Aya: Oh ha!  Fic number 3! W00t (my first attempt at l33t talk.  How am I doing?)

X: Okay, when's my cue to faint?

Aya: Sheesh!  Just read it :p

Zero: Who's in this fic?

Aya:  I'm glad you asked, Zero.  This is an X, Zero, possibly Gate fic.  I'm not sure how Gate is going to play romantically in this… but he will be a character.  Um.. other than that, this is all I have planned so far.  Oh yeah, I don't own these Capcom copyrighted guys, so don't' sue!  If you don't like shounen-ai or boy x boy relationships, I'd suggest you stop reading now. Oh yes, I also realize I'm using the ending of X5 where Eurasia crashed, and yet somehow Zero is mysteriously back in one, non-maverick piece in X's adoring eyes… well, whatever. :p  It's cool, just flow with it ^_^. 

X: Duh, Aya. *to audience* she just totally forgot about that. 

Aya: *glares at X* you should be glad you're so cute.  Ahem.  Chapter two is when the fun really begins.  I already had to restructure the entire first two chapters because version number 1 didn't start fast enough.  Get ready for some fun!   

Skew Universe

Chapter 1: Crossed

Icy droplets of water hitting his face were the first things X felt as he woke up.  Instinctively he shielded his eyes from the water with his hands and opened his eyes.  Gray clouds floated gloomily above him.  

"Huh?"  His hoarse voice surprised even himself.  As he tried to get up, he realized he was sore all over.  Now sitting upright, he looked around, realized he was at one of the more dilapidated sections of the city, and was sitting inside the broken frame of a fallen building.  "Wait!  I'm outside?!"  After the crash of Eurasia, which sent thousands of pollutants into the air, natural rain had been highly acidic.  X checked himself over, searching for places where he might have been burned.  While Reploids do have some kind of protection from the acid rain, prolonged exposure will still eat through their armor.  "Nothing…"  His voice was still hoarse.  X got up and looked around for shelter, but a more pressing thought hit him.

"What am I doing here?"  A growing panic rose within him.  He couldn't remember.  While his internal systems could give him the date and time, the events of today could not be recalled.  A small figure darted behind a nearby building as X looked in its direction.  "Hey!"  X called out, desperate to hear if anyone else knew what was going on.  "Come back!"  X gave chase, while going over possible scenarios in his head.  Did I get damaged in battle?  Where's Zero?  X's heart sunk slightly.  Did he get hurt?  Since the 17th and the Zero Unit often worked together, X naturally thought Zero might be involved. 

X finally got to the building and saw the figure dart around yet another corner.  He was gaining, though.  He would probably catch up within two minutes.  What did I do last with Zero?  X willed himself to remember. 

"Hey, X, look at this!"  Zero said to him.  "This looks suspicious, doesn't it?"

"I'll say."  X replied.  "Why don't you call it in?  I'll go check on Dr. Hilbert."

Dr. Hilbert?  X scrunched is face slightly.  I don't know any Dr. Hilbert.  As he rounded the second turn, he nearly slipped on some oil and water, but managed to catch himself before tumbling down.  Now he was within 10 feet of the figure.  Is it a child?  "Wait up! I just want to know what's going on.  I'm not going to hurt you!"  X hit another slippery patch again, but this time, he couldn't regain his footing and fell hard against the wall.  His arms and helmet protected his head from the full impact of the wall, but he knocked the wind out of himself.  X slumped to the ground and gulped in several breaths of air.  Looking in the direction where the figure ran, he saw someone peeking from behind the corner. 

"Hey… can you tell me where I am?"  X asked the figure.  She was a girl, probably around five or six, cloaked in a wet, dirty, brown rag.  "I'm not going to hurt you.  I'm a Maverick Hunter."  The girl gasped at the title, and for a moment X was afraid she would run away again, but she continued to study X cautiously.  "My name is X, what's your name?"

"Alyssa."  The child replied, not sounding like she trusted X anymore than she did minutes ago, but responding because it was a common question. 

"Alyssa, could you tell me where I am?"  X good enough to get up, but doing so would probably scare the girl more, so he stayed sitting.  Alyssa looked like she wanted to answer, but someone called her name from where X around the corner and Alyssa ran away.  "Hey!"  X called again.  Someone else appeared from around the corner.  It was an older man.  Alyssa was gripping the man's leg, timid as before.  "Hi."  X said.  The man was dressed as poorly as Alyssa.  A thin, dirty old blue dress shirt clung to him where the rain soaked through.  His pants were in no better condition; the seams had come apart long ago and the fabric had already started to unravel.  His beard was uncut and unruly, with streaks of grays. 

"What are you doing here?  We have nothing else for you."  The man said angrily in his rough voice.  "Please just go."

"I'm not here for anything."  X said defensively as he got up.  The man and Alyssa tensed as X stood.  "I just want to know where I am.  My name is X."  The hunter extended a hand towards the man, who seemed to calculate the gesture in his head for a moment before taking the handshake. 

"I am Andrei."  He gestured towards the girl.  "This is my daughter, Alyssa.  You said your name is….X?"

"Yes. I'm a Maverick Hunter.  Could you tell me where I am?"

"You are at Knott City."  Andrei replied as they finished the handshake.  For some odd reason, Andrei no longer looked as anxious as before.  "Why don't you come with me and we can talk away from the rain?"

"Please, lead the way."  X followed Andrei and the girl, who now took a more curious than cautious interest in the shiny blue Reploid.  Andrei lead the three into a small building, which X guessed was their home. 

