Chapter 16: Aftermath
The space ship was ready late in the night and, at full speed, would reach the Final Weapon within four hours after take-off. In that time, Lifesaver suggested the three recharge themselves so as to be completely prepared. That advice given, Lifesaver gave each of them four carry-out rechargers. Two would serve as back up energy tanks, and the other two to recharge on during the trip.
Signas repeated that this was a search and rescue and nothing more, pointedly looking at Zero the entire time. X was patched up a little better, but he could not use any of his stronger armor modifications yet, leaving him feeling bitter and like a burden. Preparations were finished swiftly, and soon, the trio was launched into space on an automated course for the Final Weapon. Zero's head started to throb with a headache, but he tried to hide it from X and Axl.
They took Lifesaver's advice and spent the time using two of their tanks each to recharge to maximum. Although X and Axl chose the shut down during their recharge, Zero remained awake. He knew he shouldn't, but Zero thought whatever possible to keep his fury alive. He truly didn't care what Signas said—he was going to get Colonel and Iris to safety and then kill Sigma himself. He'd let the explosion deal with the Maverick's remains, but the actual taking of Sigma's life was Zero's right alone.
He flexed his hands into fists, imaging with sick delight the feeling of crushing Sigma's limbs, tearing them off his body and beating him with them. Sigma's blood would coat everything, even Zero himself, and he would enjoy every insane second of it before he finally tore Sigma's head off and slammed it into the ground until it was a mess of blood, metal, wires and sparks. After that, Zero would further desecrate Sigma's body before leaving, and the vivid images of carnage both stoked the fiery rage and calmed him.
Zero didn't bother to marvel at the fact imagining such gruesome bloodshed got rid of his headache. He simply waited, biding his time, until that ferocity could be unleashed.
Finally, the space ship docked at Final Weapon, and X and Axl woke up. The trio exited cautiously, weapons at the ready as they moved as one through the first hallway, but nothing came to greet them. After a slow and agonizing march, which brought Zero's headache back with a vengeance, they came to a forked path.
"This is too obvious," X muttered. "But if we all go down the wrong passage…"
"I'll go alone," Zero announced quickly. He held his hand up to stop X's argument. "You're still a bit injured. Two ranged fighters will be better off than a range and a close-quarters combatant. I'll contact you if I find Iris and Colonel." He paused. "If you find Sigma… kill him for me. Don't let Signas' stupid ass cannon do it."
X frowned at Zero's venomous tone, but nodded regardless. "We will. Be careful."
"Don't do anything stupid, Dad," Axl added.
Zero nodded, pulling X close for a quick kiss and running a hand over Axl's head before dashing down the left path. X and Axl faced the right one, nodding to each other once before dashing down it.
The two Hunters skidded to a stop when an alarm went off, and almost instantly, mindless Reploids and Mechanoloids filled the hall. X aimed his charging Buster down the middle of them, letting out a full blast and taking out several of them. Axl rolled along the ground in front of X, kneeling as he fired both pistols and taking out whatever remained.
Sigma's laughter echoed down the hall, and the duo dashed toward it. X was glowing with charged energy as he remembered Zero's one request.
Kill Sigma for me.
~*~
Zero ran the halls of Final Weapon, screaming with rage at each senseless robot that stood in his way, dispatching them with a single swing of his powerful saber. Over and over in his mind, he replayed Sigma's video, of Colonel beaten to submission by the capture of Iris. Young, beautiful, peaceful Iris; the image of her wired mercilessly to a Ride Armor, the thing practically glowing with the Maverick Virus, and Sigma gloating over her seared Zero's brain until all he felt was anger and hate. How dare Sigma lay his hands on Iris, how dare he break Colonel, how dare he corrupt Repliforce and how dare he mess with Zero!
Zero didn't even wait for the upcoming door to open—he barreled through it shoulder-first and flung it far out before him. He skidded to a stop, and suddenly, all his rage vanished as he stared, wide-eyed and mouth open, to Colonel standing across from him, sword out.
Colonel's face was the picture of regret as he looked at Zero. "I am sorry, Zero, but this is as far as you go."
"No, Colonel…" Zero whispered. He ran forward again, perhaps to shake his friend, but Colonel pointed his sword at him and Zero stopped. "Colonel!"
"I am lost," Colonel ground out between clenched teeth. "I do not wish to strike down a friend… but what more can I do with the sanity of my sister on the line?"
"Don't give in to him, Colonel!" Zero cried. "He's lying, whatever he said! Whether you cut me down or not, he'll harm Iris, and you know it!"
"What else can I do!" Colonel screamed back. Zero took a step back, shocked at the intense emotion coming from his friend. Colonel never lost his composure, but now he appeared near the edge of depressing madness. "Well, Zero? You seem to know the answer! How can I get to her in time with him watching us every damned second? If I let you go, he'll infect her; if I fail to kill you, he'll infect her. If you cut me through, he'll infect her! What the hell am I able to do when I cannot protect my own sister, regardless of my choice?"
"Colonel…"
"Grant me mercy, Zero." Colonel closed his eyes. "Grant us both honorable mercy!"
An insane cackle filled the room, stopping Colonel in his charge. They both glanced around when a screen appeared between them, and Sigma's disgusting countenance filled it. The madman was grinning wide, and behind him, Zero could see Iris, still trapped to that infected Ride Armor.
"Very good, Colonel," Sigma drawled. "I do swear it – I will free her if you cut Zero down. What happens after that, however, it entirely to chance. But would you prefer a guaranteed loss of your precious Iris, or a slim chance to save her?"
"Sigma…!" Zero growled. "You sick fuck…"
"But you know…" Sigma smirked, the screen flickering, "what fun would there be if you honestly fought each other fair and square?"
Zero shouted a warning far too late, for an almost gaseous substance leaked out of the ground under Colonel's feet. The larger Reploid tried to move, but the thing grabbed him with wispy tentacles that vanished into every crack in him. Zero knew instantly what it was—pure Virus.
"Colonel!" Zero screamed. "Colonel!"
A flash of energy forced Zero to raise his right arm to cover his eyes, and when he lowered it, he barely managed to duck under the incoming wave of detachable energy the now-infected Colonel emitted from his sword. Eyes now the trademark Maverick red, Colonel swung his sword again, the energy attack now closer to the ground.
Steeling his resolve, Zero jumped over the attack and dashed low as another was flung at him. He swung his saber horizontally, grazing Colonel as the larger Reploid jumped back in an attempt to dodge. Colonel's image flickered then faded all together in his hallmark Invisible Dash. Zero whirled to the right just as Colonel reappeared in front of him, bringing the sword down and singing the ends of Zero's hair.
Dammit. No. No, no, no! Zero planted his feet into the ground and leapt into the air right above Colonel's head, rolling his body into an armored ball and slashing with his saber. He felt the hit strike Colonel and uncoiled, landing just a little behind the injured Maverick.
