Disclaimer: This story is based off of the Mega Man properties, copyright Capcom. Used without permission but not for profit.

Author's note: This story is a complete re-write of Megaman X5. I emphasize some parts of the universe that get little attention. Don't think you know all that will happen.

I have written several other Megaman X stories. I have written this story to stand on its own, but reading the others may enhance your enjoyment of this one. The most important for this purpose are "Zero Sum" and "Consequences".

When there is a contradiction between game and extra-game material (example: Dr. Cain being an invalid in "Day of Sigma" OAV but merely old in X2), I have followed the games. I use no material post-X5.

/Accessing data file: Zero/

/Loading…/

/Zero: unique robot prototype. Origin unknown. Designer unknown. Zero incorporates a combination of archaic and advanced parts. Little-to-no design overlap exists with any other robot either current or in archives. Closest match: Megaman X, at less than 20% design commonality. Design suggests Zero was intended as a high-end combat robot. Rated combat capabilities are highest on record/

/Attached: schematic of Zero design/

/Discovered after initial Maverick incidents had prompted creation of Maverick Hunters. Maverick Hunter squad Sigma fought and subdued Zero. After defeat, Zero was subjected to scan and schematic evaluation, but refused functional analysis. Offer to join Maverick Hunters was accepted based on demonstrated capabilities and apparent stability/

/Attached: performance record as Maverick Hunter/

/File ends/

Signas looked to a second screen. "Is this it?" he said. His tone suggested 'it had better not be'.

"Heh. Looking for more? Now what would make the commander of the Maverick Hunters so nosy about his own men?"

Signas grimaced. "I asked you to help me, Doctor Cain. If you don't want to, then…"

"Then what, hm? You'll hang up on me? Signas, my boy, I want to help you. But if I don't know what your concern is I can't give you what you need."

Signas tried to look stern. He didn't know if he succeeded. Facial expressions were about the limit of his leverage over the old doctor. Dr. Cain was at the point in his life where he was immune to threats. He'd lived such a full life that anything more was just a bonus. It gave him a relaxed attitude Signas found maddening. Just as maddening was the fact that Signas had little choice but to live with it. Having Dr. Cain attached to the Maverick Hunters was doubly useful. In the first place, he was the foremost living expert on robotics, especially reploid robotics. Proximity allowed him to readily help them, including with the maintenance of the Hunters' reploid members. In the second place—and this aspect got very little publicity—it allowed the Hunters to keep Dr. Cain under wraps. It was a form of house arrest for a man no one, except possibly that gullible X, trusted.

Few humans held any sympathy for Dr. Cain. The man had made the creation of reploids, and therefore Mavericks, possible. It was considered a mixed blessing at best. The reploids themselves held no particular gratitude for his contributions to their creation, while his work with the Maverick Hunters made the Mavericks actively hate him. Truthfully, his golden cage was as much to protect him as to imprison him.

None of that really touched on why Signas was never comfortable with Dr. Cain. The man was so… human. What he thought was important rarely coincided with what Signas thought was important. His quirks were to Signas what the sound of nails on a chalkboard is to humans. The term "boy", for example. Sure, Signas was young in absolute terms, but his programmed maturity level was relatively high. Maybe Dr. Cain persisted because, as progenitor of the reploids, he saw all reploids as his children. Or maybe he did it because he knew it irritated Signas. It was hard to tell.

"Zero has always concerned me," Signas said, refocusing on his task. "Doubly so after this past War. He seemed more aloof after his return, and more distant. I don't think the after-action reports captured everything that happened up there in space. There's more that wasn't said."

"Hm."

"I'm worried he may become a danger," Signas said with a hint of frustration. "I thought maybe you could help tell me how or why."

"Hm. Tell me: are you sure you don't want a psychologist to weigh in on this, rather than a roboticist?"

Signas snorted. "You're being deliberately unhelpful!"

"No, I'm merely telling you the limits of the help I can offer. If you want an assessment of Zero's fighting ability, well, that's one thing. But if you want me to explain what would make a robot change its loyalties… you have an unrealistic expectation. Frankly, we know very little about Zero."

