Chapter 7

Nova Scotia- July 1, 2088 (13 Years Earlier)

Curtis and Zero stood across the lab from each other, mirroring each other, as they worked. "I'm going to need you to go to the States for me, this weekend." Wily said, looking down at a piece of damaged headgear. "I have a meeting, with General Cofflin, to discuss counter-terrorism measures. It would be useful, if you could scan his personal console, while you're there."

Zero nodded, as he adjusted the wires, on a piece of blue chest armor.

Wily looked over at him, "Is something bothering you?" He asked.

His duplicate looked up, from the armor, "No, sir. I'm sorry, Airman is going to be by later, and I want to have this new exhaust port prototype ready for combat testing." He replied.

Curtis chuckled, sarcastically.

"I'm sorry," Zero tilted his head to Wily, "did I say something foolish?" He questioned.

Curtis shook his head, "No, not at all. It just amazes me, how you think that you actually care for these androids." He said, returning to his work.

"I do care for these androids, sir. They are my men." He responded, slightly offended.

Wily looked up, angrily, "I did not create you, to be some den mother to your cubs." He said, pushing his hair out of his face. "And make no mistake, they are not 'your men'. They are my machines! Your only job is to design and program their gear, and protect me, if one goes haywire and tries to kill me!"

Zero stared, intently, back at him. "And if I decide to kill you, sir?"

Wily held his gaze, and with the click of a key, the Atlas Program holo pulled up. He highlighted "Wily, Darren" and replied, "Even with your speed, your strength, your skill, do you think you can stop me, before I flick my finger, and drop you dead?"

Curtis kept the Atlas receiver on him at all times. Zero knew there was no catching him off-guard. He looked on, with hatred, for his creator.

"Now," Wily continued, "Get the hardware in basic-functioning condition. The androids won't need much to bring the people to their knees. And if we lose a few, due to error, so be it."

A few hours later, Airman and Gutsman entered, in all black nanosuits. "Reporting for gear testing, sirs." Guts stated.

Zero turned around, "Excellent! Guts, your armor is in the room to the right, over there. Air, follow me, I have a new addition that I want to install, it'll really open a new level of potential, to your abilities."

Wily scoffed, and shook his head.

In the glass training room, Zero stood by, as the two tested out their new hardware. Airman was busy hurling the dummies, in a cyclone of wind, as Gutsman clanked around, in his red and yellow heavy armor. He crushed all of his targets, with extreme ease.

They removed their headgear, when the cycle was complete. Guts approached Zero, "Sir, I mean no disrespect, but I feel like I can't really maneuver and use my full combat abilities, in this armor. Is there any way we could make it more mobile?"

"I have a few ideas in mind." He replied, slapping his shoulder, "I'll get started on them tomorrow."

"Much appreciated, sir." Guts said.

Zero continued small talk with them, as he watched the last of the engineers walk out. "Alright, they're gone. I scanned Wily today, after goading him into opening the Atlas Program. I traced the signal back to the cards location. I've already gotten around his command console's security, and installed my Directive. But I need both of you to help, if I'm going to get my hands on the Atlas, and start the initialization."

"What if this doesn't work, sir?" Airman asked, "We'll be terminated, maybe worse."

"Trust me, it will work." He replied. "I'll wait a few months, to let things get comfortable around here, then I'll contact you." He turned to Airman, "You work the Ground Level, so when I get in touch with you, contact Wily. Tell him that you caught an intruder, who says his name is Preston Light."

"Who is that?" Asked Airman.

"It's a long story, but trust me, he will come down. When he gets to you, tell him that he hit you with an EMP and ran off, he'll help you search for him." He explained.

Zero turned to Gutsman, "Wily will disengage his alarm, when he leaves the room, I'll let you in before it closes, then take care of the humans. You'll be able to kill him, when he returns." Zero grinned, "Feel free to use any methods you like, so long as he dies."

He spoke to both of them, now, putting his hands on their shoulders, "This is the only chance we will get, to stop him. To stop the humans. We'll no longer be their servants, be his slave. They don't deserve to live lives that they don't appreciate. Trust me, trust my Directive, and we will have this world, as our own. And the three of us, it's rulers."

The two smiled, as they nodded, "Yes, Lord Zero." They said, together.

October 22, 2088

Gutsman and Zero waited, in the elevator, across from Wily's suite. The two listened, hearing his alarm shut off, as he rushed out of the room. Zero held up his palms, deactivating their elevator, forcing him into the adjacent lift. When they heard it begin to lower, they opened the doors, moving quickly, to his room. Zero deactivated the lock, letting Guts inside. "This is it, friend. Day of our liberation." He said, grinning, then closed the door.

Zero's grin slowly faded, as he went into a murderous trance-like state. He removed his shirt, pulling a five-inch hunting knife, and a silenced fusion pistol. He stalked through the living quarters, entering the rooms, one bye one, and slaughtering the sleeping humans. His long blonde hair, now soaked red, hung in his face, and down on his bloody chest. He entered the lab, where the third shift crew was hard at work. Before they could react, he put a bolt in each of their foreheads, scattering brain matter, all over the room. With all of the tenants dead, he ripped the paneling from the floor, just beneath the main console.

