CHAPTER 7

THE THINGS ONE DOES FOR LOVE

Professor Smith had been locked in his lab for two days. At first, Iris thought that he had just been keeping to himself, but as the time went by she started to wonder. Roll and Mega Man were also nowhere in sight, either.

"Have you seen the professor?" she asked Darren as he came back from his work shift.

"No," Darren replied. "I think he's working on the robots."

"The robots?" Iris asked. "For two days straight?"

"Making a Reploid takes a lot of work," Darren said with a shrug. "I've seen books on the subject, and they're huge."

"Hmm..." Iris answered, scratching her chin. If Smith had been in his lab for that long, he might be getting hungry. She didn't have to eat so much herself, but she knew that humans could collapse from lack of food. "I think I'll take him something to eat," she finally decided. "He could probably use a snack."

"That's a good idea," Darren replied with a smile. "I'm sure he'd like that."

Iris quickly dashed up to the staff lunchroom and raided the cabinets. In just a few moments she was backtracking to Smith's lab with a tasty-looking turkey sandwich, a bright red apple and a can of soda from the vending machine. "Maybe I'll get to see how the work's coming along, too," she thought out loud as she knocked on the door.

"Come on in!" Professor Smith's voice came from the other side.

"Hello, professor! I brought you some-" Iris started as she opened the door, but her words died as soon as she got a good look at the lab. Horrible, disgusting-looking masses floated around in jars on the desk. Huge vats of skin-colored goo bubbled on a stovetop. Piles of bone-like rods lay next to the jars. A large wad of yellow hair lay fallen about a metallic skull nearby. Professor Smith stood in front of a huge capsule filled with green liquid, a spindly, wirey figure floating inside. His eyes were baggy and his stubble was even longer than usual. His latex-gloved hands were coated with shiny, crimson blood. Two other capsules stood in the corner, also containing occupants. An ungodly stench filled the entire area. It was like something from a horror movie.

Smith looked over at Iris and gave her an energetic grin. "Hey, Iris!" he exclaimed. "What can I help you with?"

"Uh..." was all Iris could muster, holding out the plate. "I... uh... you... lunch."

"Lunch?" Smith asked, walking over and peeling off the bloody gloves. "Aww, geez! I haven't eaten for hours! Thanks a bunch, Iris."

Iris blinked a few times, still taking in the gruesome sight. "P... Professor... What..." she stammered. "What's going on in here?!"

Smith looked around. "This? I'm just getting ready to build a Reploid body for Roll," he explained. "I already got Bass's and Mega Man's finished; they're in the tubes solidifying."

"Roll?" Iris asked. "Where is she just now?"

Smith motioned to the capsule. "What's left of her body is in there," he said. "I downloaded her consciousness into my lab computer for now."

Iris eyed the icky contents. "All this... goes into making a Reploid?!" she asked.

"Yeah!..." Smith replied. "Well, modifying a robot into a Reploid anyway. I have to insert all the stuff that a Reploid has, such as blood flow regulation, neural pathways..." he motioned to the gross things in the jars. "Digestive systems... It's all one big biology lesson!"

"Err... I see..." Iris answered. "...What's that smell? Have you showered lately?"

Smith chuckled. "Oh, that's not me. That's the colon I'm growing."

Iris looked around again, starting to feel her breakfast surge inside of her. "Um... I think I'll leave you to your work..." she said, putting the food on the desk and backing away.

"OK," Smith replied. "I should be done with Roll by tonight. Come back then; you'll be amazed at how all this stuff works!"

Iris quickly closed the lab door and walked away. "Oh..." she groaned, clutching her stomach. "Now I know why I don't want to study science..."


Sharon's eye twitched crossly. "Arrgh, this blows!" she growled, slamming her fist on the desk and glaring at the iMarc. "That's the last time I play online chess!"

"I keep telling you," X repeated from his chair nearby. "You're too fast. You need to calm down and think your moves through. Also-"

X noticed that Sharon was glaring at him and took the hint. "Err... I'll leave you to your venting," he muttered, getting up and leaving the room.

Sharon swore again and shook her fist at the monitor. "Stupid computer!" she growled, giving the hard drive a swift kick.

Immediately the screen turned to black, save for two white, glowing, upside-down triangles. "Might I ask that you refrain from doing that," a deep voice said.

Sharon screamed and fell out of her chair, then regained her senses. "Oh... Mr. Colonel!" she replied, standing up and saluting. "Sorry 'bout that!"

The eyes flickered. "You may dispense with the pleasantries, madam," he sighed. "A colonel without an army is not really a colonel..."

"Err... right," Sharon answered, a bit nervous about how the white eyes eerily stared right through her.

The two figures were silent a moment more. "...How is Iris?" Colonel finally asked.

"Iris?" Sharon asked. "Oh, she's fine... Real fine. She, uh, she likes it here."

At this moment, Iris happened to be walking along outside the door and leaned against the wall to regain control over her stomach. As she heard their voices, she grew curious and decided to listen in.

The computer gave a weary sigh. "That is good..." he answered. "I was worried at first, because I could not be there to protect her... but the professor seems very capable."

"Well, uh, I'll pass that along," Sharon answered with a miffed twinge; what were Darren and she, chopped liver? She tries to shake it off and keep a friendly rapport. "So, uh... What's it like in there?" she asked.

The eyes hesitated. "It is interesting," Colonel replied. "Locked in this computer without a body, one might think me a prisoner... but the professor was very kind in establishing network connection. I have freely wandered the entire museum network and learned many things..." he paused. "For example, the director takes two hundred dollars from the professor's paychecks each month for something called 'aggravation charges.'"

"Really?" Sharon asked. "Well... He wouldn't be happy to hear that."

"In this computer, I have become what most beings only dream of... an immortal," Colonel said. "I will live forever inside here."

"Well, unless someone hits the 'delete' key, anyway," she replied.

The eyes were silent. "OK, OK, that was a crummy joke," Sharon apologized.

"No, not that..." Colonel answered. "I was just thinking... What good is being immortal like this? I live in a world I can never touch... I cannot stroll through a park, nor can I take in a sunrise... I cannot be close to my sister as I have been in the past..."

Sharon gave the computer a sad look. "Yeah... That is kind of a bummer," she agreed.

"...Quite," Colonel replied quietly.

Iris sighed. She had leaned against the wall to calm over her guts, but listening to Colonel's lamentations had only made her feel worse.

"...Brother..." she whispered.


A few hours later, Iris returned to Smith's lab door and knocked. It opened and Smith peeked out. He looked about the same as when she had been there earlier, except now his stubble had traces of bread crumbs in it. "Oh, hi, Iris," he said. "Did you come to see the finished product? I'm almost done!"

"Well, um, OK..." Iris said, wincing at her memory of what she had seen before.

Smith moved away and Iris stepped in and gasped. Through some miracle, all of the nauseating jars and vats had vanished and only shiny, spotless desks and tools remained. The capsule Smith had been working on contained something bigger than before.

"Did you...?" Iris asked.

Smith grinned. "Take a look," he replied.

Iris walked to the capsule and looked up. In the bubbly, green water floated the body of a girl. She looked to be about sixteen or seventeen, with long, luxurious golden hair. Despite her body's proportions, she could still be recognized as Roll.

"Wow..." Iris managed. "Roll's new body...?"

"Yeah," Smith replied. "I discussed it with her earlier, and she said that she'd like to look a bit older."

"So, she's all ready to be reactivated?" she asked. "What about Mega Man, or that Bass person?"

"Yeah," Smith answered. "Charlie, erm, Professor Olson should be bringing clothes for them any minute now." He frowned. "I think we'd better keep Bass under close watch for a while. No telling what he'll do now that he has a new logic chip."

"I see..." Iris said, staring at the ground. Now seemed as good a time as any to pop her question. "Professor, about these techniques... Making Reploids and such..."

Smith glanced at her. "Yeah? What is it?" he asked.

"Well..." she hesitated. "Could you use them to make my brother his own body?"

Smith's smile faded. He had converted robots into Reploids several times, but he had never built one from scratch, especially one designed for a pre-made Reploid; he wasn't sure if he could pull it off. "Oh... I don't know, Iris..." he said. "I know I promised to get him one... but now that I'm looking at it, it's more complicated than I thought..."

Iris blinked a few times. "What? Why?" she asked.

"Well..." Smith went on, scratching the back of his head. "First of all, with Roll I used her body and just attached everything to it; I'd have to build the whole body, skeleton and all, which I've never done before. Secondly, if the body isn't made with Colonel's DNA, I don't know if his control chip would interface correctly with it... I might end up doing more harm than good." He paused and stared at Roll for a moment. "Besides... Even if we did still have a sample, DNA resurrection has been outlawed for years... I wouldn't want to do anything illegal..."

Iris sighed and turned away. "I see..." she said quietly.

Smith frowned and stared at Iris. He hated to anyone get upset, let alone someone he'd brought back into the world. "...I didn't say I wouldn't try," he said.

Iris looked up at him. "You will?" she asked, cracking a small smile.

"As soon as Olson gets here with the clothes and we wheel these capsules out of here, I'll start," Smith replied, knocking a few crumbs from his chin. "Well... maybe I'll take a shower, first..."

Iris was overjoyed; she could barely contain herself. "T-Thank you, professor!" she managed. "Here, I'll help move the capsules..."

Iris and Smith got on either side of Roll's capsule and started moving it towards the door. Fortunately, its wheels took most of the weight off of them.

They pushed it out the door just as Olson appeared with three bundles of clothing. "OK, the clothes are all ready!" he announced.

"Great," Smith replied. "Take them to the medical room."


"Well... in hindsight, I suppose moving a naked girl in a tube through a hallway during museum hours was a bad idea..." Iris muttered as she sat in the medical room with Darren and X. The new Reploids had been taken out of their capsules, clothed and now rested on cots, their hibernation not quite finished.

"Yeah," Darren agreed. "Although, it was funny when you rounded that corner and ran into those Catholic elementary students on that field trip."

"At least everything worked out all right," X noted. "The professor's taking most of the heat, as usual."

"I know..." Iris sighed. "He's always looking out for us... I hope he didn't get in too much trouble."

Suddenly, Roll gave a soft moan. "Hey! She's waking up," Darren said as he walked over to the cot.

