[AUTHOR'S NOTE]
Hi everyone! I'm back for now! Managed to find some time away from PhD stuff to continue rewriting this An Axl Story thing. Don't worry, I'm not dead. Still up and kicking. I'm continuously writing as much as I can, so chapters will be posted when they're done, till further notice. In the meantime, enjoy the plot!
Chapter 23: Area Zero
It was a busy afternoon. Within the next two hours, what happened onwards will stir the humans and Reploids, from the highest levels of power downward to the common person.
The snow dropped heavily at Arcrik Zone. A huge town, not many skyscrapers around, which surrounded the huge barren area of Area Zero – a giant desert area with various fallen space colony structures, the central one of which was the Eurasia colony. Human soldiers, some regiments of the Reploid army, and other teams of Hunters surrounded Area Zero.
Humans in the area hurriedly fled and didn't want to mess around with this many personnel suddenly preparing to ambush this dead land. Soldiers questioned the locals, some who collaborated with Prez Corp evidence that many trucks entered that area and came out, even in broad daylight. More evidence for Lumine it is.
"Alright … we're going to head in first." X briefed his own team of Hunters. "There are likely humans in there, and based on what we heard … humans were responsible for the Maverick incidences in the recent period of chaos. I'd scout first. Await my orders."
"Is Axl still around?" Zero asked his team of Hunters, looking around to search for the young Reploid. "Negative, sir …" A Hunter reported. "After what happened earlier with those two Mavericks … he went off. I think, back to HQ. His signal was last seen there. Still there."
"Hmm … I have no idea what to tell our boss if Axl comes back though …" Zero scratched his head. "Alright … never mind that. This will bite. If he comes back, let him in. Tell him to follow any path I make. Let me follow my trail. Got it?"
The Hunters nodded. The humans were antsy, awaiting orders from their own human commanders who collaborated with the Hunters. X and Zero went down the path towards the huge ruins. Meanwhile, back at HQ … something interesting was occurring.
"Axl, you stay here. Please! I'm begging you!" Iris said to him inside his black void of a mnd scape. "Lumine will get mad at me if I let you go out of HQ any further! The Corp apparatus has already likely picked up your movements earlier from fighting the Mavericks!"
"But … but! It's the same guy who made bro Maverick! Had Red Alert kidnapped me! Caused a lot of mess for dad!" Axl argued back. "I have to go in there and confront those Mavericks! It's not right otherwise!"
"Do this one thing for me! Just this once!" Iris glared at him. "Please!"
Axl glared back at her. At first, he was mad. But straight-on eye-to-eye contact made him relent. "F – fine … bring the evidence back to bro. At least do this. I … I will stay here. And … you're going to try and defend me in front of him just in case, aren't you?"
"I will, don't worry. I feel this Maverick case and the 20 case we're working on will be solved today. But for security's sake, just follow the restraining order placed on you, just this once. If you want, you can bug me as much as you like. Okay?" Iris sighed.
Axl gave a quick thumbs-up. He witnessed Iris teleport out of his mind and then opened his own eyes again. He was back at his own cubicle. He sighed. And he felt a buzz in his head.
"Whoa, Iris, you're back already?" Axl asked. No response. "Iris?" No response again. "Suit yourself … I … I'm going to try and chill out here … and just be myself."
Safety Mechaniloids were around. They were under orders to make sure Axl doesn't leave HQ. Other Hunters who were around continued making angry and scowling faces at him behind his back. Axl sighed. Ten minutes passed. He did nothing at his cubicle.
"Urgh … I can't take it!" Axl grumbled. "I – I have to go there! To Area Zero! I will face bro myself! I don't care! Those Mavericks were made by the same human who gave dad lots of trouble, made me wake up in Red Alert's place, and corrupted bro in the first place! I'm going there!" He stood up and the Mechaniloids hurriedly rushed over to him.
His ears registered a finger snap. A rather loud one too. No idea where it came from. The Mechaniloids stopped moving and retreated back to their original positions, no longer restraining Axl's movements. He blinked in confusion.
"Huh. I guess … I'd better go to Area Zero then." Axl teleported off, causing the Hunters who glared at him to be uncomfortable, unsure to report this breach of measures, or to leave it be. He made it back at Area Zero.
It just so happened that he teleported to where Zero's own team of Hunters were, not X's who were told to block Axl from entering Area Zero. The teammate of Zero's told Axl to proceed ahead down the path into Area Zero. Axl beamed happily and rushed in.
"Huh!? What do you mean Lumine's not around?!" Iris was back in her newer-gen body. She rushed over to where Lumine was (in a huge tracing facility) and was instantly faced by a Guardroid who informed her on the latest measures.
"The boss went out for a while, probably won't be back soon. Said to analyse the evidence you got from Axl and see if it tallies with our own results. If it does tally, or doesn't, then give us the order based on what the boss prescribed here, and we will start working instantly." The Guardroid gave Iris a data drive.
Iris headed over to the nearest computer, plugged in the data drive, opened the singular program present, and read through a multitude of codes, aware of their possible consequences and the next mode of action to follow up. She widened her eyes in surprise.
"Figures … alright, since you're happy about it, then let me manage it in your stead." Iris said to herself. "Let's end this for good." She rushed over to a large monitor.
X and Zero ran down huge pathways of rusty yellow-blue platforms and bottomless pits. Debris of various Maverick Mechaniloids and machines covered in dust lay before them. Bizarrely, many footprints of messy patterns were observed.
"Looks like someone, or many … ones, were here. In this place, of all places." X murmured. "Feels like back in memory lane, aren't we, Zero?"
