Chapter 15: Shattering
"Does he mean infected, like infected by the Maverick Virus?" X was on the verge of panicking.
The trio had returned to Iris' dorm and securely locked the door to prevent anyone from coming in. Considering the news, if anyone else heard it, there would be wide-spread panic for sure.
"Has to be," Zero muttered. "So he's back then. That son of a bitch can't stay dead!"
Iris clasped her hands at her chest, looking frightened. "What of my brother, of Axl? Being so closed to General, to the Virus…"
X rubbed his helmet's ruby. "Axl knows procedures to minimize his contact with the Virus. I'm sure Colonel does as well. We can only hope he doesn't attempt to meet with Colonel…"
Zero growled in the back of his throat. "We have to prevent that. We need to tell Signas to recall Axl and stage a fight for Colonel's 'recapture.'"
"That's too obvious," Iris interjected. "We all know Repliforce probably screens his e-mails to me, and for him to be recaptured so soon after sending me one, and even so soon after his liberation, would force General into a rage. There's a big plan, Brother said. We need to find out what it is."
X raised an eyebrow at her—wasn't she just as worried as Zero a few minutes ago?
Iris read X's expression and she crossed her arms under her breasts. "I am also a soldier," she answered. "Although I am programmed to be more human than Colonel, I still know how to think like a fighter and how to act during war. Colonel is our ace in the hole as long as he remains undercover, and if you want the Hunters to win, he'll have to stay there, regardless of personal concerns for his safety."
"Whoa," Zero rubbed the side of his head. "You sound just like Colonel; that's creepy."
"Still, this is Sigma we're talking about." X gritted his teeth over speaking such a disgusting name. "He infected General. He isn't pulling and manipulating strings; he flat out controls Repliforce. What's to stop him from doing the same to Colonel?"
"That's the big plan," Iris countered. "Obviously, he wants to keep his involvement a secret and corrupting Brother would reveal him when he knows I am still in your jurisdiction. We need to look at where Repliforce is now mobilizing and attack that point."
X glanced at Zero. "No wonder she was your girlfriend for a while."
Iris just smiled that innocent, girly smile she was known for.
~*~
Signas and the rest looked visibly disturbed as Iris confessed the news to them. After the shock to their systems passed, Signas immediately ordered Alia and her small team of Navigators and Spotters to find where the Repliforce army was mobilizing. When Double reported for duty, Signas sent him on another information hunt. When the round Reploid passed Zero, the blond would swear he saw Double smirking evilly, knowingly, at him.
Zero brushed it off as stress messing with his vision optics, and watched in amazement as Iris transformed from a meek, innocent woman to a commanding bitch with a 'do what I say or else' glare and a tone to match. She stood behind Alia and the other Navigators, issuing coordinates she believed would lead to clues, and if any of them were just a single coordinate off target, Iris would throw her hands up in exasperation. He could tell the other females were getting irritated, but without Iris' direction, they were taking stabs in the dark. Considering Sigma was involved, they didn't have time for stabs in the dark, and wherever Iris guessed, she was only maybe a day's worth of movement behind and only getting closer.
Iris paced the briefing room, one hand behind her back and the other at her chin as she stared at the ground in deep thought. She barked off another set of coordinates and kept pacing until Layer let out an exclamation.
"Found them!"
Iris, Zero and X rushed to the screen Layer was staring at. Feeling claustrophobic, even with Zero so close, Layer quickly moved her data to the larger screen so they would back off. Iris studied the large unit of Reploids marching, even with a few human workers with them.
"What's nearby?" Iris asked. Her commander mode had worn off, and her voice was again soft.
Alia answered quickly enough, "A space station."
"Space station?" Iris asked, perplexed. "What the hell are they doing going to a space station?"
Zero gaped at Iris, never having heard her curse before. War changed everyone drastically in such short time, he learned then. Iris blinked, and then covered one ear with her hand. Realizing she was receiving a message, everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at her, the only sounds in the room the buzzing of computer servers.
Iris winced. "We need to go to that station. Colonel, General, and a single unit are already there, with Axl among them. They're going to launch into space… that's all I got from Brother."
Signas turned to the hunters in the room, then at Iris before pressing the intercom button. "Attention, all available Hunters!"
Signas' orders were sharp and precise—all battle-ready Hunters will intercept the main force before they got to the space station. When he was done issuing those orders, Signas turned the intercom off and turned to Zero and X.
"Zero, X, you will go retrieve Axl and Colonel. The four of you will apprehend General and return him here. Sigma will emerge, I'm sure, to try and finish what Repliforce failed to do, whatever that may be. Once he does, you will take care of him."
"Yes, sir!" the two saluted him. To Zero's surprise, Iris also saluted Signas.
"Permission to accompany the Hunters, sir." Iris' voice was like the steel of her armor.
"Too dangerous," Signas replied promptly.
"Sir, as I am not a Hunter, I will do as I please. But I would prefer to be allowed to join them willingly, rather than take drastic action." Still she saluted.
Signas gave her a hard stare and Zero tensed. "Miss Iris," rumbled the Hunter Commander. "You may not be a Hunter… but you are Repliforce. And you are in enemy territory as a prisoner. We have been merciful and accommodating because of your good behavior, but we will treat you like a Maverick if you act out of line."
Iris stared hard at Signas, her lips pursed tightly together. Zero walked to her and put an hand on her shoulder, and she dropped her salute to look at him.
"Please," he muttered. "Trust us."
Iris' shoulders sagged and she fell to her knees onto the floor, even as Zero and X departed on their mission. Iris bowed her head, clasped her hands, and fervently prayed.
~*~
Zero and X raced to the space station, X's hand already in buster form and Zero tightly gripping his saber. He had sent a message to Axl ahead of time, and had gotten the okay back shortly before they began their mad dash. Whatever Repliforce, and ultimately Sigma, had planned for space was going to come crashing down before it even began. Zero also swore he would finish Sigma off this time, and Virus body or not, the bastard would never come back.
X stopped and motioned for Zero to do the same. They crouched behind foliage, and before them stood the desolate Space Station. Something huge was docked and ready for takeoff at any minute, and at the entrance of the station stood the massive General with Colonel and the small unit of fighter Reploids. Among those nameless fighters was Axl. Zero did a quick count—three top-ranked hunters and an officer of a police force versus five basic fighters and General of said police force. The odds were in their favor and would remain so unless Sigma was also around.
