MLaaTR: Maverick Hunter X
By Drewmaster
28. Chapter 28
When they all returned to the building, they all gathered in the largest room because they were all asked to speak to the President. There was a large monitor in the room where they could see the President as they talked.
"I'm relieved to see that you're not too badly hurt," Ms. Wakeman said.
"Thanks. I have a broken leg, a pulled muscle in my arm, a sore jaw, and terrible headache; but other than that, I think I'm fine. You all showing up when you did really saved the day. I'm sure you're all aware by now that practically the entire world knows about this. They've also discovered Vexus's presence in the battlefield, and they're going to want to know why. I wish this were easier to deal with. Ms. Alia: I've been told that you are one of the top navigators in your unit. I've also heard the same about you, Ms. Palette. I'm not your superior officer, but I would like to formally request your assistance in helping coordinate the battle against Sigma. Do you accept?" The President asked.
"I accept," Alia answered.
"I also accept," Palette answered.
"What about the rest of the Maverick Hunters?" The President asked.
"Fighting Mavericks is our job. Of course we accept," a female reploid answered.
All of the other Hunters nodded their heads in agreement.
"That's good. I thank you. As for you, Grace, your situation is becoming more complicated than before. Even so, at this point, I cannot expect you to fight against your will. You can decide that for yourself. Now that this Red Angel, as she calls herself, has decided to finally surface, I need to speak with her, if you can make that happen," The President requested.
"I was hoping you wouldn't…but I'm here. What do you want from me?" Angel asked.
"I need to know where your loyalties lie," The President answered.
"My loyalties lie with Grace…and whomever she aligns herself with. If she decides to help you fight these Mavericks, I will help her. If she decides not to, I will remain indifferent to your problem unless our safety is compromised. I do promise that I will not intentionally hinder your fight," Angel explained firmly.
"I see. I can tell by your tone you cannot be easily persuaded, but that would only matter if you could separate from your host. Since you're unable, we have to deal with you as we would deal with Grace. But speaking of which, where do your loyalties lie, Grace?" The President asked.
"Besides being legally…bound to the rules of my…United States citizenship, my personal loyalties do…lie with this country. I wouldn't want to be a…citizen of any other country," Grace answered.
"That's good. If you should decide to help, I wish you all the luck you can get. Now that that's taken care of, I'm hoping to be able to talk to your commander, Signas, sometime in the near future, if that's possible. If possible, even the leader of your country," The President said.
"Commander Signas already plans to make a trip here as soon as he gets the okay from our leader. As far as our leader is concerned, it's far easier said than done. Even if we could connect you to a line, there's no guarantee he will agree to talk with you. He wasn't exactly too thrilled about the idea of sending us here in the first place. The only reason he did was because we knew Sigma was more vulnerable in your world than ours. Not only that, he also fears getting that closely involved with too many different nations as it is, especially one that we didn't know existed until recently. Quite a lot of political issues suddenly raised once this whole ordeal started. If it is agreed upon, it will likely be at least a few months from now, which is my best estimate," Alia explained.
"Somehow, I figured that was the case. I look forward to speaking with your commander. In the meantime, you will soon be sent supplies and some extra help. Skyway Patrol will be getting involved soon as well. I need to tend to other matters for now. Godspeed," The President said before disconnecting.
After becoming reacquainted with each other, the Maverick Hunters decided to try to get to know Jenny and the others, especially since they would be working together. They all talked with each other for a while discussing everything from a few minor personal details to their plans for the fight.
Grace decided to stay only long enough to give her name and a couple of other details about herself. She felt too uncomfortable around so many strangers.
Sitting by herself in the recreation room again, she communicated with Angel mentally.
"_There's too many extraordinary things happening all at once. I just can't hang around that many people I don't know right now_," Grace said.
"_You probably really should meet more people. You're always isolating yourself_," Angel suggested.
"Do _you really think you have room to talk_?" Grace asked.
"_I guess you make a good point_," Angel replied.
"_You're attached to me, and you only now decided to meet me. It seems to me that you're much more of an introvert than I am_," Grace pointed out.
"_Actually, I've been more afraid to meet you than anyone else_," Angel said.
Surprised, Grace asked "_Really? Why is that_?"
"_Believe it or not, you're a very intimidating person. I have the power to kill you pretty easily; but if I did, I would die too. That is obviously not the issue then. Every time your anger explodes, it hits me like an emotional brick. Jennifer's anger is scary, but you're on a whole other level, in my opinion_," Angel replied.
"_Come to think of it; she did seem to be a little afraid of me that day in the hallway_," Grace said.
"_Oh yeah, she's definitely scared of you. Now that she knows I'm here too, she's probably going to be avoiding us more regularly_," Angel said.
