The Lotus of Mercy and the Wily lost doll 4
~0~
Abel City loomed even closer, her silhouette backlight by the setting sun. The road was nicer, despite the numerous attack the City had sustained over the years. Zero could pick up the location of many reploids and Mechaniloids, same as humans and animals.
Now that he'd thought about it, the way he could feel all living entities were not... normal, per se. Not for a reploid anyway.
But... considering that his creator wanted him to do, it was entirely possible for Zero's magic to turn any living entities into something no better then a rabid beast. It was not a willing process... and it happened automatically.
Well, not anymore. Over the weeks he had remained with Mother Bahula, Zero had learned how to control his magic, making it do what he wanted and not the opposite. And while he could not fly yet, it meant that he didn't have to worry about infecting others.
Zero smirked. 'Sorry dad, but I ain't your shitty puppet anymore. I'm choosing love over violence.'
Did it sound cheesy? Yes.
Was it unnecessarily sappy and out of Character for Zero? Absolutely.
Was that the point?
Yes!
'My teenage rebellion will be filled with hymns for God's pleasure, flowers and dance. Take that dad, you won't get another edgelord!'
Ah yes... it was good to be an anarchist.
"You thought of something funny?" Bahula asked, the smile in her voice as clear as day.
"Yes, Mother. I realized that I was doing the opposite of what my 'father' wanted... by learning how to Love God and chose pacifism over murder." He grinned unmindful of the dust and other flying particles.
The blond reploid was painfully aware of how he sounded, but he was also keenly aware that, would Wily still alive (Oh, Krishna, now that would be horrible.) the mad scientist would probably keel over by the sheer horror of hearing Zero declare his stance about being a Hare Krishna.
He snickered at the thought, and Bahula didn't ask why.
Suddenly, Zero felt something... brush against his antenna, it was a radio transition, one loud and intense enough for him to pick up despite being banned from the wave.
The only type of transmission... where emergency transmissions.
Then the only reason for HQ to be using this transmission (he knew it was from HQ. He'd pick this damn emergency broadcast even from the antarctic.) only meant one thing.
"Mavericks." He growled.
"I beg your pardon?" Bahula asked.
"Mother, Abel Cities under maverick attack. I have no idea who the hell managed to infect more reploid with whatever the F... frick this Virus is, but that's the only reason why the city would send out a distress signal that loud." Zero spoke as he rub his helmet, he was getting a bad headache now by all the information he was getting.
"OK... that's not my magic turning people mad... it's really a computer virus now."
"Hmm... Your kind is susceptible to outside influence then."
Zero gave a mirthless laugh. "Oh, mother... you have no idea."
Bahula sped up, dodging potholes and Mechaniliods. " What do you want to do, my son? Do you want to get involved in the fights? Of would you rather we turned back and-"
"I'm Going in... I just need you to ride." Zero spoke without thinking. He knew his varna, he knew his duties... his divine duties.
He was a Kshatriya, a warrior. His duty was to fight the miscreant and protect those who were weaker then him. For him to run away was a great sin.
'Oh Krishna." He began as the sound of numerous bombs and Plasma weapons resounded in the air. The screams following behind didn't leave much to the imagination. "I am not your Arjuna, I'm just Zero, another spirit soul stuck with a mechanical body. I've spent thousands of lifetimes ignoring you, beli... spitting in your face and just being an overall nuisance. But now... I know my position.
"Oh Krishna, I bellow your servant, I am but a weapon, an instrument dancing in your hands.' Zero took out his Z-sabre, his aim on a group of Mechaniloid corralling humans to a group of reploids... mavericks. 'Now use me, make this broken puppet dance to your tune, and may whatever result in my actions be of use of you!"
"Gauranga!" Zero roared as Bahula sped up, the engine roaring the bike tire-shredding the asphalt.
~0~
Back in Hunter's HQ... it was pandemonium on earth.
All Navigators were flooded with distress alert, trying to co-ordinate whatever Hunter was left as they were irremediably overwhelmed by the sudden flood of Mavericks.
"I need a Bee-bladder on the main in sector 2021... get Cataclank and Machinotch on the twentieth... Where's Douglas! Have we managed to reach him?" Signa's barked as his body shed as much heat as he could.
This was a disaster... an absolute disaster.
Whatever units they deploy would fight valiantly, of this, there were not questions... but eventually, they would turn maverick and join the fray.
Not only that but at the head of the overwhelming assault was Zero...