Without a word or glance, just going on what felt right, Zero and X burst through the foliage and charged head-on. X had a half-charged shot ready and fired it off, dispatching two of the fighters, although the blast bounced harmlessly off General. Colonel and one of the fighters jumped to the sides as Zero mowed down the rest of the weaker Reploids with a single swipe of his saber.
General howled in anger. "Colonel! Dispatch them!"
"I'm afraid not, General." Colonel stood straight and, although he was regretful, still pointed his unsheathed sword at his commanding officer. "You are infected with the Maverick Virus, and no officer of Repliforce with any of his sanity remaining would follow a Maverick!"
General turned to the remaining fighter Reploid, who shrugged and, in a flash of light, transformed back into Axl. Vastly outnumbered and the odds stacked against him, General at the audacity to laugh.
Colonel paused, and General turned to him with madness in his eyes. "Even still, I was prepared for this!" General cackled. "I never needed you, Colonel! All you did was boost the morale of the non-infected, and even those numbers are dimming! All of Repliforce, and soon even you and your precious sister, will join the ranks of the Mavericks! We'll change the world… once we get rid of the likes of you!" a massive hand pointed at X and Zero, who tensed.
"Change the world?" Zero spat. "Sounds like Maverick talk to me!"
General grinned insanely. "You thought I was bringing all of Repliforce with me, didn't you? So you sent all your Hunters to get rid of the force coming here, didn't you? But he told me how to trick you, how to know what you think! Even now, I'm fetching a very pricey bargaining chip… one the good Colonel couldn't refuse."
The look of pure horror on Colonel's face was enough, but before Zero or X could do anything, Axl jumped into the air.
"I'll head back!" was all he said before he vanished into a teleporting beam of light.
Back at HQ, it was chaos. The self-defense mechanisms were going haywire as infected Repliforce barged through. Hunters who had not gone were struggling to hold them back, and even those who did not normally fight, such as Navigators and Nurses, now blazed with buster pistols and wielded saber rapiers. Signas managed to defend a hallway all on his own, his entire body equipped to the teeth with various weaponry.
Axl teleported in behind Signas as the Commander threw a grenade at incoming Mavericks, blowing some to pieces and scattering the rest. "Commander Signas!"
"Axl!" Signas turned to him, a buster pistol in his hand. "What of Zero and X? What's going on?"
"It's a trap, sir! General knew, and now he's sent the Mavericks to kidnap Iris!" Axl looked around. "Where is she?"
"In the hangar with a small unit! Go back her up!" Signas took aim and fired, the shot cleanly ripping off a Reploid's head. The head flew into the air before smacking onto another Reploid, knocking it to its side.
Signas threw another grenade and ran backwards as it went off, and Axl dashed to the lifts, which, due to the state of emergency, were no longer operational. Axl grabbed hold of the bar and began the swift ascent, hoping he could make it up there and keep Iris safe. Agonizing minutes passed as Axl climbed, and the closer to the hanger he got, the more fighting he could hear. How could the Mavericks have already gotten up there?
Axl hopped up out of the lift shaft and dashed toward the sounds of fighting. Just as his dash ended and he was going to start another, the wall to his left exploded and Axl quickly jumped back, pistols up and ready. A huge Ride Armor lumbered through the hole, looking down the hall before facing him, a giant beam lance in the left hand and a right shoulder gun cocked and ready. Axl tensed as the Ride Armor faced him.
The cockpit opened and relief rushed into Axl's face. "Iris!"
"Good," Iris smirked, totally uncharacteristic and yet stunningly fitting for her sweet, round face. She sat as if on a throne in the pilot seat, giant gloves on her hands with wires at the fingertips connecting her to the fists on the Armor. A helmet covered her face, wires sprouting from that to also connect her to the Armor. "I need a little more precise gunfire. Hop on the top and be my sniper, Axl. We got a lot of clean up to do." Without another word, the cockpit closed, encasing her inside again. She waited for him.
No wonder Dad likes her. Axl hopped onto the top of the Ride Armor, tucking his feet under divots in the armor, keeping himself steady as Iris activated the dash pack, heading for a group of Mavericks. I hope I find a lady-friend like her one day.
Axl was immensely impressed as what Mavericks got through his shots, Iris took out with eerily accurate shots of her shoulder gun. If they got into melee range, she dispatched them with the beam lance with stunning efficiency, each strike directed at a weak spot detected only seconds before contact. Iris was an unstoppable monster in a Ride Armor, and as she and Axl cut a swath of destruction on the floors they descended down, Axl saw another reason why Repliforce would want her back.
Iris would make a terrifying Maverick.
They met back up with Signas, who had unfortunately lost ground even as Lifesaver, with his miniature army of Nurse Reploids, tried to back him up. Unfortunately, the Nurse Reploids were not built for fighting, and served more as unfortunate body shields than as capable fighters. With the arrival of Iris and Axl, however, the Hunters reclaimed the hallway and pushed the Repliforce Mavericks back.
When the base was clear, Iris opened the cockpit to speak directly to the surviving Hunters. Despite Lifesaver's best efforts, many Hunters had lost their lives in the attack, along with countless non-combat units. Iris pulled off the gloves, and then placed her hands on the helmet. Several clicks were heard and she removed the helmet, setting it aside as even more clicking emitted. Once completely disconnected from the Ride Armor, Iris hopped down with help from Axl, Signas meeting up with her, climbing over debris as he did.
"Impressive, Miss Iris," Signas complimented. "I admit I am shocked. That is a new type of Ride Armor, and no one managed to completely synch with it within a week, let alone ten minutes."
Iris beamed. "I am a certified pilot, sir. But, have you heard from Zero, X or my brother yet?"
Signas shook his head and her face fell. "However," Signas started. "Axl, you and Iris go back them up. Now that I've seen your prowess, I will give you permission to help, Iris. The Ride Armor should have teleport functions."
Axl and Iris nodded, and the girl quickly crawled back into the Armor. As she settled into the seat, wires automatically connected to every available port in her back and legs; she pulled the gloves on and placed on the helmet as she and the machine again synchronized. The Ride Armor flared to life and she made it stand up straight, closing the cockpit.
