Chapter 2 Base

Zero stood up as the blast faded. Ciel followed suit when she noticed the light had disappeared. She then goggled at Zero's accomplishment. "I can't believe you were able to defeat a Golem.," she breathed. She remembered all the times that her comrades had been decimated by Golems and only she and a few others had escaped the same fate. "We were right. You ARE Zero, the legendary Reploid!" she exclaimed.

Zero simply stood there. "Zero" was what she called him. 'Could that be my name?' he thought. 'It sounds familiar.' "Zero.?" he replied. "Is that my name he replied a loud. He forced himself to try and remember. "...... Ugh, I can't remember." he announced in defeat.

Ciel held up a hand to stop him from trying to remember. "Just relax for a moment," she told him in a soothing voice. "You have hibernation sickness," she stated. "I'm sorry for forcing you to wake up," she apologized. "And." She turned around as she continued. "Thank you for saving me," she added. She turned around to face the Reploid. "My name is Ciel. I am a scientist," she informed Zero. She turned around and headed toward the door that was, until just a minute ago, guarded by the Golem. She motioned for Zero to follow her. "Let's go to our base before more enemies arrive," she said.

Zero stopped her with a question. "What if I'm not the Zero you were talking about?"

"You proved to me that you are Zero by saving me from the Golem," she replied. She stood in front of the door as it opened. It closed with a bang behind her. Zero walked to the door and waited for it to allow him access to the room. It once again opened and Zero stepped inside. Inside, Ciel was inspecting a floating platform. "We are in luck," she called to Zero. The door closed behind Zero. "The Trans Server is still active. Stand on it to activate it, then you can go back to our Resistance Base," she informed Zero.

Zero jumped onto the platform. Ciel followed him onto the hovering dais. "Let's go," she said. Zero nodded his head and activated it. Blue rings surrounded the two and they disappeared in a flash of light.

***

[Note: this scene did not take place in the game]

The huge elephant-like Reploid stepped into the room still occupied with the bodies of three X-Droids. In the middle was the now empty capsule that had before held the body of the legendary Zero. Maha Ganeshariff pounded his fist upon a nearby table. The old table crumbled under the pressure and collapsed. The remaining two X-Droids that had survived the battle with Zero stood nearby. If they had robotic eyes, they would have winced. However, since they only had one large optical receptor, they could only allow it to flash in fear. Their robotic minds told them to be afraid. Maha turned around to face the two. "Why are you here when you're comrades lie destroyed! Were you so scared that you allowed them to die while you lived!? I SHOULD TERMINATE YOU WHERE YOU STAND!!!" he roared.

The two cowered in fear as Maha shifted into a giant ball lined with spikes. A being suddenly appeared in front of the elephant general. "Stop it, Maha Ganeshariff," said the Reploid. It was X! The Reploid wore blue body armor and a blue helmet decorated with a red crystal. He had red eyes and brown hair. The ball returned to its original state as a giant mechanical elephant.

"Why do you protect them master? They allowed Ciel and the scum to escape," he questioned.

"It was unavoidable. He is too powerful," he stated.

The elephant sighed in defeat. "Yes, master."

X walked forward. He looked up at Maha. "Maha."

"Yes, master?" he responded.

"I want you to download any information you can find in this area. There may be something that the Mavericks may want. I want you to stay here and protect that information until he comes back. Use it as bait and destroy him. Understand?"

"Yes, master," was his reply.

***

"Welcome to our Resistance Base, Zero," said Ciel. They stood in a large chamber with two mechanical doors. Ciel stood on one side of the room and Zero stood on the other. They had safely reached the base and she had brought him there. "This is a shelter for injured Reploids, who are suspected of being Mavericks," she explained. "We have fought so hard to simply survive. However, we know that the end is coming. But that's why we have been looking for you. You are our last hope. Most of us think that Zero is nothing but a fantasy. However, a few still believed in your existence and have looked for you. You ARE Zero, the legendary Reploid who fought with X to save the world 100 years ago."

Zero felt a picture emerge from his shattered memory banks as Ciel said "X". It was a picture of a blue Reploid. The other was smaller and instead of two hands, one hand was a blaster and the other was a regular hand. He had brown hair and green eyes. He was adorned with blue body armor and a blue helmet. 'X?' he thought to himself. "X.?" he repeated a loud. His voice receptors recognized the letter and it came through easily. "That sounds familiar."

Ciel's eyes were suddenly filled with despair and her words each seemed to be forced. "X. that legendary Reploid is still alive and he's trying to 'retire' us all," she spoke.

"X is trying to. retire you.?" he questioned. Something inside the back of his mind seemed to scream," That can't be true! X would never do that!"

"His plans have already begun. Many innocent reploids are being retired as we speak." she informed him. "We need your help. Our future depends on you. Please help us." she asked.

