MEGA MAN X: AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE
By Erico
CHAPTER TWO: BIRTH OF THE REPLOIDS
"X…X, he's waking up."
"Yes, I see it. You don't have to be Mr. Obvious!" the creature's eyes were blurry, and light shined into it painfully. He could make out two dark blobs above him, but nothing more. Something was speaking to him…not like the two blobs did, but quieter.
"I…am Cancer." Suddenly, his vision shifted and he could identify colors. One was blue, and the other was a dim pink and white. The blue one turned to the other and spoke.
"He seems to be working fine. Congrats, doc. You've done it!"
"Yes…my first 'reploid.' At long last, our months of work have paid off!" Cancer's vision shifted again, and then he could make out lines and depth. He looked down from the blobs, and then he realized he was looking at himself.
"This is me?" the blue figure turned to him and smiled.
"Correct, Cancer. I am Mega Man X, and this is Doctor Cain…your creator. You are the very first reploid."
"Reploid…" Cancer let it roll off his tongue, feeling its power. Reploid? What was a reploid? And who were these two?
"I assume you'll have quite a few questions." X chuckled. "I know I did. Here…" X pointed behind him to a computer. "This is a computer. It holds everything you'll need to know. History, speech, language…basic information that will help you to get along with humans."
"Humans?"
"I am a human." Cain heckled. He bowed. "Cancer, X is going to stay with you for a while. I have to go check on some other things. I'll be back in a while." Cancer nodded slowly. All of this was still new, but he felt comforted by X's presence. Cain picked up his stick and walked out of the room. Cancer shook his head.
"This is all strange…" X laid his hand on Cancer's shoulder and smiled warmly.
"All you need to know until you access that computer is this; you are among friends. And there is nothing to be afraid of."
"Friends…" Cancer smiled back. "I like that."
"So, Cancer. You've chosen to join us." Cain laughed as he saw the yellow being stumble out of his room, X gingerly holding him steady. Cancer nodded.
"Doctor Cain, right? Species Homo Sapiens." Cancer squinted, but came up with a perfectly reasonable answer. Cain buried his head in his hands and shook his head.
"Oh well, can't win 'em all." X chuckled.
"He's doing better than I did. After all, he's moving, right?" Cain nodded. X and Cancer…they were like newborn babies when they were activated. Left to gain their own experiences in life…like a human. Perhaps that was part of them making their own decisions. Cancer put on an expression of puzzlement.
"Did I say something wrong?" X shook his head.
"Not for being two hours old, no. Cain, now what?" Cain shook his head.
"Now…now we spread the word." X nearly coughed on air, as he stared at Cain.
"WHAT?!" Cain nodded.
"You heard me. The press is already hounding the outside of this place, wanting to know what I uncovered on the dig. I wish I knew who spilled the beans on that." Cain clenched his fist. "If we don't do something soon, none of us will see daylight again. I'm afraid that this time…the truth will set us free."
"So…how do we do that?" X queried, tapping his arm impatiently.
"Simple…we call a press conference."
"Doctor Cain! What have you found?"
"Doctor, what impact does this discovery have on current events?"
"Doctor, did you find an alien space egg?" Cain frowned at the last question. He stood outside his lab, waving his arms furiously. Jim stood on the podium, and flashes blasted from everywhere. The press was acting like sharks…but then again they always did.
"People, please sit down. Now, the good Doctor will make his remarks very soon. Just sit down and stop asking questions. You can query him after he has finished his statement." Jim sighed and shook his head. He'd been playing mediator for these goons the past few days, and it was wearing him out. He turned and motioned to the doctor, pleading with Cain to release him from his torment. Cain smiled. He approached the podium, and everyone went silent. Cain cleared his throat, and then picked up a glass of water, taking a long pull from it.
"Years ago, Japan was overriden with the infamous Mount Fuji eruption. Many people died, and many things became buried in its wake. My archaeological team had been digging in that area earlier this year, searching for evidence to prove my findings about Mesozoic plant life. Needless to say, that is not what we found." Cain stopped and looked at them. They all sat silently, not knowing what to expect. Cain chuckled. The hammer blow would be felt around the world soon enough. As a matter of fact, this entire event was being televised live.
