Mega Man Fan Fiction ❯ Mega Man X: The New Mavericks - Arc 1: Outbreak ❯ Sparring ( Chapter 4 )

 

Zero didn't know how long he had been sitting in his room; it could have been as short as a few minutes or as long as a few hours. Whichever it was, he didn't care; it had been more than enough time for him to clear his head. His ears still burned slightly from the cruel words spoken by the girl Trysta, and he felt a hint of anger that he had to sit there and take her abuse without retaliating.

 

One day, he would pay her back for the humiliation he had endured for those few moments. One day, she would know what it was like to be denigrated without having the ability to fight back. A part of him eagerly looked forward to that day, and a slow smile touched his lips briefly as he thought about it.

 

Finally, he stood up and stretched. He had been sitting far too long in one position, and his limbs ached slightly as they adjusted to being moved again. He knew he needed something to keep his mind off his anger, so he decided to see what X and Axl were up to. He hadn't heard much from them since they all had returned from the gathering, and he was becoming a bit curious.

 

Exiting his room, he walked the few steps over to X's and knocked on the door. Within seconds, the door slid open and X stood there, looking incredibly relieved to see him. “Zero! I'm so glad you're here.” He said, taking Zero's arm and tugging him into the room. “You've got to help me, Zero. Ever since we came back from the common room, Axl's been talking nonstop about that girl reploid Nami that he met. I can't get him to shut up!”

 

“I have not been talking about her nonstop, X!” Axl protested as Zero took a seat on the floor. “Sure, I've been mentioning her quite a bit, but that's far from nonstop.”

 

X shot Zero a helpless, “See what I've had to put up with?” look, which Zero promptly shrugged off. He hated to get in the middle of this, but he knew if he didn't, he wouldn't have any peace for the rest of the day. “Axl, I know she must be a great girl, but can you please give X a break from the endless chatter?”

 

Zero could feel Axl give him an evil scowl, while X beamed him a grateful smile. He ignored Axl's glare, not wanting to add any more fuel to the fire than he already had. “Hey, do you two know of anything exciting we can do around here?” he finally asked, figuring a switch in topics was best. “I'm getting bored stiff with just sitting around in my room.”

 

After a moment of quiet thought, X stood up rapidly. “Hey! I know!” He exclaimed. “I remember Molli telling me about the training rooms on the lower level of the lab when she showed me to my room. Why don't I call her and ask her about them?”

 

“Great idea, X!” Axl replied. Zero merely nodded his agreement, figuring the combined exuberance of his two friends was enough without his adding anything to it.

 

X made his way over to the communications console and tapped a button. After several seconds, Molli's image appeared on the monitor.

 

“Hello, X.” Molli greeted him, her smile warm. “What can I do for you?”

 

“Molli, can you tell me more about the training rooms you mentioned when I first arrived here?” X asked. “The three of us would really like to use one of them.”

 

“I'll do one better. I'll show you where you can find them.” A map appeared on the screen, showing the shortest route to the rooms. “You can see you're very close already.” She continued as X studied the map carefully. “Just take the second hall elevator down three floors, then make a right once you step off the elevator.”

 

“Okay, I think I've got it. Thanks, Molli.” X said, reaching for the button to end the communication.

 

“Wait. I should forewarn you three.” Molli interjected, causing him to pause with his hand on the button. “The training rooms tend to be Trysta's domain. You'll often find her down there training a new guard or sparring with the other three reploids. I just wanted to advise you of that, so you can give her a wide berth if necessary.”

 

“Thanks for that, Molli. If we need anything else, I'll call you again.” Seeing her acknowledging nod, X ended the communication and turned to face his two friends. “So, shall we go?” he asked.

 

“If it means seeing Nami again, I'll go!” Axl stood up, feeling a blush tinge his face as he saw X roll his eyes. “I mean, I could use the bit of practice myself. After all, it is rather boring sitting here and daydreaming.”

 

“Well, let's get moving, then.” Zero stood up and headed for the door. “The longer we stay up here and chitchat, the shorter the time we'll have for training.”

