Megaman X: Final Prologue
By: SylentStryke
Rated: M
Disclaimer: I would write something about how I don't own Megaman X and how Capcom owns him and his crew, but I forgot how to do that. :)
Chapter 12: Surprises
Cain Laboratories
Time: 5:19 A.M.
Date: 6-24-22XX
Harold sipped calmly on his coffee as he listened to a deep voice speak unrelenting inquiries through his phone.
"Are you one-hundred percent positive that you don't know what is on that data file?"
"Yes."
"And you don't know who decided to break in and literally hand it to our chief engineer?"
"No, I don't know. You said that your cameras caught a symbol or something?"
"Yes, it was the insignia of Dr. Weil."
"So, wouldn't you think that Weil..."
"Sent an agent over here? That's why I'm asking you if you know what is on this disk. If there's some kind of bomb planted that will blow up if you stick it in a computer, or something."
"No, nothing of that sort. Oh, look at time! I have a very important meeting to attend. Good day, Mr. Signas."
"Harold! Wait a...hello? Hello?"
Harold hung the phone up and downed the rest of his coffee. He looked out of the one way wall towards MHHQ and sighed.
"Well, at least I really do have a meeting."
MHHQ - Training Hall
Time: 5:20 A.M.
Ixion threw a fast fist at one of her squad members, connecting it with his jaw. Due to the laws of physics, he went hurdling into the wall behind him. The 16th Unit Commander shook her head with regret.
"(Great. Now he'll probably end up leaving too.)" She thought as she walked over to the stunned hunter, masking her emotions with a chiding laugh. In the center of the hall stood a group of about seven reploids. Facing them about six feet away was a smaller group of three. The one in the center of the trio spoke loudly.
"Welcome! You all are here because you have or want three things:" He started.
"One: The desire to protect those close to you."
"Two: The courage to defeat the mightiest of foes."
"And, Three: The freedom to do whatever the hell you want, as long as I approve of it!" He said the last phrase with quite the opposite seriousness as the first two. The two hunters at his side snickered at his choice of words. The seven newbies, however, didn't move an inch. Zero frowned.
"But!" He started. "In order to obtain those objectives, you gotta have two things: Balls and a sense of humor." Everybody gave the same reactions. Zero growled as he drew a hand buster and shot the soil at the nervous group's feet. Several very nervous rookies let out several very nervous laughs. The crimson demon smiled as Leyna and Echo shook their heads. "That's one test down. Sense of humor, check!"
"Tch. What a joke." A less than impressed rookie bantered. The three veterans looked in his direction.
"Yes! That was the point of shooting at the ground: To make you laugh!" Zero said calmly as he strode over to the less than enthusiastic rook. "Hence, it was a joke." The rookies around him kept laughing with quivers as Zero approached the bold newbie.
"Not that. You." The rookie spoke fiercely, clarifying his point. "I think you're a joke. A commander that jokes around during a war? That spells disaster to me." Zero gave the rookie a foreboding stare that did nothing to phase him.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Really."
"Think you can take down a joke?" The entire room went silent. The rookie wasted no time with his reply.
"No. I don't think I can." Dead silence lingered in the air for a while. Zero gave him a dismissive 'hmmph' before turning around and walking towards where he was standing before. The rookie dropped his rifle and drew a beam knife.
"I know I can!!" He cried as he darted towards Zero at full pelt. He swiped the knife at the blond haired devil and felt a sharp pain creep into his ribs. Then the ground spun around as he ended up on his back. He felt a warm sensation on his neck, noticing that Zero had turned the tables, quite literally, and had the rookie's own knife pressed up against his throat. Many gasps ensued.
"You have balls, kid! But don't let it hinder your judgement. Approaching an opponent from behind is a gamble. You have to take into consideration the enemy's level of awareness. If you were an enemy, all I would have to kill you is flick my wrist." Zero stated calmly, hoping the six other rookies would learn something from the downed green sleeve's blunder.
"So why didn't you do it before?" The rookie blurted out. He thrashed about suddenly, causing Zero to remove the knife, getting it knocked away from him in the process. The daring rookie threw a fast punch and stunned the surprised hunter. He managed to get behind Zero and trip him up, dislocating his arm in the process.
"You should have taken into consideration my level of skill, Mr. Hotshot." The rook teased triumphantly.
Zero smiled before leaning forward and tossing the rook over his shoulders. The rookie hit the ground with a thud as he landed on his back, distorting his balance mechanics. He was about to get up before a green, searing hot blade of plasma made sure he stayed put. He grunted in defeat.
"I did, kid. But skill means nothing when your reckless attitude takes over." Zero said as he popped his arm back into place, making the other rookies flinch and retch.
"But! You are the first rookie that's challenged me today. Now, who's next?" Zero said, eyeing the now panic-stricken squad of newcomers. One of them fell over from a fear overload.
"Just kidding guys! Just kidding! We really need to work on that sense of humor!" He trailed off, leaving Vice on the ground to gather his resolve.
