WELCOME TO GATE - THUS THE RESISTANCE FOUGHT THERE. A CROSSOVER BETWEEN THE MEGAMAN ZERO SERIES AND GATE - THUS THE JSDF FOUGHT THERE. THIS MARKS THE BEGINNING OF THE REWRITES I PLANNED TO IMPROVE THE STORY AND PROVIDE MORE DETAILS AND A BETTER, MORE COHERENT PLOT. FOR THOSE WHO READ THE ORIGINAL CHAPTERS, EXPECT TO SEE MORE OF THE SAME IN THE NEW CHAPTERS, ONLY IN BETTER DETAIL AND BETTER EXPLAINED. THIS TIME AROUND I WILL ALSO ADD IN INDEXES AT THE END OF EACH CHAPTER TO GIVE INSIGHT INTO ANY NEW CHARACTERS THAT GET ADDED. SO I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY VERSION 2 OF THE FANFIC, AND WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, THE NEW AND IMPROVED GATE - THUS THE RESISTANCE FOUGHT THERE

PART 1

Even reploids can feel fatigue...

That's how he felt as he leaned against the wall beneath the water of the underground lake near where a secret based used by Neo Arcadia was located. The first time he came here it was to retrieve a vital piece of data before Neo Arcadia could obtain it, and he found himself back here again to disrupt a hacking attempt. He succeeded in shutting down the servers, and was on his way out when 'she' showed up.

"I am Fairy Leviathan of the Shittenou, one of the four guardians who protects Master X and Neo Arcadia." A statuesque reploid of a feminine build with blue armor over a white body suit. The main armor covered her chest, her arms up past her elbows and her legs up to her thighs with gold rings at the ends, making it look like she had long gloves and thigh high boots, with her feet shaped like a pair of stiletto heels. Her blue eyes had stared down Zero, out of breath from running back and forth through the base to destroy the servers used to hack the resistance base and there was an almost playful smile on her face. Her helmet was patterned like she had hair in a bob cut, framing her attractive face, while a set of long fins on the back helped her to maneuver in the water. In her hand she wielded a Harpoon Lance, and she used it with deadly efficiency. "I commend you for shutting down the hack, but I'm afraid you will die here." she had said, smiling. "I heard so much about you, mostly from the pretty kid and the combat nerd, Phantom doesn't say much I'm afraid. And after hearing how much you pushed them, to actually put EFFORT into fighting someone from the resistance? When normally we just sit back and let our apprentices deal with you lot. Well I just had to come out here and see for myself now didn't I?"
'Wish you hadn't' Zero thought to himself.
The battle, to say the least, wasn't in Zero's favor for most of it, he was exhausted, and Leviathan clearly had the terrain advantage. The way she moved through the water was like watching an Olympic swimmer swim rings around a beginner. Her skill with her Harpoon Lance was no doubt unmatched, she handled it with ease as she moved around, using her powers to deploy mines of Ice to hinder Zero's progress, and the moment he did manage to get close for melee? One hit had sent him flying across the lake and into the command ship that was being used by the Meikai Gundan, known also as the Deep Sea Squadron, Neo Arcadia's navy which Leviathan lead. She may look petite, but she definitely packed a punch. Unlike the fights with her siblings, Zero had the most trouble with Leviathan due to the arena. Sure, amnesia or no you don't forget how to fight, but being locked away in a state of hibernation for 100 years, and certain things can become rusty, that and this was his first serious underwater confrontation since Ciel woke him up a month ago.

"You are Zero? The Legendary hero are you not?" she had ask, a girl no older than 14 years old wearing a pink sleeveless dress with a vest over a black form fitting bodysuit, no doubt the suit itself was armoring of some kind, and long blonde hair kept in a pony tail that came out of the helmet she wore for protection. Zero had said nothing, his mind still hazy from being woken up from hibernation.

"Please, lend us your power." Ciel had asked. "Help us against Neo Arcadia."

Neo Arcadia, the regime that ruled over what was left of the world. Zero had awoken to a wasteland with city ruins scattered about, swarming with out of control mechaniloids, old ruined facilities and vast deserts, what vegetation or forests remained, were within the great Domed city of Neo Arcadia, the last bastion of humanity that waged war against those who were deemed 'maverick' and executed.