Signas looked back over to the first screen. The old scientist wasn't on that screen. "It says here that Zero refused a functional analysis. That was you, wasn't it? You analyzed him when he was brought in?"

"It was me."

"And? I don't understand what the distinction is here."

"Looking at a robot's schematics is easy. We can map every joint, piston and circuit with no problems at all. That tells us less than you might think. You don't become a doctor just because you know anatomy, do you? No, you have to know processes: how things work, and why, and when. That's what a functional analysis is supposed to do. Sadly, Zero refused. Too bad. It would have been fascinating."

"How did he refuse?" Signas replied. "He was in your custody."

"Not my custody," Dr. Cain said delicately. "He was in Maverick Hunter custody. I am simply a scientist. Legalities aside, I took his refusal seriously. He saw it as an invasion of privacy, and I honored and agreed with this conviction."

"So now we have a potentially unstable reploid…"

"No! Not a reploid. He is no scion of mine. He is… different. The product of a different lineage."

Signas had been about to vent his anger at Dr. Cain, but the last comment caught his attention. "A different lineage?" he asked. "What lineage?"

"No one knows," Dr. Cain answered. "You saw the notes in the file. Some of his components are positively ancient-seeming- over a century old, in some cases, but of superb quality and workmanship. Others are modern-seeming, but it's deceptive. Although the technology is similar in function to ours, it's not the same. It's… rougher. Less refined. As if the creator had to come up with it as he went along."

At last, at long last, Dr. Cain was giving up useful information. Signas processed it quickly. "So, perhaps the creator was of limited resources? He didn't have access to the newest bits, so he had to compromise?"

"I think it's the reverse. I think the creator was a genius with many resources, who used the best technology of his time, and invented completely new technology when he needed to."

Anxiety crept over Signas. "That's a seriously smart human."

"I agree."

"But who… could that be?"

"Two names leap to my mind immediately. The first is Dr. Light—but no, he's not one of Dr. Light's creations. I have studied every bit of Megaman X, and even if I hadn't, his legacy lives on everywhere. I know his handiwork. No, Dr. Light had no hand in this."

"Then…"

"Doctor Wily."

"No!"

"I have no evidence," Dr. Cain said smoothly. "None. But it feels right. He had the genius. The timeframe is consistent with the older pieces in Zero's design. His style was different from Dr. Light's. He had need of soldier robots."

"But the report you sent me said he was dissimilar from anything on file. If he was one of Dr. Wily's, we'd be able to verify that against the old Robot Masters."

"No, everything of Dr. Wily's was suppressed after his eventual defeat."

"What? Why?" Signas said without thinking. His face changed immediately. "Of course. Copy-cats. What use would combat mechs of that potential be, except to someone else who wanted to seize power? Especially after the end of Megaman…"

"Exactly. So I have no basis for comparison. But it makes sense."

Signas shifted in his seat. Dr. Cain reached out. "Don't be hasty, Signas! Think of all the good Zero has done for us! Think of all the help he's been! Don't rush this."

"I don't mean to," Signas said evenly. "And I know he's been an exemplary Hunter. Still…"

"Still."

"Yes."

"Signas, keep this in mind about Zero. We know very little about his workings, yes, and next to nothing about his programming. But as near as I can tell, he has tremendous freedom. He's reploid-like in that regard. He can choose his course—and his choice has been to protect our world. Don't dismiss that."

"And I'll answer that," Signas said grimly, "with something you once told X. Nothing can guarantee that he won't ever change his mind."

"But isn't that true for you, too? I can say that about any human or reploid. That's why we judge only what people have done, not what they might do. To borrow a line, it's our actions, not our potentials, that tell others who we truly are. Anyway, if you're concerned about Zero, isn't he in the best place possible? Here in Maverick Hunter headquarters, surrounded by companions who know him well?"

Signas had to give Dr. Cain that point. It was, after all, the same situation the doctor himself was in. "You said you don't understand much about how Zero works. But didn't you repair him after the First Maverick War?"