Roll's eyes fluttered open and she looked around. "Oh..." she said. "...Hello."

"Good to see you again," X chuckled. "The professor's all finished."

"He is?" Roll asked, sitting up and looking herself over. Her outfit was the same as when Smith had put her under, but she felt a totally different sensation from the fabric. "I... I'm a Reploid now?"

"Bass, your brother AND you," Iris said. "Congratulations!"

X helped her off the cot and she stood barefoot on the linoleum floor. "So... This is...?" she started as she took a step. Suddenly, she wobbled, tripped and crashed down on top of Darren. He was so surprised that he toppled backwards and knocked Iris to the ground as well.

"Ooogh..." he groaned. "Guess you'll need to get used to that..."

Roll got off of Darren, looked behind her and gasped; unlike before, her legs were thin and graceful, like a human's. "I... I have human legs?..." she asked.

"Well, lookalikes, anyway," X replied. "It'll take a while for you to get used to them."

Roll got back on her feet and wobbled forward again. "Is there something wrong?" she asked, clutching at her chest. "That's odd, feels like I got something heavy stuck to my..." She looked down and her eyes widened. "Ahh?! I've got-" she started.

"Uh, Iris, you'd better field that one," Darren muttered, his cheeks turning pink.

"Ughhh..." Mega Man groaned from his cot. "What's for breakfast?..."

"Ah, good, you're up," X said. "Roll just came around, too."

Mega Man got up and edged himself off of the cot. He took a few steps and toppled over just as Roll had. "Hey! My legs are skinny!" he exclaimed.

X sighed. "This is going to take a while..." he grumbled.

"Well, we'd better go talk to Peabody," Darren noted. "Looke like he'll be needing to hire some more hands... and we'll have to get them an apartment, I guess..."

"HEY!" a yell came from the other cot. Everyone whirled around to see Bass awake and struggling against the straps on his cot. "What's this?! Let me go, right now!" he snarled.

"Easy, Bass," Darren warned. "Don't push yourself; you just had an operation."

Bass gave him an angry look. "Operation?!" he asked. "What's going on?! Are you going to send me back to Wily? No way I'm going back to him!"

"Wily...?" Iris asked. "Oh, right! Smith had to erase part of his memory..."

"I guess we'd better explain things to him," X said. "Or rather, Zero should probably explain it."

"Zero?" Darren asked. "Why Zero?"

"Zero was made by Wily, too," X replied. "They're siblings, like Rock and me. Besides, if Bass gets out of control, Zero can deal with him without a problem."

"Hmm... Good point," Iris agreed. "OK, I'll go and get him." She turned and walked out of the room.

"Hey, who was that hottie?" Bass asked, grinning lewdly. "This might not be so bad after all!"

"Oh, boy..." Darren sighed.


"H-here's that wine you asked for, s-sir," a lone Reploid stammered as he skittered up to Agile's throne and handed the Maverick master a glass of blood-red liquid. "Oh... and I h-have a report..."

Agile lifted the glass to his lips and sucked at it bitterly. "Hmm..." he replied.

"The... retrieval of Bass was a failure," the Reploid went on. "I-Iris and the Maverick Hunters have taken him... and S-Soldier Stonekong was defeated... b-by Mega Man..."

Agile shot the Reploid a sidelong glare. "I know already, Stevens," he said. "Now get out of my sight."

Stevens nervously bowed, then slowly inched away. When he'd reached the door, Agile gave a loud, frustrated shirek.

"Oh, curses! Curse it all!" he fumed, picking up the glass and angrily hurling it across the room. It hit Stevens's head and shattered, sending him to the floor a corpse.

The voluptuous Dr. Golgi entered the room, noticed the body and adjusted her glasses. "...Is there a problem, mister Agile?" she asked.

"It's those Hunters!" Agile yelled, banging on his throne. "Even after a hundred years, they haven't lost their edges! To add to that, these Mavericks are worthless! The leaders are beaten faster than punching bags, and the grunts would rather run than fight!" he pointed at the glass-covered body. "Look at what I have to work with, here!" he exclaimed.

Golgi simply smiled. "Is that all, sir?" she asked. "I'd hate to have seen what you'd have done to him on a bad day... You shouldn't kill your aides so quickly; we only have so many men."

"Bah!" Agile harrumphed with a wave of his hand. "It's not like we can't get more from our supplier. These Reploids are expendable."

"...Besides, you needn't worry," Golgi went on.

Agile laughed coldly. "Hah! Don't tell me YOU have a plan," he asked.

"I think I might," Golgi replied. "How would you like to get all the stuff back that Iris has... and take them all out at the same time?..."

"That's what you told me about the clones," Agile replied. "If you don't remember, two were killed and one is AWOL! What makes you think this new plan will be any different?"

"Because..." Golgi said, holding up a small computer chip. "The worst place to hit somebody... is the heart."


Another two days had passed at the science museum. At first Peabody had outright refused to hire the new arrivals, but Snake Man once again reminded him of the profits they could make from showcasing the ancient heroes to the public. Greed triumphed over rage again, and Mega Man, Roll and Bass became a tour guide, a mechanic and a janitor, respectively.

Bass complained often, but did the work anyway. Without Dr. Wily to take him in, and without a Buster to fight Mega Man with, he didn't have much choice in the matter. Still, in the back of his mind, his loathing of the blue robot remained and flourished. With his new Reploid power, he reasoned, sooner or later he could obtain a weapon, defeat Mega Man and prove himself to be the strongest robot.

At the moment, though, his mind was far from revenge. "Urrgh..." he grumbled as he carried his spent mop to the closet to clean it. "If one more kid hurls in the zero-gravity exhibit, I swear, I'm gonna-"

Something hard slammed into his shoulder, and someone else grunted. He reeled around and came face-to-face with a red-armored girl Reploid. She folded her arms and frowned, her attractive eyes trying hard not to boil over in fury.

"Watch where you're going!" Sharon snapped.

"Heh! Watch where I'M going?!" Bass retorted. "YOU'RE the security guard. Shouldn't you be watching everything?"

"You were staring right at me," Sharon replied. "You could've moved!"

"Well, maybe I didn't want to," Bass chuckled. "Maybe I like crashing into hotheads just to see 'em explode."

Sharon's jaw clenched; Bass could tell just how furious he was making her. "Listen, buddy," she threatened in a soft voice. "You're new here, so I'll let that slide. Just don't go looking for trouble... You don't know how much of it you'll find."

She brushed past him and kept going. Bass looked after her and snickered. "...Did it hurt?" he asked.

Sharon turned around, confused. "Did what hurt?" she asked.

Bass grinned. "When that stick got jammed up your ass!" he replied, bursting with laughter.

Sharon's eyes narrowed to dealy slits. "WHY, YOU LITTLE!!!" she screeched, balling her fists and charging. The two clashed and rolled about on the floor, punching and kicking and cursing.


Roll was having some difficulty with her job as well. She had tinkered with little upgrades for her brother in the past, but the huge omnitheater machine was something totally different. "Oh, my..." she said as she looked at the tall, blue, spherical projector. "It's so big..."

"Yeah, it is," Darren, who had been asked to train her, said. "I freaked when I first saw it... but I got the hang of it pretty quickly. Here, let me show you the inside."

Darren opened the machine's door and they stepped inside to a room full of switches and diodes and blinking lights. Roll gasped as she glanced around. "All of this goes into making a projector?" she asked.

"Yup," Darren replied bluntly. "Here, let me start you off with the lighting systems..."

Darren explained in the simplest terms he could how the projector cast light beams all over the theater to display widescreen films, and how it could also be used to make the room a planetarium through connecting it to the museum's computerized star charts. Roll listened intently, nodding when she understood and asking questions when she did not. Darren was relieved to see that she was calm and understanding of his explanation; maybe she'd turn out to be a good mechanic, just like him.

"...And that's all there is to the lighting," he finished as he set down a toolbox. "It's a bit on the fritz just now, so why don't you try tuning it?"

"Well, OK," Roll answered, taking a screwdriver and reaching for the panel. After she got it open and looked inside, she gave a relieved sigh. "Whew... This doesn't look so hard..." she said.

"It isn't," Darren replied. "It looks imposing to newcomers, but it's pretty user-friendly."

Roll poked and prodded inside the machine for a few moments, lifting some parts and tightening others. She could tell that she was going to be there a while, so she decided to make some pleasant conversation with her tutor. "So..." she said as she worked. "How did you get into this?"

Darren raised an eyebrow. "How did I get into what?" he asked.

"Machines," Roll replied. "Gadgets and gizmos. Did you always love them?"

Darren chuckled. "Oh, yeah," he replied. "Ever since I was a kid, I was always pulling stuff apart and putting it back together."

Roll smiled. "That must have driven your parents crazy," she said.

Darren frowned and looked away, his gaze lost in a far-off look. "Yeah..." he answered. "Yeah, it did..."

Roll sensed that Darren wasn't big on opening up on that subject, so she tried something else. "So, uh, how'd you get into the Maverick Hunters?" she asked. "You don't seem like someone who likes violence..."

Darren chuckled and shook his head. "No, no I'm not," he said. "Once I went on an adventure with Iris and the others, though, it was hard to stay away."

"An adventure?" Roll asked, amazingly still focused on tuning the projector. She didn't realize it, but multitasking was another great feature of her new Reploid systems. "What was it like?" she asked.

Darren smiled at her request for a story. He cleared his throat and sat down on a nearby console to be comfortable. "Well, it was only about a month ago, really," he began. "Professor Smith had just received a huge package, and inside it was..."


"OK, now, what seems to be the problem?" X asked, folding his arms and trying his best to look grumpy. Suffice to say, he hadn't mastered it like Zero had.

Zero and he stood before Bass and Sharon, both of whom sported wounds from their hallway scuffle. "This jerk was calling me names!" Sharon growled, rubbing a nasty-looking black eye. "Cobra boy said I was uptight and hotheaded!"

Bass cackled wryly, wiping some blood from his lip. "Bumping into me with all my janitorial supplies like that, trash-talking me and then jumping me..." he retorted. "He's the one who started it."

Sharon whirled on him with flames in her eyes. "HE?!" she yelled.

