CRISIS
P3
ZERO
I woke up lying on a reclining table. Sitting up, a gasp of pain escaped my lips. Medic came rushing over to me.
"Easy, Zero." She gently pushed me back down to the table so I was looking up at her, "You were lucky. The shot missed vital organs. I still had a tough time getting you to stop bleeding." Medic explained, "There is something else you need to know. Guy is in a coma and I can't get him out of it. He was shot through the lower abdomen and it damaged his stomach and diaphragm badly. I almost lost him twice."
"Anyone else?" I asked.
"Luna was beaten up pretty badly, and I've been dealing with cuts and bruises." Medic answered, "X did this, didn't he?"
"He's gone Maverick." I replied. We didn't get to him in time."
"He needs the antiviral. How long has it been since he turned? You've been out for three hours." Medic asked.
"We got there and I cut him free of the chair. He rose and leaned on me for support. As he was about to deliver a damaging blow to Sigma, he went Maverick and fought us. I'd say it has been three and quarter hours." I answered.
"Good, we still have time. It takes 6 hours for the change to be complete. It is also during this time that my antiviral is the most effective. I need to get to him." Medic replied.
"No way. You will not go into that place! X will kill you!" I screamed at her. Medic flinched.
"Only I have the ability to deliver the payload. Your buster is too powerful. I don't have a choice. Alia and Palette's busters are too strong too. So are Storm's, Sy's, and everyone else's." Medic reasoned, looking deep into my eyes.
"But Medic! It's too dangerous! X nearly took me out! You won't stand a chance!" I cried out to her, pleading with my eyes.
"I'm sorry, Zero, but once the six hours have passed, and my antiviral will have little effect. I have to at least try." Medic took my hand, "Please, Zero, and let me try."
"Medic..." I knew she was speaking the truth, and it hurt, badly, "I don't want to lose you!"
"I'll be careful. You won't lose me, I promise." Medic smiled, "You need to rest."
"No, I'm going with you." I sat up again, ignoring the pain in my chest, "You won't get me to change my mind, so don't even try."
"Zero..." Medic sighed, "If you start bleeding or looking faint, I will send you back out to Alpha."
"Deal." I agreed, wincing as I stood, "X is my Kouhai. I won't let him go so easily."
"Then let's go." Medic picked up a couple of vials of amber liquid and loaded one into her buster. I took the lead and she followed. Alpha came in to sit with Guy, who was looking a bit better. We stepped outside. Axl pounced on us.
"I'm coming too." He said.
"Okay, but be careful." I told him.
We went back into the base and worked our way toward the command center. We ran into X who attacked with his buster. I ducked to avoid the shots. Axl brought out his duel pistols and fired a spray of bullets, some hitting and slowing X down.
"Give me a clear shot!" Medic charged up her buster and took aim. X saw her taking aim and lunged at her, wrapping his hands around her neck. She gasped for air, trying to twist and fire at X. I charged and pinned X to the wall. Medic recharged and took aim. I shot left as she took the shot. X was quicker and nullified her shot with his own shot.
"Dang!" Medic cursed, "I only have three more shots!"
X growled, and went at Medic. She charged up and fired another shot, catching him in the neck. He roared in anger and ripped the dart like bullet out of his neck. The dart was still full of antiviral. I pinned him under me again. Axl rose behind us, pistols locked and loaded. Medic charged up and took aim. I rolled so I was under X, who took another dart to the neck. Medic rushed over and cursed again.
"The dart didn't release again! I've got one more shot left!" She charged up and took aim again. X managed to get under me just as she fired the dart. Frantically, I twisted to the left, and the dart struck X in the shoulder. There was a low popping noise and the dart emptied itself into X's body. Next thing I knew, I was flung backward to crash into the wall. Medic ran to me.
"We made him angry!" Axl screamed, "Ow!" he crumbled to the ground, a smoking hole in his right side.
"AXL!" I screamed.
Medic ran to him, "Axl, wake up! Don't you dare die on me! Come on, wake up! I can't carry you out of here on my own!"
I rushed X, but was blown backward by his fully charged buster shot, "Medic! Get Axl out of here!"
"I am!" Medic turned to her patient, "Axl, come on, hang in there." She rose with Axl in her arms and ran. X went after her, but I tackled him to the ground.
MEDIC
I burst outside and ran toward the medical unit. I ran inside and put Axl on the table. Blood coated my chest, arms, legs, and pooled on the floor. It was bad. I could see the artery inside Axl's body, spurting his life around me. Alpha came over to help.
"Get me a clamp! We have to stop the bleeding!" He ordered. I handed him a clamp. He clamped off the artery, "Dang! He's still bleeding badly! He needs a transfusion now!"
"On it!" We worked frantically to save Axl. Alpha stopped the bleeding and packed the wound with wads of gauze. Axl's color returned as the fresh blood flowed into his body. Minutes later, his eyes opened.
"Ow, it hurts!" His hands went for his injury.
"I know. We almost lost you to blood lost." I explained.
"I'm not going to die am I?" Axl's eyes started to close again.
"Axl, no! Stay with me here!" I held his hand, "Come on, and fight! I promise you won't die."
