Megaman Axl
Chapter 14. – Return to Neo Arcadia.
A few weeks have passed since Ciel, Axl and Elpizo escaped from the fake Eden known as Neo Arcadia. From the last request of the hunters, they organized an anti-resistance to show the world the true face of Neo Arcadia, but when almost all the world is alongside Neo Arcadia, not much is to be expected.
Thanks to Elpizo's organization and tactics, Axl busted a group of captured Reploid from a death camp. They were accepted and now are the resistance, small, but enough for the time being.
Still, Neo Arcadia is gaining strength. And the resistance had to move sometimes. But the Resistance had lately established in the energy refining factory in an abandoned city. It had a nice energy deposit for the Reploids, but it would be enough soon…
Ciel was at the computer room with Elpizo and the two operator rescued from the death camp. They were analyzing the perimeter for any Neo Arcadian activity.
Operator: All scanner mark green.
Ciel: Good, it means everything is fine.
Elpizo stared at Ciel who kept a sad face. He tried to cheer her up.
Elpizo: Ciel?
Ciel: Why this?
Elpizo: Huh?
Ciel: Neo Arcadia has been chasing us like rats in a maze. We have been barely able to escape. But if it wasn't thanks to Axl, we wouldn't be able to move from that warehouse to here.
Elpizo: Just talking about him, I think he's just back from a recognizance mission on a nearby facility.
Ciel: Good…
Ciel turned around walking away… keeping her sad face…
Elpizo: … I know what you're going through… believe me, we're with you…
Ciel sat on her bed in her room… the walls looked stained, but it was a safe place for now.
Ciel: "Sigh" And now we're stuck here… Axl is good, but I wonder if he can take this whole pressure on his own?
Aulette: Hiya Ciel!
Ciel: Huh? Hello there Aulette.
Aulette was a girl Reploid rescued from the death camp. She was sent after a suspicion of malfunction from a selfish rich boy. She was rescued alongside the other Reploids, but had to be repaired by Ciel due to the tortures in the death camp.
Aulette: Anything good?
Ciel: If I could say it, but not today.
Aulette: Everyone thinks you do your best for everyone of us. And we are also trying to do our best to keep you not worried. Now how about a big smile?
Ciel: "Chuckles" Okay. A big smile.
Ciel smiled. Aulette surely lifted her spirits.
Aulette: "Chuckles" I know you can do it Ciel!
Axl: Ciel!
Axl knocked on the door. Aulette looked at Axl.
Aulette: Hey Axl!
Axl: Hi Aulette.
Aulette: Well, I think I better leave you two alone. See ya!
Aulette ran out of the room. Axl turned to Ciel as he sat on her right.
Axl: It was no good. The Reploids on the camp were killed already. The only things I found were their corpses
Ciel: This is worse than I expected… Our chances for survival are growing thin each day… Pretty soon, Neo Arcadia will have us cornered… and I;m worried about the Reploids here… what will happen to them? Or Aulette? Menart? And Perroquiet? They are still children, and I want them to see a world where Neo Arcadia is gone… yes… this is all Neo Arcadia's fault… They were made, and everything started… But how? In which decision did the council decided on making Neo Arcadia?
Questions flashed through Axl's head… but still, the theory came into one conclusion…
Axl: Ciel… what if… someone destroyed Neo Arcadia from the inside?
Ciel: That would be crazy… those armies and guardians… and besides, X… He might be a copy, but he might be as powerful as the original… why are you asking me?
Axl: Nothing…
Axl stood up as he walked out of the room… minutes passed as Ciel tried to get what was Axl saying… then, she realized what he meant…
Ciel: Oh no…
She stood up running to the trans server room… the only one there was Cerveau, the technician in the Resistance.
Ciel: Cerveau!
Cerveau: Oh, hello Ciel. Looking for someone?
Ciel: Have you seen Axl?
Cerveau: He used the server a few minutes ago. Why?
Ciel rushed to the console of the server. It marked the previous transfer. One-way transfer to coordinates Z94627 X92759 Y10326… Those coordinates were…
Ciel: No…
Cerveau: Huh?
Ciel: Axl went to Neo Arcadia all by himself!
Cerveau: What?