Bass feigned surprise. "What, you're a she?" he asked. "Heh. Could've fooled me, cactus flats."

"OK, that's it!!!" She balled her knuckles and started towards Bass again.

"OK, OK, calm down, Sharon," X said calmly.

"Calm down?!" Sharon snapped. "What, you're taking HIS side?!"

"No, I'm not," X replied. "I simply mean-"

"Yeah, of course you'd believe HER," Bass snorted. "Nobody trusts the new guy! That's how it is around here, ain't it?"

"It's kinda hard to trust a WILY bot, mister!" Sharon growled.

"Guys, come on!" X pleaded, starting to get flustered. "I'm trying to help resolve this before-"

"You're as nutty as a fruitcake!" Sharon yelled.

"Why don't you saunter over to the kitchen and get me a soda?!" Bass replied with a glower.

"Sure! You want that jammed up your nose or down your throat?!" Sharon snarled, lunging at Bass.

"Whichever you want! Just give yourself one, too!" Bass retaliated, throwing his knuckle.

"Guys, come on, I- GAGH!!!" X yelped as both Bass and Sharon's punches smashed into his face. They both hesitated, then pulled away as he sank to his knees.

"Oh, geez!" Sharon gulped, lowering her fist. "X, I'm so sorry!"

"Damn," Bass grumbled. "Why'd you go and do that, man?"

"I've seen enough," Zero growled, glaring at the two of them. He pointed a menacing finger at Bass. "You shouldn't go picking fights with everyone you see, or sooner or later someone's going to shut you up permanently."

Sharon beamed. "Yeah, you tell 'im, Z!" she cheered.

"And YOU," Zero went on, pointing at the surprised Sharon, "need to control your temper. You get so angry that you don't know who your fists will hit, like right now." He pointed at X, who was rubbing his sore cheeks on the ground.

He helped X up and turned away. "We have to get back to work," he said to Bass and Sharon. "You two sort this out on your own... WITHOUT blows."

Sharon nodded, casting a cross glare at Bass. Bass snorted and folded his arms.

X and Zero walked down the hallway towards the labs. "Whew..." X sighed. "That was some interesting stuff you said back there," he said.

Zero gave a faint smile. "You just have to know how to talk to some people," he replied.

Suddenly, the hallway rocked with the sound of a huge explosion, and both Hunters were thrown to the ground. Immediately black smoke poured out from underneath Smith's laboratory door.

"What the...?!" X gasped, his eyes fixed on the smoke. "Professor!"

"Come on," Zero growled, running to the door and banging on it with his fist. "Professor! Are you all right?!"

The door opened and more smoke billowed out. Inside they could hear Smith cursing between coughs. "Ugh... The vent... The vent!" he yelled.

X groped around on the wall, found a switch and flipped it. The sound of rushing air began, and the smoke slowly dissipated. When it was gone, the Hunters gawked at the chaos the lab was in.

Broken jars were scattered around the desks, icky-colored liquids dripping from them. The computer monitor displayed a black screen and two white rectangles, positioned to look like an unconscious face. A large, broken capsule leaned against the wall, cracked glass and pinkish-whitish goo spattered all around it. Inside the capsule was the remnants of what could have been a Reploid skeleton. If it been stomach-churning when Iris had walked in, the new condition was prime for chunk-blowing.

"Dammit..." Smith growled, leering at the machine through his cracked glasses. "That's the fifth time it's done that! What am I doing wrong?!"

"My God..." X said. "Professor, what were you doing in here?"

Smith sighed. "Given my success with turning Roll and the others into Reploids, I thought I'd try to make good on my promise to Colonel and Iris," he explained.

"Colonel?" Zero asked, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, right... You promised him a body..."

"Yeah..." Smith replied, "I've built one that should contain Colonel's program, but every time I try to upload it..." he motioned to the mess.

"So, the body is rejecting the program," X reasoned. "I wonder why?"

"It's quite simple, really," a luscious voice said.

Everyone turned. A long-legged, pronounced-chested, bespectacled woman in a labcoat stood in the doorway. She gave them all a seductive smile. Peabody appeared behind her with a smug look on his face.

"Eh?" Zero asked. "Who're you?"

The woman adjusted her glasses. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm Venessa Golgi, a doctor of Robotology like Professor Smith."

"I wanted to introduce Dr. Golgi to you all," Peabody said in his haughty tone, motioning to Golgi. "I've hired her to supervise the Reploid museum staff. She'll be giving you your orders for the day and directing you as needed."

"I... What?" Smith asked, recoiling from shock. This woman was going to take his job? Had Peabody finally had enough of him?

"Supervise?" X asked, confused. "Well... Not to be rude, sir, but isn't that Professor Smith's job?"

Peabody chuckled in an unpleasant way. "Of course, of course," he replied. "Dr. Golgi will be sharing the job with the professor. That way I know things will get done... even better than before." He shot a wayward sneer at Smith.

Golgi walked into the lab and looked around. "Well..." she said. "Looks like you had a bit of an accident, professor."

"Err..." Smith gulped, his face going red.

"Very good," Peabody said from the door. "Now, Dr. Golgi, as your first duty here, help these people clean up this room. There will be an introductory staff meeting in an hour." He glared at Smith again, then turned and left, cackling with glee in the back of his mind. If he could get Dr. Golgi to take over the Reploid duties, he could fire Smith and be rid of him forever. Maybe then, the museum could actually be run properly without having to deal with all these crazy Maverick problems.

"Hmm..." Golgi said, walking further in and looking around. "You boys must have been having some fun in here."

"Well, uh..." Smith started.

Golgi turned to X and Zero. "Why don't you two go and get the janitor?" she asked. "That'll help speed up the cleaning."

"OK," X replied, dashing out the door. Zero hesitated, gave her a suspicious look, then followed his friend.

Smith glanced around. "I have a mop in the back. I'll get started," he said, starting for a closet.

Golgi slowly bent over in front of him, extended a finger and scraped some of the fleshy goo off of the ground. "Hmm..." she said, rubbing it between her fingertips. "This compound is the best thing for making Reploid flesh..." She smiled at Smith. "Not exactly museum-specific work, is this, professor?..."

Smith panicked; if Peabody knew exactly what types of things he was building in the labs, he'd have even more of a reason to be fired. Still, he managed not to show it to Golgi. "...No, I'm building some models for a new exhibit," he replied. "They want the cavemen to look as lifelike as possible!" He forced a smile; would his new partner fall for this fib?

Apparently she would. "Aha..." she replied slowly, another seductive smile gracing her lips. "I understand. I'm very good at building Reploids myself, you know... Perhaps we can work on it... together."

"Err... Maybe," Smith replied, scratching his head. "Well, um, let's clean this up and then go to the conference room. Don't want to keep Peabody waiting!"


"I don't get it," Sharon said, leaning back in her chair. All of the Reploids and the professors were sitting in the museum staff conference room, waiting for Peabody to appear and make his announcement. "Why did we all get called up here anyway?"

"I don't know," Iris replied. "I thought only senior staff got to come to these meetings, not tour guides and security guards."

"Peabody said that this has to do with the Reploid staff," Professor Wallace Krein, a long-haired, gangly friend of Smith's, replied.

"Reploids, huh?" Mega Man asked, looking cheerful as usual. "Maybe he's going to give us all raises!"

"I doubt it," Snake Man grumbled. "He's probably going to fire us."

"I don't think so," Zero replied, folding his arms. "This is about the new scientist he hired."

"New...?" Roll started.

"Ah, good!" Peabody said as he walked into the room, Smith and Golgi behind him. "You're all here on time... for a change." He turned around and motioned for Golgi to move in front of him. "I want to introduce you all to Dr. Venessa Golgi, our newest staff member. She'll be working alongside Professor Smith in managing the Reploid staff, as well as various other museum duties."

Golgi smiled again and stroked her hair. "Hello," she said in her husky, arousing voice. "I'm pleased to meet you. I'm sure we'll all work well together."

"I expect all of you to give Dr. Golgi the same respect that you've given Professor Smith," Peabody said. "In fact, feel free to give her more." He chuckled lightly.

Nobody else laughed with him, so he frowned and went on. "That's all," he finished. "Be back at your posts in twenty minutes." He turned and left, muttering under his breath.

"Well..." Golgi said, adjusting her glasses. "So, to whom do I owe the honor, here?..."

One by one, each person introduced himself or herself to Golgi and shook her hand, welcoming her to the museum. She smiled through the whole event, never seeming to be shy of anyone or confused.

"Well, this is nice," Olson said to Krein. "It's always good to have another pair of hands around here."

"Especially a pair like those," Krein replied with a grin. "Whew! Dainty AND a strong grip!"

"Hmmph," Sharon harrumphed, folding her arms. "Who does she think she is, dressing like that? This isn't a Las Vegas street corner."

"Well..." Bass snickered, puffing out his chest and grinning cruelly. "At least now we have a chick around here who knows how to ACT like a chick."

Sharon fumed. "WHAT does that mean?!" she snarled. "You want a chick? Fine! I'll peck your eyes out myself!"

"So, we're not the newbies anymore?" Mega Man asked. "Wow, that was fast."

"Oh, don't get too upset," Darren chuckled. "We still like you guys, too."

"That's good..." Roll admitted. "...She seems nice, but... I dunno... How does she stay upright? I fell over and I'm only a-"

"Errr..." Darren gulped. "Might wanna worry about that where nobody else can hear you, Roll."

"This is great," X said with a smile. "Seems like we're always making new friends, eh, Zero?"

Zero said nothing. He just stood there with his arms folded and a concerned glare on his face. X decided not to say anything else.

Golgi sauntered over to Iris and Smith. "So... you're Iris Thorne, hmm?" she asked of the up-and-coming Hunter.

"Yes, I am," Iris replied, shaking Golgi's hand.

Golgi smiled warmly. "I hear that you're the one we have to thank for stopping all these Maverick outbreaks," she said. "I wonder what's making them reappear now?..."

Iris nodded. "Yeah, we've been wondering that ourselves... I'm sure we'll find out sooner or later."

Golgi shrugged slowly. "Well... You've done very well for yourself, regardless," she continued. "Look at you; Just a month ago you were revived, and already you've become such a strong Hunter... and you've made such wonderful friends, too."