"Sorry, Medic..." Axl sighed, and went still.
"NO!" I screamed, "AXL!"
Working quickly, I pumped more blood into him, "He's still losing blood! I'm going to have to operate!"
I cut into his armor and removed it. Blood quickly pooled around my hands, "Come on, kid, fight!" I muttered, searching for the source of the blood. I couldn't find it.
"His stats are dropping!" Alpha searched for it too, "He's going!"
"NO!" I screamed suddenly, "Axl, hang in there!" My jewel on my helmet glowed brightly, making my hands glow. Moving as if underwater, I went back to Axl's body and located the bleed. What I did next shocked Alpha. I reached in and sent waves of energy at the injury, closing it. Axl gasped suddenly. I soaked up the pooled blood and closed him up, healing as I went. My eyes went blank and I sank softly to the ground. Last I heard was Alpha screaming my name.
AXL
I gasped, and opened my eyes. Medic stood over me, her hands glowing as she worked on me. My injuries healed at her touch. My pain level dropped. I stared at Alpha in shock. He had the same shock on his face. Medic's eyes went blank and she sank softly to the ground. Alpha screamed her name. I got up off the table and helped him put her in my place. Alpha went to work with me watching.
"She has the healing touch!" I breathed, "I'm fully restored!"
"Medic, can you hear me? Wake up, come on girl, wake up!" Alpha couldn't find anything wrong with Medic, "She's in a coma!"
"Zero." I said suddenly, "He'll be able to wake her."
"Then go get him." Alpha said, "Medic, come on, don't do this to us!"
I ran outside and reentered the base. I found Zero locked in battle with X still.
"Zero! Medic needs you! She's in a coma!" I called, dodging X's blows.
"WHAT?" Zero screamed.
"She healed me!" I explained, "I was dying and she saved me!"
"YOU!" Zero turned to X and pummeled him in his rage. X merely grinned and shot toward me. I dove as he shot over me to slam into the wall. X didn't move. We both took off outside.
"Medic isn't dead, just asleep." I tried. Zero growled and ran into the medical unit.
"MEDIC!" He screamed, taking her hand into his own, "Please don't leave me!"
"Her stats are dropping, Zero. She gave herself to save Axl. I'm sorry." Alpha replied.
"No. Medic, please! I don't want to lose you! I can't live without you!" Zero broke down crying. I felt my heart constrict in sadness. It was my fault Medic was dying.
"Zero, it's my fault." I started, but Zero shushed me with a snarl, before he left out a long low cry of grief. Alia and Pallette came in and Alia went to him. She hugged him as he sank into her arms, screaming and crying in anguish.
"Zero, oh Zero!" Alia cried with him.
"Isn't there anything that can be done?" Pallette asked, "Can't you do something, Alpha?"
"There is nothing that can be done." Alpha looked away.
By now, Medics stats had dropped below the red line of no return. Zero pulled himself out of Alia's hold and hugged her tightly.
"Medic!" He sobbed, "Please! Come back. You are right, you aren't Iris. I shouldn't have lumped you in with her. You are stronger then she is. Come back to me. I love you, Medic! I love you!"
Something amazing happened. Medic's stats started to climb.
"Keep talking to her, Zero!" Alpha said excitedly.
"Medic, my Medic. I love you more then anything in this world. Don't leave me alone. I can't bear the thought of living without you beside me. My love for you burns hotter then the sun. Come back to me, please." Zero paused, "I lost Iris; don't make me lose you too. I love you, not iris, you. I want you. My body hungers for your touch. Medic, will you return to me?"
Medics stats left the red zone far behind. Her hand closed around Zero's hand.
"She's coming back!" Alpha cried.
"Medic, wake up! Let me see those lilac eyes of yours again!" Zero pleaded.
MEDIC
Medic, Wake up! Let me see those lilac eyes of yours again!" Someone was pleading.
I knew that voice. Zero. He was holding my hand. I squeezed it.
'What is wrong with me? Am I dying?' I thought.
Zero started talking again, telling me how he loved me.
'He loves me! Zero loves me!' I thought my heart swelling with love for him. I wanted to wake up, to tell him I loved him too, but my body refused to listen to me. I wrenched my eyes open.
"Zero?" I asked softly.
"Medic!" Zero hugged me, "You woke up!" he was crying.
"Zero, I love you too." I whispered, smiling at him. My eyes began to close again.
"Her stats are dropping again!" Alpha screamed.
"Medic! Don't die!" Alia was on my right, "Fight for Zero!"
"Medic!" Zero cried, "NO! YOU PROMISED YOU WOULDN"T LEAVE ME!"
"Ze...ro... I..." I felt peace settle over my body.
"MEDIC! NO!" Zero screamed.
"She's gone." Alpha shut off the machine.
"Medic!" Axl sobbed suddenly, "This is my fault! My entire fault! She healed me, and I killed her!"
"Oh god, Medic!" Pallette put her arms around Zero's shoulders, "why did you leave us?"
Zero turned to my body and leaned down to me. He kissed me deeply and passionately. My eyes fluttered open and I returned the kiss just as passionately.
