Chapter 17
"Eh? What's this?" Sigma said looking at his view screen. Zero was back with the two brothers, and his clone lay scrapped back down the hallway. "Zero's alive? This is getting more difficult by the minute." He looked back at X. He knew he would be unable to clone him in time, and reprogramming was out of the question as he didn't have such knowledge. He could destroy him, but then Sigma would lose his bargaining chip. Then he realized something. Why was he worrying? He was more powerful then X and Zero, why should these two out of date warriors scare him? He went back to his throne and sat down. They shouldn't, but they did.
* * *
Mega man stopped short. The others turned to look at him but they had heard it too. An undeniable gate opening. Mega man and Break man charged their cannons while Zero drew his light saber. Then it came. A massive wave of robots was coming from all directions. Arm cannons were blazing and the constant flash of a light saber could be seen somewhere in the midst of the battle.
"I was wondering where the challenge was." Zero said above the explosion of robots.
"This guy pulls out all the stops all at once." Break man said. "He's nothing like Wily who does his some at a time." Suddenly Zero stopped. He stared blankly off into space before he grabbed his head and fell to his knees.
"Zero!" Mega man said, going over to help the red warrior. The robots were having a field day at the now defenseless maverick hunter, and he was nearing critical status. Mega man and Break man got to him and protected their friend the best they could.
"What's wrong with you man?" Break man said, taking out a mechanical bat as it got closer than he preferred. Suddenly Zero stood up again and regained his composure. His blade was a frenzy as the remainder of the bots fell. The couple that had survived were the ones that had high-tailed it when they saw Zero's frenzy.
"Are you okay?" Mega man said, putting his hand on Zero's shoulder. The hunter shook his head.
"I don't know. Something deep in my mind began to resurface. Something about my past. Something I don't want to remember." Zero said, resheathing his light saber. Mega man decided to not press the subject since Zero obviously detested whatever it had been. Break man, however, decided to keep a closer eye on the red hunter. Something he had seen deep inside Zero's energy core. There was no mistaking the large "W" that dignified one of Wily's creations.
Chapter 18
The three hunters came to a long vertical chamber.
"Oh this is great. How are we supposed to climb this thing?" Break man said, looking up but not seeing the end of the chamber.
"Like this!" Zero said, wall kicking up to a good six feet before sliding back down. "Well come on, let's go!"
"We can't wall jump Zero. We can't dash either. We were given the sliding ability." Mega man said, looking at the walls, looking for at least a handhold. Zero started wall kicking up and out of sight.
"Once I'm there, I'll read you the co-ordinates. Warp up from there." Zero said into his communicator. Below, the brothers nodded and waited. Soon enough there was a beep and the warp points were set. The brothers zipped up and appeared at the top of the pit. It was dark and there was little light. There was one light across the room however. They could see X chained to a table, not moving.
"X!" Zero said, moving to help his comrade. A low growl from behind him stopped him short and he saw a purple wolf slowly come out of the shadows. "That's Sigma's pet wolf. Don't underestimate him. He's taken out many a good hunter." The brothers nodded, looking over their weapons. Mega man armed the Shotgun Ice while Break man armed the Boomerang Cutter. Zero got his saber out and the three prepared for battle. The wolf just sat and stared at them. Mega man let off a shot and it passed right through him.
"Hologram! Move it!" Zero said. But the warning came too late. Break man was knocked to the ground, Mega man soon after. The wolf leapt at Zero and almost succeeded in knocking him down, but Zero dodged to the left. He brought his light saber down, but it never struck the wolf. A similar energy saber had parried his attack. Zero looked up into the eyes of Sigma.
"Take care of them my pet." Sigma commanded, eyeing Zero. The wolf obeyed without hesitation, leaping for Mega man's throat. The blue warrior slid underneath the attack and whirled, but by the time he had managed to get a shot off, the wolf was already on the move. Zero slashed and jumped, but his energy was low and Sigma was always a step ahead of him. Sigma parried one particular blow then punched Zero in the face. The attack knocked Zero backwards and he stumbled for a bit. A second blow knocked Zero to the ground and Sigma moved in to finish him off. He raised his light saber when his arm was torn off and it flew across the room. The Boomerang Cutter returned to Break man as he gave a salute and dodged an attack from the wolf.
"Gee now you look a little tired Sigma. Why don't you lay down?" Zero said as he kicked him in the stomach. Sigma doubled over only to meet with an uppercut. Sigma landed heavily on the ground. Mega man finally tagged the wolf with the shotgun ice, and incased it in a block of solid ice. The three hunters surrounded the wounded Sigma as Zero raised his saber to Sigma's chest.
"Any last words Sigma?" Zero said, preparing to strike.
"As a matter of fact I do. Initiate program Wily Beta Zero A." Zero suddenly collapsed to the floor, his energy saber rolling away.
"What the hell?" Mega man said, as Sigma knocked his brother away. He dodged backwards as Sigma stood up and looked at Mega man.
"His emergency shut down sequence. Dr. Cain found it after we had stopped his maverick rampage." Sigma said, his now freed wolf coming to his side. He was panting heavily and obviously the ice had done severe damage to the wolf.
"Maverick rampage?" Mega man asked in disbelief. "Are you trying to tell me he was like you?"
"It's true bro. He was designed that way." Break man said, lifting himself to his feet.
"What?! How do you know?" Mega man said looking at his brother.
"Remember when I spoke of Wily and he went into that fit? And notice how Wily's name was incorporated into the emergency program? And that's not all. Watch this. WILY!" he shouted as he pointed to Zero. Sure enough, the "W" appeared brightly. "Wily made him bro."
"Now that I wasn't aware of." Sigma said, looking at the maverick hunter. "Enough of this. Prepare for your destruction."
"Enough is enough all right." Mega man said. His shotgun ice blazed across the room, and the damaged wolf was too slow to avoid. The wolf exploded in a bright flash as the ice hit dead on.
"You! You destroyed my pet! Now it's personal." Sigma said leaping at Mega man. He went to slash with his right arm, but he had forgotten it was no longer attached. Break man leaned over and picked up Zero's light saber.
"Mind if I borrow this?" He said. He whipped it at Sigma and it embedded itself in Sigma's midsection. He gasped as the energy sliced through him, then roared in fury as his body started to explode. When the fire and light died down. There was nothing left that they could see. The brothers walked over and looked at X and Zero.
"I've had enough of this place. Shall we go?" Break man said half-heartedly. His energy was low from the battles and he could use a recharge. Mega man nodded. They each grabbed a hunter and warped back to Dr. Cain's lab.