Chapter 2: Into the Fire
The world around Zero was hazy and dark; as trails of purple mist drifted past him, he realized that he was alone. As he stepped through the shadowy place, he heard his footsteps echoing across a glass-like floor, the ground around his boots giving off a strange glow as he moved. Aside from that sound, the dark place was as silent and ominous as a graveyard.
He cocked his head to the side as he felt his audios picking up faint whisperings from beyond the shroud of mist encroaching upon him. The voices were incoherent, fading in and out like a soft breeze and adding even more eeriness to the atmosphere. Zero could feel himself being surrounded by enemies as he moved through the darkness. They wanted to tear him apart, wanted to spill his blood on the floor of the foreboding arena and break his exoskeleton into dust.
Zero wouldn't let them, feeling his courage and tension rising as he drew his slender Z-Sabre from the scabbard attached to his back. The green flame from the sword added another luminous glow to the chilling aura permeating the realm. He held it firmly in his grasp, waiting for the first of his attackers to reveal themselves.
Suddenly, a chittering from the left. Zero snapped his head toward that direction, seeing a small, agile figure leaping from the darkness. His form glowed with a brilliant white shade, and wisps of blue smoke were rising off of his body. The enemy brandished a pair of claws on his wrists, slashing at Zero as he flew at him. The Maverick Hunter deftly sidestepped the attack, decapitating the assailant in a swift fluid motion. Strangely, the apparition-like enemy sprayed blood and fluid from its separated body parts as it collapsed onto the ground, vanishing from sight.
A roar pierced the darkness from behind Zero, and the Hunter quickly whirled around and swung harshly at whatever new threat had presented itself. The Z-Sabre pierced the gullet of a heavily armored ghost Reploid that stood nearly his height. The sword lodged itself partway into the side of the spirit's throat, turning the guttural bellow into a gurgling, bloody scream. Fluid escaped from the attacker's square mouth as he gazed with extreme pain at Zero. He didn't stop there - these weaklings had come to battle him, to kill him, and he would certainly not spare any of their pathetic lives.
Tensing his arms, Zero pulled the Z-Sabre through the ghost's transparent throat. The material was as tenacious as high-grade armor plating, and it took a lot of effort from Zero to drag the flaming sword through it.
::Urrgghh...come on and die already...::
After several seconds of forceful exertion, the powerful Z-Sabre finally cut the rest of the way through the spirit's esophagus, and the burly Reploid's head dropped backward off of its neck. The grisly stump spurted blood onto Zero's armor as the vanquished ghost keeled over onto the ground. Just as before, the corpse vanished into the floor.
Zero caught his breath, feeling an arrogant grin coming to his face as he hefted the sword into the air, eager for more enemies to challenge him. It was such an exhilarating sensation, to so thoroughly decimate any enemy that was stupid enough to cross his power.
Two more forms darted out of the billowing mist toward him, brandishing heavy laser pikes. Zero met them as they charged toward him, impaling the first's midsection on his Z-Sabre and turning its flaming laser pike on the second attacker, jamming it into the spirit's right eye. He jerked his sword out of the first ghost's stomach as both dropped to the ground. He barely noticed that his enemies' blood was blurring his vision slightly; he didn't care - he wanted more.
Wiping entrails away from his mouth, Zero felt himself laughing slightly. He leveled the sword toward the chittering shadows lurking behind the mist, shouting back in a defiant voice.
"Is that the best you've got?! Come on, who else wants some!!"
The spirits acknowledged him, and another pair emerged from the darkness, leveling high-powered rifles in his direction. Zero laughed even louder as he rushed toward them, no fear in his blazing eyes.
A wave of laser fire from the rifles struck Zero's armor, right below his chest. The pain from the blasts stifled him momentarily, but as he felt his own fluid trickling down his armor, Zero's anger began to intensify. He hacked the closer spirit's gun to pieces with two strokes of his sword, crying out in a rage as he impaled the ghost with his sword and hacked its legs out from underneath it.
The second gunner fired another volley of rounds into Zero's back, and the Hunter felt the back of his head getting pelted with hot energy. As fluids trickled down his back, Zero felt himself growing even more belligerent and incensed, not even acknowledging the pain as he clutched the hilt of the Z- Sabre and whirled toward the second attacker. He javelined the sword into the gunner's shoulder, causing the spirit to cry out and fall over, its weapon clattering to the floor several inches away. Zero stomped toward the ghost as it tried to reach for its rifle, and the Hunter responded to the action by tearing the Z-Sabre out of its shoulder and chopping the reaching arm clean off. As the ghost gazed up in horror at the berserker Hunter, Zero lifted the Z-Sabre high over his head with both hands and started to hack away at the defenseless soldier. Zero gutted the spirit in every way he could think of, tearing through its midsection and thoroughly dissecting its chest as blood flew everywhere, completely soaking the front of his armor.
