"Vile," spoke X, a defiant fire in the reploid's eyes reflected throughout his resilient stance, "Are you fighting because you believe we're better than the humans who created us, or are you fighting for Sigma's cause?" X threw his words into a black hole, for the only other soul on that deserted stretch of highway seemed immune to X's words. The only thing X could do was wait for the man standing in his way, his enemy, to act.
---
There he stood in his former ally's path, an obstacle refusing subtlety, a man neither good nor evil. His name was Vile, a queller of fires by trade, just a somebody ordered to keep the peace from radical elements, but unlike his former comrade, Vile placed his own agendas before his orders. Months of insubordination and ruthless tactics on the battlefield earned him the nickname 'Vile' from within the Maverick Hunters, a name he was quite fond of. On the eve of his decommissioning from the hunters' ranks, he was given the opportunity to lead a new life by his commander and future leader of an emerging world order; Sigma, a man, a reploid like Vile and X, that believed in the superiority of the mechanical reploids over their human creators. Sigma instigated a rebellion from within the Maverick Hunters that quickly escalated into a full-scale war, rebellious reploids, Mavericks, battled the remnants of the Maverick Hunters, whose numbers fell by the day.
Vile, a reploid aligned with Sigma, and X, a reploid sworn to defend the helpless, human and machine alike, met once more in the midst of battle. The sword greeted the shield, Vile welcomed X, eager to quench his appetite of flames. He walked towards X, who readied his buster gun. Vile readied nothing, his undaunted march to where X stood didn't falter in the least; his gaze never straying from X's. Vile was closing the distance between him and X, who held his buster up to Vile's face. "Not one more step, Vile." He stopped walking, his gaze remained focused on X, "To answer your question, X, I follow no one."
"Then why, Vile? Why are you doing this? How many people have you killed so far?"
A chilling wind materialized from what could have been Vile himself, who stood there motionless, allowing the tension to build between like a bonfire between them before striking at the critical moment. "What reason do you have to defend those arrogant humans. All they've ever done for us reploids since we were created is belittle us, make us more like them. It's simply maddening living life as a human's, when we're capable of so much more." Vile, had he been any less of a man, would have given X the fight of his life at this point to prove his former ally wrong, but something in him had changed. Ever since Sigma granted him freedom that day, Vile had changed. No longer was the the reckless warmonger that spread war-fire with every step, he became cold, calculating, choosing rather to break his opponent's fighting spirit, than to crush his body, but he would make an exception if the time called for it.
"They say we're equal, they give us similar rights, but when it's a reploid committing a crime instead of a human, we're all held accountable. It was a "programming error" that all reploids Must possess," Vile paused to collect himself, "they say we're all broken, imperfect machines... They speak of us like we're monsters, X, but we're exactly the same as they are." X stood, stunned, "that's what Sigma wants to prove." The wind picked up as it swirled around the battlefield. X, struck by Vile's words like a punch to the chest, took no time in retaliating. "Vile, you and Sigma are wrong. As far as I'm concerned, you're both monsters, along with every reploid following along in his rebellion." Vile's failure to say anything back expressed his lack of impression through his opponent's words. "As Reploids, we're equal to humans in terms of our souls. We think, feel, and hurt exactly as they do." X paused, "but we're not the same as humans, that's why they fear us. Our bodies are capable of far more than theirs, you should know that more than anyone, Vile." He remained motionless. "As reploids, we have an obligation to show them we're capable of the same self-control they are. Only when we keep our power in check can we say we're equal to humans." Vile looked up from his cold posture, and the wind died down to a breeze.
X lowered his buster, and similarly loosened his stance, but only slightly. "I know what you're thinking, X. You want me to say that humans don't have the self-control you speak of so you can say that neither do I." Vile rose back into his posture and looked X straight in the eyes, "Sigma fears what you will become as the fighting drags on, he's offered to pay me handsomely for your head," X suddenly became serious again and lept backwards and aimed his buster at Vile, who just stood there and simply adjusted the angle of his neck to look at X before continuing, "but I don't intend to deliver." X aimed his buster at the open slots in Vile's venom-purple helmet, "what are you gonna to then?" X's open eye reflected a ray of sunlight as he looked at Vile down the barrell of his buster. "I want you to join me, X. You won't join Sigma, I know that much already, but what if I told you that once all of this business with Sigma's war settles down, there will be untold of opportunity for reploids like you and I."