"Please, sit down."  Andrei gestured towards the fragile looking dinning table set in the cramped and dark room.  Not wanting to break to the chair, X took great care not to put too much weight on the chair as he sat down.  "Please excuse me for just one moment."  Andrew moved to another doorway in the room and called out.  "Marie!"  He disappeared into the other room, leaving Alyssa and X alone in the room.

"Alyssa?"  X called to the girl, who tensed again slightly.  "Your father said we're in Knott City… is that a nick name?"

"No."  The girl replied, and turned her eyes towards a broken toy nearby.  "It's not a nick name."  X looked sadly as the girl started to play with the broken toy car.  Parts of it were snapped off and sharp edges threatened to cut the girls fingers.  From his pocket, he withdrew a small stuffed toy.  X planned on giving it to Zero as a surprised gift when he saw it in the store.  X laughed slightly.  It was more of an impulse gift.  Oh well, Zero wouldn't have liked it as much as Alyssa. 

"Here."  X handed the small bear, which was small enough to fit in his palm, to the girl, whose eyes lit up like a star.  She reached for the bear and hugged it tightly.

"Thanks!"  She beamed, set the bear on the car and started to play with both.  Not exactly what X had in mind, but he was still glad that she was so happy. 

Andrei and another woman came back into the room.  Andrei took the seat across from X while the woman moved into what was construed as the kitchen area behind X.  "X, do you mind if I ask why you are in the area?"

"I'm actually not too sure myself."  X scratched his head in thought.  "I just ended up here.  I don't exactly remember how.  Do you have the coordinates for this area, I can't seem to call up Knott City in any map."

"Does Commander Zero know you're here?"  Andrei's voice tightened.  "He would be very worried about you…"

"Zero?" X's voice betrayed his excitement.  "Where is he?  Can you take me to him?"

"Shouldn't you know?"  Andrei raised an eyebrow.  "He's been at Maverick Headquarters for the past two years… he's been taking care of… you."

"What?"  X pulled back in surprise, putting a dangerous percentage of his weight on the chair, which creaked loudly in protest.  "Taking care of me?  But I'm fine…"

"No… X has been in a stasis coma for the last two years…"  X noticed Andrei was now referring to him like he was talking about someone else.  "X was injured in battle… and has been in a stasis coma."

"But I'm X."  His head spun.  "I haven't been in a coma for the last two years.  Yesterday I went to buy that stuffed animal for Zero."  X pointed to the toy Alyssa was playing with.  "Tuesday I patrolled area D with my team.  Monday I had the day off.  I remember everything the last two years except today!" 

"Calm down."  Andrei said.  "I'm sure the Hunters will figure out what's going on."  Almost on cue, the front door opened and a team of Hunters armed with large light guns entered the already cramped room.  Alyssa scrambled into the safety of the other room as the Reploids trotted inside.

"Are you the one impersonating X?"  One of them asked as he readied his gun. 

"I'm not impersonating anyone!"  X stood up and glared angrily at the Hunter.  "I am X. As the commander of the 17th unit I order all of you to stand down.  You're just scaring everyone for no reason." 

About half of the hunters looked at each other hesitantly, while the rest stood their ground.  "Come with me."  The leader ordered and grabbed X's arm roughly, and X responded by twisting the Reploid's wrist in an awkward angle by rolling his arm.  Now the team didn't hesitate before moving in on X.  The cramped space was an advantage for X, since this limited the number of Hunters that could approach him at a time.  He easily took care of the Reploids as they moved in. 

"Hey!"  Someone yelled from the opposite side of the room.  X ignored the voice and continued to fight off the Reploids until he heard Alyssa's scream.  Struggling within one of the Hunter's grip was Alyssa.  "You'd better come peacefully with us, or else…"  All out of options, X stopped fighting.

"Grab him."  The leader of the group tried to salvage some pride as he fixed his helmet, which was knocked loose by X.  The Hunters moved in and pinned X to the ground.  Someone cuffed X's hands painfully behind him before pulling him back to his feet.  "Heh, not so tough now, are you?  Let's go… and bring these three."  X saw the leader point towards the three humans in the room. 

"They have nothing to do with this."  X started to struggle again.  Even with his hands behind his back he managed to knock three of the Hunters off their feet.  "You don't need to bring them!"  One of the hunters wrapped their arm around X's neck from behind, choking X painfully and preventing him from moving.  

"They are the least of your worries."  The leader sneered at X.  "You should be worried about what Commander Zero will do to you when he finds out you've been impersonating his dear X."  Several of the hunters chuckled.  X grew slack.  No one believes that I'm the real X?   I can't remember what happened today.  What's going on here?  His questions remained unanswered as they teleported out.

---------------------------

Aya:  Don't know what's going on?  Read the title again.  You'll see soon enough (chapter 3?), if you haven't already guessed.

X: Wow!  I didn't faint! W00t!

Zero: Not you too.

Gate: OOOOO I'm finally in a shounen-ai fic!  YAY! *throws rose petals around*

Mob Member 1: What's up with the non shounen-ai ness?  The closest thing to it was that stuffed bear thing!

Gate Fan Club: *arrives* We're here!  Where's Gate?  Eek!  There he is! *chases Gate around the room while carrying signs reading things like "We Wuv Gate-Kun*

Aya: Hee hee.  I haven't decided what to do with Gate yet… we'll see ^_^