"Let's go," came her voice from the Armor's intercom. Axl nodded, and with a salute to Signas, the two teleported back to the Space Station.
~*~
Zero grunted as General's massive hand batted him aside as if he were a fly, knocking him into the nearby wall. Despite the combined strength of himself, X and Colonel, the Virus increased the already impressive power of General. General raised a fist toward X and discharged it, the massive limb racing at alarming speeds. X jumped into the air, dodging the fist. But instead of retracting backwards to its owner, the fist turned and followed X! He yelped as the fist barreled into him and suddenly switched directions, the speed forcing the winds to pin X against the fist. It slammed into the ground and Zero yelled for his beloved.
When the fist lifted up, it came back down onto X's prone form, practically burying him into the hard ground. Zero raced toward him, slashing at the hand with his saber as Colonel charged General himself. Despite also controlling the fist, General was not the least bit distracted and, with his free hand, used his thickly-armored bracer to deflect Colonel's attack.
General grinned madly. "I wonder if my men listened to me. I told them not to kill her, but, knowing how mindless some Reploids become when they go Maverick, you never know…"
"I shall rip you limb from limb," Colonel forced through gritted teeth. "And let you feel the pain of me shredding each of your wires and pulling out your cores and systems, one by one!"
General didn't reply, instead throwing his arm back and forcing Colonel to back off. He retracted his now badly damaged fist, but the projectile did its job—X was clearly out of the fight by the sparks and thin jumping threads of electric current racing along his body. Zero pulled the blue-clad hunter out of the hole, checking him over quickly. Relief blossomed on Zero's face when he realized, although critically injured, X was still alive. That relief became anger, and the blonde's eyes shimmered a dangerous red as he turned to General.
With a savage roar, Zero charged at General, saber out. The giant Reploid held his defending arm up, but his smug expression became surprise and pain as Zero's saber struck through the armor halfway. With a satisfied growl, Zero pushed on the saber's handle with all of his weight until it sliced through the arm cleanly. General screamed in pain, and Colonel stared in astonishment as the assortment of blood and other Reploid fluids poured out. Before, Zero's saber was as effective as his own, and yet now it sliced through feet of battle armor so much like a knife through butter!
Two beams of light teleported in behind Zero—one forming into Axl and the other into a massive Ride Armor. Zero jumped out of the way as the Ride Armor pointed its shoulder cannon at General's neck and fired. Although the bullet ricocheted off the armor, it left a decent enough dent. Another shot rang, and this bullet hit the exact spot even as General was moving to dodge, cutting through, a thin line of blood spurting into the air.
Colonel knew exactly who was in the Armor. "Iris!"
The Armor didn't answer, although it raised and activated its beam lance. Despite the fact General was still larger, the Ride Armor was just as wide and only six or so feet shorter than the Reploid, and in the hands of a master pilot, was now the most threatening enemy.
Iris' voice filtered out of the Armor. "You dare allow yourself to become infected, and then spread that despicable Virus to the rest of Repliforce? You'll not be forgiven, nor given quarter!"
Colonel rolled out of the way as General dodged a swipe of Iris' lance, and although her melee weapon missed, she fired another shot. Her aim was, unfortunately, imperfect this time, and instead of his head region, the bullet dented and was deflected off his thickly-armored chest. Still in his haze of rage, Zero kept General moving by attacking his sides, landing clean cuts when General foolishly leaned in his direction while avoiding Iris' attacks.
Axl knelt next to X, activating the unconscious Reploid's teleport system for him and sending him straight to the remains of Lifesaver's medic bay. X now out of harm's way, Axl leapt onto the back of the Ride Armor and with both pistols shot at General. Because of his position near Iris' shoulder gun, General was having a tough time discerning between Axl's harmless bullets and Iris' piercing ones. The massive Reploid was starting to lose, and it only enraged his Virus-riddled mind.
A sudden clap of power momentarily stunned all the fighters, and Axl yelped as a beam hit the Ride Armor. Iris' cry of pain and surprise, as she was now synched with the Armor and felt what it 'felt', knocked Zero and Colonel's out of their shock. A crazed laughter from the top of the Space Station drew all attention, even the wounded General's.
There, in all his demented glory, Sigma stood with his arms raised, as if receiving some hidden conduit of power.
"You…!" Zero roared.
"Yes, me!" Sigma cackled. "General, you fool, losing to a girl and her battle toy! You're worthless."
"Forgive me," General implored. "I was caught off-guard!"
"No excuses!" Sigma's jaw opened wide, and a beam gun protruded from the back of his throat. He fired at General, and the beam sliced cleanly between the massive Reploid's eyes, instantly frying his brain system and disabling him in one hit.
The beam ripped through General and hit the Ride Armor's own cockpit, and Iris' shriek caused Colonel to rush to the Armor and attempt to open it with his bare hands.
The door would not budge.
The ex-Hunter jumped down onto the Armor, knocking it onto its back. Sigma pivoted and planted his foot right into Colonel's face, knocking him back. When Zero made the move to dash at him, Sigma tilted his head down, the beam gun still sticking out of his mouth like a disgusting parasite.
"Those two would make wonderful additions to my team," Sigma's voice emitted from a speaker somewhere on the Maverick's body. "Either of you move, however, and I'll blast her."
Zero growled, but his anger with replaced with worry as Axl's pained groan was heard under the fallen Armor. "Axl!"
"Colonel, board the Final Weapon," Sigma ordered. "Failure will result in your sister's death, and, ultimately, yours."
Colonel rubbed his face where Sigma kicked him, scowling. He and Zero made eye contact, and slowly, Zero nodded. Colonel sheathed his weapon regretfully and, walking backwards, entered the Space Station.
Sigma kicked the Armor's door off its hinges, and in it, Iris laid sprawled with a smoking hole in her shoulder. As a reaction to the overload of pain, she had shut down, and all the wires from the mech were already disconnected, although still synched. Sigma bent down, grabbing her by her uninjured arm.
"No!" Zero dashed forward, hand reaching out. His fingertips brushed Iris's waist just as Sigma and she teleported, as well as General's body. "No, dammit!"