 

Axl fell into step beside X. “So, what do you think our chances are of meeting up with Trysta again?” he asked.

 

“Knowing our luck? It's more likely than not that we will see her.” X answered with a shrug. “That's just how things work with us, I guess.”

 

**********

 

The gun Dax held in his hands recoiled as it fired, sending a spray of stinging bolts toward the figure of his training partner. He held the gun as steady as possible while he fired, knowing one small slip could prove disastrous. Even though the weapon was set on “Stun”, he still did not want to take the chance that it might be live without his knowing, and risk hurting someone inadvertently.

 

His opponent crouched and drew a pair of blades from her back. Linking them together at the hilts, she formed a double-bladed weapon that she spun in front of her. It deflected most of the shots that whizzed toward her, sending them harmlessly into the surrounding walls; the few that it didn't block were slowed enough not to pose a significant threat. The more he fired the gun, the more she deflected the shots, until he ran out of energy and was forced to holster it.

 

He barely had time to draw his sword when he heard the distinctive sound of someone running toward him. Holding the sword in his left hand, Dax swung it upward in a huge arc, hoping to parry whatever blow might be coming his way. He seemed to briefly strike something, felt the edge of his blade lightly scrape against something that wasn't there a few seconds previously. In the blink of an eye, it was gone, replaced by the powerful blow that struck him in his chest. He staggered back, falling against the shatterproof glass behind him with a grunt as he mentally thanked the designer of his armor for making it so sturdy.

 

He looked up as he saw the figure land a few feet away from him. “Nice one, Trys.” He said, removing himself from his leaning posture. “Once again, you prove you're entirely too fast for me.”

 

“Oh, don't be silly, Dax.” She replied, brushing a fingertip along the shoulder of her training armor. “You had me across here, didn't you? I've never let you get a hit like that off me.” Frowning, she plucked off the few strands of hair he had sliced when his sword had struck her. “Either I'm getting soft or you're getting much better. Or you're telling me I need a haircut, one of the three.”

 

Dax shook his head. “It had to be a fluke.” He protested. “There is no way I could have hit you that easily.”

 

She rested her hands on her hips. “Then you must admit that that's one heck of a fluke.” She countered.

 

She was about to continue when a hint of motion caught her attention. Looking around Dax, she saw the trio of Hunters watching them through the glass. “Look sharp, Dax.” She remarked, jerking her chin in their general direction. “It appears we have an audience.”

 

**********

 

Zero groaned inwardly, wishing he could disappear as quickly as they had been spotted. The three of them had been looking for an empty room they could use when Axl had slowed down to watch what was going on in one of the occupied rooms. Zero and X had turned back to see what delayed him, and they wound up standing and observing the match that was going on, not realizing who was involved until it was over.

 

X and Axl felt their faces redden. “Well, looks like you were right, X.” Axl remarked. “With our luck, we did run into her again.”

 

As X was about to reply, two familiar figures approached the door to their left that led into the room. The two Hunters looked up, only to meet eyes yet again with Rei and Nami before the two girls entered. They observed Trysta as she greeted the pair kindly, interacting with them for a few minutes before she seemed to notice them again.

 

She then surprised them by gesturing that they should come in as well. X exchanged a look with Axl, who then shared a look with Zero, before the three of them slowly made their way into the room. Axl entered first and moved to stand next to Nami. X moved to stand near Rei, while Zero made himself comfortable leaning against the wall behind him. All three of them watched Trysta with some degree of curiosity, as they had not expected her to make a gesture like this. Surely her way would have been to mock them for being foolish enough to stop and watch her, wouldn't it?

 

Her expression was slightly bemused, but her voice was as enigmatic as ever. “I'm sure you're wondering about this sudden `generosity' of mine.” She began. “I am never selfish when it comes to my training rooms. I may be selfish in other aspects of my life, but not the use of these rooms. As long as you follow the rules, you are more than welcome to use them as much as you like.”

