LOG - Hunter vs Hunter
WHO: X, Zero
WHEN: 27 Jan 07
WHERE: Neo Arcadian wastelands
WHAT: X enters the multiverse in search of the Zero Nightmare. Zero crosses the wasteland in search of Copy X.
WATCH FOR: Epic-level Misunderstandings
Neo Arcadia may be a utopia, but it seems to be only at the expense of the surrounding area. Outside of the city is sand, sand, and more sand. Ruins of ancient buildings are spotted here and there, although most of what once stood here has been worn down by years of sandstorms. Little survives in this area, not even robots can survive out here for very long before their joints seize up.
A lone figure is wandering through, protected by a simple brown cloak. He's moving slowly toward the city.
"..."
There is little that he has to say about this desert. This so-called 'World of Reploids' that is home to the city of Neo Arcadia. Sunlight glints off the golden crest of the helmet held under one arm, and a red-gloved hand pushes black hair out of eyes the color of emeralds. His hand shifts, and he shields his eyes from the sunlight, peering across the dunes and ruins from the destroyed building that he stands atop of. A brown-cloaked figure moving across the sands. A flash of red.
"...The Nightmare?"
He shifts, using both hands to pull his helmet into place. Thin blue shields slide down, locking under his chin and holding the device firmly in place. Like this, X descends from his perch and crosses the dunes. His right hand slides subtly into his forearm as he moves.
The figure moves slowly, taking his time as he crosses the great desert. The heat and sand do not bother him. His thoughts are scattered, trying to remember. Always trying to remember. His latest trip has yielded nothing useful. No rekindled memories. He sighs as he moves forward, shaking his head.
He hears something. It's barely audible over the sound of the blowing sand, but it's enough. He turns around quickly, ready to attack whatever fool thought they could sneak up on him. Then, he freezes. His eyes, barely visible behind the cloak's hood, widen. His mouth slowly stretches into a grin.
"I'm surprised, X. You came all the way out here just for little old me. I hadn't realized I'd become such a high priority already."
"...Hnf."
He pauses, halting a measured seven meters from the cloaked reploid. His eyes narrow slightly, blinking out the sand that flurries across his face for a few moments. His footing shifts, the buster swinging behind him as he raises his red-gloved hand to point accusingly.
"So you ARE the Nightmare Zero." An emerald blade of pure energy ejects from the muzzle of his arm weapon, and his footing shifts to point this weapon in a threatening fashion, "Zero doesn't need a copy like you ruining his good name. Stop impersonnating him so he can rest in peace!"
Beneath that golden helmet crest, the Hunter's eyes narrow. "Or I'll stop you myself."
Beneath the cloak, Zero prepares for the attack by equipping the Z-Buster and the Z-Saber. He's about to react, when X speaks. Nightmare Zero? That's a new one. "Copy? Impersonating? I have no idea what you're talking about." He pulls of the cloak and tosses it into the air, revealing the full form of the Legendary Reploid. A slimmer, more streamlined version of his former self. In his left hand, he holds the the Z-Buster, in his right, the handle of the Z-Saber. He activates it, causing a triangular blade of energy to be emitted.
Zero dashes forward into a dead run. "It doesn't matter. You will pay for your crimes, X, if it's the last thing I do!" One meter from his target, Zero leaps, and comes down on X with a downward slash, landing in a crouch.
Zero hits X with his Jump Slash attack.
That familiar whine begins to fill the air around X as Zero speaks of his own ignorance. His expression hardens, "You don't actually think you're him, do you?" The Hunter snorts lightly at the sheer notion, once Zero's form is revealed to look nothing like the Crimson Comet that X knew all those years. Zero springs into action, prompting X on the defensive.
The Saber is yanked back, his forearm placed between himself and the energy blade. Armor sparks from the impact. The whine changes pitches. Immediately, X's color scheme shifts to a primarily red shade. The green Z-Saber turns crimson, and X swings it in an upward arc at the still-airborne Zero. A gout of flames surges up through the blade, continuing the arc.
"Shoenzan!"
X misses Zero with his Flame Saber attack.
