DigitLninja
April 28, 2007
Megaman X
Red Riding Hood Chronicles
Briefing: Good morning recruit. IMG: X & Zero-
As you probably know
the year is 20XX.
Reploids are the advanced
form of robots created
by Dr. Thomas Light.
Dr. Light created the
legendary Megaman X,
hero of our time and
top Maverick Hunter.
The Maverick's are
Reploids that have been
infected by the Sigma
virus, created by and
named after the evil Reploid
Sigma. The Virus causes
any infected Reploid
to become erratic and
attack our Human creators.
The Maverick Hunters
where formed to combat
the Mavericks and Sigma
so we can reach a peace
between Humans and Reploids.
The Reploid wars have begun
and with...
She sighed with boredom at the data pad she had just been handed.
"I've read this stuff at least five times. Why are you making me read it again, Grandma?"
'Little Red' Riding Hood asked as they traveled down the sterile metal hallway. Her mentor and friend Seara, or 'Grandma' as everyone called her, leading the way down the hall.
"well, Little Red, everyone needs to read them the same amount if they want to get along in this place, besides it won't strain your pretty green eyes all that much."
Grandma chuckled at her little joke, and red shook her head in slight amusement. Little red had been training as a rookie level hunter for more than 2 years now. She had been top of her class since she joined up but they had looked over her for so long she was beginning to think she would never be a full fledged Maverick Hunter. She had been equipped with the standard equipment, along with her unique weapons and shields and such. The standard ear pieces set to the Hunters private com channel, a pair of Dash Boots so she could dash short distances, hovering just above the ground as she shot forward, and last but certainly not least, the above standard Mega Buster MKIII. The best blaster anyone, except maybe X himself, could have. She liked it, but not nearly as much as her own personal energy weapons. With her black hair falling over her shoulders and into the red hood around her neck, and the long red cape wavering in her wake, she suddenly stopped.
"hey… Grandma where are you taking me? I have never seen this hall way before."
Little Red looked at her mentor, than gave a puzzled look at the door they where approaching. Grandma chuckled as she beckoned Little Red forward with a wave. With a sigh, Little Red joined Grandma at the door and than went wide eyed at the name on it. 'Command' Red looked at Grandma
"W-why are we here?" she was afraid to get excited
"Because you're going to need to get used to this place if you still plan to be a Hunter" Grandma was beaming. Little Red squealed with excitement and quickly flung her arms around her friend.
"congratulations, Red, now come on, we have some people to meet, some teleporters to register you to, and some papers to sign."
Little Red and Grandma entered the command room, and quickly met with Alia, the female Reploid who runs the communication system, the teleporter, security, and briefing missions for all Reploids. Red was then officially introduced to the head of the Maverick Hunters, Commander Signas. She did all the things she needed too, but she was only thinking of what had happened to her about three days ago. She had been battling with another rookie and was easily beating him, he pulled a cheap trick at the last second, but red dodged and took him down. Next thing she knew she was looking into the face of Maverick Hunter Zero, one of the first hunters, the second Reploid ever built, a legend with a reputation as a legendary swordsman, and best friend of X. To top it all off he has lots of red covering his body. Zero smiled at her and said "nice work, Little Red." Than walked away as if it was nothing, she simply stood there blushing, and ever since everyone has called her 'Little Red'.
"Are you alright, Little Red?" Grandma asked as they where now back in the hall way and she hadn't said anything for about 5 minutes
"Hmmm? Oh yah! I'm fine, sorry" she blushed a little and Grandma grinned.
"thinking about a certain Reploid huh?" Little Red's face was now the same color as her hood and cape. They turned a corner and standing before them was what seemed to be two miracles. Megaman X and Zero where standing and laughing like old friends, they where trading stories till they spotted the two of them.
"hey, it's Grandma and Little Red" Zero said as they approached.
"hello, Seara, hello, Riding hood, nice too see you, we just heard the good news." He had a wide grin on his face.
"Congrats, Little Red." Zero extended his hand to her and with another blush she took it and smiled
"T-Thank you, Zero." X took her hand after Zero and shook it gently.
"So what made you join up with us, Red?" X asked as he placed his hand on his hips, it was a well known pose of his.
