Author's note: So here the story takes a brief break from X's hunt of the Mavericks. I always felt Mega Man X needed this kind of mid-game stage, so I decided to put this in to give the story one.
Cain Laboratories, Abel City
Dr. Cain watched as the sun set over the city he had helped usher ruin upon. When Sigma's rebellion started, Cain had been placed under house arrest, both for his role in creating Sigma and the Reploids that had followed him and for his own safety. He knew many people in Abel City hated him, but the protection was mainly to ensure Sigma didn't capture him. He had also been ordered to prioritize his research into countering Mavericks and repairing critically damaged Reploids. Revenge and redemption in the same decree. His was a curious legal position indeed.
Behind the old doctor, a life-support machine mounted on a motorized cart made quiet bubbling and chugging noises. Soon after Sigma's initial attack Cain had been found in a comatose state and was found to have suffered a severe heart attack from shock. Fortunately, modern medicine was able to revive the doctor at the Hunters' request, for his skills would be invaluable to repairing damaged Reploids. Long before the rebellion, Cain had been working on advanced repair systems that could fully restore a Reploid's damaged personality and, once the Maverick Virus had been discovered, Cain had added the objective of being able to purge the virus from their personality data. The Hunters had the only prototype, which only performed the former function. However, Cain's work had progressed greatly since Sigma's rebellion started, with the old doctor nearly working himself to death out of guilt before X had paid him a visit.
Though Cain expected X to be suffering from guilt similar to his, X had been surprisingly calm during the visit, only once lamenting on the unnecessary nature of the whole rebellion. Cain had thought at that time X had finally found the purpose in life he had so desparately tried to find when he was discovered and had been elated. But now, Cain was starting to regret and even feel revulsion at his reaction upon seeing what his newfound role as the world's savior was doing to X. He hadn't visited again since the last time, but Cain had managed to glimpse him in Hunter Base, after X had taken out Storm Eagle. The doctor's requests to speak with him had, for once, gone unanswered, and even Zero had distanced himself from X, albiet reluctantly. X had let him analyze his dash boots once Cain had explained that their function could be implemented into X's original feet by provision.
Cain sighed and turned back to his latest project: a Reploid scientist who could help him in his endeavors. Dr. Doppler, as he called him, was nearing completion and was already able to help out with some tasks despite his incomplete state. Cain had always (mistakenly, according to some) focused on programming before the physical body, so Doppler was already able to help out with his own construction and other ventures of Cain's.
"Are you alright, Dr. Cain?" the mostly-complete Reploid asked.
"Yes, I'm...fine..."
"You should get some rest, doctor. I can watch over the lab."
"Thank you, Doppler. I very much appreciate your concern."
"The human mind only functions at its optimum when it is well-cared for. And caring for the brain includes rest, doctor."
"Every time I sleep, I feel as if I am slipping away from life. I suspect the machine is having a harder time bringing me back to conciousness every time I fall asleep."
"Then I shall have an assistant on standby with a defibrilator."
Dr. Cain smiled at Doppler's attempt to reassure him and withdrew to the quarters attached to the lab, the cart with his life support following.
Outside, several patrols of soldiers ringed the house. While it wasn't the military that ordered Cain's house arrest, their troops had been requested as only they possessed firepower that could deal with Reploids and the Hunters were spread too thinly to provide guards. Unfortunately, the lack of action since the beginning of Sigma's rebellion had made them complacent, and they would need every ounce of vigilance to catch the threat stalking them now.
Sting Chameleon grumbled at being "requisitioned", as he thought of it, for Vile's job but was eager to prove himself to the purple Reploid he respected above many others. He was watching the patrols from the perfect safety of his own camouflage. There was only several minutes until the next guard change, but he couldn't risk revealing himself now. He had to take all the guards out in order to prevent an alert from escaping.
At precisely midnight, two trucks arrived with the next shift of guards. On cue, Distance Needler rounds sliced through the guards massed around the rear of the trucks. Half of them were dead and Sigma's trump card hadn't even been revealed. Sting Chameleon scrambled inside the truck with more surviviors and revealed himself.
