- - - - - - -
A new day dawned, the cold rain had gone away and Hunter HQ returned to normal. The sun shined and the wind whistled, even the birds returned alive, chittering again like they had died with the winter only to be resurrected. Soldier marched like there had been no yesterday. It was the same flawed world.
They gathered at the top of the Tower, deep in the den of the Hunter Saint, to finally put the ugly business behind them. The six players in the last twelve hour waited for the leader of the Maverick Hunters.
Signas entered the room and the six gave their attention as he made his way to the head of the meeting. "First, I'd like to thank the heroes for their efforts, truly above and beyond the call of duty," the head reploid saluted them and the other reploid followed. X and Zero returned their commander's sign of respect. Afterwards they took their seats and the meeting formally began.
"Thanks to the selfless efforts of X, Zero, and Dr. Cain a great disaster has been averted," Signas summarized the Dr. Cain's report for the half of the room which was not privy to all the information, "Through a private investigation, involving Colonels X and Zero, they exposed General Go as a traitor."
The female scientist remained in silent awe as the news continued, careful not to let the blue reploid catch her shock.
"The two hunters defused General Go's plan, a plan described here in Colonel Sakura's report," he raised a slate as the example.
The colonel took her time to intervene, "We caught a couple Mavericks, and they talked," she boasted, "they always talk."
"Yes," Signas motioned, "General Go's association with the Deliberation Army was to coordinate an attack on Repliforce. The plan was to assassinate the General of Repliforce, and then Go would use his pull to be named the new General by the Cain Foundation, under my recommendation."
"But, how did he do it?!" the shinobi demanded to know, "Why didn't anybody notice?!"
Signas had prepared the answer, "That's best answered by Colonel Magenta, at an undisclosed location." The Hunter Saint was not about to expose all of the secrets of the Hunters. The head of the Maverick Hunters contacted the leader of the Science Unit, who appeared in a screen behind them. "Colonel, tell them what you've found."
"Now that the General is dead, his files have been declassified," a second screen displayed the uncensored truth about the fallen Hunter, "Go was a special type of reploid. What made the General unique, and suited for his career, was his abnormally large brain. Unlike other reploid, Go's processing capability was expanded by incorporating his brain functions into his other parts. In short, his entire body was his brain."
Megaman X used all his might to prevent from shaking with rage. The Maverick Hunters had never been a perfect organization, but Magenta represented every horrible thing the organization kept hidden. The fact that the head of the Science Unit worked so closely, and under the approval of, Signas, dirtied his hands as well. Who's to say what other accidents were engineered by Magenta's machinations.
"It seems, however, the increase in brain function caused a new ability which was not engineered to manifest," the scientist continued, "Go's brain could exert a thought altering wave, which, I suspect, he used to dull perception and erase short term memory."
"Why didn't he use that on us?" Zero asked.
Sitting besides the shinobi, the bearded old man guessed the answer, "Because you two use a special brain type. The General's psionic attacks may only work on Cain-Class reploids. It was your Light-Class brains that saved you." Dr. Cain reflected for a moment, "It really was a good call to bring the both of you in on the investigation."
"With his clearance, and the mind wave to cover his tracks, he was able to sabotage the Satellite System undetected."
The red reploid sat up, remembering what he wished to know, "What about the Nine? What's gonna happen to them?" The 0 Unit had stormed the bunker where the Nine had escaped to. A difficult battle ensued, but it came to a halt after only a few minutes.
"The Nine will make a full recovery," Magenta responded, "They claim they were controlled by the General. And scans show nothing of the Virus in them. The General's shell tested positive, though."
"What about Repliforce?" the red reploid added.
"The Repliforce has been warned about the attack," the Hunter Saint prepared to dismiss the meeting. "Without the element of surprise, or General Go as the leader, the Maverick rebellion has been stopped. A new Command Sergeant Major has been promoted in the Repliforce, while a new Officer Grade has been commissioned for Colonel. Finally plugging the power vacuum they hoped to take advantage of.
"To ensure peace domestically, and guard the reputation of this sector, the results of this investigation must be covered up."Most of the audience was surprised, except for the shinobi and the head of the 9th Unit, who could predict the leader's movements. "News that a Maverick was among the highest ranking officers can cause anarchy.
