Megaman X and Axl re-entered the Maverick Hunter base and immediately realized that the anxiety swarming throughout the base had reached a chaotic level. The latest news concerning Zero had spread throughout the base like a savage bolt of lightning-not a single Reploid in the base could remain calm.

Not a single Reploid could think straight.

And breathing was definitely a hard task.

The tension in the air was thick-severely thick.

Every single Reploid in the base was suffocating.

X and his dear friend entered the main room of the base, being controlled by the very emotion called "fear", which was at an extremely high level. Axl was lost in a world of thought-he knew he had to act fast, and the current atmosphere wasn't making anything easier on him. He stayed silent as he followed X, ready to comfort his new friend.....ready to do whatever it took to eliminate the pain flowing throughout the base. He examined his environment swiftly-the Reploids around him were frantic-silent, but frantic. Some of them were murmuring amongst themselves about the latest news.

The atmosphere definitely wasn't a pleasant atmosphere.

"Alia!" X said his Navigator when he and Axl reached her, his face drenched in nervousness. He had the aura of a very nervous mother waiting for her son to emerge from ICU-his eyes were bright with fear, and his voice was a pure, gentle song of apprehension. "Tell me-have you received any news about Red or Sigma?! What of Axl's former allies?! Are they causing any trouble at this moment?"

Alia, who was shocked by X's mood change, answered him to the best of her ability. Just a second ago he acted as if the whole world had blown up on him.......and now he was as frantic as everyone else was.

"All activity seems to have ceased for the moment! Your swift victories have caused a pause in their plans-but X?! I have heard that Zero is unconscious-you won't be able to speak to him!"

That only made things worse. X put a hand to his forehead and struggle to think for a moment, and then he spoke to her again. His voice was soft, but it was certainly very hard to listen to. He was terribly upset....so trying to listen to him was like trying to listen to a dog whimper.

"Alia, stay on it. You know how Mavericks are-they can spring out at any given moment. I'm heading for the Infirmary."

He turned to Axl, who looked like he was planning something.

"Axl, would you like to accompany me?"

The young one was torn between two options for a few seconds. He wanted to go with X, so he could comfort him just in case he needed comforting......

But he had a puzzle to solve.

And the pieces weren't going to put THEMSELVES together.

"Nah, no thanks, X. I think I'll take a breather. If you need me, I'll be in the observatory. Check ya later."

--"Yes..........I can almost taste it.....the sweet taste of victory. It's....beyond amazing. Don't you think so, my dear friend?"

In the fashion of a true servant, Red was waiting on Sigma hand and foot-the leader of the Red Alert organization was inside of his own home base, catering to the Maverick's every need. Serving someone else in his own home should have disgusted him, and normally it would have............

But things had changed.

The homebase of the Red Alert organization had once been a proud, grand place of revered beauty....but it was no longer a place of great strength and awe-inspiring pride. Thanks to the one he now called "Master", it looked and felt like a funhouse. Strange, yet true-Sigma had a deeply disturbing personality, and an even more disturbing voice. He had the behavior of a drunken clown......but the Maverick was definitely a sadistic, demonic dragon with black scales and red eyes. He loved the very thought of inflicting pain on his "friends"........

And at the moment he was concocting a very big scheme.

He caused Red to think of a witch stirring her brew inside of a cauldron.

"Yes.....it's very sweet......very sweet indeed. I've never been happier."

Sigma whirled around on Red in a flash, surprising the leader of Red Alert.

His master was definitely unpredictable...in a very, VERY bad way.

"Now.......you're going to give me what I want, is that right?"

It was hard to keep the shock out of his eyes, but somehow, Red managed to pull it off.

"I can only give you what you're asking for if Axl cooperates with me. If he doesn't-"

"Well, you can't KILL him. That wouldn't do us any good, now would it? We can't afford to be childish now."

"I won't kill him if he refuses to hand over anything." Red assured him. "I'll just use other methods to get what I need from him."

"So, you're going to torment him? How fun. But can't I do it?! Come on. It'll be fun to watch."

Sigma's tone and facial expression caused a million blades of ice to shoot up Red's spine.

The Maverick definitely wasn't someone to trifle with. The very mention of the word "pain" thrilled him.