"I began digging in one section of our area in early April. Eventually, we came across a cavernous area and found it to be a housing unit. A house that belonged to a very prominent person in the past…Dr. Thomas Light." Suddenly, the calmed crows of reporters and cameramen went bonkers. Shouts rage forth, cameras flashed and focus lens zoomed in. Cain raised his hands, forcing his natural reaction to give them the bird and send them on their way.
"Lousy stinkin' newsies…" Cain muttered. "ALL RIGHT!!! EVERYONE SIDDOWN AND SHADDUP OR I END THIS NOW!!!" Even if they weren't under Cain's command, they listened. Cain held a powerful voice, and an even stronger temperament that few individuals messed with.
"Good. If you keep really quiet, I'll hand you all lollipops after naptime!" Cain grumbled. He coughed again, and then continued. "Anyways, on the day of April 13, we came across something in the rubble of his laboratory. It was a capsule with the dimensions of 8 by 14 meters. We waited a day, and then opened it. Inside, we found something that would change the world. What Light had left entombed in the capsule was a robot." Some of the reporters shot up, but Cain yelled at them.
"I DID NOT ASK YOU TO ASK QUESTIONS YET!!! YOU ARE THIS CLOSE TO LOSING THE STORY OF THE CENTURY!!!" Cain smoothed out his wrinkled coat and took another drink of water.
"No, this robot was not Mega Man, or any other creation of his that we know about from our past. What we found in the capsule was a totally different robot…blessed with abilities that many of us in the world would have never thought possible. This robot is known as Mega Man X. And what is more surprising…is that he is as close to human as a robot can get." Cain let the blow fall, but he saw the puzzled looks everywhere.
"Mega Man X can think, feel, and make his own decisions. As a matter of fact, if you met him in the streets when he wasn't in his armor, you would easily mistake him for a young boy. X, would you come out here?" Cain turned to the door of his lab, and it slowly creaked open. A figure emerged, that of X. He walked down the steps, an uneasy smile on his face. He waved a hand in greeting, and moved next to Cain, standing as tall as Cain did. The reporters looked on in awe, but still felt skeptical. Cain nudged X towards the podium, where he laughed.
"It's okay, I don't bite! Really. So, what do you want to know?" A few reporters got up with their notepads.
"X…tell us, how do you…"the reporter snickered a bit, causing a low rumble of chuckles throughout the pavilion, "FEEL today?" X smiled.
"Well, the sun's shining, so I'd say I felt just as good as a flower blooming in Spring…if this wasn't Winter." True enough, it was now late November. The answer causes many to nod, but there was still doubt in their minds. Any robot if programmed well enough could use a pre-programmed answer.
"All right, X. Tell me, what do you think of art? Who's your favorite artist?" X nodded.
"Michelangelo. Although I bet he had a sore back after that Chapel gig!" X laughed loudly at his own joke, unsettling some. A robot that laughed? Was all of this really true? The final reporter had a more direct question to settle the dispute once and for all.
"X…can you prove that you're not human?" X sighed.
"I like to think I'm close to it, but yes I can." X clenched his left hand and frowned. "I really don't like doing this by the way." With that, his hand vanished back into his arm as something else emerged…the bulge that many had taken as a part of his arm was in fact…a plasma gun. The final piece, the barrel end jutted out at last and it suddenly became clear to everyone that this was no scam…this was real. X raised his left arm and fired a shot for show, cringing at the noise it made. "This is my X-Buster, and it was in my systems when I was activated. I can make it appear…and vanish…"X sighed and let his hand slip back into view, his menacing Buster disappearing, "Whenever I want it to. But what you all should know is that the story doesn't end there…" X motioned for Cain to come forward. Cain coughed again.
"For the past few months, we have been examining X's design, and have concluded that others like him can be constructed. As a matter of fact, just recently we created our very first. We call him a 'reploid', which stand for replicate android. His name is Cancer, and he seems to be very good natured. Right now, he's reading War and Peace." X nudged him.
"Err, he finished that." Cain grumbled.