"The engineers who witnessed last night's mission have been sworn to secrecy, and they'll be transferring to other bases of their choosing. Officially, General Go will be retired with honors, having fallen in a secret plan to weed out the Mavericks in sector T34. And nothing discussed here will leave this room."
- - - - - - - -
The same four walls surrounded the Maverick Hunter. His box at the top of the Tower never felt so small. Sleep had been restless, and Signas' orders didn't sit well with him. His mind was elsewhere, torn between the dirty floors of that military bunker half a world away and the muddy puddle where it had all began. So consumed, he hadn't noticed his oldest friend come in.
The old man slowly took his seat. The red reploid might have been X's closest friend, but Dr. Cain was there on the day he was born. There could not have been a more perfect man to uncover him. The good doctor had taken him in to his home, and always treated him as an equal. The old man cleared him throat, "You've grown a lot, X, have I ever told you that?"
Only all the time.
He had the blue reploid's attention, "But, you've never outgrown your habits. Every time something goes wrong, you sulk like it was your own fault." The old man wasn't criticizing him, it was only what he had observed the Hunter to do.
"Dr. Cain," X admitted, "Rosa was soul erased. And, I soul erased General Go."
The doctor knew this. The old man gazed up at the troubled young man before him and asked simply, "Did you enjoy it?"
"No, I was…"
"There's no doubt in my mind that Go deserved it. The General had an ambition on a global scale, and desperate measures had to be taken. No one will blame you for what had to be done."
But the doctor's words didn't help, "That does not make me feel any better."
"I doubt it would. You'll probably be torturing yourself over the fact for a few weeks. It's your nature." There was no one who could know X any better than the old man. "I am relieved you didn't bring up the Soul Eraser at this morning's meeting. You've learned to pick your battles."
Personally, the subject made him sick. Ashamed that he had kept him mouth shut about the Soul Eraser Weapons. It wouldn't have mattered, since Signas had buried the investigation. "The other Hunters have a right to know what is going under their feet."
"They do," the old man started getting up, his cane trembled as he pushed upward, "I could bring it up at the next meeting of the Foundation, but I doubt it will do any good." The blue reploid came around to help his elder up, "The bottom line is the Foundation doesn't care how you control the Mavericks, only that you control them. A long public debate wouldn't accomplish anything except exposing the secret of the weapons. It's for the best that the secret to remain hidden. The genie must be kept in his bottle for as long as it can."
"There's still a missing batch of weapons out there." The 9th Unit had recovered some weapons when they raided the Maverick hide out, but it was only a fraction of the arms which were missing.
"General Go was always the type to squirrel away his resources for a future plan. If the General stored the weapons the whereabouts might have died with him." The old man steadied himself, and remembered what he had come for, "X, when is your next leave?"
"Not for another two days, sir."
"Nonsense," the doctor was cheerful again, "I'll make a call, and you can come home with me today." The blue reploid tried to object, but Dr. Cain wouldn't hear of it, "You deserve it, after what you've been through."
The blue reploid prepared for departure, filling in Pallet with his plan, and leaving another member of the 17th Unit in charge. But before they could leave, the doctor had one last errand to finish. "Before we leave, I'll need to recover Rosa's body as evidence."
He called it her body, when the average human would call it a "shell." The good doctor called everyone he met, "young man," or "young lady," be they human or reploid, since there was hardly anyone older than he. But, the blue reploid didn't need an explanation why he needed the body.
Reploids are born indentured servants. Reploids are built by humans to perform a specific job, and for their investment in bringing them to life, Reploids are expected to work for their creators for a fixed period of time. However, there is almost no control over what kind of personality the Reploid may have, so there are a few cases of Reploids drafted into the wrong life style.
The problem is never more apparent than inside the Maverick Hunters. Hunter Labs creates thousands of Hunter-Class reploids to fill out the ranks of the Legions. But, there are always a lump of rookies who are unsuitable for battle. Regardless, the unwilling soldiers are given arms and told to wish to last the three years in order to withdraw from the Hunters.
Rosa was a different case. "She was wasted where I found her. Her family lent her to me, but I'll need her body to prove I didn't let her runaway, or set her free."
Dr. Cain was even nice enough to call them her family. Grudgingly, the blue reploid set down to do finish his last chore.