"Oh Medic." Zero lovingly brushed my hair out of my eyes.
"Zero, I love you." I smiled up at him.
"Never ever scare me like that again." Zero smiled back.
The ground shuddered violently. Zero threw himself over me, protecting me from falling debris. I squeaked in horror as I have a dreadful fear of earthquakes. Alia looked outside and screamed.
X strode toward us, grinning maliciously.
"How long has it been?" I asked.
"Five hours thirty minutes." Pallette answered.
"I managed to give him the antiviral 2 hours and 45 minutes ago." I thought, "He needs a second dose." I got up and loaded my last two doses into my buster. Zero went and stood next to me. Axl on his right.
"I'm going with you." he said.
We went back outside and a charged up my buster and took aim. X lunged at me and I twisted to the left. As he went down, I fired the shot. It hit X between the shoulder blades, but didn't release. I lined up my last shot. X rolled and came up with a punch to my gut. I staggered backward and Zero rushed in with his saber lit. Axl rose behind X, firing his duel pistols. I recharged and took aim again. As Zero twisted around X, he brought X into my line of fire and I took the shot. The dart hit X and I heard the pop as it activated. X howled in pain as the antiviral attacked the virus in his body.
"Anymore shots?" Axl asked.
"No! I'm all out! I have to make more!" I answered.
Zero appeared beside me, "Is it working?"
X screamed in agony, dropping to his knees. Suddenly, he rose, his eyes still red. He grinned, and glowed, going Seraph.
"How do you like me now?" he grinned.
"This is bad! Very bad!" I cried out, as Zero stepped in front of me.
"What do we do now?" Axl asked.
X fired a blast of energy at us and we scrambled. I charged up my buster. Like X, I use a buster for defense, but my buster isn't very strong.
"We have to keep him at bay until the antiviral takes effect!" I answered.
"We? Medic, you get to safety! Axl and I will deal with X!" Zero ordered, ducking as X fired another shot at him.
"I ain't leaving!" my buster fully charged, I unleashed a charge shot at X, who nullified it with one of his own, "I can fight as well as any hunter!"
"For my sake, Medic! Go!" Zero pleaded, not seeing the shot coming right at him.
"Zero! Duck!" I screamed.
Zero turned, and was sent flying backward to hit the ground, hard. He rose after a few minutes, dazed. Anger shot through me and my body glowed, unlocking my white armor with golden highlights. I actually started out as a Hunter before discovering my love of medicine and joining Lifesaver. I am not a strong fighter but I will fight if I have to. I charged up my buster again. Axl glowed briefly, going X, and shifting into X's ultimate armor.
"Medic, I didn't know you had a powered up form!" Axl said, sounding just like X, "How about you fight yourself!" He raised both of the busters on each arm and let lose with a spray of lethal fire at X, who managed to evade some of the attack. I dropped to one knee and steadied myself, my buster resting on my knee. I counted down the seconds in my head.
"Axl, now!" I called, my buster lighting up brightly. Axl dove and my shot plowed into X, knocking him from the sky. Zero rejoined us. I shook my buster arm, trying to get it to cool down. In my powered up form, my buster overheats after one use and it takes me time to get it cool enough for another hit. It was part of the reason I chose to work in medicine. X rose again, and screamed, his hands going for his head where his jewel was burning brightly.
"What's happening?" Axl asked.
"The antiviral is working. X, I know you are in there! Fight it!" I called up to him.
Storm joined us, "Zero, the base has been destroyed!"
"Good work! Sigma?" Zero asked.
"He slipped past us, sorry, sir." this came from Sy, who was shrinking himself down to his normal size.
"We'll get him yet. Right now, our priority is saving X." Zero was drowned out by X's scream of agony, "Medic, is this normal?"
"I'm not sure. You only slept the whole time." I shifted back to my red and white armor, my buster glowing red from overheat, "Lifesaver is going to tear me a new one for this! He just finished repairing my buster, too!"
A tremor threw us to the ground. I looked toward the ruins of the base to see Sigma, rising on a sleek green and silver cannon. The Sigma cannon.
"Problem, guys!" I pointed.
Storm swore in Greek. Sy melted into a puddle. Axl nearly dropped his ultimate X form. Zero paled. Sigma only laughed maliciously as he took aim with the cannon and fired at us. We could only watch helplessly as the red hot beam screamed toward us. I found myself in Zeros arms, eyes squeezed shut. The heat of the blast never came. I opened my eyes to look.
"It's X!" Axl screamed.
X was in front of the beam, keeping it at bay with his own beam of blue energy. He was trembling in effort to save us.
X
I fought through the viruses hold on my mind and retaliated by protecting my friends. I growled at Sigma, and began moving forward, inching the deadly red beam back toward him with my own beam of blue light.
"Come on, X! You can do it!"
Alia. Her cheer renewed my strength and I grunted, forcing the beam back a few more inches. Sigma snarled, and fiddled with the cannon. The beam went from dark red to green. I didn't have any time to react as the deadly green energy plowed through me. I toppled over backwards, screaming in agony. Medic rushed to my side.