"Ah, no. Not really. Zero's self-repair system is almost divine in its resilience. Only X's is in the same league, which is a big reason those two are so capable in battle. During the First War, Zero's power distribution system was damaged too badly for the self-repair system to be able to operate. His memory systems and processors were completely undamaged—he was lucid right up until he shut down. To repair him, it was as simple as gathering his components and giving his self-repair a new power source. He did the rest on his own. He remains a mystery."

"I don't like mysteries."

"Oh? You don't find them the slightest bit stimulating?"

"I do. But an electric stun gun is also a form of stimulation. That doesn't make it pleasant."

"At least that new reploid seems to have a stabilizing influence on Zero. She's good for him. Her name was… Iris, wasn't it? I think he fancies her. It can only be healthy for him to have someone like that around."

Signas had to cut off his first response. This had to be put delicately, not that he wanted to say it at all. "Dr. Cain… I suppose I was being vague earlier. I know not everything that happened in space made it to the after-action reports, because I redacted some of it."

"I'm getting old, Signas, please speak plainly."

Rich coming from you, thought Signas. "At the last, Iris joined the rebels. So Zero… killed her."

The color drained from Dr. Cain's face. "That's… oh, my. That's bad."

"I agree."

"That would shake up anyone, human or robot alike. You are giving him help and support, right?"

"I'm not negligent, X has been with him the whole time," Signas grumbled. "I also took the precaution of trying to find out more about him. Hence this conversation. It's been less useful than I'd hoped for."

Dr. Cain visibly hesitated. "There is something, maybe… Something I have observed outside my capacity as a scientist," he offered.

Signas gestured for Dr. Cain to go on.

"Zero seems to relish a fight, but he isn't content fighting for its own sake. When he was found, he fought because he didn't know what else to do. It was as if the circumstances of his awakening had left him with no programming, no purpose. He joined the Maverick Hunters because that gave him a reason to fight. So far, it makes sense to him. It makes him feel justified. Those who go Maverick get punished."

"I've noticed this," Signas said, although the additional background was data he hadn't had.

"Have you? Then surely you've thought about this, as well. We have nothing to fear from Zero so long as he's convinced that Mavericks are in the wrong. But if his sense of justice changes, he will throw himself behind his new cause, with all his fury and conviction."

Signas nodded slowly. "That's good to keep in mind."

"I'm sure a little leadership could help him in that regard."

Even a robot is only so patient. Signas killed the connection.

Phosphors danced on another screen. Alert black eyes watched them intently. They were going too fast for a human to comprehend, but the watcher was not human. Robots were ubiquitous these days, though it always seemed that this one was unusual, as if he lay somewhere between human and robot. He even sported brown hair; only the closest of inspections revealed it as artificial. His eternally youthful face was creased with a slight frown. He wasn't bothering to conceal his plain blue carapace. His forearms were oversized. Clearly, there was more to them than was visible. His rounded helmet sat on the desk to his side.

Megaman X, as always, had a lot on his mind.

The other robots in the Maverick Hunters whispered about it at times. No other robot spent as much time thinking as X did. It couldn't possibly be healthy. What was he thinking about, anyway? Some had asked him on occasion. Even after hearing the answer, they didn't really get it. X was always focused on "how"s and "why"s. It went far beyond what was necessary.

Perhaps it was more than a simple philosophical difference. X's construction was different, after all. All reploids might have been based on X, to some extent, but X was in a class of his own. He was the prototype of the truly thinking, independent robot. He seemed to take that ability seriously, whereas the reploids took it for granted. It set him apart. Only one other was truly close to him. Only one other seemed to understand.

It wasn't intentional. He wasn't standoff-ish, he thought. He wasn't unfriendly. He was polite with others, and they were polite with him. But the other Maverick Hunters were not his friends.

Maybe they were afraid. X was gentle by nature. He also carried weapons and defenses of unprecedented potency. Even one hundred years after his construction he was still a top-tier fighter. Yet he insisted that his creator had not meant for him to be a warrior. The assertion puzzled robot and human alike. It seemed so obvious to them that he was. No, he replied. He just needed to be able to win if he ever did choose to fight.