"_I actually believe you too. I'd rather not think about her too much right now. On a more important note, I bet you know 'all' of my personal secrets, don't you_?" Grace asked irritated.
"_Now you see why I waited until we were in serious danger to show myself. I knew you would ask me that. Yes. I know all of them. I will keep anything secret you want me too. You have my word on that_," Angel promised.
"_I've been sort of aware of your presence for a while now, though I had no idea you were actually a part of me. I always thought you had something against me. Why are you choosing to be loyal to me? _" Grace asked.
"_We're practically the same person. Every time you feel, I feel it too. I have such a close bond with you; and not just that, but I also feel like you're my mother. Without you, I would not be who I am today. Relationship wise though, I view you as being more like my sister_," Angel replied.
"_Okay. I think I understand. Even though you put me through hell, I feel like I can trust you. I'm stuck with you anyway, so I guess the best thing to do is try to better our relationship_," Grace said.
"_By the way, I also happen to think that Jason boy is cute_," Angel said.
Blushing, Grace said "_Oh my God! I really wish you hadn't said that_."
Angel laughed a little, and then said "_You don't need to be ashamed around me. In all seriousness, I think you should go for it_."
"_I don't even know if I like him like that_," Grace said.
"_Take your time then. In the meantime, let's entertain our guests_," Angel said.
Suddenly remembering where she was, footsteps were heard coming from the doorway. Grace looked up and saw XJ6 walking beside a reploid.
She frowned slightly and said "Hello Axl."
"I hope you're not mad at me from what I said before. I'm really sorry about that," Axl apologized.
"I hope that you only…really said that because you just…saw me for the first time. I was beginning to think…you're always like that. And Hi, XJ6," Grace greeted.
"Hi Grace," XJ6 responded.
"I need to learn to control my tongue better. I often end up choosing bad words. That's what I've been told anyway. You just surprised me so much," Axl explained.
"Wait a sec. I thought you weighed 700 pounds after absorbing that flaming bird guy. How come you're not crushing the couch?" XJ6 asked confused.
"We dropped a lot of excess weight once we learned how to reproduce the same abilities on our own," Angel answered.
"That's actually quite amazing, really. You really are the first human machine combination I've ever seen that can actually learn such abilities as certain reploids can. I didn't think it was possible. Not only that, but you actually managed to beat Blaze Heatnix on your own. That's quite a feat. X almost didn't make it the first time he fought him," Axl explained.
"He was quite powerful. I should know. I did absorb him. One day…I'm practically normal human strength, and the next day…I'm able to kill Axel The…Red with ease. Now this. It doesn't even…seem conceivable. It's almost as…if I'm in a dream; but I know I'm not," Grace said.
"I rarely ask why certain things are the way they are anymore, unless I need to. I'm not sayin' that you should blindly except everything for what it is without question, it's just that I find it way too stressful to try to figure out every detail about everything. In my opinion, I think it's great that you can be the way you are without dying. I think you're quite fortunate," Axl said.
"If you knew what I've been through, you wouldn't be so quick to call it fortunate," Grace added.
"There's not a person anywhere who doesn't live through some kind of pain on a regular basis. I think that what doesn't kill ya' makes ya' stronger. Can you honestly say you'd ever be this strong without all that pain you've been through?" Axl asked.
"I agree with the whole 'no pain…no gain' philosophy, but you don't know the…kind of pain we go through," Grace replied.
"Our pain is more mental than physical. Do you know what it's like to constantly wonder what it's like to feel human physical pain, but can't? Do you know what it's like to try to protect humans from feeling pain that you can't fathom yourself? It gets to the point that sometimes I wonder why I keep trying to help save humans from that pain, as if my efforts are in vain. That kind of pain doesn't exist anyway, right? Forcing that to be logical in my mind is maddening sometimes. I've grown to accept that it's real, and that's why I keep doing what I do. If I dwell on it, I'll go crazy, that's why I chose to find ways to remain happy and confident," Axl explained.
"Not knowing why you people hurt the way you do drives me crazy too. I wish I did," XJ6 said.
A few seconds later, Grace said "I never…looked at it that way before. I always try to get robots to put themselves in our shoes, but never vice versa."
"Everyone has their own reality to deal with. I remember, long before Jenny was built, I once tried to smash my hand with a hammer to see if I would cry out in pain…but I felt nothing. It's actually quite frightening to know that I have a body, but can't feel it. I learned to kind of forget about it nowadays, but I do still think about it from time to time," XJ6 explained.