At this, Red looked down at the ground and without emotion in her voice said clearly "my human, 'mother' was killed, in one of the raids." Both X and Zero looked forlorn and Grandma took Red's hand gently.
"I'm sorry for your loss, Little Red, but it's all the more reason why we need to stop Sigma" Zero said wisely.
"he's right… we won't have piece till we can take him out. We must keep fighting till we can find some form of…" BREEEEEEN BREEEEEEN "-All Available Maverick Hunters, Report to the Command Center Immediately! I Repeat All Available Maverick Hunters, Report to the Command Center Immediately!-" Alia's voice rang out through the intercom and all four of them dashed back toward the Command room.
7 day's later
flump Seven days of being an actual hunter, seven days of nothing but missions and earning my way up to S-Rank, seven days without Grandma to show me what's right and wrong, seven days to worry about her safety. Little Red lay on her bed with a sigh, a week ago Grandma had volunteered to investigate a disturbance in the southern forest. It wouldn't have been so worrisome, except she hadn't reported in once since she left.
"Usually anyone who doesn't report in after three days is considered MIA, but we have a special reading on Seara stating that her life signs are normal. Same with the seven Reploids we sent with her" X had reassured her earlier that day. It didn't help, all that was on her mind was Grandma, and it showed in her missions. The Junkyard incident had happened because she hadn't been paying attention. Though no one had yet admitted that it was all her fault they where almost blown to smithereens, they all still knew and it nagged at her insides.
"-Little Red, please report to Commander Signas' room right away.-" Came the familiar voice of Alia through Red's personal com system.
"Great… time to get booted off the Hunters" she jumped up and walked out of her room. Before she knew it she was entering Signas' room and stood at the door
"SIR!" she saluted the commander than a familiar voice came from the wall behind her and on her left.
"At ease Red, you're not in trouble or anything." Zero was leaned against the wall with a small grin on his face and his eyes closed. Little Red looked puzzled but than took her at ease position. Commander Signas was at his desk looking abused, his arms crossed and his eyes closed tightly.
"Despite my best efforts, Zero here won't let me give this mission to anyone else but you" the Commander opened his eyes and looked at Red. "We have an S-Rank mission for you to carry out Riding Hood." Red stayed silent, but it was obvious how surprised she was. The surprising part was that Zero had recommended her for this mission, but why?
"Our intelligence has just received word from an old friend of yours, Seara is alive apparently and requesting Med packs for her team. However something was strange in her message so we don't want to send in the reinforcement's she requested. Instead we will send you, you will enter the southern forest with eight Med packs, locate Grandma and her team and assist them in any way possible." Red stood awestruck but than nodded
"thank you sir"
"I suggest you find Alia, she will brief you more on the condition of the forest. Dismissed." With that Red nodded and headed for the door.
"I hope your right about that girl Zero, she hasn't shown much progress as a real hunter." Signas glanced at Zero.
"Believe me, she will show her true colors on this mission. I'd bet my sword on it." and than Zero moved for the door as well.
Southern Forest
TISERRR BRRREEP Red felt herself transforming back into her body; she had always enjoyed being transformed into energy and being transported millions of miles in under a second. She looked around at the forest, a backpack filled with eight Med packs weighing down on her back underneath her cape.
"-This is Alia, can you hear me Red?-"
"I hear you loud and clear Alia." She shuffled as she observed the scenery, emerald conifers, viridian grass, and some patches of snow here and there.
"-Listen up, Red. There is about thirty grunt level Mavericks in your current location! They should be right in front of you! Be extra careful!-"
Alia sounded worried, but red knew the forest well enough. They're hiding behind the trees; I'll have to move into a surrounded position before they will attack. Red smiled at the incompetence of these grunts, they should learn more about their enemy before planning an ambush. Little Red seemed over confident as she moved into the middle of this ambush, instantly thirty grunts appeared from behind the trees on all sides. Red simply smiled and pulled her hood low over her head, than quickly wrapped her cape around her. The fabric seemed to grow around her till she was entirely covered by it. The grunts looked at each other and laughed than took aim. "Today another Hunter dies thanks to her ignorance."
