-33-

The thing dropped the dried, corroded husk of an unfortunate reploid it had finished consuming and slowly slithered around the room until it reached the window, peering down at the tower it controlled. The wall-mounted weapons and flying mechaniloids patrolling the area were functioning well, and the Tunneler down there was already working, destroying the jungle around it as it dug. The mechanical creature moved to the window on the other side and looked down again. There, far down, was the nuke Lumine had tasked him with protecting and then placing deep underground. The shiny green, spiky and vine-covered thing felt something approaching remorse as it imagined everything destroyed once its 'master' detonated the bombs, but it reasoned that nature, vegetation mainly, could survive and recover from the upcoming the nuclear apocalypse. And that was good. Plants were the greatest survivors on the planet. Plants would eventually rule all. And when that time came he believed it would be his turn to be king. Lumine would fall eventually, and when he did, it would be his successor. It, the Emperor of Green… Acidflow Venus Trap!

=0=

"What do you mean you're not coming to HQ for maintenance?" Alia asked. "Zero, Axl and even Vile just arrived for a recharge and minor repairs, you should too!"

"I'm fine, Alia. My armor isn't damaged and my Power Core is at 94% right now. I could get a Power Capsule from any mechaniloid if I need a quick recharge and I have half a subtank, too," X said while gently pushing away the thick vegetation around him as he made his way through the jungle surrounding the abandoned Kanzuki Weather Tower. "No need to go to HQ, we have a time limit before Lumine activates the nukes and I assure you he's not happy we've stopped three of his generals already."

"I know you're right, but this one you're going after…" Alia sighed. "He's one of Kanzuki Corp's most powerful reploids. His stats are particularly high, and according to our records he is as strong as the Colonel was."

"I'll be careful," Mega Man X promised, brushing aside a low tree branch while he recalling his one fight with the Colonel and how Zero was later forced to destroy him and his sister during the Repliforce coup. "Don't worry, it'll be alright."

"Fine, but come back if you have to, don't push yourself needlessly."

"I won't, Alia," he assured. "X, out."

Once communication was cut X continued on, carefully moving through the treacherous terrain. He wasn't fond of areas controlled by plant-based mavericks, as they were usually trickier to traverse and more unpredictable than those chosen by element-based ones. A buzzing sound to his left alerted the blue hunter of an incoming attack and he ducked in time to avoid being stung by a mechanical mosquito the size of his head. The robotic insect flew high and turned to attack again, but was quickly dispatched by one of X's shots. A few steps ahead, he found the road blocked by a web of vines that he couldn't destroy with his X-buster alone, so he switched to the Fire Stinger and burned them, both clearing the path and revealing a rundown cabin.

"I may find something useful in there," X murmured as he entered the small house, finding it was something like a control station, but the place was too deteriorated and invaded by vegetation to tell for sure. He found a computer that still worked and managed to turn it on. The screen blinked a few times until it showed an image detailing the layout of the weather tower, as well as a log of the events that led to its abandonment.

[The mechplants in the area have grown out of control. They reacted too strongly and aggressively to the electromagnetic pulse we used to try to subdue them. The organic and mechanical nature of the organism is indeed as unpredictable as we have always known, and the mechplants countered our efforts by invading the Weather Tower and turning its systems against us. It is a complete loss. Kanzuki Corp. has decided to abandon it, we are to leave tomorrow with the extraction team.]

X turned the computer off and walked out of the control station. It didn't surprise him that something like that had happened. Mechplants were to be respected. The cybernetic plants, developed around a century and half before by scientists from the (Mega Man X chuckled at the odd coincidence) now long dead X Foundation, were not to be underestimated. Mechplants were the result of a final attempt to save plant life from extinction as they could not survive the high pollution levels after the 'Great Toxic Event' from two hundred years in the past. Saving the flora was essential to preserve the rest of the world's ecosystems, and the Foundation's efforts were successful, perhaps too much, as mechplants prospered and quickly assimilated all types of vegetation until every form of plant in the world had some cybernetic element to it. Interestingly enough, nobody had ever managed to understand how or why that happened, it was simply accepted that it worked well. Surprisingly enough, mechplants were still edible but sometimes, if they felt threatened beyond being harvested or becoming food as was the natural order of things, the cyborg plants were known to developed nigh indestructible metal parts and functional defensive mechanisms that made them dangerous… no, more than dangerous, it made them lethal.

