Megaman X: Elysium Rising
Mission 5: Destroy Maverick Headquarters
Chapter 26: Counterstrike
By Genoscythe
Mission 5: Destroy Maverick Headquarters
Maverick Leader: Sigma
Main Objective: Retire all mavericks and neutralize Sigma.
Secondary Objective: Terminate the International Criminal Tempest.
"Is everyone here?" Signas asked as he swept his gaze across the room. Commanders from the 8th Armored Division, 9th Ranger Division, 14th Melee Division, 17th Standard Division and Special Unit 0 were all sitting in a spacious lab room. This particular lab had been chosen for its holo-projector, which now displayed an estimated map of the Maverick HQ. "Good. Now, you all know what we're here for?" X nodded his head, the rest looked clueless. With a sigh, Signas began detailing their plan of attack.
"This is a highly defended base...for the mavericks. However, we have greater numbers and greater firepower. There's no reason for defeat if the 8th keeps all the exits covered with Ride Armors while the rest enter the base here, here, and here and flush them out." Several of the commanders nodded, the others merely looked on. "We have reason to believe that Sigma is hiding in this base. He is to be avoided at all costs. Commanders X and Zero will find and deal with him, but we can't afford any extra loss of life because someone wants to be the hero of the day. Make sure your hunters stick with the plan."
"Also, Interpol has informed us of a criminal working in the mavericks' upper echelons. His name is Tempest, and we have been authorized to kill him on sight. We're Maverick Hunters, so dealing with Tempest is not a top priority. However, if anyone has the chance, engage and destroy him. We could really use Interpol's support."
"This should be a fairly simple operation. We have the Sigma Virus on the run, and some day soon we may all rest easier. If we do this right, that day may come tomorrow." Several informal cheers rose from the crowd, Zero's being the loudest by far, and Signas flashed his patented 'no-nonsense' grimace. "That should be all. Individual objectives and a written copy of the briefing are sitting on the table if you have additional questions. Say your farewells today, and have your divisions prepped by midnight."
Marx shielded his eyes from the glaring sun as he stepped out of the taxi. Barren, dry land stretched out before him, and the hulking ruins of Maverick Hunter HQ only accented the emptiness. He tapped his foot impatiently as Nephtis paid the taxi with X's money, and she soon stepped out. "You still haven't told me why we're here," he remarked.
"I know," she replied briefly, walking briskly toward the wreckage that was slowly being cleared away by the Neo Tokyo government. So slowly, in fact, that the only way to tell any work was being done was by the caution tape wrapped around the site of the destruction. She circled around HQ until she found the caved-in entrance to the hangar. She stood staring thoughtfully at the rubble for a moment, and Marx thought now was a good time to try again.
"Well, are you going to te-" he began.
"No," she cut him off coolly. Having seemed to make up her mind, she started forward, ripping away the plastic caution tape like wet toilet paper and finding a weak spot in the rubble. "Help me dig," she said, grabbing hold of a chunk of metal and throwing it to the side. The larger portion of debris sagged threateningly. With a shrug, Marx began clearing away rubble alongside her. In no time, they had made a hole that Nephtis deemed large enough, and she slipped through. He followed, knocking his shoulder against a piece of debris and shaking loose a good hunk of the collapsed ceiling.
"Watch it," she muttered as she turned on her NV. Marx bit back a retort. Being a smartass definitely wasn't going to make her like him more. After a trip through the ruined, dilapidated cavern, they came upon Nephtis's old office. A massive I-beam had fallen through the roof and crushed half of the small room, and Marx could hear his love praying that the other half was still in good shape. He waited outside as she clambered through the smashed window and into her office.
After a minute of rummaging, Nephtis tossed a long, rectangular box out the window, and the end caught Marx in the chest. Without bothering with an apology, Nephtis swung her legs over the windowsill and rushed over to the box. She flipped the latches and pushed open the lid while Marx clutched at his injured chest. The contents of the box were obscured to Marx, but he could see her face light up when she peered inside.
"I can't believe my luck..." she murmured.