"All right then. So, he's DONE reading War and Peace. Just as well. People, we don't know how this may change things, but what we do know is we feel it has great promise. Thinking robots such as X here…imagine the possibilities! They can perform jobs humans are unable to…integrate into every part of our society for a greater benefit!" Cain let the words sink in, then nodded his head.
"I think that takes care of everything. Thank you all for coming today, and have a pleasant trip back home." Cain and X started back upstairs, with Jim in tow. But the reporter frenzy leapt into action, and they barely made it inside the heavy doors with their shirts intact. Cancer came down from upstairs, carrying another book.
"How'd it go?" Cancer asked warmly. Cain nodded.
"Well. Cancer…anything happen while we were gone?" Cancer nodded.
"Your fax has been going crazy, doc. It seems every major robotics corporation wants to own the rights to reploids. You sure this was the right thing to do?" Cain shook his head.
"I don't know. But…aren't you glad you're here right now?" the question made Cancer think, for a while, but then he nodded.
"Yeah…it's good to be alive."
"November 22nd, 21XX. With X's help I have completed my first reploid, Cancer. Although I don't completely understand how all of Light's systems work, I was able to make some minor modifications and the reploids seems to be functioning perfectly. His strength and speed seem limitless and he is fully able to make his own decisions. In fact we got into our first argument today. How intriguing!" Cain kept a positive attitude in the recording, but he felt sore after the browbeating he had received. Cancer had successfully won the debate on why there are too many hot dog buns to hot dogs, with X moderating. Cain had tried to argue that favoritism and bias played a part in X's decision of the debate, but in the end Cain had lost anyway.
"That Cancer…just like X. A feisty bugger with an enormous desire to play mensa." X chuckled as he walked into the room.
"Is that so, doc? Oh by the way, Cancer asked me to tell you that the deal's been signed." Cain nodded.
"At least my aching mind can take comfort in knowing that even if he did overpower me in argument, he's friend enough to handle my finances." X smiled.
"Friend? We're your friends?" Cain nodded.
"X, you're not a robot. You and Cancer are sentient beings, and deserve to be treated as such. Not just any ordinary robot that has no will of its own." X shook his head.
"That doesn't seem to be what others are saying." Cain looked up.
"What? Who's saying that?" X shrugged.
"Critics, people on the news, reporters, editors and average joes. The basic opinion is that reploids are nothing more than smarter robots that should be put to work. I frankly don't like it." Cain nodded.
"Yeah…X, you have to understand that even in this day and age, there are some who think they deserve to be treated better than others. We've had people of discrimination since the dawn of time…fascists, supremacists, slave owners…its' nothing new. Its just now they've found a new target in you and your reploid kind."
"Well, that's great to know. Cancer'll feel so pleased as punch. And what do you mean, MY reploid kind?" Cain chuckled.
"In a way X, you are their father. Father of a race that will be born not from their parent's womb, but built in factories all over the world." X twitched his mouth into a worried state.
"I'm not sure I like that. How will they respond? I mean, not having the caring environment Cancer and I had when we were activated?" Cain wheeled his chair back against the wall and eased up against it.
"I don't know, X. I just hope they turn out all right. Their personality isn't programmed into them, it depends on their experiences. Like a human's." X nodded.
"One last thing I'm worried about. Light's notes said there had to be a diagnostic waiting period to determine safety. That's what he did for me!" Cain harrumphed.
"Yeah, I read that. But Cancer, he turned out all right, didn't he?" X nodded warily.
"I just can't shake off this uneasy feeling, doc. Like something's coming…" Cain nodded. He got up and patted X on the shoulder.
"I'm going to tell you something, X. Before I found you, before I even found Light's lab, there was just a hole in the ground. The night before we dug into it, I had a horrible nightmare about something dark and evil coming from it. Luckily, it was just a dream. X, you don't scare me that much. And I don't think you ever will." Cain got up and walked out of the room, with X following closely behind.
The deals had to be double checked before production began.
"January 3rd. The new reploids have been running off the assembly line for several weeks. It's amazing how easily they have been able to adapt to even the most difficult jobs. It is still a bit odd to see them working side by side with humans, but everyone seems to be happy to accept them." Cain clicked off the recorder as X, Cancer and himself walked down the factory line at one of the plants of Hewlett-Packard. A company that originally dealt with simple computers, now it was responsible for birthing hundreds of new reploids. Cancer whistled in disbelief, but X watched somberly. Accompanying Cain at the front was the plant manager, explaining the process.