Iris blushed and chuckled. "Oh... Thank you," was all she could manage; she had never been very good at responding to compliments.

Golgi looked at Smith and gave him another of her smiles. "...And you're the one who revived all of these wonderful Reploids, aren't you, professor? You must be very smart to accomplish that."

Smith chuckled. "Well, that is to say... yeah," he mumbled bashfully. "I can't take ALL the credit, though... Charles and Wallace helped a lot."

Golgi gave an impressed sigh. "So modest, too..." she said. "I think I'll enjoy working here. Well, I had better go check in with Peabody and get a work schedule... I'll see you later." She winked at him before turning around and walking out of the room.

"She's really friendly, isn't she, professor?" Iris asked, turning around to face Smith.

Smith's face was light pink, and his lenses were enveloped in a thin layer of steam. "Uh... Are you OK, professor?" Iris asked.

"Oh!" Smith exclaimed, shaking out of his stupor and pulling off his glasses. "Yeah... I-I'm fine, Iris," he stammered, wiping them on his labcoat. "It's just... Is it hot in here?..."

Iris giggled at the sight of him, but then grew serious again. "So... Have you...?" she asked.

Knowing that she was asking about Colonel's new body, Smith sighed and shook his head; he had exhausted his knowledge of Reploid construction, and there seemed to be nothing he could do. "Well, Iris," he said. "It's... " He trailed off into silence, his face becoming a secretive mask.

He looked at Iris again and saw her pleading eyes, and his resolve to tell her the hard truth melted. "...It's not quite finished... I'll keep working on it tonight," he finished, sticking his hands in his pockets and sighing.

Iris beamed happily. "Thanks, professor," she replied. "Oh... I guess we had better get back to work."

Smith glanced down at his wristwatch. "Oh, yeah!" he replied. "You'd better hurry up to the omnitheater; the 4:00 showing of the Krakatoa Volcano documentary won't start without you!"

Iris nodded and ran out of the room, Smith watching her go. A depressed sigh escaped him. "I wish I could fix him for you, Iris," he said quietly, "but... I just don't know what else to do..."


The day went on as it usually did, and finally the clock struck 10:00. Exhausted, most of the staff got into their cars and drove home. Iris, Darren, Mega Man, Bass, Roll, X and Zero hopped on the bus and rode back to Noonvale Apartments. Sharon had to work the graveyard guard shift that night, and Snake Man was helping Professor Krein with an exhibit, so they stayed behind. As much as they knew, they were the only people in the building.

Nobody had noticed that Smith's car was still in the parking garage. He hadn't left; he was still down in his lab, slaving away on another body for Iris's brother. Exhausted sweat ran down his face as he finished his latest version and placed it in the repaired capsule. "There..." he panted, talking to no one in particular. "Maybe this time..."

He sealed the capsule and turned to the computer, quickly typing in several lines of code. "All right... Are you ready to try again?..." he asked the screen. It gave no reply, but then, he wasn't expecting one.

Without hesitation, he reached up and pressed the final button. The computer buzzed and beeped, and bubbles danced around the figure inside the capsule. A bar appeared on the monitor, representing the amount of Colonel's data that had been transferred into the body. It rose slowly, at first, but soon reached the ten percent marker and picked up speed. Smith watched anxiously as it climbed to twenty, then thirty, then fourty...

"Fifty... Sixty... Sixty-five..." he mouthed as the bar grew, his voice wavering with excitement and his entire body trembling. "It's going to work... It's going to work!... It's going to work!!!"

Suddenly, the computer screen flashed red as an error message appeared. Instantly Smith's smile melted into horror. "No... No!..." he panted as he watched the upload freeze at seventy percent completion, and the whole computer shut down. The capsule shook violently, then cracked in several places, the fluids inside spilling onto the floor.

He let out an angry yell, furiously kicking the machine again and again. "Stupid, stupid, STUPID!!!" he cursed. He quickly ran out of energy and sank back against it, gasping for air. His eyes were wild with frustration behind his steamed glasses, and his eyebrows bobbed up and down in rage.

He looked up at the limp figure in the capsule before him and glared. "Why..." he said. "Why won't you work?!"

He stood up and advanced on the figure, his fists clenched. "I looked over your design schematics... I studied every inch of you... I built an interface for your CPU with my own two hands... and you still won't work?!" He let out a high-pitched, frustrated whine and lay his hand on the glass. "Iris is going to be..." he mumbled. "...Why won't you work?..."

"It's quite simple, really."

Smith almost went through the roof at the voice. He whipped around to see the graciously endowed Dr. Golgi standing in the doorway, wearing the same attractive smile she always wore. "Dr. Golgi!" he exclaimed. "What are you still doing here?!"

"I saw that my partner's car was still in the garage, so I decided to see just what he was up to," she replied, walking closer and glancing at the capsule. "So... this is what you've been working on... You don't have much respect for the rules, do you...?"

Smith didn't know what to say. Golgi knew that he was building Reploids! Creating them without legal authorization was a serious offense. Would she go to Peabody with the information and get him fired? That was just the tip of the iceberg! Making Reploids like this could land him with heavy fines, or even put him in jail! He shuddered at what fate awaited him.

Golgi noticed his panic and put a soft hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Smith..." she said in a low, comforting voice. "I won't tell... In fact... I kind of like it."

Smith's worrying paused. He glanced nervously at Golgi. "...What?" he asked.

Her smile became even more irresistible. "I've always been drawn to people who are brilliant, but have just enough disregard for authority to do their own thing," she said. "If it's a man, it's even better..." She clicked her tongue.

Smith stiffened at the sound. Was Golgi doing what he thought she was doing? He suddenly felt awkward and embarrassed. He'd never had anyone as attractive as her come on to him like this, and he didn't really know how to respond. "Well, uh..." he started.

Golgi's attention had turned to the capsule. "This body you're making..." she said. "Humanoid, obviously... This is the Colonel of the Repliforce from the Maverick Wars, isn't it?"

Smith blinked. "You... You know about Repliforce?" he asked. "...Yeah... Yeah, that's him..."

Golgi nodded slowly, running her fingers gingerly over the broken glass, amazingly enough not suffering one scratch. "I'm impressed. It looks just like him... That squarish jaw, those prominent muscles, the stern eyebrows..."

Smith was starting to relax a bit. Though he often got flustered around girls, he could handle it when he was just talking shop. "Oh... Yeah," he replied. "I sifted through the databases and got a blueprint of what he looked like, so..."

Golgi smiled again. "Still, there's a problem, isn't there?..." she asked. "Colonel's data won't upload into it entirely."

Smith frowned and looked away. "...Yeah," he replied. "I still don't know why the body won't accept the data."

Golgi walked over close to Smith. "Quite simple, really," she repeated. "This body doesn't have the right DNA data."

Smith hesitated, poring over what she had said. It was true that Reploids were robots, but they had evolved so much that they were their own individuals in every sense of the word; they each had their own moods, tastes and skills. The body that Smith had manufactured for Colonel contained a simple DNA strand without many features, while Colonel's program undoubtedly required dozens of special enhancements to set him apart from his Repliforce grunts. Perhaps Golgi had a point; perhaps the reason for the failures was the mismatched DNA. "Yes... Yes, maybe..." he replied after a while.

"So..." Golgi reasoned. "If you had some of Colonel's DNA, you would be able to build a body that his program would interface with."

"Yeah, yeah!" Smith said, becoming excited. "If I had Colonel's DNA, I could..." His voice stopped in mid-sentence. He had forgotten two very important details. Firstly, Colonel's body had been destroyed; Iris had been forced to wreck it during their first adventure, when Ribosome had inserted Vile's program into it by unknown means. Secondly, The resurrection of Reploids through using their DNA was illegal, and had been for hundreds of years; with an extremely high fine and fifty years of hard prison time, only maniacs such as Sigma would disobey that law (and he had several times). What was left of his exhuberance escaped him in a depressed sigh. "We don't have any of that..." was all he managed.

Golgi's glasses flickered. "Professor... remember when I offered to help?..." she said, her voice becoming even silkier.

Smith looked up, puzzled. "What... What do you mean?" he asked.

Golgi suggestively reached into her labcoat's chest pocket and produced a small metal chip with a green cross imprinted on it. "I just so happen to have a sample," she answered.

"What?!" Smith exclaimed, running to her and taking the chip. In the center of the cross was a tiny, yellow R, the symbol for Repliforce. It looked exceedingly like the DNA chips that he had seen when he had reassembled Iris, and when he had worked on Zero. "This... Colonel's DNA?!" he asked.

"Yes," Golgi replied with a nod. "This should give you what you need."

Smith looked between the chip and Golgi. "But where did you get it?" he asked. "Colonel's original body was destroyed..."

"Oh, that isn't from his body, per se," she replied. "During one of my old job's excavations, I found a hidden Repliforce database, where they stored the DNA of all of their soldiers for medical records... Colonel happened to have a sample in it as well." She gave a throaty chuckle. "Use that, and you can make a perfect body for him," she added.

Smith stared at the chip for a while longer. She was right; with this chip, he could make a new body that would accept Colonel's program... but then he would be using DNA resurrection. The last thing Smith wanted to be was a criminal. Reluctantly, he handed the chip back to Golgi. "...I'm sorry, doctor, but I can't do that," he said.

Golgi blinked a few times, obviously startled. "What? Why not?" she asked.

"DNA resurrection is illegal," Smith replied, turning and looking at the defective body. "Even if that did create a useable body... if the authorities ever found out, we'd..." He paused and shook his head. "...I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Ah..." Golgi replied with a satisfied-sounding sigh. "You don't want to hurt anyone... That's very sweet of you."

Smith blushed. "Well..." he started.

"But you're hurting someone anyway, aren't you?..." she asked, cutting him off. "Didn't you promise that wonderful, brave Maverick Hunter that you would give her back her brother?"

Smith stiffened. Golgi had him there; he HAD promised Iris that he would give Colonel a body. Up until now, every time he had tried, he had failed miserably, and that detail had prodded at his conscience. Now Golgi held the only useful tool, and it was practically taboo. Standing so close to his goal, that pang of guilt now seemed to jab at him even harder, like a hot screw boring into the back of his neck.

