Chapter 5 - Pain and Confusion
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~23XX, Satellite Hunter Base, 3:13 PM (Over Six Months Prior)~
"Are you okay? X, are you paying any attention to me?"
Alia looked at me with a mock-angered frown on her face. I blushed in embarrassment.
"Oh, sorry…"
She smiled then, and my artificial heart beat a little faster.
"That's okay, but you were staring right through me. What's on your mind X?"
"Oh, not much, just that we're rather exposed out here."
Actually, I was looking into your eyes. How the heck am I supposed to explain that?
She smiled some more, then her face contorted, and she burst out laughing, sounding almost like a spring morning.
If such a thing can have a sound attributed to it.
"X, did anyone ever tell you you're a bad liar? Tell me the truth! I want to know!"
I turned my back, crossing my arms over my chest.
"I don't want to talk about it."
She laughed harder then, giggling like a schoolgirl.
"You hang out with Zero too much X! You're really starting to sound like him now!"
I turned, a credulous grin on my face as I looked at her. Or rather I looked at her eyes. They were so full of hope and life.
"Really?"
She grinned some more.
"No. Not really. And it's a good thing too. I don't know if the world could handle two Hunters as pigheaded as Zero."
I calmed a little, a soft smile framing my mouth.
"Perhaps you're right."
"But seriously now, I'm your friend, tell me!"
Great, how do I get out of this?
"Alia, I…"
I never got to finish whatever I was about to say. At that moment the doors flew open and countless mavericks rushed in and rained blow upon blow on us until we fell unconscious.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~23XX, Maverick Base, 5:23 AM~
I screamed and wept at the scene before me. My buster had blocks installed on it to keep it from firing as I was chained to the wall, watching. I didn't recall what they looked like later, only registering that there were two mavericks in the room.
"How's this girl? Want some more?"
The first one shoved an electrical rod against her chest plate, causing her to scream in pain. My cries increased in intensity as hers did. When he was finished, the second smashed a fist into her face, cracking the semi-elastic plastic that made up her face. She sobbed, pleading with them.
"Please don't do this… don't do this…"
Her pleas went unanswered, and unacknowledged. They continued to beat her until her body slumped forward, lifeless.
"NO!"
I struggled harder against my bonds, trying to force the energy rings that held me in place. The first maverick laughed and sauntered up to me, jabbing the electric rod against my torso, he laughed as my screams echoed through the room. The second grinned as well.
"You'll get yours soon enough, hunter trash. Right after we finish having our fun with your lady friend here…"
Then they both went back to Alia, and jammed the rod against her again. Her head shot up, her back arching, her screams echoing down my spine. I continued clawing at the restraints, but they didn't budge. They removed the wand, the first guard moving around her, circling, jabbing her with it every once in awhile making her scream sharply.
"No… please… no, don't do this… please… don…"
The first maverick had stabbed her in the back of the neck with it, making it so that she couldn't scream as she shook, writhing in agony. Her soundless screams were accompanied by a look of hopelessness and pain in her eyes. Then, her jaw went slack, and the light went out of her eyes, head wilting like a flower. The second guard hit the first in the shoulder, causing the first to drop his rod. When it hit a cable, the lights flickered, but neither noticed.
"Hey! What'd you do that for? Now she's dead! Lord Sigma's going to kill us!"
Dead? No. They're lying…
"NO!!!!!!"
The electric manacle on my right arm shorted out, and I pulled it down. The guards looked over. One picked up the rod, while the other rushed me. I formed my arm cannon, and the maverick laughed, and waggled his finger at me.
"You can't do that, can you?"
I felt the power building inside the buster. It would fire, or detonate trying. I really didn't care which. Then the block crumbled, and a shot three times the maximum I should have been capable of burst out. It left only a twitching pair of legs and lower torso intact. The rest was disintegrated, and it toppled over.