Signas had thought his mentor and willing subordinate had perished in the crash. But it seemed the heroic blond had faced a fate worst then death.
His whole body had turned a viral purple and green. His voice glitched yet still upsetting recognizable. And they way he moved... the way he easily tore into whatever obstacle was in front of him reminded Signas of those few and in-between simulations when Zero said 'screw the Asimov laws.' and destroyed everything in sheer frustration.
Signas should have taken this more seriously... it should have clued him in Zero's true nature.
He should have listened to Life-saver... it was too late now.
He had turned maverick... and no one could stop him... no one could stop this wave...
The image of a mysterious reploid in deceptively simple blue armour met his mind's eyes. He had a red gem on his forehead, determined eyes and a bleeding heart.
"...X..." He whispered as he remembered his father... his superior that had wilfully chosen to become his subordinate, and his walk-out...
The cold grip of reality grabbed at Signas throat... if he'd been less uptight if he'd been more supportive and less rule-abiding...
They would know where X was, they could have negotiated his return and.
'Signas, don't be such a fool.' He scolded himself as chaos made itself at home. He felt like the captain of a sinking ship, and he was willing to meet his mistake and their dire consequence like a gentleman.
Suddenly, he heard a gasp from Alia. "Sir! Camera five it's... Zero?!"
Signas eyes snapped open and slid to the screen in question and froze as he treated the information his eyes were receiving.
It was Zero... another Zero... one that was not viral, one that was red, gold and green, one whose form wasn't glitching... who was sitting on the back of a black motorcycle driven by what seemed to be the corp of an old woman holding a beam sword... and sometimes whipping mavericks away A-la Okami with a set of electrified rosaries.
The commander of the hunters watched mesmerized as Zero and the unknown shred through hordes of mechanisms and Mavericks with frightening accuracy.
'Something's wrong... Zero's not getting up from the bike – how old must that thing be anyway? Is there something wrong with him? Is it really Zero? And who is this old woman... wait, her hair.' Signas thought as he reviewed some of X's memories at the crash site. The vision he had of this woman with bicolor hair.
' She lost a worrying amount of weight, but it's indeed the same woman.' And if this didn't put Signas edge on the sharp side, then nothing but Sigma's mocking laughter would.
She... She was the one who had started X on his path to Madness... She had called him son, and...
She had stopped the Crash, and now, she rode on a black beast with Zero at the back.
'Zero... Where does your loyalty lays now?' Signas wondered as the superhuman cryptid and the robot master cut through the enemies with ease even he was envious of.
Meanwhile, he kept an eye on the other Zero... the Nightmare.
For some reason, he was heading to the bad part of town... to an old gym that, if memory served, had once been used as a temple, of all things.
A Hare Krishna temple.
~0~
In the basement, hidden behind the boiler room, X and Shinmyoumaru were reading the Krishna book quietly as all hell broke loose on the top floor...
Or... heaven's gate opened and out came the archangels with their flaming swords.
Part of X wanted to join the fight, his conditioning telling him that, being built with the purpose of destroying whatever threat came his way. But inside, his part that was more genuine, his unbounded nature kept pleading with him to remain where, protecting Shinmyoumaru from whatever threat that managed to pass Yuugi, Toramaru and Achyuta.
There were a few, but nothing a well-placed, updated buster shot could not take care of. So he had all the time in the world to read with his little friend.
"Say... mister X?"
"Yes Shinny?"
"What do you think about Krishna leaving Vrindavan?" She asked him from the confine with his cloth wrapper.
"Well... he had to kill Kamsa. I still don't know why he didn't kill him when he appeared tough." X muttered. " I mean, it's not like Krishna didn't know his uncle was evil. And the Demi-gods did ask him to lighten the burden of the earth but... What I don't get is why he didn't come back." X let out a little huff.
He had read through the entire Krishna book twice. The first time had been to familiarize himself with who Krishna was as a person. He was sweet, mischievous, kind, powerful and completely sold out to his devotees whose love transcended all rules and regulations. Headed by the gopis of Vraja, young brides who gave up everything to be Sri-krishna's Paramours.
And then there was Sri-Radha. Who's was still a mystery to X yet an integral part of God.
Without her, Krishna would not be God... and nothing would exist. And without Krishna, Radha would not be there.
One could not be without the other... both emotionally and conceptually.
So imagine X's surprise when Krishna left Vrindavan to Mathura... and left Mathura to his ocean-bound fortress of Dwarka. Never to return to Vrindavan.
