Digital Souls Pt. 3

By Wanderer D
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The usual Disclaimers Apply.
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Things to take into account,

This is a possibility of the time Matt deserted the group after
talking to Cherrymon and the fight with Tai.

We are assuming that the Digiworld is not only linked with the
Digidestined world.

We are also assuming that time passes faster in X's universe.
(48 hours Digiworld = 302400 hours aprox. X's universe)

This was supposed to be a spamfic, however I think I'll make it a
oneshot.

We are *also* assuming that more than one generation of robots passes
between each of the Megaman X manga and games.

I don't know if that was the plan, but the Digidestined act way more
mature than they should at their age, so I'm taking advantage of that.

End Rant
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Gabumon's eyes glowed as he stood up with renewed energy.
"Digivolve! Garurumon! Weregarurumon! Metalgarurumon!"

Afcaal was blinded, while Peregrin, somehow unaffected, stared in
surprise.
***

The Axe cut cleanly through the last of Noodle Man's noodles. With
a cry of surprise, Noodle Man stepped back as X approached him.

"You are not a Reploid." X stated facing the almost destroyed
Maverick.

"Wh- what do you mean?!"

X shrugged trapping Noodle Man between the computers and him.

Suddenly Noodle Man's eyes glowed red.

"It's true this isn't a Reploid Megaman!" A raspy voice came out
of Noodle Man's mouth. "But you're not going to live to tell anyone
about it!"

As Noodle Man started smoking and glowing, X's eyes grew wide.

"Uh, oh!"

***

Zero was running to the center of the base, where he had agreed to
meet the others when the floor started trembling. Kneeling with
one hand on the ground to keep his balance he waited a few seconds
until it subsided before standing up again.

"I wonder what that was?"

***

Afcaal lost his footing when the tower trembled, shaking everything.
The gigantic armored wolf infront of him stood passively until it
ended.

Its eyes glowed slightly as the wolf walked forward at him. The
Reploid's armor changed into a soft blue.

"Ice Star!" Afcaal shouted throwing his arm into the air.
Fifteen small ice stars shot out of his body and impacted against
the ceiling, walls and Metalgarurumon, covering anything in ice.

The Digimon had stood on his hind legs and protected Peregrin with
his body.

Metalgarurumon pushed away from the wall, shattering the ice.

"You call that cold? I'll show you cold."

Afcaal gulped and stepped away.
***

Gripping the needle carefully with his teeth, Metalgarurumon slowly
extracted the offending dagger from Peregrin's wing. The Female 
Reploid moaned as it finally slid out of her wing.

Metalgarurumon lowered her to the ground carefully and looked her
over. She didn't look too good.

Without the helm, she looked nice, according to Metalgarurumon's
understanding of beauty in the human species, she was quite
attractive.

However, that didn't change the fact that she looked like sh**.
Her armor was badly burnt, and her wings could barely stay straight,
her X-Buster was also in a bad condition, since every now and then
small sparks could be seen lighting it's interior.

"Are you okay, Peregrin?" He asked worriedly.

"Of course not..." Peregrin smirked despite the pain. "I'm...
perfectly... alright..."

Metalgarurumon decided that if she could joke about it she wasn't
hurt that badly. Or so he hoped.

"Well, get on my back, we're going to the meeting point."

Peregrin complied, easing herself up to Metalgarurumon's back.

"Hold on tight!" The Digimon warned as he jumped down the center of
the tower to the ground beyond.

***

Zero waited for a few minutes before hearing metallic steps along one
of the many corridors that converged in the center

He hid inside another as Metalgarurumon walked inside. Zero sighed in
relief, then noticed Peregrin hanging limply on his back.

"Peregrin!"

Zero ran to his friend and carried the unconscious girl to the side of
a tunnel. "What happened?"

He started doing a system check on her while Metalgarurumon explained
the battle with Afcaal. Zero sighed when his scanners told him that
she would survive.

He then noticed that she had brown hair. He hadn't noticed that before,
every time they met she had her helmet on, and since it also covered
most of her face none of the team had actually seen her face. She was
pretty, not cute like Iris, Peregrin looked more mature...

"MATT!"

Zero started and looked up at Metalgarurumon. "Huh?"

"You were just staring at Peregrin! Didn't you hear me? Is she going
to be okay?"

Zero blushed as he busied himself activating some nanites recovery
systems on Peregrin. "Uh, yeah, she's cu- she's gonna be ok..."