Kill him, a little voice whispered, making Zero pause.
That pause was rewarded with Colonel smacking Zero right in the chest with his sword, and Zero was tossed back a couple of feet with a small cry of pain. Sigma, still watching, howled with laughter.
"Don't hold back, Zero!" Sigma taunted. "I can assure you, your good friend Colonel isn't!"
As if in response, Colonel raised his sword up, and bolts of electric energy shot from it to crawl along the ceiling and walls. Zero glanced down, noticing a concentrated ball of it humming under his feet. The Hunter jumped back just as it shot a beam of electricity up into the ceiling and dissipated. Zero brought up his saber to parry Colonel as he charged and swung at him, and the swords met and stuck. It became a pushing battle then, the opponents glaring and teeth bared.
Just like the simulation. Just like the simulation. Zero chanted. Colonel is not your enemy! Is not…
Colonel won the strength match, shoving Zero back with a ferocity he never had when they had their friendly duels. Zero stumbled, only barely bringing his saber back up to parry.
I can't be defensive! If I want to survive and save him and Iris, I have to beat Colonel! Forgive me…
Zero sidestepped Colonel's overhead slash and stepped forward, with a horizontal slash, catching the Colonel in the torso. He cut through armor and exposed minor wiring, but the Maverick felt no pain and continued his assault. Zero dodged and spun out of harm's way like a dancer, using his saber only for striking and causing damage.
Zero rose into the air, spinning viciously with his saber becoming a destructive whirlwind. If he aimed just right, he could disable Colonel without killing him…
"Sacrifice yourself, good Colonel," Sigma growled.
Zero gasped and tried to retract his attack, but his momentum would not be stopped. The aim faltered and Zero watched in horror as his saber sliced right through the joint sealing Colonel's arm to his shoulder. The limb fell to the ground with a clatter, bleeding and sparking as Colonel backed up, face expressionless. In his shock, Zero's landing was less than perfect, and he ended up landing on his side in an ungraceful sprawl. He stared at Colonel, one eye closed at the pain of his fall.
"What the hell?" Zero demanded.
Colonel vanished for a moment then reappeared above Zero, stabbing his sword down toward the blond's head. Zero rolled out of the way and pushed himself up, swinging his saber before him and his eyes narrowing.
Sacrifice yourself? You bastard, Sigma…
The fight took a sudden turn as the infected Colonel attacked even more viciously, but also extremely carelessly. Every careful attack Zero planned so as to disable with minimal damage, Colonel jumped into as if attempting to commit suicide.
"How to jump start your rage, I wonder…" Sigma muttered. "Oh, I know…"
The screen went black and silent for several minutes as Zero once more fought on the defensive, parrying and dodging more than attacking. Electric energy from Colonel's sword flew at him when distance was made, and beams of that energy randomly erupted under Zero's feet. By the time Sigma returned to the screen, Zero was scratched up and holding his free hand against his chest, breathing hard.
"If you don't get through Colonel," Sigma hefted Iris' still prone body in range of the camera, "I'll extract some good, old-fashion fun from this sleeping beauty here." He ran his tongue up Iris' cheek.
Zero's face reddened in rage. "Don't you touch her!"
Sigma bit Iris' neck in response, grinning as he did so. Despite still attempting to dodge Colonel's frenzied strikes, Zero found his eyes glued to the screen, more and more fury building in him each time Sigma violated Iris with his mouth or hands.
When Sigma made the move to remove her armor, Zero felt something snap in his mind. It was so powerful he swore he heard it audibly, and even Sigma paused in his atrocious actions when it happened. Zero started to growl like an enraged animal, his eyes dilating into specs of black in the expanse of his irises, and he was shuddering dangerously. It was also as if Zero was glowing with rage.
"Don't…" Zero hissed between his growling and grounding teeth, "you dare TOUCH HER! "
Wildly, as if a Maverick himself, Zero charged at the screen, as if destroying it would kill Sigma. In his rage, Zero's eyes were closed as he slashed wildly at the screen, his saber cutting through metal and wiring, and he could hear blood spurting and splashing to the ground.
A groan snapped through his haze of anger and Zero's eyes flew open, his hands back behind him for a final overhead strike. Kneeling before him, shredded and falling apart, was Colonel.
Zero dropped to his knees as Sigma's insane laughter filled the room, Colonel's pieces falling to the ground with sickening thuds. The Virus seemed to mock Zero as it sunk back into the floor, seeming stronger and thicker, as if it had eaten Colonel's soul, should Reploids have one. The screen flickered out, leaving the room silent and foreboding.
Zero's saber deactivated as it hit the ground and he bowed his head. Oh… Oh no, what have I…
Zero stared at his hands. They were clean, but in his eyes he saw Colonel's blood all over them. He started to shake, and then grabbed his head as a piercing, high-pitched sound came out of nowhere.
What have I done?
~*~
X and Axl ran low to the ground as they navigated the Final Weapon, the halls still and silent save for their footsteps and breaths. With little effort, the duo had taken out barely-repaired Repliforce Commanders, and since then, not a single Maverick had attempted to face them. As they approached yet another door, X grabbed Axl's arm, his face pinched in thought.
"Final Weapon isn't that huge," X muttered. "This must be the end… let's wait to hear from Zero."
Axl fidgeted, but nodded and the two carefully placed themselves within a wall's shadow. Huddled together, X tapped his wrist and a small screen appeared.
"Zero?" he called softly. "Can you read me?"
Static was his answer, but X strained nonetheless. Seconds ticked by and Axl held his breath as they stared intently on that little screen.
Suddenly Zero's voice, layered with static, came through. "I read you, X. I'm going to Iris' location. Have you found anything?"
"We're at the end, I think. If Sigma isn't behind this door, then I don't know what is."
"Signas would have an easier time firing at a still object that an orbiting one. Try to disable Final Weapon's orbit. I'll meet back up with you at our space ship with Iris. Zero out."
X's eyes widened. "Hey, wait! Zero!"
Static.
Axl let out his held breath as X turned the radio off, annoyance clear in his eyes. "Shall we move out then?" Axl asked.
"Yeah," X grunted. "Let's see what's behind the grand ol' final door."
X and Axl carefully approached the door, and as X lifted his foot to climb up the single step leading to it, a floating figure in a black cloak appeared, wielding a beam scythe. The blue-clad hunter jumped back and Axl immediately fired, but the bullets went through the cloak with no effect.
"Hee hee hee…"
X knew that laugh from anywhere. "Sigma!"
"This is amusing," Sigma's voice hissed from the floating cloak. "X and his little friend have made it this far, although I suppose I can't say I'm surprised."
X aimed his buster cannon at the figure, eyes narrowed dangerously. "You won't get out of this alive, Sigma. All your tyranny ends today."