"I guess what you're really mad about is that we tend to turn a blind eye to your suffering. Some of us regrettably do. That's not the case with all of us. X is a good person. He never stops worrying about people's suffering. He tries not to show it too much, but whenever he sees someone suffer…man…I've never seen a hardcore reploid cry as hard as he does. That guy actually wishes he could end all pain. He hates it so much every time he's forced to kill a fellow reploid. We do too, it's just that no other Hunter regrets being one as much as he does," Axl explained.
"Are you okay, Grace?" XJ6 asked concerned.
Grace had a look on her face as if she was ready to laugh. Suddenly, both Angel and Grace began laughing at simultaneously.
A moment later, Angel said "My thoughts exactly, Grace. We're sorry about that. We just realized something. It's funny. We heard everything you said. Thank you both very much. I'm a machine, but unlike you, I feel everything she does, so I never knew what it was like to be like you. By the time I became aware of my existence, I was directly connected to all five of her senses. In short, I feel the way she does on the subject. You've both given us quite a lot to think about."
Her voice changed and Grace said, "Thank you for…helping me understand a little…better."
Grace stood up and started heading towards the door.
"Where are you going now, Grace?" XJ6 asked.
"I need to eat something…and take a nap. That transformation…is really taking it out…of me. I need some time…alone anyway. I'll meet up…with you later," Grace replied.
"Oh, okay. I'll see you later then," XJ6 said.
Before closing the door behind herself, Grace said "Hey Axl, can you tell X I'd…like to have a word with him…alone when that meeting…is over? I have something I'd…like to talk to him about. I'll be in room 404."
A little surprised, Axl replied "S-sure! I'll tell him then. That meeting is bound to be a long one, so you should have plenty of time to take a nap."
"Thanks," Grace said before closing the door.
Axl looked at XJ6 puzzled who was also looking at him the same way.
"Didn't you just say she usually goes out of her way to avoid reploids because we come from another world, which makes her feel uncomfortable?" Axl whispered.
"I don't even know why she'd want to speak with him. She never has before. Whatever. I bet it's just one of those curiosity settling questions," XJ6 replied.
"You're probably right," Axl agreed.
X agreed to talk with Grace. When he arrived at the room Grace was in, he knocked on the door.
A moment later, a sleepy sounding Grace asked, "Who is it?"
"It's me, X. I was told you wanted to talk to me about something," X replied.
"I'll be…right there. Actually, give me about three minutes. I need to…wake myself up," Grace said.
When she finally let him in, Grace closed the door behind herself, and then said "First; is there anything else you all discussed that I need to know."
"Not really. There's a big debate on how to go about dealing with Sigma that's yet to be resolved. We plan to discuss it again tomorrow. Hmm…this room looks so undecorated, like a military platoon bedroom. I know you don't actually live here, so that's understandable," X commented.
"Your tone: it sounds as if…you're trying to suggest that I…go home as soon…as I am allowed. Let me guess; war is too much for…a young 'human' girl like me?" Grace asked with an odd looking grin.
Somewhat nervous, X asked "H-How did you guess that so easily?"
"I happen to pay very close…attention to the 'finer' details," Grace answered.
"Are you really trying to say that you want to fight in this war?" X asked concerned.
"I didn't say that at all. I'm not saying that I plan…on running and hiding…either. I haven't decided yet," Grace answered.
"I'm only concerned about your safety. Not only that, you feel pain as ordinary humans do. You were very fortunate not be in a lot of agony right now. I know you're strong; it's just that I don't want you experience that," X explained.
"What if you and the…others fail?" Grace asked.
"I won't let that happen. I can't let it happen," X replied in a harsh tone.
Her voice changed as she started laughing in Angel's voice.
A moment later, Angel said "Now I'm finally starting to see what this is all about."
"I don't understand. What do you mean, Angel?" X asked.
"You really are something strange indeed. This brings me to why we called you in here. Grace was talking to your friend, Axl earlier. What we heard about you is priceless comedy. I think it's funnier than Grace does. He said that you wish to end all pain," Angel explained.
X didn't know how to respond.
A few seconds later, Angel said "Who…or what…exactly do you think you are? Your words were 'I won't let that happen. I can't let it happen.' You said I. I heard that you care deeply about everyone, and I even got that impression by hanging around you, and I think that's good, but what was really crazy, was the most outrageous thing I've heard so far. I overheard Jenny mumbling something to herself recently about you wanting to create a worldwide utopia of peace for all people. I didn't think she interpreted your intentions correctly at first, and I didn't think much of it at first either because I thought it was a misunderstanding, but now I see you're actually serious. I'm all for peace, but you make it seem like it's your responsibility, as if the fate of the world has been put on your shoulders alone. Who…or what…exactly do you think you are?" Angel asked.
