Mega man X limitless potential

Chapter 23: a best friend's goodbye

(July 11th, 21xx) [hunter base]

I teleport back to base waiting for Zero and Clark to come back from their missions. Till then I will take care of my recent wounds from my previous battle. After a while, they show up. I immediately get up to greet them, but I see Clark battered and beaten and I ask "What happened to Clark, Zero?!" Zero answers "He was defending the border to prevent mavericks from going to metropolis." I ask "Is he going to be alright?" "I don't know, they did a number on him, but Dr. Cain said he heals pretty efficiently and that if he stays in the sun he will be good as new!" Zero answered in. Zero looks at Clark then back to me and says "I'm going to teleport Clark to Dr. Cain. After that, we have to get to the heart of the war and kill it." I ask "Does that mean..." Zero smiles and finishes with "Yes, we can end it now. I have the location." After Zero teleports Clark and returns they ask "You ready?" I nod enthusiastically at the thought of ending this horrific disaster.

[Sigma's fortress]

We teleport to a strange cliffside with a large fortress. Zero gives me brief information "This place is heavily fortified with a lot of mavericks, including Vile! We'll split up to divert their attention and meet back up when we are inside." When we got inside the parameters of the fortress, everything starts to shake and rumble till the fortress and we are in the sky! When we turn back around we see a platoon of soldiers aimed at us! they say "We are under orders to bring you in! but we rather kill you for what you did to our comrades and our new world!" I try to say something but Zero interrupts me quietly "These people are fanatics! you can't convince them to help stop this nonsense." I reply with "But... don't they know that this is wrong! That they are hurting people and there must be a peaceful way to address our problems." Zero responds with "Fight now, talk later" then the leader asks "what are you talking about?!" Zero answers "Now!" before they know it, we fired upon them with our busters until every one of them is dead. I look upon them with such regret. I feel dishonest and cruel! None of us deserved this fate. Nobody deserves to die! But I must continue my mission for everyone's sake! so that no one must experience war, and discrimination again! Zero snaps me out of my trance to say "You ok, X? I know how hard this is for you." I answer heroically "No! I have to help! I can't let anyone else get hurt on my behalf! I want to protect everyone! I don't want any more harm to come to others!" I let out a huff. before I could move Zero stops me! Zero tells me "X! calm down! It's great to think this, but if you believe it, Sigma will wear you down! No one person can protect everyone alone! it's impossible! If you think you must be the sole protector you might become like Sigma! People do and will get hurt every day. We are here to help others and react to those who are threats to our freedom and safety!" It took me a while but I finally calm down. I speak "Yeah. You're right. lets split up." Zero shakes their head and says "No. lets stick together! Can't let you go alone. you might need my help, you squishy blueberry!" I smirk in how that joke comes up in a situation like this. I reply "Then... let's go!" we move towards the inside of this fortress fighting mavericks along the way. when we are at the front door we see Vile! Zero says "Hold on X! they're mine!" Zero tempestuously rush Vile thru the door! "Zero! What about working together!" As I run to help my best friend. When I get inside I see Vile in their ride armor and Zero alongside me as I get flashbacks from when I first fought Vile. the one in the ride armor speaks "This ride armor is far stronger than your ancient weapons! Before you die X, I want to say that I hate you the most! Sigma always praises you for everything! That you have limitless potential! Ha! you are nothing! And I will crush you into nothing!" Vile rushes me immediately! "Augh!" I tried to dodge with everything I have but Vile is just too fast! Vile gives me a left hook and a right hook with a hard clank for each fist that hits me! Zero tries to blow off Vile's ride armor at the arms. The ride armor skids away from me, but, to our surprise both arms are still there. Vile realizes this and laughs. they then target Zero with me struggling to get up from the punishment I endure. I see Zero facing the same punishment as I did. But Zero gracefully dodged many of Vile's attacks while attacking themself. What I realize is the ride armor is taking little damage from Zero as it shows only minor dents and scrapes. When I finally get up I charge with the power gear to