Mega Man X: The Novel Chapter 3
Itâs been a while, but Chapter 3 is finally complete! This one is, in my opinion, the least interesting chapter of the novel, but itâs still a decent read. We had fun working on Mandrillâs dialogue!
Thanks to everyone who worked on this chapter with me! TayoEXE and Edgekagami were the translators, and it was proofread/edited by Lambency, @taiyoooh, @officialforteexe, Yink and @mysterymusemmx!
If you want to read the latest version of all the chapters/and or keep up with our progress, check out the google doc!
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âMandrill! Why are you following Sigma!?â
âFollowing? Thatâs stupid. Iâm just seizing the opportunity.â
âOpportunityâŠ? For what!?â
âAinât it obvious? Freedom!â
After my battle with Penguin, I receive word that the large-scale plant powering 70% of the city has been occupied by Mavericks. With the city cloaked in darkness, I rush to the site as fast as I can. Waiting for me is a Reploid modelled after a monkey: the Special A-Class Hunter, âSpark Mandrillâ, formerly of the 17th Elite.
Why must comrades fight one another�
Once again, Iâm pointing my buster at someone who was once an ally. Because I am a Maverick Hunter, I resign myself to battle. Would this continue forever? My heart feels like breaking at the thought, so I decide to focus on the situation at hand.
Mandrill said he was occupying the power plant for freedom⊠But this?
âStealing the cityâs energy supply for yourself⊠thatâs what you call freedom!?â
âWell, thereâs that, but itâs biggerân that.â
âBiggerâŠ?â
As he says that, Mandrill slowly lowers his arms and looks into my eyes with a fond, nostalgic expression. Those eyes... There shouldnât be any reason for a look like that, at least under these circumstancesâŠ
âWhat do--â
âHey X,â Mandrill interrupts, âdonâtcha feel caged, being bossed around by humans every day of your life?â Without even waiting for my response, he continues. âI do. A lot!â
Slowly, his nostalgic expression morphs into anger and hatred.
âLook, my body uses a tonna energy. The humans built me this wayân put a limit on the energy supply I could use. But why should we listen to their orders? We were built with power and better abilities! Protecting humans? Screw that! If theyâre so weak that they canât even protect themselves, then they should die. I ainât got reason to give up my freedom for pathetic weaklings--â He continues on and on while I say nothing and just listen. Eventually, his tirade ends with a simple conclusion.
âSâwhy I welcomed Sigmaâs uprising. Sâall.â
But that reason is far too simple and selfish. Without thinking, I raise my voice.
âThatâs why you caused a city-wide blackout!?â
âPretty much. Sigma freed me. I gotta pay him back, sâall. Donât really give a crap about his crazy ideas.â
âThen what about the humans who created you? Shouldnât you pay them back too?â
âX, havenâtcha ever wanted something so badly?â Mandrill inches closer to me. Thereâs something lethargic about his movement, as if heâs exhausted. âLike, havinâ all the energy to yourself or⊠Oh I dunno, gettinâ promoted to Special A-Class Hunter?â
Obviously, even I have selfish desires. Reploids are programmed with those feelings to develop their own personalities. But even though those traits were artificially created and given to us, I have no problems with that.
âWell, I do have my own desires... But that doesnât mean I should use others as stepping stones to get them! Everything I want can come after we achieve peace!â
Thanks to these turbulent times, there are some things I canât obtain. I think Iâll find it in a world where everyone is living happily. However, in a world full of grief and sorrow, thereâs not a single thing Iâd want. Thatâs why Iâve chosen to fight.
âAfter peace, huhâŠ?â
Mandrill scratches his cheek, mulling over my words for a moment, before returning with a question.
âIn that peaceful world ya keep yammering on about, are Reploids supposed tâserve humans?â
âYes. We have much stronger bodies, so we must support them.â
Itâs just common sense. Maverick or not, it should be obvious to someone who was once a Hunter, but it seems like that isnât the case with Mandrill.
âYeah, I getchu now. The inequality of peace, huh?â
âWhatâŠâ
Before I can process the meaning of his words, he interrupts with another reply.
âIs that ittt?!?!!â
With a loud boom, the ground suddenly cracks beneath Mandrillâs feet. His demeanor changes, now radiating rage off every inch of his face.
âIn your version of peace, humans are always above us! Why do Reploids gotta bow to them?! Why do we gotta be their slaves?!â
Thereâs no end to the fury in his words as he continues his violent outburst. While stomping and pounding the ground violently, Mandrill continues to speak.