Metalgarurumon shook his head. "Hey, weren't X and the others supposed
to meet us by now?"

Zero nodded as he stood up. He brought his radio up.

"X? You there?"

He frowned at the lack of response. "Afro? Lynx?"

"Lynx here! We need help! Afro's..." The transmission was cut
suddenly.

"Lynx?"

Metalgarurumon walked up to Zero. "What happened?"

"Lynx and Afro are in trouble!"

Metalgarurumon looked at Zero as the latter regarded the unconscious
Peregrin.

"We can't leave her here." Zero stated.

"Don... Don't worry about me, Zero..."

"Peregrin!" Zero exclaimed, echoed by Metalgarurumon.

Peregrin was breathing heavily, as her two friends approached.

"The nanites worked perfectly, I'll be ok in a few hours... you
have to help the others."

Zero and Metalgarurumon looked at each other.

"Please, Zero, Metalgarurumon. We have a far more important mission
to accomplish. We must stop the Mavericks."

"Are you sure, Peregrin?" Zero asked doubtfully.

She barely nodded. Zero stared into her eyes for a few moments, then
nodded.

"When X comes here, tell him of our situation." Peregrin only rested
her head against the wall. But Zero knew he had been heard. If X,
no, *when* X came, he would hear the news.

***

Zero and Metalgarurumon arrived at the first of Afro and Lynx's
targets. The area was completely destroyed, but when Zero checked
the status of the missile he found it had been deactivated.

"They finished their work here, let's go to the next one!"

They dashed/ran down the tunnels to the other target, and as soon
as they entered, they noticed Afroman completely covered in ice.

"Duck!" Zero yelled. He followed his own advice and fell to the
ground just as a blue ray shot over his head.
Metalgarurumon had also jumped out of the way and turned, firing
his own beam.

The dark figure jumped up and forward to avoid the Digimon's
breath weapon, finally landing on the light.

"You?! Why?" Zero exclaimed as he regarded Ice Lynx in surprise.

"Because, Zero, I have learnt of the true destiny of Reploids!"

Ice Lynx laughed manically and shot again.

"What the hell is he talking about?!" Metalgarurumon asked.

"He must have been transformed! Probably by Sigma! The bastard
survived!"

Zero used his sword to block one of Lynx's rays as he answered
Metalgarurumon.

"You have some things right, my dear Project Zero, but I must tell
you that the Sigma part is wrong!" A raspy voice informed them
from a loudspeaker in the corner of the room.

Ice Lynx stopped his attack and stood back a little.

"I must say that you passed the test exceptionally well, Project
Zero! Hahaha!"

A large screen rolled down from the ceiling, and, when it reached it's
full size, the face of a very old man appeared clearly on it. He was
a sorry sight, with hundreds of machines, cables and tubes keeping him
alive where his body couldn't.

"YOU!" Zero shouted, as flashes of a younger version of this very same
doctor invaded his mind.

"Yes, I!" the mad doctor cackled. "Dr. Wily! Your creator!"

"You created nothing but this body! You stole my life, you bastard!"

Wily smirked. "I used a program with human behavior I had found.
Nothing more!"

Zero gritted his teeth, as he activated his sword to it's full
potential, and started gathering energy. Metalgarurumon could see
small lights surrounding him. The lights turned yellow, then green.

"You don't know what you did, you imbecile!" Zero challenged.

Wily frowned. "Too bad I couldn't erase parts of your program, but
that doesn't mean that I can't control you!"

He leaned forward and typed something in an unseen console.
Suddenly, Zero grasped his head and shouted in pain.

"Matt!" Metalgarurumon shouted as he took a step forward. Ice Lynx
intercepted him.

"You were a fool, Zero, to believe that I wouldn't have another way
to ensure my victory."

Zero stood up straight and didn't utter a word. Wily smiled evilly.
"Ice Lynx. Attack Project Zero."

Time seemed to slow down as Lynx jumped at Zero. Zero turned around,
expressionless.

The only thing that Metalgarurumon noticed in the exchange was the
hum of Zero's blade. The next thing he knew, Ice Lynx had been cut
in half.

"Excellent!" Wily cackled.

"Zero!" Everyone looked at the entrance, where X was helping
Peregrin walk inside.

Zero looked at them unrecognizing.