As a relief to the spirit perhaps, its body finally vanished as Zero brought down the sword where its head was. As the Z-Sabre cracked through the glass-like floor, he growled in frustration.
"Dammit!! I wasn't finished yet; bring him back!!!"
Out of the corner of his blood-filled eyes, Zero spotted three more enemies approaching from the rear. They were all twice his size and possessed long, slender laser sabers.
Zero felt his good mood returning as he dropped the Z-Sabre to the ground - more enemies, more warrior wannabes who thought they could match up to him. He welcomed it, the greater odds and the constant stream of foes. They would be more bodies to add to the growing pile.
Charging energy through his emergency weapons' systems, Zero pounded the ground with one of his fists, releasing a torrent of built-up energy from his exoskeleton. As the glass floor shattered beneath the force of the blow, the approaching enemies were instantly shredded in a torrent of superheated plasma orbs that discharged from his arm. The closer of the two attackers were incinerated, their entire upper bodies completely gone. The third had managed to keep most of his body parts, but not by a large margin; his luck certainly hadn't been enough to save his life, as he dropped down next to the corpses of his two compatriots.
Oozing with arrogance and satisfaction at his handiwork, Zero snatched the loose Z-Sabre up from the ground, gazing around at the shadowy atmosphere with a crazed and defiant expression in his eyes. The shadows continued to whisper and murmur around him, and Zero finally let out a hardy raucous laugh at his enemies, swinging the vibrant sword randomly at the darkness. He silently dared all of them to come out and face him as he shouted irreverently into the stale air.
"Yeehahahaha!! That's right!! No one messes with me!!" He boasted wildly as he ripped his weapon across the air almost uncontrollably. "Okay, bastards...who's next?!"
His eyes had been nearly clouded over with fluid and blood by this point, and though his vision was impaired, it didn't stop his rage from escalating as he noticed no additional challengers stepping forward to meet him. The sudden cowardice served to do nothing more than infuriate Zero further - they were backing down, robbing him of the pleasure he would be taking in ending their pitiful existences.
::They can't hide behind their smoke forever...I'll finish them myself!!!::
He lurched forward into the void, trying to chase down the source of the murmuring echoes. He hurried across the floor for at least fifteen minutes, his pursuit guided by his hateful aggression as the voices continued to resonate inside his skull.
"Stupid, freaking cowards!!" He screamed, lashing the Z-Sabre out at the surrounding mist. "Shut up!! Come out and face me!!"
A sudden beacon of light emerged a short distance from him, and Zero felt elated at the coming of another foe. He braced himself, the blood dripping into his mouth tasting bittersweet as he prepared to siphon more of it from this next ghost.
Instead of an armored warrior, however, Zero spotted a small, dainty figure approaching him slowly. He was motionless as he watched the glowing specter morph into a more solid appearance. He stopped breathing as he noticed the female figure and the long, flowing hair that nearly came down to the spirit's ankles. He clutched the Z-Sabre tightly - it was her.she'd been one of the ghostly masses conspiring against him in this dead world. Considering the circumstances of their previous meeting, he wasn't surprised.
"Zero..." Iris's voice was soft and eerie, her high-pitched tone echoing clearly in the emptiness. Zero didn't move an inch. Though her eye sockets were hollow, he could sense a degree of shock on her face as she studied his blood-soaked form. "Why...? Why did it have to be that way..."
"They were the enemies...my enemies...they needed to die! They HAD to die!!" Zero was forceful in his tone, his belligerence not dissuaded by Iris's appearance. He felt his vocal circuitry sinking, and his voice croaked out a guttural tone that was absent of its usual nobleness. "It was them or me...if X hadn't been so tricky at the virus crater, I'd have killed him, too...along with Sigma...and the commanders! General Signas, Lifesaver, Alia...I've seen them looking over their shoulders when I pass them by...they want me dead, want my CPU incinerated...but they'll never get to me!! None of them, understand?!"
Iris's look was unchanged, though she turned away from Zero, speaking sorrowfully.
"Was I your enemy...?" She inquired. "Was I just the victim of bloodlust...reduced to a meaningless shadow because of your rage...? I had so much I wanted to tell you, Zero...but you never listened...you were always so content with war...but never with me..."
Zero felt his legs moving again, stepping slowly up to the spectral Iris as droplets of blood rolled off of his body and evaporated against the burning Z-Sabre. He raised the weapon, his low tone seeming louder then before.
"You got in my way...always got in the way of what I needed to do to survive..." He began, measuring her up. Iris still had her back turned, and she was defenseless. "I just wanted you out of my life...to grow up inside and leave me ALONE!!!"
He drew the weapon back and swiftly stabbed her through the heart, pressing the sword down with all its weight until the hilt touched her ghostly form. Iris collapsed onto the ground, blood draining from her wound like a waterfall. Strangely, there was no cry of pain, no sudden flinching of her body parts as she went down. But as Zero spat on his latest conquest, Iris turned her face back toward him, and suddenly, a bright flash interrupted Zero's senses.