âEven our top guy, Sigma, ranks below their crooks!â
âItâs not like that! Youâre only focusing on whoâs superior and whoâs inferior!â
âBecause itâs true! We Reploids arenât supposed ta hurt them, but they get ta decide if we live or die!â
The way Mandrill puts it, he seems to think humans have the absolute right to destroy Reploids. But thatâs false; no one has that right. If a human tried to destroy an innocent Reploid, they too would be charged with a felony as serious as murder. There may be a kernel of truth to his words, but the world we live in isnât overrun by inequality like he says.
âA human who hurts a Reploid will be charged with a felony. And if thatâs the case, than naturally Reploids who hurt humans should also be charged with a felony! Why do you keep dismissing humans just because you think theyâre weak?!â
His-- no, their viewpoint is biased towards justice for ReploidsâŠ
Why wonât they consider the humansâ point of view? When you talk about justice for just one side, you get wars like this.
âWhy do you keep talking from only your perspective?â
Mandrill sighs in exasperation. âAhh, alright, Iâm done. Youâre too annoying.â
In the end, Mandrill and I canât see eye-to-eye. Itâs for this reason that many Reploids like him will turn Maverick. Thinking about it, our world may have always harboured such discontent. With Sigma as the trigger, all of their swelling anger finally burst, causing them to bare their teeth.
âCome at me, X. Iâll shut ya up with sheer force!â
âAh, weak, so weak⊠Penguin lost ta this kinda weakling? It ainât even funny.â
An electrical shock that tails its target at every angle, Mandrillâs âElectric Sparkâ is difficult to evade with a dash or wall-climb.
âKickinâ up the wall to climb it though? Talk about surprising! But in the end, youâre just a B-Class weakling.â
Because of that, I havenât been able to land a single hit on Mandrill. His human-sized ball of electricity relentlessly assaults my metal body. My bodyâs circuitry is wailingâŠ
âDamn⊠my bodyâŠ. Canât moveâŠ.â
âWeâre machines, man. Electricityâs lethal to us.â
Heâs right. For the first time, I directly experienced its power.
Mandrill continues gleefully. âOf course, this means I was one of the strongest Maverick Hunters!â
Combat-type Reploids are, to some extent, equipped with electricity-resistant materials. Thankfully, this allowed me to keep my consciousness. Non-combat models, however, wouldâve had their circuitry and somatic cells burnt to a crisp instantly.
Considering thisâŠI canât leave him be. Due to his selfishness, Mandrillâs mayhem is affecting innocent humans and Reploids. That alone is enough justification for a Maverick Hunter like me.
Thatâs right. I have to change my thinkingâŠ. Whatâs in front of me is a Maverick!
âEven soâŠ. HereâŠ.. Here, I must⊠stopâŠ. YouâŠ!â
âKeep barkinâ, small fry.â
Suddenly, my head is grabbed from behind and slammed into the ground. Sparks fly across my vision. My body screeches and smells foul, like something is burning. Only my consciousness is unaffected; I canât move a single arm or leg.
âHahaha! This is the real world, X!â
An enemy that utilizes electricity to attack; I never expected it to be so overwhelming, and Iâve only taken two or three shots. Any Reploid who continuously received these blows would find their entire circuitry fried. Something seems odd, though. Even though itâs his specialization, Reploids shouldnât be able to generate this amount of electricity by themselves. There must be some kind of trick to itâŠ
I hear Mandrillâs raucous laughter, soon petering out into the distance. At once, I realize what is out of place in my memory.
A human-sized ball of electricity? StrangeâŠit should only be fist-sized at most.
âDamnâŠ. Whatâs going onâŠ.â
Clearly, Electric Sparkâs power has increased. And several times over, at that.
âI gotta say, Sigmaâs too soft. If we donât teach ya small fry a lesson in superiority, ya get all cocky and try târebel against us.â
Little by little, anger begins to seep into me.
âLissen, thereâs strong guys nâ weak guys in this world. The weak are only food for the strong to live. Chill Penguin got beat âcause heâs a weakling, and you were the strong guy.â Pausing briefly, Mandrill continues. âAnd âcause Iâm beatinâ you, Iâm even stronger! Anyways, Iâm done messinâ around. Itâs time to die! Electric Spark!â
Amidst the sound of electrical buzzing and burning, the smell of burnt concrete mixes with the stench of searing metal...I scream; my bodyâs circuitry feels blistering, torched even further. At this rate, Iâll lose consciousness. If that happens, itâs over for me. I canât afford it. Iâve got to stand up and stay cognizant. Please body, move!
