A Score to Settle
By: Requiem
The ebony robot moved silently through the corridor. His long, tattered cloak hung down over his shoulders, covering his body. Methodically he searched the building... searching for his prey...
Finally... he found it.
It was a tall, reptile-like reploid. He stood hunched over, backed against the wall like an animal. One of his gigantic, saucer-shaped eyes turned, spotting his nemesis coming toward him...
"Ssstay back!" Sting Chameleon hissed. "Stay back, or I'll -!"
Sting's warning was cut short as the enemy android fired his buster, taking off one of Sting's arms. The reptillian reploid screamed as his synthetic blood spattered against the wall, and leaked from his wound. Suddenly, he lashed out his tail, sending out a triad of three green energy blades. His attacker ducked, firing a continuous stream of buster shots at Sting.
Sting dodged as many as he could, but several still struck him. Finally, Sting lashed out his prehensile tongue, wrapping around his foe's shoulders, tying him up. He forced him down to the ground, and retracted his tongue.
Sting pinned the robot down with his foot, and moved his tail to stab him in the chest. "Now I've got you..." Sting said, a viscious grin on his face.
The attacker only smiled. "Oh, but you don't realize..." he said, "that I never hunt alone..."
Sting could only blink to show his confusion, when suddenly, he was struck from behind. Sting screamed as a pair of toothy jaws clamped down around his neck. Then, wires and circuits were torn out savagely as metal claws dug into his reploid flesh.
About a minute and a half later, all that was left of Sting Chameleon lay in a pool of blood...
The robot got to his feet, and whistled. "Good job boy," he said, as he bent down to pet his robotic canine companion. Then he rose.
"Let's get out of here, Treble," he said. "I think we've done enough to attract both the Hunters AND Sigma's attention.."
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X rubbed his eyes as he walked through Maverick Hunter HQ, heading for the control room. He had been called in early that morning for an 'urgent announcement.'
The blue-colored reploid emerged into the control room, where he found Signas and Alia, along with X's partner Zero. "Hey guys," X said. "What was so urgent that you had to call me in here at this hour in the morning?"
Zero grimaced. "I was wondering the same thing," the crimson and white hunter said.
"Well gentlemen," Signas said, "it seems you shall find out soon. Alia?"
Alia nodded and turned to a computer screen. "We've recieved information on a new Maverick," she said.
"Big deal," Zero said. "No offense Alia, but there are thousands of Mavericks.."
"This one is differant," Alia said as an image appeared on the computer screen. It showed the inside of some sort of base.
"This was recovered from a known Maverick base that we siezed a few days ago," Signas said. "It was apparently run by Sting Chameleon. You remember him, right X?"
X nodded. "How could I forget?"
"Well, this is what became of him," Alia said, pressing a few more keys. The image then changed to a scene where Sting was battling a dark, cloaked robot. They watched as Sting fought for his life, and seemed to be winning towards the end until he was savagely attacked and torn apart by a purple blur.
The blur turned out to be a robot wolf of some sort. It reminded X and Zero of Sigma's dog, Velgaurder...
Finally, the two robots left, silently.
It was then that Zero started to laugh.
"You guys sure this is a Maverick?" he asked. "Look at that tape again. He just destroyed one of Sigma's underbosses."
"There's more," Signas said. When he finished, Alia brought up another image. Another corridor. This one had people and reploids alike, all Maverick Hunters, all being shot at by the mysterious black robot. They watched him and his wolf slaughter them all, despite being out-numbered. Finally, the robot retreated, cackling madly.
"This is from a known Maverick Hunter outpost..." Signas said, "... that was attacked several weeks ago.
Zero blinked at the screen, and then looked at Signas fiercely. "Why weren't we informed of this Signas?!"
Signas sighed. "I wanted to, but I was advised to with-hold the information by Dr. Cain. I don't know why, but he wanted it all clasified until we discovered Sting's base."
Zero grunted. X, meanwhile, spoke up saying, "Mind telling us why he wanted it classified?"
Signas shook his head. "He didn't even tell me," the Maverick Hunter leader said. "But he did say that it was very important we capture or destroy this Maverick..."
"He's that dangerous?" X asked.
"Either that," Alia said, "or extremely important."
X looked at the screen. The image of the robot had been frozen. He could now clearly see the features of both of them.
For some reason... it gave him a feeling of dread. That this was some great evil that he should most rightfully fear...
Little did he know that his partner Zero felt similar emotions... and in his case, he felt the slightest feeling of recognition...
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Chill Penguin laughed merrily as he chipped away at the ice, carving it into a vaguely humanoid figure.
It did, after all, have to match the position of the figure frozen inside. Chill smiled as he looked at his victim, the poor human's face twisted into an expression of pure terror...
"You are one gigantic sicko, Chill..."
The pudgy reploid turned to see Wheel Gator standing there.
"Looks whose talking," Chill replied. "I've seen your battle arena. Just what is that red stuff you swim around in?"
Wheel Gator let out a laugh. "You got me there," he said. "Anyway, ever think of turning up the heat in here? It's freezing in-
Gator stopped himself after he remembered who he was talking to.
Chill grinned. "So, what brings you to my ice-box Wheel Gator? Sigma sending us on another blasted scouting mission?"
"Nope," Gator replied. "Buuuuuut.. the master did send me to get you. He's calling everyone to the main conference room."
Chill's eyes widened. "Everyone?!" he said. "All of the Maverick leaders? Must be big."
Gator nodded. "Yep. It definitely is..."
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The ebony android sat silently in the abanadoned warehouse he had made his home. Treble was nearby, dozing.
Bass yawned. He looked down at his hand, which morphed into a buster weapon.
"Soon..." he thought. "Soon..."
Bass looked up at the ceiling, grinning. X and his "brother" would never even knew what hit them...
TO BE CONTINUED