Zero turned to race into the Space Station when another groan from under the Armor stopped him. The blonde cursed—he couldn't just leave Axl. Ruefully, Zero struggled to lift the Ride Armor just enough so Axl could crawl out, but as the younger Reploid moved painfully slow, the 'Final Weapon', as Sigma called, it launched into space.
And all Zero could do was watch as it disappeared into the sky.
~*~
"I've compiled all the information I could," Alia said. It had been a full twenty-four hours since the launch of Sigma's newest weapon, and yet, as it orbited Earth, it has done nothing. In that day, all three hunters were repaired, although X still wasn't fully fixed. "What Sigma called Final Weapon is, more or less, a space cannon. It was meant to only wipe out small cities, but knowing Sigma, and who knows how long it's been in his possession, I bet it'll destroy more than a city or two."
Zero rolled his hands into fists. "Has anyone managed to contact Colonel or Iris?"
Alia regretfully shook her head. "With the death of Layer and Palette, I'm the only competent Navigator left. Between gathering information on the Final Weapon and parts for a space ship for you three, I haven't managed a link to either of them. Layer was much more talented in that department than me."
"Is the ship complete?" X asked. He winced as a familiar burn made itself known, and Zero wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pressed a hand to his chest, worry in his sapphire eyes.
"Yes," Signas said. "Alia is now working on where you could enter undetected."
Zero opened his mouth to speak, but Alia cut him off with a sharp, "Incoming transmission from the Final Weapon!"
The large screen flared to life, and Sigma's face filled the screen. He was grinning widely.
"Well, well," Sigma's voice filtered through, "I knew it wouldn't take too long before you began attempting to reach me here. Don't bother scanning for ways in, little Navigator. I invite your Hunters to my little toy."
"It's a trap," Axl muttered.
Sigma laughed, having heard the pistol-toting hunter. "Perhaps. But, really, Zero…" Sigma's eyes fixed on the red-clad hunter. "Could you really stand idly by after I show you this?"
Sigma stepped from the camera, and Zero took a step forward with a growl in his throat. Iris lay in a comatose state, settled into a new Ride Armor's pilot seat. What worried Zero, however, was the Ride Armor was glowing purple with Maverick Virus, and although it did not touch the girl. Colonel knelt nearby, his face hidden as he had his head bowed. Sigma cackled gleefully.
"Worry not, Colonel is unharmed… but should he attempt anything, Iris will become not just a Maverick, but my new host body." Sigma's face filled the screen again, still split in that mad grin. "So come, Zero… I'm waiting for you." The transmission ended.
Zero shook with rage. "Don't you worry, Sigma…" he hissed, "I'm coming for you."
"He wasn't joking when he saw he was inviting you," Alia remarked. "All of the shields are down. If he didn't have Colonel or Iris, I'd say we shoot the damn thing out of the sky…"
"We could," Signas said. He turned to the three elite hunters. "We still have the Enigma cannon. By the time you get to Final Weapon, I can bet we'll have it repaired and ready to go. Get in there and get Colonel and Iris, and we'll blow the thing up. Can you do that?"
Zero gritted his teeth, his head throbbing with a headache and familiar rage. It caressed his mind, whispering release from pain if only he gave in and ripped something apart, but he shoved it down.
"Yeah," X answered for him. "Search and Rescue. Mission accepted, sir."
Axl and X saluted, and a moment later, Zero did as well, though he still shook with fury. When dismissed until the ship was ready, Zero quickly marched out to his dorm to try and settle down. Axl watched him, and then lightly pushed X in the direction the blond had gone.
"Go calm him down, Pops," Axl said. "We can't have him losing his cool on a mission."
X nodded and limped after Zero. By the time he had caught up, Zero was already in his room, sitting in a chair facing a now-opened window that allowed the fresh breeze to come in. X smiled as he limped up to Zero, but that smile was gone as a familiar flicking sound pervaded the peaceful silence and Zero covered the little flame as he lit a cigarette.
"Z…" X lightly admonished, but the scolding died on his tongue. Let the man do what he needed to settle down. X instead pulled up a chair behind Zero and, for what little good it did through his armor, massaged Zero's shoulders and neck.
Zero relaxed under his careful touch, even leaning his head back and slowly exhaling smoke. Little puffs and rings of smoke floated into the air, then scattered when the breeze assaulted them, ripping them apart until nothing remained. Zero imagined himself as the breeze, seizing the smoke that symbolized Sigma and shredding it til not even scrap metal was left. Zero held the cigarette between his lips and used his free hands to toss the pack and lighter onto his nearby bed. He stood, taking the little stick of tobacco out of his mouth and facing X with stormy blue eyes.
X looked up at him. "Don't even think about kissing me while sucking on that."
Zero looked at the cigarette, then X, as if deciding what exactly he wanted more. X won out in the end, and the blue-armored hunter looked amused as Zero crushed the cigarette in his palm and dumped its remains in the nearby trash can. The blonde even went to the bathroom and washed his mouth out; when he returned and pulled X up, X smelled the fresh, minty scent of mouthwash.
Zero pressed his lips against X's a bit forcefully, but X relented easily enough and relaxed into the kiss, returning it deeply. Zero dipped X slightly, ravishing his mouth with his, as if trying to drink X's very essence and soul through the kiss. It made X heady, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head as he closed them. Before he knew it, he was sprawled on the floor, still locked in Zero's dominating and draining kiss.
They didn't have time to make love, both knew, and Zero settled for pinning X beneath him and sharing intense kisses, whispering gibberish between their lips. Although X tried to keep up with him, Zero seemed to grow frustrated with X's slow kissing, and cupped the back of his boyfriend's blue helmet, pushing his face into Zero's. Despite the pleasure of it, X was growing slightly afraid of how savagely Zero was kissing him, biting his lips and tongue enough to draw a bit of blood, which the blond eagerly sucked up.
Zero finally allowed their faces to part and he groaned. X stared at him, a little bewildered, even as his now-bruised lips ached and bled slightly. Zero enfolded X with his arms, covering every inch of the smaller Reploid with himself. Not even a needle could pass through them, and even as X returned the embrace, his worry grew.
As they lay on the floor in each other's arms, X prayed for a happy ending to all of this horror.