"I can understand why you're hesitating; a terrible crime, DNA resurrection..." Golgi went on, looking at the chip and giving a concerned frown. "Iris will be disappointed, at first... but in time perhaps she'll understand why you didn't want to do it."

Smith's jaw locked. Iris wouldn't just be disappointed, if he knew her as well as he thought he did. His mind raced back to the account of the Repliforce affair, when she had nearly destroyed Zero for killing her brother. Would she launch the same sort of campaign against him for denying Colonel's return? More importantly, he had made a promise to her, and now he was going to break it; she might never trust him again. If there was one thing that Smith couldn't stand the thought of, it was losing someone's trust, especially someone as important to him as her.

"Well, if that's really how you feel..." Golgi finished, beginning to slip the chip back into her pocket.

"No, wait!" Smith replied suddenly, making Golgi freeze. He took a deep gulp, as if swallowing his pride, and held out his hand. "I... I changed my mind..." he said. "I'll... I'll take it."

Golgi blinked a few times, then smiled warmly. "All right," she said, pulling the chip out and placing it back in his palm. "I'm sure Iris will be very happy!"

Smith stared hard at the chip. "...I hope so..." he replied.

"I'll help you, then," Golgi replied, moving closer to him and laying a soft hand on his shoulder. "We just have to clean everything up when we're done... If there's no evidence of DNA resurrection, we're safe. After that, we just need a believable story to explain Colonel's presence... It's not as hard as it sounds. Well, shall we get started?"

Her rich, chocolate-brown hair smelled of strawberries and cream. Smith's stomach had tied itself in knots over the chip dilemma, but now it was being put at ease by the scent and her proximity, as well as the thoughts of how happy Iris would be. "All right..." he said, holding the chip up. "...Let's get started, 'partner.'"

Golgi smiled.


The next afternoon, Iris, Zero, Darren and Sharon were enjoying a late lunch of bagels and chocolate milk in the museum cafe. "Hmm..." Darren mumbled cheerfully as he munched the food. "Nothing like a sesame seed bagel to keep your energy up!"

"I'd enjoy this more if I didn't have to wear my armor all day," Zero grumbled. "Why is that?"

"Peabody thinks it'll bring in more revenue if people can recognize the famous Maverick Hunters," Iris replied, sipping her carton. "I mean, it's not like people wouldn't recognize us if we wore what the other employees do."

"I don't mind," Sharon chuckled. "It tells folks that I'm always ready if they decide to start something!" She took a vicious chomp out of her bagel for emphasis. As she swallowed, she frowned. "Besides, at least we're more modest than that Golgi woman..."

"I suppose..." Darren answered. "She does dress provocatively, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, but I think she's nice," Iris spoke up. "She was very friendly at the meeting."

Zero frowned and chewed his bagel. "I don't like it," he said quietly.

Darren looked at Zero. "You 'don't like it?'" he asked. "You don't like what?"

Zero started to reply, but glanced at Iris and decided against it. "...Never mind," he said. "It's probably nothing."

There was an awkward silence. "...Man, without the prof, things are dead here," Sharon remarked.

Iris sighed and nodded. Usually Professor Smith joined them for lunch, and he always kept them entertained with stories of what he had done that day, or an anecdote about one of Peabody's less-than-stellar moments, or his musings on life in general. Today, though, like so often lately, he was nowhere to be seen. Iris figured that he was still hard at work on Colonel's new body, but she still missed his company.

"(He's been down there for a long time...)" she thought as she stared at what remained of her bagel, imagining just what the professor could be doing. "(I wonder if I asked too much of him?...)"


Golgi's smile persisted as she stared through the bubbles. The new body looked just like the others that Smith had made: powerful and chiseled-looking. The big difference was that this body was perfect; it had been made from DNA that its host could actually interface with. "Ooh..." she purred, touching the cool glass. "He's perfect... You're an artist, Ross."

"Oh, I can't take all the credit," Smith replied as he looked over the readouts on his screen. "You did plenty of work yourself... Thanks for growing the organs."

"You flatter me," Golgi said, pushing her hair back and leaning closer to him. "Organs are essentials. You're the one who sculpted the handsome package that they're in."

Smith chuckled embarrassedly, then glanced back at his screen. "It looks like the body's ready to receive its host..." he said.

"Splendid," Golgi said, turning to him. "Well, let's put him in..."

Smith hesitated. "...Hold on a moment," he said, hitting some buttons. "I want to talk with him first."

Golgi looked puzzled. "Talk with him?" she asked. "Why?"

"You know, just make sure he's ready," Smith replied. "Getting a new body is a big change after a hundred years of dormancy, I would imagine..." He sighed. "Maybe he won't even want it at all."

"Ah, but we put so much work into it," Golgi mused, leaning over his shoulder. "We'll have to make sure he doesn't decline."

Smith pushed the last button and the cold eyes appeared on the screen. "Yes...?" Colonel's deep voice asked. "...Oh, professor, it's you..."

"Hi, Colonel," Smith replied. "How're you doing?"

"Decently, I suppose..." Colonel replied. "But then, I suppose it's difficult to do anything but that when you exist only inside a computer..."

Smith grinned. "Well, we hope we can remedy that," he said, stepping aside so the body was visible.

The gray triangles turned to bright white diamonds. "...A body... for me?" Colonel asked, obviously surprised.

"Yes," Golgi replied, smiling at the screen. "It's exactly like your old one; all the strength, all the mobility..."

There was silence for a moment, then Colonel sighed. "What a strange feeling it is, staring at your body from across the room... Amazing, and yet, disturbing..." He paused, then the eyes focused on the woman. "...Who is this?"

"Oh, sorry," Smith apologized. "This is Dr. Golgi. She helped me make it for you."

"With this body, you can be free of that terminal," Golgi went on. "So... Want to start the transfer?"

Colonel hesitated. "It is a wonderful surprise to see that the professor kept his promise... but..." he sighed. "When I was in the Repliforce, I did some things that I was not proud of... Perhaps being confined to this state is my punishment." He paused before continuing. "Why would I deserve a second chance?"

"Come on, now," Golgi said sexily. "A big, strong military man like you, not earning this? Don't you want to move and breathe and eat again? Hear the ocean, walk in the sand, feel cool grass beneath the soles of your feet..." She hesitated, saving the best punch for last. "...Don't you want to be with your sister? To be close to her... to protect her?"

The screen was silent. Golgi leaned in closer. "Colonel..." she said in a whisper. "...You deserve this body."

The eyes flickered thoughtfully. "...Very well," he finally said. "Begin the transfer."

Smith breathed a sigh of relief; now if this worked, he wouldn't have to break his promise to Iris. "Great," he said. "Let's get started! Golgi, you work the keys here, I'll get the capsule ready."

Smith ran over to the capsule and turned a few instruments, then signaled to Golgi. "Don't worry, Colonel," she said to the screen. "This is a very safe procedure."

"Save your breath," Colonel muttered, the eyes growing dim. "I am not afraid."

Golgi's smile did not fade despite his bitterness. "This may sting a bit," she said, pushing the starting button.

Electricity crackled and bubbles frothed inside the capsule. The eyes twitched and distorted, the sound of Colonel grunting in pain bursting through the speakers. The eyes vanished, and red warning lights flashed across the screen, various problem readouts appearing everywhere. Inside the capsule, Colonel's body twitched and writhed, like a man stepping on a live electrical wire.

Smith stared at the monitor and his eyes widened in horror. "Transfer's frozen at seventy percent again?!... The body's rejecting it?!" he yelled. "But... But... We did everything right!!!" In a blind panic, he hit several buttons to try and stop the process. As many times as he tried, though, he couldn't abort it. Colonel's data was stuck between the body and oblivion.

Golgi remained eerily calm. Once again, her gentle hand found its way onto his shoulder. "...Wait for it," she said quietly.

Smith whirled around and saw the body rattling against the glass like a frantic bird. His stomach felt queasy; it was painful to watch. In mere moments, that body would explode just like the rest of them, and Colonel's program would be gone forever. He gritted his teeth and hung his head; Iris would be heartbroken. He could almost feel the aura of failure and shame raining down on him.

Suddenly, the body stopped moving, and the warning lights ceased. The blaring alert signal was replaced with the computer's usual, gentle hum. Slowly, he looked up and over at the screen, where there were no error readouts whatsoever. "...Wha... What?..." he asked.

"It was just a momentary setback," Golgi explained smoothly. "The DNA compensated and pulled the program through."

Smith's heart leaped. "You... You mean..." he started.

The scientists turned around and looked at the figure in the capsule. His left hand twitched, then slowly became a fist. It opened and closed several times, like a crab's claw.

Smith gawked at the sight. Golgi smiled and moved closer to him. "Hmmm... Quite a lively one, this one..." she said.

As they watched, Colonel's eyes wavered, then opened. Smith felt a pang of triumph as they fixed on him through the glass.

"We... We did it..." he whispered, his mouth forming a relieved smile. "Iris... We did it..."


The whole museum reverberated with the gongs as the giant clock in the sound exhibit struck nine times. Iris sighed with relief as she peeled off her beret and wiped her face with it. Operating the omnitheater didn't take very much energy, but it did get unbearably hot in her cramped little compartment.

"Whew..." she sighed. "Nine o'clock already... I wonder what I should have for a snack, or maybe I'll just go to bed?..."

Iris headed down a flight of steps to the main entrance and had just grabbed her coat when Smith's voice came over the PA. "Attention, all Maverick Hunter staff... Please report to my laboratory right away," he said. His voice sounded tired.

"Huh..." Iris said as she replaced her coat. "I wonder what this is about..." She paused and sighed sadly. "Maybe he's finally given up..."

Iris walked through the hall and down more steps into the laboratory area. When she reached Smith's lab, she was very surprised; all of the other Hunters were there already. "Oh... I must have been walking slower than I thought," she said to herself.

Darren turned around and smiled. "Hey, Iris!" he said. "Everyone's been waiting for you!"

"What?" Iris asked, looking puzzled. "For me?"

"Smith said ALL Maverick Hunters..." X chuckled. "I guess he meant it."

Iris walked a bit closer and stood next to Zero. "Has he said anything?" she asked.

"No," Zero replied. "I'm as in the dark about this as you."