Metalgarurumon noticed the change in X's armor. He now sported a
stylized samuraiish-looking helmet, a whole body armor with white
edges against a deep metallic blue. His boots had also changed,
instead of the normal blue boots, he now had metallic blue boots,
with golden highlights going in three lines.

The booster was also lined up by golden lights and it had also the
new deep metallic blue look.

Peregrin also looked in far better condition than he had guessed, it
seemed that those nanites -whatever they were- had done a good job.

Metalgarurumon looked from the two new arrivals to Matt and back to
them. "Watch out! Wily has taken control of Matt!"

"Zero! Kill that overgrown armored chihuahua!"

The screen was destroyed by three of Metalgarurumon's missiles, but
Wily's voice could still be heard on the speakers.

"And destroy Megaman! You must destroy him and that other Reploid!"

X pushed Peregrin away from him as Zero dashed towards them, the 
movement was too fast for Peregrin and Metalgarurumon to follow,
but, with a crash and a screech, Zero pushed X to the far side of
the room.

X had managed to stop Zero's momentum and had grabbed his sword arm
with his left hand as he struggled to break Zero's hold on his neck
with the other.

Screaming, Zero pulled up X and threw him against the wall, blowing
it up with his blaster and bringing it down on X.

Ignoring the grunts from underneath the twisted metal, he turned
around and attacked Peregrin. Metalgarurumon tackled him just as he
was about to cut her in half. The two rolled on the ground, Zero
trying to get a good shot and the Digimon trying to hold him down
long enough to reason with him.

X finally pushed himself out of the rubble just as Zero batted
Metalgarurumon away with a backhand and started to stand up.

X's armor changed into yellow as he used his latest power.
"Noodle Whip!"

The metallic band with the stupid title enveloped Zero, pinning his
arms to his sides and keeping him in the same place as he struggled
to get free.

"Peregrin! Go get Wily!" X shouted. "We'll keep Zero occupied!"

Peregrin nodded and ran towards the door. It was obvious she hadn't
been completely regenerated by the nanites, and that her wings
weren't healed yet.

After she was gone, X couldn't hold Zero much longer, and the later
ripped the bands to shreds. X changed back to his armored blue self
and began charging his blaster.

"Matt! You have to fight it! Please!" Metalgarurumon bellowed to
Zero's back.

X noticed Zero's eyebrow twitch. "Gabumon! Watch out!"

Metalgarurumon was taken completely by surprise by Zero's blast. He
flew and stopped when he hit the immovable wall.

***

Peregrin logged into the main computer and started looking for a
probable place for Wily to be.
Finally founding a room with all the appropriate needs for a human to
survive, she started down the stairs in the center of the castle.

She eventually found the room she was looking for. A huge double-door
prevented the entrance of unwanted visitors.

She stopped to consider for a moment before she began to charge her
blaster. After a few seconds she released a blast that would've made
X proud. The door shuddered, and after four more blasts she finally
broke through.

Stepping through the gapping hole she regarded the sorry creature
Wily had become.

The mad doctor smiled at her. "So, it has come to this. You know,
X never had the courage to kill me the many times we fought."

Peregrin charged her booster and pointed it straight at his head.
"Release Zero. Now."

Wily laughed. "Zero can't be released! The program that created his
personality as you knew it was changed the moment I gave the command!
Zero will destroy everyone and everything in this planet."

Peregrin didn't waver, although she was worried. "What would you get
out of that?!"

Wily shrugged, making the cables and tubes connected to him waver
dangerously. "Nothing. Which is what I've got. My only wish now is
to kill X. Then I will have fulfilled my vengeance against Dr. Light!"

Wily started laughing like a maniac. "Look! Zero is about to kill
those two, he'll then destroy everything!"

Peregrin looked at one of the monitors.

***

X pulled Zero back. He had his friend in a Full Nelson and was slowly
managing to move him away from Metalgarurumon.

After being slammed to the wall, Metalgarurumon had been unable to
move out of the way as Zero dove into him and began pounding with
abandon.

X had tried various times to pry him off, but each time Zero had
thrown him, backhanded him and kicked him away. This time however he
had finally got a hold and had managed to avoid further damage to
his new friend.

Zero, now concentrated on X, bent forward, lifting X from the ground
and jumped against a wall, slamming the other Reploid against it and
lessening the hold.

As Zero stepped back, X fired at him getting a full hit on the
torso. Zero stepped back a few steps then grinned madly. Both friends
started charging their boosters preparing to fire.