"X!" her hands flew, making lightening fast repairs, "X, can you hear me?"
"Med…ic…" I tried to answer her. My body wasn't responding.
"Shh, just rest." Medic soothed.
I reverted to my basic armor. The damage was bad. I knew I was going to die. Medic knew it too. I could see it in her eyes. Alia's face swam into view. She was on my right, holding my hand. I couldn't feel her touch. I tried to look at her. Zero and Axl came into view followed by Storm, Sy, Pallette, and the rest of the Task Force. I could see that they knew I was dying. Medic's jewel glowed, causing her hands to glow. Her eyes stared down sorrowfully at mine as she reached into my damaged chest to help me die. I didn't try to stop her. My vision slowly went dark. This was it, this was the end.
"You are doing great, Medic. Keep it up!" Axl encouraged.
"Hang in there, X. you are doing great." Alia squeezed my hand, a sensation that I could no longer feel.
"It is not doing much good." Medic withdrew her hand, "I don't know how I did it before."
"I was dying." Axl thought, "I bet it was the heat of the moment, when you were afraid you were losing me."
"And it is not working now because you know there is nothing that can be done." Storm spoke gently.
"I tried, you guys. I really tried." Medic closed her eyes in pain, "We were supposed to save him, and we failed."
Their voices faded. I saw only darkness.
"Megaman X."
"What the?" I found myself looking around until I looked down to see a smaller version of myself with a red dog at his side, "Megaman?"
"This is so not how it is going to end." Megaman looked up at me, "Not for us."
"Unfortunately, I'm too badly damaged." I replied, "Plus, I'm infected with the Sigma Virus."
"I know you are badly hurt. I also know that you need to wake up. Our battle has yet to begin." Megaman folded his arms.
"Our battle?" now I was confused.
"You mean you don't know?" Megaman asked.
"What am I supposed to know?" I asked.
"Dose the Pure mean anything to you? How about the Core?" Megaman asked.
The dog whimpered at the word, Core.
"Pure? Core? I have no idea what you are talking about." I answered.
"Rush, calm down. I'm not the one going up against the Core this time, He is. Looks like we will have to explain it to him." Megaman petted the dog, "The Core is coming. It is basically a moving, living, thinking field of dark energy formed at the big bang. It feeds off of the energy of life. Earth is abundant in life again. This isn't the Core's first time feeding on Earth. Think back to the dinosaurs. Where do you think they went at the end of the Cretaceous Period? 95 percent of life was devoured that time, and the Core is very hungry, and very angry at being driven away from its meal. You have to drive it back again. This is where the Pure comes to play. The five percent that survived the Core's hunger survived only because they happened to be living inside Mount Pure. There was a catastrophic eruption that destroyed the mountain during ancient times and Earth has no more Pure left. Pure is a very rare form of energy that is very unstable. It is why I died. The radiation triggered a self destruct sequence deep within my body. That is where you come in. Light hid the Pure after my death inside of you. Where do you think your buster energy comes from? Got all that?" Megaman asked, "Because I ain't repeating myself."
"I'm supposed to stop the Core from eating the Earth?" I asked, still lost.
"Sizzling Circuits! Did Light forget to screw something together in your brain or something? Did you not hear a word I just said?" Megaman asked.
"Calm down, brother. You probably explained it too scientifically. I'm Roll, by the way, and I'm his sister." a female Reploid with blond hair joined Megaman.
"I'm almost scared to hand him the Pure." Megaman said.
"Allow me." Roll turned to me, "The Core is a living thing that wants to devour the Earths life force. Still with me? Good. You need to use the Pure that lives inside you to stop the Core. Understand?"
I nodded.
"You need to wake up and save the world." Megaman said, "Your friends are waiting."
My eyes opened as they walked away. Medic was still working on me. I heard Axl giving her encouragement. I looked skyward to see something black roiling. Alia held my hand.
"Hang in there, X. you are doing great." Alia smiled at me as she gave my hand a comforting squeeze. I squeezed her hand back in acknowledgement.
Medics jewel and hands were glowing as she worked.
"I've done what I can here. He'll need a lot more work done back at base, but I've stabilized him." Medic said, her jewel and hands no longer glowing.
"Why can't you heal him like you did with me?" Axl asked.
"I am not sure why it isn't working. I think it is because I'm not under stress." Medic explained.
"Commander Zero!" Teal raced over to Zero, "Pallette found Sigma!" She handed him a printout which he read quickly.
"Storm, Sy, Axl, and Luna, you are with me. The rest of you, fan out and protect the navigators. Alia, Alpha, and Medic, you are in charge of X. Lets move it, people. Sigma isn't going to get away this time." Zero gave out orders, "X, you rest and heal."
ZERO
X still looked pretty bad, but I trusted Medic. I took my team toward the base. Sigma's cannon had been destroyed when I sent Storm in with Luna to counter it. Luna was still sore from her beating and I'd almost ordered her to stay and rest, but she told me she wanted to go back at Sigma. I let her. Sigma was waiting for us.