Was He Callous? Hateful? Had he forgotten the Vrajavasis?
"No... Krishna never forgets them." Shinmyoumaru spoke up, breaking X's thoughts.
'Ah, I must have spoken aloud.'
The inchling was looking intensely at X, her eyes sombre and her tiny lips pressed together in a thin, determined line. "Krishna returned to Vrindavan so many times X, and when he couldn't, he would cry out for Radha and the gopis all night long." She spoke with shining eyes, her smile growing in intensity. "Actually, You're right... Krishna Never returned to Vrindavan, since he never left!"
"But Shinny, the Bhagavatam said that he did," X argued back. "Krishna and Balarama were willingly taken away by their uncle, Akrura, to kill Kamsa in Mathura."
"yeah... but that was Vasudeva-Krishna and Mula-sankarshana, the Vishnu expansion of the lord. Not Vrindavan-Krishna."
X was about to ask Shnimnyoumaru to clarify her statement when... he felt it...
It was like being hit with a blazing chunk of viral ice, his entire frame felt the impact and...
it was vile, oozing with malice and hatred. Artificial in every day and so wrong, wrong, wrong!
"X-Prabhu?" Shinny's wavering voice broke through his hyper-focus mode.
X didn't speak as he brought the inchling inside a hidden compartment. A dire threat was coming down the stairs... and he could not hear... he could not contact any of the uber-powerful Vaishnavi for his aid.
Oh, X was not a fool. He may have been hot-headed at the start, wanting to prove himself to the world at large, but now...
now, he was older, had five crises worth of experience, killed more friends then he'd dared to remember and knew he could not carry a whole war by himself.
But now... as he met godly beings who would practically fly to his aid. He was now alone.
In theory.
Footsteps, predatory in nature became the only things to X's sensitive Audio input.
In the darkness of the basement, only illuminated by a small security light, the looming and heartrendingly familiar figure was revealed.
"Z...Zero?" X whispered as his buster whirled to life. His eyes narrowed. "No... you can't be Zero." He shook his head even as the apparition came in. His Zero was with this woman, Bahula devi dasi.
In the days he had spent with the Gensokien, Bahula's true colours were revealed. She was an ancient witch who went from Buddhism to Vaishnavism. To the philosophy of pure void, to the philosophy of pure, divine love for God, the One true lover.
There was no way she was in control of Zero like that. She was too nice, too pure for that. she was a saint, and her follower would swear up and down about her purity of Character.
The... thing chuckled lowly, his demented grin sending ripples of fear in X's spinal tubes.
"I-I am Z-Zero... Your Zero... Don't you re-re-remember me?" The... thing asked with a mechanical tilt of his head.
X scanned the room, desperate for an exit... and finding none. None he could reach before this... The nightmare would catch them.
'I'm not alone...I have shinny with me if I get destroyed...' He had seen enough corpses to know how it would end for the inchling. 'I need to stall him, no other choice.' And unfortunately, none of the Gensokien had a phone, and he hadn't bothered trying to get them one since one had to be a citizen of Abel City to get one... and Abel City didn't accept anymore citizens save those who were born there.
He could only pray that Krishna had indeed protected his Devotees and that he and Shinny were not the only survivors of Nightmare Zero's rampage.
"I do remember you." X began, keeping his voice free of static and fear. He had someone to protect. "... You changed, Zero."
"Oh? You like it?" Nightmare asked as he flipped his dull hair. " I-I-I look as I should now. The V-V-Virus has awakened me... I am Perfect now."
'Yeah, sure, a perfect mess.' X thought in the blessed privacy of his mind. "And why are you here, how did you manage to pass the fighters on the upper floor?"
But Nightmare did not answer, he kept looking at X like a large predator eye's a sheep. His acid green sabre out and ready for use.
"Are they alive?" X asked, but Nightmare takes another step forward. And X took one back, booting up his buster.
He knew, he just knew he would not have the luxury of a peaceful resolution.
"Shinny," he whispered as his battle systems all awoke, warning him of what he already knew. "I'll have to fight... when you see an opening run!"
And with that... a deadly dance started.
~0~
The saint felt and heard the Lord in her heart spoke, His transcendental baritone carrying a sense of urgency that went beyond anything she had felt.
She and her Shishia were ridding on a highway. She could feel it... she could feel Krishna's divine hands leading her somewhere as she dodged and swerved away from the missing piece of floating road and the numerous parts or broken-down machinery. " This is a war zone."
