Mega Man X 1.5
by Tremor3258
Family Reunions
Zero absent-mindedly pushed his jaw back shut as he stared at the stage in disbelief. The four-foot high defender of the planet stood on stage, blinking in an apparently preset pattern despite the flashbulbs and questions being shouted out around a shell greatly resembling the original Mega Man. Whether it was Rock had yet to be seen.
"Isoc! While this may be an interesting side project, Mega Man can't be a match for modern weapons and thinking robots!" shouted a human reporter, "What's the point of reviving Light's creation besides nostalgic value?"
"First of all, the term is Reploids. Say it with me," Isoc said coldly, "Robot is a term meaning slave or servant in the original Czech, and I don't appreciate being used referring to my people. Mega Man is, however, a robot, but far smarter than most of the drones usually used. He was an important step on the way to a thinking machine, and while he couldn't break the Turing Test, most people wouldn't be able to tell Rock from a young boy, outside his armor of course," The reporters made polite chuckles at the joke. Isoc said in a more serious tone, "Still, Mega Man, with modern weapons, is equivalent to our high-level drone sentries in terms of combat capability."
X had, well, locked up on seeing his older brother. Let him have his fun, mused Zero, he's had a good year really for meeting family and getting holes in his past closed. This is as getting much closer to a family reunion. I mean, Jazz and Bebop were war dogs kept on a tight leash, judging by their story, schematics, and Dr. Light's sob story, Zero was feeling alliterative. The Crimson Hunter studied the hero from decades past, but this is someone who was there through all the rebellions, and the creation of the first Reploid. Well, supposedly there. X had snapped out of it as Isoc and Mega Man preened for the camera, and was studying the robot cautiously. Zero could understand what the new Strategic Commander was going through. What was inside the little metallic head of Isoc's pet project?
Zero yelled at his new Commander (on paper), "Isoc, I mean, great, you've built yourself a Mega blank, but without experience, any month-old Reploid with a blaster could take it out. No offense to your design work intended, but.." Zero trailed off.
Isoc nodded, and grinned at the Crimson Hunter, which set Zero on edge. He didn't like people showing so many teeth around him. "Well," explained Isoc in a smooth voice that made you want to trust him, "actually, this Rock is equipped with battle tapes put together from various sources over the original's years of activity. You can't download experience into a Reploid's head without overloading the mind, but robot's circuitry is a bit easier to deal with."
X said in a hopeful tone, "So, is this data taken from battle cameras, or did you actually grab some of Rock's old backups from the Robot Museum?" X walked over to peer at his brother. Their armor designs were quite similar, and except for the height difference, they could have been clones of each other. There was one major difference. X's face resembled a teenager's, but his eyes were much older. As X studied Rock's eyes, he noted they had an innocence that X doubted his had even when Cain had pulled him out of the capsule. X sighed, his brother may have been the next best thing to sentience when he was activated, and an experience warrior, but emotion-wise, Rock literally was a child.
X shrugged, and started to turn away. Mega-copy asked, "What is the matter? Do I have something on my face? Who is this man, anyway, father?"
X froze as if struck. Isoc raised his hands to forebear any outbursts on the Hunter's part. "As I said, I built him as closely to Dr. Light's specifications as our research allowed, including much of the original basic personality matrix. Rock was intended much as a child for Dr. Light, prior to Dr. Wily going insane. As such, Rock naturally looks up to me in such respect."
X nodded silently. Keep reminding yourself, X. Rock may have been your older brother, and advanced enough to carry on conversations, but he was only a robot. AI-enhanced anti-programming blocks or not. This may resemble the world's champion, but Zero's as likely to give up fighting as for Rock to suddenly be truly raised from the dead.
Isoc turned to the small robot, and said in the earnest voice of a father giving life-enriching instruction to his son, "This is X, Mega Man. Treat him as your younger brother." Rock blinked once as the directive was processed, and then looked at X with a condescending, "I'm letting you stay near me only because Dad said so," sneer. Zero started to guffaw. He'd watched enough TV to become acquainted with the look.