From what X could gather, the defunct Kanzuki Corporation had tried to do something with the mechplants here that the vegetation strongly disliked and thus reacted accordingly. That Kanzuki Corp. was no longer active wasn't a big loss as far as the blue hunter was concerned, since the company had created Berkana, the 'sorceress' reploid who orchestrated the Erasure incident that killed hundreds of reploids all over the world. The poor publicity from that disaster had driven Kanzuki Corp. out of business, forcing them to sell their assets to both Cain Labs and Cossack Laboratories to pay their debts.

"Berkana…" X muttered, dread filling him as he recalled the beautiful and cruel blonde reploid and how difficult the battle against her had been. He remembered reading that the company had based her appearance on that of one of the company's presidents from the past, a Karin something.

"Not that it matters now," X decided and, focusing on the mission again, he returned to the jungle.

=0=

"Well, here we are," Viktor said, waiting for Splash Woman to use the card that would grant them access to the armor room located in the deepest basement of the Maverick Hunter Headquarters.

"Yes, here we are…" the Robot Master sighed. "I'm a little afraid, Doctor Cossack. It is odd but… ever since I woke up, I have been experiencing emotions in a more… defined way than before. That didn't happen much during the time of my first activation, and when it happened, it was always because of…"

"Of what?" the scientist asked, deeply interested in this development, as it could probably mean that a Robot Master's programming was capable of evolving on its own, something he had only suspected but never had sufficient evidence to confirm before.

"Of someone," she answered. "But he's no longer here… I… I guess we should enter, the capsules may be able to provide me with the answer I need right now, or with other information that may be useful for X."

Saying nothing more, Splash Woman inserted the silver card in the reader above the lock. The light on the lock went from red to green and with a soft 'beep' the door opened for them. She retrieved her card and walked inside, followed by Viktor Cossack. The lights went on after they went in, and the door closed behind them. What they saw then were rows of Light capsules, organized by sets of four for the most part. The first set was under a banner that read 'First Armor' the next 'Second' and so forth.

"This is wrong," Splash Woman frowned. "I saw Doctor Light designing the first three. The first is called Light armor, the second is the Giga Armor and the third one is the Hyper Armor and…"

Her words were interrupted as several Light Capsules became active all at once, startling her into silence. Holograms of Doctor Light appeared in all the active ones, all of them staring at the Robot Master.

"Eve-Y," they said in unison. "If you have come then that means Mega Man X is already fighting as the world's new champion, but the threat is so potent he needs your help."

"W-what?" Splash Woman took a step back, afraid of what the holograms were saying. "I'm… I'm not Eve-Y!"

"Unfortunately, the armor system was designed only for X," the holograms continued, ignoring the words of the Robot Master. "However, the capsules X has activated can grant your systems some upgrades that will allow you to assist Mega Man X…"

"I'm not her!" the mermaid shouted, feeling frantic as the holograms kept reminding her of her biggest failure. "I'm Splash Woman! I'm not Eve-Y! She's dead! I… I couldn't protect her!"

The holograms went silent for an instant, but then resumed talking, their voices echoing coldly in the armory room. "The Capsule identifies you as Eve-Y. Otherwise it wouldn't have activated. You may have memory damage, if you wish to have your systems checked and programming restored, please step into the Capsule."

Splash Woman looked back at Viktor, a pained and confused expression crossing her face. "I'm not Eve-Y… why are the capsules doing this?"

"I didn't tell you before, but…" Viktor took in a deep breath. "I noticed the capsule we found you in was forced to use Eve-Y's parts to repair you. You suffered severe damage before someone sealed you in that Light Capsule, so severe in fact, your self-repair system couldn't handle it. This means some of Eve-Y's parts are now inside you. That may be why the Capsules here detect you as her, and why your ability to experience emotions has improved."

"But… but that's impossible," she muttered.

"It is not. Eve-Y's capsule unequivocally repaired you over a period of sixty years," the scientist declared. "Your Power core, optics, sonar and electronic brain were damaged, the capsule used Eve-Y's parts as spares to fix you. I know, I saw mention of it in the capsule's memory files."

"I can't believe that…" the mermaid refuted. "If I… if I have parts of Eve-Y in me… then why do I still know I'm me, why haven't I lost my sense of self?"

