The Quest - Book 2 Ch. 10
By Eliad Sholomovich

ALPHA SECTOR ROCKET BASE NEO-TOKYO

X ducked under tZero's swing and dashed away. "Zero have you lost your mind? What the h*ll are you babbling about?" X shouted in frustration.

Zero smiled wickedly "Don't you recognize your old friend Bass? That a shame ya know.My creator Dr.Wily would be sooo crushed" Zero then broke into a fit of laughter.

X eyes narrowed and he stared in Zero's direction."Impossible you can't be one of HIS robots. Stop kidding around Zero, this isn't some sick joke Zero!! Our friends are dead" X shouted at him in pure rage.

Zero made a off hand motion "I assure you X I'm am not joking. And Good riddences with those hunters they were too goody for my taste. Now I can rest at ease knowing Wily's legacy lives again threw me. And When I shred you to tiny pieces I'll conquer this world and enslave all in the name of my creator." Zero said and calmed himself from his fit of laughter.

X frustrated and fuming spoke in a sad tone "Your mad Zero. I can't let you fufill hatever you believe your creator told you too. Disarm now and follow me to base before we do something we'll both regret"

Zero eyes sparkled in anger "You just don't get it X do you?.I was built to destroy you. I never liked you and don't care about your stupid dead hunters. I won't follow you alive."

Then he leapt into the air and somersaulted while shouting "Today you die Megaman X!!". X shook his head and dodged again. "You leave me no choice Zero. But remember this you will always be my friend."

Then X charged his cannon. Zero scoffed and smirked "Even if I tell you that I single-handedly devised the plan that killed your girlfriend Emerald just for you as a gesture of our friendship"

X's sad gaze shifted to anger. Zero continued "You'll never find happiness cause your jinxed Megaman X. Everyone you care for eventually either betrays you or dies. Your nothing but worthless little fool with no sense of mind. And I'll never understand what that stupid,weakling witch saw in you"

At this statment X shook with fury. Zero simply smirked "The truth hurts doesn't it? MY FRIEND" Zero mocked X's prior statement.

X in fury charged Zero and kicked him in the chest with all his might. Zero went flying crashing into a metal wall.

"Never speak of Emerald or my friends again. Your not Zero your just a cold hearted monster just like your creator" X said and stood ready.

Zero rose to his feet and dusted himself. "Why thanks for the compliments X old Chap. But unfortnatly fot you its time to die" Zero dashed forward slashing his Saber.

X shot Zero with a full charged shot and quickly leapt to the right. Zero was hit square in the chest. His armor shuddered and he fell on his back from the impact. Zero pressed a button on his saber and it turned pink.

Zero charged at X before he could charge his cannon. X tried to dodge but Zero was a skilled sword fighter.So he resorted to firing quick small plasma shots.

Zero was hit a few times. The rest of the time he deflected the small projectiles slowly approaching X. X leapt over Zero. Zero spinned around agily and gave X a deep slash on his back.

Zero turned his Saber and summoned a blast of blue energy from the hilt itself. X's armor changed to Blue and white. He swung his hands and the air around him froze. he backed away and were he once was stood a large block of ice.

The blast melted the Ice. X dashed and over Zero and Turned his armor to grey. He shot thrusted his cannon and a sharp spinning blade flew from it.

Zero deflected the blade in middash and slashed downwards at X's chest. X sidestepped and grabbed Zero's arm he then proceeded to throw Zero with all his might into a nearby generator.

Zero crashed forcefully into the wall. To his misfortune a iron pole stuck out of. Zero's left shoulder was impaled and he cried out from the pain.

Zero kicked off the wall releasing himself. Zero in rage jumped high. X backwards. But Zero smiled and his thrusters made him jump again. Then X went wide eyed. Zero somersaulted and slashed X's chest making a deep slash from top to bottom.

X cried out and landed heavily on his back. Zero landed a few feet away. Holding his shoulder. X rose to his feet breathing heavily. He checked his energy meter it was only at the half.

Zero not wanting him to rest quickly slashed again. X aimed his cannon and out came a small stingray. It tripped Zero's feet and he flipped over right into X's uppercut.

Zero landed a few feet away with a loud clang. Zero slowly rose to his feet and broke into a berserker lunge. X backed away and tried to block the blow with his arms. Zero grinned and his Saber burst into flames.