"At last, you are about to bear witness to a birth, my rebirth!" Sigma raised his hands, and the darkness in the sky flowed down around him. His armor turned black. Huge wings and a long spiked tail, both black, formed on his back. His scars on his face went black and his eyes red. His hands turned to claws. He grinned maliciously, "Ah, yes! I feel the power of the Core!"
"Yea, well, you aren't the only one!" I went Absolute, my red and white armor turned black, and my helmet sprouted a pair of black wings. A larger pair formed on my back, "I'll take you on!"
"As will I!" Sy stretched himself to twice his normal size.
"Us, too!" Axl and Storm called out as one. Storm Eagle glowed, his body turning white with blue highlights. He was going Hurricane Eagle. Axl shifted to his white armor.
"And don't forget about me!" Luna added, her pale ivory armor going dark purple as she shifted to her full moon armor.
"Pathetic." Sigma raised a clawed hand, and Sy screamed, his body liquefying.
"Hey! I'll liquefy myself thank you!" Sy tried to flow together, "Hey! My particles aren't responding! I'm flowing apart!"
"Sy!" I screamed, "Sigma!" both Eagle and I launched ourselves at Sigma, who drew out his sword. Eagle screamed, his left wing missing. He crashed back down to the ground while Luna and Axl rose in his place. I drew out my saber and flicked it on. Luna drew her twin daggers. Axl locked his pistols together, forming his beloved crossbow. The three of us charged, weapons blazing at Sigma, who merely grinned, and vanished.
"What the?" I flipped around to find myself blasted backward into Axl, who yelped as he tried to stay hovering. We ended up crashing to the ground, leaving Luna, who rushed forward to slice at Sigma's armor with her daggers. She left no damage. Sigma grabbed her. Axl twisted free of me and screamed.
"Hey! Let her go!" he screamed, shifting to X and going into his Ultimate armor, "Nova Blast!" the attack flew toward Sigma. Sy shot up and melted through Sigma's arm armor, freeing Luna, who dropped out of the path of Axl's attack. The attack left a trail of damage across Sigma's chest.
"You think by changing into X you stand a chance against me?" Sigma laughed, his armor repairing itself, "Think again!"
"You think again, Sigma!" a white light slammed into Sigma, causing major damage, "How about fighting the real me?"
"X?" I turned to see him leaning against Medic, his right arm around his chest. He was hutched forward, clearly in pain.
"You? You are barely standing on your own!" Sigma started to heal himself, but X fired his buster again, damaging him even more.
"I can hurt you, unlike them, because of what lives inside of me!" X screamed, "I am the Pure!"
"And I should be alarmed?" Sigma focused on healing himself.
"The Core fears the Pure!" X's hands began to glow, "Prepare to die!" He straightened up and cupped his hands together. The light grew even brighter. I pulled myself up onto my feet. Axl attacked with another Nova Blast, keeping Sigma from healing himself further. X released his attack. Sigma howled in agony, the attack leaving massive damage behind. Sigma tried to heal himself to no avail. Instead, he raised both clawed hands and rocketed forward, scooping up X as he plowed into him. Medic let lose with a charge shot. Sigma roared, some of the Core flowing into X, who tried to fight free. We all watched as Medic's hit did damage to Sigma, and to X at the same time.
"Attack and damage me, you damage X too!" Sigma hissed.
"Just attack Sigma! Don't worry about me!" X screamed, "Just do it! Axl! Use my Nova Strike!"
"But that could kill you!" Axl screamed.
"Just do it!" X screamed back, "I'll be okay!"
Axl closed his eyes and raised both guns, "Nova Strike!"
Sigma screamed, loosening his hold on X, who was damaged too. He twisted himself so he faced Sigma. Both hands were glowing.
"Are you crazy? If you use the Pure, you'll kill us both!" Sigma screamed at him.
X cupped his hands, "I'm not afraid to die!" his attack slammed through Sigma, who screamed once, and fell silent. They fell to the ground.
"Sigma's dead!" Medic checked Sigma for life, "There is no coming back from that." She charged her buster to the max, "and I'm making sure he stays that way. Wasting Shot!" Sigma turned to dust. Medic then turned to X. X was pale, and blood flowed freely from the many wounds covering his body. His left leg was gone, a mass of wires. His buster arm was nothing more then a pile of smoking wires. Large chunks of his armor were missing. Medic sighed, "He needs Lifesaver, now."
"Can't you do anything?" Axl asked, reverting to himself.
"There is nothing that I can do here." Medic replied.
"I'll teleport you and X back to Alpha Base." I reverted to my normal armor, "Axl, I'm putting you in charge of getting everything packed up and getting everyone back safely."
"Got it." Axl nodded.
I put my right hand on Medic's shoulder and my left on X's shoulder.
"Alpha Base, come in. this is Commander Zero. We have X. Have Lifesaver ready and waiting. I'm bringing him and Medic in." Zero listened to the response.
"Navigator Nana here. I read you loud and clear. Lifesaver is ready for you." Nana replied. I thanked her and teleported. Lifesaver was waiting as I arrived. He and Medic rushed X into their Operation Theater.
SIGNUS
Nana alerted me to Zero's arrival, and I called him to my office. He quickly filled me in on what happened. I listened quietly.
