Two different lives. Two different destinies. The same fate. Behold the final tradgey of a story played out between the ages....and is not quite finished yet.

He trudged through the snow toward the base and blasted the fence down, entering the complex. So far there had been no sign of his target....Zero.

Walking very calmly and openly, X stolled across the complex, looking about for any sign or clues for Zero. He didn't have to wait long. A voice came out over the speakers. "I've been expecting you X."

X scanned the area for the location of Zero's voice. He saw it, a large mircophone type speaker on a wall. He followed the cord with a slight glance and saw it ran into the ground, persumibly in the direction of the base where he had fought the "Sigma". "That's nice," X answered, turning his head back to the speakerphone thing.

"I'll give you only one chance to leave, X."

"I'm going to help you, Zero.....I know we can beat this." There was silence. And then Zero responded, "I will kill you, X. You know that. We both know that. But if you wish your death upon yourself, then just come into the base. I don't have any traps set up, though the old ones are probably still intact. I'll be the center of the base, where there's a second control room....I'll be waiting."

X stood there and glanced around the base's complex. Where would Zero hide the missiles? But he could not tell so he turned his head once more to the base. He half considered to try to ask Zero to stop this but he knew the Hunter had turned off the communication and was now watching him to see what move he would make. Like a game of chess.

Walking over to the base, X charged his blaster and blew down the door, stepping into the darkness. Immediately lights flickered on, damaged from the explosion awhile back. Stepping down the hallway, X followed the layout he remembered, heading for the center of the complex, considering what tatics Zero might use on him, half out of his mind. It was answered when the lights shut off and red ones replaced it.

As he was walking forward, the floor gave out on him and he fell down into a trapdoor, skidding down into a lower level, full of mirrors. Glancing around, all X saw was his reflection. And that of Zero's. "ZERO!" Zero turned to face, as all the Zeros did, and all the Xs looked back. It was all very confusing. But Zero didn't answer, just drew his sabre and smirked.

Charging his blaster, X fired at one of the Zeros and it shattered to a million pieces. Turning around, he saw another one and ran toward it, ramming into it. This place was a maze, and at the heart of it was Zero, who was calmly watching X make his way around it.

Looking around, X kicked off a mirror and let loose a G-Crush, shattering all the mirrors in one blow, and he saw nothing but brown now, but he could find his way through this portion of the maze. Quickly moving out, he went through the tunnels of shattered glass and arrived at some he hadn't destroyed, and looked around but didn't see Zero's reflection.

Continuing along, he arrived at the center of the room where some controls where. Touching it, the floor began to move up into a small control room. Glancing around, X saw Zero sitting down in a chair, musing at X, his sabre active next to him. "Welcome, my friend." X glanced at Zero sideways and looked around for any traps. There were none.

"Zero, let me help you."

Zero snorted. "We've gone over this already. Prepare to fight, X. I've killed many of my friends, and over what? My background? Well, it's time to erase my background ties, X, by killing you." He grabbed his sabre and flipped off the chair onto the floor. Then he launched himself at him, slashing his sabre.

X quickly dived out of the way, charging his blaster and looking around the room for an angel of escape and help. He saw none. Zero had thought of this one out ahead of time. Firing his blaster, X bounced off the wall and hit the next wall, climbing up. The blast connected, but it didn't slow the X-Hunter down any and he fired a blast at X, hitting the wall beside him and causing him to crash down in the rubble.

Shoving the rubble to the side, X leaped up and blasted at Zero again, and ducked the slash of the sabre. Jumping back, he fired a Level 3 blast at Zero's hand and knocked the sabre across the room. The two glanced at each other and dived for it, both sliding, bodies crashed together, towards it. X grabbed it, but was swiftly kicked in the stomach by Zero, which sent X and the sabre onto the balcony. Zero fired a Level 4 blast at X and hit him back against the balcony, which cracked under his weight.

Propelling himself off the balcony edge, X heard it break to bits, but he flew towards Zero and slashed with the sabre like a pro. Zero's eyes narrowed as the sharp beam came closer and did a sidestep and hit X's hand at an angel it knocked the sabre from it, causing it to fly in the air, Zero grabbing it and slashing while X continued his lunge and slashed, slicing the azure Hunter's chest. X went flying past and crashed to the floor, sliding and smashing into a wall. Breathing in pain, the Hunter stood and glanced at Zero who already was on the attack.

Charging his blaster, X pointed and fired a Level 3 blast at Zero, hitting him in the chest and sending him backwards some, his blonde ponytail burnt. Zero pointed his blaster and charged it to a Level 5 blast. "It's all over now, X..." Zero said. Gasping in pain, X pointed his blaster and began to charge, closing his eyes. He couldn't let it end......he had to help Zero.....all this....over WHAT? X's entire body began to glow with the charging ability and Zero stopped before he fired, staring in amazment.

