Memories of the Past
A Mega Man X Fan-Fiction
By Hoenn Master
Disclaimer: I do not in any way own the Mega Man X series; if I did, many things would likely have been different.
"Professor, are you sure this is wise? She was a Maverick, after all."
"I am very sure, Marcus. Her D.N.A. and Biological Metals are untainted by the Virus, despite all the time she was exposed to it."
Voices...?
"But still, professor; she was classified as a Maverick by the Hunters almost three quarters of a century ago; it's too dangerous."
Who are they talking about…? Who am I?
"You're a good assistant, Marcus, but in this case, I know this is the right thing to do. At long last, I can begin Lionheart properly; my life dream is within my grasp at last!"
"Don't you hear what I'm saying?! Lionheart is just a dream; he's too dangerous to attempt in reality!"
Young, ice blue eyes opened a fraction, taking in a distorted room though some sort of comfortably warm fluid in a clear container, taking in the sight of two men arguing. "Where am I? Who is Lionheart…?"
The two men in white laboratory coats stopped arguing abruptly. The older, a man with greying stubble and a full head of black hair with grey streaks combed back smiled as he looked at the child in the stasis chamber. This was his greatest creation; his magnum opus! The one project which would seal his name in scientific history as the first robotics engineer to successfully make a reploid who was at long last fully immune to the Zero Virus! "You see, Marcus? I have done it! After twenty years of research and experimentation, I, Doctor Alexander Iscariot, have at long last unlocked the secret to true immunity to the Zero Virus!"
The young being within the chamber blinked his large eyes, his systems immediately running diagnostics and giving him reports, nearly overwhelming him with the realization that he had spoken. "What… Where am I? Who am I? What…?"
As the reploid began to speak, the professor grinned and lightly tapped a button on a remote, causing the young being to be overtaken by sleep. "Marcus, you will tell no one of this project until it is completed, do you understand me?"
The younger man, who had been in shock at the reploid's sudden interjection, came to. "But… How? I know reploids have biological material, but… Actually applying human genetic theories and facts to that material..."
Alexander chuckled as the reploid faded into full stasis. "Because, Marcus. I believe the time has come for us to repay some of the debt we mere humans owe to both Maverick Hunters X and Zero."
The ice blue eyes again opened to the sound of a voice; there was only one this time. The scenery had changed since he'd fallen back into slumber; instead of being surrounded by liquid, he was on a work table, looking up into a bright light as the professor worked on what his systems said was his chest, though he wasn't entirely sure what that was. "… Huh?"
The professor grinned as his work began to blink and look around. "Who are you?"
"I? I am the man who made you. My name is Doctor Alexander."
"Doctor Alexander?"
The grey haired man chuckled. "Yes."
"Who am I, then, doctor?"
"Ah," the older man answered, sitting down after turning down the lights enough for his creation to see comfortably. "You are Lionheart, after an ancient king who fought with great bravery."
"I… See."
This time the laugh was more pronounced. "You'll learn what I mean in time."
"Why am I here? Why make me?"
"That is a question I have been asked many times by those with far less innocent intentions than yours. Nevertheless, the reason is this: the world is a cruel and dangerous place, filled with a dreadful plague. For over a hundred years, man, machine, and those who blur the line between the two have fought against it. You, however, are immune to this disease, just as your father is now."
"My… Father?"
"Yes. He is the one who contributed half of his genetic information to my project, however unknowingly. His name is Zero."
"Zero…? Father…?"
The scientist, deciding the break in his work had run its course, reached out and again sent the young reploid into a slumber, sighing. "Sleep well, Lionheart; you may very well be the last hope of returning Zero to the man he once was…"
A deep breath.
Two.
Alexander smiled as Lionheart instinctively moved his hands to wipe his eyes as his start up routines kicked in, irrespective of the systems telling him it was a pointless action. "Good morning, Lionheart."
"Hmm? Doctor Alexander?"
"It is I, Lionheart. I decided to awaken you from stasis so I might talk to you. You're nearly completed, now."
The reploid looked down at himself, examining the silver armor coverings with red trim protecting his synthetic flesh, as well as detecting an energy cannon conversion function in both of his arms. "Doctor, will I have to fight? I have weapons systems installed."
The grey haired man chuckled. "Well, considering whose genetic information provided your creation… Let's just say it's insurance that you'll be able to take care of yourself. Yes, you'll more than likely have to fight. Just remember to apply and live by the ten laws I've implanted within you, though, and you'll never find yourself on the morally wrong side.
The young reploid nodded, immediately reviewing the information stored in his memory files to ensure it was there in its entirety. "I understand, Doctor. I do not intend to stray from the path these laws illustrate for me."
The man smiled again and nodded. "Excellent, Lionheart. But knowledge can take you only so far; I want you to learn and grow into the power you can potentially wield. I have no doubt that you will accomplish that goal. You are an intelligent reploid; you take after your mother in that regard, though Zero is no fool, either."
"Mother?"
