Destiny and fate; history and future; chance and death; they all play the game of life of which we live in. Spirits so tightly knitted together can stay together throughout the ages.....in different forms or time, they can beat the game of life....
"D-D-Dead?!" he cried out and left the store behind to be run by Big Eddie. Quickly heading for the labortory, he came upon a scorched plain of rubble and destruction. He looked around and sighed sadly. "M-My friends...." he whimpered.
"Doc? Roll? Rock? Proto? X1? IS anyone here?" whimpered Auto as he collapsed onto his knees. As he sobbed though, he could hear some stirring among the rubble. To his astonishment, X1 produced himself.
"Where do I start Auto?"
"From the beginning X1, from the beginning."
After a brief, yet detailed story, Auto stood up. "That's it. You're going to stay at my store for as long as you want. Mega Man won't be waking for thirty years and I won't have you standing around here that long," Auto demanded.
"Sorry Auto, but Light gave me explicite instructions. I'm staying here until Mega is revived. Nobody's touching him while I'm around."
"But X1, Dr. Light wouldn't have wanted you to stay out here for thirty years. He would have wanted you to appear when the thirty year period was up. There's going to be a boatload of people coming soon, pal, and I don't want you waste your life while they trample around," Auto insisted.
"Don't worry about me Auto, I'm pretty resiliante, the doc made me that way. I'll be fine, and as long as I'm still functional, Mega Man's going to be safe. Count on it."
Auto sniffed emotionally. "Well, I'll be by often to visit ya..." he said and gave X1 a great bear hug.
"Take care of yourself, you old rust bucket, and maybe I'll look you up in thirty years." Auto nodded and walked off sadly back to his store, leaving behind what he considered the last of line of Mega Men until X finally reawoke.
Arriving at his store, he noticed some suspicous looking people in the store, browsing through the items he had. Walking over to Eddie, Flip Top blank a sign of his worriment toward these people too. Stepping up, he cleared his throat and asked, "What can I do for you?"
"Sure, freak!" the young human snickered and pointed a laser gun and fired it at Auto's leg, causing him to fall. "We're going to rob this piece of junk store of yours!" Eddie jumped up and prepared to attack when the human blasted him too, back into a wall, blowing him up. Enraged, Auto lunged forward and all three of the humans fired, blowing him to pieces and killing him. Snickering, they robbed the store and left.
The two walked over to the Captain and sat down. "Sir, 'tis a bloomin' shame. I wish we could do something the lass..." the same one told him.
"Ain't nothing you can do now. Orphaniage will be taking her later this afternoon and she'll be raised there until she is adopted. Hopefully someone will take her in. But there's a million cases like it a day, Lieutentant. You can't let it get your spirits down," the Captain said ruffly.
The two officers shook their heads sadly and left. Kalinka would be adopted a few months later and would live with a weathly family whose father will become a Senator one day, causing them to move to Washington DC.
He walked up the steps toward the building. He slowly walked up the steps. Between one step and the next one of his leg motivators failed. He smashed to the ground, the remains of a holograph systems surrounding him with red and white armor for a second before he returned to his normal state. He slowly rose to a standing position. He rubbed the new dent in his shin and adjusted the yellow scarf around his neck. Looking around to make sure nobody saw him, he continued up. Looking at the roof, he notice the newer dome put up to replace the one Wily had smashed when stealing Gutsman.
As he entered the building, he was faced with the astonished looks of two humans. They had robots in the museum, but not active ones. "Ca..ca…can I help you?" one of them stuttered out.
The robot's scratchy voice answered. "Yes… I am… looking… for employment and… repairs… I understand that… I can get… both here..."
"Um, what kind of job are you looking for?" the man asked, more confident now that he saw that the robot was not planning on doing damage to the .
"Any odd… job… janitor would… work… I have… studied the… designs of the exibits and know… how to maintain them… given the equipment… I can also… maintain… myself…"
A few days later the robot had his job and repairs. He had even starting giving the tours. His knowledge of the exhibits was extensive and he soon began helping with the tours. His holographic imager was put to use simulating the different robots, allowing them to give a tour lead by any robot in the history books. Those who went on the tour sometimes complained that the robot was just a human in disguise. Anyone looking into his eyes noticed the almost human look of a haunted past and fear of what was to come.
April 8th:
Still nothing. For the last month, I have been sifting through the dirt trying to find a fossil
record which would verify my findings on Mesozoic plant life, but so far I have come up empty. Tomorrow, I'll move
my archaeological dig to a new site. Maybe I'll have better luck.
Cain finished his entry and looked over at the section of a blown up hill that was trying to regrow. Yes, this would do nicely....
Cain look around a the slight shift in the breeze and looked up at the old hill and could have sworn he saw a robot and a dog standing there, watching him. But robots were stopped being made awhile after Light died....
When he looked again, they were gone.
