NOTE TO READERS – Since no actual hair color has been specified for Bass, I
had decided a while ago that he should have dark red hair. Every fan-
author makes their own decision about this, so please don't e-mail me to
say that it is purple.
Chapter V - A Dangerous Ally
"EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! MAVERICK FORCES AT POINT 6923! ALL UNITS CONVERGE!"
The Reploids working at H.Q. were frantic. Alia was yelling over the intercom the co-ordinates of Raddix City. There was yet another maverick revolt occurring. This was one of the largest yet. All units were sent to pacify the rebellion, but Special Force Unit #0 was told to stay at the command center.
"We're the best unit Maverick Hunter has!" Zero yelled. "Why aren't we there too!"
Dr. Cain was frantic. "Do you remember what happened the last time something like this happened? We were attacked and couldn't defend ourselves. You need to stay here."
Zero started swearing profusely, but Dr. Cain stuck by his decision.
"X! Bass!" yelled Signas, a relatively new officer at Maverick Hunter. "Your orders are to go to Raddix City and try to find the leader of this attack. Be prepared for the worst."
"On our way, Signas," said X as he and Bass ran to the garage to get a pair of hovercycles.
At Raiddix City, the renegade Reploids were wreaking havoc. The populace had been evacuated earlier, and now the Hunters were trying to suppress the raging mavericks. X and Bass were cornered by a giant robot they had been attempting to destroy, the smoldering wrecks of the two cycles about fifty meters away.
X had to yell at Bass over all the noise, "Why is there always a giant machine after me on all of these missions."
"You mean this isn't the first time?" Bass yelled back.
At that moment a swift blow knocked X to the side and damaged his fusion generator. He couldn't teleport out of the fight. Everything was up to Bass now. And Bass seemed to be handling it rather well, but a closer examination yielded shocking results. It appeared that he was in some sort of wild rage, but X couldn't tell from what, and he was hitting the Reploid with blow after blow from his weapon. The maverick soon exploded from the torrent of flaming bursts being issued from the F-Buster. Bass immediately calmed down and went to get X. All X could do was gaze horrified at what just happened. It looked like Bass was enjoying fighting the maverick.
That was too much for X to handle in his weakened state and he blacked out.
"What happened to him?"
"I don't know, he just fell over when I walked over to him. I got him back as soon as I could."
"It's a good thing you did. He wouldn't have lasted another second out there."
X slowly opened his eyes. Everything was blurry, but he could make out three figures above him.
'That red one must be Zero,' X thought. 'And the blue thing is Dr. Cain, I'm sure. But who is the black guy? Oh, yeah. Bass.' "BASS!?!"
X blurted out that last name. He remembered what had happened and sat up.
"Dr. Cain! I need to tell you something about Bass!" he said.
Cain was hesitant. He thought that X needed rest. "Okay, but make it quick."
"I don't think Bass can be in the Hunters. Before I was knocked out, I'm sure I saw that Bass was enjoying destroying that Reploid. He's too dangerous to be in the Hunters."
Dr. Cain laughed, "Don't be ridicules. Bass wouldn't act like that." He looked sternly at Bass. "Would you?"
Bass looked nervous under the glare. "Uh, no. Of course not. You were just imagining things, X."
'I sure hope so,' X thought to himself.
Bass was confused. He was sure that X was imagining him 'enjoying destruction'.
'I wouldn't do that. I'm not a monster. Am I?' Millions of questions were flooding into Bass's head. He took of his helmet and raked his fingers through his red-black hair. 'I was designed to be a war machine. So why do I deny my purpose? I've never known Dr. Wily, so why do I fear him? He isn't even alive. He died fifty years ago. So why am I afraid? What are these feelings?'
Soon Bass was overwhelmed. He went to see Dr. Cain.
"I see," said Cain in the way a psychiatrist explains to his patients that he understands, while not understanding whatsoever. "Well, why don't you take a few days to think it over. I'll send Zero in to speak with you. I believe he knows what you are going through."