the fullest. But, what I find out is that I can't aim well and I don't want to accidentally hurt Zero! I try to shoot upwards... " ahhh!" I used too much of the power gear and now I can't move! Now I have to just watch and listen. "Why must you be friends with that weakling! Why must you fight for them! Don't you know that only the strong will survive!" Zero responds with "It isn't like that anymore. And that's why people like you don't understand us. We are fighting for justice! We are fighting so that people won't have to experience the horrors that you want to be a reality." By the time Zero finishes, I recover from the overload I had put myself through. And I seem to partly heal from the blows Vile put me through. When I look up I see Vile in front of me holding Zero in one of their hands like a broken toy looking at me. They glare at me before saying "Now that you don't have your precious Zero You have to actually fight me! Like you have a chance! Hahahaha!" Because of what Vile said I get a second wind and shoot Vile's head. Vile deflect it using the ride armors arms. Vile threw Zero aside like a doll and that gesture made me furious like one of the worst natural disasters in the world. I fire wildly at Vile hoping to get a few hits on them. When Vile swings at me I gracefully dodge with only the dash as Zero did when they attacked the faceless monster that I'm facing now. But my buster shots aren't doing any damage. ultimately I feel powerless to stop them. When I least expected it Vile punched me hard like a hundred-ton train. "ahhhh!" I landed hard enough that my limbs feel like jelly and everything hurts. But I must get up! I must prevail or die trying! I... won't let Sigma win! I finally get up defiantly, look at Vile, and spit my blood at their face. When they finished wiping it off I shoot a fully charged shot. they blocked it and fired a paralyze shot and that is when I lose all hope. But what we don't expect is that Zero climbed on top of Vile's ride armor and says "X, there's nothing more I can do except this! I'm sorry." Before I knew what they meant. A white flash overcomes my eyes As I hear a huge explosion. When I recover I see and hear my heart breaking into smithereens and my eyes become waterfalls as I see Zero blown in half. "Zero!? Zeeerooooo!" I scream to my limit to get some kind of response. But, before I can get one I hear one a voice behind me says "What a worthless gesture! I can't be beaten so easily!" Those words single-handedly turned my sorrow into righteous fury and I feel something inside me grow. I feel something powerful, even overwhelming, trying to take over me. and. I. let. it! This rush of power takes over my muscles! I break the chains that bind me and heal to my max! VIle, shocked by this says "What the...!? Where did that energy come from?? It really doesn't matter how much energy you absorb X. You are still far too weak! prepare to be terminated!" But I don't care about what Vile says. I will kill them for what they've done! And with this power, I'll be able to right the wrongs they've done to everyone. including Zero! The battle begins. But with the power bestowed upon me, it wasn't much of a battle as I gather energy to throw a fireball and when Vile gets close I Yell "Hadouken!" and throw the fireball. Vile instantly disintegrates to nothing as the power starts to come back inside me. I run to Zero hoping that they are still alive. I pick up the remains of my best friend trying to reassure them "Zero! hang in there, buddy!" They weakly respond "X... promise me that you'll fight for your dream and... that you find others like Clark to protect the earth... so you can help others without having to fight." I tell Zero "Don't waste your energy talking Zero! I've gotta fix you up." they shake their head and say "There's... no time for that... you... were good out there... but... you need an edge... to stop Sigma. take my arm parts and you'll be stronger than before... go now... maverick hunter........ X..........." After that Zero drew their last breath. "I... I... I promise. Zero." I feel a wave of energy come to my arms, the same one before, and spreads to Zero's arms and after the energy fades inside me once again my arms are reverted in color. I transform one of my arms to a buster and it's the same buster as Zero's! It's mostly white with a red tip, the barrel being very wide and inward, and with a few smaller barrel-like attachments. I charge it up to the fullest without using the power gear and shoot it! the charge shot is completely red like Zero. I don't want to... but I have to leave Zero's body here. I can't waste time. I must stop Sigma for what they've done! I move forward to meet with the one who started this war!