"Yeah... that's a pretty standard for a maverick attack," Zero said as he slashed yet another enemy trying to get to the duo. " Welcome to my hell, mother."
"Well, let's keep this a short visit then." The saint huffed as she pressed on the gas, and bolted to a tunnel.
Suddenly, halfway through the death trap, the displays flickered to life, it was a warning...
"TO ALL MAVERICK HUNTERS, YOU TARGET IS ZERO-" With the appearance of an old man with a beard and solid blue eyes like Sigma declared.
"Oh no." This was bad... this was oh so very bad.
"THE MAVERICK IS IN SECTOR-B, TUNNEL 3, SECTION 02. ALL UNITS ARE-"
"Mother Bahula!" Zero yelped as the metal curtains closed off the sections he and his teacher were in, taping them like a pair of rats.
"Yes, My son?"
Zero kept a heavy venting as he looked up his personal map and ran through different scenarios... and not liking any of them.
In normal times, Zero would easily rip through all of them, Sabre or not.
But this was not his normal situation. He was with Mother Bahula, whom, to his sensor, emanated something that his system recognized as the virus, despite the fact that she was completely human. And then there was the fact that the usually nimble reploid could not even take a step without awkwardly crumpling to the ground like a broken doll. And he was awakened... the first Maverick was back and was spewing out miasma like a crazy factory.
yeah,... this didn't look good, at all.
"Mother... leave me behind and run." He told his Guru. " Neither of us will make it out if we stick together."
Bahula lifted the face shield and gave Zero a look that gave him all sorts of shivers. Her golden eyes were filled whit determination and a type of bravery Zero once had... before his first demise.
It was like looking at a portrait and realizing the time that had past, and how he had aged.
"My son... I will not let them take you." She spoke with absolute conviction. "Now hold on, it will be a bumpy ride." She spoke as her rainbow halo spun into existence and a pair of golden, light wings decorated with four flowers swirled into existence.
Zero's sensor blared to life, warning him that he was approximately at ground Zero of... something that would make the nuclear charges he once carried look like a couple of wet firecrackers.
"Mo-"
"MAVERICK ZERO! YOU ARE NOW UNDER-" The newly arrived hunters blared through their speakers, turning around, Zero stared at the looming figure.
He was a black and white reploid with a very simplistic face, he was built to be tall and imposing and... After a quick scan. Zero determined that the two ears at the side of his head were communication antennas...
'Hey... wait a minute, those are-" But before Zero could Finish his thought, he heard Bahula's declaration.
Great Magic
She began to shake... not, it was her golden wings.
Zero's threat analysis screeched. It was beyond Critical now... and it made his whole system glitch.
"̸̮͙̺͛̾Z̵̖̓é̷̡r̷͈̂ȯ̴̢̲̝.̷͎̘͋͒"̵̟̳̠̊̚ Her voice, now sounding like twelve legions of hell, turned to him. And while her face was obscured by her helmet, it did nothing to hide the pair of red, smouldering eyes burning a hole through his subtle body. "̴͇́H̶̤̪̔̏ͅă̵̗̦͐n̷͈̏̈́͘g̵̟͍͌́ ̴̹́o̴̖̍n̴̮̅̅̓ ̴̹͙͒́̆ẗ̷͎́í̶͕̮͉̑͝ǵ̴̳̊̚h̴͔͙͙͒t̶̲̄.̷̼̖̓̇.̴̺̩̕.̸̩̅ ̶̧̬̎͑͒a̵̺͗̇̕n̷̞͐d̶̘̻͙͊ ̴̢̤̉̀̚c̷̹̤͌̃h̸͙̃́͝ȁ̵̤̈ͅn̷̛̤̐t̸̥͗ ̸̙͚̐̂͜͝G̸̮̜͋̌͂o̴̟̫̾̕d̵̯̓ṡ̴͔̖̽̉ͅ ̵͍̣̟̂̚͠n̵͍̦͘͜a̷̼̓̐m̴͕͚̙͛é̵̻̠̀͒,̸̙̲̭͐̓ ̸̨͙̄̒̂a̵̱̅͑̌n̶̛̲̙͎̂̅ẙ̴͍̚ ̴̞͍̓n̸̖͖̓̇͑ă̸̡͕͓͝m̴̽͜e̶͓̭̬̓̊.̷̧̯̚"̸͙̇
On instinct, Zero grabbed onto the Saint... And as he picked a name.