Cain survied the remains of the lab. He recalled that someone had blown this lab up along time ago. Rarely known these days, he wasn't even sure if it was true. Shrugging, he began to cook some food.
Cain watched X walk around, staring innocently around him, as if in awe. The two had gotten along great and now X was exploring with a childlike innocence. He had no memory of his past, probably due to some kind of damage that Cain couldn't figure out right then.
X walked over to the edge of the area and stared up at the night, watching the moon, deep in thought. Cain turned away and fixed himself so food, leaving the "robot" alone to his thoughts.
As I look around the dig site more, though, I have the oddest feeling that I'm being watched. Not by X, but by something else. Also, my frying pan has gone missing, and I found my shoes full of toothpaste this morning. X swears he hasn't seen anyone else around. This is most mysterious indeed.
Cain packed some more of the stuff into the transportation truck and glanced around as night began to fall. Things were quiet and X was up on the destroyed hill thinking. Cain decided to let him be, seeing as tomorrow would be a big day.
The council has now decided to set up a group of "Hunters" to destroy any maverick before it can cause injury. The reploid named Sigma has assigned to lead the Hunters. Sigma is one of the most intelligent reploids I've created and contains my latest circuit designs. His systems should be immune to any problems.
Rumors have it a reploid named Vile is leading the Mavericks. Thankfully some new Hunters from unknown have joined, like Lieutenant Death Star.
I am a little worried about X. He seems unsure of his place in life and what Dr. Light had planned for him. But given time, I'm sure he'll find his way....
Most of the popluation is in hiding or trying to flee the city. I'm not sure how long we can hold out against Sigma's forces. I fear I've built the reploids too well.
X is taking the news of the war very personally. He wants to join Zero, the new leader of the Maverick Hunters, when he goes after Sigma. I'm doubtful of their chances, but I won't stop him. Something has to be done....
Sigma stood on top of a roof near the HQ smirking as looked down at the humans scurring around. Ever since his encounter with that Reploid, Zero, he had felt differently toward humans. However, the Reploid had been reprogrammed by Cain it seemed and now joined the Hunters. He knew that if his plan was to work, he would have to destroy that Reploid. And X. He wouldn't want to fight, but he could.
Turning around, he faced the Hunters that were with him on watch. Chill Penguin, Storm Eagle, Spark Mandrill, Flame Mammoth, Armored Armadillo, Launch Octopus, Boomer Kuwanger, and Sting Chameleon. They were all part of this little "maverick" gig that Sigma was planning on doing that day.
"Alright, lets go." The nine Mavericks teleported off, and a few minutes later major buildings began to blow up. The first war had begun.
"As you all know Sigma and eight other Hunters from the 17th Unit decided to go haywire. Now, Sigma is probably the most resourceful and wellbuilt Reploid ever created and he'll be strengting his army rather quickly. Personally, I think he will destroy the city in a matter of weeks and we are undermanned to stop him.
"Now, Zero has been remade into the new leader of the Maverick Hunters and is planning a counter-strike against Sigma before he can get too settled in. It seems that all nine of them have set up large bases. Sigma's base is still very unknown. We have what few resources we have searching for it.
"Now--" Cain was about to continue when suddenly the alarms off and the monitor came on. A huge flying aircraft was flying around, blowing up buildings. It was the Hunter's airtank carrier that Storm Eagle had stolen. Cain turned around and saw that X was gone. "What the devil?!"
Zero stood up. "It seems, doc, that X is going to go try to stop that thing by himself."
Cain shook his head. "He can't do it."
Zero teleported while saying, "I'll help him."
Cain turned to the remaining Hunters. "Also, it seems that Vile has allowed Sigma to be the new leader of the mavericks and is working for him now. So, watch out for him. We have multiple Maverick units entering the city on all sides. Head out and destroy them," Cain said. They teleported away, leaving the old man to his thoughts. Of destruction.
Joining the Hunters was Dominator. When Doppler attacked the base with X and Zero gone, he, Captain Death Star, Mac, and a few other Hunters defended to the best of their degree until X and Zero arrived. Mac went Maverick and was destroyed by Zero. X and Zero managed to defeat Doppler, and his leader, Sigma. Once more the Maverick outbreak seemed finished until Sigma manupliated the minds of Repliforce.
Repliforce was declared Maverick and later destroyed by the efforts of Death Star, X, Zero, and other Hunters. Zero managed to defeat Sigma but at a great cost to his sanity. A few months later he went Maverick and took out X and a good chunk of Russia with a nuclear explosion....
"Reports are still hard to come by on the recent events. We do not know what just happened, but it seems a large explosion went off in Siberia. It already seems it has been devistated by the explosion and human life there has been completely erdicated.
"A few days priror to this, a base was robbed by a Reploid. The guards there identfied the culprit as Zero. As we know, the once Hunter went Maverick for unknown reasons. Reports seem to think Zero was the cause of the explosion. As of now, the Maverick Hunters have released no infomation."