Zero rolls out of the way immediately as the flames arc through the air. He stands up, and starts firing rapid bursts of plasma from his Z-Buster. He backs up slowly, hoping to use the attack to stall while he moves into a better position. While he does this, his mind is a flurry of thoughts. "Stop trying to confuse me, X. It's not going to work! You /will/ pay for what you've done!" All the while, the Z-Saber glows more brightly as energy is charged into it.
Zero hits X with his Flurry Shot jab.
"..Crimes?" X twists away. That familiar whine fills the air again. "I've done nothing but fight for peace! Sigma is the villain who causes disasters like this, and the likes of you aren't helping!" His colors shift back to normal, and he hops. Hovering in midair for a fraction of a second, X suddenly surges after Zero's retreat in a Mach Dash. His free hand raises over his face, shielding his eyes. Plasma shots spang noisily off the Blade Armor through his charge.
At the apex of his dash, X twists, slashing with the Z-Saber. Blue energy streams up the blade from the hilt, increasing the size of the blade through the swinging arc. This energy shears off mid-swing, which should be right into Zero's midsection.
"You have no right to accuse me of anything!"
X hits Zero with his Charge Slash attack.
Zero slides backwards as the blade strikes him. A gash is left behind, as well as a spray of mechfluid. Quickly, Zero returns the attack with an upward slash from his own Z-Saber. The blade turns light blue briefly, and a wave of ice energy rushes across the ground towards X.
"Shougetsujin!"
Following the attack, he jumps backwards again, gaining distance. He seems to be stalling now. "How dare you act innocent?! Hundreds of innocent Reploids have been slaughtered because of you and Neo Arcadia!" Pause. "And who the hell is Sigma?"
Zero gets a glancing blow on X with his Ice Wave attack.
"Ehn..!" X grunts, grinding to a halt and backpedeling. The swipe leaves a nasty slash across the Blade Armor's chestplate, crossing the gemstone. His teeth bare, colors shifting to a primarily blue color, "Mavericks are not innocent. If you were the real Zero, you would know that. They slaughter the innocent, they refuse to reason. In the end I have no CHOICE but to destroy them!" His buster whines loudly as he speaks, "If you were Zero, you would know these things. That only proves you're an imposter!"
The Hunter shifts, spreading his hands out and thrusting them down. Water in the air from Zero's own ice attack solidifies, scattering in all directions from X as a razor-sharp spiral of icy blades.
X hits Zero with his Charged Goo Shaver attack.
As the shards of ice scatter outward, Zero as only enough time to shield his face. They cause numerous small wounds around his body. A few bits of ice get stuck, but they melt quickly in the desert heat. Zero holds his position, while charging energy into his Z-Buster. "You've only labeled us Maverick because we don't fit into your 'perfect society'. It's you and your guardians are the ones that refuse to listen to reason."
Zero raises the buster and fires a charged shot towards X's feet. Instead of a large ball of plasma, however, it's a ball of fire. On contact with X or the ground, it will explode. He stands his ground after the attack, not moving.
Zero gets a glancing blow on X with his Blast Shot attack.
The shell explodes against X's chest, knocking him off his feet. As he lands, his chest gem cracks. The blast also removes part of his chin guard, which allows his helmet to fall off on impact. With a grunt, the Hunter rolls over and picks himself up, snatching his helmet in his free hand. His colors shift to a primarily violet shade, this time.
"Hah.. I never called Zero a Maverick... I only labelled and destroyed them when they wouldn't come peacefully. Zero knows that." He snaps a look over his shoulder, "So why don't you."
Immediately, everything turns photo-negative.
X misses Zero with his Dark Hold stun.
For a second, Zero is frozen in place. He resumes motion much more quickly than normal. The sand around him is still motionless. 'What the hell was that?' he thinks, 'Oh well, no time now.' He retracts the Z-Saber's blade, then extends the handle into a large pole. The blade reappears on the tip of this new weapon, only much shorter now. "Why the hell would they come peacefully? You'd never spare them! If we surrendered to Neo Arcadia, we'd all be killed instantly!" Zero dashes forward and jumps, landing only a few feet from X. He jabs the Triple Rod forward. The tip extends further in 3 quick movements. "Funny, Phantom called me a Maverick just the other day."
Zero hits X with his Triple Rod Thrust attack.