"(...Goddamn it. I hate that fricken' reploid!)" He thought to himself as he stood up and walked out of the training area.
"I HATE THAT FRICKEN REPLOID!" He shouted as his nightmare came to an abrupt end. He looked around in confusion as he took in his surroundings. No open air filled with lush artificial plants. No squad of rookies shaking in their boots. Only a plain, thick walled room. He shook his head as he thought about his dream; His first day as a Maverick Hunter.
"...What a joke..." He muttered as he fell back asleep.
Medical Sector
Time: 5:21
"Kicker, I'm FINE."
"That's the problem. You should have slight irritation in that shoulder, yet my screen shows nothing."
Zero sat uncomfortably on the table with his left arm inserted into a threatening looking machine. Kicker frowned at the readings he was getting while Zero frowned at the situation he was in. He looked around the room in boredom and gave the large device around his arm a glance each time it clicked. He then glanced at the table in the far corner of the room with a stationary reploid laid out on it.
"...Still no response from the kid?" Zero asked, this time ignoring the clicking the machine made.
"Unfortunately, no. He's stable, in good condition injury wise, but still unconscious. There's something else wrong with him."
"Like what?"
"I don't know." Kicker said as he pressed a button, releasing the housing around the red demon's arm.
"Does it have something to do with that illumination from his helmet?" Kicker looked up with a stone face. Zero sensed that something was off.
"What?"
"Follow me." Zero hopped off the table stylishly and followed the doctor over to Axl's table. He bumped into Kicker when he stopped suddenly.
"Zero." He said solemnly.
"What?"
"You cannot let anyone know what you're about to see."
"No one?"
"No one." He gave Zero a firm look. Said reploid merely shook his head in collusion. Kicker pulled back the curtain, revealing the sleeping young hunter. Zero's eyes widened several times at the sight. He turned to Kicker.
"Kick, who else knows about this?"
"You, me, and Echo."
"Not Signas? Or X?" Kicker shook his head. Zero turned and left.
"Zero!"
"Not a soul, right? Don't worry, Kick." Kicker nodded as he looked at the sleeping reploid and closed the curtains.
Months later, the Maverick Hunters found themselves at a stalemate with Weil's forces. Neither side was able to gain momentum for five long months. The development and completion of the powerful Golem unit helped the Hunters stay on their feet for a while. But…a problem was brought to their attention. The Golems, while powerful, are very expensive to mass produce. While the material is not hard to come by, the energy that fuels them is rather scarce.
MHHQ - Navigation Sector
Time: 8:23 A.M.
Date: 11-20-22XX
"All right, Team 7, come on home." Layer stated as the dispatch team disconnected. Alia spun around in her chair, hoping for positive results, but her hope was shot down when Layer shook her head.
"Damn it. This is hopeless!" Dirk nearly screamed. "We've been searching for three months, with only minimal results. Whatever happened to using plain old gasoline?"
"That stuff dried up ages ago. Besides, energen crystals are much more effective and are better for the environment." Palette stated, flexing her mechanical wit. Dirk batted a hand in the air as he spun back around, feeling sorry that he said anything at all.
Alia sighed heavily. Her mental state of being was contorted in all ways possible. X hadn't contacted HQ in a month. He was leading a small search team in the upper regions of Neo Africa, various parts of Neo Russia and half of the Red Sea. She kept telling herself not to worry, but her mother-like instinct was on full alert. She nearly screamed at the hand that plopped down on her shoulder.
"Whoa. Sorry, Alia Any word from X and his team yet?" Zero's well-known voice said. Though he sounded calm, Alia could tell that X's absence was bothering him as well.
"So, you miss him too?"
"Miss him? Not a chance! I get tired of looking after both my unit and his. Figured he'd be back by now." Zero grinned in an attempt to raise the navigator's spirit. He cocked an eyebrow when he saw her nearly fall out of her chair. The screen she had been glued to for the last few days showed that a transfer was coming in. Alia ran over to the warp pad, ready to pounce on her boyfriend. Normally she would smother X, almost knocking both of them back into the warp. That was not the case this time around.
Instead of X, what greeted her was a round object with different colored orbs imbedded in it. Before she had time to shout out what it was, the bomb exploded.
"???"
Time: N/A
"Well, how do things look?" A blue entity questioned. The second being shook his head.
"Not too well. If they continue on like this, we'll have to start all over. The best we can do is awaken the sleeper." He stated dourly.
"Are you sure? His abilities are sporadic. There's a chance of reality ripping at the seams."
"That's a chance we'll have to take." The blue entity pondered the red's gamble for a while before forming her answer.
"Sigh. Okay. Let's go."
To be continued...
Wow. How long has it been? Too long for my liking. If there are still any readers out there reading this fanfic, please review. Many, many events going on in my life. I'm starting college in about a month's time, so the updates might get even longer in length. I still plan on completing this story, seeing as how you've only read roughly 10-15 percent of it. I've been brainstorming while away. Anyway, that's all for now!
Till Next Time!