"Surprise! Now please die quietly. I'd hate to wake the poor doctor..." With a swipe of his barb-lined tail, half a dozen guards fell, clutching ghastly wounds across their arms and chests. Sting Chameleon aimed his tail and fired off his signature Chameleon Sting, adjusting the laser turret on his tail to inflict maximum damage against biological targets. The guards never stood a chance, the Chameleon Sting bolts frying them where they stood. The lasers passed harmlessly through the wall of the truck and disappeared. Meanwhile, Vile had managed to subdue the drivers of both vehicles without causing a commotion.
"There's a first," Sting Chameleon grumbled to himself as the remainder of the guards surrendered. Vile guarded them while Sting Chameleon snuck inside the lab to probe for additional defenses. When he saw the incomplete form of Doppler, the former snuck around him and unplugged Doppler's power supply, shutting the incomplete Reploid down. Sting Chameleon gave the all-clear before teleporting back to his base. Simultaneously, several guards from Sigma Palace's prison contingent began teleporting their captives out one at a time.
Dr. Cain woke to a crashing sound as the door to his quarters was kicked in. As his vision came into focus, he recognized Vile.
"Sorry to disrupt your sleep, doc, but you know Sigma doesn't like to be kept waiting." Vile roughly hoisted Cain over his shoulder before seeing the life-support cart. He inwardly groaned. There wasn't time to disconnect Cain from it safely, but it wouldn't be possible for him to safely teleport himself, Cain, and the life-support unit at once. Vile suddenly remembered the Doppler and realized that he might be able to boost the teleport signal by using the Reploid scientist's own teleporter unit...
Throne Room, Sigma Palace
Sigma turned as several forms teleported into the entrance to the throne room. He smiled with satisfaction. Vile had pulled off the kidnapping without a hitch; the Jamminger that Sigma was monitoring the operation from had reported no alert had been sent out.
"Excellent job, Vile. You are dismissed. What have we here?" Sigma stared with curiosity at Doppler. He was interrupted by Cain.
"Sigma...what do you want with me?" Despite the confrontational nature of the question, Cain had spoken with a neutral tone.
"Mankind created Reploids. Thus humans are also the only ones who could possible understand everything about our bodies and functions."
"So you kidnapped me to serve as your repair boy? I thought your rebellion was about establishing a Reploid-only world."
"Our rebellion," Sigma corrected with visible irritation, "is about liberating Reploids. Not ethnic cleansing."
Cain opened his mouth to respond, but Sigma had already turned to Doppler. "A Reploid scientist? Interesting..."
"You know that I am too old to continue my work without assistance, Sigma. Now, why do you want me?"
On cue, Storm Eagle walked in. "Dr. Cain." the flat, emotionless tone caught Cain completely off guard.
"You...want me to restore his personality, yes?" the doctor surmised.
Sigma nodded. "We have a backup of his programming stored in our archives, however his repaired body seems incompatable with it."
"Why, Sigma? As long as they still fight for you, isn't that good enough?"
"Clearly humanity's defenders have been brainwashing you, doctor. Our rebellion is about showing the world the true potential of Reploids and liberating ourselves from slavery. To only partially restore a Reploid's personality would be hypocritical to my creed."
"Slavery? Your kind are given the freedom to chose their course in life."
"But we are built with a purpose in mind, no? By virtue of this we are limited in what choices we can make. All of us can be weaponized, but between serving as Hunters or working in the profession we were built for, many of us have much less choice than you think. Those built around animal designs especially."
Sigma had a point. Cain resignedly sighed. "Very well, Doppler and I shall get to work then."
"Excellent. I'm glad you chose to cooperate, doctor. I presume you will not need further assistance than what you already have, but we will be willing to provide it for you upon request."
"My job was to work on Reploid technology, regardless of whether than tech has been branded Maverick or not."
"I might also be able to purge the Sigma Virus from the damaged Reploids," Cain thought. "If law enforcement finds out I cooperated with Sigma, that will be my only chance at redemption. They were courteous enough to spare me once, but I can tell that they only did so reluctantly and at the Hunter's request. They won't be so lenient this time."
With that, Cain followed Sigma and the zombified Storm Eagle to the repair bay.
Hunter Base, 2 hours after the kidnapping
An alert flashed inside X's pod.
"Ugh...another attack already? How's a Hunter supposed to get some sleep..." Nonetheless, X climbed out of his pod to find Zero waiting for him.
"C'mon, X, we don't have a second to lose!"
"Wha...What's going on?" X moaned groggily.