X didn't expect the Dark Hold to .. not .. take hold. He turns around and raises his buster just in time to get impaled through the stomach with that accursed spear. His body jerks with each thrust of the weapon's extension, and he grunts. The Drill Buster lowers, his teeth grit painfully. Slowly, X reaches down, grasping the spear's shaft and yanking it out of him.
"..You clearly don't understand how the Maverick Hunters operate.. I don't know who this Neo Arcadia you keep affiliating me with is." He breathes in deeply, spitting a streamer of ichor to one side, "Whoever made you didn't do their homework." He doesn't attack with any of his weapons, he simply staggers backwards. After a few moments, the bizzarre effects of the Dark Hold begin to fade, and the desert slips back into regular time.
Zero allows X to remove the Triple Rod, then backs up slowly, giving himself distance. He's not entirely sure what's going on, so he doesn't attack right away, but readies himself in case this is a trick. "Do you think I'm an idiot?" He points off into the distance, toward a city that is only a vague silhouette on the horizon. "/That/ is Neo Arcadia, the city /you/ run. I don't know what these Maverick Hunters are, but if they're under your command, they can't be any good." He plants the Triple Rod into the ground, and uses it for support.
"...That's not my city." X states bluntly. He raises his hand, wiping his mouth with his glove. "We started to build a city called Elisium... But I've never heard of any Neo Arcadia." He gestures with his Buster, "You're the reason I came here. I can't allow a Zero Nightmare to ruin Zero's reputation any more than it already has." The Hunter leans forward slightly, adding through clenched teeth, "This has nothing to do with Mavericks. Why can't you just let Zero rest in peace?!"
Zero rolls his eyes at X's first comment, not believing him. "Everything you say makes no sense, but let's start with me. I have no idea what a 'Zero Nightmare' is. As far as I know, I /am/ Zero." He shrugs. "Of course, I could be wrong." He taps his head. "I don't remember anything from before they woke me up. Maybe I'm not the original." His eyes focus, and he becomes more serious. "But that doesn't matter. Real or not, legendary hero or just another Reploid, I'm won't let you wipe out the Resistance just so you can have peace."
"...No." X states flatly. "You can't be Zero." He gestures with his free hand, "Zero died in my arms. We erected a tomb for him on the site where his remains were interred." Another gesture, "And he looked nothing like you." After a thoughtful moment, he turns his head down. The Drill Buster disappears, and he uses both hands to remove his helmet. This is tucked under one arm.
"...Of course...I overlooked the obvious... You couldn't be the Zero Nightmare. It wouldn't have stopped attacking."
Zero's speechless for a few moments. "...died? I... Zero died?" He shakes his head, then takes a step forward, glaring at X, about to speak, when his expression changes suddenly, from anger to confusion. "I... remember dying. And... I remember you." He turns around, facing the city. "You really aren't the X I know, are you? Somehow, I remember another X. A different X." He stands silent for now.
X blinks a few times. He turns his head away. The rest of him follows a second or so later. "I'm returning to Elisium." He raises his helmet, sliding it back onto his head. Only one hand lowers, though, the other pressing lightly on his transmitter. "Alia, I've completed my search. It doesn't look like the Nightmare got through the Gate before we found it."
After a moment, he nods and begins walking somewhat unsteadily in a direction opposite of Zero. "If you still consider me your enemy, you'll never have a better chance." is cast over his shoulder.
Zero waits a few moments, then turns around, slowly. "Wait. Please, if you know anything about my past, tell me. I need to know." He pauses then speaks again as another vague memory returns. "We've fought before, haven't we? And..." Another pause, as Zero tries to remember. "Who is Sigma?"
"..." X sighs. "...So you survived after all this time.. to be repaired, a hero for the future.." He raises his gaze, taking in the desolate landscape around him. "...Isn't this the future that I'm fighting to prevent, though..?" He shakes his head again, turning to glance at Zero over his shoulder, "... Sigma. He's the leader of the Mavericks. The source of the virus that makes them go crazy and start killing people. He's tried to wipe out all life on earth several times.. he even dropped the Eurasia space station. I.. We.. tried to stop him, but ..."
His eyes wander across the wasteland again, "..We failed."