"Yeah … we're back in what used to be Gate's happy place." Zero took the chance to survey his surroundings again. The all-too-familiar platforms that X and Zero previously having passed through – compressors, more bottomless pits, even the chambers where they fought High-Max and Gate could be seen. If he was not mistaken, Zero even managed to spot the chamber deep down where Sigma's carcass of a Reploid body – a huge one that Gate built – laid after his defeat. In fact … that chamber looked awfully active.
"It must be down there." X remarked. "Ngh, do we really have to traverse the same path again just to get to those Mavericks?! There has to be an easier way!"
"Then go the easier way then!" A chirpy voice came from behind them. It was of Axl's. "Hey guys! I'm back! Finally caught up to you! This place is huge, ain't it?"
"W – what are you doing here!?" X gasped. "The standing instructions from your brother was to not let you get out of HQ!" Axl raised an eyebrow and winked the other. "Well, becoming the everyday salary Reploid, huh, X? Besides, I had to … those Mavericks raised something personal with me and bro. So … I have to know."
"Compared to the rest of this former base, only down there has any semblance of activity." Zero decided to ignore this controversy and pointed to the same deep chamber very deep down in Area Zero. "My guess is the Mavericks are there … but I feel they're luring us into something … be ready for anything, okay?"
The others nodded. The Hunters jumped off the ledges at the same time, hugging the wall and thus slowly descending down the massive arena. Their wall hugging and wall jumping was surprisingly silent, which was good, if they wanted to catch those Mavericks off-guard.
"Almost there … almost there …" Axl gritted his teeth as he jumped from ledge to ledge.
"Alright! Time to sneak on them!" X hissed the instant the Hunter touched the ground. They were very deep underground, they could even barely see the entrance when they looked up.
The giant chamber had a rebuilt Sigma body at the far end from where the Hunters were standing. A lot of operating machinery that was clearly for the creation/programming of Adel and Agmar were all over the place. Three entities were standing at the Sigma body – Adel, Agmar and the human being named Shou.
"You lured the Hunters here!?" Shou was frustrated. "How can we continue the plan to overthrow Prez Corp and that Reploud running it if we all are caught!? I'm sure even your late creator doesn't want this to happen! It was a pity Bobby was taken in too early …"
The Hunters were spying on them, wanting to catch all of them at the right time. Axl raised his eyebrows in shock. "Nasty human politics …" He found his fists clenching on their own, even though he was pretty sure he didn't have his Reploid muscles do that at all.
"Oh no worries. Our master assures you, even from the grave, that this plan will work." Agmar said. "As long as no one can disarm us of the Maverick device, we can go on everywhere sending random Maverick signals that the newer-gen bodies simply couldn't pick up on time and cause all of them to go haywire. It's fine. You just have to let us move."
"But … but still! We don't have the upper hand yet! Plus, the Corp secured all its Reploidsin bunkers! Aren't you killing us off if you're targeting those Reploids!?" Shou hissed.
"Tsk, tsk. They are other ways to take that Corp down, you know. For example, has the thought of psychological humiliation and baiting them into anger and overreaction never struck you as being more effective?" Adel gestured.
"But … we need the Corp to be humiliated now! Not some long term planning when they're so strong then and whatever attack we make is only going to dent them!" Shou protested.
"Oh, don't you worry about that. We have a nice surprise for you and your human associates. You can count on it as being … amazing." Adel smiled sinisterly. "Show yourself, Hunters!"
Their attention was immediately turned towards where X Zero and Axl were. In the split second, they knew their cover was blown (somehow), they didn't even bother to hide themselves, and they opted for straight out confrontation. X spotted no likely secret exists in this giant chamber, so he shouted confidently: "The gig is up! You're all going down!"
"Especially the human! You're going back to the authorities for sure!" Zero shouted. "I heard everything! Don't bother denying it!"
"No! It is YOU who will meet your end here!" Shou shouted, his words contradicting his body language filled with fear. "A – Agmar! You ssaid the equipment is ready!?"
"Of course. Here you go." Agmar briefly winked to Adel – of which Axl and X were quick to notice to themselves that type of body language meant something else was up – and the two instantly dodged to the side of the chamber. Adel snapped his fingers, and the giant Sigma body was animated back to life. Shou was afraid at first, but then bore a smug face.
"What can you Reploids possibly understand about the human world!? Prez Corp has long been too domineering on our life! What's wrong of trying to hold him accountable!?"
"You humans are too complacent!" Axl blurted out. "My brother and sister told me everything about the past! You think just because Prez owns everything, you are entitled to him fixing your life for you, and you didn't like how things were done! You're the ones who tried to cause revenge and play your politics here, not us! You all are in the wrong!"
"Pesky Reploid! You know nothing of what you're trying to deal with here!" Shou sneered. "We will get back at the Corp, get our old lifes back, and things will be how they once were! Peaceful, calm, firmly free! And that resumes after I get rid of you Hunters now!"
The giant Sigma body towered over everyone and everything as it moved. Shou laughed more maniacally as it moved and aimed to operate its fists at the Hunters – but that laughter was interrupted by an explosion. The entire Sigma body disintegrated.
"AAHH!" Shou was swept off his feet, rolling towards the Hunters. X Zero and Axl stood their feet firm on the floor. The smoke and dust blew as the entire chamber exploded, leaving no traces of whatever once was there.
"You know, the Hunter was right." Adel smirked sinisterly, the voice echoing out from the smoke and dust elsewhere. "You humans assume other humans will fix your problems for you? You know things never turn out that way when this kind of scenario happens."
The smoke settled down. Zero grabbed Shou by his neck collar. Adel and Agmar stood confidently in front of all of them.