The Mavericks in question however, were innocent civilian reploids. What had once been a paradise for human and reploid alike, soon became just a paradise for the humans as reploids were gradually treated as second class citizens by the government in the face of an severe energy crisis, and the needs of humans were put above everyone else. Those who didn't comply with the new laws were branded as Mavericks and hunted down, and as a result many reploids fled from Neo Arcadia to take their chances in the wasteland and ruins beyond the dome, but "once a Maverick, always a Maverick." and those who fled were hunted down and terminated. Because of this gross mistreatment of reploids, those who had fled began to band together, forming a resistance to bring down Neo Arcadia and end the reign of its leader, Megaman X, once a legendary hero who wiped out the Maverick Virus once and for all, now a heartless tyrant who will do anything to protect his city against the "Maverick threat"

"Some threat." Zero had said upon arriving at the resistance base for the first time. "You're all civilians."

"We may be civilians." said one of the resistance members. "But we can fight, have been for the last year or so." The one that had spoken up was identified as Colbar. He wore a standardized uniform consisting of green baggy pants and a vest over an armored black bodysuit, brown boots and white gloves. He had white ear caps on the sides of his head and wore blue goggles and a green beret with a red triangle on the top, he shared this uniform with many of the resistance's "soldiers."

Zero had said nothing at first, but then said. "I hope you can back up that boast."

"Of course I can." said Colbar. "I'm the captain of the famed Colbar team, and we've pulled off several successful hit and run tactics on Neo Arcadia, the Jin'en is a favorite target of ours."

Jin'en, that referred to the Jin'en Gundan, the Scorched Earth Squadron, the main army of Neo Arcadia, lead by the trigger happy "Fighting Fafnir." of the Shittenou.

Zero caught his breath as he still sat at the bottom of the lake, thinking of his encounter with Fafnir. "Trigger happy" was an understatement, the man enjoyed nothing more than combat, and had been a formidable opponent. Unlike Leviathan, Fafnir wore much heavier red colored armor and large square shoulder pads, the boots were weighted to provide stability for attacks utilizing the twin cannons on his arms, dubbed "Sodom and Gomorrah." His dark skin and fierce red eyes made him stand out from his sister. The two dueled out in the desert when Zero went out to intercept him after an initial assault by Neo Arcadia on the resistance base had failed. Zero hated to admit it, but he enjoyed fighting Fafnir just as much as Fafnir enjoyed fighting him.

"You're not bad." he had said, smiling. "I'll let you live, but don't die okay? I want a rematch, next win will be mine."

"Sure." Zero had said. "But the result will be the same."

"I'll bet." said Fafnir, as he teleported out.

Zero pushed himself off his feet, and began to swim up to the surface, everything was quiet, Neo Arcadia must have pulled out following Leviathan's defeat, reaching the edge of the lake he pulled himself up and out of the water, laying there on his hands and knees to rest.

"Every generation has its legend. However, a lost legend should remain lost."

Those were the words of Hidden Phantom, leader of the Zen'ei Gundan, the Cutting Shadow Squadron, Neo Arcadia's intelligence division.

"Some intelligence." Colbar had quipped. "If they keep accusing civilian reploids of being Maverick, then they must hire idiots."

Unlike the playful Leviathan, and the hot headed Fafnir, Phantom displayed a calm cunning, and had actually managed to get the drop on Zero as he was entering the Energen Factory that the resistance had just secured only a week prior. Phantom's armor was similar to Leviathan's though black in color and lacking her Heels. His helmet had a white winged masked that covered his eyes, giving him a ninja like look, which was complimented by his Kunai and Beam Shuriken. The fight with Phantom, while fierce, was ultimately cut short when Ciel had detected explosives within the factory, explosives Phantom had planted to try and destroy the factory, robbing the resistance of much needed resources. Zero however, managed to disable the bombs, though Phantom had escaped. Doesn't matter in the end, as the safety of the factory came first.