"That... sounds familiar." Zero looks up into the sky for a few seconds, then screams in frustration. "Why can't I remember?!" He sighs, then looks back at X. "I don't know what caused this. I only woke up from hibernation a few months ago." He turns to look at Neo Arcadia. "I take it the definition of 'Maverick' has changed since your time. I don't know if it's a fake or if something happened to you, but someone named X is in charge of the city." He pauses. "From what I've heard, there's a power shortage, and the government has decided that all but a few Reploids must be destroyed in order to protect humanity. A group of refugees, including some humans, have set up a resistance, but they aren't doing well." He looks back at X, then smirks. "And then, they found me. Apparently I left behind quite a legacy. I just wish I knew how."
"I don't know." X states quietly. His eye tics, and he raises a hand to the side of his helmet again. A moment passes, and he nods, lowering his hand. "I can't rule out the possability that this is an alternate universe.. And that the one in that city is an alternate version of myself." He grunts lightly, cursing under his breath, "It burns me up to think that I could even be associated to such a tyrant..."
Turning slightly, X focuses his gaze on Zero directly, "This world, these gates, they're all connected somehow. We've only recently discovered one in our world. Can you tell me more about them?"
Zero takes a moment to collapse the Z-Buster into it's deactivated rod form, which is stored inside his wrist. He keeps the Triple Rod out, still using it to support himself. The battle wore him out, and auto-repairs can only do so much. He smiles, "Lucky for you, I took up the job of gate exploration for the Resistance. I've been to quite a few worlds, and there's a lot out there. You should hook up with the Interplanar Peacekeeping Agency. I've already joined up and gotten some help from them for the Resistance. They're pretty much the police of the multiverse, and they seem like pretty good guys. There's also the Syndicate, a bunch of criminals working together for mutual benefit. Also..."
He pauses for a moment, working out how to say what he's thinking. "If we really are from alternate universes, or however it works, we're not the only ones. I met a girl named Aile a while ago. She's apparently from an even more distant future. And... I think I met someone from our past. He claimed to know my creator. Someone named Dr. Wily. It sounded ridiculous, but the name is familiar." He laughs for a moment. "Like I said, it's pretty crazy out there."
GAME: Save complete.
"Doctor Wily..?" X mulls over that for a moment before shaking his head, "I can't say I've heard that name before." Despite his injuries, the Hunter stands solidly on his own two feet. It must be those huge repliboots of his that help his balance in spite of the cuts, blasts, and the gaping hole in hid midsection that is oh-so-slowly closing itself. "Interplaner Peacekeeping Agency.."
His hand raises to his helmet again, "Did you catch all of that, Alia?" .... "Good. See that Signas gets a look at it. This Agency is probably a good start for our Multiversal operations." His hand lowers, and he nods, "I should head back for repairs.. You ought to, yourself. I.. I want to apologize, though. It wasn't right of me to assume the worst about you."
Zero smirks again, "Don't worry about it, I'll be fine." He pauses for a second. "I'm sorry too. I should have realized sooner that you weren't the X I thought you were." He begins to turn around to leave, then stops. "One last thing before you go. What did you think I was? Who is Nightmare Zero?"
"I...don't know what the Nightmare Zero is." X admits. "After Eurasia crashed, this strange phenominan appeared that some politician, ah... 'Isoc', calls The Nightmare. It's been causing odd things to happen. Reploids that have been dead for years are suddenly appearing again. Structures and natural features that can't be scanned appear on the land one day and are gone the next."
"I haven't seen more than a glimpse of it myself, but the Zero Nightmare has been linked to a lot of destruction and loss of life."
"I...see." Zero considers this for a moment. "I think I understand why you reacted the way you did." He turns around, and heads back toward the city. Or rather, the Resistance base hidden near the city. He waves to X. "Goodbye, X. I hope we meet again soon."
X nods once as Zero turns to leave. "Take care of yourself, Zero." He watches for a moment as the red reploid walks off. He then turns and pulls his fist back, thrusting it into the sky. X hunches forward, compressing into a beam of blue light and swiftly disappearing.
Sighing, Zero makes a quick detour to recover his cloak, which he uses to protect himself against the wind and sand. He begins the slow trek towards home.