Ciel placed her hand on her pendant opening it revealing another picture. One of Ciel and Axl together in the sunset of the Maverick Hunter HQ balcony. There was only one thing that Ciel wanted in that moment, that Axl made it back safely… but in the outside, a crimson moon arise in the dark sky… and a crimson moon is the prelude to a bloodshed…
At Neo Arcadia, an eternal rain soaked the metropolis. The Eden grew from a naturalistic place into a cold looking city. Due to Neo Arcadia's iron fist policy since the energy shortage, they have been using their resources, and renamed the meaning of the word Maverick. Now, Maverick meant anyone who opposes Neo Arcadia.
Footsteps pierced the small rivers on the streets. Axl waked along the main street… Looking at the transformed metropolis. He looked at his objective, the central building: The temple where Copy X was. Eliminating copy X would weaken Neo Arcadia and destroy it from the inside.
: You!
Axl turned to the voice above him. It was Harpuia on the top of one of the buildings.
Axl: I don't have business with you. I came here to make negotiations your master and bring peace.
Harpuia: Do you understand that you were banished from this city, and returning means death?
Axl: I'm quite aware, but I'm ready to face the consequences for the one I love.
Harpuia: Insipid thing you call love. Love is what started all of this! And now, I will finish you before you contaminate our city with your ideals!
: Stop Harpuia.
Harpuia stopped in midair turning to the dark alley. Phantom stepped out of the darkness without changing his fixed feeling less look with both arms crossed.
Harpuia: What are you doing Phantom?
Phantom: I got new orders from the master. You, come with me.
Harpuia: What?
Phantom: The master said that he is welcome for negotiations. So save your brute force for later Harpuia.
Harpuia: Damn you… I'll let you live for now Axl. But once you leave the city, I will kill you if you come back again.
Harpuia flew away.
Axl: Fine, take me with X.
Phantom: This way…
Both of them walked to the central temple. The halls of the temple were dark and gloomy with a few lights. Red crimson stripes transporting energy on the walls headed to a big gate with a red orb receiving the energy. The gate opened revealing a throne room. The ruler stood as he turned around
Phantom: He arrived as you expected master.
Copy X: Good. Leave us.
Phantom walked away as the gate closed.
Copy X: So, you came back Axl.
Axl: You know I'm not here just to make some negotiations.
Copy X: But first, you want to ask me something.
Axl: Why are you doing this? There's nothing you can expect to gain out of this. The world will find out about your secret soon.
Copy X: But still, we can keep peace.
Axl: Peace? You call this peace? A world where the selfish humans order to have lots of food and comfort even by violating the rights of their fellow citizen Reploids? Do you call that peace?
Copy X: We are what we choose. You chose to become Mavericks by opposing the humans, we chose to help them. I chose the way of the hero, and you chose the way of the villain.
Axl: A hero is the one who believes in his heart and does everything in his power to help the world. You just are doing what you think is the best for you. X was a hero, and you are just a lame copy trying to fill the vacuum. I truly pity you. I think the world would be better if the council had never decided to create this place!
Copy X: But, if that happened, you would have lost someone very important to you.
Axl: What?
Copy X: You want to know the culprit of all this? Take a wild guess…
Axl: No…
Axl remembered. The images reflected in a flashback to one single culprit…
Copy X: The one who triggered the creation of Neo Arcadia… was you…
Axl: It can't be! What is your evidence!
Copy X: Let's take us back a few months before this. When you used the Mother Elf to eradicate the Maverick virus infection. You hunters agreed in leaving the Mother Elf in the hands of the Medical research facility. Ciel volunteered to deliver her, and you became her guardian. In that time, Dynamo attacked, and left you with a choice. Save the Mother Elf, or save Ciel.
Axl: And I chose to save Ciel! What with that?
Copy X: Take a look… if you hadn't saved Ciel, and followed your mission according to the code of the hunter, the Mother Elf would have been never stolen, Dr. Weil's true purposes would be revealed before he even started his plan, and the officials would have acted immediately, end of the story. The Mother Elf would have been used for good, and the world would have entered into a golden era of peace. But you, by your selfish decision, the war waged, and after Dr. Weil was defeated, the council decided to create Neo Arcadia in order to prevent another massive war. Do you get it?
Axl: Shut up…
Copy X: You love for Ciel defied the laws of nature. Let's review Reploid behavior code section 2464 paragraph 15. "A Reploid shall never fall in love with a human." Your decision brought chaos, and we just came from it.
Axl: Shut up!