- - - - - - - -
It had only been half-a-day since Rosa had been retired, so the girl's chassis was still in the science lab. The body had been wheeled away to the infirmary section to not take up space. Most reploids don't leave bodies, so it really was a rare case that the young woman had left behind and unspoiled shell. A white sheet draped over her to cover her bare chest where the nurses had split open her blouse when she was brought in.
The famous hunter's mind ached as he stared at her laying there. The bullet had erased her mind, so Rosa slipped away without a care for the world, so she lay there serenely like she was sleeping.
The blue reploid was at her bedside when Zero stepped in. He strode to the foot of the bed where his friend was lost in thought. Dead bodies didn't stun the veteran hunter, having been a corpse himself more times than he cared to remember. The dead envy the living, he had learned.
The blue reploid continued to ignore him. Zero crossed his arms and waited impatiently for X to acknowledge him. After a minute, the shinobi broke his silence, "You're not gonna to quit on us, again? Are you, X?" he winked playfully at his friend.
A smile transformed the Hunter's face, "No, I will just be leaving early."
Zero didn't know what he was talking about, but played along, "You don't say."
The blue reploid went back to watching Rosa on the stretcher, when he finally spoke his mind, "Zero, have you ever seen things when you die?"
His friend indulged him, "You mean, like, my life flashing before my eyes?"
"Yeah."
The blue reploid was in one of his moods, Zero knew them too well. "I did, once."
X inhaled a deep breath, then exhaled as he turned his view upward to the ceiling as he began to reminisce. "During the last days of the war, you and I demolished several ships; our last big hit was the run on Cricket's flying fortress,"
"The Hand of Cruelty," Zero spoke up.
"Yep." X continued, "And, in the end, the whole place fell apart around us. The blast had sent us flying. I could feel the steady decline as the wind cut past us. I looked over to you and you were grinning like a mad man."
"I was smiling, 'cause I got that Cricket good," the red reploid couldn't help but grim when he thought of it.
"All I could hear was the wind as it blew past my ears. The sky was a blur, but I could still taste the black smoke spewing from the sinking fortress. I shut my eyes, knowing that when I'd land, I would be dead. So, I waited for my life to flash before my eyes, or the final sound of my skull shattering, but, instead, what I heard was a splash.
"I had fallen in an ocean, and continued to sink towards the bottom. I let out my last gasp of air, acknowledging the water to fill my lungs and get it over with. As the last bubbles left my lips, the ocean water flooded in but refused to subdue me.
"I let my eyes open slowly, and I saw something I could hardly believe. There were reploids swimming in the ocean. Some in pairs. Some in dozens. Others in schools of thousands, living freely in the ocean. They were armor-less, and their synthetic skin had a transparent-luminous, quality.
"A small school started to swim around me. Some were men. Some were women. And I notice that I was naked, too.
"I covered my shame, and continued to sink. The ocean-dwellers swam closer, probing me with their eyes. I landed on the ocean floor safely on my feet; the luminous reploids gave me one last look before they swam away. Followed by the strangest feeling I have ever felt.
"As they swam away, the ocean seemed to swim away with them. I felt the cold air hit my feet, climb up my legs, then onto my chest, after the ocean cleared my head, I fell on my side, coughing up the water inside my lungs.
"I woke up in a medical station, and they were replacing my legs."
The red reploid remembered the attack on the Hand of Cruelty. He had landed on his side, shattering his shoulder and screaming to high heaven when he did. Sheepishly, he gazed at his friend from the corners of his eyes, Zero added, "You were unconscious? What a marshmallow."
Zero always knew how to pull X out of his melancholy. The blue reploid chuckled, and went back to what he had set out to do. He had spent enough time in the infirmary; Dr. Cain would already be waiting for him at the teleport station. He wheeled the bed behind him, sparing one last good-bye for his friend.
"Get out of here! Go on your vacation! I'll still be here fighting the fight," the red reploid answered.
- - - - - - - - - -
A short while later, X reported to the transportation station. The body was transported first, and the doctor left second. "Take care of yourself," he told Alia. After the last couple of days, on top of everything they had weathered, the young woman couldn't stand to look him in the eye. So, she bit her lip and turned away. The last few days changed everything, he reflected as he awaited transport.