Iris hesitated, but nodded.

"Well, he'd better be quick," Bass grumbled, folding his arms. "Those latrines ain't gonna clean themselves."

Roll stifled a yawn. "I agree..." she complained. "I'm tired; I want to go home."

"Well, you don't really have a home yet," Sharon pointed out with a wry chuckle. "You're crashing at our place. And if you're going to share the bed again, you'd better get that drooling taken care of!"

Roll frowned. "Hey, come on! This is my first week as a Reploid! You expect me to figure everything out right away?"

"I'm sure glad you understood the bathroom details right away..." Snake Man remarked.

Roll started to object when Smith's door opened. He emerged looking haggard and drawn, and the smell that came with him could have stunned a yak. "Hi, guys," he said.

"Hello, professor," X replied. "Is this where you've been all this time?"

Sharon got a whiff and almost gagged. "Whoo! Sure seems like it!" she remarked.

"Yeah, I know..." Smith replied. "I'm gonna take a shower as soon as I get home."

"You've been in there for the past two days?!" Mega Man asked. "What were you doing?"

From behind Smith stepped Golgi, still looking as clean and radiant as she always did. "Hello, everyone," she said in her seductive way.

Instantly Zero frowned. An awkward silence spread over the rest of them.

"Uh..." Darren managed, tugging at his shirt collar; the situation didn't exactly look G-Rated. "What..."

Golgi pushed her hair back again. "Relax, friends," she said. "I've only been helping the professor on a project... one which took two days to finish, unfortunately."

"Uhm, yes," Smith added, coughing a bit. "I... wanted to say something, but I think the work can speak for itself..." He looked around, saw Iris and smiled. "Iris, would you come forward, please?" he asked.

Iris hesitated. She didn't like the smell any more than anyone else, but knowing what Smith had been up to had her interest piqued. She gently nudged her way through her friends to the scientists.

"OK..." Smith said, moving away from the door. Golgi slipped into the crowd as well. "You can come out now," he finished.

From inside the darkened room, footsteps could be heard coming towards the door. Nobody else had a clue of what was going on, but Iris waited with baited breath. Her fists were clenched, her jaw was locked and her eyes were focused with laser-like precision on the entrance. Was it? Could it be?...

A large man stepped out of the door. He was tall and buff, his rippling muscles visible beneath the thin sub-armor that he wore. A small goatee sprouted from his square chin, and a short mop of hair fell all around his wide, solemn eyes. He paused and slowly looked around, taking in all the stunned faces. Finally his gaze fell on Iris, and his mouth wrenched into a smile. "...Iris," he said.

Iris's whole body shook uncontrollably. "B... Bro..." she stammered stupidly. Finally, her eyes spilled over with happy tears and rushed him. "BROTHER!!!" she cried as she threw herself on him, getting her arms as far around him as she could.

Colonel placed his huge hand on Iris's head. "It's good to see you again, Iris," he said, stroking her hair tenderly.

The rest of the Hunters didn't know what to make of it. "Woah..." Sharon gulped. "I knew Iris had a brother, but..."

"Boy, does she have a brother," Roll finished, her face turning red.

"The Colonel?" X asked Smith, a surprised look on his face. "You brought back the Colonel of Repliforce?"

"Yeah," Smith replied, "and it wasn't a picnic, either..."

"No matter how difficult it was, look at it," Golgi pointed out, motioning to the happy spectacle. "I'd say it was worth it..."

"This is great!" Darren laughed. "Iris's brother is here! Things are really shaping up now!"

Zero said nothing; he simply kept frowning.

Colonel glanced up and looked around. "I was worried that you were in a lonely place, working at this museum..." he said, "but it looks like you have several associates."

"Oh, right!" Iris said cheerfully, trying to calm herself down. Taking Colonel by the arm, she introduced him to each person, who responded with a wave, a handshake or a "hello."

"...And this is Zero," Iris said, motioning to the grumpy-looking Hunter, "...but I'm sure you already knew that, didn't you?" She chuckled happily.

Colonel gained a small frown of concern. "...Yes," he replied.

Zero looked up at him. "...Good to see you again, Colonel," he said, not losing his look.

Iris sensed a bit of tension between the two swordsmen, and, not wanting to start anything, she quickly moved her brother on to the last person. "This is X," she said, stopping at the blue Reploid. "He's a really good friend, too!"

Colonel's frown faded and was replaced with a welcoming smile. "Ah, the famous Mega Man X," he said, extending his hand. "It is an honor to finally meet you, even after so long."

X had seemed to pale a little when Colonel had emerged from the lab, and it hadn't left his face. He silently gulped and took the huge hand. "Yeah..." he muttered. "Likewise."

"So, that's everyone!" Iris finished. "We all work here in the museum."

"The museum..." Colonel repeated, looking around. "I have gone through all of its mainframes and databases, but I have never seen it as it really is..." he glanced at his sister. "Would you show me around?" he asked.

Iris beamed. "Of course! Follow me. It's after closing hours, and nobody's around, so I'll give you the grand tour!"

Iris led Colonel up the stairs and out of sight. "Hey, that's my job!" Mega Man shouted, running after them.

"Don't knock anything over!" Bass yelled, charging off with a mop. "There's enough for me to clean already!"

"Heh heh heh... Well, that was certainly a surprise," Darren admitted. "I've got to hand it to you, professor, you work miracles."

"Well..." Sharon mumbled, allowing a yawn to escape her mouth, "I think any more can wait until tomorrow. I'm going home; I've been here since dawn yesterday!"

The others agreed with Sharon and filed out towards the bus stops or parking lots. Only Zero, Golgi and Smith were left in the hall.

"Well... Thank goodness," Smith sighed. "I'm glad I could do it."

Zero glanced at him, still frowning. "I know you promised her, professor... but no offense, but I didn't think you could."

Smith chuckled. "Yeah... Well, if it weren't for Golgi, I would have been in trouble," he admitted.

Zero was quiet for a moment before he leaned in a bit closer. "Still..." he went on. "Are you sure this is such a good idea?"

Smith looked at him oddly. "A good idea?" he asked. "Of course! Why not?"

Zero sighed and shook his head. "Nobody knows the Colonel quite like I do," he said, looking up at the ceiling. "He's... well, let's just say he's accustomed to greater things. I don't know if he'll adjust to this situation..."

"Oh, I'm sure he'll be fine," Smith replied. "Iris'll get him situated nicely. You've gotta have a little more faith in people, Zero."

As they conversed a bit more, Golgi just stood there, listening quietly with a smile on her face.


The next morning, Iris, X, Zero, Darren, Sharon, Mega Man, Roll, Bass and Colonel were sitting in the cafeteria eating breakfast. Breakfast, oddly enough, was about the same as dinner: a bagel and chocolate milk. The only big difference was the inclusion of fresh orange slices.

"I swear, they have to find some better menu items," Sharon grumbled, chewing the bagel. "Maybe some of those little boxes of cereal they send in the mail..."

"It's all about budget," Darren sighed. "Peabody wants to keep as much of it as possible going into his pockets."

"It is not so bad," Colonel replied, chewing the food thoughtfully. "Quite nourishing for my first meal in a hundred years..."

"Yeah, so, how was your first night, Colonel?" Roll asked cheerfully.

"It went fairly well, thank you," Colonel answered. "Iris showed me the museum and its exhibits, then we travelled to her living space and went to bed."

"It was very nice," Iris agreed.

"Yeah..." Darren muttered, "until you let him crash in my room."

Bass snickered. "Roomie trouble?" he asked. "What, is he a snorer, or one of those 'leaky faucet' types?"

Sharon clunked him in the head. "Be nice!" she snapped. "He's sitting right across from you!"

Colonel's smile faded a little, but he shook it off. "I don't mean to burden you for long," he said to Darren. "I shall be seeking my own lodgings shortly..." He glanced down at the shirt and jeans that Darren had loaned him; if Darren had taken off his ball cap, they would have been a matched set. "...Perhaps I can find a good tailor, as well," he added.

"Don't worry," Iris said with a smile. "Professor Smith said he'd ask Professor Olson to make you some clothes just like you used to wear."

"That's a relief," Colonel replied. "I cannot work in a museum dressed in these."

Darren gave a surprised look.

"So, Iris," he went on. "What kind of work do you do here, anyway?"

"Me?" Iris asked. "Oh, I run the omintheater shows."

"She does it really well," Mega Man complimented. "Everyone always tells her that!"

Colonel paused. "How much do they pay her?" he asked.

There was an awkward silence. "...Pay?" Mega Man asked.

"The amount you are paid represents how important the job is," Colonel explained. "It's also a symbol of your status. How much are you paid, Mega Man?"

Mega Man thought hard. "Hmm... I haven't really gotten my first check yet," he admitted, "but I think the manager said I would be getting about seven dollars an hour."

"Seven dollars per hour for a tour guide?" Colonel repeated. "...That sounds a bit much."

Mega Man frowned. "Uh... OK... I'll, uh... I'll remember that," he muttered, and went back to eating.

"Professor Smith said that there was some Maverick activity as of late," Colonel went on. "What do you do then?"

Iris stiffened. Colonel had always believed that Iris should behave like a proper lady of noble birth; he had been adamantly opposed to her joining the Maverick Hunters back in 21XX, and she doubted that he had changed. If Colonel knew that she was fighting the Mavericks alongside X and Zero and the rest, he would throw a conniption. She loved her brother more than anything, but she also loved being able to protect what she cared about. "Me? Oh... I just stay here and monitor X and Zero's progress," she lied. "They need lots of help; these new guys are tough!"

"Huh?" X asked. "But Iris, you-"

Zero put his hand on X's shoulder and quietly shook his head. X caught the signal and quieted.

"Ah... I see. Well, I'm sure I'll be able to lend a hand in those affair myself," Colonel said, finishing his milk and standing up. "Oh. If you'll excuse me, I have to go and meet Mr. Peabody for my employment interview. I hope I can get the job, considering..." He looked at the clothing again.

"Good luck!" Iris called as he left, still wearing her happy smile. This was great; Zero, her brother and her friends were back in her life. She felt happier than she ever had. Everything was perfect.

"Whew!" Sharon harrumphed, crossly folding her arms. "That guy..."