The one with the rod rushed at me. He swung the rod at me, but I caught it, and bent it back towards him. It impacted with his face and he stumbled backwards, obviously in pain. I reversed the rod in my grip, and jammed it in to the board I was shackled to. The other restraints shorted, and I dropped to the ground. The maverick was attempting to rise when I placed the business end of my buster at the base of his neck and fired. I turned to Alia and kneeled beside her, taking her head into my lap.
"Ally? Ally? Wake up. Wake up. Please?? Ally…?"
Scan Unit Alia!
"No. No! It can't be… Why?"
I looked back at the lifeless face beneath me. Alia seemed to be staring at me, accusing me.
'Why didn't you stop them?'
'Why are you alive when I'm not?'
'Why didn't you save me?'
'You're a fraud!'
'You're a disgrace!'
'How could I have ever loved you?!'
"NOOOO!!!!!"
I felt sadness. Pain. Then I felt incomprehension. Then, seeing Alia's lifeless accusing eyes, and the maverick bodies around, I felt rage. Heedless rage. I rose, a sadistic smile on my face.
They will pay.
I didn't bother with my buster as I approached the door. I used my fists. I beat it down. Nothing had ever felt as satisfying. From one of the first mavericks I downed, I picked up a beam saber. I used it and my X-Buster indiscriminately.
I felt rage beyond all else. I don't remember thinking after that. I just killed. I killed as if that was my only reason for being. It was my only reason for being. I killed everything in the fortress. I killed every maverick there. Then I started on the walls. They crumbled beneath my buster and confiscated saber. The fortress collapsed.
So did I.
My insanity caused the downfall over the maverick base.
Cain said it was the turning point of the war.
Hunters hailed me as a Hero.
I barely heard them.
It didn't matter.
I had lost my reason for being.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~2010, Mizuno Residence, 3:30 PM~
"Are you okay?"
Amy was speaking softly, trying not to alarm me as she kneeled down in front of me. I was still more than a little shaken as I answered.
"Y-Yeah, just a… glitch, that's all."
Memory recompile my shiny metal pelvic plate! If that keeps up I'll be a complete nervous wreck!
She smiled a little nervously, and got up off of her knees. I stood as well, and sat back down on the table I had been lain upon. She looked at me, concentrating.
"I'm not really sure where to start… Would you mind answering some questions?"
"No, not really. I've got some time to kill. I'm X. Mega Man X."
I held out my hand from my sitting position, and she shook it. Slowly.
Better than nothing I guess…
As our hands slowly lowered, she seemed to come to a decision.
"What are you?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~2010, Amy's House 5:45 PM~
"…and that's my story. Now I'm stuck here, unless Dr. Cain thinks up a way for me to get home."
"That sounds like a bad sci-fi movie."
"Probably."
It would have been worse if I had told her about Alia of my more… biological… nature. That would have started a line of questioning I'm sure I can do without.
"Will you tell the others?"
"Yes, for our own safety mostly, after all, information is a powerful weapon."
"As long as you know how to use it right; what are you going to do about me?"
As if I don't already have enough to worry about.
"I'm not sure, but I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt because of what happened earlier."
"Is the girl ok?"
The sudden thought of the human girl brought a lump to my throat.
"She's fine."
"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go now."
"Of course."
I walked out calmly, summoned my land chaser and sped off.
Better not go back to the apartment until I can be 'Rock' again, too many questions if I'm seen.
I was startled as my helmet picked up a call aimed at my cell-phone.
"Hello, Rock speaking… what, oh out running errands… tomorrow?… well, I'm kinda… okay, alright, what time?… Ok, I'll be there."
How did I get roped into this one? Usually it's just Zero playing a prank on me, but this time it's for real… I think. Honestly, I don't know enough about being a human yet to have this level of interaction with them. I mean…
My thoughts continued on in this fashion as I rode off into the afternoon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~2010, Amy's House 5:52 PM~
I sighed as I closed the door.
He's lying to me. A little at least, either that or I haven't been told everything. Probably the latter, I'm not sure I would say everything either in his situation. I mean it did sound like a bad sci-fi movie, but there were too many details for it to be completely false.