X needs a tag!
WHEN: 27 Jan 07
WHERE: Neo Arcadian wastelands
WHAT: X enters the multiverse in search of the Zero Nightmare. Zero crosses the wasteland in search of Copy X.
WATCH FOR: Epic-level Misunderstandings
Neo Arcadia may be a utopia, but it seems to be only at the expense of the surrounding area. Outside of the city is sand, sand, and more sand. Ruins of ancient buildings are spotted here and there, although most of what once stood here has been worn down by years of sandstorms. Little survives in this area, not even robots can survive out here for very long before their joints seize up.
A lone figure is wandering through, protected by a simple brown cloak. He's moving slowly toward the city.
"..."
There is little that he has to say about this desert. This so-called 'World of Reploids' that is home to the city of Neo Arcadia. Sunlight glints off the golden crest of the helmet held under one arm, and a red-gloved hand pushes black hair out of eyes the color of emeralds. His hand shifts, and he shields his eyes from the sunlight, peering across the dunes and ruins from the destroyed building that he stands atop of. A brown-cloaked figure moving across the sands. A flash of red.
"...The Nightmare?"
He shifts, using both hands to pull his helmet into place. Thin blue shields slide down, locking under his chin and holding the device firmly in place. Like this, X descends from his perch and crosses the dunes. His right hand slides subtly into his forearm as he moves.
The figure moves slowly, taking his time as he crosses the great desert. The heat and sand do not bother him. His thoughts are scattered, trying to remember. Always trying to remember. His latest trip has yielded nothing useful. No rekindled memories. He sighs as he moves forward, shaking his head.
He hears something. It's barely audible over the sound of the blowing sand, but it's enough. He turns around quickly, ready to attack whatever fool thought they could sneak up on him. Then, he freezes. His eyes, barely visible behind the cloak's hood, widen. His mouth slowly stretches into a grin.
"I'm surprised, X. You came all the way out here just for little old me. I hadn't realized I'd become such a high priority already."
"...Hnf."
He pauses, halting a measured seven meters from the cloaked reploid. His eyes narrow slightly, blinking out the sand that flurries across his face for a few moments. His footing shifts, the buster swinging behind him as he raises his red-gloved hand to point accusingly.
"So you ARE the Nightmare Zero." An emerald blade of pure energy ejects from the muzzle of his arm weapon, and his footing shifts to point this weapon in a threatening fashion, "Zero doesn't need a copy like you ruining his good name. Stop impersonnating him so he can rest in peace!"
Beneath that golden helmet crest, the Hunter's eyes narrow. "Or I'll stop you myself."
Beneath the cloak, Zero prepares for the attack by equipping the Z-Buster and the Z-Saber. He's about to react, when X speaks. Nightmare Zero? That's a new one. "Copy? Impersonating? I have no idea what you're talking about." He pulls of the cloak and tosses it into the air, revealing the full form of the Legendary Reploid. A slimmer, more streamlined version of his former self. In his left hand, he holds the the Z-Buster, in his right, the handle of the Z-Saber. He activates it, causing a triangular blade of energy to be emitted.
Zero dashes forward into a dead run. "It doesn't matter. You will pay for your crimes, X, if it's the last thing I do!" One meter from his target, Zero leaps, and comes down on X with a downward slash, landing in a crouch.
Zero hits X with his Jump Slash attack.
That familiar whine begins to fill the air around X as Zero speaks of his own ignorance. His expression hardens, "You don't actually think you're him, do you?" The Hunter snorts lightly at the sheer notion, once Zero's form is revealed to look nothing like the Crimson Comet that X knew all those years. Zero springs into action, prompting X on the defensive.
The Saber is yanked back, his forearm placed between himself and the energy blade. Armor sparks from the impact. The whine changes pitches. Immediately, X's color scheme shifts to a primarily red shade. The green Z-Saber turns crimson, and X swings it in an upward arc at the still-airborne Zero. A gout of flames surges up through the blade, continuing the arc.
"Shoenzan!"
X misses Zero with his Flame Saber attack.
