MegaMan NT Warrior (Rockman) Fan Fiction ❯ Past, Present and Future ❯ The Final Showdown! ( Chapter 22 )

Chapter 22 - The Final Showdown!

"Goodbye....brother..."

X walked silently down the long corridor. Everything was moving along so fast, he could barely keep up…but he didn't care anymore. He was so tired, tired of the fighting, tired of the deaths, destruction. He didn't plan to live through this next fight. Hell, he didn't want to live through. All he cared about was taking Sigma down with him. Finally the end of the corridor approached, leading off to an open door. X stepped inside to find Sigma.

The maniacal overlord already knew of Zero's death from his multitude of well-hidden spies. With that in mind, Sigma had expecting to see X walk in enraged or at least disturbed. What he saw instead sent chills down his spine. The young reploid's face was as cold and hard as granite. Quickly masking his fear, Sigma gave an evil laugh, but his laugh was caught in his throat. Apparently, X intended to waste no time, and had fired a charged shot through Sigma's shoulder.

"I guess you're not in the mood for small talk." Sigma taunted. "Very well. Surrender now and I shall make your death quick and painless. If you don't, I'll make your death slow and agonizing..."

X's reply was another charged blast from his arm cannon, which Sigma barely managed to dodge.

"Very well, if that's your decision..." Sigma said softly and charged at X. Right before impact, X jumped into the air, an aura surrounding his little armor plated body. Shrieking 'Nova Blast', he flew through the air, at Sigma. Sigma quickly jumped into the air, but his feet were hit by the aura, causing him to do a front-flip in the air and land on his back. Soon afterwards, X's aura dissipated and he fell from the air onto his feet. He then turned to face Sigma. The maverick leader was also quickly back on his feet.

Sigma dashed at X, who quickly leapt away, but that was what Sigma wanted him to do. He threw his sword at X, which struck him in the stomach. Spitting up a stream of internal fluids, the young maverick hunter collapsed onto one knee.

Sigma charged at X and did a slide-kick, trying to end it once and for all. But X quickly pulled the sword from his gut and rolled away. As his adversary slid by, X stabbed the sword through his side. Sigma roared in pain, and rolled onto his feet. His eyes glowed violet and he fired purple beams from his eyes, searing through X's armor like a hot knife through butter. X gritted his teeth and rolled away from the fiery beams. Sigma laughed evilly, dislodging the sword from his ribs(?). X slowly staggered onto his feet and did a system scan. His arm cannon only had the strength for one more plasma blast.... The special compartment which held the power to use the Nova Blast had absorbed energy when X was damaged, and one more hit would have the Nova Blast charged enough to do the attack...just one more hit...

X eyed Sigma wearily, who gave an exhausted grin.

"You didn't expect to defeat me, did you? I can tell by your eyes, you're almost spent. Now to finish you off!" Sigma declared. Suddenly, X laughed. It was dry laughter that held no humor. The laugh was the last thing that his adversary had expected, and he found himself caught completely off-guard. "What's so funny?!"

X said nothing. His laughter died yet he remained grinning. Then, he turned his cannon...and shot himself in the chest.

"You've gone mad!" Sigma said in surprise.

"No, Sigma." X said softly. "I couldn't risk missing you...now you're mine...NOVA ATTACK!" X yelled, his battered body was engulfed by the bright aura once again, and he leapt into the air and sped towards Sigma. Sigma, too tired and surprised to move, could just stand and watch in horror. X's body tore through Sigma's waist, almost cutting the maverick in half. Sigma staggered back, one hand over the hole in his waist, and quickly turned to face X.

"You...fool..." Sigma wheezed. "You...have...no...idea....! While...you...were...gone...my...mavericks...attacked...the...city...!"

"What?!" X gasped. Sigma managed an evil grin, even as his body began to combust.

"So ...you ...haven't ...won ...after ...all...too...bad....X..!" Sigma started to laugh, and continued laughing until his entire body exploded. X gave a weary sigh, then turned and slowly walked out of the room and down the corridor.

When he got back to the room where Zero's destruction took place, he found Dr. Cain kneeling by the red hunter. X was too tired to be surprised. Dr. Cain looked at the wounded hunter and sadly shook his head.

"I'm sorry X...there was nothing I could do.." Dr. Cain said softly.

"I ..know.." he wheezed a reply. "Sigma...he said of an attack...by mavericks...in the city..!"

"Yes....that's why I came after you, that and also it alarmed me to see Zero's signal diminishing... The rest of the mavericks, the very few that were left, attacked the city. All of the rookie hunters came and gave it their best. Even though the mavericks were more powerful and experienced, the hunters managed to destroy them all...but at a very big price.. all of the mavericks and hunters who fought died...the whole city was destroyed…X… most of the reploids good and bad are dead..." Dr. Cain explained, while pulling the bullet that was lodged inside of Zero's body out. X gave a weak nod.

"So I'm the only one left now.." X said softly.

"Yes, but we can still build more, X. Many mo-" Dr. Cain started to say but the weary hunter rose his hand to cut him off.

"No.." X said softly. "No more pain...destruction...death... destroy the plans...all of them....Find out what happened....What caused the virus.....What made them go maverick.....What went wrong....Then start anew...."

"X..." Dr. Cain replied in a soft, sad tone. "...you...talk as if you won't be around to see it."

"..my damage is extensive…don't...try to repair me, Dr. Cain...there's nothing you can do...I just have...one last request..." X whispered as his voice began to fade out.

"What is it...?" Dr. Cain asked....

Many people of the city gathered around two freshly dug graves side-by-side, in between them, right above their heads lay a tombstone which said:

Here lie Mega Man X and Zero.

Brothers in Birth

Brothers in Battle

Brothers in Death

We Will Never Forget You.

One of the teenage girls who were with the group of people nudged her friend in the side.

"I heard Zero became a maverick. If that's true, then why is he buried as a hero?" She asked.

"Dr. Cain cleared that all up." her friend replied. "He said that it was just a rumor started by a group of renegades."

"Since when have they been brothers? I thought they were just friends." She asked.

"So did alot of people." her friend explained. "But after their deaths, Dr. Cain did a scan on their memories and found out about their pasts. He wrote a book about it..."

that night...

A little boy tugged on his grandmother's shirt.

"There's something I don't quite understand." The little boy said. "Why did they bury X and Zero? Why did they get such a big funeral? They were just maverick hunters, right?"

"No, no." The grandmother replied. "They were much more then that. Now brush your teeth and get ready for bed, and I'll read you their story."

The little boy nodded eagerly and ran into the bathroom. While he was gone, the grandmother walked over to a small bookshelf in her room and picked up a small but thick hardback book, titled Past, Present, and Future.....

..The End