"The reploid parts are constructed and combined here, at this point. We combine them and activate the units here. Now, because this plant deals with reploids able to handle extreme heat for volcanic and geothermal work, their design is a bit different. As a matter of fact, each individual reploid is given a totally unique form and name. After activation, we have workers direct them to the learning terminals, in there." The manager pointed to an enclosed room with several power outlet wires running from it. "They learn everything necessary for a general knowledge of their surroundings, then after that are shipped off to see what area of work suits them best. Oh, would you like to see one of the finished products?" Cain nodded shortly, and the manager pushed a button beside them. Instantly, the wall opened up to reveal an elevator.
"This way down, sir. Will your servants be joining you?" Cain paused, then turned back to look at X and Cancer, who rapped their arms in disgust and anger.
"Sir, these are not servants. They are my friends, and you should treat them as such." Cain's terse reply caused the manager to look sorely discomforted and he ran his finger along his shirt collar.
"Right. Sorry about that, Dr. Cain." The ride down was a quiet one, and X and Cancer's bitter feelings were something that clogged the air. But then the doors opened and they emerged on the lower level. A reploid walked by, nearly causing the floor to shake.
"Oh, hold up there!" the manager called. The reploid stopped and turned his massive head. His long snout dangled down and was whipped around with his reversal.
"Yes? How may I help you?" his look was one of good-naturedness.
"Dr. Cain, this is Flame Mammoth." The looming figure bowed gracefully and then trumpeted a blast of hot air.
"Hello there! As you can see, I have been given the resurrected form of the Wooly Mammoth." X walked up to him and smiled.
"Nice to meet you, Flame." X raised his hand, and Flame nearly picked X off the ground when he shook it.
"Nice to you, X! I read about you. You were the first reploid built!"
"Actually, he was." X said, pointing to Cancer who waved meekly. Cancer was a bit afraid of the towering gentle giant.
"Ha! So I see. Sorry about that." Flame chuckled, and his massive belly jiggled around.
"So, Flame Mammoth. What is your job going to be?" Cain asked gently. Flame raised his hand, and with it a flamethrower attachment.
"I'm going to work in a metal foundry myself. You see this? I melt the metal, and then I STOMP ON IT!!! Really neat. I think I got the only job in which you can actually have fun!" Flame chuckled. "Now, if you'll excuse me I gotta get to my transport shuttle. Busybusybusy!!!" Flame let out one last trumpet, then he stomped off in search of the transport that would barely hold his ten foot tall frame. X chuckled.
"There goes one happy reploid." Cancer nodded.
"But how long do you think he'll stay that way?"
"HE's ALIVE!!!! ALIVE!!!!" Cain couldn't help but let out a sinister cackle. Once again, he was playing robotic genius with the assistance of X and Cancer. But this time, their creation had a bit more to offer.
"I see that, doc. You don't have to go bonkos." Cancer grumbled. Cancer was running the power uplink to the new reploid. "X, what's your reading on the internal operations energy?"
"I got 95% and climbing…there. Our new buddy just reached maximum strength. Unplug the power." X said definitively. The being's eyes quivered open, quicker than X or Cancer's had. In fact, it was like being jolted awake. Soon, the new reploid had full control of his capabilities.
"I gotta tell you, that's the nastiest color scheme I've ever seen. Green with brown and metallic gray? Bleegghhh." Cancer whined, emphasizing his last word. Cain chuckled.
"And I suppose your bumblebee palette's any better? Sigma, Sigma…Sigma, can you hear me?" the reploid shifted his vision and looked at Cain.
"Yes." Cain smiled. "It seems that he's working fine. X, can you get him to the computer console? He's got some learning to do." X nodded, but then Cancer cut him off.
"Hey, it's my turn! You got to do this last time." Cancer whined like a puppy dog, but X sighed and threw his hands up.
"Yeah, sure. Just don't goof it up, okay?" Cancer put on an innocent look and stared.