Copy X: Ever since you got into that girl's life, you have only brought her trouble, and despair. Wouldn't thing be better if you never got into that girl's life? She would be having a better life, and world would be at peace. Isn't that right? Axl?
Axl: SHUT UP!
Copy X: You finally admit to it… pathetic… And what are you going to do now?
Axl: ……… There's only one way now to fix all of this…
Copy X: Let me hear your sentence…
Axl: DESTROYING YOU AND NEO ARCADIA!
Axl drew his guns opening fire against Copy X.
Copy X: Hm…
Copy X removed his cloak as a bright light transformed his body into his powerful multi elemental battle armor. He waved a powerful blizzard freezing Axl's bullet on contact.
Axl: What?
Copy X swift towards Axl at a blinding speed.
Copy X: Fire Punch!
Copy X made an uppercut attack lifting Axl into the air, then kicking Axl to the ground.
Copy X: As weak as I expected.
Axl: Not when I do this! Stealth mode!
Axl jumped with a swift spin as the wind covered him blending the light and making him invisible. Copy X took a relaxed stance as he closed his eyes… then, a few seconds later, he lifted his right hand summoning a powerful lighting bolt hitting Axl. After the attack, he became visible again with a soft static.
Axl: What? My stealth mode is damaged!
Copy X: So predictable… I see X's puppy is just as weak as he was… pathetic…
Axl: Never… call X… PATHETIC!
Axl's guns turned into Uzis firing a stream of bullets. Copy X waved his left hand creating an ice shield. The shield was tough enough to cover all of the bullets. Then, a continuous clicking meant that he was out of ammo.
Axl: Not good, not good!
Then, Copy X pushed the ice wall sliding it to Axl. Axl didn't react in time, so the ice wall took him and smashed in onto the wall.
Copy X: So pathetic… lying on the ground like the puppy you are…
Copy X walked over Axl as he grabbed his neck. He lifted him as Axl struggled for it.
Copy X: I think we have been playing around for too long… chasing you, resistance mavericks like rats in a maze… but don't worry, I was going to make sure the death of all of them was quick, but since you have caused us so many troubles, I'll make sure their death is pleasant… we're gonna go on them … nice… and… slow…
Axl: Gh!
Copy X: Specially, I'll make sure Ciel's death is the slowest… I can picture it… being ripped apart slowly… in a torture lasting months, yelling for your name… realizing that you were the cause of everything. Everyone will lose faith in you when they are about to die, or dying. They will realize that you weren't the hero at all, but the one who brought pain and suffering to their lives.
Axl stared as Copy X as wrath built in him… he curled his fist and with bared teeth, he used the lift to make a quick somersault kick setting himself free. Copy X was stunned because of the hit, so Axl unleashed his wrath with punches and kicks. Copy X was defenseless, so he wasn't able to do anything…
Minutes later, Copy X was in very poor shape, but Axl continued… and with a last uppercut, Copy X landed on the ground. Axl grabbed him about to deliver one final punch… but Copy X spoke…
Copy X: Yes… succumb to your true self… a maverick… realize your true self, and destroy me… even if you do so, you'll have the guilt in your so called heart.
Axl: I… I…
Axl released Copy X slowly as he waked backwards slowly… shocked…
Axl: I… am… not a Maverick… not… a Maverick…
Copy X stood weak as he aimed his buster… he fired a weak shot able to damage Axl… Axl was weak now… and Copy X too…
Copy X: You… surely are strong…
As Copy X was about to collapse, the four guardians rushed into the room. Phantom helped him with a boost.
Phantom: Hold on master. We're taking you to maintenance.
Harpuia: I knew this Maverick was dangerous. What shall we do with him?
Copy X: We cannot allow him… to live… take him and do whatever you wish as long as he dies…
Harpuia: I was waiting for that order…
Harpuia took Axl to the prison of Neo Arcadia, where after days of darkness, Axl was tortured to his very own limits… Days passed… and Axl's body was almost ripped apart…
Until one day, still alive, in the brink of death, Axl was taken to Harpuia. Harpuia and the other guardians knew what to do with him.
Fenrir: So? What should we do? Finish him right now?
Harpuia: No… we'll prolong his suffering along with the trash…
Harpuia kicked the mutilated Axl into a garbage disposal shaft where he landed with the other trash… only matter of minutes before the compactor was activated and finish Axl's life…
Trying to stay alive, the weak Axl muttered his final words…
Axl: Ciel… I'm… sorry…