X pointed his blaster at Zero and fired a huge blast that almost destroyed his X-buster. A Level 9 blast came roaring at and hit Zero, tearing through his armor like it was paper and smashing him deep into the floor, leaving a six foot hole where he once was. The blast continued and smashed through the wall, vaporising it and continuing through the air until it hit a mountain, destroying a large chunk of it.

X opened his eyes and stumbled backward, exhausted. From within the hole Zero weakly pulled himself up, most of his long ponytail gone, his white hands ripped open and battery fluids running out, his chest down to his feet all ripped up and mangled. He shakely glanced at X and whispered, "It's... impossible....to have....that.....much.....power....."

The two locked eyes and Zero finally stood up to his full height again, shaking all over. He grabbed his sabre from the ground, which was somehow undamaged, and turned it on, glancing at X. The Hunter stood up and tried to charge his damage X-buster, but couldn't get past a Level 2 charge. Zero snickered and began to charge his blaster. "Impressive, X....but...prepare....for my....power....." he muttered and charged his blaster up until it hit a Level 6 and fired it, putting his sabre into the way, the energy absorbing into it and he flung the sabre at X, it crashing into his stomach as X fired the Level 2 blast. The sabre smashed into him, ripping out his sides and leaving precious parts inside of him hanging out.

As Zero dodged the blast, X slumped to the ground, holding his side. He listened to the sabre hit the wall behind him and bounce off back into Zero's hand, who was slowly walking towards him, a sad smile on his face. "I didn't want to do this, X."

"Then...don't..."

"You don't understand it, my friend," Zero said, his voice full of sadness as he walked over to the controls and hit a button, the nuclear missiles rising from a hidden platfrom into the center of the complex. "My entire life has been built on destroying Mega Man. I failed, as Bass, and Wily remade me as Zero. My purpose to destroy you. I managed to evade my programming until Sigma resurfaced it in my thoughts....." Zero told him, glancing back at the wounded Hunter.

"Then...why...the nuclear...missiles?" asked X.

"Because of Sigma, I hate humans now. I can't explain it X. But I will destroy them all, and there's nothing you can do about it...." Zero said.

Suddenly X jerked up with sudden renewed energy and fully recharged. Zero looked at him with amazement and both of their minds drifted back to the day...

Vile snickered. "What a worthless gusture. I guess it's just you and me now, X." Suddenly, a powerful energy that X had never felt before surged in him and he broke the ion blast and stood up, fully recharged. "What?! How did you?! It doesn't matter how much energy you absorb, X. You'll never defeat me!"

Zero roared and slashes with masterful speed and slashed X down the side, damaging his right arm and his right side. X found his right arm unuseable and he slumped down from the pain that had been dealt to him. "You're too weak, X. Even with that energy you gained." X looked up from a knelt position.

Zero came dashing out and fired another blast at Vile, who jumped onto the airship and escaped before his blast hit. Zero turned to the young rookie Hunter and gave him a simpathic look as he helped the Hunter up. "I guess I'm not powerful enough to beat him."

"X, you can't espect to beat him. He's designed to be a warmachine. If you follow the abilities you were designed with, however, you might become as powerful as I am." Then Zero didn't really believe it, but was gladly proven wrong later.

Zero felt his hand trembling. "I-I...."

"Zero...we can't let fate deal the cards for us. Let me, let friends who care about you, who love you Zero, help you. Wily, he didn't love you. You were his machine of destruction. Zero, you can't let him rule your life."

Zero looked up. "You're right, X." He stepped forward as if to embrace X. The two embraced, but a loud thundering roar came off and X stumbled backwards, a look of shock written on it, as his entire left side had been blasted to bits with a Level 5 blast. He fell to the ground, batteryfluid pouring out. He tried to talk, but battery fluid just poured out instead. "I always told you, X, that your naiveness would be your undoing. Everyone told you....." Zero told him and turned around, hitting another button on the pad, the nuclear missiles arming themselves and being prepared to fire at major cities around the world.

Turning back around to say goodbye to his friend, Zero got caught in the chest with a Level 4 blast and smashed into the control pad and computer, them exploding with him at the center. The explosion caught his saber and sent is spinning through a damaged wall. From the direction, almost as a side thought, came a flutter of wings. After the firey debree cleared, Zero hit the ground, barely breathing. X watched him sadly and spit out some battery fluid. The crimson Hunter pulled himself up against a wall and the two looked at each other, both dying. "X....I'm sorry..."