Zero took in the fresh air as he climbed back out into the deserted, looking ahead toward the old city where the resistance had set up their base, he took a step before collapsing down to one knee.

"Why do you side with Mavericks? You the legendary hero who fought alongside Master X to rid the world of the Maverick virus once and for all?" Those were the words of the last of the Shittenou, leader of the Rekku Gundan, the Strong air battalion, Neo Arcadia's air force, and perhaps the most dangerous of the four. Clad and green and brandishing a pair of beam sabers, it was Zero's most harrowing fight due to Harpuria's flight capabilities, courtesy of the Winged jetpack on his back, much as Leviathan ruled the oceans, the sky was Harpuria's turf, and he dominated it. They had fought for hours that day, neither one yielding to the other, though in the end Zero had managed to force Harpuria into retreat, but something nagged at the back of his mind. Harpuria put up a fight, he was suppose to be a dangerous adversary, they all were, but he surrendered and retreated, the win felt too easy, all of them felt too easy.

Zero collapsed on the desert ground, finally unable to move and having exhausted all of his energy, he looked up to see members of the resistance rush to him.

Even reploids can feel fatigue.

PART 2

Two weeks before the Shittenou started moving, something interesting had been discovered in the city. At the far edge, beyond the resistance's sphere of influence, was a structure so ancient it was actually made of stone and mortar, it was several stories tall, and consisted mainly of a large opening like a doorway, it was big enough that two transport vans side by side could fit through without a problem. It was only slightly bigger width wise then a standard building, yet no amount of light could pierce the darkness beyond the doors.

Members of the resistance, lead by Ciel and Zero, were standing outside this building, scans, samples of the surface, and quick looks inside were being conducted by the soldiers.

"Be careful!" said Ciel. "We don't know what this is, so don't go too far in."

Standing alongside Ciel was the resistance's engineer, a reploid by the name of Cerveau. He was tall and lean, with black hair and a large orange opaque visor connected to his ear caps, covering his eyes, rather than a normal resistance vest, Cerveau instead wore a long sleeveless green lab coat with a gold trim, and tend to forgo his beret. He stroked his chin for a moment, staring at it. "We've been in this city for a little over a year now, how could we miss this?"
"I don't think we did." Ciel said, looking the building over. "Even though we haven't come this far out into the city, it is quite possible, as strange as it may sound, that it just...appeared." She watched a soldier walk up to them, handing her a data pad, she took the pad, nodding to the soldier and looking it over. "This is strange."

"What is it?" Cerveau asked, he peered over at the pad.

"This building is giving off some sort of energy reading, unlike anything I've ever seen before." said Ciel, looking at it. "It's similar to the energy given off by Cyber Elves, and yet this seems almost...natural."

"That is strange." said Cerveau. "This building seems ancient, and yet its generating some form of energy?"

Ciel nodded. "This could be a major discovery." she said. "Perhaps even the answer to this war. If it's giving off energy, then perhaps the energy can be tapped, if the energy can be tapped."

"We could use it to power machines." said Cerveau. "An end to the energy crisis."

"End the energy crisis, end the war." said Ciel. "We should contact Neo Arcadia."
"And tell them what?" Ciel and Cerveau turned, Zero had finally spoke. "We found an old stone building giving off energy. Do you really think they'll believe you? You're considered Mavericks remember?"

Ciel winced, Zero was right. "But..."

Zero shook his head. "You don't even know for sure if this building is safe or not, or if there is even anything inside generating the energy. If we start jumping to conclusion it could end up biting us in the ass."
Ciel looked at the building, and started toward it. "Then let's go inside, as far as we can go."

Zero grabbed her arm. "That is even more stupid. We don't even know if it's safe."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Ciel asked. "Just leave it alone?"
"For now, yes." said Zero. "You should be focused on surviving, We may have secured vital resources and information, but Neo Arcadia will attack again."
"We could send in drones." said Cerveau. "Get footage of what's inside. If Neo Arcadia does make another move, Zero could keep them busy while we study this building." he looked at Zero. "From a safe distance of course."