D̴̻̓ē̷̱v̸̼̀i̵̘͂l̷̗͝ ̵̗̀R̵̢̍e̸͈̽c̵͕͐i̴͖͌ť̸̯a̵̛͎t̶͖͑i̴̤̍o̴͙͋n̷̪̕
Bahula's four demoniac lasers activated backward and propelled the bike forward at an obscene speed.
As the saint witch who bore the name of the Holy Cow blew through the iron curtain and to freedom faster then what Zero's hardware could handle, the poor thing holding to Bahula's waist for dear life as his entire system locked up, memories of his near-crash still too fresh in his memory.
But while his mouth was as tight as a miserly man's purse drawstring, his mind was loud a clear on this matter.
'GAURANGA! GAURANGA! GAURANGA! GAURANGA!' He internally screamed as he felt his whole body being stretched back by the terrible power of inertia... until the monstrous acceleration slowed down to something a high-end war machine could endure without having his hardware malfunction.
"Gauranga!" He wheezed out as Bahula dodged potholes and other debris as she destroyed whatever enemies were in the way.
"Mother! What the hell was that?!" He asked as he got his sabre out, striking whatever thought could blindside his saintly master. Behind him, he could hear a part of the tunnel collapsing in the far-off distance.
"Ah, yes... When I was locked away in hell, I managed to befriend the wandering Goddess Shinki." She explained as if this had been the most mundane thing ever to have learned... something so terrifying from a wandering Goddess in the lowest pits of hell.
"And... she thought you that... what the hell was that anyway?" He yelped as he slashed through yet another maddened mechanical.
"Great Magic; Devil recitation... it's an attack consisting of four lasers and numerous bullets, the sound it produced is called the devil's recitation, hence its name."
"Oh yeah...and that thing utterly destroyed a Critical threat... no Idea who that guy was but my logs say he was vaporized before you broke through reinforced steel on a God... damned bike!"
" Oh... it can't be helped then." Bahula shrugged. " As sad as it is, it would be foolish of me to expect a clean record in this situation."
"And I thought you hate violence... being an old Buddhist nun and all."
" There's being none-violent, and then their's being foolish," she explained as she jumped off a ramp and flew the bike down on the street bellow, heading to the poorest part of town. " Non-violence has two meanings and two ways to practice it. The first one is that you do not kill and you do not hurt anyone... but you don't fight when It's time to fight, causing others to suffer for your own moral. The second one is the proper ahimsa, in which you do not hurt... until another gets hurt in front of you and there are not other options. But violence is still to be used unless it's necessary, same as taking a life."
"So... a Martial Pacifist."
"Yes. A martial pacifist who worships the Lord and gives everything to him. And give up everything for him."
Zero felt as if the saint was about to elaborate when he felt his com. Finally crackle to life.
: This... X-: He felt his heart stop. : Request... old gym... Nightmare Zero...: There was a crash and once again, his lines became silent...
It had been X...
X was in trouble...
He felt... something unlock in him... buried under his intense desire to fly and get to X...
X was in danger.
Nightmare Zero...
A copy...
X was in Danger...
Old Gym...
Old Gym...
A program opened and suddenly, he knew exactly where his best friend was...
it was in an old gym in the destitute part of town were the drug addict, down on their luck, newly divorced and pseudo maverick lurked...
Bahula was going in the wrong direction!
He let go of the saint and let himself fall backward until he felt gravity let go of its hold...
and then he flew in the direction of his Best buddy and only friend's location, Praying to Krishna, no, To Gauranga that he would manage to arrive on time.
As he flew and slew whatever idiots had the misfortune to be in his way.
He had to find X! He had to find his friend!
It wasn't that he didn't believe that X had the power to fight, would he wishes so, the blue peace-lover could take over the world and mould it as he saw fit. Thankfully, (or not) his numerous years in the morality capsule had made him who he is...
But... he had sent a distress signal, meaning that whatever was there was a much bigger threat then what he could take care of, meaning that there must be one or more innocent unable to fight, and X was the only thing that could protect them.
Suddenly... he saw a blue and gold blur smashing through a high-level rogue Mechaniloid, crushing it as if he was nothing more but an empty aluminum can. Spraying fluids and oils all over as she ripped out his innards.
Yes... she...