X fired his buster gun, Vile snapped his neck to the left and dodged it by mere centimeters. "I expected that much from you," Vile scoffed, "what if I told you you could help countless numbers of people under Sigma's rule? You could be a hero, X. Let's face it, Sigma's going to win this thing anyways, why not be a savior to the people left afterwards? You and I could live a life of luxury, all we would have to do is take out the few stray mavericks keeping these people down, and when Sigma comes to put an end to us himself..." Vile's clenched fist tightened, "we'll crush him."
X took only a moment to think of the possibility. Strategically, the plan would allow for Sigma's forces to be whittled away little by little, and when he's slipped into a moment of arrogance, he would join forces with Vile and take him out. The plan was perfect... almost. "Vile, what of the humans and good reploids? If we run away now, many will be killed by Sigma. I couldn't bear that responsibility, knowing I could have saved them." X raised his buster once again, aiming at Vile's chest. Vile began his dreadful march again. "Don't be a fool, X. If you fight now, you're going to die and then nobody can save them. How does your conscience feel about that one?" Vile's voice carried with it a wisp of anger. "Humans and reploids will reproduce after Sigma dies and his regime crumbles. Facing Sigma now in the prime of his fury will only spell death to not only you, but hope as well." X was struck by Vile's words, his stance broke, his buster fell. "This plan gives the good people of the world the best chance of survival. I would make sure the plan succeeds because there's something in it for me as well, if you've forgotten so quickly." Vile stood proud in front of X, whose resolve was quickly failing. "Join me X, give these people a CHANCE to SURVIVE!" Vile extended his hand to X. "Do it for them, X." X looked up to Vile, then to his hand, and without speaking a word, started towards Vile's outstretched hand with his own. As he took X's hand in his own, Vile began to shake with laughter as he savored the moment. "Good choice, X. You are truly an intelligent man.
Before his victory could be celebrated, Vile let go of X and jumped away from where he stood. A blue mass of energy approached quickly, exploding at it struck the ground where Vile was once standing. "No, not now!" Vile faced the direction the energy shot came from and readied his shoulder cannon. "Where are you?" Vile scanned the area in front of him and found nothing. X looked around himself, wondering where the blast came from. The sound of somebody landing on the road behind them caught Vile's attention. "I've got you, Zero!" Vile turned around, but found nothing. X shuddered upon hearing Zero's name. "Zero? Commander of the 0 squad?" X caught a glimpse of a shadow covering Vile and looked up to find what he had dreaded at that moment. Zero, the second-highest ranking Maverick Hunter had arrived in the midst of their battle, but for what reason? The possibilities rushed through X's head, meanwhile, Zero landed perfectly behind Vile and struck Vile in the back with his own buster. "You're trying to sway my men, Vile?"
Vile's head snapped to the side to look at the man with a gun held to his back. "Z, Zero. You misunderstand, I was simply explaining to X how we could work together to bring Sigma down. In fact, if you let me repeat it to you, you might think it's a pretty good..." Vile was cut short as Zero pressed into his back, "Shut up and die, Vile." Reacting as lightning, Vile ducked to the right to escape, but Zero was too quick. Zero fired his buster, but it didn't strike Vile as he intended, he severed Vile's right arm at the shoulder, the remainder stumbling across the highway. "Dammit, Zero. You're going to pay for this with your life." Vile began stumbling towards the edge of the highway, his left arm covering the recently freed-space that was once his shoulder, sparks flying wildly. "That really smarts, Zero. I'll be sure to take your whole body with me the next time I see you." Vile stood dangerously close to the edge of the road and the seventy-foot drop on the other side of the barricade. He turned to X and nearly fell over the edge in the process. "We'll meet each other again, X. Count on it being soon." Vile removed his left arm from his damaged area and gripped the barricade behind him. Struggling to balance, he stood up straight and looked down at the pair of Maverick Hunters, "Farewell, for now." Vile lept backwards off the barricade and his eyes slipped behind the obstruction.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.4
No comments:
Post a Comment