"You did the right thing, Zero. If anyone can save X, it's Lifesaver." I let him go. Worry twisted my gut. I didn't have to wait long for Lifesaver's report. He reported to me from the Operation Theater.
"Signus, the fact X is still alive right now is a miracle in itself. His chest is crushed, and his cranium is badly fractured. Fragments from his ribs have damaged many of his internal organs. His spine has been severed from his pelvis. The leg he still has is badly fractured. Same goes for his arm." Lifesaver reported.
"How long? Can you save him" I asked.
"I am going to try. If his will to live is strong enough, he could last another day." Lifesaver signed off. I stood and reported to HQ and to my base over what was happening. I then walked down to the medical bay where Zero was pacing. Axl arrived several hours later with Alia. I explained what was happening to them.
"If anyone can survive, it is X." Alia stared down the Operation Theater doors, which were a sickly green color.
"Zero, keep pacing and you are going to wear a hole in my floor." I turned to Zero, "X is in good hands."
"I know. I can't help but worry." Zero continued to pace. Medic came out to us.
"We are losing him" She told us.
LIFESAVER
I had never seen a Reploid take so much damage and still live. I would fight as long as X was willing to fight. I carefully made several repairs and hit another bone fragment. Taking a pair of tweezers, I carefully reached for the bone. My hand began to tremble.
"No! Not this again!" I willed my hand to stop trembling. I suffer from a nerve disorder that affects my hands. It takes the form of trembling. Not even Signus knows of my disorder. If he knew, I'd be banned from my Operation Theater. The trembling slackened, and I reached in for the bone again. I slowly removed it, careful not to damage the surrounding structures.
"You are doing fine, X. just hang in there a little longer." I murmured.
Medic finished clipping the wires that hung from X's left knee, "Life, his stats are dropping!"
"What?" I turned to the monitors, "Oh crud! Come on, X, fight!" I readied the charge in the paddles, "Medic, he's going into tachycardia! Clear!" I sent a wave of electricity through X's body, which had the desired effect on his heart.
"His stats are still dropping! Come on, X, don't do this to us! Fight!" Medic encouraged.
"We've done all we can. It is up to him now." I peeled off my bloodstained gloves for a fresh pair, "Lets close him up." As X healed, we would perform more surgeries as he grew stronger. Medic closed up X's knee and wrapped it up. Just as we finished, X's stats started dropping again. Medic's jewel flashed and died, her limited healing power taxed out. She looked like she might collapse from exhaustion at any minute. I sent her out to the others with an update and told her to get some rest. X's stats dropped even lower, barely above the red line of any return. He was barely holding on. I knew he probably wouldn't last the night.
They say that a doctor's greatest sorrow is losing patients. They are right. It is no different for me. I knew I'd done everything humanly possible to save X. I walked out to the waiting group, which had grown to include most of the base. Medic had fallen asleep in Zero's arms. He was rocking her gently back and forth as she slept.
"Medic said you were losing him." Zero spoke softly as to not wake the sleeping Medic.
"She is right. The damage is just too great. X isn't going to last the night. I tried, guys, I really tried. He is still in the Operation Theater. I don't know how long he'll last." I explained gently.
It was Zero who broke the ensuing silence.
"Can I at least go see him?" he asked.
"You may, but the sight isn't pretty." I warned, "I've got him hooked up to many machines, so there are wires and tubes everywhere. Lets keep it at three people at a time, five minutes each." hours later, the last of the hunters left the operation theater. Zero, Axl, and Alia were still there. Medic slept on, curled up on the couch, a blanket tugged neatly around her, Zero's doing. I pulled him aside as Axl followed Alia into the theater.
"You love her, don't you?" I asked softly.
"Yes, I love her very much." Zero answered.
"If you hurt her in any way, I'll personally hunt you down and strip you into spare parts." I threatened lightly, "I know your greatest fear, needles. Medic is my daughter, and I don't want to see her hurt."
"I will never hurt her in any way." Zero stared into my eyes. That was all I needed. I could see that he truly loved her. It reflected in his eyes.
"That is all I need to know. Medic is all I have left. Has she told you much about herself?" We walked into the theater where Alia was holding X's undamaged hand.
"Well, she has told me that she was born just before the sixth Maverick uprising." Zero recalled, "She said she never got to know her mother."
"Alana, my wife, Medic's mother, died as Medic was born. Alana was the top hunter at our home base. We felt the loss the day the Mavericks attacked and overran the base. I was injured trying to protect Medic, but the surviving hunters dragged me away from the base before I could get to her. Douglas, my brother, ran back in with a few hunters and saved Medic." I found myself going back to that horrible day.
"Douglas actually did something useful?" Zero asked.
"Douglas has his moments. Anyway, we became wanderers, searching out other survivors like us. Eventually, we turned up at HQ where they took us in. I was away a lot on missions so Douglas pretty much raised her. I tried to be there for her as much as I could. It wasn't easy. Medic decided to follow her mother's footsteps and become a hunter, but an accident left her buster nearly useless in her super form. She turned to becoming a field doctor instead. I trained her myself." I continued.
