Disclaimer: Megaman and all related content is not mine; they, albeit somewhat regrettably, belong to Capcom Ltd. But don't even think about stealing my original characters! Just ask first, and give credit where credit is due. As usual, spelling/grammar/formatting mistakes are fault (feel free to point them out, though). Without another minute of cliffhanger-filled wait time, to the show!
A/N: Not much left to go, folks, so here goes nothing.
Titanium Showdown: Tale of the Zero Clones
Chapter Seventeen: To Die One More Time
It was not only strange, but downright aggravating, and now terrifying as well; Virus could tell that something was stopping him from moving. It wasn't shock that was doing this; it was something else, something benign yet malign all at once. Once again he was incapable of doing anything, forced to watch in confused agony, as this same affliction seemed to overtake everyone and everything in the room.
Hunter was experiencing a similar frustration. His systems were supposedly operating at optimal levels, but he couldn't do anything. It was almost as if a sentient force of unfathomable power was holding him to his place; he felt that something wanted him to see what was happening. It was insane; he had never been one for crazy ideas, but now, they seemed to come against his will.
Omni felt as if he was struggling against something, but it wasn't like a normal struggle. He was struggling against himself –or at least, that's what it felt like. He couldn't do anything. The battle was intense, but strange. He didn't seem to be losing any strength, but he began to feel tired of the struggle all the same. Nothing seemed to change the fight. Everything he did seemed pointless, but he could not stop the struggle all the same.
End felt strange. His joints wouldn't move, his voice wouldn't come, his senses seemed dull –all except one. He seemed to have lost the ability to do anything but see. His vision would have been amazing –if it had not been horrifying. Everything in his vision was perfectly still, everything except for one thing: Zero. The red reploid was almost as still as the others; his motions were so slight, End would never have been able to detect them. He could see Zero's hand trembling, as if it was being held back by a powerful hand; his face was twitching with anger and then –fear.
He wanted to help, he wanted to attack, he wanted to scream, he wanted to do something, anything, but he couldn't. X felt completely powerless, as he was certain his companions did as well. How long would he be trapped like this? How long would he be powerless? His questions were many, but his answers were none. It dragged on forever –seemed as if it would never end. Then something broke the still. Somewhere nearby, someone yelled. X couldn't be sure of what was said, but it was probably along the lines of "damnit!"
Then, there was an explosion of sorts. All at once, the Enforcers powered down and the weapon fell through Sigma's metallic skull. There was a terrible laughter, as of some demon just possessed of victory from loss; it pierced one to the very core. Then, silence once more, but only for a split second; then came the worst sound ever uttered. A scream of agony so terrible, so full, and so mind-wrenchingly powerful that it too, pulled at the very essence of those who heard. The savior of the day was now the object of so much obvious pain that it seemed to diffuse to his comrades. Each of the powerful reploids at the far end of the room from Zero felt the pain as well, but it was nothing compared to His pain.
Zero thrashed about, clutching first at his forehead, now at his side, now at his hands, trying to grasp every part of himself at once as if he was aflame and could only put himself out by grabbing every bit of the fire, only to have those bits re-ignite when his hand left. Horrible, terrible, powerful, evil. The pain continued unceasingly for some time. Then, all of a sudden, he stopped screaming, stopped grabbing, and stopped thrashing. Zero stood quickly, and once more bolted down the hallway; the screams started again, but now they were laced with the heavy fall of metallic boots.
After another time, the reploids in the room regained their ability to move, the overbearing presence gone. By now, the noise of Zero's flight was inaudible. The group looked down the darkened hallway and felt, deep within themselves, that they would likely never see their friend again –that, this time, they had lost him for good. X was the first to react. Slowly at first, quietly, he began to cry. His short sniffles soon turned into loud sobs, and his friend, Whistler, moved to comfort him.
A weight descended on the room. It was like they each carried a great burden –X most of all –and yet they began to move. Slowly, dragging their feet and hanging their heads, each of the reploids in the room picked their way through the collapsed mechaniloids on the ground. They went down the hallway their friend had fled, and stopped at the end of it, before the stairs. Someone pressed the emergency call button, and an elevator door slid open quickly thereafter.
The group shuffled in somberly. Virus punched the button marked "Command," and the silver doors slid closed. X calmed down and looked at his companions. He took in all of their features slowly, serenely, carefully. Then, the elevator stopped. It was on the 58th floor, and the doors moved silently open to the command room.
"I guess now, it's time for us to take care of things, like we always knew we would." With that, X turned around, walked out of the elevator, and punched the intercom. "Friends, we have fought long and hard for you…"