Disclaimer: I do not own Capcom, or any of its characters. There are notes in some parts of the story. Please review! Do flame me if possible. If you are an Iris-hater, don't you DARE read this story. There is a bit of mush on Iris' side.

BLAST_HORNET

November Is The Month. By: Blast_Hornet



CHAPTER I: THE TRUTH

The wars are continuing like mad. X and Zero are still fighting Sigma, until the day that they destroyed Sigma, or so they thought. The repliroid laboratories had created a fresh new batch of reploids, commonly known as the Repliforce. The Maverick Hunters and the Repliforce are not really in good terms when it comes to their uncanny members. Otherwise, they are still talking to each other. A few months after the creation of the Repliforce, the two anti-Maverick organizations established an agreement wherein they'd trade members and such to improve the relationship between them. Thus, it was known that Iris, a lower ranked informant and the Colonel's sister was being trained under Zero's wing, the #0 Special Unit as the information basis officer. This whole event happened right after the third Maverick war and during the fight between the Soul Erasers on Laguz Island.

X and Zero are lounging in their private room. Zero is a reploid with blue eyes, blonde hair, and wears a red armor with a red crested helmet, white streaking the middle portion of the helmet, and with a blue gem in the midst. It was said the red reploid had a very nasty temper, but miraculous that he regain a steady friendship with one as kind as X. Mega Man X, or X as some other people call him by, is a shorter reploid than Zero, with bright green eyes, brown hair, and is wearing blue armor, and blue helmet, with a red gem in the middle. Maybe their friendship is not so miraculous, as it was also known that Zero and X were partners in almost everything. At the moment, X is reading a book, while Zero is watching TV. The blonde noticed something very funny when it comes to X reading books.

"Hey, X." he called to get his attention. "What kind of book are you reading now? I didn't see that one in the library."

X looked up from the book he's reading. "You mean YOU don't know what this is?" After receiving a shook of head from his pal, he sighed. "I just borrowed this from Craze; her great grandmother had an obsession from the character in this book. Title's 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'."

"I never knew Craze would have a great grandmother that." Zero was cut off by X with a glare. "Okay, fine. I never knew you fancy that girl."

"I don't." X said defensively. "Their bloodline is what's very interesting."

Zero knew he's get a thousand words if he let his buddy continue, so he just waved his hands up on the air, surrendering. "You win, okay? Don't continue for Pete's sake!"

X smiled as he went back to reading the book. Zero grimaced. "X is really a little kid if you just judge him like he's a Hunter at sight, but he's more than that if someone would look at my perception- as his best friend-." The red reploid thought as he went back to watching the soap operas. Zero gave up on the TV. He turned it off and was about to open the door when the door itself opened, knocking him off balance.

X looked up again from the thick hardbound book to see Zero holding his head, whining as the door opened, revealing a rather cute female reploid (believe me, this is a Zero/Iris fanfiction, not any other pair-ups.) with long brown hair and blue eyes. She is wearing her usual red/blue/white- yellow uniform with the Repliforce insignia on the upper left side of her chest. "It is very unusual of you to open the door like mad, Iris. It was too strong that you even took Zero out of commission." He exclaimed smoothly. Iris blinked a few times before she looked down at the floor, shocked to realize Zero was about to open the door when she barged in.

"Oh my!" Iris gasped as she knelt down beside Zero. "Commander, I didn't know! I." she stopped when she saw Zero raised a hand.

"It wasn't your fault." He said, still holding his head with his other hand. X snorted. He gazed angrily at his friend. "What now, X?"

"It was HER fault, Zero." X said sincerely. "She could've knocked." He looked at the girl. "Base on your stage performance, I believe you have something to say that is worth a day's fight with the Mavericks."

"Actually," Iris began, scratching her head, "you're right, Sir. But it isn't the best experience, because we're going to fight off the several Mavericks that Sigma just recreated. The Laguz Island isn't cleared of the Mavericks yet. Maybe you could go there and get more information."

Zero recovered from the bang and stand up to his full height. In fact, it is not disturbing for Zero to look down on his informant, but it's his height he's really pissed of. Zero is 6'2", and Iris is 5'7", so it is no mystery that Zero doesn't like looking at Iris by the eye when he's towering above her. "I'm going there, Iris." He answered, walking for the door. "X doesn't seem to move an inch there."

Iris looked at Zero, then at X. "I think this might not be of importance to you two." She started, getting their attention. "But could you investigate something?" X gazed at Zero, then to Iris for a yes. "You seem to know Janice and Denmark Gurnlop, don't you?"

"I know Denmark." X replied. "He was in Unit 8 a while in the third Maverick war. Sadly, he died while protecting the base."

"Yes." Iris said. "Janice is his little sister. When Denmark died, it was said that Janice disappeared, and a large killing spree was happening. I don't think I can believe such things, but maybe she just lost her mind."

Zero looked at X for a second, then scratched his head. "Maybe it's not really her."

"No, sources have concluded a reploid with the same description as Janice was doing all those killings." The brunet replied. "Can you investigate it after your visit to Gareth and Berkana?"

"Sure, sure." X closed the book and threw it to Iris, who was able to catch it, miraculously. "Why don't you read that book. I'm sure you'll get to find something interesting in it."