"Yeah, I can't believe mine either," Marx said dryly, stepping around the crate and sitting down next to her. What sat inside, nestled between thick cushions, was a radiant set of gilded combat armor. From Nephtis's earlier description, he realized this was Osiris's old armor. Laying next to it was an equally radiant staff, with faintly shimmering serrated blades on each end. "For me?" He asked hopefully.
"For me," Nephtis corrected. Marx raised an eyebrow.
"You know how to use it?"
"Well enough. Osiris taught me the basics of fighting with a staff once."
"What about the armor? It doesn't look like it'll fit with your, uh...figure."
She shot him a provocative glance. "I should've known you'd think of something like that. And yes, I'm sure there's enough room in the chest plate." She smiled and punched him in the arm. "What am I gonna do with you?"
"I could think of a few things."
"Marx!"
"Hey, I just work with what you give me." At this, she leapt at his throat, pinning him to the ground and shaking him like a rag doll. "Ow! Hey! I give, alright?" Reluctantly, she let go of his neck and lay down on her side. "Y'know, we're alone here..." He began. "Miles away from civilization. Just you and me. Alone. Together."
"Marx, if this is how you're gonna act every time we've got some time alone, maybe this isn't going to work out between us," Nephtis said, her voice completely serious. "I've been a slut my whole life, I wanna try being modest for a change."
"Aww, why am I the unlucky one?" He said in mock-hurt.
"Because..." She began, curling up next to him and laying an arm across his chest. "I actually like you. Even if you're a perv sometimes, you've got a decent side too. That's something I've never seen in a guy before. So, at least let me know what it's like to really be loved. Please?"
Marx pretended to be deep in thought, and at length he placed a hand on the back of her head and said, "I don't see why not." She leaned forward and graced him with a kiss.
"Thanks," she said as she rolled off of him and got to her feet. "Now for the fun part."
"...fun part?"
"Walking home with a crate full of armor."
As Zero walked out of the meeting, he was given an unbelievable sight. The beautiful blonde woman he had rescued the other day was leaning against the wall, and she was talking in a hushed voice with Megaman X. Feeling himself cringe, and not knowing exactly why, Zero tuned up his audio receptors and acted casual.
"...so we're still on for tonight?" She asked plaintively.
"Of course. Can we go at six instead?"
"Why?"
"I'd like more time to prepare for the mission tonight," X said. "And I'd also like more time with you," he added with a roguish smile that looked all too much like Zero's own. She slapped him playfully on the arm, and Zero tried his best not to stare daggers at the two of them. "What's wrong with six?"
"Nothing, really..." the woman said. "It's just that seven's a lucky number. I'm weird like that."
X chuckled. "Don't worry, I know weirder. Take my friend Zero, for example."
"I don't think I'd appreciate that very much," Zero interrupted, after he had silently made his way over to them. He could eclipse X on a normal day. Now he positively towered over him.
"...hey, Zero. Speak of the devil," X said, feigning calmness. The blonde-haired reploid laid a hand on X's shoulder and slowly pried him away from the woman.
"This'll just take a sec, babe!" Zero called to her as he dragged X through the doors they had so recently left through. "Guy talk," he explained as he slammed the doors shut. Without looking at him, Zero shoved X into a chair and sat on a table across from him. "Okay, first of all, what the hell were you talking about?"
"What's this about, Zero? I didn't know talking was against your rules."
"You know how I feel about that girl."
"No, I know what you feel. You feel lust. You don't even know her name yet, do you Zero?"
"Sure I do. It's, uh...Sandy, and this isn't just lust. I felt something when I saw her. I felt like she was going to be important to me."
"Her name's Mystic, and that 'something' you felt is the need to fill up the empty spaces in your life!" X accused. "Ever since Iris died, that's all you've been doing. The drinking, the women, the recklessness. You're either trying to get yourself killed, or you're trying to piece your existence back together." Zero's eyes narrowed to pinpricks.
"What, this is an excuse to tell me about my problems? This isn't about me. This is about you, and how you took Sandy-"
"Mystic," X corrected.
"Whatever. The point is, you knew how I'd feel about it, and you did it anyway. That's not like you, X."
"You're right, it's not." X conceded. "But I wasn't the one that came onto her. I talked with her for five seconds and she latched onto me. What was I supposed to do?"