Sigma cackled. "You assume Mavericks will stop being made when I'm done… and such foolish naïveté will be your downfall, X! Even if I die… as long as he lives, there shall be a Maverick Virus, and there shall be Mavericks!" Sigma gave off the impression of being smug. "Besides, I just single-handedly destroyed an entire organization dedicated to removing Mavericks… your precious Hunters will fall, bit by bit, until all that remains is a world dominated by insane Reploids hell-bent on destruction."
X fired his charged shot, but Sigma vanished with a laugh. Immediately, X went for the door, his armor taking on a reddish hue. Axl followed quickly enough, although he was unsure just how useful he would be in this battle.
Through the door, the control panel for the Final Weapon loomed above them, as did Sigma's floating room. The insane Maverick laughed and dove for them, scythe out to swipe off their heads. Both ducked and X raised his cannon into the air, firing off a blast of fire.
Sigma's coat caught the flames and he yelped in pain, spinning wildly in the air to put it out. Axl aimed carefully at the quickly exposing parts of Sigma and fired, most of his shots hitting home. Sigma landed hard on the ground and tossed the flaming cloak aside, standing to his full, towering height.
"Tremble with terror; you are finished!" Sigma screamed, swinging at X with his scythe.
X dodged to the side, his armor returning to its standard blue. The switch to the flame weapon left him breathless, however, as his system was still not at one hundred percent. As he dashed toward Axl, he pressed a chip into the Reploid's face.
"Use it!" X barked as he turned and fired a shot at Sigma.
Axl scrambled to install the chip into his helmet as he ducked under the spinning weapon Sigma threw at them. He began the download and analyzed the data, realizing X had given him the chip for Web Spider.
The hell?
Regardless, Axl trusted X. If this was Sigma's weakness, so be it. Axl wall-jumped up the farthest wall and, clinging to it, copied the data and felt his form change. New data sprung from the transformation, and new weapons became available. Axl dropped from the wall, landing on all of his new legs and aimed his thorax carefully.
When Sigma stopped moving, Axl let out a stream of electrified web. It wrapped around Sigma's torso, trapping his arms to his sides, and sent painful pulses into his body. As Sigma grunted and struggled, X charged his cannon until energy was floating around him. The little orbs of energy drifted to his cannon, and with a shout, X released the massive shot. Sigma watched it approach with wide eyes and his scream lasted until the blue energy completely enveloped him. Axl reverted back to normal, and both and took cover under the computer console as the added electricity of the web sparked X's shot and forced an explosion. X crossed his arms over his face and planted his feet against the resulting discharge.
Sigma's smoking husk knelt on the ground, his breathing nothing but gentle rasps of intake. X slowly approached, buster raised.
"Disable the orbit, Axl," X commanded.
Axl nodded and scrambled to his feet, his fingers flying over the keyboard. Sigma grated out a laugh when the tell-tale beeping of input was issued.
"You won't…" Sigma's voice scratched. "Make it out… in one piece… Even if you… leave alive…!"
Axl yelped and dove out of the way when Sigma suddenly launched himself at Final Weapon's command console, slamming his palms into it. X let out a slightly charged shot, but Sigma dove to the side and over the rail, his body hitting the engine.
"Self-destruction mechanisms engaged in fifteen minutes," the computer intoned. "Security lock enabled."
"Shit!" X ran to Axl, helping him up and activating his radio. "Zero! Zero!"
~*~
Zero didn't know how long he had been dashing, how many things he had cut down or doors he busted through. All he knew was he had to get to Iris, had to save her, bring her to safety. He had lost Colonel, destroyed him, but he could not do the same with Iris. Colonel may have been infected, but if only Zero had time, if Zero was capable, perhaps Colonel could have been saved…
Stop regretting. You can do it after you save Iris.
The final door was a macramé of insanity—General's massive body was strung up by his wires and hung as if crucified; coolant, blood and oil was dripping and pooling on the floor. Under him, set in a semi-circle and twisted into horrid poses, as if worshipping, were the dead remains of both Reploid and human Repliforce workers. The Reploids were still smoking, their insides fried and humans were beginning to stink with decay. Zero gagged, knowing that, to open the door, he would have to slice down General, whose sparks would ignite the oil and set flame to metal bodies and rotting flesh. But thoughts of Iris pervaded his mind and Zero cut the giant Reploid down, ending his shame, and the bodies were set aflame behind the blond hunter as he dashed through the opened door.
Through the dark Zero raced until he saw the one piece of room lit. As he approached, Iris sat unconscious in the throne-like seat of a deactivated Ride Armor. Looking at the Armor with wary eyes, Zero studied it as he inched carefully closer. It was the beta prototype Armor, meant to feed off the emotion impulses of the pilot to strengthen its already impressive powers. How Sigma procured it, Zero did not wish to think of.
"Iris," Zero hissed. He reached out and gently touched her. "Iris. "
A few more careful shakes brought the girl out of her hibernation state, and as she glanced around confused, she mumbled, "Brother?"
Zero's core, his heart, dimmed and felt as if it was withering...but he had to get her out of there. "It's Zero. Iris, disconnect any ports quickly."
She straightened and closed her eyes, focusing. Panic rose to her lovely face as she whispered in fear, "I… I can't. My… my systems aren't responding! Zero!"
Zero wrapped his arms around her as she began to weep in fear. "This will hurt, but it's the only way."
Zero raised his saber up, intent on cutting the wires. It would shock her, pain her, to force a disconnection from a machine that required to be fully synchronized with her, but Zero knew it had to be done.
Suddenly, the Armor growled with life and it surged to its towering height, knocking Zero down and closing around Iris, her scream cut off as it started to glow. Zero shouted for her, slashing at the machine, even as it finished complete and total synchronization. But instead of Iris controlling it, the misty Virus rose from every dark crevice of the room and burrowed itself into the Ride Armor and, ultimately, into Iris.
Zero's eyes dilated as Iris' screams grew so loud they were crystal clear from deep inside the mech. Her system, already synched to a totally different mech, was attempting to reject this one even as it raped her, causing such pain Zero could feel the echo of her shrieks in the pit of his own being.
"IRIS!"
Zero slowly backed up as the Ride Armor powered itself up, fueled by the Virus and Iris' panic and fear. He rolled to the side as the Armor punched at him and, reflexively, he slashed out with his saber. When it met with the metal body of the Armor, Iris cried out and Zero froze. The Ride Armor had hijacked her systems completely, linking her sensory circuits to its outer armor. Anything Zero did would…
A compartment parted on the Armor and a deep purple gem glinted in the faint light. Zero stared at it, then quickly kicked up a nearby wall as it gathered particle energy and released a massive beam where Zero once stood. The beam sliced through the wall and into several hallways beyond, and Zero swallowed hard. If that thing had hit him, it would have been game over…
Zero dodged another punch from the Armor, trying to formulate some plan to free Iris without causing harm to her. Every few minutes, that purple gem would show and fire at him, and finally, Zero grew frustrated. When the beam died down, Zero dashed toward the gem and stabbed it with his saber.
