Mega Man X: The Mist Enigma
Chapter 13: In the Treacherous Swamp
When I walked back into the control room, I noticed that X, Zero, and Axl had already left for the Green Everglades. So I just followed suit. I landed on a small embankment near a marshy river. The Hunters weren't too far away. "There you are," Zero said when he noticed me.
Just then, Layer told us our objectives. "It's been reported that Swamp Kappaphi is planning to use this river as a catalyst to transport the Mist into the rest of the Earth's water supply. Prevent him from doing so and terminate him."
"Will do," X said with a nod. He then stepped into the river and began walking down stream. Zero did the same.
Axl cringed. "Oh man, I just got a new paint job! This muck is going to ruin it!"
"Quit your whining," I said as I pushed him in. I floated over to him and helped him back up. "We're on a mission. Your appearance should be the last thing on your mind."
"What about you?" Axl asked me as I floated above the river.
"These are my good Converses. I ain't going to ruin them."
"Right," Axl awkwardly replied as we followed X and Zero.
Not too far away, a swarm of robotic locusts circled around us. We took them out with our respective weapons of choice. Immediately after, five robotic alligators emerged from the river and charged at us with jaws open. I flew to one and raised my fists. I threw two jabs with each hand into its face. I then followed them up with two hook punches, a slash from my Kaiser, and a gut punch and uppercut from my free hand. I then charged blue and red flames into my fist and Kaiser and threw it upwards, bringing the croc with it. It exploded a few feet after.
"That's my Nova 10-Strike."
Axl looked cross. "Show off." Another gator jumped behind me, attempting to chomp down with its razor sharp jaws. I shot him in the mouth with a fire ball from my free hand. It was immediately destroyed.
"Looks like they're vulnerable to fire," X pointed out as he changed to red and black armor. "Thanks for that." He punched forward and let the Tyrant Fist's flame ignite and destroy another croc. Axl fired the Delta Ember at another, and Zero used the Ensenga on the last one.
I wiped my brow. "What a workout." We then heard hissing.
"Snakes," Zero said with a grimace. "Why did it have to be snakes?" They were robotic snakes floating atop the river. They leaped to us and tried to bite us. No such luck. We easily threw them off. When we did so, the water ahead of us began to rise. A very large snake emerged from it and hissed loudly. X dashed to it and charged his Buster. Before he could fire, the snake hit him with its tail. X was sent flying into a rock formation a nice distance away. I teleported over to him. He wasn't moving. I tsked and teleported back to the snake to find it spitting acid right at me. I couldn't avoid it. It splashed over my face. It burned like crazy. I held my face and screamed. I couldn't see well either. My vision was terribly blurred.
Axl and Zero called out to me, "Chris! Are you alright?" I turned to them. They looked like a red and black blur.
"No! I've been blinded!" I tried to heal myself of it, but it didn't work. I changed to a female to see if that could rid me of it. Nope.
Axl called out, "The Bulbrite is damaged too! The lens is cracked!"
"Shit."
Someone was laughing. It sounded very dastardly and slimy. "What a shame, what a darn shame." It came from atop the giant snake. All I could make out was a green blur.
"Who are you?" I called.
He responded with a heavy lisp, "You do not need to know that, little missy. Just give me Mega Man X."
Zero, Axl, and I said, "No way."
"Then I'll have to use force." The blur that was the snake lunged over my head. I couldn't follow anything else that happened. I did hear a bunch of bullet shots and sword slashes.
Zero's voice spoke out, "Guys, send X back to HQ pronto!"
A short time after, the odd voice grunted, "Great. Now I can't fulfill my mission. Don't worry though. I'll get him another time." He laughed hard. The snake blur dove into the water and disappeared.
Water splashed onto my face. Magically, my vision recovered on its own. "Weird," I said as I stared at my hands. Zero and Axl were already running down stream. I caught up quickly. I noticed that the current was really picking up. After thinking about that, I said aloud, "Oh crap."
The two Hunters turned to me. "What is it?"