She was an imposing woman wearing a singe and horned Yukata with a red sash tied in the front ( A prostitute). The delicate piece of silk was barely covering her anymore, showing or her archaic underwear and...
oh dear, it seemed that the woman had no bras.
Her arms were rippling with muscles only someone accustomed to fighting for fun could grow. Her mouth was filled with fangs, her eyes were black and red and a star-adorned horn jutted proudly from her forehead.
She turned her feral eyes toward the other blond... and Zero uncharacteristically opted to go on his merry way.
His UI told him that this was an unknown level threat... just as Bahula.
And he knew what Bahula was capable of. He may be slow on the social uptake, but he was by no means stupid.
He flew down a few alleyways filled with the brick backside of buildings, trash and ripped posters for crazy things like Reploid liberation, soup kitchen and missing pets and children. But more importantly, X's signal was so close, Zero could almost smell it.
He turned the last alleyway before he fell on an old gym lost to time, the buildings around it having overgrown the boxy construction and the street too narrow for cars to go by.. and too dark to be safe for the average foot traffic.
But not for the Mechaniloids and white-haired Maverick standing over a bloodied woman with white and yellow hair.
The... He turned around, his amour was singed in many places, and his helmet (really, his actual head. And his actual eyes.) but despite the heavy damage he had inured, Zero would be able to recognize Dynamo everywhere.
The Quasi-maverick (He was mercenary, and since Maverick would hack banks and hospitals and hold their server hostage on a daily basis, they had all the money and all the merc, since mercenaries didn't care about the lived lost, only about the money they would make.) Was missing an arm and was sung in many places. He kicked the woman, who simply groaned and hissed like an angry tiger.
"Ah! Scrap!" Dynamo cures as he leaned on the other legs, the one he'd used to kick the feral-looking woman looked bent and damage. " What the hell are you made out of? Brick?"
"I'm made... from the mercy of my Mother... Bahula..." She wheezed, blood pouring out of her bruised lips.
Zero's unseen brows hid under the V of his helmet and quickly grabbed the maverick... no, the most unfortunate man in the world by the back of the throat, letting his magic flare as he roughly pulled him away from Toramaru Shou. Making him his.
She was Bahula's oldest and most loyal follower, the moment her Grace had jumped ship, the tiger inspired youkai had joyfully followed her, for she knew Nalakuvera and Manigriva, the twin sons of Bishamonten, or Kuvera, the treasurer of the Demi-Gods.
Those two sons had met Krishna, not only met the lord but had also played a big role in one of his most famous pastimes. The Damodara Lila.
Miss Toramaru was to be protected at all cost.
He Shorted Dynamo, nothing short of a medical unit would be able to restart the glitch, giving Zero ample time to save find X.
"Wait! Do-Don't go yet!" The Shaktiaveshavatar wheezed as he coughed out congealed blood. "Who are you? Why did you attack the guy and..." She took a few sniffed despite the mangled state of her nose. Her eyes grew wide. " Why do you smell like my Mother... like mother Bahula?"
" She drove me here... and she's my teacher, I owe her my very life," Zero spoke curtly, he didn't have time to lose, he had to find X, for another threat was nearby.
That... and the pink/purple cloud was looking at him weirdly. Until he gave Zero a jaunty salute before pummelling what Zero hoped was an enemy carrier. And pointing at him a location he hopped X was in.
He could not bear to think of his partner's death... X was too strong for that.
~0~
'K... Scrap, Scrap oh Scrap!' X cursed as he rolled out of the way of... not Zero's blade, shooting plasma bolts as he tried to make his way to the stair to freedom while dodging the beast attack. And making sure Shinny was not crushed in his gears.
"Y-y-you cannot escape me X!" The false Zero hissed with a demented smile. "I'm mad at you... so mad at you. You didn't go and look for me. YOU LET ME DIE! DIE DIE DIE DIE-"
"Shut up!" X screamed at the mad reploid as he ducked behind an old cart, in his mind, he was screaming the Names of the lord in the hope that he would save them... or would take them away when the Fake Zero would end his demented game of cats and mouse and finish the reploid in white off.
He knew Zero had short patience when it came to fighting, always devising strategies as to how to kill his prey quickly.
X... also, to a certain degree, but Zero was the most pragmatic of the two.
'Oh, for Christ's sake Krishna! I'm about to die! Were about to die. Why the hex are you reminding me of my old friend when I'm about to get slaughtered by his evil copy, why does he has an evil copy? Who the hell would come up with such a shitty plot.' Yes, so he cursed to God, so sue him, he was rich.
