Harry: TA DA!

Web: Must we always use that same opening line?

Harry: You gotta betta one? Didn't dink so.

Web: Anyways... Archeon, good point, I'll have to stretch it out next time. PRIVATE-

Harry: Hey! I'm supposed ta answer PRIVATE's reviews!

Web: This one calls for 'author'ity, something you don't have.Anyway, its nothing against Iris, PRIVATE, its just that Capcom's hadfour games to doit, and they haven't. Second, there was a fic sometime back that resurrected Iris and emotionally scarred everyone who read it, so its a little touchy on that subject. Third, overtwo hundred years have passed since Iris kicked thebucket,bringing her back to life is more than alittlefar-fetched.

Harry: You needed authority to say dat?

Web: Yep, and you're using your dialogue space to gripe instead of answerreviews, at this rate, you'll never get a word in. Ri2, because Weil knew that he couldn't fight both the Resistance and Neo Arcadia at once, so he pulled the old switcheroo to try and get Neo Arcadia to wipe out the Resistance so that he could just waltz in and take over.

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With an audible sigh, Zero slumped forward, gasping for breath. That was one fight he did not want to have to repeat.

He didn't have time to dwell on that fact, however. A few moments later, his thoughts were interrupted as a familiar green Reploid crashed through the ceiling and slammed into the hard floor.

It wasthe battered Harpuia, and somehow, everyone knew that this was the real one.

"Harpuia!" The second that Fefnir saw his comrade, he was struggling to his feet. His own wounds could wait, right now he was needed by Harpuia.

"Sage!" Leviathan rushed over to the Thunder Guardian, and began checking him for any signs of life.

Things didn't look good, Sage Harpuia was in horrible shape.

Fefnir kneeled down next to his wounded friend. He wasn't much of medic, so he doubted that there was much he could do. And if they didn't do something soon, it might be too late.

"Fighting, Fairy, let me help."

The two Gaurdians turned, to find the handcuffed Ciel standing behind them.

"Please, I can save him." The blond woman explained, "It looks like his repair systems are being hindered by the afteraffects of hibernation sickness. It's my guess that Wiel had him locked away in a suspension chamber; when Zero blew the door open, Sage was freed and immediately joined in the fight despite the after effects."

Fefnir and Leviathan looked at each other for a long moment, each one trying to decide what to do.

Then, without a word, Fefnir reached over and released Ciel's restraints.

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Slowly the Hunter stood erect, and glanced about the room to take stock of the situation.

Almost immediately he caught sight of Wiel slipping out of the room and into the corridor. The scientist's intent was clear, now that his plan had fallen to pieces Wiel was making his escape.

"Oh no you don't." The swordsman sheathed his blade and whipped out his Buster, blowing the lock off of X's prison, and freeing the Cyber Elf.

Having freed his friend, Zero turned his attention back to the fleeing scientist.

"Weil, Stop!" The hunter fired off a warning shot into the air. The scientist disregarded the instructions, and broke into a fast run.

Without waiting for the others, Zero took off after the scientist. Stealthily, he raced out after the deranged researcher.

Ciel glanced up from her work, just in time to see the Hunter slip around the corner. Realizing that she couldn't let him go alone, the woman redoubled her efforts to get Harpuia back online. "Please Zero, be careful."

Leviathan had also noticed the escaping scientist, and since Ciel and Fefnir were there to attend to the wounded Harpuia, she determined to join in the chase.

"Stay here, I'll go help." Leviathan stood and ran off to join in the chase.

The Water Guardian tore out of the basement and began pounding up the stairwell after the other two. Guided by the sounds of the pursuit above her, the Guardian climbed higher. After a few flights of stairs, she realized that Zero and Wiel were heading for the roof.

Determined to get in on the action, Leviathan pushed herself harder, practically flying up the steps.

The last few floors blurred past, and the water Guardian burst through the doorway onto the roof. Quickly she glanced around, and gasped.

Wiel was sitting in a shuttle, which was just clearing the edge of the roof as it began to soar off into the sky.

The problem was that Zero was also on the shuttle. Hanging onto the outside!

The swordsman had refused to give up his pursuit when Wiel had boarded the shuttle, and so he had leapt onto the machine just as it had prepared to take off. Now, the shuttle had cleared the roof and was flying off into the sky with its insane passenger, and one Maverick Hunter clinging to the outside of the hull for his dear life…

"Zero!"