"Yes. There are two reploids who make up part of your Biological Metals and D.N.A. One of them is your father, Zero. The other was a member of a group which called itself the Repliforce. She was one of their top members, and she was also the personal Special Operator for Zero for quite some time. The details have been lost to history, however, and I have no knowledge apart from the fact that for some reason she joined in an attack by the Repliforce and Zero was forced to kill her. All accounts state that before that time she and Zero were deeply in love. This happened almost seventy-five years ago, now."
"… Doctor?"
"Yes, Lionheart?"
The reploid paused, searching for words. "If this was so long ago, why is it that I am only now coming into being?"
The professor tilted back his head and laughed. "Because, my boy, if you were created at any other time, then the Zero Virus would almost certainly have claimed your mind and killed you. However, that will not happen to you now. I have worked for almost three decades upon the problem of the virus, and I believe I may have solved it with you. While I still cannot sure the Virus, I believe I might usher in a new generation of reploids which are resistant to the disease. It was attempted by a scientist rival of mine a few years ago. In fact, not long after I began building you in secret. However, he was an arrogant fool, claiming them to be incapable of going Maverick. Mavericks existed before the Virus, but those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it. They all became Mavericks, and Zero, X, and Axl, who are two comrades of your father's, killed them all."
Lionheart blinked, confusion marring his features. "What makes me different than them, Doctor?"
Alexander grinned victoriously. "That exact question is what makes you different, my creation; you, unlike the others, know how to be humble. Though you are immune, you are able to understand that you aren't superior, merely different. It is why I have been going to the trouble of writing moral training for you while you've been in stasis."
Lionheart blinked as his systems struggled to process the information. The volume of information was far greater than he was used to, and he was quickly overwhelmed by it all. Seeing his distress, the Doctor quickly put him back under, allowing the subsystems to help handle the processing more efficiently. He sighed as the reploid began running system checks, automatically forming his arms into busters and back into hands periodically. "You're a unique individual, Lionheart. I can only hope you choose to be like X, and not become what Sigma once was."
The next time Lionheart awoke, it was not to the Doctor he had become used to, but to a strange man. "Hello? I don't believe we've met."
The man jumped, dropping a box of tools onto his foot, causing him to yelp with pain. "Ack! You there, reploid, I need some help!"
Lionheart blinked at the panicked tone of the man's voice and the dirty laboratory coat he wore. "I'll help, but what is going on?"
The man pulled the new-built off of his worktable and thrust a heavy box of miscellaneous objects into his arms, causing the reploid to nearly lose his balance. "The Largano Laboratory is under attack!" As if to illustrate his point, the entire ceiling shook, this time causing the inexperienced being to really stumble and drop the box to the floor.
The scientist, however, merely made a dismissive noise and started hauling everything he could into a briefcase. "Figures; Alexander never could let a project he wanted die unless he had to…"
Lionheart perked up at the mention of the name of the Doctor. "You know the Doctor?"
"Heh, knew him. He was killed about an hour ago when almost all of the reploids in here went Maverick. Glad you aren't, though. Of course, you've been sealed in here, so there's no way you could be…"
This information was more than the young being was prepared for, and he nearly stopped to let his systems properly assess the situation. However, a sharp jolt from the worker behind him kept him going, and the two made their way to the nearest emergency exit, passing the corpses of both reploid and human alike as they made their way out.
There were many patrols throughout the building, and they were forced to stop frequently in order to let them pass by. They seemed to be on a clearing mission, though the artificial intelligence the Mechaniloids were using seemed to be fairly basic and easy to dodge.
Just as they were passing through to the final floor, and the patrols became lightest, the ceiling creaked ominously, and the supports began to buckle for a moment, when all suddenly became still again. For a moment, neither the confused and panicked reploid, nor the nameless individual spoke or even moved. After a few seconds of stillness, the man motioned forward, and they left the building at its lowest floor. Black clouds were gathering overhead, and a fierce storm would soon be upon them. With nary a word, both of them clambered onto an emergency escape ship, and took off, leaving behind a swarm of enemies, and a Hellish sight of a destroyed island.
Lionheart in that moment felt as if nothing made sense any longer. He assumed that his more advanced cognitive abilities were part of the training the Doctor had mentioned, as he had quickly lost his imbalance and general clumsiness back in the laboratory. He flexed his crimson gloves and looked down into the churning water below, deep in thought. When at last, he could restrain himself no longer, he did what all young children do in situations like this one; he began to cry. His emotions were stretched to the very limits of his current capacity to handle, and he made that fact known by the only means his systems could at the current time. His companion simply ignored the young reploid's plight as he piloted the craft, muttering about leaving him with either the Maverick Hunters or the military; whichever he could get a hold of first.
A.N.:
This is a short story I couldn't get out of my head; this will more than likely not be updated often, so please be prepared for that.
In other news, I need a good Mega Man X beta reader. I may be good with physics, but master of writing Mega Man I am not. If anyone wishes to aid me, please, message me.
Signed: Hoenn Master, forever a patriot.