Iris didn't cry out, but the Armor convulsed and the compartment closed, cutting off the energy of Zero's saber. He backed off, eyes slightly wide.
"Iris!" Zero cried. "Iris, if you can hear me, listen to me! That focusing gem… if you can, keep the compartment open!"
Zero rolled out of the way of another punch, and the gem again came out, gathering energy. However, the Armor froze in place and the gem stopped its charging. Zero heard Iris grunt and a metallic thunk echo in the cockpit, and the jewel was suddenly ejected out of the Armor. It spun and floated, as if confused, and then tried to return to its proper place.
The Armor resumed battling him, even as Iris tried hard to regain control of her own systems within. The internal power struggle immensely helped Zero, as the Ride Armor's accuracy was greatly reduced. Sometimes it even swung in the wrong direction as Zero jumped and slashed at the floating gem. Each hit jarred the Armor, and the worst he heard from Iris was the occasional grunt.
The focusing jewel suddenly grew in size, and Virus emitted from it, tentacles of it whipping around like snakes at Zero. Zero backed off as the Virus attempted to infect him and he bent his knees low. When the gem floated above him, Zero's saber was suddenly engulfed flames and he jumped up, striking the jewel dead on. The Virus hissed and sank back into it, and the floating object convulsed violently. Suddenly, it turned and flew at the Ride Armor and impacted it; Zero screamed in alarm as it exploded and left a massive, critical hole in the Armor.
Zero dove into the opening, his hand reaching for what seemed to be Iris'. He grasped it and pulled himself inside, slashing his way through to her. When her body was exposed, he covered it with his own and ejected himself out of the mech with her nanoseconds before it exploded, the Virus fried in the intense heat.
Zero landed crouched close to the ground, cradling Iris' prone body against his. He dropped his saber and took hold of her shoulders, shaking them.
"Iris! Iris!" Zero cried. "Please, Iris…!"
Iris moaned and opened her eyes; already they were devoid of the light and liveliness Zero had associated with her.
"Z-Zero…" Iris' hand came up and Zero grabbed it, holding it to his chest as his face pleaded with her. "My… my brother… Sigma… got him…?"
"Don't waste your energy, Iris… Save it, conserve it, I'll get you repaired!"
She forced a shaky smile. "I… I'm overheating… my insides…" She let out a wail of pain. Her very insides were melting slowly, dripping onto other components in her and scarring them, ruining them, killing her.
"Shut down, let them cool!" Zero held her close, his head against her chest. "Iris!"
She tried, so hard, to squeeze his hand. "Th-thank you… you… you saved us from… from living like Mavericks." She sighed. "T-too bad I… I never got to-to… meet that guy I'd make so… luck… e-e-e…" she whispered, her voice trailed like a failing machine.
"Iris!" Zero lifted his head to look at her, in time to see her smile and her head fall limply against his arm. Her eyes, still open, now dimmed to a neutral gray and became cross-hatched. Zero strained, but heard only silence. Her servos were destroyed, her core leaking.
Iris was dead.
Zero held her close, moaning her name, moaning apologies he was too late to make. His entire body shook as he clutched her body to his for a moment before he threw his head back and screamed.
~*~
X and Axl scrambled to start up the ship as Final Weapon began to crumble. X knew, even if this body was destroyed, Sigma would return as long as the Virus remained. He could only hope that, with the combined damage of the self-destruct and Enigma, the Virus would be vaporized and what strain was left on Earth would, eventually, stagnate.
"Zero!" X shouted over his comm-link. "Zero, please, hurry! What's taking so long? Where are you? What happened?"
Seconds ticked by and all he heard was static, and fear seized X's heart. What if Zero had been destroyed?
The loud thumps of Reploid boots began to echo from the hallway to his left, and when X turned, his heart jumped in relief to see Zero running toward them at full speed. That joy was cut and shredded when X saw Zero clutching Iris' limp body in his hands, Colonel's sword strapped to his waist.
No words were spoken as the three loaded quickly into the escape ship. Axl punched it out of the opening hatch, and seconds after he had turned the ship and flew full speed toward Earth, Final Weapon's wings exploded. Axl and X cried in alarm as the fire and debris of Final Weapon stretched for them like a hand of destruction, but the ship was fast enough to escape it. Just as the outer ring of the Final Weapon exploded, a beam of light shot from Earth, piercing the main body of the massive weapon, igniting it and forcing it to explode into a dazzling display.
After the initial scare, X assigned Axl to pilot as he went to the back of the pod. There, Zero had set Iris' body on one of the benches, her hands clasped at her chest and Colonel's sword in her grasp. She looked as if she were sleeping, but one quick scan revealed to X that though her body seemed only to be suffering minor scrapes and chips, inside she was molten metal. Nothing of her could be salvaged, save her outer shell.
Zero was staring at her from the adjacent bench, his own hands clasped and pressed against his mouth. X sat next to him, but Zero did not move. Even when he placed a hand on his back, Zero showed no response.
Several minutes of silence ticked by before Zero mumbled, "He infected them. Made them Mavericks."
X tensed, but gently coaxed Zero to face him. When the blond did, dropping his arms, X saw the anguish on his face. With a soft moan of sympathy, X pulled Zero into his embrace, letting his lover rest his head on his shoulder.
"You did all you could," X murmured. "You saved them from being Sigma's puppets… from being nothing but specks of horrified consciousnesses in their own bodies."
"I killed them," Zero rasped. "I should have… I could have…"
"No, no, no, Zero…" X rocked him slowly. "You did what you could. Don't blame yourself."
"I… I…"
Axl had placed the ship on auto-pilot, headed for the nearest space station near Hunter Base, and had come in to hear Zero's confession. The child-like face was dim, eyes sad and mouth set in a line as he looked as Iris. He had come to very much like the girl, and he tried hard to imagine how his Dad felt losing her.
Without a word, Axl climbed up onto the bench behind Zero and hugged him, and X's hands grabbed Axl's shoulders so that Zero was cradled between the two of them.
"You helped them go to a better place, Dad," Axl said. "You gave them mercy."
"I killed them…"
"Don't hold it in, Z," X whispered.
That was apparently all the permission Zero needed. As soon as the words registered in him, Zero's grief seized every part of his system and nearly overloaded him. The tightness in his chest, the pain inside was too much to hold back, and so Zero let out a desperate wail of torment. Tears, water reserves from his body, spilled from his eyes onto X's armor. In response, his last surviving family members tightened their hold on him, and Zero could only lament louder.
The entire way home, the only sound heard was Zero's cries; X nor Axl could even attempt to try to comfort him, simply holding him while he tried so desperately to release the pain he felt out into the air. But if he succeeded in that, it only came back into him, helplessness filling him each breath. All Zero could do was cry until he forced himself into hibernation, and even then, tears continued to trail down his dirtied face.
Axl watched Zero for several seconds before turning around and gently, sorrowfully, closing Iris' dead eyes.