"Zero, this is the first real instance of a new type of energy source in years, we can only rely on Energen for so long before its depleted." said Ciel, looking to the Red reploid. "This building could be the answers I need to complete my research, and create a new reliable energy system."

Zero stayed quiet, looking at the building. "Do you what you will then, but don't forget we're fighting a war." He would turn, and walked off heading back to the base.

"What's wrong with him?" Cerveau asked.

"He's understandably worried." said Ciel smiling. "Maybe it has to do with his lack of memories from before he was sealed away, or perhaps he's just being moody."

Cerveau smiled, Ciel giggled at her little joke. She turned to the soldiers giving a nod. "Alright, lets finish up here and get back to the base, we still have work to do."

Zero woke up in the med bay, groaning and holding his head. "Where am I?"

"Ah you're up." Standing by Zero's repair bay was a female reploid, her brown hair was pulled into a bun and she wore a plain nurse cap on her head. rather than a Resistance vest she wore a brown Doctor's coat with a red cross on the rounded shoulders, and a Green skirt that came down to above her ankles. "You passed out just outside the base. Colbar and Dande had to drag you back in."

Zero rubbed his head again, maybe that's why his head hurt, those two probably dragged him over a few rocks. "How long was I out?"
"Oh not long." she said. "An hour tops, you were low on energy."
"It's been a long a day." said Zero as he got to his feet. "That and Leviathan packs a mean right hook."

"I bet she does." said the nurse reploid with a grin. Zero ignored this.

"Where's Ciel?" Zero asked.

"Command room, they just got done investigating the inside of that building, she said to go to the command room as soon as you were awake."
Zero nodded and headed for the door. "Thanks Rocinolle."

"Always happy to help, you just stay in one piece you hear? You worry that girl half to death every time you go out."

In the command room, Zero walked in, causing Ciel to whirl around, a smile on her face as she ran over and hugged him. "Zero, thank god." Zero didn't move, his gaze turning to the two women also in the command room manning the Com Terminals, they were operations reploids and the best techies in the base, responsible for communications and transportation. They were nearly identical in build, aside from the short blonde hair of one and the long red hair, and more prominent forehead, of the other. They had large black visors over their eyes, which transmitted data to them in real time. The wore green puff sleeved dressed with a gold trim, their skirts coming to above their thighs showing off a lot of leg, and their feet adorned with metal high heels much like Ciel, though a little higher on the heel.

"Told you she'd tackle him." said the blonde. "You owe me 100 Zenny Rouge."

"You said she'd tackle him to the ground!" said the Redhead, Rouge. "And as you can see Zero is still clearly standing upright, so if any you owe ME the 100 Zenny Juane."

"I do not!" said Juane. "You're just miffed that I won the bet."

"You didn't win anything!" said Rouge, the two glaring daggers at each other.

Ciel sighed, blushing as she turned around. "Honestly you two, could you please knock it off?!"

Zero gave a rare smile. "So, Rocinolle said you finished investigating the building?"
Ciel turned back to the Zero, and she smiled nodding. "Yes, and it's not a building, not a normal building anyway, the best way to describe it is, well, a gateway."

"A gateway?" Zero raised an eyebrow beneath his helmet.

Ciel nodded. "Yes, we sent in some recon mechaniloids to investigate the interior."

"We took mettaurs and duct taped cameras to their hardhats." Juane piped in.

Ciel blushed again. "It was the best we can do with what we had."

"I'm not judging." said Zero. "So what did your recon Mettaurs find?"

"Well when I saw the images I couldn't believe it myself but..." Ciel nodded to Rouge who was quickly punching keys on her keyboard. "Just see for yourself."

Zero turned to the main screen as it lit up, and he just stared. On the screen was the building, the 'gateway' as Ciel described it, only it wasn't in the city outskirts, but instead on a grassy hill overlooking a vast plain.

"Am I seeing things?" Zero asked, looking at the images. "I thought you said the only nature was in Neo Arcadia."

"This isn't a techno-organic environment Zero." said Ciel. "Its natural, untouched for the horrors of the Elf Wars or even the Maverick Wars."

Zero scratched his head. "So let me get this straight. That building is a transerver is that it? You walk in and you appear...where?"

