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I do not own Megaman or any of its characters (even though I want to). They are property of Capcom Ltd.

However, I do own my original characters, so :p

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Titanium Showdown: Tale of the Zero Clones

Chapter Six: Aftermath

End sat --dumb --next to the hologram projector. A cold terror swept his frame as Virus' signal faded into nothingness and the signal from the new reploid slowly moved away. He didn't move. No one moved. A deathly silence filled the room. The world seemed to shut itself off from the tiny room in the archaic laboratory. The signals started to move away from the area, northward as the plan had been. The machine shut itself off when there were no signals left within range. Everyone just sat there, staring blankly where Virus' signal had last been.

The silence became thicker. It seemed to press in all directions at everything. Not a sound could be heard. Not a person moved. No effort was made to do anything.

At long last, after what seemed hours of dumbfounded stares, someone made a quiet sob. Then there was another and another. Soon the room was filled with tears. The team had had deaths before, but this was unlike the others. This was almost another Zero. The entire room was filled with mourning. Nobody tried to stop it, or comfort anyone else. They had lost a friend –a friend they thought would never die. They lost a friend they didn't want to die.

Soon, the tears of sadness turned to tears of blinding rage. The Empire had done this. The Empire had alienated them, outcast them, hunted them, fought them, killed them. There were shouts, cries, and fists. The room was utter chaos in the truest sense of the phrase. Every seat was overturned, every box was thrown, and every cuss was trumped. Then, very slowly it all came to order again. The fires still burning in their hearts, they replaced the chairs and boxes, and began forming their plans.

Every dastardly plot they could create was proposed, every sinister acts they could envision was discussed. Everything that was evil, coldhearted, and maverick was brought up. Soon the whirlwind only needed a direction, and the cities would fall. There were more shouts, more cheers, and soon they had their direction: Alpha Site –Sigma's capital.

Hunter switched on the hologram machine. They plotted a course to the suburbs of Alpha Site. They would take no prisoners. Every one of them had decided it was either triumph or death, and none would be swayed by any argument. Everyone grabbed the gear they would use.

Soon, everyone who was going was out of the cave, and marching at a frantic pace toward the city. Only two people were left behind, and it had been left to chance. They drew straws to see who would have to stay with Sapphire, who would not have done well in the sweltering heat. Hunter ended up losing. He was furious, but accepted his lot in the end.

Hunter sat in the planning room, watching as all his friends went to avenge his brother's death. The radio transceiver had been going haywire the whole time. Some of its pauses were long, others were short.

[Short, short, short, short. Short. Short, long, short, short...]

Eventually, Hunter noticed a pattern.

[...short, long, long, short. Short, short. Long, short...]

He ran the pattern through the hologram machine. It turned out to be an ancient coding system. The code was cryptic at first, and the machine took a long to translate it. In the end, it became "Help. I am still here. Help..." The message repeated into the nothingness that pervaded the room.

Hunter dropped the radio and ran to the exit. He yelled to Sapphire that he was going to the scrap yard as he left.

"They've already left the contact area, but I need to know..." Hunter's thoughts were chaotic as he ran.

Another short one, but a chapter none-the-less. Enjoy, and of course, R&R!

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