All of a sudden, he was staring at an apparition version of X beneath him, wounded in the same locale with the Z-Sabre fully driven into him. As Zero blinked his eyes rapidly, the vision switched back to Iris, then to X, and Iris again. He backed away, his fingers trembling as the ghost spoke to him again. Zero's processor began to cave in on itself as his audios recorded two different voice signatures - X's and Iris's. Even his passionate anger was stifled - what the hell was happening?
"The shadow has won..." They said in perfect unison. "You chose bloodshed..."
Suddenly, other objects - a large collection of shattered ghost corpses - appeared on the hazy ground. There were so many in fact, that Zero could hardly find room to maneuver. All of them were severely dilapidated; none of the corpses possessed all of their body parts, and most had been utterly massacred, their inner circuitry spilling out onto the floor along with pools of fluid and blood. Zero gazed in stunned horror at the visual, his eyes nearly not able to take the sight of so much death. As he stepped backward - nearly stumbling over a large corpse in the process - the X/Iris hybrid ghost spoke again, turning its head away from him.
"...And they...have paid the price...along with me..."
"No...stop...I had no choice!!" He rushed forward as the hybrid began to fade. But the mass of bodies was too deep, and he couldn't get to it in time. As Zero drove fruitlessly to catch the corpse, a faint ringing noise began intruding itself into the atmosphere, growing louder as the seconds drew onward. He pounded the ground with frustration as the Iris/X ghost had completely vanished, leaving only the blood-covered Z-Sabre where it had been slumped over.
The frustrations and the sight of so much all-encompassing death around him welled up in his chest, and it took all of his emotional reserves to keep from screaming out in pure unmitigated rage at the injustices of this horrid place.
As the ringing began to grow shriller, Zero looked up and found the dark world fading away around him, spinning out of existence like a whirlpool.
Before he knew what happened, Zero was awake inside his resuscitation pod, his armor clean and his sheathed sword and helmet lying next to him on the cushioned bed. He let out a soft breath; the ringing noise had been the radio built into the pod - someone was transmitting a message to him. He silently thanked whoever was on the other end of the line; without their call to rouse him from his slumber, he would've still been imprisoned in that dreadful world.
"Dammit..." He massaged his temples and reached out for the activation switch to the radio. "Another one...the worst yet..."
He cleared his throat as Signas's visage materialized on the transparent side of the pod.
"Did I catch you a bad time, commander?" He asked with concern, observing Zero's features carefully.
"No, of course not, sir," Zero rubbed his thick blonde hair, reaching over to his right side to retrieve his helmet. "Just catching a nap after my shift."
"Forgive the bad timing, commander, but we've just received some vital information regarding the HYBRID weapon organization. I'm on my way to the Hub to meet with X and his supports. We'll then be holding an emergency briefing in Command Central momentarily."
"What's this got to do with me? That's Unit Seventeen's case file."
"I'm aware of that, but considering the potential of this information, I think it's pertinent that you be in attendance. We may need your skill and experience to assist us on this case. Join us up in Command Central in five minutes."
Zero sighed inwardly, but nodded dutifully to Signas.
"I'm on my way."
He closed the channel, slinging the sword over his back and jumping up out of the resuscitation pod. He stretched his arms a bit and adjusted his helmet properly on his head, attempting to assuage his jarred nerves. The first part of the nightmare had been nothing new.but the Iris/X apparition had been something completely new, and remembering his conversation with the ghost frightened him even more. He'd heard the animalistic growling coming from his throat, and he'd felt the hatred boiling within him as he'd driven the sword through the specter...
"Stop it..." He told himself, taking a deep breath and marching toward the entrance. "Bad memories...that's all, nothing but a dream..."
***
As the two Forge brothers passed by the Hub's fountain, Richter noticed the transport unit in front of it energizing, its dark blue pad receiving a passenger from elsewhere on the base. Neat piece of technology, that. A pair of figures materialized out of the gold haze engulfing the unit, and as they came into focus, Richter and Gavin automatically gave a straight, rigid salute to General Signas and his well-dressed elderly companion.
Signas glanced down with pleasant surprise at the two Forges, returning their salute and giving them a curt nod.
"At ease, soldiers; it's good that you're here," He said to them, prompting the brothers to maintain a relaxed yet dignified stance. "Forgive me for my tardiness, Lieutenants; I know I was due to enter the transfer briefing with the two of you over an hour ago."
"It was my fault entirely, general," The elegant-looking man next to him lowered his head reverently in apology. Richter was impressed by the man's appearance - he appeared very human-like for a Reploid, and the suit he was donning certainly wasn't cheaply tailored. "Once I begin to talk about business, there's no stopping me. But thank you for considering those proposals of mine."
"I'll have the Civilian Protectorate contact you later in the week about the implementation of the aid dispersal. Again, Saren, I thank you and the Cerebra Group for your hospitality."