"Waterfall!" As I said it, they plunged over one. I dove after them.
They splashed down a few seconds later. I floated atop where they landed and tried to spot them out. I then noticed someone was sitting on a rock not too far away. It was a green duck-like Reploid. "Swamp Kappaphi?" I asked.
He responded, "Yes? Did you call me?" I was baffled.
Zero and Axl jumped out of the water and surrounded Kappaphi. "Prepare to be executed, Maverick."
Kappaphi looked frightened. "Maverick? I'm not a Maverick. Please! I didn't do anything!" I didn't feel any malice or impurities from him, and he was telling the truth. He didn't know.
"Step off," I told Zero and Axl.
"Are you crazy?" they snapped back.
"No. Let's try talking for once." I then walked up to Kappaphi. "Are you aware that you have been classified a Maverick?"
"No," he stuttered.
"Would you have any idea why you were classified one?"
"No. No idea."
"Let me change the subject. What're you doing here?"
"I'm a nautical researcher. I'm studying this swampland's healing abilities."
"Healing?"
"Yes. I believe that these waters can cure people of any abnormalities. Sickness, injury, you name it."
I thought about how the water deblinded me. "I see. Well, our reports say that you were planning to use these waters to transport the Mist into the rest of the planet's oceans."
Kappaphi was shocked. "You heard I was planning to do that?"
"You were," a voice called from above. Gate appeared above us. "I had infected you with the Mist, Swamp Kappaphi. I had told you to find a way to spread the Mist to other areas. You decided to use the Earth's water supply. Next thing I know, you're no longer a Maverick."
Kappaphi was still confused. "I was a Maverick? How? And who are you?"
Gate floated down towards the water. His purple aura was nullified when it touched the water. "What the?"
I said, "According to Kappaphi, this swamp can heal any injury or sickness. Apparently, it destroys evil presences as well."
"I see," Gate said with a pissed expression. "You must have gone in the water at some point, Kappaphi. It expelled the Mist from your systems and left you not knowing a damn thing that happened. Just beautiful." That last part with sarcasm.
"Incredible!" Kappaphi shined. "This is the greatest discovery ever! I have got to tell everyone about this." In a flash, Kappaphi's head fell off its shoulders. Cue explosion.
Gate smiled. "Without the Mist, you're useless to me, ducky."
The Hunters and I were in shock. "How could you?" I asked in disbelief.
"Hey, he was magically cured," Gate responded. "I don't need him anymore if he isn't going to follow me. And also..." The waterfall exploded behind him. All the water evaporated into Mist and entered his aura. "A discovery like this shouldn't be seen by mortal eyes. It conflicts a little too much."
Zero clutched his Z-Saber in both hands. "You really are a heartless bastard, you know that?"
Gate replied in his normal cocky attitude, "No. But I do know that all eight Mavericks are dead. You guys get to go to my lab now. What fun. But there's another catch." I scowled at him. Gate continued, "I'll send the coordinates to your base. They will be encrypted in a special code. It's very tricky. My dear Alia should be able to figure it out. Well, see you then." He disappeared. "And tell X to get better soon!"
Zero punched the ground. "Damn it! Just when we get so close he decides to throw another gimmick into this game. Plus, we're without X."
"Now calm down," Axl said reassuringly. "Let's just go back to base. Maybe X isn't as badly damaged as we think. And if anyone can decipher a code, Alia can."
Zero smiled at him. "I guess you're right. You're a pretty smart kid, Axl."
Axl rubbed the back of his helmet. "Well, I..."
Zero turned to me. "How you doing?"
"Just fine," I answered. "Let's go back." We did so.
Gate. What a maniacal genius. He's giving us a difficult code to crack, according to him, and playing mind games the whole time. In another time, I'd give him credit for his knowledge. But right now I just wanted to give him a face full of Bolt 2. But Axl is right. Alia should be able to crack the code. And I pray to God that Axl is right about X. Without him, we don't stand a chance in the final stage.