I sighed again, and looked at my newest 'acquisition', Commander Yammark. I ran my hand over its expressionless face to close its metallic eyelids. My head shot up, my eyes wide.
That's it, his eyes, his face, they're too real! They can't be mechanical, the facial expressions were just to detailed, even for the semi-elastic alloy! But if his face isn't synthetic, then…
My thoughts trailed off as it hit me.
It must be unique to him though, he was rather evasive when I asked why he was the only one who could survive here… What do I tell the girls?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~2010, Rooftop, 6:03 PM~
I stood, bathed in the glow of the sunset, and watched the streets below in full Sailor Venus regalia, intent on the teaming masses below. Things were a little confused right now.
And why shouldn't they be?
In the past, we the Sailor Scouts had always protected the people, even though we were still occasionally called a myth. And now we were powerless.
Well, not powerless, but still…
We were outnumbered, outclassed, and out gunned. It pretty much amounted to the same thing. Amy said that we only had to adjust our tactics, and Amy is usually right, but I still wondered if we had in fact met our match this one time. Below me the light turned green, and the few people who still had faith that it was safe outside went about their business. I felt a little ashamed, even though it wasn't my fault, and I was honestly trying my best.
But my best isn't good enough.
I chuckled then.
I'm supposed to be the 'bubbly blonde', and I sit here crying bitterly about things I can't prevent. Hah!
Then, my communicator beeped. I pulled it out, and Amy's face appeared on its screen. I smiled, bringing the 'bubbly blonde barrier' back to the fore.
"Hiya Amy! How's sleeping beauty?"
She smiled a little.
"That's what we need to talk about. Call the other girls back here, would you?"
"Sure Amy. We'll be there in a jiffy."
She paused then.
"No, wait. Nevermind. Tomorrow is soon enough. I'll make the calls myself…"
"If you're sure Amy…"
"I am."
The communicator shut down, and I let the mask drop.
Sometimes, it's difficult being the blonde one.
Then I left for home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~23XX, Satellite Hunter Base, 3:13 PM (Over Six Months Prior)~
"Are you okay? X, are you paying any attention to me?"
Alia looked at me with a mock-angered frown on her face. I blushed in embarrassment.
"Oh, sorry…"
She smiled then, and my artificial heart beat a little faster.
"That's okay, but you were staring right through me. What's on your mind X?"
"Oh, not much, just that we're rather exposed out here."
Actually, I was looking into your eyes. How the heck am I supposed to explain that?
She smiled some more, then her face contorted, and she burst out laughing, sounding almost like a spring morning.
If such a thing can have a sound attributed to it.
"X, did anyone ever tell you you're a bad liar? Tell me the truth! I want to know!"
I turned my back, crossing my arms over my chest.
"I don't want to talk about it."
She laughed harder then, giggling like a schoolgirl.
"You hang out with Zero too much X! You're really starting to sound like him now!"
I turned, a credulous grin on my face as I looked at her. Or rather I looked at her eyes. They were so full of hope and life.
"Really?"
She grinned some more.
"No. Not really. And it's a good thing too. I don't know if the world could handle two Hunters as pigheaded as Zero."
I calmed a little, a soft smile framing my mouth.
"Perhaps you're right."
"But seriously now, I'm your friend, tell me!"
Great, how do I get out of this?
"Alia, I…"
I never got to finish whatever I was about to say. At that moment the doors flew open and countless mavericks rushed in and rained blow upon blow on us until we fell unconscious.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~23XX, Maverick Base, 5:23 AM~
I screamed and wept at the scene before me. My buster had blocks installed on it to keep it from firing as I was chained to the wall, watching. I didn't recall what they looked like later, only registering that there were two mavericks in the room.
"How's this girl? Want some more?"
The first one shoved an electrical rod against her chest plate, causing her to scream in pain. My cries increased in intensity as hers did. When he was finished, the second smashed a fist into her face, cracking the semi-elastic plastic that made up her face. She sobbed, pleading with them.