 

“And what rules are those, I wonder?” Axl muttered under his breath. “Letting you win in a sparring match or else we're banned for life from using the rooms?”

 

The glare Trysta gave Axl was so malicious it caused him to involuntarily take a step backward. “You want to try facing off against me, Axl?” she asked icily, her eyes narrowing dangerously. “Because if there's one thing I have no tolerance for, it's slander of any kind, regardless of who its intended target is.”

 

The smart remark that he intended to throw back at her promptly died in his throat as he stood beneath her glare. The girl could go from enigmatic to cruel in milliseconds if she felt so justified, and the result would not be pretty unless he found some way to defuse it. “I…I didn't mean it that way…” he stammered, mentally cursing himself for letting her get to him so easily.

 

Her jaw tightened. “Oh, didn't you?” she asked mockingly. “It sure sounded like you meant it that way. My, my, do you always lose your nerve so quickly when called out on something?”

 

“Back off, Trysta.” Zero stepped away from the wall, his eyes as hard looking as her own were. “He said he didn't mean for it to sound that way, and I believe him. So just let it drop.”

 

“It's so admirable how you stick up for him, Zero.” She sneered in reply. “Tell me, Axl, was it difficult to turn Zero into your own personal lapdog? If so, I'd like to have lessons on how to do it.”

 

Zero gritted his teeth, seeing tinges of red in the corners of his vision. It seemed she always found something to use as ammunition against them, even words of support for a friend. He clenched his fists at his sides, resisting the urge to silence her with a powerful backhanded strike across the face. That urge was unlike him, but her cruelty was rapidly fraying the control he had over his temper.

 

“If you think you're so great and wonderful.” He ground out between his clenched teeth. “Then why not spar against us? That way, we can see how `wonderful' you really are.”

 

“Not a bad idea.” She answered with a smirk. “Maybe if the three of you have your collective asses handed back to you in a fair bout of sparring, it will get you to leave me alone.”

 

Zero's glare darkened as he tried to ignore her snide comment. “We will see.” He growled. Turning his back on her, he looked at his two friends as they stared. “Well, shall we follow through on my offer?” he asked.

 

Seeing their nods, he turned back to Trysta. “All right. You'll have your match…” he said, beginning to draw his saber. He mentally thanked himself for having the foresight to pick it up before he exited his room, as he had missed it acutely during their last meeting.

 

She held up a hand. “Before you do anything, you need to know the rules.” She answered coolly. “First, you are to respect your opponent, meaning hitting them when they're down and defenseless is out of the question. Secondly, gun weapons are not to be used unless they're set to stun. I do not want anyone being seriously injured here.”

 

She paused, raising an eyebrow as she caught sight of Zero drawing his saber from his belt. “Adding on to the second rule, Zero, you'll have to turn down the power on your weapon.”

 

“What?”

 

“You heard me perfectly. The higher the power of that weapon, the greater the risk of you injuring someone with it. Now, either turn down the power on it, or select a different weapon.” She rested her hands on her hips as she waited for him to make his decision.

 

He glared at her for several moments before touching a button on the hilt of his saber, modulating its power output. He hated to admit she was right, but he could see the logic behind her rules. He was sure that, without those rules in place, she would likely have some half-cocked individual come in under the pretense of “sparring”, only to wind up seriously injuring or killing someone, if she hadn't seen one already.

 

She nodded her brief appreciation without an accompanying smile before turning her attention to X and Axl. After making sure their weapons were adjusted accordingly, she drew her own weapons. “Well, shall we get this going?” she asked.

 

Although the other two nodded, Zero could make out the slight paling of their faces as they saw the pair of short swords that she wielded. And he couldn't blame them. The blade of each one was as long as her forearm; and had she not appeared to know what she was doing with them, the three of them would likely have not escaped this bout without injury. But the grace and ease with which she handled them suggested she was very familiar with using them, almost like she had been born with them as extra appendages.

 

As she turned and walked to the far end of the room, Axl and X moved to take positions near each other. Each had weapons at the ready; Axl with his guns, X with a smaller version of the gun Dax often trained with. He would normally have used his Buster, but it was difficult to regulate the power output on it, so he chose not to chance it being too powerful.