<--- PREVIOUS CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER --->
"Does he mean infected, like infected by the Maverick Virus?" X was on the verge of panicking.
The trio had returned to Iris' dorm and securely locked the door to prevent anyone from coming in. Considering the news, if anyone else heard it, there would be wide-spread panic for sure.
"Has to be," Zero muttered. "So he's back then. That son of a bitch can't stay dead!"
Iris clasped her hands at her chest, looking frightened. "What of my brother, of Axl? Being so closed to General, to the Virus…"
X rubbed his helmet's ruby. "Axl knows procedures to minimize his contact with the Virus. I'm sure Colonel does as well. We can only hope he doesn't attempt to meet with Colonel…"
Zero growled in the back of his throat. "We have to prevent that. We need to tell Signas to recall Axl and stage a fight for Colonel's 'recapture.'"
"That's too obvious," Iris interjected. "We all know Repliforce probably screens his e-mails to me, and for him to be recaptured so soon after sending me one, and even so soon after his liberation, would force General into a rage. There's a big plan, Brother said. We need to find out what it is."
X raised an eyebrow at her—wasn't she just as worried as Zero a few minutes ago?
Iris read X's expression and she crossed her arms under her breasts. "I am also a soldier," she answered. "Although I am programmed to be more human than Colonel, I still know how to think like a fighter and how to act during war. Colonel is our ace in the hole as long as he remains undercover, and if you want the Hunters to win, he'll have to stay there, regardless of personal concerns for his safety."
"Whoa," Zero rubbed the side of his head. "You sound just like Colonel; that's creepy."
"Still, this is Sigma we're talking about." X gritted his teeth over speaking such a disgusting name. "He infected General. He isn't pulling and manipulating strings; he flat out controls Repliforce. What's to stop him from doing the same to Colonel?"
"That's the big plan," Iris countered. "Obviously, he wants to keep his involvement a secret and corrupting Brother would reveal him when he knows I am still in your jurisdiction. We need to look at where Repliforce is now mobilizing and attack that point."
X glanced at Zero. "No wonder she was your girlfriend for a while."
Iris just smiled that innocent, girly smile she was known for.
~*~
Signas and the rest looked visibly disturbed as Iris confessed the news to them. After the shock to their systems passed, Signas immediately ordered Alia and her small team of Navigators and Spotters to find where the Repliforce army was mobilizing. When Double reported for duty, Signas sent him on another information hunt. When the round Reploid passed Zero, the blond would swear he saw Double smirking evilly, knowingly, at him.
Zero brushed it off as stress messing with his vision optics, and watched in amazement as Iris transformed from a meek, innocent woman to a commanding bitch with a 'do what I say or else' glare and a tone to match. She stood behind Alia and the other Navigators, issuing coordinates she believed would lead to clues, and if any of them were just a single coordinate off target, Iris would throw her hands up in exasperation. He could tell the other females were getting irritated, but without Iris' direction, they were taking stabs in the dark. Considering Sigma was involved, they didn't have time for stabs in the dark, and wherever Iris guessed, she was only maybe a day's worth of movement behind and only getting closer.
Iris paced the briefing room, one hand behind her back and the other at her chin as she stared at the ground in deep thought. She barked off another set of coordinates and kept pacing until Layer let out an exclamation.
"Found them!"
Iris, Zero and X rushed to the screen Layer was staring at. Feeling claustrophobic, even with Zero so close, Layer quickly moved her data to the larger screen so they would back off. Iris studied the large unit of Reploids marching, even with a few human workers with them.
"What's nearby?" Iris asked. Her commander mode had worn off, and her voice was again soft.
Alia answered quickly enough, "A space station."
"Space station?" Iris asked, perplexed. "What the hell are they doing going to a space station?"
Zero gaped at Iris, never having heard her curse before. War changed everyone drastically in such short time, he learned then. Iris blinked, and then covered one ear with her hand. Realizing she was receiving a message, everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at her, the only sounds in the room the buzzing of computer servers.
Iris winced. "We need to go to that station. Colonel, General, and a single unit are already there, with Axl among them. They're going to launch into space… that's all I got from Brother."
Signas turned to the hunters in the room, then at Iris before pressing the intercom button. "Attention, all available Hunters!"
Signas' orders were sharp and precise—all battle-ready Hunters will intercept the main force before they got to the space station. When he was done issuing those orders, Signas turned the intercom off and turned to Zero and X.
"Zero, X, you will go retrieve Axl and Colonel. The four of you will apprehend General and return him here. Sigma will emerge, I'm sure, to try and finish what Repliforce failed to do, whatever that may be. Once he does, you will take care of him."
"Yes, sir!" the two saluted him. To Zero's surprise, Iris also saluted Signas.
"Permission to accompany the Hunters, sir." Iris' voice was like the steel of her armor.
"Too dangerous," Signas replied promptly.
"Sir, as I am not a Hunter, I will do as I please. But I would prefer to be allowed to join them willingly, rather than take drastic action." Still she saluted.
Signas gave her a hard stare and Zero tensed. "Miss Iris," rumbled the Hunter Commander. "You may not be a Hunter… but you are Repliforce. And you are in enemy territory as a prisoner. We have been merciful and accommodating because of your good behavior, but we will treat you like a Maverick if you act out of line."
Iris stared hard at Signas, her lips pursed tightly together. Zero walked to her and put an hand on her shoulder, and she dropped her salute to look at him.
"Please," he muttered. "Trust us."
Iris' shoulders sagged and she fell to her knees onto the floor, even as Zero and X departed on their mission. Iris bowed her head, clasped her hands, and fervently prayed.
~*~
Zero and X raced to the space station, X's hand already in buster form and Zero tightly gripping his saber. He had sent a message to Axl ahead of time, and had gotten the okay back shortly before they began their mad dash. Whatever Repliforce, and ultimately Sigma, had planned for space was going to come crashing down before it even began. Zero also swore he would finish Sigma off this time, and Virus body or not, the bastard would never come back.
X stopped and motioned for Zero to do the same. They crouched behind foliage, and before them stood the desolate Space Station. Something huge was docked and ready for takeoff at any minute, and at the entrance of the station stood the massive General with Colonel and the small unit of fighter Reploids. Among those nameless fighters was Axl. Zero did a quick count—three top-ranked hunters and an officer of a police force versus five basic fighters and General of said police force. The odds were in their favor and would remain so unless Sigma was also around.