On the outside, he was in control and no emotion showed. However, on the inside, rage filled him. "Ok. I will help you," he calmly replied.

Ciel's appearance changed from one of despair to utter bliss. "Thank you." she replied softly. "It's like a dream come true. Now. with you help. I think I can save everyone. I have something I need to ask you. I'll tell you tomorrow so take a break and explore the base if you feel the need to. Come here tomorrow and I'll inform you of your mission," with that she walked to the door behind her. It activated and granted her admission. She walked through and allowed the door to close behind her.

***

Zero walked out of the room and through a hallway. It took him to an elevator. He stepped onto the platform and pressed the "up" button. It took him up a floor to another corridor. He walked down it. As he walked past a door, a girl Reploid accosted him. She looked young and held a large doll. She had green eyes and brown or blonde hair. "Nice to meet you," she said to him. "You saved Ciel, didn't you?" she inquired. "My name is Alouette. Ciel named me," she informed him. Zero introduced himself and they began to converse. "Have you ever heard of a thing called a Cyber-elf?" she asked. Zero shook his head. "A Cyber-elf is an electronic entity that gives some kind of power. But once they use their powers, they die. I feel sorry for them." After their conversation, Zero entered the door he had previously passed.

It was a large room. There were several chairs, a few tables, and a stage. The walls were a concrete gray like the rest of the base and the walls were cracked and old. Inside was a Reploid. He wore a helmet and visor and his arm was held in a cast. His outfit was green. The Reploid came forward and quietly inspected him. "You don't look familiar to me, sir."

"My name is Zero."

"I see. Zero is your name. Then I'll call you Mr. Zero. My name is Dande," he said. "I used to be called ONB6. Dull name isn't it?"

Zero nodded before continuing on. As he explored the base, he met numerous other kind individuals. They included the old Reploid known as Andrew, the engineer Cerveau, and numerous other Reploids that were dedicated to Ciel's cause, for her cause was also their own. Andrew had told Zero to "kick butt" while Cerveau had babbled on excitedly about Zero's weapons and their "unlimited potential."

Zero was given the chance to explore above the Resistance Base. He walked onto the elevator and pressed for the top floor. The elevator took him up to the top and Zero was greeted by an unexpected sight. Above the decrepit and crumbling area that the Resistance called home was a far worse sight. The gray sky shown upon a war-torn city. Everywhere, large amounts of debris littered the place. Buildings were cracked and fences were torn. Far off, what was once probably the downtown area of the city was now looming and abandoned structures. The skyscrapers were like hundreds of long fingers jutting up into the bleak sky. The roads of the immediate area itself were overgrown with weeds and moss grew on them. Scraggly bushes had sprouted up here and there to further tarnish the ground. The pavement was old and had not been replaced for decades. It was worn and well-used. The surface had been withered away by hundreds of Resistance members as they walked away on their missions. Something in the back of Zero's mind screamed out. 'This is not what the future is supposed to look like!' Zero glared at the landscape that seemed to glare back.

***

The next day, Zero walked into the chamber that Ciel had taken him to on the previous day. The entire base's schematics had been saved into his databanks and he could now remember the location of every room in the base. Ciel was there waiting for him. She smiled briefly. A grim face then replaced it. "What I want to ask you is if you would try and do something that has been able to do so far." she said. "I want you to destroy the Disposal Center, where they retire our comrades one after another. Even while I speak, they are preparing to retire a Reploid that was wrongly accused of being a Maverick. To prevent additional loss of Reploid life, please destroy the enemy facility. That is, if you accept."

Zero stood resolute. His eyes burned with the eyes of determination and his hands were clenched as if holding his Z Saber ready to go in to battle for the fate of innocent Reploids. He simply nodded his head saying," Yes."

***

Here is a new chapter of the story!!! And just in time for Christmas, too! ^_^ I would like to thank the following people for reviewing:

Da Qiao

Freakker

maverickzero

Zero Network

Nick Brickhouse

I would like to thank each and everyone one of you for taking the time to review my story!!! ^_^ Thank you for all the support. And now that I look at it. maybe I shouldn't have made the chapters so short earlier on. If I ever re-post this story, I am going to have to put those chapters together. But for now, I'll keep doing it my way. Remember!!! If you feel that I am not writing the story correctly. Just send a review or e-mail my way and I will be happy to listen to your comments and change it if need be. I will update hopefully by the end of next month!! -_-;;;; I'll try to get the story out earlier but I am loaded with neglected homework. Well. I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year [so cliché. ] !



[ ORIGINALLY I WAS GOING TO PUT AN ASCII DRAWING UP BUT THE WORDS WERE MESSED UP SO I TOOK IT OFF. SORRY!!!! ]

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [ This was supposed to be in color and a different font, too ]

Scythe244 ^_^