Megaman Axl.

Chapter 6. – The Elf Wars.

The Hunters made use of the Mother Elf combined with the HOPE cannon created from the remains of the Enigma cannon used during the Sigma Virus Outbreak to destroy the Eurasia colony that was going to crash on earth.

As expected, the amplified energy wave eradicated the Sigma Virus infection finishing the Maverick wars, but it wasn't the end.

The supreme republic council decided under the word of Dr. Weil to send the Mother Elf to the medial research facility under supervision of Dr, Weil to analyze the Mother Elf in order to produce new sources of energy to aid the recovering world.

Ciel assigned herself to deliver the Mother Elf, and Axl would be her bodyguard. When both of them listened to the words of the Mother Elf, they no longer relied upon the bounds of society for their love… but something happened…

Dynamo, the Bounty Hunter, which aided Sigma during the first outbreak and assisted the Sigma Religion in the extraction of Iris, was back. Working for a new enemy, which wanted the Mother Elf.

Dynamo detached the cargo area where Ciel was, and Axl placing his emotions over the mission, went to rescue her. Dynamo took the Mother Elf and got away, Axl and Ciel were rescued by X and the other hunters who replied the emergency call of the caravan ship.

But the identity of Dynamo's client still remains in mystery… But a gigantic Reploid was activated… Omega…

These events would trigger a new war…

Few minutes later after the ship where X and the others rescued Axl and Ciel arrived to the hangar of the Maverick Hunters HQ, Ciel was in her room trying to catch some heat from her chimney to avoid catching a cold. Followed by a soft knock, Axl entered the room.

Axl: Hey…

Ciel: ………

Axl: Um… sorry… for what happened…

Ciel: ………

Axl: I know I was assigned to protect both you and the Mother Elf, but I didn't accomplish that mission. But I'm still glad that you're alive. And… about what we said… Maybe we… you know… try to do it?

Ciel: ………

Axl: Are you listening?

Axl stared at Ciel. Her relaxed face with both of her sapphire blue eyes closed. Her body completely relaxed with a soft breathing in her chest. It meant one thing.

Axl: Oops, she's asleep.

Alia: Both of you have been in a rough day.

Alia was at the door of Ciel's room with a soft smile and a kindness on her face.

Axl: You're right. She's a human, so we better let her sleep.

Axl stood placing his right arm on Ciel's shoulders and his left arm over the back of her knees carrying her to her bed. He placed her on the comfortable mattress and covered her with her warm sheets.

Alia: Well, we are going to discuss what to do about the Mother Elf. Hurry to the meeting room. You better hurry.

Axl: Yeah.

Alia turned and left. Axl turned to Ciel looking at her angel face as she pulled the sheets to cover her.

Axl: I just hope you heard me.

Axl turned away and left the room leaving Ciel in the safe darkness with a soft glare from the chimney.

Moments later, the rest of the hunters were in the meeting room. Signas started the meeting with his mighty commanding voice.

Signas: As you all know, the Mother Elf was taken by Dynamo.

X: But why? What can Dynamo surely assure with the Mother Elf? And most important, who is his new client?

Midi: Remember, when Dynamo worked for Sigma, he killed everyone in the Eurasia colony to turn it into a Maverick Virus mega-sized capsule. And them killed many Reploids to gather DNA data to become stronger. After that, we never saw him again, until the Sigma Religion appeared. But a still, we haven't seen his full potential.

Alia: We'll be receiving a transmission from Dr. Weil shortly.

Signas: Right, open channel #3 for the transmission.

The holographic screen opened revealing Dr. Weil.

Signas: Dr. Weil. I suppose you know what happened already.

Dr. Weil: Yes. Very bad indeed.

X: Do you have any idea who would want the Mother Elf to hire Dynamo and send him over?

Dr. Weil: I'm afraid not my friend. But I have the feeling that whatever they want her for, it is not good.

Alia: We know that.

Dr. Weil: I'll do everything in my power to help.

Signas: Thank you.

Dr. Weil: I shall go talk to the council for their approval. Cutting transmission.

The holographic screen closed after a symphony of static.

X: So, any ideas about what to do?

Douglas: From the looks of thing, I say the only thing to do is to sit tight and wait…

Douglas crossed his arms with a doubting expression on his face.

Midi: Douglas is right, we do not know who or what is the one who wants the Mother Elf.