So his loneliness might have been due to his personality, or maybe his construction, or maybe his power. No one knew. Regardless, he stood his silent vigil alone, thinking thoughts that seemed important only to him.

"Look who's working during his off-duty time."

X started at the interruption. He'd been so absorbed in the problem at hand he'd relegated situational awareness to a third order priority. Bringing his senses back to the fore took a moment. He turned. "Zero," he said with only mild surprise.

Zero was bigger than X. Although he, too, had a humanoid build and human-like face, they were not as closely imitative as with X. Zero's red-and-white body was more obviously armed and armored. The hilt of a weapon rested atop each of his shoulders at a steep angle. His face was engineered to make him appear older and sterner. His neutral expression was one of arrogant aloofness. For all of that, X considered him a friend. They were outsiders, he and Zero, and that gave them a natural bond. Fighting side-by-side in three wars and countless skirmishes had only strengthened that bond.

The taller robot gave X a quizzical look. "There's a question that's been bugging me."

"Yes?"

"Do you have a sense of humor?"

X blinked in surprise. "I suppose so. I guess I haven't exercised it much. Why?"

"Just curious. You're always so serious, so business-like. Even now you're at it again. So what is it this time?" He strode past X and leaned in to peer at his screen. "After-action reports on Maverick hunts?" he said skeptically. "Analysis of Maverick targeting patterns? And profiling of Maverick, Doppler, and Repliforce propaganda efforts?" Zero shook his head. "What do you hope to get out of this?"

X shifted uncomfortably. He hated these sorts of questions—hated how he always needed to prove himself to others. "Usually you give me the benefit of the doubt, Zero."

Zero snorted. "Usually I can at least guess where you're headed."

"It's the same project as always," X said. "What makes some reploids go Maverick and others not? What could drive an intelligent robot so crazy that it wants to kill humans? And how can enough robots feel that way that we get mass rebellion out of it?"

A short laugh came from Zero. "You might as well ask why humans kill each other. It seems to be in their nature."

X shook his head doggedly. "I thought I was on to something this time. Didn't you ever think it was odd that when some reploids went Maverick, they immediately started destroying whatever was in reach, while others had Maverick intentions for a long time before revealing themselves?"

Zero nodded. "I noticed."

"Maybe, I thought, it was related to what Doctor Doppler told us. Remember when he told us about Sigma, the most Maverick of Mavericks? Sigma had the ability to possess other machines, like a virus. What if there was a virus that made reploids go Maverick? That would explain the differences in behavior."

"I suppose so." Zero waved his hand. "And?"

X grit his robotic teeth together. "I couldn't piece together a pattern. If there is a virus, why wouldn't Sigma be spreading it as widely as possible? As far as I can tell Doctor Doppler was the only robot afflicted during the Third War, and there was no evidence of virus activity in the Fourth War at all. The Fourth War was…" X trailed off as he saw Zero stiffen. "…not virus-related," he finished lamely.

Zero changed the subject quickly. "I remember. When they tried to control me, it was with hardware, not software. If there was a Maverick virus, they could have used that on me instead."

"So it's back to the drawing board," X said. "As far as I can tell, Doctor Doppler is the only reploid that went Maverick against his will. Every other one chose to rebel and harm humans as a matter of preference."

"So what? I don't care why a reploid goes Maverick. If he steps out of line, I'll cut him down."

X grimaced. "I'd rather reduce the number of reploids I have to cut down, if I could."

For not the first time, X watched a dark aspect come over Zero's face. It had been showing up more and more frequently with each Maverick War. Zero was smiling, but there was nothing humorous about it. "Well, it keeps us busy."

"Weren't you just chewing me out for working while off-duty?" X said with a weak smile.

The shadow vanished from Zero's face. He appraised X for a moment. "Work on the whole joke thing," he said. "You're not good at it yet."

"I'll try."