- - - - - - - -
His feet were heavy and cemented to the ground, held by magnets he deduced. The Hunter was nowhere he recognized, an oval shaped room of cement and steel, the walls barren with no way to tell where he'd been whisked off to. The lights were killed, and he recognized the sound of someone teleporting in. Three of them. Before the confused reploid could form his weapon, a stranger twisted his arm behind him.
"Where am I?!" he screamed, hoping one of them was crazy enough to answer. Whoever had him by his arm was ludicrously strong, strong enough for the blue reploid to feel where the monster's hand dug deep into his armor.
The Maverick Hunter tried his night-vision, but the feedback showed nothing but static. With his left arm he felt along blindly in the dark as his normal eyes adjusted, only to be blinded again by a beam of white light. A second one punched him, and the blue reploid fell back on to the wall of a reploid still clamped on his buster arm.
"What do you want?!" he asked the dark. This would be the ideal position to kill him, but they were toying with him, which told X his attackers had ulterior motives. When his eyes began to readjust, another beam blinded him again.
A permanent spot-light shone in his face, tracking his movements, until the dark spoke up. "We are the invisible sword of the ghost council. We are everywhere. The remnants of the 19th Unit will be dealt with."
The juggernaut behind him continued to restrain X as he continued to twitch underneath the eye-sheering light. "Did you bring me here for a warning, or are you going to kill me?"
If he provoked them, they might do something stupid, instead the light died down, and his vision began a slow self-repair. The blurred figure of a man in front of him was doing the talking.
"You will stay out of the way of our affairs. Not because we can kill you. Because we can kill you, your friends, and anyone else who ever knew you."
The man behind X jerked the reploid's shoulder to give the threat more emphasis.
The phantom clasped the blue reploid's remaining hand; he was not as strong as the other mechaoid, but managed to pull the Hunter's arm away despite resistance. "You're not going to do anything. You won't tell anyone. Not the old man. Not the red guy. Not the girls or anyone at the base." X's vision started forming a picture, enough to develop a burry shadow of reploid nearly pressed against his face. "Or else we're going to peel them away from you. Slowly. Painfully. Violently."
The monster relaxed the twist on the Hunter's arm, as the supposed leader's speech reached its crescendo, "And Soul Erasure is the least we can do."
The ghosts devised one last warning for the famous hunter. "Do it, Tall Sheer."
The monster clamped his second hand on the blue reploids' buster arm. The lead phantom released the other, only to watch as X vainly tried to pry open the fingers of his partner. Sheer agony consumed the Hunter's thoughts as the beast crushed his bones through his armor. Cyber-muscle stretched painfully until they snapped like rubber bands, the steel fell of his arm like tin-foil, until a sickening "CRACK" of his steel bones.
The juggernaut flung the reploid's lifeless limb, while X agonized blindly on the ground.
- - - - - - - -
X emerged on the other side, still screaming, as the jagged stump leaked oil on the floor. Quickly, the doctor's men were upon him, but he remained crouched, nursing his wound.
The doctor voiced his concern, "Son, are you okay? We thought we'd lost you for a minute." Indeed, the engineers had spent the last few minutes frantically trying to fix what seemed like a communications
malfunction. "Thank goodness, it's only your arm. We can patch that up, and get you a new one in a few days."
Silently, the blue reploid continued to nurse his wound, and contemplate what course of action to take.
The year is 21XX, and the world is divided into armies, countries and special interests. The time of the powerful individual is over, and they must find a new way to live in the modern era. For Megaman X, his time with the Maverick Hunters is drawing to a close, and the next chapter in his life is about to begin. New problems pave the path the Earth is crossing, for human and reploid alike, but we will remember those who have the will to stand and lead.
Quint the Historian speaking. Thanks to everyone for reading, and if you liked it, tell your friends a leave a review.
I will now make a special offer to anyone reading here at . You'll get to decide what my next fanfic is going to be. If I can get 100 Reviews for this story (hopefully from 30 or more different people, not the same guy 99 times) before January 2009, then I'll write a sequel: Maverick Hunter X: The Untold Chapters.
If not, then I'll go ahead and write Megaman Axl: The Lost History. So the ball's in your court.
Thanks, again, to everyone who's been reading, and feel free to check out my other work, Megaman Zero: The Secret History, if you haven't already.
I really hope you enjoy reading it, more than I enjoyed writing it.