"Don't worry about anything. I'll take care of him. Just wait and see. I'll have the DNA codes of X and Zero in no time."

His partner-in-crime licked his lips while rubbing his hands together.....unbelievably delighted. Red starlight flashed in his eyes, caused the evil light around his heart to come forth. The malevolent light consumed Red's soul......and it dragged the Red Alert leader to a level he thought he would never fall to. Cold, dark laughter filled the Red Alert base as Sigma continued to rub his hands together......

"You're all in for a ride......a REALLY big ride. I hope you enjoy yourselves....especially YOU, Zero....."

--Chaos exploded at a mind-boggling rate inside of the Maverick Hunter base right after X and Axl left Alia's side.

Not a single Reploid could have predicted the events that followed.

An emergency siren was activated, and the high-pitched song of urgency filled the entire base in seconds. A crimson red light united with the siren, causing everyone inside of the base to panic-

An explosion had gone off right inside of the Infirmary.--

Megaman X had made it half way to the Infirmary right before the explosion had occurred. The sound of the enormous bomb going off inside of the Infirmary reached his ears......and dragged his heart into excruciating shock.

It was as if he was trapped within a nightmare.

The red light.....the soul-shattering siren.....the explosion.......

It was all just a big......really....big.....nightmare..........

His heart stopped cold, and his eyes became solid pools of eternal disbelief.....of eternal pain.

No. That didn't happen.

"Someone, please tell me that didn't happen......"

Zero........Zero, no.....please be all right.............

--"Alia! Report-what happened?!?!"

Alia, after being assaulted with questions from X, now had to report to General Signas, who had heard the explosion but didn't know where it occurred, since he was inside of his dormitory conducting research. Swiftly she pulled up the data on the Maverick Hunter base....and found out that the bomb had gone off inside of the Infirmary.

"The Infirmary has just received heavy damage, sir! It looks like someone snuck in and placed a bomb inside of it, sir!"—

The Infirmary of the Maverick Hunter base was engulfed in flames......and allof the Infirmary workers on the ground, unconscious..........Gate was sprawled out on the floor, barely conscious....he had only suffered a minor injury, but his heart had stopped because of the fatal emotions that had entered his body......his whole body was frozen by fear.....and disbelief.....

"No.....Zero.....this can't be......"

Through half-opened eyes.....he looked at the sleeping Maverick Hunter....who was still inside of the analyses tube....

But the tube was surrounded by flames.

Crimson red flames.

"No......."

The very sight of Zero's body being engulfed in flames frightened the poor researcher greatly-his body was racked by lethal sobs.....and he could barely even see through the tears that were falling from his eyes......

"Zero.......Zero....no......"

Darkness overwhelmed him.....before he had a chance.....to see if he could help his friend.

--"Get an emergency unit inside of the Infirmary!!! Reboot all systems! We've got to keep Zero with us!!!"

"Yes, General!!"--

The Black Tiger left the Observatory as soon as chaos had erupted inside of the base, and it only took him a second to find out what was going on. He dashed throughout the base, unable to believe what was going........

He needed to find X. Fast.

Hold on, buddy....I'm coming.......just hold on......

--He came up on his dear friend in no more than a few minutes, and his heart jolted violently when he saw the Maverick Hunter on the ground, unable to move. A gasp tore itself from the young one's mouth, and he made his way through crowds of Reploids over to the one that had come to mean so much to him....

"X!!! Are you all right?!?!"

X looked into the face of his friend, but he was absorbed in a world of high-pitched, furious fire....the flames of sorrow were spreading throughout his eyes the way a wildfire spread throughout a forest......

"Axl.....the Infirmary.....it's.....taken.....heavy damage.........Zero's in there...."

The eyes of the young Reploid were beyond amazing. They were bright with the most powerful amount of bravery.....and his calm, warm voice was a strong beam of light....a strong beam of guidance......

"X. Don't worry-everything's gonna be fine. It's gonna be okay. Zero's gonna be fine. Trust me."

He patted the Maverick Hunter on the back, acting as if he was just going to take a stroll to the nearest park.....but his determination and bravery were phenomenal........

Axl.......

The young one took off in the direction of the Infirmary without saying another word.....

Zero, just.......hold on.......I'll take care of everything....