Rescuing a dear friend
—Now I see why Sigma was defeated by X. He's a powerful enemy.
—I'm not sure if our mavericks can hold him for much longer. We may have to intervene.
—Dr. Cain, what happened?—asked X, anxious. —I came as fast as I could!
—A gang of mavericks calling themselves X Hunters just contacted us—answered the doctor. —Listen.
The old man pressed a switch in a computer and a voice message started to play:
—Greetings! We have all of Zero's parts—told one.
—They can be yours, if you can defeat us—dared another.
—We look forward to meet you, X. Come face us if you want to see your little friend again—mocked a third one, finishing the message.
—This is impossible, doc! I saw Zero to die, probably was destroyed by Sigma's Fortress explosion! How can they?
—I dunno, X. Maybe they're lying, we don't have means to know unless going after 'em.
—Gotcha!—exclaimed the reploid, remembering something. Or someone.
—Hello?—answered a female voice. —Who talks?
—It's me, Princess. X—identified. —I have news.
—Which are?
—About Zero—revealed, to the regent's amazement. —I received a message from a gang called X Hunters saying they're with his body.
—Very odd—Peach spoke, suspicious. —Could it be a bluff to lure you into a trap?
—It's really strange because I saw him to die and didn't had time to take him out of Sigma's Fortress before it explodes.
—... X, wait for us—requested Peach. —I'll tell the others and we're going there.
A hour later, Peach had told the news to Link and Alucard and they were gathered with X and Dr. Cain in the Maverick Hunter Base. The blue reploid showed to the trio the voice message that he received from the X Hunters.
—X, let's do this: you keep going after the mavericks and we go after the X Hunters—suggested Link. —Deal?
—But what if it were a trap, like the princess said?—questioned X, worried.
—If it were, it's you they want to catch, not us. They don't expect us three going to fight 'em—ratiocinated Peach.
—Very well, I accept the help. But take care with 'em, please!
—Leave it to us—Alucard ensured.
—I'm out, Doc.!—farewelled the hunter.
—Good luck, X!—Dr. Cain wished, before the reploid leave the place. Next, the old cientist showed to the trio a map of the city with the gang's localization: one is in the Weather Control Center, another one is in the robot junkyard and the third one is in the desert base.
—I'm going to the Control Center—stated Link.
—I pick the desert base—Peach said.
—I'll go to the junkyard, then. Can you teleport us to the places, doc.?
Dr. Cain took the three to the teleportation room and sent 'em to the respective sites they chose.
In the Weather Control Center, Link proceeded by the location cutting some robots, crossed a spiked area and found an elevator out, but instead of stepping on, the hylian sneaked on the edges and got down 'til finds a door. When entering, met a tall and purple reploid.
—Who are you?—asked, surprised by the presence of the incomer.
—My name's Link. Are you one of the X Hunters?
—It's none of your business! There's nothing for you here! Our target is X! Go away!
—So you are. Zero is a friend very estimated for us. It's better for you not to be lying!
—So there's more of you going after the parts—concluded the reploid. —Very well, my name is Agile—introduced. —I have your friend's head.
Agile displayed the part to Link and spun it on the finger as if it were a basket ball, teasing the hero.
—Come take it from me, if you can—tackled the X Hunter, drawing a katana. Link drew the Master Sword, the Mirror Shield and attacked Agile. However, he's very fast and countered, making Link back off and stay in defensive. When found a gap, Link tried to hit a thrust and the enemy receded.
—You're slow—Agile disdained. —You won't endure that much.
—We'll see about that!—Link refuted, doing a little leap, knocking the heels and making appear little and white wings on them. Agile would laugh, but didn't had time, for the hero ran very fast and cornered the enemy with a rain of sword cuts: horizontals, uprights, diagonals and thrusts that the X Hunter could barely keep up. In certain moment, Agile fumbled himself in defense and one of the blows hit the reploid's body, feeling an imense pain. Link striked the enemy's head with the shield and he fell holding his "wound" (which sizzled and sparked) and cringing.
—Shit!—cursed Agile. —You can take the piece, but you won't live to see Zero again! We'll finish you off before that!—menaced, leaving by teleportation. Link grabbed Zero's head and, by teleportation, left too.
A pink "laser" pierced the sky and landed on the desert rocket base, revealing to be Peach. Soon, she saw a narrow passage and got in, finding a door in a tall place. The princess reached the door and entered in a room, meeting a big and yellow robot, with a destruction ball on the back.
—Are you one of the X Hunters?—Peach inquired.
—Yes. And who are you? Where's X? Why didn't he came to face me? Is he scared?
—I came to take back the piece of my brother that is with you.
—Your brother?
—Yes. Zero is very dear for me. He doesn't deserve that you toy with his life.
—It doesn't interest me! You're weak! Go away or I'll crush you!