"Moi? Screw up? Come on Sigma, let's get you some LARNING!!!" Cancer grabbed Sigma's white, gloved hand and led him to the terminal. Sigma sat down, his dark eyes staring blankly.
X couldn't help but be lost in looking at the giant, a towering 7 seven feet or so of reploid engineering. Sigma, Dr. Cain's latest reploid creation, holding the newest control chip design. Green armor, brown boots, blue armbands, a red crystal in his head and one in his chest…a Goliath with no spark of personality. But with the data he would take, and the experiences he would have, Sigma would become yet another totally different sentient being…one with his own thought, his own ideals and his own personality.
"So, Sigma. What do you think about cheese in a can?" Cancer giggled. "X here thinks Aerosol Curd is a stupid idea, but I think it's cool!" Sigma stared at him.
"That is an odd question to concern your time with, Cancer. What you should be focusing your energies on is things more worthwhile and meaningful." Cancer scoffed, thoroughly miffed. X chuckled.
"Hey, Cancer. You can't win 'em all, eh? I told you, START with Monty Python, THEN do Aristotle. But do you listen? NOOOO…" Cain swung his stick down and cracked X smartly on the head. "AICH!!" X cried out, his hand shooting up to protect himself from further blows. Cain shook his head and motioned towards the building up ahead.
"You three need to behave. Here I am, taking you away from my dingy lab in Japan to go visit the San Diego sites…and you are arguing about food products?" Cain and his companions were down in California, walking around the town and visiting places where reploids had been put to work. The one they were about to visit was a major corporation, where some reploids had been working as janitors.
"Yeah, great fun doc. Why can't we go to Disneyland?" Cancer whined. If there was one thing the pestersome Cancer did well, it was complain. Cain groaned.
"How many times do I need to say this to you? DISNEYLAND WAS DESTROYED. You can blame the 200X Earthquake for that." Cancer grinned from ear to ear, his eyes taking a mischievous gleam.
"That's what the mole people WANT you to think. But in reality, they are just hiding it in their underground kingdom, waiting for the day when Mickey Mouse returns from the dead to lead them into victory against the hideous…"
"Cancer, your mindless babble serves no purpose. Mole People are an outdated dogma in Science Fiction from the early 20th Century." Sigma's answer cut Cancer short again. X snickered, trying to cover his humorous response with a hand. Sigma turned to X, a look of inquisitiveness on his face.
"Have I said something funny?" X nodded.
"Not exactly, but I love it when somebody stops his rambling."
"We take special care to treat our work force as equal members, Dr. Cain. At Florotech, we feel it is our mission to serve the people, no matter what they look like or what design they were born from." The executive director was leading them down the immense hallways of Florotech Central, the main building of a global telecommunications empire that spanned the world. The blue walls set X and the others at ease from their nervousness. So far, there had been two incidents in which reploid workers were prodded or goaded into hostile action against humans. It seemed it could not happen here.
"Oh, as a matter of fact here are some now." The executive walked up to four reploids, each of whom was dragging about a mailcart. "Excuse me! Could you come over here for a second?" the four turned, but three walked away. Only one came stepping up, whistling a tune happily.
"Yes, how may I help you?" he bowed, but he looked very odd. The executive director pointed to Cain.
"This is Dr. Cain, creator of your kind." The reploid's eyes lit up, and with lightning speed almost too fast to track, he shot his hand up and shook Cain's vigorously.
"Ohmyohmyohmy! This is…so great! The Doctor Cain, right here in thisroom ofwhichI work!!!" Cain smiled, then pulled his quivering hand back.
"Nice to meet you…err…"
"Oh, forgiveme! Sometimes I forget my manners…." The reploid spoke quickly, and it seemed to X that every part of his responses was heightened to blazing speeds. "I am Boomer Kuwanger…the name's misleading, I know. The factory that designed me gave me a few nifty abilities. I look like a Stag Beetle, right? Well, that's so I can use this handy trick…" Kuwanger lowered his head, which was decorated with an odd helmet. But then X jumped back in surprise when the hat's horns clipped together with a menacing CRRACKK. Swiftly, Kuwanger moved next to the cart and lifted the entire thing effortlessly. The executive director smiled broadly.
"He likes to call that the Dead Lift. When he isn't on mail duty, he works down at the loading docks." Boomer lowered the burden back down and smiled.