Without a word or glance, just going on what felt right, Zero and X burst through the foliage and charged head-on. X had a half-charged shot ready and fired it off, dispatching two of the fighters, although the blast bounced harmlessly off General. Colonel and one of the fighters jumped to the sides as Zero mowed down the rest of the weaker Reploids with a single swipe of his saber.
General howled in anger. "Colonel! Dispatch them!"
"I'm afraid not, General." Colonel stood straight and, although he was regretful, still pointed his unsheathed sword at his commanding officer. "You are infected with the Maverick Virus, and no officer of Repliforce with any of his sanity remaining would follow a Maverick!"
General turned to the remaining fighter Reploid, who shrugged and, in a flash of light, transformed back into Axl. Vastly outnumbered and the odds stacked against him, General at the audacity to laugh.
Colonel paused, and General turned to him with madness in his eyes. "Even still, I was prepared for this!" General cackled. "I never needed you, Colonel! All you did was boost the morale of the non-infected, and even those numbers are dimming! All of Repliforce, and soon even you and your precious sister, will join the ranks of the Mavericks! We'll change the world… once we get rid of the likes of you!" a massive hand pointed at X and Zero, who tensed.
"Change the world?" Zero spat. "Sounds like Maverick talk to me!"
General grinned insanely. "You thought I was bringing all of Repliforce with me, didn't you? So you sent all your Hunters to get rid of the force coming here, didn't you? But he told me how to trick you, how to know what you think! Even now, I'm fetching a very pricey bargaining chip… one the good Colonel couldn't refuse."
The look of pure horror on Colonel's face was enough, but before Zero or X could do anything, Axl jumped into the air.
"I'll head back!" was all he said before he vanished into a teleporting beam of light.
Back at HQ, it was chaos. The self-defense mechanisms were going haywire as infected Repliforce barged through. Hunters who had not gone were struggling to hold them back, and even those who did not normally fight, such as Navigators and Nurses, now blazed with buster pistols and wielded saber rapiers. Signas managed to defend a hallway all on his own, his entire body equipped to the teeth with various weaponry.
Axl teleported in behind Signas as the Commander threw a grenade at incoming Mavericks, blowing some to pieces and scattering the rest. "Commander Signas!"
"Axl!" Signas turned to him, a buster pistol in his hand. "What of Zero and X? What's going on?"
"It's a trap, sir! General knew, and now he's sent the Mavericks to kidnap Iris!" Axl looked around. "Where is she?"
"In the hangar with a small unit! Go back her up!" Signas took aim and fired, the shot cleanly ripping off a Reploid's head. The head flew into the air before smacking onto another Reploid, knocking it to its side.
Signas threw another grenade and ran backwards as it went off, and Axl dashed to the lifts, which, due to the state of emergency, were no longer operational. Axl grabbed hold of the bar and began the swift ascent, hoping he could make it up there and keep Iris safe. Agonizing minutes passed as Axl climbed, and the closer to the hanger he got, the more fighting he could hear. How could the Mavericks have already gotten up there?
Axl hopped up out of the lift shaft and dashed toward the sounds of fighting. Just as his dash ended and he was going to start another, the wall to his left exploded and Axl quickly jumped back, pistols up and ready. A huge Ride Armor lumbered through the hole, looking down the hall before facing him, a giant beam lance in the left hand and a right shoulder gun cocked and ready. Axl tensed as the Ride Armor faced him.
The cockpit opened and relief rushed into Axl's face. "Iris!"
"Good," Iris smirked, totally uncharacteristic and yet stunningly fitting for her sweet, round face. She sat as if on a throne in the pilot seat, giant gloves on her hands with wires at the fingertips connecting her to the fists on the Armor. A helmet covered her face, wires sprouting from that to also connect her to the Armor. "I need a little more precise gunfire. Hop on the top and be my sniper, Axl. We got a lot of clean up to do." Without another word, the cockpit closed, encasing her inside again. She waited for him.
No wonder Dad likes her. Axl hopped onto the top of the Ride Armor, tucking his feet under divots in the armor, keeping himself steady as Iris activated the dash pack, heading for a group of Mavericks. I hope I find a lady-friend like her one day.
Axl was immensely impressed as what Mavericks got through his shots, Iris took out with eerily accurate shots of her shoulder gun. If they got into melee range, she dispatched them with the beam lance with stunning efficiency, each strike directed at a weak spot detected only seconds before contact. Iris was an unstoppable monster in a Ride Armor, and as she and Axl cut a swath of destruction on the floors they descended down, Axl saw another reason why Repliforce would want her back.
Iris would make a terrifying Maverick.
They met back up with Signas, who had unfortunately lost ground even as Lifesaver, with his miniature army of Nurse Reploids, tried to back him up. Unfortunately, the Nurse Reploids were not built for fighting, and served more as unfortunate body shields than as capable fighters. With the arrival of Iris and Axl, however, the Hunters reclaimed the hallway and pushed the Repliforce Mavericks back.
When the base was clear, Iris opened the cockpit to speak directly to the surviving Hunters. Despite Lifesaver's best efforts, many Hunters had lost their lives in the attack, along with countless non-combat units. Iris pulled off the gloves, and then placed her hands on the helmet. Several clicks were heard and she removed the helmet, setting it aside as even more clicking emitted. Once completely disconnected from the Ride Armor, Iris hopped down with help from Axl, Signas meeting up with her, climbing over debris as he did.
"Impressive, Miss Iris," Signas complimented. "I admit I am shocked. That is a new type of Ride Armor, and no one managed to completely synch with it within a week, let alone ten minutes."
Iris beamed. "I am a certified pilot, sir. But, have you heard from Zero, X or my brother yet?"
Signas shook his head and her face fell. "However," Signas started. "Axl, you and Iris go back them up. Now that I've seen your prowess, I will give you permission to help, Iris. The Ride Armor should have teleport functions."
Axl and Iris nodded, and the girl quickly crawled back into the Armor. As she settled into the seat, wires automatically connected to every available port in her back and legs; she pulled the gloves on and placed on the helmet as she and the machine again synchronized. The Ride Armor flared to life and she made it stand up straight, closing the cockpit.