"You'll probably have the opportunity. Since the Fourth War, there's been a real drop-off in Maverick activity. Either they're finally getting the message, or they're lying low for now."

"Or they're looking for a new leader. We've beaten Sigma four times now, and he's always had a pretty extreme agenda. Maybe there are plenty of reploids out there who would go Maverick, just not for him."

The prospect seemed to surprise Zero. "I knew we kept you around for something. Either way, we've got some time to ourselves."

Zero said it as if it should be a good thing, but there was no enjoyment on his face. As he had before, X considered that an idle Zero was probably not a healthy Zero. "Hey, Zero?"

The taller robot had turned to leave, but X's words stalled him. "Yeah, X?"

X had thought he knew what to say, but words failed him as he opened his mouth. He selected a generic fall-back. "I worry about you, you know?"

Zero laughed. "Why?"

Because fighting and killing and, in your case, dying for a while would shake anybody up. Because in the last war you killed someone you cared deeply for and there's no possible way you've gotten over it. Because you're the person in this world I trust the most and care about most and every day you seem less stable.

But he couldn't say that—couldn't say any of it. What would Zero think? Would he dismiss it as more of X over-thinking things? Would he be disappointed that X thought so little of him? And if Zero was having problems, wouldn't so bald an approach drive the friends to immediate rupture? X valued Zero's company too highly to do anything that might endanger their relationship. So he allowed doubt to paralyze him. He permitted his second guesses to seize his tongue.

All he said was, "I'm here for you. You know, if you need help with anything."

Zero laughed. "I know. I know. That's what I like about you." He raised his hand. "See you soon, okay?"

X tried to look at the data again, but his robotic heart wasn't in it. The data made no sense to him. They were just a tangled jumble, like inedible spaghetti. Correlations and inferences eluded him. Maybe Zero was right, this time. Maybe he needed to stop for a while, other than just to recharge.

Reluctantly, X stepped back from the console. Surely he could at least hold a decent conversation with other Maverick Hunters. And he knew where to find them.

The Three Laws of Robotics. First, a robot shall not harm a human being or, by inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. Second, a robot shall obey the orders of a human being, unless this would violate the First Law. Third, a robot shall preserve its own existence, except where this would violate the First or Second Laws.

With a few exceptions, every robot since the beginning of the Robot Age had been built to obey the Three Laws. They were an embedded part of the robot brain. Every robot had circuitry built-in to ensure compliance, a feature known as "logic gates" or "Three Laws gates". No robot could act on its decisions unless those decisions could pass muster with its Three Laws gates.

For generations this mechanism served the world well, and allowed humans and robots to live side-by-side with some measure of decency. Reploids changed everything. Reploids were the next generation of robots. Their design incorporated features copied from Megaman X—most importantly, true free will. It was only discovered later that free will was strong enough to override the logic gates. Suddenly, reploids could become violent. They could turn on humans. And upon further consideration, some of them decided they didn't like doing whatever the humans told them to do.

So the first Mavericks came to be—reploids that had overridden their Three Laws gates.

Humanity, for its part, was not content to let its carefully-built order disintegrate. The Three Laws became actual laws, rather than just programming and circuitry. The Maverick Hunters were established, staffed mostly by loyal reploids. And small groups of humans took matters into their own hands and bought anti-reploid weaponry.

Four wars ensued. Each was initiated by Mavericks, each cost many human and reploid lives, and each was ended through Maverick Hunter heroism, mostly on the parts of Megaman X and Zero. For all their violence, the wars resolved nothing. Reploids still went Maverick and initiated violence. Humans—and the Hunters who protected them in the name of peace—took more extreme actions to suppress the Mavericks. This heavy-handedness sent more reploids into the Maverick camp. Humans and reploids alike lost faith in the government's ability to manage the situation. Soon even the dimmest robots could sense the situation couldn't last.

Only one thing held the situation together: the Maverick Hunters. The humans relied on them. The reploids respected them. The Mavericks feared them. So long as they stood united, humans and reploids could live, however uncomfortably, on the same planet.

There was no more natural target.

Next time: Overture