Thirty buster weapons fired, about fifteen actually hit her and all of them bounced back, destroying ten of the grunts and severely incapacitating three more. Before they could recalculate Little Red had her right arm raised, only her hand was gone and it had become the barrel of her MKIII. Red charged her blaster aimed at five grunts and fired, her arms flew back over her head from the blast. Eighteen down, twelve to go.
Two of the grunts charged at Red raising there blasters, she reacted quickly and reached into her cape, pulling out her two energy swords that curve along her arms. She dashed forward and punched slashing one grunt in half, the other fired his blaster before she could stop him, but she merely punched again and sliced the blast into nothingness with her sword before plunging it into the grunt's chest. The last ten charged her all at once, but she was already pouring energy into her swords. She dashed forward and leaped into the middle of them than began to spin and unleashed her Sword Tornado attack.
When she opened her eyes again, no grunt was alive. "Once again, Grunt's are destroyed for being stupid." She grinned and moved on. Little Red moved into a small clearing, she looked around than gasped at the sight of Grandma lying on the ground, looking battered.
"Grandma!" Red moved forward but slowed down, something wasn't right she was getting no readings on her energy levels. Something was blocking her energy scanners in her optical units, she was having some trouble with the scan so she stopped about 10 feet away from Grandma.
"Grandma! Are you alive? Talk to me! I need you to get up and come to me!"
"R-red… is that you?" Seara's voice was very weak.
"Grandma!" Red threw out her rule book and moved to help Grandma up. She lifted Grandma into her arms and looked over her wounds. "I brought your medical supplies and…" The energy readings where coming in finally and they where off the charts, she jumped back and drew her swords "who are you!"
Grandma began to laugh maniacally as she rose to her feet, a flash of light than she became a large wolf type Reploid.
"Welcome to your doom Little Red. I am Mimic Lobo, but some call me Big Bad Wolf. I'm one of the generals for Sigma's army, and you are going to get me what I need to capture X and Zero."
"What are you talking about? I would never help you Mavericks!"
"Oh you will help me weather you like it or not, you see I was given the rare copy ability, I can become anyone who I register as a subject. From your Grandma to any of the seven troops, to X or Zero themselves. As for you all I have to do is store you in my stomach like the rest…" He drummed his claws on his stomach.
"Than they send X or Zero to save you, and I get them to transform into as well." The wolf grinned as he raised his claws. "And you can't stop me; Grandma taught you everything you know! And I know everything she knows."
Red growled and charged recklessly forward slashing at Lobo, but every slash was easily dogged or blocked, eventually he caught one of her blades and slammed her backward. Red growled and charged again firing her blaster and slashing wildly, but she was simply tossed backward.
"HA! You have lost! You are nothing more than a bloodstain that hasn't yet been washed off the world!" Lobo approached the shattered girl raising his claws as they glowed with a blue energy. "Say good bye to Grandma, because you're never going to see her again!"
SHING! BZZZNT! Red opened her eyes; in front of her was a familiar red armor and a green beam sword. Zero stared down Lobo as he clutched his stomach "curse you… what, what the hell are you doing here?"
"You should never expect a hunter to be alone, even if the hunter thinks she is." Zero was looking at Red as Lobo staggered and raised a trembling claw, than suddenly his stomach burst wide and out flew eight energy beams that landed around Red and Zero. "Do the honors, Red." Zero stepped back as Red moved to Lobo with her sword raised high.
"Tell Sigma hi for me after he joins you in hell!" she stabbed her sword into the skull of Mimic Lobo than jumped back and turned around before he exploded. Little Red smiled as he moved to Seara and hugged her with tears in her eyes.
"I thought I lost another person I loved."
Grandma smiled, "oh it's harder than that to keep me down. Besides I had to see you again."
She held Red like she would hold her own daughter, and vice versa for Red. Before long Med packs where distributed and they where waiting for transport back, Zero watched over the clearing and soon Red approached him.
"Um, Zero. Why did you do all this for me? I don't deserve an S-Class mission, and I know I had your help to get along into the actual Hunters. So, why help me?"
Zero crossed his arms and closed his eyes, a grin across his face. "Because, Red. You wear my favorite color." She looked puzzled but than smiled
"Thanks, Zero"
The End