Cruising over the speed limit, X guided the landchaser over the damaged terrain that was too unstable to walk on. What used to be a subway was now a trap for anyone foolhardy enough to navigate it, and X was the man for the job.

"Pits! They're everywhere! And who put those walls in the middle of the road? I HATE this stage!"

Unlike the rest of us, X only has one life, so he got it right the first time and with all eight orbs. Zooming towards a dead end, X figured his insurance policy would cover it, and hopped off the landchaser that promptly crashed in flaming wreckage.

"Y'know, one of these days, they should put a set of brakes so I don't have to destroy every one I use."

His head beeped with Alia's signal.

"That wall in front of you is suspicious…"

"Well shiver me timbers! These orby things can go into my Buster!"

Assimilating the energy, he fired at the suspicious wall that went boom.

"One of dad's armour capsules! Yay!"

"Be cautious, X!"

"Woman, I just solved the puzzle to get to the damned thing. Why would there be any traps?"

There weren't, so he sat before his father.

"Hullo, X. This is the head part of the Falcon Armour that reduces weapon energy cost."

"Why couldn't you make a head part that gives infinite weapon energy, like in the last war?"

"This armour focuses on mobility, not attack power."

"Thanks, Dad! I'll remember that the next time a tank tries to buzz saw me to death!"

"You can fly over everything when you find the last part, you know."

"Huh, yeah. Not like killing Irregulars rewards me with anything but an irritable conscience."

"That's the spirit. Farewell."

"Wait! Can't you tell me where the arm part is?"

"Security reasons again, X. I haven't even chosen where it'll be yet."

"Sure you haven't. I know you, Dad, you don't leave anything to chance, not even the fate of the world!"

"Why yes – I did program you. Until next time."

"Crazy old men. If it weren't for him and Wily and Cain..."

Grumbling, he accepted the head data and went on to solve silly lock puzzles all the way to the boss room.

"Spikes, spikes everywhere! I puncture easily!" he complained to Squid Adler who snorted.

"I improved on my predecessor, Launch Octopardo."

"Octopus."

"What?"
"It's Octopus, not Octopardo! You lose his name in translation?"

"You disgust me, killing such a magnificent undersea explorer!"

"Yes, well, he wasn't the friendliest aquatic companion," X recalled, switching to Goo Shaver mode. Adler electrified himself and went about his attack routine. Though a disciple of the late Octopus, he was more powerful and faster, but so was X since five wars ago. The Hunter stuck to the walls and splattered the Squid with goo, mucking up his pylons and damaging his conductivity until he finally shorted out from the strain of maintaining high voltage, thus joining his retired master to play Pazaak with in Maverick heaven.

888

"This weapon rocks."

X fired off Tri-Thunder shots that went straight ahead, up and down, racing along the walls. Alia screamed and dove from her sparking console. Unimpressed as ever, Zero stuck his finger on X's forehead gem to download.

"…Hmm. Seems I should…"

Reaching behind him, his Z-Saber was spitting blue sparks.

"Hell yeah!"

He leaped much higher than usual, scattering sparks beneath him as the charged beam struck the roof, causing all lightbulbs to become popcorn, plunging the command centre into darkness.

"Sweet motherboard of pearl! Are we under attack again?" Signas yelled as he stumbled over Alia on his way in.

"Those madmen are using their weapons indoors!" she moaned.

"You heard your mother, outside!"

"Awww!" X and Zero whined, sulking out the door. Alia got to her feet in a huff and activated the emergency lights.

"I am not their mother!"

"Yet you feel the need to interrupt their missions to warn them about every speck of dust they'll encounter," countered Signas. She pouted.

888

Zero hightailed it up the spiral staircase of Dr. Glow's laboratory.

"AIDS! GET THEM AWAY FROM ME!"

Otherwise know as the Sigma Virus, the floating purple heads stalked the Red Ripper throughout the stage.

"GAAAHHH!" he yelled as they ganged up on him with their infectious coding, "My virus buffer is destroyed! I'm dying! I'm… feeling better?"

An invigorating rush of unquenchable energy conflagrated his body in purple waves.

"I HAVE THE POWER!"

Invincible, health fully restored from earlier attempts to avoid the dreaded virus, Zero was an unstoppable berserker, ripping the laboratory defenses to shreds. He kicked down the boss' garage doors.

"Zero!" Izzy yelped, fearful of the virus energies permeating the Hunter and the madness in his eyes.

"Good evening, Clarice."

To the sound of horrified screeches and rending metal, an arm, leg, and finally Izzy's mustachioed skull decorated the floor before the infection faded and the virus buffer reasserted itself. Coming to his senses, Zero looked at his bloodied hands. It was just like his dream.

"Wh… who are you?" he asked himself before blacking out.

888

"This game is easy."

She had already stormed through Yammark's Aztec-ish forest stage, rescuing hapless reploids from Nightmare tentacle rape. Then followed the museum stage, because she was intuitive like that, and met up with Nightmare Zero. Somehow, defeating that form resurrected the real Zero.

"That guy defies death like a cockroach. I'll tell him next time I see him," she sighed, "IF there's a next time…"

888

"Hunters found him like this after Alia lost the comm. link."

"She lost his energy signature? But it's broadcasting normally right now – what could have disrupted it?"

Lifesaver and X were conferring in sick bay. The medical specialist reploid rubbed his broad chin.

"All reploids infected with the Sigma Virus output different energy signatures, thereby cutting off communication with them. Considering the high infection level of Izzy's laboratory, that is the most likely explanation."

"That doesn't make sense. The computer is registering increased power output from his core, and virtually every other system in his body. The Virus is supposed to do the opposite."

"Zero does possess the viral antibodies from the third war, but they are supposed to eradicate the Virus, not draw power from it!"

Lifesaver's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the Hunter in recline. Noticing the almost accusative look, X feared for his friend's safety.

"What are you thinking?"

"That Zero… was meant to be infected."

"What are you saying?"

Lifesaver blinked at X.

"For one so strong you certainly are naïve. Do not forget that Zero was a Maverick…"

"How dare you!"

"When Sigma was our Commander, he captured a red Maverick and brought it here. Dr. Cain's records clearly state that Maverick is he."

"Zero's not a Maverick!"

"But he was," Lifesaver uttered in a low, severe tone, "Why was he first found as a Maverick before Dr. Cain rehabilitated him? Nobody knows who or what made him, but he was definitely created to be a Maverick!"

"The way he fights, I can't believe him to be one of them."

"You must learnt to let go, X. Trusting such a character will only lead to ruin."

"'Such a character'? He's my only friend! You're not one of them, the way you talk, you oversized Panadol tablet!"

He stamped away from the offending lozenge of a reploid.