"Me too, Zero...."

"You...were....a good friend....X.....I'm sorry....I let you down.....you....were....right," Zero managed to say, his head dipping a little. "Why couldn't.....we break....the cycle...X? Why must we fight.......they fight?" Zero said, his mind trailing.

X looked at his friend in pity. Suddenly Zero's head snapped up. "The missiles! You only blew the locational areas....their still going to blow up, right on the pad!" Zero cried and tried to get up but screamed in pain and hit the floor, the life fading away.

X slumped some too. "At...least....it won't blow....up around the world...."

"I'm....sooo....sorry.....X....."

X crawled over to Zero with his last ounce of energy and reached out his hand. "Friends....forever?"

Zero grabbed it. "Friends forever...."

The missiles exploded and the blinding light surronded them, engulfing them into a firey inferno of no-return. Square miles upon square miles of area was destroyed and devestated. Siberia became a nuclear winter wasteland. Somewhere, far, far away, a single raven crowed.

Within a few moments the object dropped into the ground became until a hand reached down and grabbed it, pulling it back out. On it was an initinal. "H".

45 minutes. Proto Man awoke with a start and rubbed the back of his head. He had been heading across the large open area to Dr. Zealous' lab when suddenly huge gysers errupted from the ground. One had managed to blow him back and he hit his head on a cliff side. Glancing around, he saw that the gysers were gone and that there was no sign of Dr. Zealous. 'He must think I'm dead...'

Standing up, Proto watched the world whirl around before him and he almost gagged in pain as he looked both ways and began to step across the open area toward the castle. Nothing happened. He began to run and arrived at the front door, breathing heavily, the world still spinning before him and he almost fell over. Seems that the fight with Smart Man and the gyser had taken alot more out of him than he had realized.

Kicking the door in, Proto stumbled and then jumped as a large ax came crashing down inches behind him. It would have sliced him in two. Standing up, Proto looked both ways and so a large staircase heading up. Full of traps, probabaly. Firing a blast at it, he saw more axes come flying down, smashing into the floor. As they began to go back up in the air, Proto ran up the stairs, listening to them crashing behind him. The faster they got the faster he got until he reached the top, panting, his world spinning even worse.

Holding onto a wall, Proto tried to shake his head and stop it, but knew it he had to continue. If Dr. Zealous was doing anything and he failed to stop it.....Proto passed out again and crashed to the floor.

Sitting down, Zealous glanced at his creation, Vile. Horribly scarred, he had given him a helment to hide it. Other than that, the two Reploids looked alike. Now, he thought maybe that was a bad idea. Thinking about it, he heard a loud roar and heard his door crack. Spinning around in his chair, he saw his door explode to bits and a wounded Protoman stumble in.

"No!" Zealous cried and jumped up. "You will not ruin my plans!" he roared and glanced at the kronometer. Another 3 minutes. He turned back to the Robot who was advancing.

"Surrender now!"

"Never!" Zealous cried out and hit a button on the control pad and a robotic battle suit came out. He jumped in and powered up as Proto began to blasta way at the suit. Growling, Zealous blasted Proto, causing him to stumble backwards. The red robot jumped and blasted a charged blast at his windshield, shattering it some. Growing, Zealous punched Proto and grabbed him as the kronometer beeped and the protocols began to download into Vile's brother. Snickering, Zealous was about to crush Proto who blasted the arm off of the robot suit and then fired a quick blast at the glass, shattering it to bits.

Proto roared and jumped up, blasting the controls, destroying the mobility of the suit. Whimpering, Zealous jumped out and backed against the wall, defeated to the highest degree. Glancing around, he saw Proto point his blaster at the two Reploids. "NO!!!" he cried out and tackled proto, hitting the button on the control pad, sending the two capsules deep into the ground, cutting off the protocols in the other Reploid. At least he got some.

The two caspules vanished into the ground as Protoman throw Dr. Zealous off of him. "No!" he cried, failure weighing heavily on his shoulders as he glared at the human. These two Reploids would be sure to cause trouble in the future... "Where'd they go?"

Zealous snickered. "I'm not telling you, Protoman. Goodbye!" he shouted and fired a gun at the controls, blowing them up and setting off the auto-destruct sequence. Laughing, Zealous ran off, vanishing into the lab. Proto glanced at the controls and dived out of a window, landing on a balcony and looked down the ten stories he was up. Glancing around, he saw a flying pad nearby. Jumping off, he grabbed the edge of it as the lab exploded, it being buried to the ground. Unfortantly the pad began to fall under his weight. Before they could crashland, Proto checked and saw he was out of the teleportation field and teleported back to safety.