 

Reaching her desired place, Trysta spun back to face them before fluidly dropping into a crouch. It was her favorite pose to take when sparring or fighting, as it provided her with the most mobility and the least vulnerability. She looked up at the trio where they stood, smiling to herself as she felt her heart start to race.

 

She hoped this was a challenge worth taking up.

 

“I'm ready when you three are.” She called out. “Unless you're backing out on me already…”

 

She didn't even have time to finish her taunt, as Axl raised the barrels of his guns and opened fire. X followed suit quickly thereafter, adding his own fire to the mix. Zero waited to see what the result might turn out to be. His eyes widened slightly as he watched what she was doing. He never thought something like that could be possible! He had seen it when he watched Trysta face off against Dax, but he thought it was merely his eyes playing tricks on him. Now he knew it wasn't an illusion, wasn't him losing his mind. She was really doing it!

 

Still tucked into her crouch position, Trysta had linked the hilts of her twin blades so she effectively had a double-bladed sword. Keeping her gaze locked on the two figures pointing their guns at her, she spun the long blade in her hand. The result was her effectively creating a barrier that was deflecting the majority of the shots. Most of them struck the walls and floor surrounding her, making dull thudding noises as they landed. The few that managed to slip past her defense made small gouges along the surface of her armor and cut tiny bloodless nicks in her hands and cheeks.

 

After several moments, both X and Axls' weapons signaled they were out of energy. As they tried to figure out what to do next, Zero noticed they were dropping their guard ever so slightly. Apparently, it was all the opening she needed; for the next thing he saw was her separating her twin swords and replacing them on her back. She didn't waste a second, as soon as they were secure on her back, she charged toward her opponents as fast as she could in the confines of the room. They barely had time to react before she leapt at them, disarming each of them with a few strikes. They defended themselves as best as they could, but still wound up sprawled on their backs on the floor, bewildered at what had just transpired.

 

Trysta folded her arms, glaring at them in her typical disdainful manner. “Pathetic.” She remarked in a low voice. “And here I was hoping to get a real challenge in this bout of sparring. Guess I'm disappointed once again.”

 

“You're wrong.” Zero spoke up behind her, causing her to turn and face him. “I could prove quite a challenge to you, if you're willing. Or are you writing me off without engaging me?”

 

She raised a scornful eyebrow. “While I don't see how a reploid that looks more like a girl than I do could be of any threat to me, I'll humor you.”

 

His glare further darkened as he watched her unsheathe the twin blades from her back again. “It's dangerous to underestimate an opponent.” He retorted quietly. “Even someone like you should know that.”

 

The smirk she gave him in return was brittle. “Who says I'm underestimating you?” she asked tauntingly, stepping back to create further distance between the two of them. “Seems I'm telling things the way they appear.”

 

“Only the way they appear to you.” He growled in response. He watched her through narrowed eyes, making sure she didn't try anything to give her an edge over him.

 

“Naturally. My way is the only way to see things, after all. It makes it easier to separate the worthy from the trash.”

 

He didn't even wait for her to stop before he charged at her. He had had enough of her nasty looks and nastier comments. As he swung his saber at her, he was only mildly surprised she was able to turn and block it as quickly as she did. What surprised him more was the sweep with her foot that threatened to take his feet from underneath him. He felt it make contact, felt it knock his feet out from beneath him. Quickly, he rolled on his back before springing back to his feet.

 

She was quick, he had to give her that. As soon as his feet touched the ground, she was at him, her blades whizzing past his ears as she made her strikes. He parried her blows, and then struck back, blocking her blades with his saber before driving his knee into her stomach.

 

She reeled back several steps, catching her breath slowly. “Not bad.” She remarked simply, resting one hand over the impact site as she recovered. “And of course you had to hit me right in my armor's weakest spot.”

 

Zero smirked. “Yes, of course I did.” He replied, the tone of his voice clipped. “If that's one way to stop you, then I'll do it.”