Iris stopped smiling and looked at her. "Huh?" she asked.

"Err..." Sharon hesitated, then smiled sincerely. "Yeah, you were right, Iris. That guy sure has a strong personality!"

"Oh," Iris replied, nodding in understanding. "OK. Oh! The time! I have to get to the omnitheater! See you all later." She swallowed the rest of her bagel and left.

As soon as she was gone, Bass glared at his breakfast. "For crap's sake..." he grumbled. "That's our new guy? Full of charm, ain't he?"

"What's wrong with my clothes?" Darren asked, tugging at his own. "I like my clothes."

"Ooh..." Mega Man gulped uncomfortably. "Do I have to ask them to lower my wage? How do I do that?"


Colonel had little to worry about; Peabody gave him the job immediately. "It will be very good to have you working here," he had said to himself with a bit of a sneer. "Finally we'll have someone with decent taste."

Colonel was assigned to be a security officer for the museum's main entrance, where he worked alongside Sharon. Sharon was leaning against the wall, lost in grumpy thought when he appeared. "I am to patrol this area with you, miss Doherty," he reported.

Sharon looked up. Instead of the sloppy clothes he had been wearing at breakfast, Colonel was all decked out in the white, bulky armor that he had worn in his Repliforce days, complete with a black military cap upon his head. He also had a long, dangerous-looking heat sword, a saber that used intense heat instead of a sword-shaped beam like Zero's for combat, which he rested on the floor like a rich man's staff. In her mind, Sharon groaned; she had not liked his way of talking down to them, and now he was going to be working with her on a regular basis... dressed like a decorated soldier, no less. "(What a way to put the rest of us down,)" she thought crossly. Still, she smiled and nodded. "All right, Colonel. Well, we just stand here and watch the door. If any troublemakers come in, we show them out... gently."

"Very well," Colonel replied, standing near the other side of the door. "Are there many ruffians?"

"Ruffians?" Sharon asked, not looking at him and slightly amused by his antiquated speech. "Not too many... Some guys come in here dressed like punks, but they wouldn't hurt a-"

Sharon was interrupted by a loud yell and sounds of an angry struggle. She whirled around to see Colonel with his arms around a struggling teenage boy with nose piercings, a pink mohawk and a biker jacket. "Ah!" Colonel announced triumphantly. "My first catch of the day!"

"Hey, lemme go, jack!" the boy yelled. "I ain't done nothin'!"

Sharon's eyes widened and she grew angry. "Drop him, Colonel!!!" she ordered.

Colonel looked up. "What?" he asked.

"He's a regular!" Sharon explained. "He comes in every week to see the omnitheater matinee!"

Colonel hesitated, then released his grip. "...My apologies, sir," he said with a bow. "Please, carry on."

The boy muttered something and walked off. Colonel frowned and shook his head. "Well, that was uncalled for," he noted.

Sharon fumed. "What's 'uncalled for' is grabbing a guy like that!" she snapped. "What, were you going to break his spine?!"

"Well, with clothes and hair such as that, I was sure he was a ruffian," Colonel began.

"Just because they look like trouble doesn't mean they are!" she replied. "Look, I asked him what he was doing the first time he came in, and he did exactly what he said he was doing. It's that easy!" she paused and frowned. "You might be used to shooting first and asking questions later, but here it's just the opposite!"

Colonel frowned. He didn't appreciate Sharon's angry insolence, but she did have a point; guards were supposed to protect, not attack. "...I shall try to exercise more discretion in the future," he finished.

"Good," she replied. "Now, make yourself comfortable; we're going to be here until three."


The day went on with minimal trouble, as it usually did. Around 3:30, Iris and Zero finished their shifts and took a walk together in the butterfly exhibit. The red-brick path wove around a glass-domed room where the sun always seemed to shine, and waves of butterflies drifted lazily through hundreds of pastel-colored flowers. Iris loved this exhibit, and it had started to grow on Zero as well.

"Oh, this is nice..." Iris said as she knelt down and looked at a pretty, red tulip. "Hmm... This is the same color as you!" she laughed, pointing. "I never get tired of coming here."

"It's very relaxing, yes," Zero agreed, staring up at the roof. Outside the dome the chilly January winds blew, but inside it was as mild as a day in June.

"Everything seems to be perfect now," Iris said, watching the beautiful bugs drift around. "You're here, and all of my new friends, and my brother..."

That comment wrecked his enjoyment and brought Zero's troubles right back. He folded his arms and frowned again. "Your brother..." he repeated with a hint of suspicion.

Iris noticed the tone, stood up and looked at him. "What's wrong?" she asked. "He's your friend too..."

"Well, yes..." Zero said slowly, trying to find words for his edginess, but failing, "but... I don't know..."

Iris frowned. Zero and Colonel really had been friends, though she always knew that her brother didn't approve of her affection for the red Hunter. The Repliforce affair had pushed their friendship to the limit and broke it. The tension between them was the one thing that she hadn't thought about when she asked Smith to make him a new body, and the last thing she wanted was to see them fighting again. Zero's bitter behavior did little to alleviate her worry.

"Zero," she said crossly, hoping to stop any problems before they started. "I know you've had disagreements..."

Zero sighed. "That's one way of putting it," he remarked.

"Let me finish," she continued. "You have a chance to be friends again now! Wipe the slate clean! Forget about what happened!"

Zero raised an eyebrow. How can anyone forget the past? Sigma had used Repliforce to try and destroy humanity, and Zero had been forced to stop them. He was sure Colonel hadn't forgotten; why should he? Still, that was beside the point. Zero didn't suspect Colonel of anything; there was something else troubling him. Deep in his heart, he felt that something was wrong with the whole situation. He wanted to say something to Iris, but how could he? Anything bad he would say about Colonel would make her angry, and she would close of her ears to the rest.

Iris sighed. "Please, just try to get along with him," she pleaded. "It means a lot to me..."

Zero didn't like how Iris was blindly accepting the situation, but he also didn't want to make her upset. "...All right," he agreed. "I'll try."

Iris was about to thank him when they heard an extremely loud obscenity come from further down the path. "What was that?!" she asked.

"Sounded like Sharon," Zero sighed. "I wonder what it is this time..."

They walked up the path to a small gazebo-type structure, built for patrons to relax. It had a chessboard built into its center, at which were seated Sharon and Colonel. Sharon's jaws and fists were clenched as Colonel cleared the board.

"That's the third time!!!" she huffed. "Why can't I win?!"

"You get angry too quickly," Colonel explained bluntly as he set the board back up. "When you're angry, you lose focus and move your pieces around without thought, and you attack without any strategy, like a child. That is why I take your best pieces and win in under ten minutes."

Sharon's snarl got even louder. "Oh, I'm a HOTHEAD, eh?!" she snapped. "I'll show you HOT!!!" She raised her pointer finger and a little flame popped out of the tip. She flicked at Colonel's king, which melted into a small, white mound. Without another word, she got up and stomped off.

Colonel looked at the mess for a moment. "...Have I said something?" he asked.

"Don't worry about it, brother," Iris said as Zero and she came closer. "Usually trying to explain why she lost just makes things worse."

Colonel got up and smiled at his sister, then noticed how close to her Zero was standing and gave a serious look.

"So..." Zero said, trying to ease the tension. "How's your first day going?"

"Well enough," Colonel replied. "I halted two troublemakers from entering the museum, and now I've defeated my partner thrice in a row."

"That's great," Iris said. "You sound like you're enjoying it here!"

Colonel hesitated. Zero was too close to Iris for his comfort. He liked the Hunter as a friend, but he felt that he was too rough and dangerous to pursue his sister romantically. He quickly walked over, took Iris by her hand and gently tugged her away.

Zero noticed the deliberate warning, but said nothing unpleasant. "Guard detail's kind of boring in the mornings, isn't it?" he asked instead.

"Quite," Colonel replied. "I'm anxious to try a night shift. Perhaps I will see more action, then. For now..." He motioned to his sister. "Come, Iris. I'd like to see the rest of the city. Would you show me around?"

"All right!" Iris agreed, taking his hand and leading him out. "See you later, Zero! We'll be back before dinner!"

Zero watched them leave the gardens, and then his neutral look became a worried frown. He had expected this cold kind of treatment concerning Iris, and how Colonel talked to his other friends was a bit troublesome, but something else still bothered him.

"...Be careful, Iris..." he said. "...This doesn't feel right..."


The sink was washed out, and it was done. Smith peeled off his rubber gloves and tossed them in the box of items that he would incinerate in the museum furnace. "Whew... That's it," he said.

He glanced around his lab. All traces of the DNA Resurrection had been removed; the organ jars had been washed sterile and taken to the recycling plant, the capsule had been smashed and melted down and every inch of the room had been cleaned with the strongest solvents available. There was no way anyone could have guess that it was a crime scene.

The door opened and Dr. Golgi stepped in, still wearing that alluring smile of hers. "The jars are gone," she reported. "All that's left is to throw that box in the furnace."

"Right..." Smith sighed. He still didn't like that he had broken the law, but seeing how happy Iris was had taken the sting out of it. Besides, it was looking less and less likely that he was going to get caught. "I'll get to that in a moment. Do we have a story?"

"Yes," Golgi replied, leaning over on his desk. "You had his body all along; you recovered it from the underground cave and simply repaired it."

Smith raised an eyebrow. "...That's it?" he asked.

Golgi shrugged. "Sometimes the best stories are the shortest ones," she replied. She paused and picked up a framed photograph on his desk, looked it over and then put it back face-down.

"Well, I suppose..." Smith admitted, bending down and grabbing the box. "To the furnace!"

Since the heating area of the museum was on the same floor as the labs, the scientists didn't have far to go to reach the boiler room. They entered a small, warm room with a stone floor and brick walls. The furnace stood on the far wall, a massive machine with all sorts of buttons, monitors and pipes.

"Here we are," Smith said, walking up to the machine and hitting some buttons. A large hatch on the side opened, revealing a raging fire. Almost immediately the temperature went up. Smith knelt down at the hatch, took the items in the box and threw them in one by one.

"Good thinking, professor," Golgi complimented, stretching luxuriously. "The fire is so hot, nothing will be left of that stuff."