Bass didn't think stewing in his feelings would help, but what else was there to do? "Okay."
Chapter V - A Dangerous Ally
"EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! MAVERICK FORCES AT POINT 6923! ALL UNITS CONVERGE!"
The Reploids working at H.Q. were frantic. Alia was yelling over the intercom the co-ordinates of Raddix City. There was yet another maverick revolt occurring. This was one of the largest yet. All units were sent to pacify the rebellion, but Special Force Unit #0 was told to stay at the command center.
"We're the best unit Maverick Hunter has!" Zero yelled. "Why aren't we there too!"
Dr. Cain was frantic. "Do you remember what happened the last time something like this happened? We were attacked and couldn't defend ourselves. You need to stay here."
Zero started swearing profusely, but Dr. Cain stuck by his decision.
"X! Bass!" yelled Signas, a relatively new officer at Maverick Hunter. "Your orders are to go to Raddix City and try to find the leader of this attack. Be prepared for the worst."
"On our way, Signas," said X as he and Bass ran to the garage to get a pair of hovercycles.
At Raiddix City, the renegade Reploids were wreaking havoc. The populace had been evacuated earlier, and now the Hunters were trying to suppress the raging mavericks. X and Bass were cornered by a giant robot they had been attempting to destroy, the smoldering wrecks of the two cycles about fifty meters away.
X had to yell at Bass over all the noise, "Why is there always a giant machine after me on all of these missions."
"You mean this isn't the first time?" Bass yelled back.
At that moment a swift blow knocked X to the side and damaged his fusion generator. He couldn't teleport out of the fight. Everything was up to Bass now. And Bass seemed to be handling it rather well, but a closer examination yielded shocking results. It appeared that he was in some sort of wild rage, but X couldn't tell from what, and he was hitting the Reploid with blow after blow from his weapon. The maverick soon exploded from the torrent of flaming bursts being issued from the F-Buster. Bass immediately calmed down and went to get X. All X could do was gaze horrified at what just happened. It looked like Bass was enjoying fighting the maverick.
That was too much for X to handle in his weakened state and he blacked out.
"What happened to him?"
"I don't know, he just fell over when I walked over to him. I got him back as soon as I could."
"It's a good thing you did. He wouldn't have lasted another second out there."
X slowly opened his eyes. Everything was blurry, but he could make out three figures above him.
'That red one must be Zero,' X thought. 'And the blue thing is Dr. Cain, I'm sure. But who is the black guy? Oh, yeah. Bass.' "BASS!?!"
X blurted out that last name. He remembered what had happened and sat up.
"Dr. Cain! I need to tell you something about Bass!" he said.
Cain was hesitant. He thought that X needed rest. "Okay, but make it quick."
"I don't think Bass can be in the Hunters. Before I was knocked out, I'm sure I saw that Bass was enjoying destroying that Reploid. He's too dangerous to be in the Hunters."
Dr. Cain laughed, "Don't be ridicules. Bass wouldn't act like that." He looked sternly at Bass. "Would you?"
Bass looked nervous under the glare. "Uh, no. Of course not. You were just imagining things, X."
'I sure hope so,' X thought to himself.
Bass was confused. He was sure that X was imagining him 'enjoying destruction'.
'I wouldn't do that. I'm not a monster. Am I?' Millions of questions were flooding into Bass's head. He took of his helmet and raked his fingers through his red-black hair. 'I was designed to be a war machine. So why do I deny my purpose? I've never known Dr. Wily, so why do I fear him? He isn't even alive. He died fifty years ago. So why am I afraid? What are these feelings?'
Soon Bass was overwhelmed. He went to see Dr. Cain.
"I see," said Cain in the way a psychiatrist explains to his patients that he understands, while not understanding whatsoever. "Well, why don't you take a few days to think it over. I'll send Zero in to speak with you. I believe he knows what you are going through."
Bass didn't think stewing in his feelings would help, but what else was there to do? "Okay."