"Let's go," came her voice from the Armor's intercom. Axl nodded, and with a salute to Signas, the two teleported back to the Space Station.
~*~
Zero grunted as General's massive hand batted him aside as if he were a fly, knocking him into the nearby wall. Despite the combined strength of himself, X and Colonel, the Virus increased the already impressive power of General. General raised a fist toward X and discharged it, the massive limb racing at alarming speeds. X jumped into the air, dodging the fist. But instead of retracting backwards to its owner, the fist turned and followed X! He yelped as the fist barreled into him and suddenly switched directions, the speed forcing the winds to pin X against the fist. It slammed into the ground and Zero yelled for his beloved.
When the fist lifted up, it came back down onto X's prone form, practically burying him into the hard ground. Zero raced toward him, slashing at the hand with his saber as Colonel charged General himself. Despite also controlling the fist, General was not the least bit distracted and, with his free hand, used his thickly-armored bracer to deflect Colonel's attack.
General grinned madly. "I wonder if my men listened to me. I told them not to kill her, but, knowing how mindless some Reploids become when they go Maverick, you never know…"
"I shall rip you limb from limb," Colonel forced through gritted teeth. "And let you feel the pain of me shredding each of your wires and pulling out your cores and systems, one by one!"
General didn't reply, instead throwing his arm back and forcing Colonel to back off. He retracted his now badly damaged fist, but the projectile did its job—X was clearly out of the fight by the sparks and thin jumping threads of electric current racing along his body. Zero pulled the blue-clad hunter out of the hole, checking him over quickly. Relief blossomed on Zero's face when he realized, although critically injured, X was still alive. That relief became anger, and the blonde's eyes shimmered a dangerous red as he turned to General.
With a savage roar, Zero charged at General, saber out. The giant Reploid held his defending arm up, but his smug expression became surprise and pain as Zero's saber struck through the armor halfway. With a satisfied growl, Zero pushed on the saber's handle with all of his weight until it sliced through the arm cleanly. General screamed in pain, and Colonel stared in astonishment as the assortment of blood and other Reploid fluids poured out. Before, Zero's saber was as effective as his own, and yet now it sliced through feet of battle armor so much like a knife through butter!
Two beams of light teleported in behind Zero—one forming into Axl and the other into a massive Ride Armor. Zero jumped out of the way as the Ride Armor pointed its shoulder cannon at General's neck and fired. Although the bullet ricocheted off the armor, it left a decent enough dent. Another shot rang, and this bullet hit the exact spot even as General was moving to dodge, cutting through, a thin line of blood spurting into the air.
Colonel knew exactly who was in the Armor. "Iris!"
The Armor didn't answer, although it raised and activated its beam lance. Despite the fact General was still larger, the Ride Armor was just as wide and only six or so feet shorter than the Reploid, and in the hands of a master pilot, was now the most threatening enemy.
Iris' voice filtered out of the Armor. "You dare allow yourself to become infected, and then spread that despicable Virus to the rest of Repliforce? You'll not be forgiven, nor given quarter!"
Colonel rolled out of the way as General dodged a swipe of Iris' lance, and although her melee weapon missed, she fired another shot. Her aim was, unfortunately, imperfect this time, and instead of his head region, the bullet dented and was deflected off his thickly-armored chest. Still in his haze of rage, Zero kept General moving by attacking his sides, landing clean cuts when General foolishly leaned in his direction while avoiding Iris' attacks.
Axl knelt next to X, activating the unconscious Reploid's teleport system for him and sending him straight to the remains of Lifesaver's medic bay. X now out of harm's way, Axl leapt onto the back of the Ride Armor and with both pistols shot at General. Because of his position near Iris' shoulder gun, General was having a tough time discerning between Axl's harmless bullets and Iris' piercing ones. The massive Reploid was starting to lose, and it only enraged his Virus-riddled mind.
A sudden clap of power momentarily stunned all the fighters, and Axl yelped as a beam hit the Ride Armor. Iris' cry of pain and surprise, as she was now synched with the Armor and felt what it 'felt', knocked Zero and Colonel's out of their shock. A crazed laughter from the top of the Space Station drew all attention, even the wounded General's.
There, in all his demented glory, Sigma stood with his arms raised, as if receiving some hidden conduit of power.
"You…!" Zero roared.
"Yes, me!" Sigma cackled. "General, you fool, losing to a girl and her battle toy! You're worthless."
"Forgive me," General implored. "I was caught off-guard!"
"No excuses!" Sigma's jaw opened wide, and a beam gun protruded from the back of his throat. He fired at General, and the beam sliced cleanly between the massive Reploid's eyes, instantly frying his brain system and disabling him in one hit.
The beam ripped through General and hit the Ride Armor's own cockpit, and Iris' shriek caused Colonel to rush to the Armor and attempt to open it with his bare hands.
The door would not budge.
The ex-Hunter jumped down onto the Armor, knocking it onto its back. Sigma pivoted and planted his foot right into Colonel's face, knocking him back. When Zero made the move to dash at him, Sigma tilted his head down, the beam gun still sticking out of his mouth like a disgusting parasite.
"Those two would make wonderful additions to my team," Sigma's voice emitted from a speaker somewhere on the Maverick's body. "Either of you move, however, and I'll blast her."
Zero growled, but his anger with replaced with worry as Axl's pained groan was heard under the fallen Armor. "Axl!"
"Colonel, board the Final Weapon," Sigma ordered. "Failure will result in your sister's death, and, ultimately, yours."
Colonel rubbed his face where Sigma kicked him, scowling. He and Zero made eye contact, and slowly, Zero nodded. Colonel sheathed his weapon regretfully and, walking backwards, entered the Space Station.
Sigma kicked the Armor's door off its hinges, and in it, Iris laid sprawled with a smoking hole in her shoulder. As a reaction to the overload of pain, she had shut down, and all the wires from the mech were already disconnected, although still synched. Sigma bent down, grabbing her by her uninjured arm.
"No!" Zero dashed forward, hand reaching out. His fingertips brushed Iris's waist just as Sigma and she teleported, as well as General's body. "No, dammit!"