"Please, the lives of the Reploids braving this cruel world are my utmost concern," The old man smiled pleasantly, his voice taking on an eloquent tone. "There's a saying from old humankind that can still apply to Reploids today: "'Kindness, nobler ever than revenge.'"
"'As You Like It,'" Gavin smiled broadly, an odd-looking brightness emerging in his eyes as he listened to the elder Reploid. Saren and Signas were both surprised, turning to face Gavin as the young Hunter suddenly realized his outburst and moved quickly to reaffirm a solemnity in his face. Richter arched an eyebrow in confusion at his brother.
"As they like what?" He asked. It was unusual for Gavin to blurt out something as random as that, especially before a superior officer.
"Errmm.merely admiring your fondness for Shakespeare, sir," He replied in a more respectful tone. "As You Like It, Act Four, Scene Three."
"WHO??" Richter shot his younger brother a blank stare. "What kind of stupid name is that?"
"William Shakespeare!" Gavin rolled his eyes. Seeing that Richter was still giving him a blank stare caused him to scowl. "Come now, brother, even you've had to hear about him in between all of your military maneuvers courses!"
Saren looked pleased as he smiled respectfully back toward Gavin. As Richter continued to look baffled, Saren gave him a mirthful laugh.
"You should borrow some of the young one's cultural prowess, valiant soldier; the battlefield certainly isn't everything, even in this day and age. Tell me, young Hunter, what is your designation?"
Richter noticed Gavin becoming jittery as Saren calmly sauntered over to him.
"Err...umm...Gavin, Gavin Forge, Lieutenant Third Class," He stammered, drawing a smirk from Richter. "If...if I may, sir, would you happen to be Saren Thell?"
"That I am."
Gavin's posture faltered slightly; Richter could tell that he was excited by the acknowledgement.
"Forgive my outburst, but I am a huge supporter of what you and your organization are doing for the arts in Talara and of Shakespeare, as you've seen. It's truly an honor to be acquainted with you, sir."
"Please, Gavin, call me Saren," He shook the young Reploid's hand, looking back in Signas's direction, nodding approvingly. The general had previously been watching the exchange with silent amusement. "It's encouraging to see quick, sharp wits being applied to more than just the military end of this fine organization. I admire your commitment to the classics, young Gavin."
"In my opinion, Saren," Gavin looked a bit more at ease, though he still bore some signs of fluster. "There is no classic author greater than Shakespeare. I'm just glad I'm not the only one still interested in maintaining his legacy among Reploids."
"True words, friend," Saren replied. "I'll be opening another theater in the south district soon; perhaps you may be able to spare a visit. Its performances will be primarily based on Shakespearian works."
"It would be a pleasure, sir!" Gavin was elated, more than Richter had ever seen him. "Err, I mean, thank you, Saren. I would be honored."
::Boy, these two are made for each other.I might as well be listening to an audio dictionary.::
Richter knew that this encounter would only serve to fuel Gavin's academic half as opposed to his performances as a Maverick Hunter, which certainly wasn't the best direction to head into considering their recent promotions. It had been difficult enough to keep Gavin on a decent training regiment during their days in Unit Eight because he'd always found a fascination with some old-world novel or story.
Saren glanced down at his gold-encrusted watch.
"My, how time flies," He noted, addressing General Signas. "I will be taking my leave, general. I anxiously await your status report."
"Good day, Saren," Signas bowed politely as Saren spun on his heels and headed toward the entrance.
"Farewell, Lieutenant Forge. Please continue your interest in the old works. They carry much value for this generation of Reploids."
Gavin nodded briskly as Saren moved toward the sign out desk at the Hub entrance. As soon as he was out of hearing distance, Richter leaned over toward Gavin with interest in his eyes.
"Making friends in high places, very good, little brother," He joked. "You catch on to the politics of the business very quickly."
"Oh, come on, Richter," Gavin said with irritation. "You have your role models, and I have mine. I always wonder what the old artists like Shakespeare or Baudelaire would say about beings like us."
"They wouldn't say a thing - they'd probably just write it down in a language too complicated and excessive for the average Reploid to understand," Richter answered him, folding his arms. "But that's my view."
"Gentlemen!" Signas addressed them distinctly. Both Forges took their cue and diverted their full attention to the general. "As I was saying, your timing couldn't be better. It seems that the two of you have the potential to be thrown into the fire on your first day."
"How do you mean, sir?" Richter asked.
"Let's wait until X and Alia arrive," Signas answered. "Then you'll have your answers."
"Speaking of whom..." Gavin nodded toward the right end of the Hub, and Richter spotted the two Hunters hurrying around the corner. Alia waved to them as they approached, and X possessed a look of elation on his unblemished face. "Well, someone's looking eager..."
Out of the corner of his eye, Richter noticed something else, something a bit out of place. Next to the check-out desk, he spotted two hulking Reploids hovering near Saren. He at first suspected they were accosting the elderly Reploid, but after the two saluted him, Richter assumed that they were serving him in some kind of bodyguard capacity.