Zero nodded. "Ya know, you're right. Perfectly right." He gestured toward the door. "I'm sorry. You can go."
"You know I wouldn't lie, Zero. Especially not to you."
"But you were all ready to jump on the idea of backstabbing me."
"That's what I'm getting at, here. I wasn't trying to take her from you!"
"Of course. She came onto you. What could you do? It's not like you could've said 'Well, I'd like to, but my friend is madly in love with you, so I think you should go see him instead.' Nope, that would never work."
"How could you expect me to do something like that?"
"I would've done the same for you!" Zero shouted, and all became silent. X was at a loss for words, and Zero couldn't believe what he had just said. "At least, I would've. I'm not sure anymore."
"I think you're overreacting a little, Zero," X said, his voice suddenly calm. "You don't know this girl. She might not be your type at all."
"But..." Zero began, then shook his head. His argument wasn't making sense, even to him. "Just get outta here. I'm done talking about this." X stood up, and if Zero had cared to look, he would have seen deep hurt and regret in his eyes.
"Look, if you want, I'll tell her the date's off. I'll –"
"Go, dammit! I've gotta figure out how to stop hating you by tonight's mission." Zero spat. Without another word, X vanished through the door. Suddenly, the sound of clapping filled the room. Zero whirled around to its source and found Signas, still sitting at the desk that he had never left after the briefing was over.
"Bravo," The commander said. "I should have recorded that." Zero merely fixed him with a stare that could make plants wither and die. Signas promptly shut his mouth. His thoughts boiling, Zero stood and kicked the nearest chair into the wall. Three floors down, the hunters there thought it was an earthquake.
As Zero stormed out of the room, Signas held out a hand. "Wait! Just one thing." He waited for Zero to ask him what it was, but the hunter didn't even look at him. "We just reactivated Douglas this morning, and he says he has some new weapons for you. Go to the basement through the lobby, and take Axl with you." Zero simply gave him a sigh of contempt. "You know Zero, if you're still having problems, I could probably help you a little bit. I know a lot about these kinds of-" The door slammed shut before Signas could finish his sentence.
Marx sat next to Axl, trying to keep at least one person between him and Zero. Something had happened to the blonde hunter since he had last seen him. It was like the time when they had first met, when Marx had shot him in the arm. However, this time there seemed to be no apparent cause for it, which made him all the more nervous.
"This, Zero, is the D Glaive. I'm sure you remember it from fighting the Red Alert Syndicate?" Douglas squeaked, hefting a long silver pole out of his box.
"Yeah," was all Zero said.
"It retains all of the functions of the previous one. However, at the press of a button..." Douglas ran a pudgy hand down the D Glaive until he felt a tiny nub near the bottom. He pressed it, and the staff suddenly collapsed into itself. "We have here the H Shot." Douglas activated the weapon, and a thin metal spike extended out from the front of the now palm-sized cylinder. A curved green energy blade flickered to life, surrounding the metal spike. "Simply toss the weapon in any direction, and the H Shot will attach itself to a wall or ceiling by first burrowing in with the blade, and then lodging the metal rod inside. It could also be used on enemies, or as a whip."
Zero reached out to grab the weapon, but Douglas pulled away. "There will be a time and place to test out all these weapons, yes. Not now. I have others to show you. Like this! The K Knuckle!" Douglas brought out a pair of thick metal knuckles.
"Looks useless," Zero snorted.
"Well, you see..." Douglas began, but began fumbling over his words. He was too used to his colleagues agreeing with him, and a differing opinion was a shock to his system. "Well, it's not entirely useless..."
"Douglas, my hands are MADE of metal. How would a pair of knuckles make any difference? And why? Not only is a beam saber more powerful, but it's longer."
"Uh..." Douglas took one long, hard look at the K Knuckles in his hand. Then, abruptly, he threw them off into the darkness of the basement. "Never mind that. Now here's a weapon for you!" He said, fishing through the box again. Marx thought he either sounded like a desperate salesman or a drunk Santa Claus. Either was fitting for Douglas.