It melted X's right arm weapon control. His cannon turned back into a hand. X was pushed several feet away and slammed into a generator forcefully. X held his arm that throbbed with pain.

X clenched his teeth choking down the stinging pain as Zero smiled from ear to ear. "Not so tough without your little cannon are you"

X gulped but saw an opening.Zero had lay down his guard. X quickly kicked off the wall dashing forward. Zero suprised was tackled by X. They fell and Zero's Saber rolled aside and fell of a ledge a few feet away.

Zero and X rolled on the ground. Zero overpowered X and kicked his chest. X was thrown off him. They slowly rose to their feet.

X's eyes were full of anger and hatred. "Now were even Zero". Zero coughed and his eyes narrowed "So we are.

They looked at eachother. Both of them were wounded serious wounds "decorating" their armors with green-brown liquid that stained their armors.

After a few minutes of smiply gazing into eachother eyes they lunged toward eachother with their fists ready.

Zero punched at X. X swatted his punch but was nailed by a quick knee to the abdomen.

X bent over. Zero hammered his damaged back. Zero raised his foot to stomp on X's back. X rolled aside and leapt quickly with a kick.

Zero was pushed backwards. Zero was very low on energy and he knew X had trained daily alot more than him at MHHQ. He had no doubt X would win like this.After All he had a lot more experience.

He smiled as he remembered a weapon he still had. As X approached his slammed his fist into the ground. White energy knocked X away and blinded him.

X held his eyes and cried in pain. Zero took advantage by picking up a large metal pole and slamming into X's robotic ribcage. X was launched into a wall and Zero threw the pole after it dented from hitting X's side.

X was on one knee panting.His surroundings danced around as dizziness consumed him. His vision was hazy.He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth and all his body quacked with pain at every breath. He opened them slightly and looked at his life meter. It was dangerously low. Then he saw a yellow bulb flash on and off.

X saw Zero approach. "I've got one last change. He pressed the button and closed his eyes and concentrated on charging his energy. his thrusters started firing up.

Zero sure of victory laughed to himself. "Finally I've defeated you Megaman. With your death comes the downfall of mankind"

X ignored his words. He opened his eyes and they glew with yellow energy. Zero was shocked "What the h*ll?". X quickly aimed himself at Zero. Zero cried out in surprise as X's body was enveloped with yellow energy.

X's thrusters flared and he dashed in midair. He crashed into Zero with lightning fast speed. Zero failed to dodge and X slammed his fists into Zero's chest.

Zero's armor was dented inwards his internal circuitry damaged beyond repair and was flung backwards into a wall. He slumpted to the ground. He tried to get up but his body failed to comply.

X rose to his feet. His face was now without anger it was full of pity. X breathed heavily and coughed ignoring the pain that consumed his entire body and gazed at Zero.

Zero coughed violently "I maybe dead but at least I died with honor. You on the otherhand will be tormented forever by this day my friend. As we speak my troops have planted bombs all over town Your humans are dead X. And there is nothing you can do about it"

Then he laughed and coughed again. Then X turned and left his former best friend behind him. He heard an explosion and knew that Zero was gone forever.

He sighed "Luckily all humans have been evacuated so I guess your plan failed Zero" X sighed and then heard a cry "X!!!Help!!"

X turned to his left and five of the Sf group running towards him. X held his chest.

He used his comm-unit on his left arm. "Doc Cain do you read?" he asked weakly Dr Cain answered "Loud and clear X"

X coughed "Zero's threw I'm coming back for repairs and I'm bringing five of the new recruits with me so prepare medical aid if needed."

Dr.Cain nodded "Will do X. And for what its worth X. I'm sorry" X smiled "Its O.K Doc it wasn't your fault Zero went berserk."

X then collapsed on one knee clenching his teeth and coughing voilently. Dr.Cain looked worried "Are you O.K X?"

X inhaled "I've been better meet ya at HQ doc?" Then he turned off his Comm-unit.

Chunli and the others reached him. They were panting. "X...W...We...need yo...your help" Chunli said.

X nodded "All in due time I need repairs.Hold eachothers hands" He said weakly his body shaking from weakness and pain.

They were all very tired and worried about Ryu. But they glanced at X and saw he was too wounded to help so they complied reluctantly.

"Now hold mine" X commanded softly.She did X touched a button on his arm and they teleported with a flash of blue.