After a moment of inattention, his foot slipped and he ended up sprawled on the floor.
What had he skipped on? Oh, If Zero could see him, he would call him an idiot for not having mapped his surroundings better.
As Zero Nightmare loomed over the downed reploid, the only this X could do now, since he had depleted whatever energy was dedicated to his buster, was to pray to Krishna.
He had nothing else to do, and to try to allocate his vital energy to his buster was bound to take too long... and he could not try and stall the abomination since he had no interest in gloating (shockingly enough)
He closed his eyes and began to sing the prayer of Lord Narashima as he waited for his inevitable death, hoping that Shinmyoumaru would somehow survive and escape.
'Namaste Narashimhaya... Prahlada-hlada dadayine..."
He heard the nightmare pull back his arm, and X braced for the inevitable... when a few things thing happened all at once.
The first was X's Viral detector screeching at him about a mother-load of viral energy practically appearance behind the mad copy, the Nightmare being hit in the back by said viral load's sword and Shinny screaming what sounded like the most fearsome war-cry an inchling could produce.
Nightmare screamed in agony, His whole body glitching worst then a titled cartridge, then... he was yanked backward, right into the concrete wall, revealing none other then Zero.
Glowing, floating, his hair flying around him from an unseen breeze, his eyes glowing unnaturally.
X's viral warnings were blaring, on instinct, he drew his buster... He had to destroy it, he had to destroy it... He had to...
Nightmare Zero lunged out on the pile of brick that once used to be a wall, his maddened eyes stained on Zero, his face twisted as he howled in pure rage.
Zero turned around, readying his strike... only for the green and violet monster to clutch his innards as dark fluid escaped from his mouth.
The red and gold reploid easily batted him away, sending the evil doppelganger careening to the ground, one again rendering him no worse then a heap of debris. His whole framed spazing as he tried to dig out his own core and fuel tank.
Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and he was gone.
"Coward." He heard the awakened Zero spat before he returned his attention to X. Freezing him in place.
He red as the source of the virus, but, so far, had only acted aggressively to an active threat, but knowing Zero, it may have been his possessive side. But was it really Zero? He had survived the crash, no question asked, but he was practically a moving viral nest spreading its tendril everywhere at once. X knew he was safe, he was virus proof... but how about other reploids? Did he have to take Zero out? Was it necessary? What-
"Hey! X, relax!" Zero spoke, his brows creased with concern.
That was good, a maverick would never show concern on a potential threat, let alone to him.
Or... Zero was trying to trick him.
Noticing his hesitation, the blond smirked, but instead of smugness, only pride and amusement flowed from his figure. "Not trusting me, huh? Nice, never let your guard down until the reploid prove he's not a maverick."
"Are you Zero? Can you prove it?" X asked. "Are you... Maverick? "
"you know, X... Me being Maverick or not is... it will take some time to explain." Zero sheepishly scratched the back of his neck."... I'm DWN-∞-000, and our first sparing match consisted of me awkwardly comforting you because you thought you had killed the training dummy... I still have the video of that, and yes, Imma sent it to Signas, can't wait to see him spill his energen over the face you've made."
"ZERO!" X whinnied in despair, this was not something...
"ZERO!" Using the last of his energy to jump in his returned best friend's arm, hugging him for all it was worth. "Oh, Krishna-Bhagavan! You're alive! Of course your alive nothing less then complete incineration of the Z-brain which is impossible but, HOLY MOLLY! What the hell happened to you? Why are your glowing? And why are you floating? How the hell did you managed to find me an-a-a-a-and how come your pouring out viral energy"
Zero's deep Baritone rumbled throughout the basement as he happily returned the hug, he had lived for year with X, he knew that this was what his best friend needed.
And that's what was needed also.
...
"Huh? X... are you... is that Tilaka on your forehead?" Zero asked, before his eyes grew wide with bliss. "No way, you're a Hare Krishna?"
But to answer that would have to wait for a bit, since after how the day went, X frame entered shut down.
"Oh."
A short chapter, but this is where it felt good to end. Also, I have a discord group for those wishing to discuss and stuff. for those on , just PM me for the link. trolls are also welcome since they are delicious when roasted.
Also, I just saw the Reimu Gameplay for the new fighting game. (I won't play it, don't have the time and I suck at fighting games.) My mind kept referring Utsuho as Uttara, it was great. love that bird so much.