Finally Zero punched twice, sending twin spiraling comets as X fired
his own gigantic blast.

"No!"

Metalgarurumon slammed against Zero's side just as X's blast was about
to hit him. Zero fell to the ground as Metalgarurumon received X's
shot fully.

X, in turn, was also hit by Zero's twin comets of destructive energy.
The Reploid went tumbling to stop against the wall.

Zero stood up and threw X to where Metalgarurumon had regressed into
Gabumon. Again charging his blasters, Zero prepared to destroy them.
***

Peregrin gasped and grabbed a nearby microphone.

"Zero! Don't! They're your friends!"

Wily laughed manically.

"Please! Matt!"
***

As Zero pulled back his arms to shoot one last blast, the Digivice
that still hung from his belt started to shine.

Gabumon opened his eyes weakly. "Matt, I know you won't do it. Because
we are friends. And you have the crest of friendship!"

X also coughed and looked up. Zero shoved his fist forward and
released his blast.

Gabumon opened his eyes -he didn't remember closing them- and looked
behind him. A huge hole loomed behind him. He looked at Zero, who had
fallen down on his knees.

Zero looked up and smiled.

"Matt!" Gabumon shouted happily and jumped forward to hug him, ignoring
the pain in the ribs for the moment.

***

"No!" Wily bellowed.

Peregrin smirked. "It's your fault, Wily. You have done harm for the
last time."

"But, why?! Project Zero was my perfect creation! He was supposed to
kill Megaman X!"

"You don't really know, do you?"

"Know what?!" Wily was angry, but if he knew what was wrong with
Project Zero and this stupid Reploid told him, maybe he could...

"You didn't write a program to create Zero," Peregrin frowned and
looked coldly into his eyes. "You murdered a kid and trapped his very
being in Zero's body. You cannot control a soul. It has been proven
that even the Maverick virus can be fought back by a heart, synthetic
or otherwise! I'm the living proof."

Wily was silent for a moment, then he started to laugh. Peregrin
jumped back in surprise as a clear crystal bauble closed around Wily.

The crazy doctor smirked at her. "Don't think you've won, deary, I'm
activating every missile in the base to be shot. And there's nothing
you can do about it!"

Peregrin looked in despair at the monitors indicating the various
missiles engaging.

Charging her booster she turned around to face Wily just as the alarms
went off.

The crazy doctor smiled. "Killing me won't change anything."

"No, but it'll make me feel better."

"In any case remember that Reploid have the three rules of robotics.
And you shall not harm a human being."

Peregrin's eyes flashed. "Yes, but victims of the Maverick virus are
excluded from those three particular rules. Even surviving it and
staying with the good guys doesn't mean that they check my programming
to ensure they exist."

Wily's eyes opened wide as Peregrin fired. However, someone had grabbed
her blaster hand and moved it, making her miss the shot.

Both looked at Wily's rescuer in surprise, until the doctor cackled.

"Shocker! Well done! Now, kill her!"

Shocker ignored him, locking stares with Peregrin instead.

"Get out of here, Peregrin." Shocker warned.

"I can't! That idiot just activated the nukes!" She shot back.

Shocker shook his head. "I've got it covered. The missiles won't be
shot. The charges are in the deepest bowels in the castle.
Now, go back to Zero, X and that Werewolf of yours. I'll take care
of Wily."

Peregrin stepped back a couple of steps then regarded Shocker.
"Why did you stop me? I could have had finished everything right now."

Shocker smiled. "Simple. You've never shot a human in cold blood. And
I don't want you to start. Go to him now. I'll follow you."

Peregrin nodded and started walking away. 

Just as she had walked out of the door it sealed shut.

Peregrin turned around and began hitting it. "Shocker get out! Now!"

On a monitor next to the door, Shocker's face appeared. "Tell Zero
I'm sorry. Goodbye my friend. Don't remember me as your enemy. Think
back into the good old days."

Peregrin slammed her fist against the monitor seconds after it went dark.
"Shocker!"

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End Part 3

Well, that's it...

*Falls down on knees.* PLEAS! PLEEASE! TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! EVEN IF YOU
HATE IT! EVEN IF ONLY TO TELL ME I MISSSSSSPELLED SOMETHING!

*Cough* *Stands up trying to pretend nothing happened.*

Um... bye...

Wanderer D