
He leaned forward and typed something in an unseen console. Suddenly, Zero grasped his head and shouted in pain.
"Matt!" Metalgarurumon shouted as he took a step forward. Ice Lynx intercepted him.
"You were a fool, Zero, to believe that I wouldn't have another way to ensure my victory."
Zero stood up straight and didn't utter a word. Wily smiled evilly. "Ice Lynx. Attack Project Zero."
Time seemed to slow down as Lynx jumped at Zero. Zero turned around, expressionless, still surrounded by energy.
The only thing that Metalgarurumon noticed of the exchange was the hum of Zero's blast. The next thing he knew, Ice Lynx was blown away.
"Excellent!" Wily cackled.
"Zero!" Everyone looked at the entrance, where X was helping Peregrine walk inside.
Zero looked at them, unrecognizing.
Metalgarurumon noticed the change in X's armor. He now sported a stylized samurai-looking helmet, whole body armor with white edges against a deep metallic blue. His boots had also changed, instead of the normal blue boots; he now had metallic blue boots with golden highlights going in three lines.
The booster was also lined up by golden lights and it had also the new deep metallic blue look.
Peregrine also looked in far better condition than he had guessed, it seemed that those nanites -whatever they were- had done a good job.
Metalgarurumon looked from the two new arrivals to Matt and back to them. "Watch out! Wily has taken control of Matt!"
"Zero! Kill that overgrown armored Chihuahua!" Wily ordered glaring at them.
The screen was destroyed by three of Metalgarurumon's missiles, but Wily's voice could still be heard on the speakers.
"And destroy Megaman! You must destroy him and that other Reploid!"
X pushed Peregrine away from him as Zero dashed towards them, the movement was too fast for Peregrine and Metalgarurumon to follow, but X was fast enough to catch Zero with a crash and a screech. Zero activated his boot- thrusters and pushed X to the far side of the room.
X managed to stop Zero's momentum and grabbed his sword arm with his left hand as he struggled to break Zero's hold on his neck with the other.
Screaming, Zero picked up X and threw him against the wall, blowing it up with his blaster and bringing it down on X.
Ignoring the grunts from underneath the twisted metal, he turned around and attacked Peregrine. Metalgarurumon tackled him just as he was about to cut her in half. The two rolled on the ground, Zero trying to get a good shot and the Digimon trying to hold him down long enough to reason with him.
X finally pushed himself out of the rubble just as Zero batted Metalgarurumon away with a backhand and started to stand up.
X's armor changed into yellow as he used his latest power. "Noodle Whip!"
The metallic band with the stupid title enveloped Zero, pinning his arms to his sides and keeping him in the same place as he struggled to get free.
"Peregrine! Go get Wily!" X shouted. "We'll keep Zero occupied!"
Peregrine nodded and ran towards the door. It was obvious she hadn't been completely regenerated by the nanites, and that her wings weren't healed yet.
After she was gone, X couldn't hold Zero much longer and the latter ripped the bands to shreds. X changed back to his armored blue self and began charging his blaster.
"Matt! You have to fight it! Please!" Metalgarurumon bellowed to Zero's back.
X noticed Zero's eyebrow twitch. "Gabumon! Watch out!"
Metalgarurumon was taken completely by surprise by Zero's blast. He flew back with an energy ball spinning against his armored stomach and stopped when he hit the immovable wall.
***
Peregrine logged into the main computer and started looking for a probable place for Wily to be. Finally finding a room with all the appropriate needs for a human to survive, she started down the stairs in the center of the castle.
She eventually found the room she was looking for. A huge double-door prevented the entrance of unwanted visitors.
She stopped to consider for a moment before she began to charge her blaster. After a few seconds she released a blast that would've made X proud. The door shuddered, and after four more blasts she finally broke through.
Stepping through the gapping hole she regarded the sorry creature Dr. Wily had become, forever tied to a huge life-support system.
The mad doctor smiled at her. "So, it has come to this. You know, X never had the courage to kill me the many times we fought."
Peregrine charged her booster and pointed it straight at his head. "Release Zero. Now." She ordered.
Wily laughed. "Zero can't be released! The program that created his personality as you knew it was changed the moment I gave the command! Zero will destroy everyone and everything in this planet."
Peregrine didn't waver, although she was worried. "What would you get out of that?!"
Wily shrugged, making the cables and tubes connected to him waver dangerously. "Nothing. Which is what I have. My only wish now is to kill X. Then I will have fulfilled my vengeance against Dr. Light!"
Wily started laughing like a maniac. "Look! Zero is about to kill those two, he'll then destroy everything!"
Peregrine looked at one of the monitors.
***
X pulled Zero back. He had his friend in a Full Nelson and was slowly managing to move him away from Metalgarurumon.
After being slammed to the wall, Metalgarurumon had been unable to move out of the way as Zero dove into him and began pounding with abandon.
X had tried various times to pry him off, but each time Zero had thrown him, backhanded him and kicked him away. This time however he finally had a hold and was able to avoid further damage to his new friend.
Zero, now concentrated on X, bent forward, lifting X from the ground and jumped against a wall, slamming the other Reploid against it and lessening the hold.
As Zero stepped back, X fired at him getting a full hit on the torso. Zero stepped back a only few steps then grinned madly. Both friends started charging their boosters preparing to fire.
Finally Zero punched twice, sending twin spiraling comets as X fired his own gigantic blast.
"No!"
Metalgarurumon slammed against Zero's side just as X's blast was about to hit him. Zero fell to the ground as Metalgarurumon received X's shot fully.
X, in turn, was also hit by Zero's twin comets of destructive energy. The Reploid went tumbling to stop against the wall.
Zero stood up and threw X to where Metalgarurumon had regressed into Gabumon. Again charging his blasters, Zero prepared to destroy them.
***
Peregrine gasped and grabbed a nearby microphone. "Zero! Don't! They're your friends!" she shouted.
Wily laughed manically.
"Please! Matt!" She tried again.
***
As Zero pulled back his arms to shoot one last blast, the Digivice that still hung from his belt started to shine.
Gabumon opened his eyes weakly. "Matt, I know you won't do it. Because we are friends. And you have the crest of friendship!"
X also coughed and looked up. Zero shoved his fist forward and released his blast.
Gabumon opened his eyes -he didn't remember closing them- and looked behind him. A huge hole loomed behind him. He looked at Zero, who had fallen down on his knees.
Zero looked up and smiled.
"Matt!" Gabumon shouted happily and jumped forward to hug him, ignoring the pain in the ribs for the moment.
***
"No!" Wily bellowed.
Peregrine smirked. "It's your fault, Wily. You have done harm for the last time."
"But, why?! Project Zero was my perfect creation! He was supposed to kill Megaman X!"
"You don't really know, do you?" she asked.
"Know what?!" Wily was angry, but if he knew what was wrong with Project Zero and this stupid Reploid told him, maybe he could...
"You didn't steal a program to create Zero," Peregrine frowned and looked coldly into his eyes. "You murdered a kid and trapped his very being in Zero's body. You cannot control a soul. It has been proven that even the Maverick virus can be fought back by a heart, synthetic or otherwise!"
Wily was silent for a moment, then he started to laugh. Peregrine jumped back in surprise as a clear crystal bauble closed around Wily.
The crazy doctor smirked at her. "Don't think you've won, dear, I'm activating every missile in the base to be shot. And there's nothing you can do about it!"
Peregrine looked in despair at the monitors indicating the various missiles engaging.
Charging her booster she turned around to face Wily just as the alarms went off.
The crazy doctor smiled. "Killing me won't change anything."
"No, but it'll make me feel better." She answered.
"In any case remember that Reploids must follow the three rules of robotics. And you shall not harm a human being."
Peregrine's eyes flashed. "Yes, but victims of the Maverick virus are excluded from those three particular rules. Even surviving it and staying with the good guys doesn't mean that they check my programming to ensure they exist."
Wily's eyes opened wide as Peregrine fired. However, someone had grabbed her blaster hand and moved it, making her miss the shot by centimeters.
Both looked at Wily's rescuer in surprise, until the doctor cackled.
"Shocker! Well done! Now, kill her!" he ordered.
Shocker ignored him, locking stares with Peregrine instead.
"Get out of here, Peregrine." Shocker warned.
"I can't! That idiot just activated the nukes!" She shot back.
Shocker shook his head. "I've got it covered. The missiles won't be shot. The charges are in the deepest bowels in the castle. Now, go back to Zero, X and that Werewolf of yours. I'll take care of Wily."
Peregrine stood a couple of steps back then regarded Shocker. "Why did you stop me? I could have had finished everything right now."
Shocker smiled. "Simple. You've never shot a human in cold blood. And I don't want you to start. Go to him now. I'll follow you."
Peregrine nodded and started walking away, but just as she walked out of the door it sealed shut. Peregrine turned around and began hitting it. "Shocker! Get out! Now!"
On a monitor next to the door, Shocker's face appeared. "Tell Zero I'm sorry. Goodbye my friend. Don't remember me as your enemy. Think of the good old days."
Peregrine slammed her fist against the monitor seconds after it went dark.
"Shocker!" she shouted.
***
Wily was having trouble breathing. It seemed to him that liquid fire burned his lungs every time he tried.
Sparks flew and cables dangled from the ceiling of what used to be his laboratory. That dragon Reploid had burst out shooting lightning bolts all around, and burning itself in the process. He hadn't killed him directly, but there was no way for him to walk out of this one.
And he didn't want to. An overhead speaker announced that only two minutes remained for the launch, but Wily wasn't interested in that.
What had stricken him was the evident pain in the female Reploid's voice as she tried to convince this one to go with her.
The voice from the speakers started the count back to zero.
It seemed that their creations had achieved a state far beyond what he and Light had imagined. Somehow, they had given real life to these beings. A soul.
"Light, old friend... if you could only see them now..." Wily whispered just as the count reached zero.
***
Thirty kilometers away, the door to the Hunter's ship had just been closed and the still frozen Afroman had been shoved into the back of the storage room when they saw the explosion through the front window at the same time everything started to shake violently.
Gabumon shouted and closed his eyes tightly as the brilliant flash hurt his eyes.
"Zero, will the ship survive the Electromagnetic wave?!" X asked worriedly as the ship started shook.
Peregrine did a quick check. "Yes! But we'll have to wait for it to pass before activating anything!"
Gabumon looked up at Matt in confusion. "Electro-what?"
Zero grabbed Gabumon's shoulder with one hand, and slipped the other over Peregrine's shoulders as he braced himself. Peregrine looked in surprise at him, but he only smiled.
"You'll find out what it is just about... now." Unexpectedly, the ship shuddered and sparks flew out of the consoles. It lasted a few seconds before finally dying down along with the flash of light.
Zero let go of Gabumon. And looked over to X. "Let's go home, X."
Gabumon crawled onto a seat and curled up. "Yes... home..." he yawned.
***
End Chapter 4