X felt a combination of anger, sadness, and the feeling of being insulted all at once.
With an angry expression on his face, X said in an angry tone "So you ask me to come all the way up here, make me wait because you weren't ready, and then insult me in my face."
"Answer the fucking question; dammit," Angel and Grace yelled simultaneously.
X then yelled "I don't know, okay!"
He then lowered his tone some and said "I don't know. What I do know…is that nobody else seems to be interested in volunteering to make real lasting peace. And I'm not talking about some stupid pointless treaty or understood conditional peace. This world and ours has seen too much hatred and suffering for so long, and nobody is really doing anything about it."
He raised his voice again and yelled "Everyone is always caught up in their dumb ass differences and personal problems to show that they genuinely give a damn about anyone but themselves. I know there are some people out there that do play the hero, but what good is a hero who also acts like the average selfish person? Saving people's lives is all good and everything, but what about trying to help make people's lives better? You know what I've learned? I've learned that these so-called heroes feel like it's just too much trouble to go that extra mile to really help people. It's as if being a hero is just another damned part time job. So you save the life of a guy who regularly abuses his family and is an asshole to everyone around him, and even if you know that about him, you keep your job description at the just saving people's lives from immediate disasters because you don't like dealing with other people's personal problems. What kind of bullshit logic is that? All you're doing is preserving life. You haven't done a damned thing to improve it. Life preserver by day and personal life tender by night. Give me a break. If that's the limit to your heroism, then you might as well quit."
X was breathing heavily at this point.
"I…hate my job sometimes. Being a Maverick Hunter is necessary, but sometimes I don't feel like any progress is being made. The same cycle continues constantly with no conceivable end in sight. People scream 'save us;' but what for? Is it that they want their lives saved, or is it that they want to preserve their constant cycle of personal gains and pursuits of fleeting high impact pleasures? I bet if they didn't have those, most people wouldn't care if their lives were snuffed out. I decided to dedicate myself so heavily to make world peace happen, but we need more people to dedicate themselves that way, or better. I'm not perfect. I fall victim to my personal desires sometimes too. Worrying about such things takes too much time out of making progress, and realizing that, makes me angry at myself for falling into the same damned category of the people I just described," X yelled.
Angel then said "I understand you better now. You make a hell of a good point. What's so damned crazy about what you just explained…is that that is exactly…what I've been thinking for most of my life. Grace feels the same way. Neither of us really wanted to be a hero by any means, but we do see the constant bullshit that you just described radiating from humanity all the time. I hate that we both also happen to be a part of it as well. How the hell did we end up like this anyway?"
X lowered his tone and then replied "You mean the fact that no one has figured out how to be a completely good person? That's exactly what I've been trying to figure out. It seems as though as soon as a person is aware of the difference between good and evil, they're locked into a constant inescapable struggle of dealing with both until they die."
Grace suddenly had a shocked expression on her face as soon as X finished his last sentence.
"You all right?" X asked.
"Actually…yes! We both just realized…something. It's not important…right now. I agree with…you though. Listen, X, I'm sorry for acting the way I…did toward you. You're a well-meaning person. I wish more people…could see the world the way you…do. If everybody did, we wouldn't be worried…about trying to fight Sigma," Grace replied.
"I was a little angry at you, but I'm okay now. You know what's really terrible to realize? If it weren't for all the evil in this world, I wouldn't have been created. Dr. Light created me for this reason. None of the XJ sisters would be here. You wouldn't be here either, Angel, because that guy wouldn't have been evil to attack you in the first place," X pointed out.
Angel then asked, "Makes us robots have great fucking outlooks on our existence, doesn't it?"
"So, you do understand where I'm coming from? Then there's Melody. You see where I'm going with this?" X asked.
"Ah…shit. You would know too. Zero was also created for the same purpose, to spread evil. What 'does' that say about them?" Angel asked.
"I'm really just glad they decided to try to be good people despite what their creators wanted. Both orphaned into a cruel world. I'm also an orphan. Now I feel like I'm just rambling. Anyway, I feel like we should either continue this conversation elsewhere or another time. A guy spending too much time in a girl's bedroom tends to make people suspicious," X replied.
"Yes, you're right. That's why I'd…never stand alone with you…in my bedroom at home. Here, it's not quite so bad," Grace added.
"I'll see you some other time then," X said as he was leaving the room.
"See you then," Grace said.
Jenny was standing in another empty room down the hall leaning against a wall with her arms crossed tight and her head pointed down. She stared at the floor very intensely as she contemplated the argument she overheard between X, Grace, and The Red Angel.
A moment later, she looked up the ceiling with a very sad expression on her face, and then asked, "Why the fuck am I here?"