Strangely, they didn't look like the kind seen around a humanitarian and would-be poet like Saren. The one on the right was about eight feet tall, his beige exterior rough and textured. In place of hands, he had sharp- looking pincers, and a versatile tail with a prominent stinger protruded out of his back, dangling on the floor behind him. His narrow gold eyes possessed a dangerous edge to them - Richter had seen the same hardened looks on mercenary and assassin types.
His companion was no less intimidating, possessing highly durable-looking armor and a set of elegant wings. The different shades of maroon, teal, and marigold gave him the appearance of a peacock at first, but after noticing the sharp beak and clawed hands, Richter figured that he was either a hawk, or eagle. Either way, he looked as shady as his partner and quite fearsome - Richter wondered how such devious figures had fallen under the employ of someone as obviously proper and regal as Saren Thell.
He turned away as the hawk Reploid's beady eyes met his, acting casual and not wanting to arouse hostilities. Richter shifted his mind back on whatever task was at hand, finding that he could barely contain his excitement of their first potential mission.
***
"We'll be returning to the complex, Marett," Saren informed his obedient driver as he entered into the hover-car. Marett silently nodded, closing the door as Saren took his usual seat. The Bionoid let himself sink comfortably into the leather cushioning - things had worked out perfectly, as always.
He glanced at the brooding figures seated nearby. Terrahawk's wings were crunched up against the interior, and he was shifting uncomfortably to adjust them. Scorpulos was smirking with his pincers folded across his chest at his partner, flashing a set of gold fangs as he snuffed.
"I can just as easily glide back, you know," Terrahawk grumbled as he batted one of his transparent feathers away from his beak. "I hate these contraptions...it makes flying seem like less and less of a gift..."
"It's necessary; I need to update you two on the current time-table before my meeting with the project teams," Saren informed him. "The next forty- eight hours are going to be critical if this plan is going to succeed; I may be out of touch for some time."
"I can't believe you went with that arrogant punk for the HYBRID break- in..." Scorpulos hissed as he picked his teeth with the tip of one of his pincers. "I can just as easily acquire those viral samples, and none of us would have to put up with his attitude..."
"Questioning my wisdom, Scorpulos?" Saren didn't want to directly admit it to the hot-headed Scorpulos, but he didn't consider the crude fighting methods that both of his hires employed as the best way to go about robbing an organization as heavily armed as the HYBRID. As classless and arrogant as Dynamo was, his finesse and sheer skill would ensure that the virus samples would be as good as his.
Scorpulos nonchalantly leaned back.
"Tcch. The job doesn't matter much to me, just the cash you're funding it with."
Terrahawk interjected himself just as crassly as his comrade.
"One job for fifty grand; I'd be just as cocky as Dynamo was if I knew I'd be rolling in that kind of cash," He glared at Saren, who steeled his own gaze. Ungratefulness, especially among his rougher hires, was something he did not tolerate - he was their employer, and in such dealings, he had to command control in order to keep them in line.
"Keeping that up will gain either of you nothing. Bear in mind that I can choose whether or not to retain your services once the Maverick Hunters begin to fall. I'd certainly be willing to pay handsomely for the heads of any Hunters my viral warriors happen to miss."
Scorpulos nodded his head, satiated.
"You have a way with negotiations, old man," He replied. "You've got my vote."
"Now then, to business. Scorpulos, you mentioned that security was increased?" Saren asked as the car began to lift off. The seats were buffeted momentarily by the take-off but soon settled. "Was there any indication that they'd discovered the bugs?"
"Unlikely," Scorpulos replied in a raspy, serpent-like tone. "All computer systems were operating at normal security functions as far as I could tell. We were probably just a bit unlucky."
"I don't think that little aerial sideshow went over well with the administrators," Terrahawk noted. "I doubt I can get away with it during our next visit without being thrown out."
"We'll be a bit more creative next time," Scorpulos nodded. "Besides, the last half of the communications systems was covered in this visit. That takes care of the primary defense grid; all that remains is to get those things into the electrical systems, and poof, no more high-tech Maverick Hunter fortress."
"Just a dark, dead shell casing," Terrahawk gnawed on one of his sharp claws. "It'll be an easy target for the program retrieval."
"We'll get to that momentarily, Terrahawk," Saren activated a small pad on the arm of his chair, triggering the activation of a video screen in the front of the cabin. He clicked in the digits of the frequency corresponding to the quarters he'd situated for Dynamo in the Executive Suites of the Cerebra Complex. For mostly practical reasons, many of the employees of the Cerebra Group were put up in the residential towers within the complex, and Saren's private and most-honored (or most notorious) guests were always given the finest luxuries.
"Dynamo, do you copy?" He spoke into the receivers embedded into the sides of the screen. Many seconds passed, and the rectangular screen remained pitch black and silent. Saren frowned with irritation - he'd given Dynamo explicit instructions not to wander off, even if the bounty hunter had remained on the grounds of the complex.