"I don't know." said Ciel, looking at the images. "But perhaps this is a sign, a good omen. Think about it, a place untouched by the Maverick wars, there could be resources and new forms of energy that can be used by humans and reploids alike. It could even be habitable."

"If its habitable I say we all move there while giving Neo Arcadia the finger." said Juane. "And what happens when Neo Arcadia finds the Gate huh?" Rouge asked. "We'll be right back at square one."

"To be honest, moving through the gate is a last resort." said Ciel. "Something that should only be done once we can establish peaceful relations with Neo Arcadia."
"And yet to establish peaceful relations you need to complete your energy research, and to do that you want to investigate the other side of the gate for the energy source we detected coming from the gate, yet if we go through the gate Neo Arcadia could find it, and the fighting would end up on the other side." said Zero.

Juane rubbed her head. "I think I got a headache listening to all of that."

Ciel thought for a moment, then looked to Zero. "I think we should send our findings to Neo Arcadia, let them see the images of the Gate and what lies beyond, they may agree to a ceasefire." Ciel looked hopeful. "If anything X will always consider what is best for his citizens, and I'm sure even he is wise enough to understand the possibilities of what could be a verdant world rich with resources that all of us can benefit from."

Zero took another look at the images. "How far out did you go?"
"Not too far." said Ciel. "But I wanted to ask if you would be okay with going through with a small team to quickly recon the surroundings? That will help immensely in getting Neo Arcadia to cooperate with us.

"Alright, I'll do it." said Zero. "I'll grab Faucon and Moineau and head for the gate."

Ciel smiled. "Thank you Zero, I do believe this will bring an end to-"

She was cut off by a sudden quake, she staggered and Zero caught her, Juane and Rouge were furiously typing on their keys, trying to locate the source as the alarm began to blare.

"An Earthquake?" Ciel asked, confused.

"No, I don't think so." said Zero. Another quake. "It was too easy."

"Huh?" Ciel looked at Zero. "Too easy?"
"The Shittenou, fighting them, it was too easy." said Zero. "Like they WANTED to be defeated, but at the same time they made sure we knew it was them who mobilized. All our focus was on them, a much more dangerous threat then the Mutos."

Ciel just stared, and her eyes widen with realization and horror as Rouge chimed in.

"Ciel! Zero! We're under attack!"

PART 3

Outside, explosions rocked the city. Resistance soldiers took positions behind barricades, blasting at the Arcadian forces, the Pantheon, mindless mass produced copies of Neo Arcadia's leader Megaman X, with a large single red Eye in place of the face, and there were different models for different situations. They're low cost and minimal energy consumption made them ideal soldiers even during the energy crisis, allowing Neo Arcadia to field many Pantheons at once, and good thing too, they went down easy.

"Where the hell did they come from?" Chimed in Colbar, as he took shots at Neo Arcadia.

"Don't look at me." said Colbar's partner, this reploid wore a large white helmet with a visor over his head, with only his mouth visible. He was taking shots at the Pantheons with his buster rifle. "Must have been planning this for awhile."

"We'd have known about it though Dande!" said Colbar. "A force this large isn't easy to hide."

"Yeah well you forget we we're busy dealing with the Shittenou for the last week." said Dande. "I'd say they kept us nice and distracted."

A large muscular member of the resistance took aim with his own rifle, shooting down approaching Pantheons before ducking back behind cover, a stray shot knocking his cap off and revealing black hair.

"Less yapping and more shooting you two!" he said before tapping his ear cap, activating coms. "Ciel this is Faucon! We're pinned down by Neo Arcadia and they are attempting to breach the gates! I don't think we can hold them off for much longer before we have to fall back." he ducked again to avoid another shot, and Dande popped up and blasted the shooter.

"I understand." said Ciel over the coms. "Just keep them busy as long as possible."

Faucon nodded, looked around. "Alright guys you heard the lady! LIGHT THEM UP!"

In the command room, Ciel paced nervously back and forth.

"Ciel, we need to get the non combatants out." said Zero. "Faucon and the others can't hold them off forever."