"Please don't do this… don't do this…"
Her pleas went unanswered, and unacknowledged. They continued to beat her until her body slumped forward, lifeless.
"NO!"
I struggled harder against my bonds, trying to force the energy rings that held me in place. The first maverick laughed and sauntered up to me, jabbing the electric rod against my torso, he laughed as my screams echoed through the room. The second grinned as well.
"You'll get yours soon enough, hunter trash. Right after we finish having our fun with your lady friend here…"
Then they both went back to Alia, and jammed the rod against her again. Her head shot up, her back arching, her screams echoing down my spine. I continued clawing at the restraints, but they didn't budge. They removed the wand, the first guard moving around her, circling, jabbing her with it every once in awhile making her scream sharply.
"No… please… no, don't do this… please… don…"
The first maverick had stabbed her in the back of the neck with it, making it so that she couldn't scream as she shook, writhing in agony. Her soundless screams were accompanied by a look of hopelessness and pain in her eyes. Then, her jaw went slack, and the light went out of her eyes, head wilting like a flower. The second guard hit the first in the shoulder, causing the first to drop his rod. When it hit a cable, the lights flickered, but neither noticed.
"Hey! What'd you do that for? Now she's dead! Lord Sigma's going to kill us!"
Dead? No. They're lying…
"NO!!!!!!"
The electric manacle on my right arm shorted out, and I pulled it down. The guards looked over. One picked up the rod, while the other rushed me. I formed my arm cannon, and the maverick laughed, and waggled his finger at me.
"You can't do that, can you?"
I felt the power building inside the buster. It would fire, or detonate trying. I really didn't care which. Then the block crumbled, and a shot three times the maximum I should have been capable of burst out. It left only a twitching pair of legs and lower torso intact. The rest was disintegrated, and it toppled over.
The one with the rod rushed at me. He swung the rod at me, but I caught it, and bent it back towards him. It impacted with his face and he stumbled backwards, obviously in pain. I reversed the rod in my grip, and jammed it in to the board I was shackled to. The other restraints shorted, and I dropped to the ground. The maverick was attempting to rise when I placed the business end of my buster at the base of his neck and fired. I turned to Alia and kneeled beside her, taking her head into my lap.
"Ally? Ally? Wake up. Wake up. Please?? Ally…?"
Scan Unit Alia!
Scanning. . . . . .
Scan Complete
Unit Alia Terminated
"No. No! It can't be… Why?"
I looked back at the lifeless face beneath me. Alia seemed to be staring at me, accusing me.
'Why didn't you stop them?'
'Why are you alive when I'm not?'
'Why didn't you save me?'
'You're a fraud!'
'You're a disgrace!'
'How could I have ever loved you?!'
"NOOOO!!!!!"
I felt sadness. Pain. Then I felt incomprehension. Then, seeing Alia's lifeless accusing eyes, and the maverick bodies around, I felt rage. Heedless rage. I rose, a sadistic smile on my face.
They will pay.
I didn't bother with my buster as I approached the door. I used my fists. I beat it down. Nothing had ever felt as satisfying. From one of the first mavericks I downed, I picked up a beam saber. I used it and my X-Buster indiscriminately.
I felt rage beyond all else. I don't remember thinking after that. I just killed. I killed as if that was my only reason for being. It was my only reason for being. I killed everything in the fortress. I killed every maverick there. Then I started on the walls. They crumbled beneath my buster and confiscated saber. The fortress collapsed.
So did I.
My insanity caused the downfall over the maverick base.
Cain said it was the turning point of the war.
Hunters hailed me as a Hero.
I barely heard them.
It didn't matter.
I had lost my reason for being.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~2010, Mizuno Residence, 3:30 PM~
"Are you okay?"
Amy was speaking softly, trying not to alarm me as she kneeled down in front of me. I was still more than a little shaken as I answered.
"Y-Yeah, just a… glitch, that's all."
Memory recompile my shiny metal pelvic plate! If that keeps up I'll be a complete nervous wreck!
