Chapter 1: The Artifact
Taking place on the surface of Mars, two Reploids are cruising an area as if they're on patrol, which they are, since they are Maverick Hunters.
"No signs hostile activity as far as I can see, Cowboy," said one Reploid to the other.
The other Reploid, obviously named Cowboy, replied, "Well, no surprise there, Shotgun. After the incident with Wily and the Dark Virus, there haven't been many Reploid rebellions as of late."
"Yeah, but you can never be too careful," said Shotgun. "For now, let's just keep on our patrol."
After a while of more patrolling, the two Hunters seemed like they were done.
"Well, it's official," said Shotgun. "No Maverick activity around this area."
"Let's just head back," replied Cowboy. "I'm ready for a nice, cold drink. What do you say?"
"Sounds good to..." Shotgun began to say before he stepped on a part of the ground that cracked and gave way beneath his feet, and dropping him down a hole. He cried out as he fell before landing with a thud.
"Shotgun," yelled Cowboy. "Shotgun, are you all right?"
"Yeah, I think so," came Shotgun's voice.
Cowboy then asked, "Can you climb out, or do you need me to get you?"
"No, I think I can..." Shotgun started to say before he was interrupted by something that caught his attention. "Hey, Cowboy, you gotta' see this! Come down here, man!"
"What is it," asked Cowboy.
Shotgun said, "Just come down here!"
Cowboy sighed and then jumped down the hole that was created by Shotgun. As he landed, he then began to say, "Alright, Shotgun, just what is so..." before he saw Shotgun and then saw what he was looking at, then said, "Fascinating?"
The two Reploids saw a rather large object that was glowing green. It looked like a hexagon with numerous characters on it that looked alien. The two Hunters stared at it with nothing to say for a while.
"I wonder what it is," asked Shotgun to break the silence. "I've never seen something like that before. Maybe we should bring it back to HQ on Earth to see what can be said about it."
"I'd agree with you," replied Cowboy. "But somehow, that green glow doesn't exactly sit well with me. It could be radioactive or something. Let's leave it alone."
"Radioactive, huh," said Shotgun. "Well, there's only one way to find out."
Shotgun began to walk towards the object.
"Shotgun," Cowboy called out. "What are you doing?"
Shotgun said, "I"m just going to check if it's dangerous, that's all."
As Shotgun got to the object, he then began to place his hand on it.
"Shotgun, no," yelled Cowboy.
Shotgun touched the object, but after a while, nothing happened.
Shotgun then looked back at Cowboy and said, "Guess it's safe after all."
Cowboy just breathed a sight of relief, and said, "Don't scare me like that again."
Shotgun just laughed then said, "Come on, let's bring with us, so we can get it back to the Earth HQ. Dr. Doppler and Gate might know what to do with it."
"Right," Cowboy replied before he rushed over to help Shotgun to move the object.
After a bit of time passed, we're taken to the Earth Maverick Hunter HQ.
In the lab, Dr. Doppler and Gate are examining the object while being watched by the other Hunters with Signas in front.
"So," said Signas. "Can you two make heads or tails of it?"
"Not on my end," said Gate. "I"ve never seen characters like these before. My database has nothing on them."
"Same here," said Doppler. "It does seem to be some form of technology that seems on par with ours."
"Interesting," said Signas.
X then said, "If it came stump even their brilliant minds, then what are we dealing with here?"
"I don't know," said Signas. "But we might want to leave them alone to do their job. Hopefully, they'll have more info for us if we don't worry about it."
"Good idea," replied Gate. "We'll try to have some new development when you return."
"Very well, then," said Signas. "We'll leave you two alone, then. Hunters, the rest of you are dismissed."
After that, the Hunters left the lab.
Meanwhile, X, Zero and Axl were walking together down the hallway.
Zero then said, "So, do you two want to go for a drink?"
Axl replied, "Yeah, that sounds pretty good, right now."
Just then, X sees Alia give him a cute smile and wave, and he says, "Sorry, but... duty calls. Later, you two."
After that, X walks runs towards Alia, and when he gets to her, the two walk together.
Zero and Axl come to a stop to watch the two lovers walk off with a smile.
"More like booty calls," said Axl jokingly.
"Yeah," replied Zero. "Those two definitely go at it like a couple of minks. You know, I might just find Layer sometime, so I can have some fun with her."
Axl then said, "I figured with how much Layer loves you, you and her would be all over each other a little more like X and Alia."
"Layer's still coming out of her shell," said Zero. "But she's definitely a lot more fun-loving these days."
"That's good to know," said Axl. "So, should we find Blues and Bass, and offer them to come with us?"
"Sure," replied Zero. "Let's invite them for a drink."
Axl then said, "Well, let's go then."
After that, Axl and Zero continued to walk.
In Alia's room, X and Alia are on the bed and down to their underwear, with X in his classic, black boxer-briefs and Alia in her white, silk bra and thong panties. The two of them are in each others embrace as they kiss passionately. X occasionally strokes Alia's exposed butt, which makes her giggle into X's mouth as the two kiss.
The two stop kissing to look at one another lovingly and X says, "You never stop being incredible, Alia. Being with you is always like a dream."
"I'm nowhere near as incredible as you, X," said Alia. "But thanks. I'm glad you can think of me as special when you're really the special one."
X smirked and said, "I'm only special because of what I can do in battle. That's not as special as you are to me."
"Come on, X, you know you're more special than that," said Alia. "I can't begin to count the ways you've helped this world other than just being a warrior. You're the most special person in the world, X."
"Maybe," said X. "But it's nothing if I don't have you with me. That's why you're so special to me, Alia."
"Oh, X," said Alia.
"Alia," replied X.
The two then went back to kissing each other, and this time, more fiercely than before.
Just then, in the lab, the hexagonal artifact begins to glow brighter.
Suddenly, back in Alia's room, while they're kissing one another, a glow starts to appear on the lower backs of X and Alia.
After a while, the two break their kiss as they each feel great pain in their lower back.
"Uh, what's going on," asked Alia out of pain.
"I don't know," X replied, also in pain. "But if we're both feeling it, it can't be good!"
Alia said out loud, "It hurts! Make it stop!"
After a while of feeling pain, it stopped.
In the lab, the artifact glowed normally.
Back in Alia's room, X and Alia were breathing heavily and kind of sweating from the pain that they just experienced.
"Alia," said X. "Are you okay?"
"I don't know," said Alia. "X check my lower back. I think want to know if it's damaged in anyway."
Alia turned around to show X her lower back, and as X looked at it, he saw there was a symbol there surrounded by characters similar to that on the artifact.
"Alia, you've..." X began to say. "You have a symbol on your back."
"Really," asked a worried Alia. "What kind of symbol is it?"
X shook his head and said, "I don't know. I've never seen it before."
Alia just got more worried, and said, "X, let me check your back. You were in pain to, so you might have something on yours."
"Sure," said X, as he then turned to show Alia his lower back.
When Alia saw X's back, he too had a symbol on it surrounded by characters found on the artifact. Only difference was his symbol looked different.
"You've got a symbol, as well," said Alia.
This worried X as he asked, "How did this happen to us, and what do we do?"
X and Alia just look at each other with concerned looks.
Meanwhile, coming towards Earth was a large craft that was colored beige and had a symbol which looked like robots head, which was colored purple. The craft looked as it was about to make landing on the planet.
To Be Concluded in Chapter 2.