"Dr. Cain's been kidnapped! We're holding a briefing for a rescue operation." X started at the news. Without Dr. Cain, the Hunters would have an even harder time repairing damaged Reploids, stretching their already-thin ranks even further. To say nothing of what an advantage this would be for Sigma...
Prison, Sigma Palace, 8 hours later
Teal looked up as her cell door was opened. She saw the looming figure of Sigma and felt her blood begin to boil. "Can't he just leave me alone?!"
She leapt from her place and rushed at Sigma, aiming straight for that smug face of his, though he was wearing another blank expression. The Maverick leader stopped her rush with his hand, but he let her swing, though the punch did little physical damage. At the sound of the hit, the guards rushed forward.
"At ease, gentlemen. I have it under control." Teal fought the urge to hit him again at hearing that maddeningly calm tone of his. He may have let her go this time, but there was no guarentee he would do so again. "I won't stop you from hitting me again. But if you are done venting your emotions, there is something I would like you to see, Teal."
"What would you know of emotions?!" Teal was becoming irrationally infuriated by Sigma's calm demeanor.
"I am a Reploid, Teal. I possess the same potential emotional depth and thinking skills as humans. Acting Maverick does not change that. Now please come with me, or I will have to put you back in your cell until you calm down."
Teal managed to get a grip on her emotions and followed Sigma to the lift. She noticed Sigma hadn't brought any guards with him. Not that a single, unarmed human could be of much threat to him or have a chance of escaping the presence of one of the most powerful Reploids in existance. When they exited the lift Sigma turned and began walking towards the repair bay. Teal, having never been anywhere besides the throne room and prison, followed him blindly until they entered the repair bay. Sigma led her over to a table surrounded by a curtain, which one of the repair droids pulled aside as they approached. Teal stared uncomprehendingly at Storm Eagle, who had been completely restored but remained unconcious.
"He will awaken once his self-diagnostic completes. I imagine you would want to be there when he does..." Sigma turned and left the repair bay.
An attendant placed a chair by the table and Teal quickly sat down, holding Storm Eagle's hand and trying to sort out the whirlpool of thoughts in her head. Sigma hadn't been lying to her, but why would he do that? It certainly wasn't out of morality, but she couldn't think of any alternative explanation. Maybe she had misjudged him...
Cain Laboratories, 4 hours after the kidnapping
"Shit!" Zero swore as an investigator droid showed him the results of their probe into the kidnapping. They had finally managed to determine the destination of Vile's teleport signal: Sigma Palace. "Well, looks like we're not getting Cain back easily if at all."
Nearby, X depressedly probed the remains of several guards inside one of the trucks. "Some of these guys died from high-energy burns."
Zero sighed. "It doesn't take a careful analysis to determine that, and besides, you've said it already. Tell me something I don't know." With no witnesses, they now knew who was behind the attack but nothing else, and that was the worst news possible.
"And what are you doing?! Standing around isn't going to help us get the doctor back either!"
"We couldn't get Cain back if we tried, X! Concentrating our manpower would just let the Mavericks rampage throughout the city! For once you're ability to feel isn't going to help!"
The two glared at each other for a few seconds. Zero felt his helmet crystal start to glow and heard a faint voice whisper in German-accented English: "Yes, kill him! Prove that your maker is the greater genius, Zero!" Eventually X sighed and broke the tension.
"I'm sorry, Zero. You're right; I have to keep my feelings and actions separate."
"X, it's not that simple. I've seen what your determination and anger can do to enhance your combat prowess. Unlike other Reploids, it drives you to fight harder, not more recklessly. But you can't let your emotions affect your decision-making outside of direct combat - " Zero cut off as X stalked into the lab building, not wanting to hear any more. He sighed. If he couldn't find a way to help X cope, his friend would either go into depression or snap and become Maverick himself...
Repair Bay, Sigma Palace
Storm Eagle's eyes opened for the first time since his defeat. While they had been open before, it had felt as though he were waking up from a dream within a dream; in other words, not the same. His self-diagnostic informed him that he was completely functional and his personality had been restored completely. Storm Eagle smiled at thinking how happy Teal would be to see that.
Suddenly, a hand squeezed his own. Storm Eagle sat up and saw his girlfriend next to him. "Teal..."