"Because your programming was not overwritten in any way," Doctor Light's voice interrupted.

Splash Woman and Viktor looked around, finally noticing all capsules save one were inactive now. The active capsule was near the back of the room, and the hologram was looking at them with a soft smile.

"Come closer, my child, let me see you," Doctor Light's hologram invited. "It's been a long time since I saw one of my creations other than Mega Man X. Come, Splash Woman, don't be afraid. I'll explain all I can."

=0=

The Weather Tower was imposing; several hundred meters tall, most of it covered by cybernetic vines that circled the structure, blocking all possible entrances that he could see, and they were so thick he doubted the Fire Stinger could burn them. There were ledges on the wall, of course, but laser or plasma cannons were in each one and, as X saw, they were active and on surveillance mode. He would have to destroy them one by one as he climbed, and to also deal with flying insect mechaniloids as well as the mechplant's possible defenses. The ascent promised to be a difficult one.

"I'll need something to climb faster," said X in a low, thoughtful voice. "And I think I have just what I need for the task… Alia?"

"Alia here," the navigator replied at once. "How can I help you, X?"

"There's no way to enter the Weather Tower near the base, is there?" he questioned.

"Hm… no, I'm afraid not," the blonde navigator provided. "Satellite view shows there are two open windows at the very top, but you will have to climb all the way there."

"Yeah, just what I expected," X told her. "I wanted you to double check in case you could detect something. Well, if there's no other option… please send me the Glide Armor, Alia."

"The Glide Armor, sure," Alia agreed, "I'm sending it now."

"Thank you," the hunter said as the Glide Armor, shining in white, yellow and red, materialized and assembled over him; helmet first, then the arms, legs and finally the chest piece. X smiled, pleased as the armor still enhanced his capabilities as well as he remembered. The Glide Armor was not as powerful as others he had worn in the past, but it was well rounded and it gave him the ability to glide and hover in the air, something which would help him greatly during this part of the mission.

"I'll look at the tower while you climb it; there may be an entrance at some point that we're not seeing," she offered. "I'll let you know if I find something."

"That would be great," he nodded. "Hey, Alia, how's Splash Woman?"

"She's in your armor room," Alia said after an instant of silence. "She wanted to see the Light Capsules… was I wrong to give her a clearance code?"

"No, of course not," X told her as he checked the armor's status, finding it operating at optimal levels. "I'm glad, actually, she may find a way to reactivate the Capsules so we can duplicate the armors. I wouldn't mind having the Third Armor again, you know? The Chip system was great."

"Well, I'll let you know if she discovers something."

"Thank you, Alia," the hunter said. "X out."

=0=

Climbing the tower had been tricky for X. The wind wasn't helping and the vines sometimes tried to grab him but fortunately, he had discovered the Ice Slither could dissuade them. Sure, many vines could resist fire, but none of them liked cold. As for the canons on the ledges he had seen, the homing shot the Glide Armor offered had helped him dispatch them quickly. All in all, the only problems X was having were the long jumps, but as long as he took his time to calculate distances properly, going up wasn't really that complicated.

"X, there's something above you, to the left," Alia announced then. "It seems there's a room up there. It doesn't connect with the inside of the tower and it may be difficult to reach, but I'm picking up a signal there that we can't analyze."

"That means it could be a Light Capsule!" X smiled. "Great! Thank you, Alia!"

"You're welcome, good luck."

X looked up and, just as Alia told him, there was an almost completely hidden from sight ledge, and the vines on that section were thick and thorny. In all honesty, he really should wait and return here when he had a weapon with a cutting effect, but perhaps…

"Ice and Fire may do the trick," X thought. Convinced of giving this idea a try, he dashed, jumped as high as he could and then activated the Glide Armor's hover ability to reach and grab the very edge of the ledge. Grunting, he pulled himself up and observed the foliage. There was definitively something behind it. He selected the Fire Stinger and blasted fire at the vines until they shined red hot. They were not burning as X expected, however, so he quickly switched to the Ice Slither and shot it at them, freezing the super-heated vines. And then… they cracked and crumbled!