<--- PREVIOUS CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER --->
The space ship was ready late in the night and, at full speed, would reach the Final Weapon within four hours after take-off. In that time, Lifesaver suggested the three recharge themselves so as to be completely prepared. That advice given, Lifesaver gave each of them four carry-out rechargers. Two would serve as back up energy tanks, and the other two to recharge on during the trip.
Signas repeated that this was a search and rescue and nothing more, pointedly looking at Zero the entire time. X was patched up a little better, but he could not use any of his stronger armor modifications yet, leaving him feeling bitter and like a burden. Preparations were finished swiftly, and soon, the trio was launched into space on an automated course for the Final Weapon. Zero's head started to throb with a headache, but he tried to hide it from X and Axl.
They took Lifesaver's advice and spent the time using two of their tanks each to recharge to maximum. Although X and Axl chose the shut down during their recharge, Zero remained awake. He knew he shouldn't, but Zero thought whatever possible to keep his fury alive. He truly didn't care what Signas said—he was going to get Colonel and Iris to safety and then kill Sigma himself. He'd let the explosion deal with the Maverick's remains, but the actual taking of Sigma's life was Zero's right alone.
He flexed his hands into fists, imaging with sick delight the feeling of crushing Sigma's limbs, tearing them off his body and beating him with them. Sigma's blood would coat everything, even Zero himself, and he would enjoy every insane second of it before he finally tore Sigma's head off and slammed it into the ground until it was a mess of blood, metal, wires and sparks. After that, Zero would further desecrate Sigma's body before leaving, and the vivid images of carnage both stoked the fiery rage and calmed him.
Zero didn't bother to marvel at the fact imagining such gruesome bloodshed got rid of his headache. He simply waited, biding his time, until that ferocity could be unleashed.
Finally, the space ship docked at Final Weapon, and X and Axl woke up. The trio exited cautiously, weapons at the ready as they moved as one through the first hallway, but nothing came to greet them. After a slow and agonizing march, which brought Zero's headache back with a vengeance, they came to a forked path.
"This is too obvious," X muttered. "But if we all go down the wrong passage…"
"I'll go alone," Zero announced quickly. He held his hand up to stop X's argument. "You're still a bit injured. Two ranged fighters will be better off than a range and a close-quarters combatant. I'll contact you if I find Iris and Colonel." He paused. "If you find Sigma… kill him for me. Don't let Signas' stupid ass cannon do it."
X frowned at Zero's venomous tone, but nodded regardless. "We will. Be careful."
"Don't do anything stupid, Dad," Axl added.
Zero nodded, pulling X close for a quick kiss and running a hand over Axl's head before dashing down the left path. X and Axl faced the right one, nodding to each other once before dashing down it.
The two Hunters skidded to a stop when an alarm went off, and almost instantly, mindless Reploids and Mechanoloids filled the hall. X aimed his charging Buster down the middle of them, letting out a full blast and taking out several of them. Axl rolled along the ground in front of X, kneeling as he fired both pistols and taking out whatever remained.
Sigma's laughter echoed down the hall, and the duo dashed toward it. X was glowing with charged energy as he remembered Zero's one request.
Kill Sigma for me.
~*~
Zero ran the halls of Final Weapon, screaming with rage at each senseless robot that stood in his way, dispatching them with a single swing of his powerful saber. Over and over in his mind, he replayed Sigma's video, of Colonel beaten to submission by the capture of Iris. Young, beautiful, peaceful Iris; the image of her wired mercilessly to a Ride Armor, the thing practically glowing with the Maverick Virus, and Sigma gloating over her seared Zero's brain until all he felt was anger and hate. How dare Sigma lay his hands on Iris, how dare he break Colonel, how dare he corrupt Repliforce and how dare he mess with Zero!
Zero didn't even wait for the upcoming door to open—he barreled through it shoulder-first and flung it far out before him. He skidded to a stop, and suddenly, all his rage vanished as he stared, wide-eyed and mouth open, to Colonel standing across from him, sword out.
Colonel's face was the picture of regret as he looked at Zero. "I am sorry, Zero, but this is as far as you go."
"No, Colonel…" Zero whispered. He ran forward again, perhaps to shake his friend, but Colonel pointed his sword at him and Zero stopped. "Colonel!"
"I am lost," Colonel ground out between clenched teeth. "I do not wish to strike down a friend… but what more can I do with the sanity of my sister on the line?"
"Don't give in to him, Colonel!" Zero cried. "He's lying, whatever he said! Whether you cut me down or not, he'll harm Iris, and you know it!"
"What else can I do!" Colonel screamed back. Zero took a step back, shocked at the intense emotion coming from his friend. Colonel never lost his composure, but now he appeared near the edge of depressing madness. "Well, Zero? You seem to know the answer! How can I get to her in time with him watching us every damned second? If I let you go, he'll infect her; if I fail to kill you, he'll infect her. If you cut me through, he'll infect her! What the hell am I able to do when I cannot protect my own sister, regardless of my choice?"
"Colonel…"
"Grant me mercy, Zero." Colonel closed his eyes. "Grant us both honorable mercy!"
An insane cackle filled the room, stopping Colonel in his charge. They both glanced around when a screen appeared between them, and Sigma's disgusting countenance filled it. The madman was grinning wide, and behind him, Zero could see Iris, still trapped to that infected Ride Armor.
"Very good, Colonel," Sigma drawled. "I do swear it – I will free her if you cut Zero down. What happens after that, however, it entirely to chance. But would you prefer a guaranteed loss of your precious Iris, or a slim chance to save her?"
"Sigma…!" Zero growled. "You sick fuck…"
"But you know…" Sigma smirked, the screen flickering, "what fun would there be if you honestly fought each other fair and square?"
Zero shouted a warning far too late, for an almost gaseous substance leaked out of the ground under Colonel's feet. The larger Reploid tried to move, but the thing grabbed him with wispy tentacles that vanished into every crack in him. Zero knew instantly what it was—pure Virus.
"Colonel!" Zero screamed. "Colonel!"
A flash of energy forced Zero to raise his right arm to cover his eyes, and when he lowered it, he barely managed to duck under the incoming wave of detachable energy the now-infected Colonel emitted from his sword. Eyes now the trademark Maverick red, Colonel swung his sword again, the energy attack now closer to the ground.
Steeling his resolve, Zero jumped over the attack and dashed low as another was flung at him. He swung his saber horizontally, grazing Colonel as the larger Reploid jumped back in an attempt to dodge. Colonel's image flickered then faded all together in his hallmark Invisible Dash. Zero whirled to the right just as Colonel reappeared in front of him, bringing the sword down and singing the ends of Zero's hair.
Dammit. No. No, no, no! Zero planted his feet into the ground and leapt into the air right above Colonel's head, rolling his body into an armored ball and slashing with his saber. He felt the hit strike Colonel and uncoiled, landing just a little behind the injured Maverick.