Axl: Maybe…

Alia: Maybe what?

Axl: It's nothing…

Signas: Stay alert; we don't know what those terrorists are able to do, and especially with something as powerful as the Mother Elf.

X: Yes sir.

Next morning, Ciel was feeling better. She was at the balcony looking at the mountains while drinking a cup of coffee. Axl was looking for her, so he arrived to the balcony and approached her.

Axl: Hey.

Ciel: Oh, morning Axl.

Axl: So, about yesterday…

Ciel: I know… I've been thinking…

Axl: And?

Ciel: But… I had a dream…

Axl: A dream?

Ciel: A dream where we took our love, but when you did something for that love, something bad happened… I don't know… It was all blurry…

Axl: Normally dreams are simulations of the human subconscious thoughts generated in images and memories, or judgments by your thoughts. Dreams are easy to control if someone manages to control its conscious.

Ciel: Please Axl, don't speak like a computer so much.

Axl: Oops, sorry.

Ciel: Anyways, I also have the feeling that our love would help the world somehow… Maybe breaking the limits and creating new bonds between humans and Reploids…

Axl: I hope so too.

Suddenly, a powerful shake shook the area. It was like a distant explosion

Ciel: What?

Axl: What was that?

Ciel: Looks like a battle on the other side of the mountains!

PA: ALL MAVERICK HUNTERS PLEASE REPORT WHITIN ASSIGMENTS IMMIDEATLY! REPEAT…

Axl: Looks like they're calling for help there.

Ciel: Be careful Axl…

Axl: I will.

Axl turned and ran. On his way, X caught with him in the halls.

X: Axl!

Axl: X! Do you know what's going on?

X: It looks like some kind of Mechaniloid is causing troubles on the other side of the mountains! Local authorities aren't enough, so they called for help.

Axl: A Mechaniloid? But when a Mechaniloid is able to do that?

X: We'll find out if we go. We better hurry!

Both of them ran to the hangar where the rest of the 17th unit was. X was the leader and Axl was a middle class hunter from the 17th unit, so both of them went together. All the hunters got into a big transport ship where X took the commanding position as the ship soared over the mountains.

X: All right unit 17, this shows to be no normal enemy. It may be just a Mechaniloid, but it has taken out the local authorities. So when we head out, I want you to be extremely cautious. Understood?

All hunters: Yes sir!

Pilot: We're over the battle zone!

X: Got it! Go go go!

All the hunters proceeded out of the ship. X and Axl in last out as they ran to the hot zone. The whole place was forest, but the green trees were taken down and most of the forest burned. Corpses of local authorities, both human and Reploid, laying on the ground completely lifeless.

X and Axl looked at the culprit of the massacre… he looked like a big Mechaniloid, but his physical structure seemed like…

X: A giant Reploid?

Axl: Is this the one causing all this trouble?

X: But who is he?

Axl: X! Look!

Over the shoulder of the giant Reploid, a single regular sized Reploid stands giving command to the monstruosity…

Dynamo: And blast that, and that, and there and KAPOW! I really like this game! Dynamo: 27, Coppers: 0!

X: Dynamo!

Dynamo: Looks at me! Is the Zombie X! I'm so scared! And his little pup! I'm shrieking like a little girl! EEEEEEEEEEEEECK!

Axl: You make me sick!

Dynamo: Whatever you say. Anyways, I think my new baby hasn't introduced yet. X, Axl, meet Omega. The ultimate Reploid, say hi Omega!

Omega: WUAAAARGH!

X: Does that thing has a name?

Axl: What do you want?

Dynamo: I'm making way for my client and his ultimate plan for world domination. Omega is part of a massive scale plan to dominate the world by my client. And you wanna know who is our secret weapon? Oh Dark Elf!

Dynamo whistled and from the distance, a dark purplish spherical energy being came… its energy reading marked Darkness… and sorrow…

X: Dark… Elf?

Axl: Is that?

Dynamo: Bingo! Yes. She is the new and improved Mother Elf. Spiced up with a little of the original sample of the Maverick Virus. And now, her new powers are… well, would you my dear?

The Dark elf raised onto the air as she transmitted some kind of energy. The surrounding hunters succumbed to the power, and suddenly turned against X and Axl.

Axl: what? Guys!