"I almost lost her today. You should have seen her in battle. Despite her disadvantage with her buster, she stayed and fought by my side. I am very impressed with her skill." Zero said, "She never showed any fear. It was like fighting with a hunter instead of a doctor." He turned to X, whose stats had not changed.
"You almost lost her?" I felt a pang of fear.
"Axl got hurt real bad and was dying. Medic fully healed him and it nearly took her life." Zero explained, "It was scary."
"Medic did what?" I looked him in the eye, "Medic has a limited healing ability, a gift from my father."
"She fully healed Axl when he was knocking on deaths door." Zero said again.
"She has the Healing Touch, just like her grandfather, Red Cross." I let Zero go to X's side.
ZERO
I sat down next to Alia, who was holding X's uninjured hand. His eyes were closed, and his chest barely moved. It hurt, seeing him like this. I noticed one thing. X was responding to Alia's touch by squeezing her hand. Axl looked like he might start crying at any minute. Lifesaver stood nearby, his eyes locked on the monitor showing X's stats as if he could will them to go higher.
"I can't take this anymore!" Axl left the room. I turned to see him in tears as he left. My heart went out to him.
"I'm staying right here with him." Alia decided.
"I'm staying too." I told her, "I don't know how I'm going to live with myself knowing I failed to save X."
"You didn't fail. We just didn't get there in time." Alia blinked back tears.
"We should have teleported." I grumbled.
"If we teleported, Sigma would have been on us so fast we wouldn't have been able to counterattack. X protected us. Before going into battle to help you, he and Medic had quite the row over his injuries." Alia turned to face me, "We still need to talk about that night."
I knew this was coming. Lifesaver leaned in to listen, but the sight of my charging buster sent him running for his life. "I've been trying to apologize."
"If anyone should be apologizing, it's me." Alia stared into my eyes.
"Really? I was the one responsible for the kiss."
"That was accidental. I leaned over you just as you sat up."
"You were the one who fell on me."
"I tripped. You were the one whose hands went places they shouldn't have."
"I was trying to catch you. My mind was still half asleep."
"Lets face it. We both should be apologizing to each other."
"Deal. I apologize."
"I apologize too."
"Apology accepted."
"Apology accepted."
"Let's forget it ever happened."
"Deal."
We both looked toward the window to see Lifesaver listening in.
"LIFESAVER!" Alia screamed, horrified.
"You heard nothing!" I raised my fully charged buster, "or else, one of these catches you in the backside!"
Lifesaver swallowed nervously, "I was just checking on X…" he flustered helplessly, then his expression went hard, "This better not affect Medic!"
"It won't!" I growled at him.
Alia felt a change in the pressure X was exerting on her hand. It was slackening.
"X?" She turned to him with a worried look, "Guys, something is wrong!"
"If I find that you've broken Medic's heart or hurt her in anyway, I promise, I'll hunt you down myself and turn you into a pile of scrap!" Lifesaver ignored Alia.
"This has nothing to do with Medic! I love her and her alone!" I snapped back, also ignoring her.
"GUYS!" Alia screamed.
"What?" Lifesaver and I turned to her.
"There is something wrong!" Alia held onto X's hand, which was limp in her hand. Lifesaver went for a closer look, and swore.
"He's going into a multi system failure!" Lifesaver went to work. Alia and I found ourselves being kicked out into the waiting area. I went over to Medic, who was still asleep. The blanket I had tucked so carefully around her was slowly falling off of her. I gently tucked her in, brushing her lilac hair out of her face tenderly as I did so.
"You love her, don't you?" Alia asked softly.
"She is my life." I settled down so Medic's head and upper body rested on my lap.
"Medic has loved you for a long time." Alia looked sad. She was losing the one she loved and seeing me with Medic sent pangs of sadness through her heart. She wondered if she would ever feel love again.
"She has?" I looked up at the navigator.
"Back when we were in basic training she used to talk about you all the time. You made a big impression on her when you saved her." Alia was referring to the time I had gone out to respond to a maverick attack on a convoy. I had been injured in the attack and it was Medic who tended to my wounds. She had blushed a lot which I had found quite cute. Then there was the training accident that damaged her buster. I had been the one who carried her to medical bay. I had stayed around until I knew she was going to be okay.
"I used to think about her a lot myself until Iris swept me off of my feet." I recalled how I'd woken up in medical bay screaming and crying over Iris's death. Medic had come and hugged me until I settled down. She'd smiled at me softly before leaving me alone to sleep, "After Iris died, Medic became my rock. I don't know how many times I've cried on her shoulder. Then Medic found Kyle…" I recalled the tall tan and blue Reploid, "Kyle went Maverick and attacked her. She came to me badly beaten and burst into tears. I held her has she cried and got the whole story. X found us and literally blew a fuse when he heard Medic's story. I've never seen him looking so angry. Kyle disappeared and we figured he'd try to strike Medic again. X, Axl, and I took turns guarding her. Turns out, our hunch was right. X was on guard duty that night that Kyle attacked Medic. He held him off while Medic escaped and found me. I rushed to the scene, leaving Axl to protect her. I got there to see X take a massive blow to the head. I snapped, and it took five hunters to pull me off of Kyle."