Deep inside a hidden tube, the explosion rattled the two capsules, causing one to be buried as the other one arrived in the proper destination, and the programming turned on. In about thirty years, Vile would come on. But, many miles away, thrown from the explosion, another capsule laid, not to be discovered until after Vile had turned on and left....found by a group of humans who were digging, much like Cain one day.

1 month later....

Proto stood in the corner, a frown on his face, a sad heart on his chest. Roll stood next to him as she watched Dr. Light and Cossack put X into the capsule and close it off, the capsule turning on and the diagnosis beginning.

Light turned to then, his face twisted up in sadness and worry. "I-I hope I'm doing the right thing....It would be so easier just to have him be with us now...."

Cossack touched his shoulder gently. "We know that personality could be unstable..." Light nodded and turned back to the capsule, finishing up somethings.

Roll sniffed sadly. "'Bye Rock."

X1 approached the capsule and placed a holo-chip of Mega Man's entire family on it. An object of senitment never to be found. The last piece of Rock's fomer life, that will be tragically lost with time. "See ya Mega, it's been a blast."

Proto stepped up and patted the capsule and glanced at the Mega Man. "Hey, 'bro....I'm sorry I couldn't have been there for you. But I swear, I won't stay far away. You know me....I'll be there, to see you be reborn..." Proto promised and stepped back, his visor hiding the emotions tearing through his eyes. He turned away and walked off. Rush howled mournfully.

Light turned back to the capsule after Proto's promise and looked at his creation, his eyes glassy from tears forming. 'Once a housecleaning robot, you volunteered to be made into a super robot to fight Wily. You defended this planet time and time again, and one day you will fight for it again, though I hope life will allow you to choose a peaceful life. Goodbye, my son...' he thought quietly to himself and typed in the warning.

He finished signed the date, September 19, and stepped back, putting the capsule in a hidden wall and sealing it. Turning around, he smiled thinly at the two. Suddenly the alarms went off and on the screen showed an aircraft of some sort hovering over the lab. "What is it?!" Light cried out and brought it up on the screen as Roll, X1, Proto, and Cossack walked up. Written on the side was Zealous. "That fiend!" snarled Proto but his eyes widdened as the aircraft began to charge it's laser cannons. "Clear the lab!"

Dr. Cossack hurried out followed by Proto who was heading outside to shoot the thing, leaving X1, Roll, and Light in the inside. "I can't leave Mega Man....I need to make sure the defenses puts him in the hidden room in the ground," Light told them and turned to X1. "You must go. I want you to be near X always. Watch over him. You're his brother in someways, X1. Don't reveal who you are if you don't want to. Now go," Light ordered.

"Yes sir, O Captain, My Captain." X1 turned and left. Light turned to Roll who was still there.

"Go, Roll. This is no place for you now."

"My place is by your side, dad, and by Rock's. I won't leave either of you," Roll said and began to help Light start the computer to bury X in the hidden compartment.

A piece of debre smacked into Cossack's head and snapped his head back, sending him skipping along the ground. Protoman and X1 were forced back by the force of the blow and lost in smoke as the aircraft began to take off. Standing up, Proto saw it was close to a hill. Running up it, he leaped off and grabbed the edge of it. Climbing inside, he blasted the controls as Zealous turned around. "You!" he cried out in surprise.

"You piece of--" Proto began when the aircraft took a strange dive and crashed into the hill, blowing up in a brilliant light that blinded X1. He stepped backward, shielding his eyes, and watched the firey bits fall down. Turning to Cossack, he saw the young doctor was dead. Just like everyone else....

Studying the scorched earth around him, X1 pulled hismelf to his feet. Cossack was dead, Proto was missing, Roll and Dr. Light were probably dead, Zealous paid for his evil with his own life, and Mega Man was in stasis. The world was a much lonelier place for X1 that day, fore he no longer had a family.

Morphing into a piece of rubble, X1 fell into a deep sleep, whiling watching the remains of the lab, as he was told...

Slumping down, the robot began to cry mournfully for his sister, grabbing her and holding her as he cursed Zealous over and over. He knew Light was dead too and so was Mega Man....he had to have been lost in the explosion...all had failed. Standing up, he glanced around. Even X1 and Cossack were dead. It was all over.

Walking away, he heard the mournful howl of a dog. Turning around, he saw a burnt, burised, yet alive Rush. He went over and pet the dog, Mega Man's favorite thing. He used to love playing with him. "C'mon on boy..." he said sadly and the two walked off into moonlight, vanishing into sight, never heard by X1.