âWhooa, I canât believe you can stand after all those attacks!â
With a splitting headache and strained body, I find the strength to stand, supporting my crumbling joints. My view is blurry, but I could hear the echo of Mandrillâs excited voice. Mustering my strength, I threw a punch, trying to hit him while heâs doing a cheerful dance. With a few quick steps belying his large figure however, he puts distance between us.
Come to think of it⊠Mandrill⊠heâs a monkey-type Reploid, isnât he? Heâs got devastating electric attacks, and his mobility surpasses humanoids⊠Unbelievable.
â.....----.............â
I try to reply, but nothing comes out of my mouth. The attack earlier almost fried my vocal circuitry. In front of me, Mandrill sways his large body from side to side, giving me a look that clearly says âwhatcha gonna do now?â
Haha⊠wonderful. Now Iâm real angry.
Sure, my attacks wonât hurt him that much. But⊠if my arm can move... if Iâm still conscious, then I can only focus on repeating whatever Iâm still able to do. The only thing I wonât do? Give up.
âI...IâllâŠ. show youâŠ.â
Using all my strength, I aim my buster at Mandrill. I donât know how or why his electric attacks have increased in power⊠and if I donât figure that out, my chances of winning are slim. Even so, Iâve got to show him Iâm not backing down.
I will not yield to Mandrill or to Sigma.
âArgh, I donât like those eyes!â
Mandrillâs body starts to crackle with sparks. If those hit me again, Iâm done for. So no matter what, Iâve got to avoid his blasts and find his weakness --
--? Wait.
Wait a second, I think I see something. Mandrillâs retreating, putting distance between us, and I realize... Mandrillâs body charges the Spark, but if I look closer, thereâs a current flowing up from the ground into him.
Thatâs it! Heâs using the power plant itself to boost his attacks! Treating the floor plating like a battery terminal! If Iâm right, then I know just what to do about that, though... Iâm not even sure if this is going to work. Doctor Cain once told me that I have a special ability within me⊠Iâve got no choice. I have to believe thisâll work.
I evade Mandrill, and focus on my Buster. Mandrill is only throwing punches. It feels like heâs stalling for time to recharge the Electric Spark after throwing so much of it at me.
Chill Penguin, I need your power now. Please, I beg you, share your strength with me!
As I reach out, my arm resounds with a click, and there is an intense, uncomfortable feeling of parts moving within.
â--Letâs go, Mandrill! Iâll show you my potential!â
I fire - not my regular solar bullet - but Chill Penguinâs special weapon, a burst of frigid ice. My shot catches Mandrill, encasing half of his body in ice.
Mandrill shrieks, âI-Impossible! Shotgun Ice?!â
I canât believe it either, but it looks like Doctor Cain had been right when he told me my internal systems could handle the special weapons of other Reploids. Chill Penguinâs weapon chip hadnât done anything for me until now, so I thought Cain was wrong, butâŠ
âHow? How can you use Penguinâs weapon!? You ainât even made for the cold!â
His demeanor has changed completely; with half his body frozen, he flusters.
âStrange, isnât it⊠maybe he wants to stop you too?â
âQuit messinâ with me!â
Mandrill throws a tantrum, pounding and bashing at his frozen parts. Heâs trying to chip the ice off his feet so he can reconnect to the power plantâs energy. Useless. I know better than anyone how strong that ice is.
âThe tables have turned, havenât they Mandrill?â
âHuh, you think Iâm done? Ya dumbass B-class!!â
I hear a loud crack, and Mandrillâs struggles shatter the ice. Free, he lumbers toward me.
âPenguinâs lame ice ainât gonna hold me! Iâmma choke the life outta ya, X!â
He swings his fist at me, the electricity sparking within back to its normal amount now that he lost access to the facilityâs energy. However, itâs still fast as a bullet, faster than one would expect from someone his size. Normally, any Reploid would be crushed and fried on the spot. But it never connects. Not because Iâm special or superior or anything like that. No, for a simpler reason. His arm vibrates and snaps off long before it reaches me.
âNo...wayâŠ. Auugh--â
Far too late, Mandrill understands what is happening to him.