Zero turned to race into the Space Station when another groan from under the Armor stopped him. The blonde cursed—he couldn't just leave Axl. Ruefully, Zero struggled to lift the Ride Armor just enough so Axl could crawl out, but as the younger Reploid moved painfully slow, the 'Final Weapon', as Sigma called, it launched into space.
And all Zero could do was watch as it disappeared into the sky.
~*~
"I've compiled all the information I could," Alia said. It had been a full twenty-four hours since the launch of Sigma's newest weapon, and yet, as it orbited Earth, it has done nothing. In that day, all three hunters were repaired, although X still wasn't fully fixed. "What Sigma called Final Weapon is, more or less, a space cannon. It was meant to only wipe out small cities, but knowing Sigma, and who knows how long it's been in his possession, I bet it'll destroy more than a city or two."
Zero rolled his hands into fists. "Has anyone managed to contact Colonel or Iris?"
Alia regretfully shook her head. "With the death of Layer and Palette, I'm the only competent Navigator left. Between gathering information on the Final Weapon and parts for a space ship for you three, I haven't managed a link to either of them. Layer was much more talented in that department than me."
"Is the ship complete?" X asked. He winced as a familiar burn made itself known, and Zero wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pressed a hand to his chest, worry in his sapphire eyes.
"Yes," Signas said. "Alia is now working on where you could enter undetected."
Zero opened his mouth to speak, but Alia cut him off with a sharp, "Incoming transmission from the Final Weapon!"
The large screen flared to life, and Sigma's face filled the screen. He was grinning widely.
"Well, well," Sigma's voice filtered through, "I knew it wouldn't take too long before you began attempting to reach me here. Don't bother scanning for ways in, little Navigator. I invite your Hunters to my little toy."
"It's a trap," Axl muttered.
Sigma laughed, having heard the pistol-toting hunter. "Perhaps. But, really, Zero…" Sigma's eyes fixed on the red-clad hunter. "Could you really stand idly by after I show you this?"
Sigma stepped from the camera, and Zero took a step forward with a growl in his throat. Iris lay in a comatose state, settled into a new Ride Armor's pilot seat. What worried Zero, however, was the Ride Armor was glowing purple with Maverick Virus, and although it did not touch the girl. Colonel knelt nearby, his face hidden as he had his head bowed. Sigma cackled gleefully.
"Worry not, Colonel is unharmed… but should he attempt anything, Iris will become not just a Maverick, but my new host body." Sigma's face filled the screen again, still split in that mad grin. "So come, Zero… I'm waiting for you." The transmission ended.
Zero shook with rage. "Don't you worry, Sigma…" he hissed, "I'm coming for you."
"He wasn't joking when he saw he was inviting you," Alia remarked. "All of the shields are down. If he didn't have Colonel or Iris, I'd say we shoot the damn thing out of the sky…"
"We could," Signas said. He turned to the three elite hunters. "We still have the Enigma cannon. By the time you get to Final Weapon, I can bet we'll have it repaired and ready to go. Get in there and get Colonel and Iris, and we'll blow the thing up. Can you do that?"
Zero gritted his teeth, his head throbbing with a headache and familiar rage. It caressed his mind, whispering release from pain if only he gave in and ripped something apart, but he shoved it down.
"Yeah," X answered for him. "Search and Rescue. Mission accepted, sir."
Axl and X saluted, and a moment later, Zero did as well, though he still shook with fury. When dismissed until the ship was ready, Zero quickly marched out to his dorm to try and settle down. Axl watched him, and then lightly pushed X in the direction the blond had gone.
"Go calm him down, Pops," Axl said. "We can't have him losing his cool on a mission."
X nodded and limped after Zero. By the time he had caught up, Zero was already in his room, sitting in a chair facing a now-opened window that allowed the fresh breeze to come in. X smiled as he limped up to Zero, but that smile was gone as a familiar flicking sound pervaded the peaceful silence and Zero covered the little flame as he lit a cigarette.
"Z…" X lightly admonished, but the scolding died on his tongue. Let the man do what he needed to settle down. X instead pulled up a chair behind Zero and, for what little good it did through his armor, massaged Zero's shoulders and neck.
Zero relaxed under his careful touch, even leaning his head back and slowly exhaling smoke. Little puffs and rings of smoke floated into the air, then scattered when the breeze assaulted them, ripping them apart until nothing remained. Zero imagined himself as the breeze, seizing the smoke that symbolized Sigma and shredding it til not even scrap metal was left. Zero held the cigarette between his lips and used his free hands to toss the pack and lighter onto his nearby bed. He stood, taking the little stick of tobacco out of his mouth and facing X with stormy blue eyes.
X looked up at him. "Don't even think about kissing me while sucking on that."
Zero looked at the cigarette, then X, as if deciding what exactly he wanted more. X won out in the end, and the blue-armored hunter looked amused as Zero crushed the cigarette in his palm and dumped its remains in the nearby trash can. The blonde even went to the bathroom and washed his mouth out; when he returned and pulled X up, X smelled the fresh, minty scent of mouthwash.
Zero pressed his lips against X's a bit forcefully, but X relented easily enough and relaxed into the kiss, returning it deeply. Zero dipped X slightly, ravishing his mouth with his, as if trying to drink X's very essence and soul through the kiss. It made X heady, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head as he closed them. Before he knew it, he was sprawled on the floor, still locked in Zero's dominating and draining kiss.
They didn't have time to make love, both knew, and Zero settled for pinning X beneath him and sharing intense kisses, whispering gibberish between their lips. Although X tried to keep up with him, Zero seemed to grow frustrated with X's slow kissing, and cupped the back of his boyfriend's blue helmet, pushing his face into Zero's. Despite the pleasure of it, X was growing slightly afraid of how savagely Zero was kissing him, biting his lips and tongue enough to draw a bit of blood, which the blond eagerly sucked up.
Zero finally allowed their faces to part and he groaned. X stared at him, a little bewildered, even as his now-bruised lips ached and bled slightly. Zero enfolded X with his arms, covering every inch of the smaller Reploid with himself. Not even a needle could pass through them, and even as X returned the embrace, his worry grew.
As they lay on the floor in each other's arms, X prayed for a happy ending to all of this horror.
<--- PREVIOUS CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER --->