Here is the second chapter. I want to thank everybody reading and: WARNING: This chapter contains violence. It's still among machines, but reploids are people, too. If you are offended by it, don't read it. As you have probably gathered, this is an exclusively action chapter.

Chapter 2: Off guard?

"Ignorance is the worst of failings. If you don't know what you lack, how can you pursue it?"

Time seemed to freeze for Jerry R Stroganoff, providing him ample duration to appreciate the luminous light of the lethal projectile coming his way but no chance to evade it. He tried to close his eyes, but realized that even that could not be done fast enough. At the last possible moment, a golden waterfall filled his vision and the next thing he knew, was the explosion coming from his would-be assassin's rifle.

"This way sir" he heard from his side, although he was still too shocked to comply. The next thing he knew was Zero's hand on his shoulder dragging him firmly and escorting him behind a virtual wall of reploid guards, his personal squad.

The red hunter turned to X, who was estimating the scene. "Have you brought any weapons with you?" he inquired as they both ran to intercept some of the armed assailants that were drawing close.

"Nope" replied X, somewhat sheepishly. "And they have already deployed a blocking net. No reinforcements, no communications, no armors or weapons" he sighed.

"Oh well" followed Zero. "Time to see if you remember these old, unarmed combat lessons of mine" he finished.

- - -

"They deployed a damn blocking net!" growled Vile, frustrated he could not call his armor and feeling naked and vulnerable. "Who are these clowns, anyway. They are not under Sigma!"

"Calm down Vile" muttered Dynamo, scanning the field. X and Zero were ready to engage enemies while many small duels were already happening between the intruders and the security guards. "They don't care about the crowd. If we keep low they'll ignore us. I must confess their plan is very good. The two top hunters caught vulnerable like that."

Dynamo went to say more, but stopped as he heard an unfamiliar sound from his companion. Vile was chuckling. "They won't know what hit them" he started, smiling wickedly. "I bet you've never seen Zero fighting unarmed. Damn, but this will be a show worthy of the trouble."

Dynamo rose a brow, but then turned to the two hunters again. His eyes grew considerably wider a while later.

- - -

X found himself facing four enemies, two lightly armored, each with a standard buster and a rifle in their off hand, and two heavily armored sporting beam swords. They did not seem to be in too much of a hurry.

"Hey" started the first. "If it isn't Megaman X" he chuckled.

"What's wrong, daddy? Caught with your pants down?" joked another.

X frowned at that, since he loathed being called 'father' by enemies and allies alike, although they were technically correct. "You only have one chance to stand down" he started, regaining his composure. "I don't want to hurt you, but I'll be forced to do so if you don't" he continued with a tone of finality, his body falling in a fighting stance.

The first sword wielder kept his position, while the second slipped behind the blue bomber and the other two flanked him, their integrated busters already charging.

"I think he's joking, Bob" said one of the ranged fighters. "He thinks he is funny."

X actually smiled at their stupidity. "I'm not the joker here" he replied, extending his hand forward as if calling them and then forming a quite universal an insulting hand sign.

That did the trick, as the forward grunt snarled, then charged towards X, attempting a quite basic overhead slash. The reploids to X's sides also raised their busters, each ready to release a shot. X allowed himself a smile. Moving faster than any of his opponents could follow, he reached right then left, grabbing the two busters firmly, one in each hand. Using more strength than his medium frame should allow, he then brought his hands together drawing the two weapons along with their owners, their charges leaving the barrels and heading for the upper atmosphere. A terrible screeching sound followed as the sword that was ready to claim X's head was trapped between the two busters, their metal coating melting at the contact points but stopping the energy blade and holding it firmly. Milliseconds later, the cerulean hunter flipped upwards, somersaulting while still holding the tangle of weapons, his ascending feet catching the last grunt behind him on the face. He landed casually behind all four, turning around to regard them and raising his hand without bothering to look, catching his enemy's energy sword in the air as it fell.

"Well, it's been some time since I last used a saber" he stated calmly, slashing at the air a few times while all of his four opponents were busy collecting themselves from the ground.

- - -

Zero came face to face with only two enemies. The first one seemed like a regular battle reploid, a beam knife in one hand, his other formed into a buster, but the second, the apparent leader, was armed to the teeth. Although he was still of humanoid form, he was firmly clutching his twin orange light sabers, a heavy assault rifle hanging on his back, complimented by two handguns sheathed at waist height. Zero also noticed a couple of plasma grenades tucked on his belt.

"I wish we could have met under other circumstances, Maverick hunter Zero, but this will have to do" started the leader, crouching to a fighting stance Zero recognized as advanced and very aggressive. The reploid before him intended to finish him fast.