"Alright!" X celebrated as he entered the room, to find…

=0=

A Light Capsule! X stared at it and frowned in confusion. This one wasn't blue as usual, but grey and red with yellow lights blinking all over it. The only other time he had found some in different colors that he could recall was during the Third Maverick Uprising. Intrigued, X approached the capsule, which activated as soon as he was next to it.

"Greetings, X," Doctor Light's hologram said. "I am aware of the situation you are in, and what this villain Lumine is threatening to do. The Earth is in grave danger, but I'm sure you and your friends will protect and save everyone one more time."

The hologram made a pause and appeared to sigh.

"I truly hope this is the last time war puts the world at risk, X," the holographic Doctor Light said with a remorse filled voice. "Because this is the last upgrade capsule. I made no more."

X's power core fluctuated a microsecond when he heard that information. No more capsules? That was terrible! What if they managed to defeat Lumine this time and he returned later? Without the capsules to give him an edge, victory would only become harder to obtain!

"This capsule contains the Apollo Chip," the hologram announced. "The Apollo Chip allows you to tap into your full power at will and it is compatible with all your armors, or used even if you aren't wearing any. In order to install it, however, you must remove the armor you are wearing now."

The hologram made a second pause while X sent away the Glide Armor. Once that was done, it continued.

"This chip will permanently upgrade all your systems at once. But the power it unleashes may be too much for you to bear, so I recommend you use it only if there is no other choice."

The hologram then proceeded to explain the upgrades the Chip granted.

"The Apollo Chip will allow your buster to charge Special Weapons and to store four charged X buster shots as well as to charge any Special Weapon you have equipped at the time. You can also merge the four stored charged shots to create the powerful Solar Shot.

"The chip will also improve your mobility, granting you access to the Solar Dash. To perform this move, simply dash when you have a Solar shot ready and the energy will surround you as you move instead of being fired. This will provide you with a good defensive and offensive move.

"The chest part upgrade grants you access to a new Giga Attack: the Solar Flare. It will be accessible after your armor has absorbed enough physical damage which will be released in the form of a powerful explosion around you.

"And finally, the helmet upgrade will increase the amount of energy you get from Power Capsules and Weapon Capsules," Once he finished describing the functions of the Apollo Chip to X, the hologram placed his hands in his pockets and looked straight at him. "Enter this capsule if you wish, my son, and take my final gift to you."

Mega Man X stood there for almost a full nine seconds while his electronic brain pondered on the implications of all he had just heard. No more Light Capsules, and the last one was a chip that would permanently upgrade him, granting a power that from what he understood completed his solar powered Core in ways that he couldn't even begin to imagine. For a moment X considered not taking the chip, thinking that he could defeat Lumine with the armors he already owned but remembering the fight with Dynamo changed his mind.

"Lumine will no doubt use a Nightmare Drive in battle…" he whispered. "If it powered Dynamo that much… I don't even want to think what it'll do for Lumine. I… I'll need all the help I can get."

And so X entered the capsule.

The upgrade process was slightly different than usual. While light bathed him as it normally did when he installed the armor pieces. This time he could see his core programming was also being updated to make it able to use the new circuit, and then he felt the Apollo Chip materialize inside of him, filling one small gap above his Power Core that he could never find a use for.

The process ended and X looked down at his body. His torso, upper arms and thighs had turned white, while his helmet, boots, chest and busters changed to a lighter shade of blue with gold and orange linings, and his helmet crystal shined now with a fiery orange glow. The changes were more than merely cosmetic, however, his strength and power output had increased far beyond what he was used to. The only time he had felt this strong before was when he first donned the Ultimate Armor.

"This is… incredible," X said, looking back at the now inactive capsule. "I promise I'll be responsible with your last gift, father… this much power… it will only be used as a last resort."

X reached up to his chest and took in a deep breath as he deactivated the Apollo Chip. His armor colors returned to his standard blue and his power output lowered to the usual levels he was accustomed to. This done, he summoned the Glide Armor again and left the room.

"Alia, I'll need you to send a recovery team along with the bomb squad so they can take the Light Capsule back to HQ," he called once he was out on the ledge again.

"I will, don't worry," she replied almost immediately. "What did you find, a new armor part?"

"No. A special chip," said X, touching his chest again. "I'll show you later, Alia, this is something you need to see."

"Ok, I'm looking forward to that."