âPerhaps you shouldnât have been so dismissive of the abilities of another Special A-Class Hunter. You lose, Spark Mandrill.â
Shotgun Ice is cold enough to destroy even Reploid ceratanium armor. Spark Mandrill is equipped with parts resistant to heat and electricity, since he uses electrical attacks. However, heâs strained those tempered parts far beyond their tolerances in our fight. Unable to vent the energy heâs using, half of him has become a giant mass of superhot electrified steel, and the other half, frozen by Shotgun Ice, has become stressed and brittle. Shotgun Ice is even stronger than Iâd expected, compromising Mandrillâs body to the point of shattering. It isnât the only reason, but it doesnât help anything either.
âYou know, I only escaped because my whole body was frozenâŠâ Maybe I was just lucky that time.
But Chill Penguinâs âlameâ weapon has defeated Spark Mandrill.
âDarn⊠Iâm more hurt than I thought.â
Now that Iâve retired Mandrill and the power plant has been liberated, I want to make my way back to Doctor Cainâs lab for repairs. Normally, I would use a transporter to return to Hunter HQ, but Navigator has alerted me to interference in the area. With no other choice, Iâm forced to move a certain distance from the power plant before transporting. In the state Iâm in, however, itâs extremely difficult to even walk properly. The designated point, an Energen Crystal mining site, is a bit far from the power plant. Worst case scenario, Iâll take some of the crystals to replenish my energy, even if their purity isnât optimal.
An hour passes by as I struggle past the mine hills, and in front of me stands a new Maverick.
âI see⊠thou hast grown considerably, X.â
âWhat are you⊠why? Armored Armadillo!â
The 8th Armored Divisionâs former commander, the very picture of fortitude and vigor with a strong moral compass; an ideal Hunter. Long ago, he helped me understand what it meant to be a Maverick Hunter. Now he stands here, blocking my path. I don't want it to be true, but all signs point toward him having gone over to Sigma's side.
âWell⊠if one is said to be strong, wouldst thou not find it tempting to obtain proof?â
âWhat proof?!â
Armadillo pauses, closing his eyes for a short moment, before sending a piercing glare at me.
âI see⊠thou hast not been informed of anythingâŠâ
I sense a distinct emanation of hostility from him -- a spirit found on the battlefield that could only come from a âwarriorâ. Itâs not anger. Rather, itâs quiet, murderous intent. How could someone like him become a Maverick of Sigmaâs army...?
âWhether thou truly hast the âpotentialâ; that is what I seek to affirm.â
â...âpotentialâ? What are you talking about?â
While responding, I am mindful of the distance between Armadillo and I. The air of âhostilityâ surrounding him never wavers, even now as we speak. That aura confirms to me that battling is the only option; my words are meaningless.
âWhilst thou anguishes, thou grows in the midst of battle; even the weapons of thy enemies are made to become thine. A Reploid with hidden, unlimited potentialâŠ. That is the rumoured âMegamanâ.â
I only see certainty in Armadilloâs eyes.
Even Iâve heard of the urban legend of Mega Man. In the past, Sigma and Doctor Cain spoke about it. Itâs a legend every Reploid recognizes.
----- They say, Mega Man is a machine that evolves.
----- They say, Mega Man can take his enemyâs power as his own.
----- They say, Mega Man can surpass the limitations of machines.
----- They say, Mega Man has a soul no different than humans.
âAre you saying you became a Maverick over a legend as ambiguous as that!?â
âBut it is not ambiguous. Thou art proof of it, X,â Armadillo said, pointing at me.
âSo youâre saying Iâm Mega Man. Given the situation, thatâs as if--as if youâre saying that Iâm the trigger of this war!?â
âYes, that is what I am saying.â
âHow...dare you?!â
Iâm at fault? You're all off hurting the innocent, people and Reploids alike. You're causing the world to spiral into a vortex of chaos and despair. And now you want to blame this; your actions, all of it...on me?
Indignation washes over me. My arm stings of irritation, and a flood of angry energy wells up inside it. I hastily ready myself to unleash it, when suddenly my body is flying through the air, following a loud thud.
âWh-Who..?!â I stagger, coughing.
Iâm attacked again from behind, with enough force to pierce through my body. Itâs not Armadillo. My vision, blurring and darkening, notices the shadow of a violet-coloured Reploid.
âPassing out already? Youâre no fun.â
That ill-tempered and crass voice, the familiar colour; thereâs no doubt itâs Vile.
âThou art still too weak⊠mayhap, when thou rises to greater heights, we shall meet again.â
Vileâs attack is too much, and my body is too broken from my previous battle with Mandrill. Armadilloâs words are barely audible as I feel myself slip into unconsciousness.