"That's it?" asked Zero, smiling faintly. "No glorious declarations, no idle threats, no apocalyptic plans?" he mocked.

"Words have no meaning in battle!" bellowed the enemy, igniting his dash boosters and raging forward.

"Good!" exclaimed Zero, also running forward despite lacking his dash boots.

The enemy leader had his eyes glued on Zero. In the fragments of a second it took them to cover the distance in between, he saw the crimson hunter going left, changing to the right, feigning an uppercut, going for a leap and a roundhouse kick instead then... disappearing?

"What...?" he gasped in disbelief, but was cut short as a cry of pain echoed behind him. He turned, his optics trying to comprehend the scene unfolding.

Zero had somehow dashed past him, ignoring the leader and going for his subordinate instead. The grunt had tried to place his knife in position, but the crimson hunter had merely grabbed his hand, twisting his body and driving his other elbow to the enemy's midsection with enough force to bypass the armor and grind the sensitive area below.

The leader turned just in time to see Zero tearing his soldier's arm from its socket without even facing him, elbowing him again for good measure, shattering the armor at that point and sending him flying backwards.

"They don't build reploids like they used to" said Zero, casually prying the still active energy knife from the loosened grasp and discarding the limb, ignoring the cackling circuitry and the accompanying energy liquid.

"You..." started the leader, his eyes wide.

- - -

"You monster!" exclaimed one of the soldiers facing X.

The four of them had managed to rise –barely- and were currently staring at the black-haired hunter with mixed feelings of awe, fear and disbelief. The two ranged fighters had morphed their busters back to arms, their innate weapons out of order after X's counter-attack, and were holding their energy rifles with trembling hands.

"I warned you" X replied simply. "It is still not too late to surrender" he added, eyeing each of his opponents sharply.

The former sword-bearer and his two rifle-wielding companions eyed each other uncertainly, but the fourth, the one that still grasped his sword and had only suffered a glancing hit, dashed forward yelling a battle cry. X easily parried the first slash, the blades colliding and showering sparks on the two duelers, then dodged the following clumsy jab by sidestepping, countering by bashing his sword hilt-first on the face of his already unbalanced opponent.

The enemy reploid, to his credit, remained standing, turning, wiping a trickle of artificial blood from his mouth, then attacking again with a fast slash. X went to parry again, but then heard a cry of anguish coming from the panicked crowd behind him.

Damn, I don't want to kill him like that, but I can't waste any more time. As their blades were about to make contact again, he violently sidestepped, turning his blade off, then on again an instant later. His opponent lost his balance and his target at the same time, expecting another clash but getting none. Instead, he found X's saber deeply biting in his chest a centimeter below his power core. His systems shut down immediately to contain the damage and he fell to the ground unconscious but still alive.

"Anyone else wants some?" asked X, more harshly than he intended, towards the remaining three. They looked at each other briefly, then dropped their remaining weapons and rose their hands in the air.

- - -

The warrior facing Zero regained his composure. "I underestimated you" he declared. "It seems you hardly need weapons or armor to fight."

The red hunter smiled. "I try not to attach too much to things I may lose" he retorted. "I try to avoid doing that again" he added under his breath, his smile failing.

"I see" replied his enemy simply, then dashed forward to attack again. He watched as Zero remained calm, continuously flicking his newly acquired dagger, the blade protruding alternatively from above or below his right grip. At the last possible moment, Zero let the beam weapon fly, snatching it with his left hand while stepping to the right. His left hand become an incomprehensible blur, then the short blade intercepted his opponent's left sword while the right one met nothing but air. The enemy leader somehow retained the presence of mind to try and drive his left knee to his opponent's abdomen, but Zero's free right hand blocked the move as he leaned backwards, his right foot kicking low at the same time and swiping the enemy leader's other leg.

The red hunter's opponent went flying, landing painfully many meters away. He rose almost immediately, glaring at his opponent, but then gasped as he noticed a deep gash on his chest and a similar one on his left leg.

"When did you...?" he started and Zero replied promptly.

"The first before I blocked your sword, the second after I kicked you" he replied casually. "You know, you can still give up. Give yourself a slight chance to remain alive, maverick, or, hell, a painless death at least."