=0=

X jumped to the last ledge and waited, buster at the ready, before entering the room at the very top of the tower. The hunter looked left and right, waiting for a hidden mechaniloid to appear, but there was nothing. He looked down and saw the Tunneler had already excavated a sizable hole, which meant he had to hurry. Refocusing as the wind howled past him, X took in a deep breath and started charging a buster shot and, once it was at full power, he finally walked through the window, ready for anything waiting for him.

What he found was the Tower's main observatory, but it was covered in green. The mechplants had really taken it over, which confirmed the mention of them turning the tower's systems against the Kanzuki staff which he had read earlier. There was something else that caught his eye, though. In one corner he saw the now-familiar control panel used to direct the Tunnelers. Scanning the room and finding nothing, X cautiously walked towards it, but…

A bubble full of acid burst behind him, splashing his shoulders and back!

The acid was powerful enough to start corroding the Glide Armor, forcing X to send the chest piece back to HQ so they could stop the damage. The hunter looked left and saw a tangle of vines which came to life and split from the wall, reforming into a horrendous green thing barely resembling a human being. Instead of arms, it had two long vines which ended in fang-filled jaws that clicked anxiously as they opened and closed. The head of the maverick was a leaf-covered ball were two orange eyes shined with infinite malevolence.

"My, my, if it isn't X," Acidflow Venus Trap sang as it assessed the hunter in front of him. "I won't lie, I have dreamed of consuming you more than once!"

X gritted his teeth at the threat and raised his buster, pointing it at the maverick. "We can do this two ways, Acidflow, you either let me arrest you or I retire you here, your choice!"

"Arrest me… you?" the plant based reploid laughed derisively. "X, to me you are nothing but prey, a bug to capture and devour!"

Before X could react, Acidflow shot two streams of acid from the jaws at the end of his vines. The blue hunter barely dashed left and tried to jump to gain more room to maneuver, but one of the vines hanging from the ceiling wrapped itself around X's neck, stopping him and pulling him up where other vines descended to capture him in an inescapable hold.

"Hah! This is the best the famed hunter who defeated Sigma eight times can do?" AcidFlow Venus Trap mocked. "You are pathetic, X… prepare to be eaten!"

X, thinking that this was why he loathed fighting plant-based mavericks, switched to the Fire Stinger and charged it, unleashing a flame barrier around him so hot it incinerated the vines restraining him as soon as it ignited. Checking his systems once he dropped back to the floor, X frowned as he saw his Power Core was now at 83%. He definitively couldn't take this lightly.

"Don't think that will help you," the maverick said. "Besides, you will taste better if you fight."

"Shut up!" X growled, tired of Acidflow's threats. He shot at the Maverick with the Fire Stinger, hitting it and engulfing it in fire.

But Acidflow Venus Trap only laughed. The flames died and the room started filling with a cloud of noxious green vapor.

"Try your fire all you want, fool," the maverick offered. "I can use my acid to counter it and all you'll do is create another acid cloud. Can your systems tolerate it long enough to stop me?"

"I have other means to fight you!" X retorted, switching to the Ice Slither and shooting a barrage of ice needles at the monster.

But Acidflow laughed again. While the Ice Slither appeared to initially freeze him, and X did detect the maverick received some damage, it was nothing but a pyrrhic victory. Acidflow Venus Trap simply released more acid from its body, melting the ice with ease.

"Ice? That won't help you either, you can't generate cold enough to hurt me!" the plant-based reploid boasted and shot vines forth so quickly it managed to capture X, one of the jaws closing around the hunter's boot and the other on his left buster with a deadly bite. The maverick laughed and released an acid bubble straight on the hunter's armor parts!

Sensing X's struggle, Acidflow yanked him up and slammed him against the ceiling and then hard on the ground before finally tossing him to the wall. X's right boot and left arm's armor pieces were now heavily damaged, and it was obvious those parts of the Glide Armor were now useless. Ready to press its advantage, the Maverick shot vines forward again, aiming for the hunter's face and neck, and…

X rolled to the side, avoiding the vicious, acid-dripping mandibles. He managed to get back on his feet and immediately sent the rest of the Glide Armor back to HQ, hoping Douglas could repair it. Now that he knew no new armors would ever be available, X had realized he had to be far more careful with the ones he still had.