Iris looked at the book. " 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'. I've already red this, Sir." X stared at her inquisitively. "I'm already at book 5, 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.'"

"Looks like X had a rival in reading those Harry Potter stuff." Zero chuckled. "I don't think I'll enjoy reading, since my buster is vibrating like crazy. Let's go, X." X and Zero ran out the hall, leaving Iris with the book on her hands. She shook her head and went to her station to monitor the two commanders as they set out for Laguz Island.



After an hour of wiping out several Mavericks, and getting certain evidences from the research done on the island, X and Zero decided on helping Iris with the investigation about the Gurnlop siblings. They decided to go to the Gurnlop residence to check out the happenings, and took Iris with them.

"It's been quite a while since I've visited this place." Iris said quietly, looking around the house that stood a few kilometers away from the sea. The Gurnlops have a habit of being neat and orderly, so there is no day that the house was untidy. "Dr. Gurnlop is a very influencial person, so it is no mystery that he would make reploids that are very tidy."

Dr. Steward Gurnlop is one of Dr. Cain's colleagues, and was a very successful government official. With the help of Dr. Cain, he himself made two reploids. Denmark and Janice. Suddenly, after three years, Dr. Gurnlop was assassinated, or so the Maverick Hunters concluded. The two orphaned repliroids decided to work hard and investigate to who killed their creator. Both reploids studied Nuclear Engineering, and Denmark, being the first to be created, was the first to finish, and worked in the Maverick Hunters. Janice was halfway through Nuclear Engineering, when the Doppler War began. Unfortunately, Denmark died on the line of duty. Janice lost all her enthusiasm to study, even though the Maverick Hunters were paying for all the needs and necessities. She disappeared, and thus started the massacres.

"One could see that." X replied, grazing a finger on one of the furnitures set in the house. Zero decided to walk to Dr. Gurnlop's office, and see what he can find. As he opened the door, he was astonished to see such a clean room. The bookselves are well arranged. The large mahogany business table was situated in the middle of the room, with a few tinkers on it. Behind the table is a rotating chair, comfortable enough for an old man. On the other side, Zero could see a computer and a projector. Probably for meetings, he concluded. He scanned around the room for information. Until he found some documents regarding the creating of Janice and Denmark Gurnlop. He was shocked to see what the files was about.

DENMARK: PROTOTYPE REPLOID XAZZ357I. : TITTANIUM, NEON AND SILICON ELEMENTS PRESENT : PROGRAMMED FOR "CLEANING" "GUARD" "TECHNICIAN" "SCIENTIST" "HUNTER" : KNOWN FAMILY. . . DR. STEWARD GURNLOP (FATHER) - LAWMAKER JANICE AMAIRAE (SISTER) - STUDENT

JANICE AMAIRAE: PROTOTYPE REPLOID INA568C : ELEMENTS UNKNOWN- UNSTABLE- MUST BE DIAGNOSED : PROGRAMMED FOR "CLEANING" "HUNTER" "SCIENTIST" : KNOWN FAMILY. . . DR. STEWARD GURNLOP (FATHER)- LAWMAKER DENMARK (BROTHER) - TECHNICIAN, MAVERICK HUNTER ALERT! ALERT!: Amairae unstable. Common elements mixed with unknown substance. Must be diagnosed immediately. AMAIRAE PERSONALITY PROFILE UNSTABLE.

Zero walked to find X or Iris. X was in the laboratory, tinkering with the tools. After ten years of being with Dr. Cain, Zero knew X loves Mechanics and would do anything to get ahold of some tools just for the love of it. He approached the blue reploid who was trying to destroy the laboratory table with a hand drill.

"X, would you stop that? This is not your house." Zero said. "I found some files regarding the Gurnlop siblings." Raising the documents, he amplified his point. X looked at the papers.

"We could bring it to Headquarters." X replied, scanning the contents. "But this alert might be of interest."

Iris was carrying a bag when she entered. She saw X and Zero with certain files, and dropped the bag on the counter. She took the files from X and red it, then looked at X and Zero. "Commanders, I think Janice was infected by the Sigma Virus the day she was created!"

X looked at Zero who nodded for an affirmative. "Janice may have hacked the Maverick Hunter's Mainframe system and took some of our confidential files." He said quietly. "We must stop her from reviving Sigma."



At a certain dank dark place, a repliroid with long black hair, black eyes, and wears orange and yellow armor with black trimmings. Her hand held a light saber, and unlike Zero's, hers is a dark red, almost maroon. She was holding some person captive. The poor guy was begging for his damn life to be saved.

"Please, don't kill me!" he pleaded. "I'll do anything!"

The girl looked at the captive with cunning eyes. "Anything?"

"Anything! Just.just don't kill me!" he replied. Then his face lifted into a wry grin. "What do you want? Weapons? Money? Equipment? Name it!"

"All I need is a small base, with complete equipment." She answered. "From the looks of your attire, you must be very rich."

"Indeed, I am." He said. The reploid slashed the ropes out from the man's hands. "By the way, I am Mr. Polywuren, one of biggest suppliers of marijuana in the country. We can become good partners in this business." He gave a hand. "And you are?"

"My name." the repliroid replied, accepting the hand. "My name is Janice. Janice Gurnlop."