Ch. 5

OK, guys…go easy on me. I have a lot of shit on my plate and no fork! I truly hope that in time this story will be one you even tell you're friend who lives in his basement to read! …or not…Anyway, R/R Plz. (Especially mourning angel!)

"Hmm."

Samus' Pulsar Cannon was still pointed at HIS head…though HE shouldn't even be standing there. And yet, there HE was! His ominous look was rather unsettling.

"Look, if you don't withdraw your weapon soon, I will be forced to draw my own!"

It was easy to see that this "Zero" might pose a challenge under combat conditions. So, reluctantly, Samus released the now fully charged Cannon into a top corner of the room…the room above was now visible!

"Heh, that's quite some power you've got there…where are you from?"

"Not so fast, "ZERO", just because I lowered my weapon does not mean you suddenly have complete control over the situation! I'll be the one asking questions for now, and if I allow you to ask some questions, you should be thankful!"

"Fine…"

"NO, I WON"T DO IT! NOOO!"

Samus instinctively charged her cannon again.

"What the hell's the matter now!"

X was now doubled over as if there was something in his head killing him!

"I don't know…X! X, what's wrong? Hey, X, listen to me!"

"…Uuhn…Hey? Wh…where…AHH! Zero! Where are w…! Hey! Who are you!"

X jumped up as if being crouched on the floor was a mere game.

"As I told your partner hear, I will be asking the questions…OK!"

Zero put his hand on X's shoulder.

"It's all right, X, there's no danger in answering her questions. It seems as if she knows you…"

X's face was drained of color.

"Knows me! I've never met you before! Where have you taken us!"

Samus' patience was running quite thin with this "ghost".

"Excuse me! Taken YOU! You "took" yourself! Take a good look around. Does this structuring look of something like my technology!"

X took in the walls, cables, even Samus' new puncture wound in the roof…

"Sigma's 2nd Fortress… Now I remember, after the explosion, there was this voice telling me to come here and normally, these little impulses lead to underground Mavericks; but, I got halfway and completely blacked…"

Samus' frustration was building…

"Would you stop talking for 2 seconds and tell me what the hell's going on!"

Samus started charging her cannon once more. X did the same impulsively.

"Why the hell are YOU still…alive! You were nothing but bits and pieces when I was through!"

Zero, who had been running through his data stores for some answers of his own, finally stepped forward…

"X, lower your Buster. Maybe I can answer your question."

Samus was still charging her cannon, "Enlighten me!"

Zero stood his ground, and kept his always melancholy look about him. "X, what do you remember before 20XX?"

"Not much, Just the data which was burned into my CP Unit…Why!" The confusion in X was evident.

"And…your name!"

Zero's expression suggested annoyance, but Samus wasn't about to let some "android" get the better of her. Samus curled into the morph ball and rolled close to the wall next to her.

"Wh…? What the hell is she doing, Zero!"

Zero shared X's amount of curiosity, but didn't show it. The confused duo watched as a small blue sphere was emitted from the "ball".

"What the…!"

Before Zero could finish, the blue bomb exploded, sending "her" across the room. Zero and X dodged pieces of the wall coming at them.

"X…are you OK?"

"Yeah, I'm alright…where is she!"

X turned to find himself looking into the pent-up plasma in her cannon!

"My name is Samus Aran, I am a Bounty Hunter, and you were one of my tougher bounties!"

With Samus' weapon on-the-ready and pointed at his head from 21/2 inches, X knew he would not have the chance to fire his own.

"As I said, I've never met you so, how do you know me!"

"You may have different structuring and changed your name, but you will always be that MEGAMAN!"