Without another word, the two embraced each other, Storm Eagle folding his wings around them both just as he had before setting out to face X. "X..." Suddenly Storm Eagle let go. Teal stared at him, confused and slightly hurt by the abrupt action.
"It's about X...isn't it." It was more of a statement than a question. Storm Eagle sighed and looked at her.
"How twisted the world has become...he was going to be the best man, remember? That seems like so long ago now..."
"I don't hold anything against him for killing you, and I don't hold anything against you for what you were forced to do. You're both victims of Sigma's plot."
It should have eased Storm Eagle's conscience, but, oddly, it didn't. He was feeling an emotion he hadn't felt since Sigma's rebellion started and he'd been implanted with the Sigma Virus: regret. Teal might forgive him because of his circumstances, but very little of the remainder of the world would care, and fewer still would forgive. "It doesn't matter whether I was the victim or not. I could have chosen to stand against him."
"You did, remember? It was only because Sigma kidnapped me that he got you to comply. The world will understand. You'll see. And I know X will vouch for you."
"X's word, strong as it is, cannot excuse what I have done, Teal. And the world's hidden fears and paranoia about Reploids will rise to fever pitch as the rebellion progresses. There is no hope of redemption for me."
"You can't give up now! Are you just going to throw away everything that was done to bring you so painstakingly back to life? Even if it was Sigma who did it..." Teal lowered her voice to a whisper and spoke in Storm Eagle's ear. "...Dr. Cain removed the Sigma Virus override in you. He also put a safeguard against it."
"That doesn't change the fact Sigma virtually has you by the neck, Teal. And I know of this 'safeguard'. Though it works most of the time it's performance is not guarenteed."
"It does change what might happen if X confronts you again. You can fight by his side knowing there isn't a chance you'll be mind-controlled and forced to betray him at any moment," Teal whispered. Storm Eagle thought about it. If X did make it as far as Sigma's fortress, then the odds were likely in his favor. Storm Eagle made up his mind. If they were to meet again he wouldn't fight him; he'd rejoin his old friend on the side of humanity. He would let Sigma hurt his girl no more. Teal saw the change in his eyes. "We're going to make it through, aren't we?"
For the first time since his failed attempt to stop Sigma, Storm Eagle felt hope. "Yes, my dear. We will. I promise."
Hunter Base
X and Zero teleported back into the base. Zero was offering words of encouragement, but X felt nothing but resignation. Up until then, he had justified killing his former friends and even role models by saying it would save the world, but Dr. Cain's kidnapping seemed to mock his optimism and show him that, despite his efforts, the world could not be saved. X wouldn't give up hope that the side of good could prevail, but he had lost all hope that his former friends could be redeemed, and the unshakable thought depressed him severely.
"Look, X, you can't go into battle like this and alone! Let me come with you again; I have all the intel I could find on Sigma's fortress."
"Like I said, Zero, just go after another Maverick."
"Has your grief blinded you? Did you forget that I'm going to be mobbed as soon as I step foot into Sigma's territory?"
"Shut up! You don't understand what I'm feeling."
"Fine, I'll leave you to them, since they're clearly beyond my understanding." Without another word, Zero marched off. "And you can forget about backup! Get yourself beat up; maybe that will teach you to walk into combat in that state!"
X watched guiltily as his friend left. Everyone else stared at him before continuing about their business, but X noticed they were all eyeing him watchfully and kept their distance. Great. He had managed to chase off his only remaining moral support. Dr. Cain had begun arguing with him about whether being a Hunter was the right job for a while so he had stopped seeing the old man, his only other Hunter friend, Storm Eagle, was dead, and now he'd managed to anger Zero. For a robot built with social interaction as a primary function he failed miserably at it, X depressedly thought as he retreated to his pod.
Sealing himself inside, he powered down for a few hours. The number of Maverick incidents were declining sharply, and the remaining four Maverick generals hadn't moved their armies at all since the initial conquest. He could afford a few hours of sleep. As the pod closed, X suddenly thought back to when Dr. Light had sealed him away.
"You are the world's one true hope," he had said. X had fervently believed his father's words, but what would happen to the world when their hope had lost all hope himself?
Author's Note: The last few chapters haven't shown much of X's reaction to defeating Mavericks. While he's put his physical reactions aside it's bottling up inside him, and that's what happened here. It just didn't seem right to have X grieve only about the first two and feel completely fine smashing the other six, so this was how I tried to address that.