The swordsman never heard her cry over the throb of the engines as he clung to the aircraft's metal shell. With a grunt, he hauled himself up onto the roof of the machine. Bracing his foot against the tail, he proceeded to push himself across the roof towards the cockpit.

It was slow going; Zero would admit that. He had to take care that the wild wind whipping around him didn't grab him and send him flying out into the empty air.

It was a long drop to the ground below.

A drop that he didn't want to make.

Working his way hand over hand, the swordsman wiggled his way up the shuttle's length until he was within a few feet of the cockpit. Stopping for a second, he wrestled his Buster out of his belt, and then began his crawl again.

Finally, he reached the top of the control area, and glancing down through the glass, he caught sight of the deranged scientist piloting his ship.

But what happened next took him by surprise.

Before Zero could make his move, Wiel spun around and looked up at the Reploid. The look in his eyes was of pure anger, but the Buster in his hands was all business.

Screaming "Don't you know when to quit?" Wiel fired his weapon. His shot ripped out of the gun, tore through the glass window, and exploded against the swordsman's chest.

Taking the full force of the attack, Zero was thrown backward- right off of the shuttle. His stunned body twirled through the air, before beginning the long drop to the ground below.

Finally, the Hunter's senses cleared, and he looked downward to see the ground rushing up to perform a deadly meeting with him. To his surprise, they had already flown out past the borders of Neo Arcadia, and were over the sandy desert.
Not that it mattered, soft sand or hard streets would kill him either way.

"This is it…"

He dropped into a cloud, and liquid moisture surrounded him. Then he was back in the clear air, continuing his plunge to his doom.

The Hunter spiraled towards the ground. He'd always expected to go out in battle, not as a pancake…

"Grab hold!"

Zero's body slammed into something of average size. Not caring what he had crashed into the Hunter's hand immediately snaked out and latched onto the thing. As his fall came to a stop, Zero found himself soaring through the air… on Harpuia's back.

"Harpuia?" The swordsman couldn't believe his eyes.

"I always repay my debts." The Thunder Guardian kept his eyes focused on the retreating shuttle. "But you should be the one to do the honors."

Zero glanced over to seeMerge on the other side of him. It was then that the swordsman realized thatMerge had shown Harpuia where to find him.

With a nod off approval, the Elf vanished from sight, leaving Zero to turn back to the business at hand.

"Glad you showed up. Let's take him."

"Agreed."

Maintaining a grip on Harpuia's shoulder, Zero and his new ally shot through the sky towards the retreating aircraft. Minutes passed, and before long they were traveling along side it.

"Front or back?"

"Head on." The swordsman replied, fingering his Saber. "I want Wiel to see this coming."

"It does the situation justice." Harpuia struggled to pull in front of the speeding plane, ordinarily he could have done so easily, but now he had to deal with Zero's excess weight. Realizing that he wouldn't be able to attack from his position, the Thunder Guardian came to a conclusion. "Zero, take my powers."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, otherwise you will not have the needed power, and we'll only have one attempt."

With a nod, the Hunter placed his hand over the crystal in Harpuia's helmet, draining his powers and creating a new Thunder Chip in the process.

Finally, Harpuia had flown far enough ahead of the shuttle to bank around and approach it head-on. Together they curved around and then headed straight towards the cockpit.

As he flew past the control area, Zero received a satisfying look of one shocked Wiel. The swordsman drew his blade, equipped his new powers, and then stood up as much as he dared on the Thunder Guardian's back, his sword ready to strike…

His green, electric blade sliced through the air…

And then a large gaping tear appeared down the side of the aircraft's tail.

Moments passed.

Unable to withstand the stress of the wind, the tailpiece snapped in two. As the tail ripped away, the shuttle lostit's ability to stay aloftand began its long drop to the ground below-

Which posed a serious problem for Wiel.

Unable to do anything, the scientist couldonly watch in horroras his plane suddenly swerved and bucked out of control. With no means of steering, the deranged scientist was helpless as his aircraft stalled out, and dropped like a lead weight to the ground below.

A giant fireball lit up the sky.

And then it was over; the burning wreckage of the shuttle sent its smoke billowing up into the otherwise clear night air.

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A short distance away from the wreck, Harpuia glided in to a stop on a sand dune. Zero leapt off of the Guardian's back and turned to look at the flaming debris.

Without saying a word, Harpuia joined him.

"Do you think we got him?" Although he knew the answer, Zero decided to pose the question anyway.

"No." Harpuia answered simply. "Wiel must have had some means of escape. I'm sure that we have not seen the last of him."

End Chapter!