"I know." said Ciel, she looked at the main screen, then looked down. "The end of the fighting is in front of us, and yet I can't do anything."

Zero walked over to Ciel, putting a hand on her shoulder. "What you can do is live and make sure your research is completed so that you can end this war on your terms and not X's."

Ciel nodded. "You're right. Okay I've made up my mind." She'd walk over to the computers, punching the button for the base wide intercom. "Attention all resistance forces, this is Ciel! Prepare to evacuate! I repeat prepare to evacuate." She paused for a moment, and with confidence in her voice she added. "Our destination is the Gate! We're leaving Neo Arcadia behind for good!"

Juane and Rouge looked at Ciel with a note of surprise.
"Through the gate?" Rouge asked. "Are you sure?"
"It's the only way." said Ciel. "Neo Arcadia doesn't know about the gate, and it sits in an area of the city even they don't know about. If we can get through without alerting them, we just might pull this off."

"That would take a miracle." said Juane.

Zero thought for a moment. "Or a distraction." he said.

They all looked at him.

"Rouge, Juane, get Ciel to the transport, I'm going to stick around as long as possible and give them a target."
Ciel looked shock. "Zero, that's too risky."

Zero looked at Ciel. "Don't worry, I won't die. Trust me." he said.

Ciel hesitated as Rouge and Juane were getting out of their seats, and she nodded. "Alright, be careful Zero."

Zero nodded. "Don't wait for me, you get through the gate and get as far away from it as you can. Don't worry I'll find you."

Ciel nodded. "We'll attempt to get communications working on the other side. Good luck." And she ran for the door going through it.

Out in the desert, Fafnir watched with a sadistic grin as their forces continued to bang down on the resistance's door, leaning on a rock outcropping and sipping an E-tank drink. "Ah, this is SO cathartic, watching the resistance get what's coming to them after pretending to be weak in front of Zero."

"Aww, is someone upset they had orders to hold back?" Leviathan asked with a giggle? She was sitting on a rock outcropping, legs crossed and looking like regal noble.

"Damn straight I am." said Fafnir. "I should have just entered "Armed Phenomenon" and obliterate that relic."

"Oh don't be so trigger happy." said Leviathan. "You enjoyed fighting Zero one on one and you know it. In fact I think we all did, wouldnt you agree Harpuria?"

Harpuria was standing there watching, he turned his head slightly, looking to Leviathan. "All that matters is that we put this resistance down once and for all. They have been nothing but a blight on Neo Arcadia. Today we end them."

"Jeez don't be such a tight ass." said Fafnir. "I get it, your pissed off because he broke that ego of yours. Maybe if you weren't sulking you'd realize that a loss is good for the soul.

Harpuria turned, glaring as he held one of his beam sabers out at Fafnir, the blade a reddish pink as his green eyes narrowed. "You mind your tongue Fafnir, less I cut it out for you."

Fafnir just grinned as he retaliated by bringing out Sodom, his left arm cannon and aiming it a Harpuria. "Hey I'm just saying that your spending too much time thinking about the result of the fight, rather than enjoying the fight in the first place."

Leviathan sighed, standing up and getting between the two. "Knock it off both of you. Your spoiling the mood."

As the three bickered, Phantom stood quietly by watching, eyes closed, arms folded as he considered his options. He opened his eyes. "Hanumachine."

From the shadows emerged a reploid crouching down head bowed. He was a Mutos reploid, an elite warrior of Neo Arcadia designed after a mythological being, in this case, The white and red, simian like Mutos was crafted in the image of the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, from the ancient legend known as "Journey to the west."

"Yes Sir Phantom?" asked Hanumachine.

"Head to the resistance base, intercept Zero and make sure he does not interfere, kill him if you have to."

"It shall be done." said Hanumachine as he disappeared as quietly as he appeared.

Phantom looked ahead, passed the bickering of siblings to the resistance base as their forces continued their assault, a rare smile crossed his face.

'You're move.' Phantom thought to himself. 'Let us see if you truly are the legend everyone says you are.'

And thus, Neo Arcadia's attack on the resistance, began in full force.