"The golden boy's nowhere to be found, how surprising," Terrahawk chuckled.
"Dynamo, this is Saren; please respond to my signal!"
Fifteen more seconds went by, and Saren was about to speak again when an audio message crackled through the speakers.
"Hang on; give me a second!!" Dynamo's anxious voice rang through the cabin, though he hadn't activated his monitor yet, leading Saren to wonder what he was up to. "Dammit, I didn't expect you to contact me until you got back, old man!"
The monitor finally flickered on, static filtering out of the image before it stabilized. Saren saw Dynamo straightening himself, his armor loose and somewhat disjointed on his body. His hair was a bit frizzed, and he looked to be a bit out of breath.
"How's it going, old timer?" He laughed aloud, attempting to act casual as he replaced the red visor over his eyes. "Sorry about the mess...you kinda caught me in the middle of something."
Saren gazed suspiciously at Dynamo, but he let the thought pass - he was probably catching a quick recharge and overslept the cycle completion.
"In any event, I wanted to touch base with you - considering the current activity from the HYBRID headquarters, I've decided to send you in there tonight. I'll be arranging for suitable transportation once we arrive back at the complex."
Dynamo pumped his fist, his overly confident demeanor restored.
"All right! I was wondering how long you were going to keep me sitting around up here. I mean, don't get me wrong - I enjoy the royalty treatment and everything, but I need to see some action on the field every once and again! What kind of transportation you looking at for me? A high-powered jet fighter, some kind of stealth ship?"
Saren regarded the overzealousness mildly - hopefully, it would only lead to the desired results of his mission.
"I was thinking of something along the lines of a disguised cargo vessel leased from one of our fronts, IF you don't mind."
Dynamo looked slightly crestfallen, prompting Saren to address him a bit more sternly.
"Need I remind you that this operation requires secrecy and subtlety above all else?" He remarked with irritation. "If you or our transport craft are discovered or captured, they could trace you back to me and the Cerebra Group. Then all of us are going to be losing out!"
"All right, all right, old timer, point taken; but I'm pretty sure I can handle whatever brass they've got skulking around over there," Dynamo threw back some of his white hair. "Just give me the details, and I'll fetch those samples, no problem."
"No need to get ahead of ourselves, friend," Saren held up a hand to stifle the bounty hunter. "Just allow me to perform some routine checkups on the prototypes, and I'll join you for a formal briefing around nineteen hundred hours."
"Dynamo?" Another voice - this one feminine and somewhat alluring - called from off-screen, prompting Dynamo's nervousness to return as he glanced with a bit of panic to his right. "Aren't you coming back to bed?"
"Err...Is something wrong, Dynamo?" Saren wondered, confused at first - had Dynamo invited a guest into the suites? If so, the Bionoid would've been furious - there was no room for a possible security breach on this project, and divulging the wrong information to the wrong people could've been disastrous. "Who's that?"
But Saren felt his nerves settle and his gorge rising as the second speaker wandered partially on-screen. At the realization, he buried his face in his hand with embarrassment as Scorpulos and Terrahawk tried to keep from bursting out into laughter.
"Sweetheart, this is kind of an important call..." Dynamo fretfully said to his scantily-clad accomplice, who started gazing sleepily into the monitor. The bounty hunter quickly took her by the arm and dragged her out of the monitor's view. "Look, there's been kind of a change of plans...my boss is coming back in a bit, and I think he wants his room cleared out..."
"What?" The female Reploid asked in confusion. "I thought you said this place was yours?"
"Err...slight misinterpretation, honey..." Dynamo replied. "Here's your share, with a bit extra thrown in for all the work you put in..."
The female sounded satisfied, and Saren heard the sound of the door sliding open.
"Thanks a lot, sweetie! Call me back anytime!" Saren shook his head grimly as he heard the sounds of kissing before the door slid closed again. He scowled as Dynamo hurried back onto the viewscreen, his face nearly as red as his visor. Scorpulos and Terrahawk were barely able to contain themselves as Saren's iron gaze bore into the bounty hunter.
"Well...you gave me ten grand up front; I figured that I didn't want it sitting here collecting dust, heh..." Dynamo stammered before his head came to rest on the monitor controls. "Anyways...I guess I'll straighten up around here and wait for you to get back...Dynamo, signing off, Saren!"
Saren disconnected the message before Dynamo could, letting out a breath of disbelief and revulsion. With Dynamo gone, Scorpulos and Terrahawk were free to let loose, and it didn't take them more than three seconds to start cracking up.
"'Have patience and endure...'" Saren muttered to himself. "'There was never yet a philosopher that could endure the toothache patiently...'"
He did decide on one thing though - the asinine fool who dreamed up the idea of granting Reploids hormones should've been dragged out into the streets and shot, preferably multiple times.
*** Signas punched in the access codes for Command Central, going through the usual senior officer voice ID and retinal scans before the heavy iron doors rolled back, allowing them access to the proverbial brain of the Maverick Hunter base.