However, the contraption he pulled out of the box dashed any and all of Marx's doubts in the fat little reploid. It was shaped roughly like a gauntlet, painted red and white for Zero's armor. It was very smooth and rounded, and seemed to fit on top of Zero's arm. However, this was not the impressive part. The impressive part was the multitude of blades sticking out the front. They curled in on each other, as if to make some kind of deranged metal flower.
"This..." Douglas began, with more than a hint of pride in his voice. "Is the P Killer. It attaches over your buster arm and interfaces directly with your firing mechanism. It has four modes of fire. The first does this..." Douglas fitted the P Killer around his own arm and waited for it to connect to his systems. Then, the blades on the front came to life, snapping upright and spinning about in a dazzling pinwheel of silver and green. Marx noticed that the edges of the blades had started to glow with energy. He, Axl, and even Zero were staring at it with a mix of admiration, amazement, and pure desire. It was a work of art.
"Don't get too excited yet," Douglas continued, and shut off the weapon. The blades slowed and the energy coating their edges dissipated. They fell forward and locked into their neutral position. "The second mode of fire discharges the warhead," Douglas tapped the blades almost lovingly. "It will fly in a straight path until it hits something or exceeds its programmed range limit." The three of them waited hungrily for a demonstration, but the green-armored mechanic made no move to do so.
"The third mode combines the first and second. By spinning the blades first, and then firing the warhead, it will continue to spin as long as it remains airborne, and will keep going until it reaches the range limit or hits something it cannot tear apart." Marx could see drool hanging from Zero's mouth. "The last mode cannot be used unless the warhead is removed from the main body, either lodged in a wall or taken off manually. The fourth mode is a highly corrosive plasma cannon, fired by setting off the primary fire trigger. It somewhat lacks the force of a beam cannon, but it is highly effective."
Zero looked dumbfounded. "You...you're joking, right? I mean, this is 'pick on Zero' day, isn't it? This is like some kind of prank that you and the eggheads thought up because I call you eggheads all the time and you don't really like it so you wanted to trick me by making the fricking coolest weapon ever and then going 'hey, it doesn't actually work! We just thought it would be funny to see the look on your face because we hate you' and then I'd be really sad because this thing is so fricking cool and dear god I'm rambling." Marx was thankful that reploids don't really need air, because Zero would have died of asphyxiation somewhere in the middle of his sentence if he had needed to breathe.
Douglas merely laughed. "No, I assure you. Here, I'll let you hold it as long as you promise not to turn it on." Detaching the P Killer from his arm, he handed it to Zero, who had the look of a child that was just handed his first BB gun for Christmas. "Next I've got the B Fa-"
"Does it really matter? I've got all I need right here," Zero said, stroking the P Killer lovingly.
"You've got a point, again." Douglas dropped the B Fan back into the box. "Moving on to you, Axl. I've upgraded your Spiral Magnum with increased range and speed, and I've finally been able to duplicate it." The green mechanic dropped two hefty pistols into Axl's trembling hands. "I know how much you love the magnum, so bring it back sometime and I'll see if I can upgrade it even more." Axl nodded vigorously, unable to speak.
"Now, I believe you still have your Ray Gun, correct?" Another nod. "And your Blast Launcher and Flame Burner?" A third nod. "Throw those two away. I've created an entirely new ballistic weapon for you, and it combines both. I call it the Napalm Cannon..." Douglas pulled out a long, thick silver gun with a barrel shaped like a hexagon that slowly sloped downward and ended in a flat stock that seemed to fit over the shoulder. It was fairly nondescript, save for the two loading pods on top and the two handles on the bottom.
"This weapon packs quite a kick, so the stock fits around your entire shoulder like so," Douglas said as he laid the gun on Axl's right shoulder. The young reploid gripped the two handles and shifted the weight around a bit, when suddenly an orange-tinted targeting reticule popped out of the side, causing Axl to emit an almost inaudible squeal of delight.
"It's...homing?" He asked, choking back emotion.
"Yes, boy. It's homing."
"I...don't know what to say."
"Don't say anything, because I've taken the liberty of upgrading another of your old weapons. Me and the other 'eggheads' decided that the Ice Gatling wasn't being put to its full potential. We downplayed some of the ice properties, and now it is simply a seven-barreled, 30 millimeter, 700 pound, 5,000rounds per minute killing machine with cryo-freezing bullets." Douglas now had in his lap a gun that was at least twice as long and thick as the Napalm Cannon. It had been painted black and red, with shark jaws imprinted on the base.
It looked nothing like the old Ice Gatling. The water feeding system had been taken out completely, and the barrels were wider and mostly concealed by the base, which had been elongated and made more fluid-looking. Attached to the bottom right side was a massive ammo barrel that would've made it impossible for a human to wield. He handed the weapon over to Axl, and the young hunter looked down once at the gatling gun in his hand, then back up at Douglas.
"T-thank you...God," Axl practically wept.
"Hey!" Marx interrupted. "Father Christmas! Got anything for me?"
Douglas squinted at him. "I'm not entirely sure who you are."
"I'm Marx. You've heard of me by now, haven't you?"
"Not familiar at all."
"Come on. I'm the reploid with all the fancy system upgrades and the shoulder cannons," Marx said, trying his best to sound important. Douglas merely began packing up his remaining gear. "I fought a maverick leader named Vulcan Stinger. I helped stop that psychic spider thing. Don't I get anything?" Douglas chose to completely ignore him.
"Alright, both of you. We've designated the old parking structure as our testing grounds. We have also expressly forbid any cars to be parked there, so if you happen to find one, it's free game."
"Hey, I'm not done here," Marx interrupted.
"You're boring!" Zero said gruffly, turning his attention back to Douglas.
"Let's test out those new weapons, boys." The three of them left the basement, and for a moment Marx contemplated leaving. However, the male's desire to watch things explode deterred his sense of pride, and he quickly jogged after them. As soon as he stepped out of the basement, he was assaulted by a beautiful sight that stopped him in his tracks. Nephtis was standing before him, clad in Osiris's gilded combat armor. She looked stunning, covered head to toe with shimmering gold and smooth edges. Only half of her face was visible due to the helmet extension, and her hair spilled out the back, half of it resting on her shoulders.
"Wow..." He murmured, transfixed to her glimmering body.
"You like?" She asked, twirling around so he could see her back. When she was facing him again, she was beaming. "I'm coming with you tonight. To the Maverick HQ." Marx'sreaction was that of surprise. He stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her waist, careful not to stab himself on one of the feather-like blades protruding from her armor.
"I know I'll be in good company, but why?" He asked.
"I've got scores to settle," Nephtis replied. "And besides, you know me."
"Right," he said, smiling. "Not gonna sit on your hands and let the others do all the work. I remember."
"Good," she said, attempting to nestle her head on his shoulder, but only managing to stab him with one of her helmet's spikes. She leaned back while he rubbed his cheek. "Sorry."
"S'okay. I'm used to getting hurt with stuff by now."
Nephtis giggled. "By the way, thanks."
"My pleasure. I'll be your pincushion any day."
"No, idiot. I mean thanks for not being mad at me."
"...why would I be mad?"
"Because that's the way men get when a woman takes initiative. Sometimes they get overprotective and won't let them take any risks, sometimes they feel threatened that their girl is just as eager to fight as they are. Either way, it bugs the hell out of me."
"Hey, I'm a jackass sometimes, but not like that."
"I know," she said, tracing circles on his chest with her finger. "That's why I love you and I haven't beaten you senseless yet."
"And thank god for that," Marx muttered. "Hey, wanna see stuff getting blown up?"
"Would I?" Her face lit up, and he began tugging her in the direction Axl, Zero and Douglas had gone.
End of Chapter 26
AN: I had way too much fun writing the new weapons part. And hey, if anyone recognizes the P Killer, then good for you. Just don't tell anyone else; let them either find out on their own or think that I came up with such an awesome weapon myself. One last thing: If the perceptive ones noticed that there isn't a 'Commence Operation' dealy at the bottom of the mission briefing, it's because the operation hasn't commenced yet. The orders have been given, but the mission hasn't begun. So it's not a lame error on my part, just a little bit of nitpicky technical crap.