Zero rolls out of the way immediately as the flames arc through the air. He stands up, and starts firing rapid bursts of plasma from his Z-Buster. He backs up slowly, hoping to use the attack to stall while he moves into a better position. While he does this, his mind is a flurry of thoughts. "Stop trying to confuse me, X. It's not going to work! You /will/ pay for what you've done!" All the while, the Z-Saber glows more brightly as energy is charged into it.
Zero hits X with his Flurry Shot jab.
"..Crimes?" X twists away. That familiar whine fills the air again. "I've done nothing but fight for peace! Sigma is the villain who causes disasters like this, and the likes of you aren't helping!" His colors shift back to normal, and he hops. Hovering in midair for a fraction of a second, X suddenly surges after Zero's retreat in a Mach Dash. His free hand raises over his face, shielding his eyes. Plasma shots spang noisily off the Blade Armor through his charge.
At the apex of his dash, X twists, slashing with the Z-Saber. Blue energy streams up the blade from the hilt, increasing the size of the blade through the swinging arc. This energy shears off mid-swing, which should be right into Zero's midsection.
"You have no right to accuse me of anything!"
X hits Zero with his Charge Slash attack.
Zero slides backwards as the blade strikes him. A gash is left behind, as well as a spray of mechfluid. Quickly, Zero returns the attack with an upward slash from his own Z-Saber. The blade turns light blue briefly, and a wave of ice energy rushes across the ground towards X.
"Shougetsujin!"
Following the attack, he jumps backwards again, gaining distance. He seems to be stalling now. "How dare you act innocent?! Hundreds of innocent Reploids have been slaughtered because of you and Neo Arcadia!" Pause. "And who the hell is Sigma?"
Zero gets a glancing blow on X with his Ice Wave attack.
"Ehn..!" X grunts, grinding to a halt and backpedeling. The swipe leaves a nasty slash across the Blade Armor's chestplate, crossing the gemstone. His teeth bare, colors shifting to a primarily blue color, "Mavericks are not innocent. If you were the real Zero, you would know that. They slaughter the innocent, they refuse to reason. In the end I have no CHOICE but to destroy them!" His buster whines loudly as he speaks, "If you were Zero, you would know these things. That only proves you're an imposter!"
The Hunter shifts, spreading his hands out and thrusting them down. Water in the air from Zero's own ice attack solidifies, scattering in all directions from X as a razor-sharp spiral of icy blades.
X hits Zero with his Charged Goo Shaver attack.
As the shards of ice scatter outward, Zero as only enough time to shield his face. They cause numerous small wounds around his body. A few bits of ice get stuck, but they melt quickly in the desert heat. Zero holds his position, while charging energy into his Z-Buster. "You've only labeled us Maverick because we don't fit into your 'perfect society'. It's you and your guardians are the ones that refuse to listen to reason."
Zero raises the buster and fires a charged shot towards X's feet. Instead of a large ball of plasma, however, it's a ball of fire. On contact with X or the ground, it will explode. He stands his ground after the attack, not moving.
Zero gets a glancing blow on X with his Blast Shot attack.
The shell explodes against X's chest, knocking him off his feet. As he lands, his chest gem cracks. The blast also removes part of his chin guard, which allows his helmet to fall off on impact. With a grunt, the Hunter rolls over and picks himself up, snatching his helmet in his free hand. His colors shift to a primarily violet shade, this time.
"Hah.. I never called Zero a Maverick... I only labelled and destroyed them when they wouldn't come peacefully. Zero knows that." He snaps a look over his shoulder, "So why don't you."
Immediately, everything turns photo-negative.
X misses Zero with his Dark Hold stun.
For a second, Zero is frozen in place. He resumes motion much more quickly than normal. The sand around him is still motionless. 'What the hell was that?' he thinks, 'Oh well, no time now.' He retracts the Z-Saber's blade, then extends the handle into a large pole. The blade reappears on the tip of this new weapon, only much shorter now. "Why the hell would they come peacefully? You'd never spare them! If we surrendered to Neo Arcadia, we'd all be killed instantly!" Zero dashes forward and jumps, landing only a few feet from X. He jabs the Triple Rod forward. The tip extends further in 3 quick movements. "Funny, Phantom called me a Maverick just the other day."
Zero hits X with his Triple Rod Thrust attack.