The reporters chuckled. Isoc pretended to look regretful, "Sorry X. I think my personality matrices could use a little work, but I always was more of a hardware designer than a programmer." Zero made a note of this. He didn't talk a lot with Cain Labs' staff, as he was pretty much top of the line anyway, but he hadn't heard of Isoc. Any good information would come in handy.
"Speaking of design work," segued Isoc, "Mega Man has always been a mobile fighter, so we haven't enhanced his armor as much as we could. We did, however, give him the latest in variable weapon grid technology and plasma cannon technology. It's no plasma shot, but it's still quite powerful."
"Mega Man, of course, unlike Reploids, has the First Law hard-wired into him. His programming is far more immutable, and is nearly complex as a Reploid's. He can't harm humans, and it's unlikely that the Virus will be able to infect his systems, due to the difference in technology base for his mind." There was a lot of murmuring at that. Hunter firepower without the danger of going Maverick? That was something the world had been searching to find for almost a decade.
X studied the younger robot. He could mimic quite well, but Isoc had everything up to this point running so smoothly it was almost a script. X firmly believed that his older brother was at least almost sentient. Bebop had never managed to answer the question in a satisfactory matter. However, X firmly believed the Virus, which had proven it had the ability to mutate, could at least infect any advanced computer system. How else did Sigma manage to run around all the time in computer form?
X told Isoc so, "Isoc. I hate to rain on everyone's parade, and show a flaw with your new toy, but this is important. Sigma has never been slow about using the Virus to infect anything that might be useful. Quite a few of the drones he uses show traces of the infection. Saying it's impossible to avoid infection is putting poor Rock here right on the firing line to become Maverick."
Isoc sighed, and said, "I meant what I meant. The First Law of Robotics is carved into Mega Man's psyche. Virus nanomachines might be able to reach him and download the virus, but if Rock's thought processes ever came back with the possibility of harming humans, the power line to his fusion shielding is cut."
Zero stood at the bottom of the platform, and was practically able to look the tiny Rock in the eye. "So you're saying we've got a walking bomb with heavy firepower. He doesn't have the personality circuits of the original that protected him from reprogramming. He has the battle experience, but he has little human interaction ability. What happens with psychological damage, or if he has to set someone's arm back in their socket, which causes pain. You know, I'm so confident of the world's safety, I may just hand in my resignation now." A few reporters gave nervous chuckles.
Isoc froze, stricken for a moment, "That may be a possible flaw in the design, but any new robot, or Reploid, needs some time to learn. We can't simply send him to the scrap heap because he overreacts to something. Or was your little speech about taking more care on who to judge Maverick, just that, X?" Zero's eyes burned with fury at seeing his verbal attack redirected at his friend, but the calmer X merely nodded. Zero shook himself. His temper would get the best of him one day. Right now, it was probably a good idea to see if any hot dogs were left.
Rock-copy was worried. His existence was possibly in danger, and Rock had long ago been designed to protect his own existence. But who did that? the hero reborn wondered. He did a quick search of old tapes. Those who denigrated his abilities often tried to destroy him. The conclusion was simple when you're only a week old: Zero had to be destroyed.
Zero had just managed to scrounge up a burger when Mega Man, the original version (copy), gave a rebel yell and did his infamous slide move to scurry past the legs of the taller Reploids. Zero started to turn, figuring that someone had started the music again when a heavy charged shot slammed into his chest, knocking his energy level down. Zero howled as the heavy plasm attempted to burrow through his chest armor before dissipating.
Zero whipped out his saber and was a moment away from igniting it as he surveyed the area. It was pure luck that no humans had been hit, so far, but what had happened? Various commanders were taking to the air, and Zero noted that X was putting his latest toy on a test run.
Post-battle analysis had shown that Jazz had warped off her Dr. Light granted armor. Even with the Force Armor, X didn't have a lot of modularity with it, but it could be disconnected. Taking a look at Jazz's teleport systems, X had added in a warping capability for his armor. Zero's systems merrily noted the anti-teleport field being deactivated by X, as apparently something in the crowd was firing and it was no longer necessary. With a flare of light, an energy beam enfolded X. When it disappeared, X was wearing the gold, whites, and reds of the latest gift from Dr. Light, armed with plasma shot capabilities and the Nova Strike.