No matter how many times he'd been inside the immense chamber, X was always utterly amazed by its layout and functions. Several communications officers from other units were hard at work at the powerful mainframes and radio consoles lining the outside of the spherical room, fidgeting and tweaking the various multi-colored knobs and switches and jotting notes down onto data-pads. Jutting out of the middle of the chamber's tiled floor was a state-of-the-art circular holo-projector, used for battle strategizing during particularly important Maverick Hunter incursions. Signas took his usual seat at the control console on the far side of the projector while the others seated themselves in various locales around the globular device.
As X settled into his chair, Alia leaned over and whispered softly to him.
"I can't believe Signas actually let the rookies into the session, on their first day no less! This has got to be huge!"
"We'll have to wait and see..." X focused himself as Signas activated the power switches for the projector. The blue grid map on the top of the device began to glow eerily, the internal circuitry warming itself up as Signas addressed the congregation.
"As almost all of you have inquired about the importance of this new information, you'll be glad to hear that it could prompt military action."
The grid began broadcasting a hazy green image about half a meter above its surface - as X studied it, he noticed that it was a wilderness area; huge expenses of evergreens rolled over the hills at the foot of an expansive mountain range. From what he could gather, the flat areas surrounding the forests were glaciers or snowfields.
"The Tundra sector..." Gavin murmured absently. "Way out there..."
"Thank you, lieutenant, may I proceed?" Signas chided Gavin slightly before beginning with his briefing. "He is correct, however; this is the extreme north end of the Tundra sector, at the foot of the Atlus Mountains. Within the past hour we have received critical radio traffic from Commander Tygeron of Unit Fourteen - he's updated us on some potential unauthorized activity occurring in this region."
"Is it anything major? We've found evidence of small-time thieves hiding out up there before," X suggested.
"True, but what Tygeron found was quite disturbing - he's reported the detection of several large convoys of armored vehicles passing through the snowfields in the past few days. The markings on the transports were largely inconsistent with the usual traffic that flows through the Tundra sector, so Tygeron acted on a hunch and led a small raiding party to tail them."
Signas clicked on a few buttons in front of him, zooming in on a particular section of the image to a close-up of a minor clearing near the mountains. X nodded slowly as he noticed a box-shaped icon flashing in the middle of the clearing.
As Signas prepared to continue, the heavy doors of Command Central slowly opened to admit another soldier, and X was pleasantly surprised to see Zero strolling confidently into the chamber. He nodded in greeting to his friend, who dutifully seated himself as the general went on.
"Following one of the convoys led Tygeron to this hither-to unknown structure sitting right under the shadow of the mountain range, well protected by the elements from radar detection. After watching the unloading of some illicit cargo from the vehicles and cataloguing the fortress's heavy defenses, Tygeron is roughly ninety-five percent certain that this is the HYBRID's main base of operations."
"Son of a..." Richter leaned his head on his arm. "It makes sense, though. I remember hearing rumors about the shifting of power among some of the Maverick guerilla commanders in the surrounding sectors. HYBRID might be prepping themselves for some new customers."
"Regardless, we need to decide quickly what to do about this discovery - increased sales of these illegal arms to those Mavericks will only escalate the instability of the region."
"What kind of weapons have been IDed by the scout groups?" X asked.
Signas shook his head grimly.
"Unfortunately, the group's better equipped than we previously believed. From what Unit Fourteen was able to determine, the unloading convoys were carrying a plethora of small arms and military grade weaponry - rifles, plasma grenades, rocket launchers, aerial mines, you name it. They also suspected the carrying of parts and fuel used in the construction of cruise missiles and EMP devices."
"I'd love to know where they got their hands on that stuff." Gavin snuffed indignantly.
"In that case," Zero spoke up for the first time. "I suggest we go after them as soon as possible - if this base has been under our noses for such a long time, who knows what they've already got assembled and ready to go."
"Regrettably, we may have to move in very soon, sooner than you may be suggesting, commander," Signas continued. "The scouting mission didn't go off without slight setbacks. The group was detected by a motion sensor and got caught in a firefight with HYBRID terrorists just outside the compound. Tygeron managed to get most of his men out of there, but he reported several casualties."
"That's not good..." X felt his processor tightening. "If they suspect that we've discovered their operation, they might decide to pack up and get out of there."
"We've seen it before," Alia added. "I'm inclined to agree with Commander X. Considering the failed results of previous attacks on suspected HYBRID outlets, I'm almost positive that they would completely disappear from the area if we fail to act."
X wholeheartedly agreed with that assessment - he'd participated in several of the aforementioned strikes over the past months, but upon arriving at the bases, the strike teams had always been astonished to find them totally vacant and wiped clean of any traces of illicit materials. Needless to say, repeated occurrences of this disappointing result had nearly caused X to blow a gasket. HYBRID was notorious for their secretive and sometimes paranoid nature, and that mindset had left the Maverick Hunters with little to no connections to a central headquarters until now.