X: They're not hunter anymore… They are being controlled…

Hunter: Yes, and soon, I shall rule the world where Reploids follow my commands, and with a single wave of my hand, threaten the humans with complete annihilation!

X: That voice…

Dynamo: Oh! Listen to my client! You might learn a thing or two.

Axl: His client is using the Dark Elf to control the Reploids and use them as slaves!

X: This means… We have go back!

Axl: Ciel and the others! They're in danger!

X and Axl turned away and ran heading back to the transport ship.

Dynamo: Yes! Run! Run like the wind! You two are too late!

The hunters base was overtaken… the hunters inside attacking each other in a riot of berserkers. X and Axl arrived to the command room where the others were trying to barricade themselves from the incoming Reploids.

X: Alia!

Alia: Guys! We could use some help here!

Douglas: Suddenly everyone in the base went insane!

Axl: Is that new enemy! He altered the Mother Elf into an evil version of her and uses her to control Reploids!

Midi: This is deep…

Ciel: The barricade won't hold longer!

X: Stand back!

And with a powerful blow, the barricade went down. A big group of hunters entered the room surrounding the intact hunters. The situation seemed bad…

Ciel: What are we gonna do?

Axl: Stay behind me Ciel!

X: We must do something… we must…

Suddenly X closed his eyes, like something coming into him… like energy building up…

Ciel: X?

Alia: Guys! Are you sensing this?

Signas: Indeed! X is building up some sort of energy!

Axl: X!

X: We must… stop… this madness…

Lifesaver: This is incredible! My sensors are off the chart!

Douglas: I have checked most of X's systems after he almost died during the first outbreak, but this is irrelevant!

Axl: This is… one of X's secrets… why is he able to fight off the virus… He himself, is the cure to the Maverick Virus… I feel it…

Midi: Whatever X is, we don't have time!

The controlled hunters raise their weapons against the intact hunters ready to fire.

Hunters: And now, time to get rid of you!

X: NO!

X screamed, and with his shriek, a powerful sky blue energy field expanded around the entire facility. Penetrating walls and placing controlled hunters into an unconscious state. After it, X's body relaxed and fainted.

Ciel: What? X!

Alia: Oh my god! X!

Lifesaver: I'll take him to the medial department!

Axl: X! X!

X's mind was completely blank… darkness… pits of darkness… X was floating in the darkness like if he was underwater… He opened his eyes slowly trying to regain consciousness… But what he saw was a big energy being… like a monster… a big purplish energy monster… with a big W on his chest… the monster raised his freakish arm in an attack. X placed his two arms trying to cover the attack.

X: STOP IT!

X generated some kind of warm blue light which engulfed the energy monster… the monster was gone… back to the everlasting darkness… and then, the darkness turned into dark clouds, which cleared up revealing the bright blue sky. The peace after the storm… A familiar voice resonated around the sky…

: X… X…

The voice was very familiar… like an old friend… or… like a father… the same voice that X heard when he was in the brink of death after the incidents of the first Sigma Virus outbreak…

X: You… You are… You are the one who saved me…

: Yes… I believe we know each other from a very long time X.

X: Wait… I remember your voice… before I was even activated for the first time…

X closed his eyes, and a faint image of him being inside of the capsule where he was… greenish liquid covering him, and a gentle figure on the other side of the glass… with a pair of gentle blue eyes…

X: It's you! You are…

: Yes… your creator… your father…

X: Dr. Thomas Light…

Dr. Light: Indeed… My spirit lives with you. I was not able to bear watching you about to die… not yet… until your true mission was accomplished.

X: My… true mission?

Dr. Light: Moments ago, the hunters were taken by someone modified the Mother Elf that you created. And is using her powers with the original sample of the Maverick virus to control Reploids.

X: Maverick virus? I heard about it…

Dr. Light: The Sigma Virus is one of the causes of the emerge of Mavericks… and then, the Zero Virus was an advanced version of it… but… there was an original… the Maverick Virus… Long time ago, my best friend and rival, Dr. Willy got his hands on a pure sample of evil energy… after experimenting on it, he created a virus so powerful that he could dominate the entire world by controlling all the robots on the planet, the Maverick Virus. He died in his last plan for world domination where your older brother and predecessor, Megaman, stopped him. The Maverick Virus was never found, but Megaman got infected. We had no choice but to execute the self-destruction device within him. Even with a strong will, the Maverick Virus took him. And the consequences were disastrous. Then, I knew something that powerful must not be around. I wasn't able to destroy it, but with the faint sample, I created a program code to produce an energy wave with the opposite energy wave… you… you are the cure to the Maverick virus, but you never found your power… until now. The Maverick Virus is loose, and your powers are revealed. You must stop this new menace before the one responsible for it conquers the world.