Kill him, a little voice whispered, making Zero pause.
That pause was rewarded with Colonel smacking Zero right in the chest with his sword, and Zero was tossed back a couple of feet with a small cry of pain. Sigma, still watching, howled with laughter.
"Don't hold back, Zero!" Sigma taunted. "I can assure you, your good friend Colonel isn't!"
As if in response, Colonel raised his sword up, and bolts of electric energy shot from it to crawl along the ceiling and walls. Zero glanced down, noticing a concentrated ball of it humming under his feet. The Hunter jumped back just as it shot a beam of electricity up into the ceiling and dissipated. Zero brought up his saber to parry Colonel as he charged and swung at him, and the swords met and stuck. It became a pushing battle then, the opponents glaring and teeth bared.
Just like the simulation. Just like the simulation. Zero chanted. Colonel is not your enemy! Is not…
Colonel won the strength match, shoving Zero back with a ferocity he never had when they had their friendly duels. Zero stumbled, only barely bringing his saber back up to parry.
I can't be defensive! If I want to survive and save him and Iris, I have to beat Colonel! Forgive me…
Zero sidestepped Colonel's overhead slash and stepped forward, with a horizontal slash, catching the Colonel in the torso. He cut through armor and exposed minor wiring, but the Maverick felt no pain and continued his assault. Zero dodged and spun out of harm's way like a dancer, using his saber only for striking and causing damage.
Zero rose into the air, spinning viciously with his saber becoming a destructive whirlwind. If he aimed just right, he could disable Colonel without killing him…
"Sacrifice yourself, good Colonel," Sigma growled.
Zero gasped and tried to retract his attack, but his momentum would not be stopped. The aim faltered and Zero watched in horror as his saber sliced right through the joint sealing Colonel's arm to his shoulder. The limb fell to the ground with a clatter, bleeding and sparking as Colonel backed up, face expressionless. In his shock, Zero's landing was less than perfect, and he ended up landing on his side in an ungraceful sprawl. He stared at Colonel, one eye closed at the pain of his fall.
"What the hell?" Zero demanded.
Colonel vanished for a moment then reappeared above Zero, stabbing his sword down toward the blond's head. Zero rolled out of the way and pushed himself up, swinging his saber before him and his eyes narrowing.
Sacrifice yourself? You bastard, Sigma…
The fight took a sudden turn as the infected Colonel attacked even more viciously, but also extremely carelessly. Every careful attack Zero planned so as to disable with minimal damage, Colonel jumped into as if attempting to commit suicide.
"How to jump start your rage, I wonder…" Sigma muttered. "Oh, I know…"
The screen went black and silent for several minutes as Zero once more fought on the defensive, parrying and dodging more than attacking. Electric energy from Colonel's sword flew at him when distance was made, and beams of that energy randomly erupted under Zero's feet. By the time Sigma returned to the screen, Zero was scratched up and holding his free hand against his chest, breathing hard.
"If you don't get through Colonel," Sigma hefted Iris' still prone body in range of the camera, "I'll extract some good, old-fashion fun from this sleeping beauty here." He ran his tongue up Iris' cheek.
Zero's face reddened in rage. "Don't you touch her!"
Sigma bit Iris' neck in response, grinning as he did so. Despite still attempting to dodge Colonel's frenzied strikes, Zero found his eyes glued to the screen, more and more fury building in him each time Sigma violated Iris with his mouth or hands.
When Sigma made the move to remove her armor, Zero felt something snap in his mind. It was so powerful he swore he heard it audibly, and even Sigma paused in his atrocious actions when it happened. Zero started to growl like an enraged animal, his eyes dilating into specs of black in the expanse of his irises, and he was shuddering dangerously. It was also as if Zero was glowing with rage.
"Don't…" Zero hissed between his growling and grounding teeth, "you dare TOUCH HER! "
Wildly, as if a Maverick himself, Zero charged at the screen, as if destroying it would kill Sigma. In his rage, Zero's eyes were closed as he slashed wildly at the screen, his saber cutting through metal and wiring, and he could hear blood spurting and splashing to the ground.
A groan snapped through his haze of anger and Zero's eyes flew open, his hands back behind him for a final overhead strike. Kneeling before him, shredded and falling apart, was Colonel.
Zero dropped to his knees as Sigma's insane laughter filled the room, Colonel's pieces falling to the ground with sickening thuds. The Virus seemed to mock Zero as it sunk back into the floor, seeming stronger and thicker, as if it had eaten Colonel's soul, should Reploids have one. The screen flickered out, leaving the room silent and foreboding.
Zero's saber deactivated as it hit the ground and he bowed his head. Oh… Oh no, what have I…
Zero stared at his hands. They were clean, but in his eyes he saw Colonel's blood all over them. He started to shake, and then grabbed his head as a piercing, high-pitched sound came out of nowhere.
What have I done?
~*~
X and Axl ran low to the ground as they navigated the Final Weapon, the halls still and silent save for their footsteps and breaths. With little effort, the duo had taken out barely-repaired Repliforce Commanders, and since then, not a single Maverick had attempted to face them. As they approached yet another door, X grabbed Axl's arm, his face pinched in thought.
"Final Weapon isn't that huge," X muttered. "This must be the end… let's wait to hear from Zero."
Axl fidgeted, but nodded and the two carefully placed themselves within a wall's shadow. Huddled together, X tapped his wrist and a small screen appeared.
"Zero?" he called softly. "Can you read me?"
Static was his answer, but X strained nonetheless. Seconds ticked by and Axl held his breath as they stared intently on that little screen.
Suddenly Zero's voice, layered with static, came through. "I read you, X. I'm going to Iris' location. Have you found anything?"
"We're at the end, I think. If Sigma isn't behind this door, then I don't know what is."
"Signas would have an easier time firing at a still object that an orbiting one. Try to disable Final Weapon's orbit. I'll meet back up with you at our space ship with Iris. Zero out."
X's eyes widened. "Hey, wait! Zero!"
Static.
Axl let out his held breath as X turned the radio off, annoyance clear in his eyes. "Shall we move out then?" Axl asked.
"Yeah," X grunted. "Let's see what's behind the grand ol' final door."
X and Axl carefully approached the door, and as X lifted his foot to climb up the single step leading to it, a floating figure in a black cloak appeared, wielding a beam scythe. The blue-clad hunter jumped back and Axl immediately fired, but the bullets went through the cloak with no effect.
"Hee hee hee…"
X knew that laugh from anywhere. "Sigma!"
"This is amusing," Sigma's voice hissed from the floating cloak. "X and his little friend have made it this far, although I suppose I can't say I'm surprised."
X aimed his buster cannon at the figure, eyes narrowed dangerously. "You won't get out of this alive, Sigma. All your tyranny ends today."
