/\ \ \ \ \

Title: Mega Man X6: False Awakening
Chapter: Stage 00, part 3 "Awakening"
Notes: Assume it takes Sigma awhile after releasing the Virus across the world to realize it's not enough to awaken Zero and decide to use Eurasia instead.

/\ \ \ \ \

The area was largely nondescript and long since abandoned. Even the signs of an excavation had almost entirely been worn away. However, the end result of that search was still obvious - a doorway set in the rock wall.

Zero looked up at the massive double blast doors, welded shut by the last Reploids to leave this place, years ago.

Well, he could understand why those Reploids had felt a superstitious need to try to seal away any evil that still lurked there. Here, they had lost many comrades to a demon, and even their leader had been mangled and changed.

It might have been a case of too little too late.

Reaching back, Zero smoothly drew his Saber and made one swift slash, before re-sheathing the sword. A moment later, the doors groaned and slid apart, cleanly separated. Their collapsing weight made a great crash, sending clouds of dirt flying outward past Zero and inward, into the still darkness beyond.

As the dust began to settle, Zero stepped into that darkness, out of the small window of light created by the doorway.

He looked around slowly, letting his sensors adjust to the lack of light. The entire cliff had been hollowed out, and a little further in, catwalks led downward, as the bunker continued below ground. Machinery of unknown purpose lined the walls.

All of it was dark now. Whatever had been in this place was long since gone.

Zero's eyes lingered on the damaged places - a hole in the ceiling, broken pipes, a dented wall - and on the dark stains spread across the floor.

Forcing down a shudder, he closed his eyes. He knew that if he looked now, his hands would be stained red.

"...This is... ...my dream..."

"Zero?"

It took Zero a moment to realize that voice hadn't been just another hallucination.

He turned sharply, only to be forced to squint. A figure stood framed by the light of the doorway, but Zero easily recognized the silhouette. It wasn't the madman in his dreams, just his partner.

"X," Zero replied, tersely. "How did you find this place? I thought my file was lost when the Mother Computer was sabotaged."

X stepped into the bunker, blinking as his eyes adjusted. "Alia tracked you," he said distractedly. "This place... why would it be on your file? What is it?"

Zero turned away. "...This is where it started. This place was uncovered by an archeological team. It was built... around the same time you were sealed away. They thought..." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. What they found... was a demon. All of them were slaughtered. The Maverick Hunters dispatched a unit..."

"They found a Reploid here?" X asked, surprised. "But if this place was only just uncovered, then..."

Zero didn't answer, continuing heedless of the interruption. "But that entire unit was also wiped out. Then, the Commander of the Maverick Hunters stepped forward himself. They fought... a bitter battle... that he only barely won... But instead of destroying that Maverick, the commander had him retrieved..."

"...I never knew that Sigma did something like that," X said. "But, Zero, how do you know...?"

"That Maverick was me."

Glancing back, he met X's shocked gaze, and quickly looked away again.

"When I was reactivated, Dr. Cain explained it to me. I joined the Hunters... but I kept seeing this place in my dreams... killing the Hunters sent after me..." Zero shook his head. "I finally remembered the location. I thought I might find some clues here..."

"Zero, there's nothing here," X told him, rallying against his shock. "And even if there was, it doesn't matter. All of that is in the past. Just forget about it."

"I can't. I can't get away from it," Zero replied blankly. "The Sigma Virus got spread all across the world. It's causing Reploids everywhere to transform into Mavericks. Even you've been negatively affected. But... I'm not harmed. Instead, I feel energy growing in my body. If anything, I've been repaired. My memories were restored... the files that got corrupted are being purified... Why is this happening? I have to find out the truth."

X looked away, almost guiltily. "Zero... I was sent to bring you back. You're tired, aren't you? We've been stretched thin since the attack on the Statue. Come back to base and get a check up."

"Lifesaver must have checked my virus readings. Of course, he would notice. He must have told Signas. I guess they've decided it's too dangerous," Zero mused. "And you were sent to take me back, by force, right?"

"No! I came here because I'm really worried about you!" X exclaimed. "You just disappeared, when we're in the middle of a crisis! I'm worried about you... and that's why I'll bring you back even if I have to fight you!"

"Fight me? X, you can't. Your kind heart wouldn't let you," Zero said, almost incredulously. "I'm okay. I just need to do this. Trust me."

"...I do trust you. I don't want to lose you. That's why I can't believe you'd do this! Are we really going to fight over such a trivial matter? Are you really refusing to trust the Hunters and come in?" X gestured sharply, his anger, frustration and fear getting the better of him. "Just like the Repliforce?!"

"What?!" Zero turned sharply, his expression shocked and pained.

X flinched, realizing he had gone too far. But he wasn't willing to take it back either. "Soldiers never lay down their weapons, is that it?" X continued quietly, looking away. "You disappeared during the mission at the Statue, and your readings have been strange, and now you just disappeared again. Isn't it only natural for everyone to worry? Signas wants to trust you. I trust you! So please... don't refuse out of pride."

"...It's not pride. I have to find out the truth," Zero finally replied, his tone defeated and almost pleading. "You understand, don't you? What it's like to wonder where you came from and why you were made..."

"Then we'll find out. I'll help you," X agreed, smiling tentatively. "But first, we have to deal with Sigma. We have to protect our future."

Stepping forward, he placed his hand on Zero's shoulder. It was more for his sake than Zero's, who couldn't really feel the contact through his armor. At that moment, X needed to reassure himself that his friend wasn't going to disappear without warning or push him away after all.

With another, stronger smile, X began to move toward the doors, pulling Zero along with him. When they stepped outside, he couldn't hold back a sigh of relief.

Just as X was about to comm the base, a transmission connected from the other side. Alia's voice came over the comm, oddly rushed for the usually controlled Navigator.

"X, Zero! Hurry and transfer back now!" she ordered.

X frowned, even his self-control worn down by worries. "If this is about Lifesaver, tell him to-"

"It's not," Alia cut him off. "Just... get over here quickly. It's Eurasia. It's... falling."

/\ \ \ \ \

He had finally found Zero, but...

X felt a hollow thrill of fear and despair, looking at his friend's strong back. An ominous aura surrounded Zero, as well as a crimson glow.

Finally, Zero seemed to notice him, turning to look at X calmly.

"...X," Zero greeted. "I'm so happy now... I've never been so happy... My mind is becoming so clear. I know everything now. Mavericks, the Virus, the world, none of it matters. All I have to do is only thing..."

"Zero... you are Zero, aren't you?" X wondered. Not a single sensor could tell him the difference between the person in front of him and the manifestations of the Zero Virus. But X was sure this was his friend. He could feel it.

"Mm..." Zero drew out. "The energy readings are still the same... and there is no Maverick reading, is there? You're reading my normal data. This is my true form..."

"...You're wrong. The readings might be the same, but you're different." X shook his head. "You told me before that there are things that can't be seen or analyzed, things that we can only feel... Right now, I feel that... Zero, you're still in there. So I'll fight. I won't run away! I'll defeat you and bring back the true Zero!"

Zero smiled, unsettlingly. "Then there's no more need for talk!"

He burst into action, bearing down on X, his Saber drawn.

It felt like the hardest battle X had ever fought. Not just because his opponent looked like Zero. This wasn't Zero. X was fighting for Zero's sake, to bring him back. But he had all of Zero's skill and combat experience.

Furthermore, his opponent was also much more powerful than Zero. The Virus was fuelling him, giving him more energy for his attacks and letting him regenerate. Usually, stamina and defense were Zero's weaknesses, but this twisted version could very well outlast X, even with his new armor. If anything, the ominous aura was only thickening.

He had to put a real shock to his system. He had to wake up Zero, before the Virus in him grew any stronger.

But it appeared he might be too late.

The Virus aura around Zero thickened almost palpably, and he raised his Saber overhead. X felt his breath catch as he recognized the technique - the one Zero had been perfecting, meant to cleave an opponent in two with just one strike, Genmurei. The Saber flared brightly, the blade extending, before Zero brought it down. This was Zero's pinnacle technique, leaving no room for escape or evasion.

Desperately, X drew on the full power of the Ultimate Armor, feeling it surround his body in a barrier that was both defensive and offensive. As he dashed into Zero's attack, the power of the Nova Strike clashed wildly with Genmurei for a single long moment before X managed to break through.

He had thought he would have an opening. Zero had claimed the technique was incomplete because it couldn't be used reliable and left him too exposed. But it seemed this false Zero didn't have the same handicap - even as X broke through to the other side of the Genmurei and his vision cleared, he could see Zero raising his Saber again to repeat the same technique.

X's mind raced as he tried to find something to use. He couldn't continue to rely on Nova Strike. There was a cooldown time, short though it was, and he could already tell that Zero could repeat Genmurei faster. Each successive Nova Strike would edge X closer to Zero, giving him less time as well.

Closer to Zero...

That gave him an idea. With one more breakthrough, he would be in range... This would put a strain on his systems, but X knew he had no choice.

Then, Zero swung his Saber down. X was already activating Nova Strike again, and in the next instance, the two techniques clashed once more. This time, X didn't wait for his vision to clear. He knew Zero would be readying the next attack. There would be no room for error. Even before he had broken all the way through Genmurei, he switched from the Giga Attack to a copied ability and activated it without waiting for his armor to finish reconfiguring.

Soul Body shot out in front of him, covering the distance between X and Zero. In that one vulnerable second, where Zero had yet to unleash his next attack, it crashed into the other Hunter with full force.

X landed awkwardly, caught and buffeted in the wake of Zero's technique. But he ignored the damage, already charging his Buster. He knew Soul Body would only be enough to momentarily knock Zero off-balance.

"Zero!" he yelled. "Wake up!"

His charged shot plowed into Zero's chest plate, where the armor was thickest - thick enough to protect Zero from the worst of the damage. The other Hunter was thrown back, hitting the ground hard and making no move to get up. X himself also stumbled and fell, the strain of using so many different abilities so close together catching up to him.

The two Hunters lay motionless, both battered but far from deactivated. But neither made any move to continue their battle.

Zero groaned, stirring first as X waited with dread. "...Urgh... X..." He squinted up at the unnatural 'sky'. "I never expected you to attack with Soul Body. You've really... come a long way..."

Breathing a shuddering sigh of relief, X allowed himself to finally relax. "Zero, you're back," he said. "I'm glad... I'm so glad..." As his systems quickly realigned, he sat up and began to reach for his friend. Finally, they could leave this place and regroup with the other Hunters. They had a long road of them, but he was sure that, together, they could...

That easing feeling of relief made the cold shock that followed all the worse.

Smug, evil laughter suddenly echoed around them.

"Sigma," Zero growled, painfully forcing his body to move. Without thinking, he and X moved toward each other, battered but ready to fight. They should have known it wouldn't end without this, while Sigma was still alive.

"You almost fully evolved into your true self..." Sigma gloated, his form coalescing out of the Virus mist. "It's a shame you didn't quite make it, Zero. And now, I'm going to kill you."

/\ \ \ \ \

Notes: Okay, guy(s), explain it to me. Why is Sigma surprised to realize that Zero was a Maverick in X4? No, really. Sigma reminds Zero that he used to be leader of the Maverick Hunters. Then he (?) flashbacks to how he and Zero first met. And then Sigma goes, "Zero! You were a Maverick?" And Zero asks if he's that surprised about it.

I'm sorry, but nothing in that sequence makes any sense. Did Sigma just sort of forget that Zero was the Maverick he himself fought and ordered repaired? How?! Zero doesn't look that different! He's still red! He still has the girly hair!

Also, I'm... gonna pretend that room you fight Sigma in, with the two broken capsules and Zero and X's schematics in the background is just a symbolic thing created by the Zero Space, because I can't honestly believe that Zero and X were found in the same place.

Next chapter, we finally finish this little side-story, after Sigma talks, and talks, and talks. And then gets his ass handed to him.

PS: FF-dot-net keeps eating my scene breaks!

/ / / / / / / / /