"I remember that time. X was in a coma for nearly six weeks after that. I never did find out what happened to Kyle." Alia said.
"Axl found and defeated him. He was retired with a bang I hear." I looked up to see Lifesaver walk into the room. Medic stirred.
"I got him back, but I fear the injuries are fatal." Lifesaver looked down.
Alia and I went back in. Medic was with us.
"Life and I have done what we can. I bet my sister, Cinnamon, could do more for him. H touch is a lot stronger then mine." Medic turned to me, "Unfortunately, She lives on Giga Island, hidden and protected by four Guardians appointed by X himself."
"Why is she under guard?" I asked, remembering the young blond girl Reploid.
"It is what she is. She is the Force Generator." Medic said, "It is highly imperative that she doesn't fall into Maverick hands."
"Force Generator?" I asked, what exactly is that?"
"Cinnamon is used to process raw Supra Force material into a form we can use. It is why her touch is so strong." Medic explained, "I'm going with you to get her."
"But isn't it dangerous?" I asked.
"I know Giga Island because I was held there while my touch was analyzed. The guardians know me." Medic explained, "Yes, it is dangerous. I am willing to risk myself to save the ones I care about. Isn't that what being a Hunter is all about? I'm not some damsel in distress that runs screaming from danger. I can handle myself quite well."
"But still, what if you get hurt, or worse, what if I lose you?" I asked.
"Zero, stop. I'm not like Iris." Medic looked into my eyes, "I'm not some pretty thing that you can only admire from a far."
"I'm coming too." Alia spoke up, "I may be a navigator, but I'm doing this for X."
"Hold it!" I cried out indignantly, "What do you think I am? Weak? I can handle this by myself!"
"Oh I see, Mr. Hero. You know you want us along. I can see it in your eyes." Alia said, making me blush.
"I never said you couldn't come along! Signus will need to be briefed. He has the final say in this matter." I said.
"And you three can go."
We all turned, "Signus?"
"I'm sending Axl and Nana with you." Signus finished, "You are cleared to go."
"You are allowing the mission?" I asked.
"Without Cinnamon, X will not survive. I am doing everything in my power to save one of my top hunters. Be careful. I'll have the transport ship ready to go in one hour." Signus said.
"It might be better if X and I go too. The sooner we find Cinnamon, the better." Lifesaver brought up.
"I'm not sure. Can X handle being transported in his condition?" Signus asked.
"I have portables for every machine I'm using here. I'd suggest using a medical transport just to be safe." Lifesaver said.
"I'll arrange for a medical transport then. You guys get ready to go. Be on the pad in 30 minutes. I'm going to put priority on this one." Signus said, leaving. Axl and Nana came in.
"We heard." Axl said, "Zero, let's hit the armory."
"We left, with Alia and Nana. Lifesaver and Medic prepared to transport X. In the armory, my armor was still laying in a pile in front of my locker where I'd dumped it. Axl opened his locker, and pulled out each piece of his armor carefully. He was wearing his grey Kevlar suit. I slipped each piece of my armor on and locked it in place. Even I have had embarrassing moments with improperly locked armor flying off of me in battle. Axl and I ran systems checks on each other and checked each others armor to make sure it was locked in place.
In the girls side of the armory, Nana and Alia performed the same checks on each other. We met up, Axl and I carrying our helmets, Alia and Nana with their head sets. I checked their armor myself to make sure it was locked in place as it is my custom. We walked up to the Pad on the roof of the base where the medical transport was being fueled up. The pilot, a yellow and honey colored female Reploid, waved at us.
"I'm Kitty, Kitty Havoc, of the 5th air unit at your service." she smiled, "I've been briefed of the mission, and I'm one of the best pilots of the unit."
I smiled in return, "I'm Commander Zero, and this is Axl, Alia, and Nana. Lifesaver and Medic are coming with Commander X."
"I'll do my best to get us there in one piece." Kitty climbed up into the transport, "We are almost ready to go!"
Medic and Lifesaver arrived with X laying in a transport capsule. The lid was open to make room for the wires and tubes keeping X alive. They went on first to get X settled in place in the back. We climbed on next. The transport was cramped on the inside due to the various machines that took up most of the space. Signus's voice came on the com.
"Sorry for the cramped conditions. This transport was the only one I could get my hands on quickly. Good luck and god speed. Signus out." Signus replied.
The transport rumbled to life as Kitty engaged the engines. Slowly, she lifted us into the air. We headed off toward the ocean, where Giga Island waited for us. I glanced toward X. Would Cinnamon help us? Could she even help us?
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Queen Sunstar: Crisis was originally going to be three parts, but I decided to make it into four parts. Capcom owns everything except for Medic, Guy, Kitty, Alpha, Beta, the Core, Sigma's core form, Luna, Sy, Mandi, Para and the plot. Yes, they own the Pure. It is actually the Ultimate Energy that X absorbed into his body to end the Maverick Wars, sacrificing his body in the process. I altered it around a bit to fit better in the story line. Part four, the exciting conclusion, will be up sometime next week. See ya then, and don't forget to review!