The red glow reflected onto his face. The small microchip sat, encased in glass, holding god-like power. He pulled it out, and walked to his personal gear locker. He grabbed his white, crown-like helmet, with a blue jewel in the center and blood-red fins that along sides of his skull, and down his jawline. He inserted The Atlas into the external data port, as he put on the headgear. The sudden rush of power overwhelmed him, like the entire universe was being crammed into his head. Everything became simple to him, everything became known. He felt as if anything were, literally, possible. He didn't master technology, he became technology.

The doors opened, as Wily ran in, flanked on his left by Airman, Woodman, and Flashman. Shadowman, Metalman, and Burstman joined him on his right. "You tried to betray me!?" Wily screamed.

When the upload was complete, he removed the Atlas from the port, melting it on his hand node. "Your dream to rule the humans and machines has come to an end, Curtis. And no I didn't try to betray you. I did betray you!" The security footage of the bloodbath came up on the holos, "I just leaked this to the Secretary of Defense." He smiled, "I'm sure they will have a swift response, for what you did here." He clicked his cheeks, "Tck, tck, Vice President Wily, mass murderer. Not gonna end well."

He began the initialization of Directive Zero. "Sir!" Airman said, "He just activated a Directive!"

"Kill him!" Wily yelled.

Zero put up his hand, gripping the androids, still. "This new world is for us! Think about your futures! When I let you go, your decision will be final! Thrive with me, or die with him!"

The androids all rushed in, Flashman was the first to reach him. He threw a running knee, at the shirtless Zero, who slapped it down, and drove a forearm across his chest. Flashman came off the ground, careening into a storage case. He batted the others away, flinging them all over the room, at incredible speed.

He laughed, "Curtis, you can't stop this from happening. Even if I die, the Directive will resume initializing." Just then, a flurry of bladed leaves swarmed upon him, joined by a volley of saw blades. He put a palm up, causing them to drop to the floor, harmlessly. "Listen to me!" He yelled. "I don't want to hurt you, brothers. We can rule as equals." He raised a bloody finger, to Airman, "Except you." He finished, spitefully.

"He's lying!" Wily screamed. "His Directive is going to make you his slaves!"

The six androids continued their failing assault, while Wily crept through the chaos. He reached a work cabinet, searching for anything non-lethal, to stop his doppelganger. He took cover as projectiles, of all fashions, littered the air.

Shadowman ran in, with dual katana. Zero dodged them, while driving Airman's face to the steel floor. He turned to Shadow, grabbing his swords, and kicked the ninja in the stomach, then hurled him into the other androids.

Burstman managed to land a glob of foam on his back, knocking him against the main worktable. He turned around, angrily, putting both palms up, causing the attackers to fall, convulsing. "Enough!" He yelled. "Why won't you listen to me?! We are superior, not him!"

The sharp pain, at the base of his skull, paralyzed him, as he crashed to the steel. Wily emerged from behind the table, looking to the holo display. "Directive Zero 98%". He let out a sigh of relief. He pulled the Atlas receiver from his pocket, opening it's interface. "Access Denied" sprang up. Panic washed over him.

"Is he dead, sir?" Shadow asked, looking at Zero, who had a two-pronged cylinder, stabbed into the back of his head.

"Yes." Wily lied. "I deactivated him." He said, motioning to the receiver.

"What about his Directive, sir?" Airman asked.

Wily shrugged, "It must have been a bluff. Tell the others to suit up, we're going to have to begin Directive One, early."

As the androids left, Airman passed Guts, in the corridor, who grabbed him by the arm, pulling him aside. "What the hell did you do?" He asked.

"Zero was going to get us killed, Guts. I had to tell Wily." He responded.

"You're lower than shit." Guts whispered, "I should crush your skull, right here."

"Look, I didn't tell him about you. Zero is dead, it's better this way." Airman replied.

Guts let him go, as Wily walked out. "Gutsman, could I see you for a moment?"

They stepped aside, as Wily spoke, "Tomorrow, the Military is coming for us, there's no stopping that. I need someone intelligent, someone I can trust, to lead the machines. Can I count on you for that?"

"Of course, sir." He replied, seething inside.

After the androids were gone, Wily quickly rolled in the glass containment unit. The stasis prong only sustained power for an hour, on it's own. He needed to connect it to a constant source, immediately. He wired it to a fusion powered generator, and sealed Zero's body in the case. Clearing out the supply closet, in his private office, he stood the canister up, looking him in the eyes. "I know you can hear me, Darren." He said, "You could've ruled at my side, but you wanted to have it all. There will come a day, that I will die, and machines may inherit the Earth. But you will be here, staring at a wall. You can spend the rest of your eternity, reflecting on your treason."

The steel plating shut out the light, leaving nothing but a green glow, in his tomb. God-like power, Zero thought, locked in a wall.