"Nifty, huh? And besides from that, these horns, pincers, whatever you wanna call 'em also make great letter openers! I call it the Boomerang Cutter. I'm saving all the money I earn for one of those nifty hovercycles I keep hearing about." Cain smiled.
"So, you like working here?" Boomer nodded.
"Yeah, it's great. Nobody gives me any hassles. But some of the others are just so sullen…"Boomer sighed. "Oh well, a few bad apples in every basket, or so they say. It's been great talking to you, but I gotta get back to work. Those other three are way ahead of me now." Boomer took off in a flurry of feet, and Cain chuckled.
"Hey Sigma, what did you think of him?" Sigma clacked his teeth, then finally said,
"Likes his job. Gets along with others. A contributing member of society. I like him." Cain chortled.
"Good to hear that, Sigma. Now, come on. This place has a lot more to see yet."
Boomer Kuwanger whistled merrily as he followed the mail cart caravan through the many offices, desks and hallways of the building. The three reploids up ahead had been grumbling for some time, and Boomer had decided that their reasons for being so sour could be explained by the fact that their loads had been a bit more this week. But that was to be expected, for after all it was February, and after the initial onrush of St. Valentines letters, many had decided to send a few more.
They finally emerged into the mailroom loading area, where the letters were received and put into the carts for transport. And up ahead was Mr. Grayson, a balding greasy fat man with a sour disposition towards anything that wasn't beer or women. Which, considering his work area, held neither.
"Yerrall late!" Mr. Grayson grumbled. "New shipment just came in, and you're off slacking!" the first reploid stared at the incompetent boss angrily.
"No, we weren't." Mr. Grayson gave an evil smile, then said,
"I see. Well, it seems to be you're being uncooperative. It seems your paychecks have been held back by default once more." Mr. Grayson had the annoying habit of holding back paychecks, torturing his reploid workers with the unfair and malevolent power he possessed.
"You can't do that!" the first reploid protested again. Mr. Grayson lifted his arms up in a defiant posture and smiled again.
"You'd like to lose two week's worth of pay? Fine by me." The first reploid growled angrily, then screamed with rage. He swung around with rage and punched a hole into the mail-sorting machine, denting it and causing it to turn off. The second one turned about and started to destroy the mailcarts, kicking them viciously. The third reploid went for Mr. Grayson himself.
Boomer Kuwanger stopped whistling as his mouth hung open in shock. His fellow workers…his fellow species was going maverick.
"Hey! Stop that, will ya? You want to get shut down permanently?" Boomer yelled at them, trying to stop their rampage. But the first maverick turned to him and glared him down.
"Human lover! You will suffer the same fate as they do! All humans are enemies of reploids, and must be destroyed!" the first maverick started to run towards Boomer, but Boomer flashed to the side with a burst of speed and avoided him. Boomer Kuwanger became overwhelmed with the conflicting emotions he felt during that moment, and he found he could do only one thing;
"HEELLPPP!!!!"
"Did you hear that?" Sigma suddenly asked, his head quirking towards the mail room. Cain looked up confused.
"No. What should I have?" X and Cancer were also staring at the communications center in concern.
"Someone just yelled for help." Sigma said shortly, then started running towards the cry. What he saw when he smashed through the doors surprised him. Boomer Kuwanger was trying to avoid one reploid, while two others were running about the room, chasing after humans and destroying the facility. Boomer's frightened eyes turned towards Sigma, and then with a flash of recognition, he yelled out,
"Help me! They've gone MAVERICK!!!" Sigma frowned. Mavericks…here? That meant danger for everyone. They needed to be stopped…but it would take too long for the police to arrive.
"I guess I need to do this myself…" Sigma mused as he ran towards Kuwanger's entanglement. With a powerful blue arm, Sigma grabbed the offending maverick swinging at Kuwanger and decked him flat with one massive blow to the head. Kuwanger breathed easy and smiled.
"Thanks, pal. I never caught your name when I saw you before…"
"Sigma. My name is Sigma." Just then, another loud cry of pain stopped them short, and Sigma cursed.