"Damn it!" he cursed, ignoring the warning that indicated his Power Core was at 41% and instead focusing on the fact his standard blue armor wasn't damaged, as it was the only positive he could see in this situation.

"Getting desperate, X?" Acidflow laughed. "You were a joke with your mighty armor, without it I'm sure I'll be feasting on your core in a matter of seconds!"

"X, you have to escape now!" Alia pleaded. "Acidflow Venus Trap is weak to magnetic fields and we don't have a Special Weapon with that effect yet. You can't defeat him like this, you…"

"I can and I will," he interrupted as he unleashed a barrage of solar energy bullets at the maverick to keep him on the defensive while he thought. "Don't you believe in me, Alia?"

"I do, but…"

"Then let me do this," Mega Man X told her. "You can give me an earful afterwards but now just let me fight!"

"…Fine," she yielded. "Retire him and then come back to base, I want you here for maintenance, understood?"

"Understood," X answered as he dodged a series of acid bubbles that burst where he had stood only seconds before. His luck didn't last long, however, as a new set of vines suddenly slammed down on him from behind, hitting him so hard he was thrown all the way to Acidflow's feet.

"And now, X, you will die," Acidflow Venus Trap sentenced while the Maverick stomped on Mega Man X's head, driving him into the ground. "I'll shower you with acid and then I'll finally eat you!"

X tried to get up but all he managed to do was to get Acidflow's boot pressing on the back of his head again. The Maverick was not going to let him up, and his Power Core was at a critical 17% now. He had to do something, and do it fast! Thinking quickly, X recalled that the Ice Slither had managed to hurt Acidflow Venus Trap a little, but not enough to be really effective.

"A charged Ice Slither shot!" X thought, only to realize that without the Glide Armor buster upgrade he had no way to charge Special Weapons.

No.

He did have another way to charge Special Weapons.

"So you've finally given up?" The plant-based maverick asked, disappointed. "I expected you to struggle more, but I guess an ancient machine like you comes with many limitations."

X growled and activated the Apollo Chip.

"Huh?" Acidflow frowned the moment X's colors switched to white and light blue. He thought it was nothing but another Special Weapon, but then something happened; something which should never have happened! X became strong enough to actually shove him off like a dry leaf!

"What is this?" the maverick asked, feeling a creeping fear growing in its core. X was already defeated, this should not be possible!

"You really shouldn't have pushed me this far, Acidflow Venus Trap!" X said, power glowing around him indicating the charged shot was ready. "Face the Ice Slither at full power!"

With a scream of rage, X punched the ground unleashing a powerful wave of cold that spread ice in waves around him, freezing all the mechplants in the room in mere microseconds. When X straightened, he noticed the cybernetic foliage was starting to crack and crumble into chunks of ice and in front of him stood Acidflow Venus Trap, also frozen to the core.

X waited in case the maverick could escape the ice it was encased in, but Acidflow's body started cracking noisily from head to toe until it fractured and collapsed in a million little pieces.

"This guy was really tough…" X whispered while he kneeled and picked up Acidflow Venus Trap's Weapon chip, which he promptly analyzed, uploading the data to HQ's database. The blue hunter took in a deep breath, deactivated the Apollo Chip, and finally walked to the control panel.

"Alia, I won," X announced while he deactivated the Tunneler. "Send the bomb squad and the recovery team I requested to the area. And Alia, I'll see you in a minute."

"I'll be waiting for you," she said with a relieved whisper. "Please hurry back, X."

Notes:

Thanks to Adam for beta reading this chapter.

Capcom fans should know where Kanzuki Corp. comes from, but in case you don't, it's the company owned by Karin Kanzuki's family. Karin appears as a playable character in Street fighter games.

Berkana is the main antagonist in Mega Man Xtreme 2, she's powerful in her own right and there's no official information on her creation, so I simply decided to give her one. Also, Berkana does look like adult Karin from Street fighter V somewhat.

Mechanical forests have appeared in the franchise since the original Mega Man game and I thought it would be interesting to give them an explanation that related them to one of the organizations in the classic games, in this case, the X Foundation from Mega Man 6.

I also figured X would stop finding Light Capsules with armor upgrades at some point, so I thought this would be the better time to do it, of course, I'm sure Doctor Light would make the last capsule worth it, so I hope the Apollo Chip (based somewhat on the Mega Man X3 chip upgrades) is interesting enough.