X closed his eyes as he focused. A light blue aura surrounded him… the light blue sky faded into a white ground…

Dr. Light: Please… stop this new menace… X…

Then the white ground turned into darkness again… faint familiar voices resonated in echo as they became stronger.

: X… X… ake… p… wa… u… wake… up… wake up…

X opened his eyes trying to focus on the ones around him… as the blurry shapes became solid, the familiar faces came to life.

Axl: X! Are you okay?

Lifesaver: You have been unconscious for three hours now.

Midi: It appears that the controlled hunters went back to normal.

X: Guys… Are you okay?

Ciel: We're fine. Thanks to you.

Signas: That energy that came from you… if felt exactly like the opposite energy of the Maverick Virus.

X: I have the cure… I never found out, but I know. We must stop this new enemy before what dynamo said comes true.

Axl: But where can we find him?

Ciel: Maybe we could contact Dr. Weil to see what the council said.

Alia: Good idea. Opening a communication channel.

The screen on the room flickered to life with one of the assistants of the medical research facility. He looked somehow rushed.

Alia: Excuse me, is Dr. Weil there?

Assistant: No. Looks like he went out in a hurry. He didn't pack his stuff. He just left.

Signas: This is odd…

Alia: Sir! Unidentified transmission cutting through!

Signas: Put in on the screen!

The screen flashed into static, and then a dark figure broke into the static…

?; Greetings Hunters.

Alia: Who are you?

: The very same person who is causing all this trouble.

Dynamo: Hi hunters! Nice reception from here, eh?

X: Dynamo!

: And of course. Omega.

Omega: Wuargh…

: And the Dark Elf.

Axl: Mother Elf!

: Sorry, she doesn't react for that name now. As you see, most of the Reploids around the world have fallen into my commands. I do not know what happened there, but looks like that all the hunters there have been released from my control. Impressive.

Axl: Stop this right now! Or else!

: Or else what kid? With the wave of my hand, I can command all Reploids in the world to launch a massive attack against the humans. Humans would be eradicated excepting those who will accept in being my slaves, and with my loyal Reploids, I shall turn this world into the ultimate empire!

X: Just one thing. Who are you?

: I'm surprised you haven't realized my identity yet. Of course, I have this voice modifier on, how stupid of me.

The evil man triggered some kind of device, and his real voice emerged… familiar voice…

Alia: That voice! Can't be!

X: Is the same voice with the controlled Reploids!

: Indeed. Everything worked as planned, and now, the last part of my plan shall begin! This world will tremble against the power of Dr. Weil!

Axl: I knew Dr. Weil was a bad call!

Ciel: Dr. Weil?

Signas: Impossible!

Dr. Weil: Oh yes, thanks to X's memory back up, I was able to find the one who would give me the set up for the ultimate Reploid. I think he knows him very well.

X: Zero!

Dr. Weil: And with Sigma's neural unit, I was able to acquire the stone tablets with the prophecies. Enough to realize how to turn your Mother Elf into the ultimate power source for Omega!

Dynamo: Don't forget about me.

Dr. Weil: Yes, Dynamo has been such a good boy working as my extraction boy when he took the Mother Elf from you.

Ciel: Then the decision of the council was a trick?

Dr. Weil: Those lightheaded old guys are so gullible. Anyways, I better get started upon schedule. Why not starting the attack on Central city? That should be fun. Ha ha ha! Try to stop me if you can! MWA HA HA HA!

Alia: He cut the transmission.

Signas: Track it!

Alia: Yes! It came from an underwater facility in the Pacific Ocean!

X: We are going right now!

Axl: We have to stop Dr. Weil before he does anything bad!

Signas: Right. All the remaining hunters shall go and fight the incoming army.

Ciel: Please, be careful…

Axl: We will.

Douglas: Come on Midi! Let's prepare a ship for them!

Midi: Roger!

So the Elf Wars have started. And now, X and Axl are heading to Dr. Weil's secret base to stop him and stop this meaningless bloodshed.