"The mavericks are hurting those people! I'll stop the mavericks, and you get them to safety." Boomer nodded quickly, and now he found his intense speed could be of use.
"You got it, Sig." Sigma squirmed at the improper wording of his name, but took off towards the second maverick, who held a bleeding and barely conscious Mr. Grayson in his hand.
"Now our pain and grief becomes yours, human bastard!" the maverick sneered. But suddenly a massive blow caused his sneer to vanish in shock and surprise. The maverick looked down at himself to find that he had been impaled with a metal rod, and his blood was pouring out unmercifully fast. His strength weakened, and the limp form of Mr. Grayson dropped to the floor as the maverick did.
The third maverick was charging the group of people who were clustered in a corner, huddling in fear. But then a mighty red blur came in front of him and a solemn face stared directly in his eyes.
"You will not harm them." Kuwanger choked out, before he bent down and grasped the maverick with his Dead Lift. With a mighty roar, he swung the struggling monster at the ceiling with incredible force. The ceiling gave way, and the maverick became lodged in it. But the form went limp, showing Boomer Kuwanger he had done his work right.
Just as quickly as the episode had began, Sigma and Boomer Kuwanger had ended it. And the people were safe…most of them.
Cain, X, Cancer and the executive director barged through the door, and gasped at the display they saw.
"What happened here?" X whispered. Sigma turned, a look of steely power in his voice.
"Mavericks."
"February 16th. Three reploids went maverick today, and injured two people before they were stopped." Cain paused from his recording to look at the construction around him. "This is the third instance of this type of behavior and I still have no idea of what is causing it. There is some talk about stopping the assembly of any more reploids, but I don't think it will happened. Maybe we've become too dependent on them…" a tap on the shoulder stopped Cain again.
"Hey, Cain. Building's going good. Architect says another two weeks and this thing is up forever." The solemn face of X stared at him. Cain nodded. He knew X didn't like this, but it had to be done.
"The Council has decided to set up a group of 'Hunters' to destroy any maverick before it can cause injury. The reploid named Sigma has been assigned to lead the Hunters. Sigma is one of the most intelligent reploids I've created and contains my latest circuit designs. His systems should be immune to any problems." Cain clicked off his recording unit and looked at X.
"I know you don't like this, X." X nodded, and so did Cancer.
"As pacifists, we do not agree with violence or war to stop problems." Cancer said, shrugging. "But, we realize that in this situation, there is no other way." Cain nodded.
"Maverick Hunter Headquarters, based in New Tokyo, Japan. Welcome to home, boys." Cain had paid for the building with his own funds, having built up a steady account with all the royalties he had raked in. The Council, or rather the Global Neighborhood Government Council, put the plan into action. Sigma, because of his actions had been elected. There would be more recruits to join the ranks of the Hunters soon enough, but right now there stood only nine reploids in bright red capes to start the ideal.
Sigma led them proudly, his face stone hard but lighter than usual. Then there was the joking Flame Mammoth and the speedy Boomer Kuwanger. Each of the eight subordinates of Sigma's command was a strong worker, and their abilities gave good promise for their military careers. Flame Mammoth had his immense weight and flamethrower, Boomer had his speed and his nasty cutters.
The other six were faces X did not know, but he would know soon enough. Storm Eagle, the majestic flying reploid who had worked as a warrior at the English Hovering fighter Jet Barracks. Chill Penguin, a stout bird whose original function was to clean the pipes at the Alaskan Naval Base. Launch Octopus, a 6 armed wonder who had worked on the equipment at the underwater Coralus Resort by Jamaica. Spark Mandrill, a simian reploid that operated the electrical systems of the Jet Barracks where Storm Eagle had come from. Armored Armadillo, a shelled reploid that had worked in the African Diamond Mines, digging new tunnels and withstanding forces humans could not. And finally…Sting Chameleon, a reploid whose cloaking abilities had been used by the Zoological Institute of Helsinki for him to take notes and recordings on animal behavior.
"This…this is our future." X whispered quietly. "To live in a place where cruel justice is done." Cancer nodded.
"X, if there's one thing I've learned here, it's this. Sometimes, fighting is inevitable." Cain sighed.
"Sometimes I wish the 'sometimes' would finally buy the farm."