X didn't expect the Dark Hold to .. not .. take hold. He turns around and raises his buster just in time to get impaled through the stomach with that accursed spear. His body jerks with each thrust of the weapon's extension, and he grunts. The Drill Buster lowers, his teeth grit painfully. Slowly, X reaches down, grasping the spear's shaft and yanking it out of him.
"..You clearly don't understand how the Maverick Hunters operate.. I don't know who this Neo Arcadia you keep affiliating me with is." He breathes in deeply, spitting a streamer of ichor to one side, "Whoever made you didn't do their homework." He doesn't attack with any of his weapons, he simply staggers backwards. After a few moments, the bizzarre effects of the Dark Hold begin to fade, and the desert slips back into regular time.
Zero allows X to remove the Triple Rod, then backs up slowly, giving himself distance. He's not entirely sure what's going on, so he doesn't attack right away, but readies himself in case this is a trick. "Do you think I'm an idiot?" He points off into the distance, toward a city that is only a vague silhouette on the horizon. "/That/ is Neo Arcadia, the city /you/ run. I don't know what these Maverick Hunters are, but if they're under your command, they can't be any good." He plants the Triple Rod into the ground, and uses it for support.
"...That's not my city." X states bluntly. He raises his hand, wiping his mouth with his glove. "We started to build a city called Elisium... But I've never heard of any Neo Arcadia." He gestures with his Buster, "You're the reason I came here. I can't allow a Zero Nightmare to ruin Zero's reputation any more than it already has." The Hunter leans forward slightly, adding through clenched teeth, "This has nothing to do with Mavericks. Why can't you just let Zero rest in peace?!"
Zero rolls his eyes at X's first comment, not believing him. "Everything you say makes no sense, but let's start with me. I have no idea what a 'Zero Nightmare' is. As far as I know, I /am/ Zero." He shrugs. "Of course, I could be wrong." He taps his head. "I don't remember anything from before they woke me up. Maybe I'm not the original." His eyes focus, and he becomes more serious. "But that doesn't matter. Real or not, legendary hero or just another Reploid, I'm won't let you wipe out the Resistance just so you can have peace."
"...No." X states flatly. "You can't be Zero." He gestures with his free hand, "Zero died in my arms. We erected a tomb for him on the site where his remains were interred." Another gesture, "And he looked nothing like you." After a thoughtful moment, he turns his head down. The Drill Buster disappears, and he uses both hands to remove his helmet. This is tucked under one arm.
"...Of course...I overlooked the obvious... You couldn't be the Zero Nightmare. It wouldn't have stopped attacking."
Zero's speechless for a few moments. "...died? I... Zero died?" He shakes his head, then takes a step forward, glaring at X, about to speak, when his expression changes suddenly, from anger to confusion. "I... remember dying. And... I remember you." He turns around, facing the city. "You really aren't the X I know, are you? Somehow, I remember another X. A different X." He stands silent for now.
X blinks a few times. He turns his head away. The rest of him follows a second or so later. "I'm returning to Elisium." He raises his helmet, sliding it back onto his head. Only one hand lowers, though, the other pressing lightly on his transmitter. "Alia, I've completed my search. It doesn't look like the Nightmare got through the Gate before we found it."
After a moment, he nods and begins walking somewhat unsteadily in a direction opposite of Zero. "If you still consider me your enemy, you'll never have a better chance." is cast over his shoulder.
Zero waits a few moments, then turns around, slowly. "Wait. Please, if you know anything about my past, tell me. I need to know." He pauses then speaks again as another vague memory returns. "We've fought before, haven't we? And..." Another pause, as Zero tries to remember. "Who is Sigma?"
"..." X sighs. "...So you survived after all this time.. to be repaired, a hero for the future.." He raises his gaze, taking in the desolate landscape around him. "...Isn't this the future that I'm fighting to prevent, though..?" He shakes his head again, turning to glance at Zero over his shoulder, "... Sigma. He's the leader of the Mavericks. The source of the virus that makes them go crazy and start killing people. He's tried to wipe out all life on earth several times.. he even dropped the Eurasia space station. I.. We.. tried to stop him, but ..."
His eyes wander across the wasteland again, "..We failed."