—Try, then!—challenged the princess, drawing a parasol and a frying pan. The X Hunter got angry and hurled his destruction ball on the regent, which shielded with the parasol. The reploid retracted the ball and jumped, shooting energy bullets on Peach, which defended again. The umbrella saved her again when defended a punch from the X Hunter when he landed. He cornered Peach under the parasol with more punches.
—I SAID I WAS GOING TO CRUSH YOU, DIDN'T I?—screamed the X Hunter. Suddenly, an explosion hit him on the head, making him back off. Peach took the offensive and striked the enemy with the frying pan and thrusts from the parasol. When she finished the combo, the robot was covered in wrinkles and punctures.
—Who crushed who?—asked Peach, sarcastic. Very angry, the reploid hurled his destruction ball again, but Peach shattered it with a frying pan's blow, to the X Hunters' surprise.
—You lost!—sentenced the regent. —Now gimme the piece of my friend!
Frustrated, he delivered to her a red body with two arms.
—Next time, I'll smash you!—threatened, going away by teleportation. The princess also teleported and left.
Alucard walked on the junkyard cutting mechaniloids and remains of reanimated robots 'til sees a passage near the top of a ladder. The vampire flew there, found a door out and entered. A robot with aged appearance, using a black cloak and standing on a glider was there.
—Are you a Maverick Hunter?—inquired.
—No. I only came to retrieve Zero's body piece that is with you.
—So X asked for help—ratiocinated the X Hunter.
—Not exactly.
—Anyway, I can't let you disturb the "unification". It'll be for a "greater good".
The robot threw his cloak on the damphir, but he dodged it with teleportation. Alucard reappeared behind the enemy and shot fireballs from his cape. The projectiles knocked into a force field and didn't harmed the X Hunter. He did a high and spinning jump and shot energy balls from his noggin, which Alucard protected some with his shield and absorbed 'em.
The damphir tried some sword hacks, but the glider's force field repeled all. In a counter attack, the reploid threw explosives, but Alucard evaded turning into mist. When the opponent jumped again to shoot, Alucard also leaped, transformed into a bat and did a Wing Smash, throwing him on the wall. The vampire put the tip of the sword on the X Hunter's neck and moved his fingers as if saying "Gimme". But the enemy didn't gave up: the glider came fast to hit Alucard. He became mist and the vehicle hit the robot, making him drop a pair of red legs.
—You... only delayed... the inevitable—said the reploid, standing up. —You can take the part, but that doesn't change anything. My name is Serges—introduced. —Are there more of you looking for the parts?
—... Yes.
Without further to speak, Serges rode on the glider and got away. Alucard grabbed the part and teleported back to the Base.
With Zero's parts gathered, Dr. Cain started to assemble him. Link, Peach and Alucard decided to wait in the Base to see their friend again, reconstructed and alive. X returned after having destroyed the trio's mavericks and the doc told to the blue reploid the location of the X Hunter's base: the north pole. X left under the "Success!", "Good luck!" and "Take care!" wishes.
Hours later, a red reploid with long and blonde hair came to meet Link, Peach and Alucard. Peach was the first to give a tight hug on her "brother", tearing in joy. Link and even Alucard couldn't contain the tears and held the hunter tightly.
—Thank you very much—spoke, to the three.
—Welcome back, bro—greeted Link.
—Dr. Cain told me the situation. I'm going to the X Hunters' fortress to help X. When I come back, we'll celebrate.
—Better to say "When we come back"—Alucard proposed.
—No, you already gave a big help. Leave the rest up to me and X.
—The X Hunters want to fight us again—justified the princess. —That's why we're going with you.
—I see. Then let's go. Doc, teleport us to the fortress, please.
—Look who I found wandering around, X—spoke Sigma, with a debauched smile, referring to a robot next to him, just like Zero, but black, with platinum hair and a red jewel on its forehead. X flabbered for a few seconds, but recovered from the surprise. For a moment, thought it was real Zero, but then remembered that couldn't be him. Was being set up by Dr. Cain at the hunters' base. —My friend here has a little problem to solve with you. It seems that you let him die and he's not happy 'bout it. Now he wants to return the "favor".
Suddenly, the door behind X opened and two charged shots and a sharp energy past him and hit the dark Zero, destroying him (Sigma stepped aside to not be hit as well). Just then, the real Zero, accompanied by his brothers of consideration Link, Peach and Alucard, dashed in, Z Saber and Z Buster at the ready, and stopped. The blue reploid smiled from ear to ear.
—You should've studied the blueprints closer, Sigma. There's only one Zero.
—You were a maverick when I found you, you should've been fighting on my side!
—Well, yes, but, actually, no.
—It's over, Sigma!—Link announced. —Your mavericks were destroyed and you don't stand a chance against us. Surrender or die.
—Five against one, how brave!—the villain teased.
—I'll fight you again, then—said X, taking the lead. Metal claws came out of the back of the enemy's hands and he and the blue hunter advanced against each other to attack.