"Right..." Smith replied, continuing to throw things in. As each item burned up, he felt more and more relieved. There was little or no chance that the law could be thrown at him now, with no evidence.

Finally, the last object was in and he closed the hatch. "That's that," he sighed, folding the box up. "Now we'll just recycle this and everything will be fine. I'm not going to try that again, but I think we're in the clear."

Golgi chuckled softly. "Hmm, professor, you're so clever..." she said smoothly.

"Well, thank you," Smith replied.

Golgi advanced on him. "I think you deserve a reward," she said.

Smith paused. "What?" he asked. "What do you-"

Before he could finish, Golgi had him in a tight embrace with her tongue dancing around in his mouth, her whole body rubbing against him and her throat emitting pleasured moans. Her fingers pressed into his back and tugged at his clothes, seemingly trying to pull them off. She leaned even more into him and they toppled to the ground.

Smith had been stunned from the tongue, but he quickly regained his senses. He managed to get his hands on Golgi's shoulders and pushed her away. "WHAT are you doing?!" he yelled angrily.

Golgi was still smiling. "I thought we'd take this partnership a little further," she whispered, her hands reaching down and clutching at his belt loops. "Celebrate our success..." She leaned in and sucked his tongue again.

It would have been a lie to say that Smith didn't enjoy what she was doing, but he also knew that it was wrong. Not only was it against museum policy to engage in this during hours, but, as beautiful as she was, he just wasn't interested in her in that way.

Her movements were even more fluidic now, and her fingers had almost pried his pants off. He grabbed her shoulders and shoved again. "Get OFF me!" he yelled, practically knocking her onto the floor.

Golgi gave him a surprised look. "You didn't like it?" she asked.

"Look," Smith huffed, standing up and re-zipping his pants. "Dr. Golgi, I like working with you, but I'd prefer to keep things professional."

Golgi smiled again. "OK," she said. "Maybe we can wait until later, and go on back to my place... I have more skills in the-"

"No," Smith said sharply. "I don't want to do anything like that. If you hadn't helped me out just now, I'd report you."

Golgi's smile faded. "...I see," she said, getting up. "I didn't know you felt that way. I'm sorry."

Smith gave her a concerned look. "...Well, I guess it's OK..." he said. "...Just... Don't do that again. If you'll excuse me, I have to recycle this box..." He grabbed the cardboard and left quickly.

Golgi sighed, fixed her clothes and adjusted her glasses. "Oh, well..." she said, pulling out a small device and staring at it. "I gave you a chance to live..."


"So, this is the business district," Iris said as Colonel and she crossed a street and arrived at the always-bustling EcoLab Plaza. "Some of the most powerful companies in the region have their headquarters here."

Colonel looked around, his mouth locked in a neutral pose. So far, he didn't seem very impressed with St. Paul; Iris had shown him the natural beauty of Rice Park, the classical architecture of the Landmark Center and even the modern wonders locked in the renaissance-style building of the central library. He marvelled at none of them, and had barely said a word during the whole trip. At first Iris thought he was just cold (he had gone out in the middle of January without a jacket, after all), but now she was starting to worry. Her brother's opinions were very important to her.

"So, um..." she went on, glancing around. "Down that street are all the best restaurants in town. Would you like to get something?"

"...Do you like it here, Iris?" Colonel asked suddenly, looking down at her.

The question confused her. "What?... Well, yes. I like it very much," she answered after a pause.

"It doesn't seem very safe," Colonel went on. "I have only counted two police officers during our walk."

"There isn't much crime, really," Iris replied. "Besides, since the whole city knows that the Maverick Hunters are at the museum, most crooks won't try anything."

Colonel looked around at the people walking by, dressed in their big, puffy, awkward winter clothes. "It doesn't exactly seem very cultured, either," he noted.

"Well, it isn't Paris or New York," Iris agreed, "but the people are friendly and helpful. They'll give you directions even if you aren't wearing diamonds and speak perfectly."

"...And Mavericks?" Colonel asked, searching for another topic. "What do they do when those come?"

"Mavericks aren't really a problem anymore," Iris answered with a happy smile. "X and Zero were able to stop the virus that creates them..." She paused and frowned. "Well... Maybe not... At first I thought Ribosome was rebuilding them, like Professor Smith rebuilt me, but with Agile..." She trailed off, then shook her head. "I'm sure we can handle them!"

Colonel eyed her suspiciously. "'We?'" he asked.

Iris gulped. She had almost given away that she was a Hunter, too. "X and Zero, I mean," she replied quickly, "but we're all team members, right?"

Colonel frowned at the mention of Zero, but nodded in understanding. "Of course..." he said. "Well... Perhaps I am feeling a bit peckish... Why don't we find a good restaurant to sit down and-"

Suddenly, a loud explosion tore through a nearby building, throwing debris and smoke everywhere. Instantly the residents started screaming and fled the scene.

"What was that?!" Colonel asked, looking at the damaged building.

Iris frowned. "That's the biggest bank in town!" she exclaimed. "Come on!"

Iris dashed off towards the wreck, a surprised Colonel trailing after her, wondering why she was so interested in getting there. If she was a navigator, shouldn't she call for the Hunters? Perhaps she was simply observing the situation before calling, he thought. Still, in the spirit of caution, he drew his saber as they rounded the corner and ran into the building.

Iris made her way into the wreckage and looked around. All of the tellers and customers were huddled in one corner, nobody seemingly hurt. "Is everyone all right?" she asked.

"Yes!" a teller managed in a half-scream. "They... They're in the vault!... Four of 'em!..."

Iris breathed a sigh of relief and turned her attention to a huge hole in the wall, where more smoke was pouring out. Almost as soon as she had turned to it, three green-armored Reploids emerged carrying small, metal safe-deposit boxes. One looked up, saw Iris and stiffened. "Uh-oh," he said.

Iris instantly had her I-Buster out and aimed. "Maverick Hunter! Freeze!" she shouted.

The green robots dropped their boxes and put their hands in the air. Iris was about to smile in triumph when she noticed something wrong. There were three Reploids here. Didn't the teller say there were four?

"Well, well, well..." a harsh, raspy voice came from the hole. "I figured we'd run into you, little lady."

"Who's there?" Iris asked. "Come out!"

From out of the hole stepped a tall, Reploid deer wearing purple and red armor. His fists were ablaze, as were his antlers. On his face was a sinister grin, and his eyes sparked with fury. "Iris Thorne, eh?" he asked. "Name's Flame Stag. Nice to meet you."

Iris frowned and aimed at him. "I don't care what your name is," she warned. "Why are you doing this?!"

"Just doing what Agile asked," Flame Stag chuckled. "Happens that this bank's got some bio lab's whole collection of pathogens in its safety vault! Pretty crappy thinking, if you ask me... Still, d'you wanna know what Agile's up to?"

Iris was unmoved. "It doesn't matter," she said. "Put your hands up, and nobody has to get hurt!"

Flame Stag chuckled. "Heh... You're something else, aren't you? Are you sure you want to be pointing that at me?"

Iris raised an eyebrow. "Why not?" she asked.

Flame Stag grinned evilly and pointed behind her. As soon as he did, Colonel rushed into the building. "Iris, what's happening?!" he asked, his sword at the ready. He saw the crooks and Flame Stag, but then his eyes focused right on Iris's gun.

Instantly Iris felt sick to her stomach. "What are you doing with that?!" Colonel asked angrily.

"Oh, hello, there, Colonel," Flame Stag chuckled. "Your sister was just about to deal with us!"

The other Reploids laughed cruelly. Iris turned around and confronted her furious brother. "Brother... I can exp-" she started.

Colonel grabbed her roughly by the shoulder and pushed her towards the cowering prisoners. "Get back," he warned. "I'll handle this."

"Oh! So brave," Flame Stag laughed. "Always a soldier first, aren't you?"

Colonel lunged at the perps with a powerful battle cry. With only one slash, the three underlings were on the floor in segments.

Flame Stag laughed. "What, no mercy?" he asked.

Colonel readied his sword. "Criminals such as you deserve none," he growled.

"Ooh, so cruel!" the stag snickered. "No wonder people hated Repliforce!"

"Silence!" Colonel snapped, charging with his blade. Flame Stag leaped forward and met the sword with his knuckle, and the two fire attacks fizzled in deadlock. Colonel struggled to push the burning fist away, but Stag wouldn't budge. With a sharp yell, Stag brought his leg up and into Colonel's stomach, knocking him to the ground.

"Ha!" Flame Stag laughed, reaching down and grabbing the boxes. "You're a joke! Leave the fighting to the professionals, grampa!" His body glowed, and he was gone.

Iris picked herself up and ran to the wheezing Colonel. "Are you all right?" she asked.

"Ugh..." Colonel groaned. "I must be a little rusty." He paused, then frowned at her. "Why do you have that?" he asked, pointing to her I-Buster.

Iris gulped and looked at the gun. "I... It was for self-defense," she said quickly. "I might be a navigator, but I still have to be safe..."

Colonel sighed crossly and shook his head. "Well..." he muttered, getting to his feet. "As long as it's only for defense..."

"Hey!" Sharon's voice came from behind them. They turned around to see Sharon, X and Zero enter the bank. "Smith said there was a Maverick here! Are we late?"

"Hi, Sharon," Iris said with a sigh. "Yeah... Flame Stag was here, but he got away... Took a pathogen collection with him, too..."

"Pathogens?!" X gulped. "Oh, dear..."

Zero frowned. "Well, don't worry..." he said. "You did the best you could. We'll just have to find him and get it back."

Iris reddened at Zero's comment, feeling Colonel's suspicious eyes on her neck. "Me? Oh, no, not me," she replied, frantically pointing at Colonel. "My brother's the one who stopped it."

"Oh, I see," Sharon said. "Nice work, Colonel! Too bad he got away."

Colonel frowned. "He would not have escaped if I had come in sooner," he said. "Although I'm certain my skills made him decide to flee."

Sharon sighed, annoyed with his egotistical ramblings. "Right," she muttered.

X looked over the chopped-up lackeys and shook his head. "These guys are dressed just like the guys we saw at Dr. Light's," he observed. "They must be some of Agile's."

"Breaking into a bank, stealing germs..." Zero said with a frown. "What are they after?..."