Zero had considered it odd at the time that no 'super-capsule' had shown up with some sort of insane power upgrade, but X assumed that the additional arm capsule was the super-capsule for the time being. As it had turned out, the extra power hadn't been necessary, and X's fourth armor set easily cleared the Repliforce opposition. That same mighty power was ready to be turned against the current enemies.
Throughout the scurrying field of Hunters and technicians, another shot lanced out towards Zero. This time, the Hunter was ready and he quickly ignited his green blade. With a mental command, Zero boosted the power output of the saber, turning it lilac. With a quick slice, the saber's plasma field counteracted the plasma bolt headed at Zero, forming a quick cloud of charged particles around the Crimson Hunter before the activity died down. In a Maverick base, this would be no difficulty. Here, Zero looked at the grass fires extending a few meters away from him in each direction, and realized he'd be unable to use the Tenkuuha again with the threat of the crowd suddenly turning and rushing in his direction. The shot had come from a different area, and the crowd scurried to get away, while Hunters moved towards it. Zero had a better way, however, then moving through the non-combatants.
Zero jumped into the air to try and get a better view, and grinned ferally as another energy shot launched at him. In the air, it was easy to figure out which position the attacks were coming from. Zero noted X was hovering over for a look as well. Zero quickly did his double-jump, relying on his natural balance sense to land him in the correct spot. Zero quickly ignited his blade and somersaulted down to slash.
Once Zero hit the ground, he looked up and saw what he had hit. Armor open from one shoulder down to his hip, Rock stood there, looking stunned as Zero was. The crowd continued to scurry away as Hunters tried to force their way to the shot location.
X's thrust was about to run out, but he saw an opening near Zero, presumably the location of the attacker. X launched his plasma shot off. Devastating as it normally was, with Mega-clone's armor ripped apart, the cohesive energy field burned its way through delicate circuits, frying many of the robot's systems into crusted, blackened versions of their formerly working selves. Realizing the danger was past, reporters started to send their remote cameras in for closer shots. Rock struggled to his feet. He had come back from worse problems than this, and he would not be destroyed.
And such was not to be today. Lancer showed off his weapon system. Like most bat-types, Lancer had a 'night' theme weapon. The dark void caused gravity damage normally, but the charged version drained energy away. It was relatively slow, but Rock was already crippled. The mighty robot fell over, stuck in stasis lock as his energy was gone. X rushed through the crowd, and screamed in horror as he saw who he had fought. X was familiar with plasma shot damage, and recognized the effects. Zero saw X's face, and went over to comfort him, but the Strategic Commander teleported away.
Zero looked around. The Blue Bomber was off-line, and the damage he had taken looked very messy indeed. Those without a doctor's, or Hunter's knowledge of what made Reploids tick would assume grievous, probably irreparable damage. And the great hero had been shown taken down, rather brutally, by three top Hunters. Zero didn't want to think about what public opinion would do to them.
No one dared ask it, as tempting fate is a dangerous game with one rule: you lose. Still, on everyone's minds was the same phrase, Can anything else go wrong today? Signas chose that moment to come onto the radio, informing the various Unit Commanders that the four sleepers had woken up, had seen the tail tend of the fight, and that the latest Virus analysis results had come back an inconclusive.
"Wonderful," muttered Zero, summing up the general feeling for the rest of the Hunters.
To be continued
Author's Notes:
This has been HEAVILY revised (everything from the second half of the second page on down to 'No one dared ask it').
Why? I didn't like the direction the original was taking things. It was getting too complicated. So, nothing left to do but retcon the previous chapter and start over.
This is like my sixteenth draft for this chapter. And yet, it's a bridging episode. The next chapter is where the plot was supposed to get moving again. (Mega Man shows up and dies is not major plot. Reaction to the event is major plot).
Next time: Everyone's back awake, but do they really want to be? The quartet deals with suspicion of being Maverick, while others deal with anger at the growing rift between the Hunter's civilian overseers and the military Units.
Final note: Evidently, I like the word 'scurry' I use it about six times here..