Maverick Hunter Zero:
Chapter Zero
"Requiem For A Dream"
(This is a little back story for those who aren't familiar with the Mega Man X or Metroid Games. If you are, then you may want to continue on to chapter one "For the Glory/For the Money", but read on if you wish. Please read and review. And oh, by the way, all characters of the Mega Man, Mega Man X, and Metroid game franchises are all property of their respective owners... which isn't me. I own nothing related to Capcom or Nintendo, so all glory goes to them... this is only a fanfic... thank you)
It is the year 21XX. The future was a shinning example of peace and prosperity. Technology had advanced far beyond any previous thought of man, and the possibilities seemed endless. The most crucial turning point was the development of mass produced machines that could think and feel as humans did. These machines were created to work and live their lives as humans did. They were called "Reploids" created by the scientist Dr. Cain to co-exist with mankind in order to further their existence and create a new type of future... one where machines and mankind were not workers and tools, but as equals.
However, just as humans do, reploids sometimes became irrational and violent towards humans and each other. Because of such rouge behavior,they were classified as Mavericks... Reploids that no longer lived for peace and prosperity, only to destroy and kill. In order to protect mankind, special Reploids were created by humans to seek out and neutralize the Maverick threat, these mechanical heroes were called "Maverick Hunters". Led by the brilliant and powerful reploid Sigma, it seemed as if humanity would live on in security... until one day everyone's worst fear came to pass...
Sigma, the commander of the Maverick Hunters, turned insane for some unexplained reason. He began killing every human and reploid he saw, and within days, declared war on all of humanity. Unifying all Mavericks, it seemed as if war and destruction were inevitable. But, just when all hope for mankind and Reploids seemed out of reach, two heroes rose up to combat Sigma and his legion of deranged machines
The first was Zero, a mysterious reploid found in a laboratory hidden deep within a cave, with no clues as to his origins or creator. At first, he was violent, and believed to be a Maverick, however, once defeated, Dr. Cain, rebuilt and reprogrammed him to serve justice. He became the second-in-command of the Maverick Hunters, second only to Sigma. After Sigma's defection, Zero assumed leadership and began hunting Sigma and his minions from that day forward.
The second Reploid to combat Sigma was the strange Mega Man X, or "X" as he is known. Discovered by Dr. Cain in a Capsule, before the creation of Reploids, in a lost ruin. He was considered to be the first machine to think and feel as humans did, and became the model for all reploid conscience. Considered by many as a relic from the past, and nothing more, X shocked many when he joined the Maverick Hunters and single handedly defeated Sigma time and again. Enigmatic and often times oblivious to the true workings of the world, he formed a strong bond with Zero, and together, have saved the world from constant Maverick threat.
However... during the last attack of Sigma, Mavericks obtained control over an immense space colony "Eurasia". In a valiant, but vain attempt to stop the colony from destroying earth, the Maverick Hunter's staged a desperate attempt to destroy the colony. While the mission was slightly successful, a major amount of the colony still collided with earth. When the immense colony fell out of orbit and crash landed on earth, nuclear winter ensued. After that, all that was left was a barren, polluted wasteland once known as Earth. The small fraction of the surviving human population now sought out refuge under the earth's land and polluted seas. The only hope of survival fell in the hands of the Reploids...
With the Maverick Hunters severely crippled, X retired from active duty to pursue more peaceful means to end the constant fighting. In his absence, a new Maverick-hunting faction known as "Red Alert" began hunting Mavericks, often with questionable tactics. Zero was summoned to the scene of a rampage in the city and found a young Reploid named Axl trying to flee Red Alert. He rescued Axl, and what ensued resulted in a harsh custody battle between the Hunters and Red Alert. X eventually returned to the Hunters and fought alongside Axl and Zero, eventually discovering Sigma back at it again, manipulating the whole fiasco from behind the scenes. The trio confronted the maniacal Reploid and defeated him once more.
Now Axl searches for his place among the Maverick Hunters, as X and Zero attempt to maintain peace in the troubling times, hopefully with Sigma gone forever...
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Samus Aran, the legendary bounty hunter, is best known for defeating the Space Pirates and the dangerous, bio-weapon, life-draining Metroids. She is the best of the best, known and feared through-out many star systems because of her skills. Samus's main distinguishing feature is her Power Suit, a modular suit of armor created for her by the Chozo. The Power Suit's main purpose is to protect her from adverse environments (including the vacuum of space) and enemy fire. The suit itself can be upgraded to suit any needs of Samus and her mission.
Little is know about Samus or her past...she was orphaned during a Space Pirate raid on her home world of K-2L but was rescued by the bird-like Chozo race and infused with "Chozo blood. Samus now serves the Galactic Federation by hunting down and destroying the Space Pirates and stopping their plans for universal conquest by using energy and bio-weapons such as the Metroid, an organic weapon that attaches to hosts and other sources of energy, ultimately draining and killing them.
The Space Pirates are a loosely based alliance of hostile aliens known Zebesians and Keyhunters. Both species seek to dominate other worlds, and creating better weaponry in which to do it. The Space Pirates, led by the powerful warrior, Ridley, and the deadly queen "Mother Brain" sought to destroy the Galactic Federation and Samus. Although thought dead, Ridley managed to escape several times after the supposed death of Mother Brain, only to be defeated by Samus again on several occasions.
Samus then went on to battle her most deadly foe: Metroid Zero, a mutated Metroid, locked away by the Chozo, and sought out by the Space Pirates as the ultimate weapon. However, the monstrosity of Metroid Zero could not be controlled as it killed all of the Chozo, Space Pirates, and was slowly killing the plane itself. After a grueling battle, Samus managed to defeat Metroid Zero, and escape the planet on her gunship, "Adam" with her life. But, much to her dismay, the battle between Metroid Zero and her exposure to a volatile energy source know as "phazon" led to the creation of her doppleganger, bent on nothing less than her destruction.
Ever since the events of Metroid Prime, the Space Pirates have not been heard from, and many speculate that without direct leadership to hold them together and constant infighting, the alien alliance ultimately broke up for good... Samus now travels travels the galaxies as a bounty hunter for hire, stalking the criminals of the cosmos and remaining fragments of the Space Pirate alliance...
But as Zero and Samus are about to learn... Peace is not so easily achieved, and enemies are not so easily defeated.