X and Zero was dead. Somehow, he felt he owed it to X and Dr. Light to see X complete whatever it was Light designed him for. He also felt he failed this completely. And Zero.....both of their deaths was a tradgey.
Standing up, he took a swig of the alcohol and went over to the window, over looking the damage to the West Tower. The media was going to eat Zero's mistake up like vultures to a piece of carcass. Zero's name would be a disgrace to the entire world and everyone would despise it, never remembering the good Zero had done.
And people now, with Zero going Maverick, Repliforce going Maverick, and X dead, would begin to look at Reploids differently now. It would be a big parade.....And it was all because of his failure to see it coming.
The future is coming...
"Well, I can safely tell you you're not in Kansas anymore," laughed X1 as he went to work repairing his friend.
"Z-Zero....gotta....get up and .....stop....Zero...." Death Star moaned and attempted to pull himself up.
"Zero's been....taken care of..." replied X1 with hesitation in his voice. "We've just gotta focus on getting you better chief."
Death Star attempted to pull himself up. "I-I'm fine...." he muttered as he looked around, half-way up, the room spinning and causing him to fall back down. "Damn..."
"Just lay back and let Uncy X1 make you better," the scitzophrinic reploid told his superior as he flicked the air out of a giant needle.
"W-What the hell....do you think you're doing?" Death Star asked as he actually did sit up and slowly began to back away, pain shooting throughout his entire body. According to the rules of science, the Reploid shouldn't have been standing up and backing away, and for that fact, walking.. Death Star's leg gave out on him and he fell to the floor.
"DS, you've taken a lot of damage, now I'm putting you back on that table, and you're not coming off until you're 100%, got it?" Death Star let out a strangle laugh and hit his teleport button but found it broken. So he immediately stood up, wavered back and forth, and took off for the door.
"I'm just jiffy....X1..." he told the robot who was beginning to grow annoyed. Grabbing the doorhandle, Death Star opened it and walked into the hall, looked back and forth. The entire hallway was spinning to him. Shutting the door, he broke off the handle and slowly began to make his way down the hallway, away from sight, and to think.
Death Star then felt someone grab his shoulder and drag him back into the workshop and drop him on the table. "No, you're staying here, and I'm going to fix you, that's an order." X1 said strenly as he strapped DS down. "If you keep trying to walk off, your neural systems are going to shut down, and you're going to die, do you understand?"
"Where's your bedside manners...." Death Star said dryly.
"Right where I left it, at my bedside."
"People of Capcom City, I address you with the upmost sad news that I can say..." Cain began and he looked over the crowd, seeing the newsreporters recording him, not a bit of mercy on their face. "Two of the world's greatest heros died today. X and Zero. They saved this town time and time again.
"Yet we cannot allow their memory to die....their dreams and hopes must remain here," Cain went on, pounding his heart. "They're the legends that will live on forever, that will never die, unless forgotten. We can not allow these two legends to fade away from our hearts. Nor must we think about how serious the crimes of one of these legends are.
"Legends aren't made, they're forged. Legends can be made from anyone and anything. Humans and Reploids can be legends. What is a legend? It's a story of one's great deeds, or evil deeds, that are forever told. Yes, even Sigma is a legend, one that we should forget.
"But, we must not allow these legends and their great deeds to be forgotten. If we do that, then we'll be back where we were at the being of the Maverick Wars. There will be another Sigma and the world will slip into another dark time.
"However, if we work together, I'm sure we shall be able to keep these legends alive in our hearts, and the hearts of our children, and in the hearts of their children, and then there won't be another Sigma, because then there will be another X and another Zero here to protect us," Cain went on. From within side a building in Washington DC, a woman watched him, shaking her head and said, "He doesn't stand a chance...."
Cain straighted up some, a pain in his chest growing stronger. "Legends are never forgotten if we charish them and allow them to grow. Mega Man, Proto Man, and Dr. Light. They shall never be forgotten, for they are legends," he continued and somewhere, far away, a robot and a dog watched the funeral, a scarf wavering behind him, a sad tear at the edge of his eye. "Now, I think I've talked enough about legends. X saved us time and time again and I for one give him my ever gratiful thanks. Everyone owes X and Zero their lives," Cain said, while somewhere in another place a man leaned back in his desk, a small smile on his face. "Trust me, Cain, no one will forget...heh heh heh..."
Turning to face everyone once more, Cain started the final piece of his speech, "Don't hate Zero for what he did. He saved us all. The best of legends fall. Don't let his legend be that of hatred and disgust. And X. Remember his couragous heart, his bravery....and his friendship. But also finish his dream. A dream of a world where Reploids and Humans can live in peace....a dream that was passed down from Dr. Light, to Mega Man, and then to him. And please, let him pass that dream to you...."
Cain stepped down and there was clapping scattered all around. Rubbing his chest, he paid his respects and quickly went back into the HQ.