Instead of answering, the enemy leader dashed yet again, this time screaming like a wild animal, his composure shattered, his two long swords leading the way. Zero sighed, this time running too and bringing the dagger behind his back. The energy blade assumed a vibrant purple color and the hunter simply vanished just before the clash, appearing behind his enemy, a line of furious electric energy connecting his blade with the point he vanished. The opposition leader stopped on his tracks, millions of volts raking his body. Zero hardy stopped, following his Raikousen attack with a roundhouse kick, just after he snatched a certain item from his opponent's belt. The maverick leader went flying again, this time head over heels, landing on a team of his comrades that had clustered together. A second later, they were all consumed by the ensuing plasmatic explosion. Zero discarded the grenade's safety pin and turned to the rest of the battle.

- - -

"Wow" muttered Dynamo, mesmerized by the demonstration. "I knew Zero was good but I never though he was that good."

Vile was far less astonished, breathing deeply and reveling in the smells of battle, but then turned to eye the mercenary. "Are you sure you have fought both of them before?" he inquired distrustfully. "Walking away alive, nonetheless?" he added, now glaring.

Dynamo smirked. "That's because I know when to call quits" he retorted smartly. "But I still don't understand what Zero did to protect that human a while ago" he mused, bringing his hand under his jaw contemplatively.

"Oh, that?" chuckled Vile, amused. "I have seen him using it before. Apparently, the son of a bitch who made him was more than terminally insane. He gave the bastard nearly indestructible, energy-reflecting hair" he replied, smirking at the visage of pure disbelief on his companion's face. "You didn't really believe he was hauling all that hair around merely for show, did you?"

"You two! Hands up!"

"What now" sighed Vile, he and Dynamo turning around to be faced with three rifles trained on them. The three reploids holding them were visibly nervous, even on the verge of panic. There were too few of them remaining.

"We will use you as hostages" declared on of them, approaching and grabbing Vile's hand harshly. The purple general went for an attack, but stopped short a second later.

"They'll notice if we draw attention" muttered Dynamo next to him and Vile remained outwardly calm, boiling from inside instead. The mercenary turned to their 'captors' and tried to reason with them. "Look, guys. We'd like to help you and all, but me and my pal here are not exactly what you'd call ideal hostages" he started, but was cut short when a goon punched him on the face.

"Stuff it, creep" growled the grunt, trying not to cringe, his hand hurting much more than it should have. "You and pretty boy there better behave" he finished, Dynamo shrugging, having barely felt the punch. The mercenary would almost swear he could see smoke coming out of Vile's ears.

- - -

"Zero, they got hostages" stated X concerned, pointing at the five reploids in question.

"This seems bad" replied the red hunter, observing the scene. "These three are the last of them and they are obviously desperate" he continued, but then stopped, eyeing the hostages carefully.

X also noticed something was amiss, narrowing his brows while trying to make a connection. "Is that..." he started incredulously "...Dynamo?" he finished tentatively.

"And Vile" spat Zero, readying his weapon. "I would never forget that face" he snarled.

X turned to regard the crimson warrior dumbfounded. "That short guy there is Vile?" he asked staring.

"You bet he is" replied Zero, already dashing, knife leading the way. " That bastard has to wear a damn bucket to look menacing" he added.

"What kind of trick is this?" wondered X, following his friend.

- - -

Vile went to say something nobody around him would enjoy, but stopped cold as he heard an all too familiar voice from behind him.

"VILE!" bellowed Zero, having covered half of their distance.

"Crap!" cried Dynamo, deciding to take action. "Sorry guys, but we warned you" he apologized, escaping from the grip of the reploid behind him and delivering a very strong punch on his face, sending him flying.

Vile said nothing but actually smiled, his hand shooting forward as fast as lightning, grabbing the unnerved reploid's neck and squeezing until he heard a satisfying crack. Not missing a beat he grabbed the rifle from his unconscious grasp, forcing its butt end in the third reploid's face, then proceeding to blast both their heads at point blank.

"Forget them" said Dynamo urgently, clasping a plasma grenade from one of their incapacitated opponents, removing the pin and throwing it towards the incoming hunters. "We have to move fast" he added, grabbing Vile and dashing away.

"Right when the fun is about to start", muttered Vile but still followed.

They were soon out of the blocking net and proceeded to teleport away promptly, much to the dismay of X and Zero, who were hot on their heels.

"Let them go" suggested X, turning to the scene behind them. All of the offenders were either dead or arrested, but Stroganoff's guards could still use some help to keep them in line.

The red hunter complied. "What was all that?" he muttered under his breath.

Well, that's the second chapter for you. I hope you did like the action. In the next chapter, the main plot will hopefully start unveiling. Please leave a review.

To PhiloWorm: Glad to see you came here too;-) I was thinking of expanding my parody shorts to all five megaman series, but we'll see. Yes, it's awful to be wearing stiff clothes XD. I intentionally keep this story's chapters small so that updating will be easier.