Sigma cackled. "You assume Mavericks will stop being made when I'm done… and such foolish naïveté will be your downfall, X! Even if I die… as long as he lives, there shall be a Maverick Virus, and there shall be Mavericks!" Sigma gave off the impression of being smug. "Besides, I just single-handedly destroyed an entire organization dedicated to removing Mavericks… your precious Hunters will fall, bit by bit, until all that remains is a world dominated by insane Reploids hell-bent on destruction."
X fired his charged shot, but Sigma vanished with a laugh. Immediately, X went for the door, his armor taking on a reddish hue. Axl followed quickly enough, although he was unsure just how useful he would be in this battle.
Through the door, the control panel for the Final Weapon loomed above them, as did Sigma's floating room. The insane Maverick laughed and dove for them, scythe out to swipe off their heads. Both ducked and X raised his cannon into the air, firing off a blast of fire.
Sigma's coat caught the flames and he yelped in pain, spinning wildly in the air to put it out. Axl aimed carefully at the quickly exposing parts of Sigma and fired, most of his shots hitting home. Sigma landed hard on the ground and tossed the flaming cloak aside, standing to his full, towering height.
"Tremble with terror; you are finished!" Sigma screamed, swinging at X with his scythe.
X dodged to the side, his armor returning to its standard blue. The switch to the flame weapon left him breathless, however, as his system was still not at one hundred percent. As he dashed toward Axl, he pressed a chip into the Reploid's face.
"Use it!" X barked as he turned and fired a shot at Sigma.
Axl scrambled to install the chip into his helmet as he ducked under the spinning weapon Sigma threw at them. He began the download and analyzed the data, realizing X had given him the chip for Web Spider.
The hell?
Regardless, Axl trusted X. If this was Sigma's weakness, so be it. Axl wall-jumped up the farthest wall and, clinging to it, copied the data and felt his form change. New data sprung from the transformation, and new weapons became available. Axl dropped from the wall, landing on all of his new legs and aimed his thorax carefully.
When Sigma stopped moving, Axl let out a stream of electrified web. It wrapped around Sigma's torso, trapping his arms to his sides, and sent painful pulses into his body. As Sigma grunted and struggled, X charged his cannon until energy was floating around him. The little orbs of energy drifted to his cannon, and with a shout, X released the massive shot. Sigma watched it approach with wide eyes and his scream lasted until the blue energy completely enveloped him. Axl reverted back to normal, and both and took cover under the computer console as the added electricity of the web sparked X's shot and forced an explosion. X crossed his arms over his face and planted his feet against the resulting discharge.
Sigma's smoking husk knelt on the ground, his breathing nothing but gentle rasps of intake. X slowly approached, buster raised.
"Disable the orbit, Axl," X commanded.
Axl nodded and scrambled to his feet, his fingers flying over the keyboard. Sigma grated out a laugh when the tell-tale beeping of input was issued.
"You won't…" Sigma's voice scratched. "Make it out… in one piece… Even if you… leave alive…!"
Axl yelped and dove out of the way when Sigma suddenly launched himself at Final Weapon's command console, slamming his palms into it. X let out a slightly charged shot, but Sigma dove to the side and over the rail, his body hitting the engine.
"Self-destruction mechanisms engaged in fifteen minutes," the computer intoned. "Security lock enabled."
"Shit!" X ran to Axl, helping him up and activating his radio. "Zero! Zero!"
~*~
Zero didn't know how long he had been dashing, how many things he had cut down or doors he busted through. All he knew was he had to get to Iris, had to save her, bring her to safety. He had lost Colonel, destroyed him, but he could not do the same with Iris. Colonel may have been infected, but if only Zero had time, if Zero was capable, perhaps Colonel could have been saved…
Stop regretting. You can do it after you save Iris.
The final door was a macramé of insanity—General's massive body was strung up by his wires and hung as if crucified; coolant, blood and oil was dripping and pooling on the floor. Under him, set in a semi-circle and twisted into horrid poses, as if worshipping, were the dead remains of both Reploid and human Repliforce workers. The Reploids were still smoking, their insides fried and humans were beginning to stink with decay. Zero gagged, knowing that, to open the door, he would have to slice down General, whose sparks would ignite the oil and set flame to metal bodies and rotting flesh. But thoughts of Iris pervaded his mind and Zero cut the giant Reploid down, ending his shame, and the bodies were set aflame behind the blond hunter as he dashed through the opened door.
Through the dark Zero raced until he saw the one piece of room lit. As he approached, Iris sat unconscious in the throne-like seat of a deactivated Ride Armor. Looking at the Armor with wary eyes, Zero studied it as he inched carefully closer. It was the beta prototype Armor, meant to feed off the emotion impulses of the pilot to strengthen its already impressive powers. How Sigma procured it, Zero did not wish to think of.
"Iris," Zero hissed. He reached out and gently touched her. "Iris. "
A few more careful shakes brought the girl out of her hibernation state, and as she glanced around confused, she mumbled, "Brother?"
Zero's core, his heart, dimmed and felt as if it was withering...but he had to get her out of there. "It's Zero. Iris, disconnect any ports quickly."
She straightened and closed her eyes, focusing. Panic rose to her lovely face as she whispered in fear, "I… I can't. My… my systems aren't responding! Zero!"
Zero wrapped his arms around her as she began to weep in fear. "This will hurt, but it's the only way."
Zero raised his saber up, intent on cutting the wires. It would shock her, pain her, to force a disconnection from a machine that required to be fully synchronized with her, but Zero knew it had to be done.
Suddenly, the Armor growled with life and it surged to its towering height, knocking Zero down and closing around Iris, her scream cut off as it started to glow. Zero shouted for her, slashing at the machine, even as it finished complete and total synchronization. But instead of Iris controlling it, the misty Virus rose from every dark crevice of the room and burrowed itself into the Ride Armor and, ultimately, into Iris.
Zero's eyes dilated as Iris' screams grew so loud they were crystal clear from deep inside the mech. Her system, already synched to a totally different mech, was attempting to reject this one even as it raped her, causing such pain Zero could feel the echo of her shrieks in the pit of his own being.
"IRIS!"
Zero slowly backed up as the Ride Armor powered itself up, fueled by the Virus and Iris' panic and fear. He rolled to the side as the Armor punched at him and, reflexively, he slashed out with his saber. When it met with the metal body of the Armor, Iris cried out and Zero froze. The Ride Armor had hijacked her systems completely, linking her sensory circuits to its outer armor. Anything Zero did would…
A compartment parted on the Armor and a deep purple gem glinted in the faint light. Zero stared at it, then quickly kicked up a nearby wall as it gathered particle energy and released a massive beam where Zero once stood. The beam sliced through the wall and into several hallways beyond, and Zero swallowed hard. If that thing had hit him, it would have been game over…
Zero dodged another punch from the Armor, trying to formulate some plan to free Iris without causing harm to her. Every few minutes, that purple gem would show and fire at him, and finally, Zero grew frustrated. When the beam died down, Zero dashed toward the gem and stabbed it with his saber.