"That... sounds familiar." Zero looks up into the sky for a few seconds, then screams in frustration. "Why can't I remember?!" He sighs, then looks back at X. "I don't know what caused this. I only woke up from hibernation a few months ago." He turns to look at Neo Arcadia. "I take it the definition of 'Maverick' has changed since your time. I don't know if it's a fake or if something happened to you, but someone named X is in charge of the city." He pauses. "From what I've heard, there's a power shortage, and the government has decided that all but a few Reploids must be destroyed in order to protect humanity. A group of refugees, including some humans, have set up a resistance, but they aren't doing well." He looks back at X, then smirks. "And then, they found me. Apparently I left behind quite a legacy. I just wish I knew how."
"I don't know." X states quietly. His eye tics, and he raises a hand to the side of his helmet again. A moment passes, and he nods, lowering his hand. "I can't rule out the possability that this is an alternate universe.. And that the one in that city is an alternate version of myself." He grunts lightly, cursing under his breath, "It burns me up to think that I could even be associated to such a tyrant..."
Turning slightly, X focuses his gaze on Zero directly, "This world, these gates, they're all connected somehow. We've only recently discovered one in our world. Can you tell me more about them?"
Zero takes a moment to collapse the Z-Buster into it's deactivated rod form, which is stored inside his wrist. He keeps the Triple Rod out, still using it to support himself. The battle wore him out, and auto-repairs can only do so much. He smiles, "Lucky for you, I took up the job of gate exploration for the Resistance. I've been to quite a few worlds, and there's a lot out there. You should hook up with the Interplanar Peacekeeping Agency. I've already joined up and gotten some help from them for the Resistance. They're pretty much the police of the multiverse, and they seem like pretty good guys. There's also the Syndicate, a bunch of criminals working together for mutual benefit. Also..."
He pauses for a moment, working out how to say what he's thinking. "If we really are from alternate universes, or however it works, we're not the only ones. I met a girl named Aile a while ago. She's apparently from an even more distant future. And... I think I met someone from our past. He claimed to know my creator. Someone named Dr. Wily. It sounded ridiculous, but the name is familiar." He laughs for a moment. "Like I said, it's pretty crazy out there."
GAME: Save complete.
"Doctor Wily..?" X mulls over that for a moment before shaking his head, "I can't say I've heard that name before." Despite his injuries, the Hunter stands solidly on his own two feet. It must be those huge repliboots of his that help his balance in spite of the cuts, blasts, and the gaping hole in hid midsection that is oh-so-slowly closing itself. "Interplaner Peacekeeping Agency.."
His hand raises to his helmet again, "Did you catch all of that, Alia?" .... "Good. See that Signas gets a look at it. This Agency is probably a good start for our Multiversal operations." His hand lowers, and he nods, "I should head back for repairs.. You ought to, yourself. I.. I want to apologize, though. It wasn't right of me to assume the worst about you."
Zero smirks again, "Don't worry about it, I'll be fine." He pauses for a second. "I'm sorry too. I should have realized sooner that you weren't the X I thought you were." He begins to turn around to leave, then stops. "One last thing before you go. What did you think I was? Who is Nightmare Zero?"
"I...don't know what the Nightmare Zero is." X admits. "After Eurasia crashed, this strange phenominan appeared that some politician, ah... 'Isoc', calls The Nightmare. It's been causing odd things to happen. Reploids that have been dead for years are suddenly appearing again. Structures and natural features that can't be scanned appear on the land one day and are gone the next."
"I haven't seen more than a glimpse of it myself, but the Zero Nightmare has been linked to a lot of destruction and loss of life."
"I...see." Zero considers this for a moment. "I think I understand why you reacted the way you did." He turns around, and heads back toward the city. Or rather, the Resistance base hidden near the city. He waves to X. "Goodbye, X. I hope we meet again soon."
X nods once as Zero turns to leave. "Take care of yourself, Zero." He watches for a moment as the red reploid walks off. He then turns and pulls his fist back, thrusting it into the sky. X hunches forward, compressing into a beam of blue light and swiftly disappearing.
Sighing, Zero makes a quick detour to recover his cloak, which he uses to protect himself against the wind and sand. He begins the slow trek towards home.
X needs a tag!