She smiled a little nervously, and got up off of her knees. I stood as well, and sat back down on the table I had been lain upon. She looked at me, concentrating.
"I'm not really sure where to start… Would you mind answering some questions?"
"No, not really. I've got some time to kill. I'm X. Mega Man X."
I held out my hand from my sitting position, and she shook it. Slowly.
Better than nothing I guess…
As our hands slowly lowered, she seemed to come to a decision.
"What are you?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~2010, Amy's House 5:45 PM~
"…and that's my story. Now I'm stuck here, unless Dr. Cain thinks up a way for me to get home."
"That sounds like a bad sci-fi movie."
"Probably."
It would have been worse if I had told her about Alia of my more… biological… nature. That would have started a line of questioning I'm sure I can do without.
"Will you tell the others?"
"Yes, for our own safety mostly, after all, information is a powerful weapon."
"As long as you know how to use it right; what are you going to do about me?"
As if I don't already have enough to worry about.
"I'm not sure, but I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt because of what happened earlier."
"Is the girl ok?"
The sudden thought of the human girl brought a lump to my throat.
"She's fine."
"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go now."
"Of course."
I walked out calmly, summoned my land chaser and sped off.
Better not go back to the apartment until I can be 'Rock' again, too many questions if I'm seen.
I was startled as my helmet picked up a call aimed at my cell-phone.
"Hello, Rock speaking… what, oh out running errands… tomorrow?… well, I'm kinda… okay, alright, what time?… Ok, I'll be there."
How did I get roped into this one? Usually it's just Zero playing a prank on me, but this time it's for real… I think. Honestly, I don't know enough about being a human yet to have this level of interaction with them. I mean…
My thoughts continued on in this fashion as I rode off into the afternoon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~2010, Amy's House 5:52 PM~
I sighed as I closed the door.
He's lying to me. A little at least, either that or I haven't been told everything. Probably the latter, I'm not sure I would say everything either in his situation. I mean it did sound like a bad sci-fi movie, but there were too many details for it to be completely false.
I sighed again, and looked at my newest 'acquisition', Commander Yammark. I ran my hand over its expressionless face to close its metallic eyelids. My head shot up, my eyes wide.
That's it, his eyes, his face, they're too real! They can't be mechanical, the facial expressions were just to detailed, even for the semi-elastic alloy! But if his face isn't synthetic, then…
My thoughts trailed off as it hit me.
It must be unique to him though, he was rather evasive when I asked why he was the only one who could survive here… What do I tell the girls?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~2010, Rooftop, 6:03 PM~
I stood, bathed in the glow of the sunset, and watched the streets below in full Sailor Venus regalia, intent on the teaming masses below. Things were a little confused right now.
And why shouldn't they be?
In the past, we the Sailor Scouts had always protected the people, even though we were still occasionally called a myth. And now we were powerless.
Well, not powerless, but still…
We were outnumbered, outclassed, and out gunned. It pretty much amounted to the same thing. Amy said that we only had to adjust our tactics, and Amy is usually right, but I still wondered if we had in fact met our match this one time. Below me the light turned green, and the few people who still had faith that it was safe outside went about their business. I felt a little ashamed, even though it wasn't my fault, and I was honestly trying my best.
But my best isn't good enough.
I chuckled then.
I'm supposed to be the 'bubbly blonde', and I sit here crying bitterly about things I can't prevent. Hah!
Then, my communicator beeped. I pulled it out, and Amy's face appeared on its screen. I smiled, bringing the 'bubbly blonde barrier' back to the fore.
"Hiya Amy! How's sleeping beauty?"
She smiled a little.
"That's what we need to talk about. Call the other girls back here, would you?"
"Sure Amy. We'll be there in a jiffy."
She paused then.
"No, wait. Nevermind. Tomorrow is soon enough. I'll make the calls myself…"
"If you're sure Amy…"
"I am."
The communicator shut down, and I let the mask drop.
Sometimes, it's difficult being the blonde one.
Then I left for home.