Iris didn't cry out, but the Armor convulsed and the compartment closed, cutting off the energy of Zero's saber. He backed off, eyes slightly wide.
"Iris!" Zero cried. "Iris, if you can hear me, listen to me! That focusing gem… if you can, keep the compartment open!"
Zero rolled out of the way of another punch, and the gem again came out, gathering energy. However, the Armor froze in place and the gem stopped its charging. Zero heard Iris grunt and a metallic thunk echo in the cockpit, and the jewel was suddenly ejected out of the Armor. It spun and floated, as if confused, and then tried to return to its proper place.
The Armor resumed battling him, even as Iris tried hard to regain control of her own systems within. The internal power struggle immensely helped Zero, as the Ride Armor's accuracy was greatly reduced. Sometimes it even swung in the wrong direction as Zero jumped and slashed at the floating gem. Each hit jarred the Armor, and the worst he heard from Iris was the occasional grunt.
The focusing jewel suddenly grew in size, and Virus emitted from it, tentacles of it whipping around like snakes at Zero. Zero backed off as the Virus attempted to infect him and he bent his knees low. When the gem floated above him, Zero's saber was suddenly engulfed flames and he jumped up, striking the jewel dead on. The Virus hissed and sank back into it, and the floating object convulsed violently. Suddenly, it turned and flew at the Ride Armor and impacted it; Zero screamed in alarm as it exploded and left a massive, critical hole in the Armor.
Zero dove into the opening, his hand reaching for what seemed to be Iris'. He grasped it and pulled himself inside, slashing his way through to her. When her body was exposed, he covered it with his own and ejected himself out of the mech with her nanoseconds before it exploded, the Virus fried in the intense heat.
Zero landed crouched close to the ground, cradling Iris' prone body against his. He dropped his saber and took hold of her shoulders, shaking them.
"Iris! Iris!" Zero cried. "Please, Iris…!"
Iris moaned and opened her eyes; already they were devoid of the light and liveliness Zero had associated with her.
"Z-Zero…" Iris' hand came up and Zero grabbed it, holding it to his chest as his face pleaded with her. "My… my brother… Sigma… got him…?"
"Don't waste your energy, Iris… Save it, conserve it, I'll get you repaired!"
She forced a shaky smile. "I… I'm overheating… my insides…" She let out a wail of pain. Her very insides were melting slowly, dripping onto other components in her and scarring them, ruining them, killing her.
"Shut down, let them cool!" Zero held her close, his head against her chest. "Iris!"
She tried, so hard, to squeeze his hand. "Th-thank you… you… you saved us from… from living like Mavericks." She sighed. "T-too bad I… I never got to-to… meet that guy I'd make so… luck… e-e-e…" she whispered, her voice trailed like a failing machine.
"Iris!" Zero lifted his head to look at her, in time to see her smile and her head fall limply against his arm. Her eyes, still open, now dimmed to a neutral gray and became cross-hatched. Zero strained, but heard only silence. Her servos were destroyed, her core leaking.
Iris was dead.
Zero held her close, moaning her name, moaning apologies he was too late to make. His entire body shook as he clutched her body to his for a moment before he threw his head back and screamed.
~*~
X and Axl scrambled to start up the ship as Final Weapon began to crumble. X knew, even if this body was destroyed, Sigma would return as long as the Virus remained. He could only hope that, with the combined damage of the self-destruct and Enigma, the Virus would be vaporized and what strain was left on Earth would, eventually, stagnate.
"Zero!" X shouted over his comm-link. "Zero, please, hurry! What's taking so long? Where are you? What happened?"
Seconds ticked by and all he heard was static, and fear seized X's heart. What if Zero had been destroyed?
The loud thumps of Reploid boots began to echo from the hallway to his left, and when X turned, his heart jumped in relief to see Zero running toward them at full speed. That joy was cut and shredded when X saw Zero clutching Iris' limp body in his hands, Colonel's sword strapped to his waist.
No words were spoken as the three loaded quickly into the escape ship. Axl punched it out of the opening hatch, and seconds after he had turned the ship and flew full speed toward Earth, Final Weapon's wings exploded. Axl and X cried in alarm as the fire and debris of Final Weapon stretched for them like a hand of destruction, but the ship was fast enough to escape it. Just as the outer ring of the Final Weapon exploded, a beam of light shot from Earth, piercing the main body of the massive weapon, igniting it and forcing it to explode into a dazzling display.
After the initial scare, X assigned Axl to pilot as he went to the back of the pod. There, Zero had set Iris' body on one of the benches, her hands clasped at her chest and Colonel's sword in her grasp. She looked as if she were sleeping, but one quick scan revealed to X that though her body seemed only to be suffering minor scrapes and chips, inside she was molten metal. Nothing of her could be salvaged, save her outer shell.
Zero was staring at her from the adjacent bench, his own hands clasped and pressed against his mouth. X sat next to him, but Zero did not move. Even when he placed a hand on his back, Zero showed no response.
Several minutes of silence ticked by before Zero mumbled, "He infected them. Made them Mavericks."
X tensed, but gently coaxed Zero to face him. When the blond did, dropping his arms, X saw the anguish on his face. With a soft moan of sympathy, X pulled Zero into his embrace, letting his lover rest his head on his shoulder.
"You did all you could," X murmured. "You saved them from being Sigma's puppets… from being nothing but specks of horrified consciousnesses in their own bodies."
"I killed them," Zero rasped. "I should have… I could have…"
"No, no, no, Zero…" X rocked him slowly. "You did what you could. Don't blame yourself."
"I… I…"
Axl had placed the ship on auto-pilot, headed for the nearest space station near Hunter Base, and had come in to hear Zero's confession. The child-like face was dim, eyes sad and mouth set in a line as he looked as Iris. He had come to very much like the girl, and he tried hard to imagine how his Dad felt losing her.
Without a word, Axl climbed up onto the bench behind Zero and hugged him, and X's hands grabbed Axl's shoulders so that Zero was cradled between the two of them.
"You helped them go to a better place, Dad," Axl said. "You gave them mercy."
"I killed them…"
"Don't hold it in, Z," X whispered.
That was apparently all the permission Zero needed. As soon as the words registered in him, Zero's grief seized every part of his system and nearly overloaded him. The tightness in his chest, the pain inside was too much to hold back, and so Zero let out a desperate wail of torment. Tears, water reserves from his body, spilled from his eyes onto X's armor. In response, his last surviving family members tightened their hold on him, and Zero could only lament louder.
The entire way home, the only sound heard was Zero's cries; X nor Axl could even attempt to try to comfort him, simply holding him while he tried so desperately to release the pain he felt out into the air. But if he succeeded in that, it only came back into him, helplessness filling him each breath. All Zero could do was cry until he forced himself into hibernation, and even then, tears continued to trail down his dirtied face.
Axl watched Zero for several seconds before turning around and gently, sorrowfully, closing Iris' dead eyes.
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