 

She straightened up, her arm falling back to its usual place at her side. “But who says it's stopping me?” she asked. She knelt, picking her sword up from where she had dropped it when she was kicked. “If you're trying to win, I'm sorry to disappoint you by not making it as easy as you might have hoped.” She continued. “I never did do things the easy way.”

 

He felt a tinge of aggravation creep in to mingle with his already frayed temper. Damn, how did she always manage to find another way to annoy him? “So, you prefer things the hard way, do you?” he asked coldly. “That can be arranged easily.”

 

Charging at her, he struck with his saber, only to watch her parry the blow with her swords and dodge the brunt of his assault. Much to his consternation, it seemed she was able to anticipate his moves; as he pressed his attack, she diverted and dodged it. In response, he quickened the speed of his own moves, not letting her either land a blow with her weapons or immobilize him with a kick.

 

Their duel continued for several more minutes, with neither seeming to gain ground that the other didn't immediately take back. A break in the action came, however, when Zero managed to knock one of Trysta's blades from her hand. As it spun across the floor, she tried to run after it, only to have him block her path.

 

She glared darkly at him before swinging with her remaining weapon. He was able to parry her strike easily, but mentally cursed himself as he realized it was little more than a distraction to permit her to reclaim her lost weapon. He pursued her in vain, realizing she was too far ahead for him to prevent her from reaching it.

 

With her blade back in her grasp, Trysta spun on him, charging him rapidly with blades spinning. Zero stopped himself, trying to dodge her, but he wasn't fast enough. Her shoulder impacted his, knocking him onto his back. He dodged the three rapid strikes from her as he moved to stand up. She was still as fast as ever, but he was feeling his patience wear thin. He had to find a way to end this bout.

 

Quickly, he rolled to get his feet beneath him. Once he regained his footing, he sprang at her, timing it so she was lunging at him at the same time. The maneuver worked; she tried to dodge him without losing her advantage, which only caused her to fall rather unceremoniously onto her left shoulder. Pressing his newfound advantage, he advanced on her before she could recover.

 

Even with the wind knocked from her, she was still fast, he observed disgustedly. She quickly rolled to her back, and then shifted so she was sitting up. As she did, she raised her swords in preparation to block his. He merely stood over her, pointing the tip of his saber at her chest, while her blades pointed at two vital areas on his own body.

 

Stalemate. Had this been a real fight, there would be no way for either of them to move without serious injury or death. He was more than satisfied with a stalemate. She had proved a reasonably challenging opponent, in spite of her arrogance and insults.

 

At his feet, she relaxed noticeably, almost seeming to smile. “Well done, Zero.” She said, dropping her arms to her sides. “It's been a long time since I was challenged to this degree. I am impressed.”

 

He took a step back, deactivating his saber in order to allow her room to stand. “I don't need praise.” He replied coolly. Especially not from someone like you.

 

Once she was standing, she sheathed her swords in their holders on her back before turning to Zero and extending her right hand. “It takes a damn good fighter to impress me, and I daresay you have done so easily.” She said. “Well met, Zero.”

 

He regarded the outstretched hand mutely, not moving to take it. Raising his eyes to meet hers, he saw his feelings of anger and outrage mirrored in her own expression. This was obviously not a girl who was used to being refuted.

 

She dropped her arm back to her side, where its hand clenched into a tight fist. “So that's the way it's going to be, is it?” she asked, her jaw tightened in anger. “So be it, Zero.”

 

Still refusing to speak, he merely brushed past her. He walked over to where X and Axl still stood, nodding to each one before the three of them left the room. As they passed Rei and Nami, Axl seemed to slow slightly as his gaze locked again with Nami's, but that moment was interrupted when Zero forcibly took his arm and tugged him away.

 

Seeing Trysta standing by herself in the center of the room, Dax walked over and slipped a comforting arm around her shoulders. “I wouldn't worry myself with that one if I were you, Trys.” He said. “I'd be surprised if anyone were able to crack that guy.”