"If we can band with Unit Fourteen with a heavily armed team of our own, we could be able to storm the complex and at least wreak some havoc to slow their production. It's worth a shot, I think," Zero suggested.
"That's our dilemma," Signas replied. "Most of our units are currently out in the field on active duty. The remaining forces are nowhere near enough to even make it past the outer defense grid of their fortress. The significant amount of casualties sustained by Tygeron's unit also makes me hesitant to send them back into the fray - we still need their continued presence in other areas of the Tundra sector, and I believe it's best to let them recover from their setbacks first."
"So, now what?" Richter inquired. "We can't just sit here and watch them run away."
"There is an alternative; of course, just as much risk runs with it," Signas went on, standing and clasping his hands behind his back. "Commander X, I'm going to ask you and your unit if you're comfortable running an infiltration mission with the assistance of Commander Zero. We would drop you into the fortress from one of our stealth-capable transports, and you would gather as much information and, if necessary, create as much chaos as you can."
"Infiltration, sir?" X was surprised at the suggestion - stealth was not an optimal job for hardened frontline soldiers that X considered him and Zero to be. But looking over their options, it was the best plan. Besides, he would've kicked himself for days if he threw away a chance to finally nail the HYBRID organization. "I'd be more than willing..."
He glanced over toward the Forge brothers thoughtfully. It normally wasn't regular practice for the rookies of elite units to actively participate in the first mission - they would generally be on the sidelines in a support role for the sake of observing the tactics of their new comrades. But considering the circumstances (not to mention their obvious skills), he felt that they would be more valuable alongside him.
"...But only if my new recruits can accompany us in combat on this operation."
X noticed Gavin and Richter shift in their seats, their faces becoming brighter and more excited.
"As you wish, commander," Signas nodded. "Lieutenant First Class Richter Forge and Lieutenant Third Class Gavin Forge, feel privileged - you're being sent into your first mission with the elites."
"Thank you, sir!" Both Forges exclaimed toward X and Signas.
"And Zero, are you--"
"You don't even need to ask," Zero gave an eager smirk toward Signas. "Just set me loose, and I'll tear them up!"
"A reminder to you, Zero: this is an infiltration mission, not a guerilla war," Signas chided him, glancing over toward the communications officer. "And Alia, of course you'll be participating in this as well."
"Of course, sir, I'll ready my station for full radio and tech support--"
"Err...that won't be necessary," Signas waved his hand as Alia stared back in confusion. "If we're going to proceed with a clandestine operation, then long-range radio communications are not an option. You'll be stationed in the transport and utilize short-range burst communication with your team."
Alia nodded in understanding, the new situation not deterring her a bit.
"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Richter stood up from his chair. "We're losing precious time! Let's get out there!"
"Not so fast, lieutenant," Signas interrupted him as Richter was charging toward the door. "We'll still need to settle on an attack strategy from what little information we have on the HYBRID fortress. Also."
He measured up the four Hunters, shaking his head with a bit of smile on his face.
"How can I put this...you're too...bright."
"Bright...sir?" X asked him, glancing down at his armor. He didn't think his blue shade stood out that much; if anything, Zero's vibrant red coating and Richter's polished silver apparel were much more noticeable. "What are you suggesting?"
"I think a slight re-coloring is in order to lessen the chances of you being seen by the enemy. Report to the Infirmary Wing for a temporary paint adjustment. All of you."
X heard Zero groan lowly - he always hated it when people attempted to tamper with his form, even vehemently rejecting the idea of getting a new shade for his armor whenever the subject was brought up. Even if it meant a powerful upgrade for him, Zero never wanted to remove what he considered to be his dashing good looks. Signas's eyes drifted to the grumbling Hunter. The last part of his statement had obviously referred to Zero's stubbornness on the idea of being altered.
"If it's not a problem, sir, I have a better idea, at least for me," X suggested.
Signas looked over toward X.
"What did you have in mind, commander?"
"Just one of my acquisitions from the Nightmare Crisis," The blue Hunter replied. It took Signas a bit to understand his meaning, but when he did, the general approved.
***
The circular entranceway opened up for Saren as he passed through the infrared motion sensors, and the Bionoid sauntered confidently into the expansive laboratory beyond. He gazed around with satisfaction at the state- of-the-art facility; Laboratory Twenty-One was the largest and most sophisticated of his private research stations constructed several hundred meters beneath the Cerebra Group Complex. While many of their outward functions served in developing new vaccines or medicines for the humans before the Great Collapse, Saren had converted this particular lab to be the main R & D area for his two viral projects.
He couldn't help but feel a sensation of built-up excitement tingling in his processor as he stepped across the sterilized metal floor - his head developer had promised him the completion of the physical prototypes by the late afternoon, and Saren was incredibly eager to see the results.
The humanoid, white-coated researchers bustling around the lab saluted him as he passed by, and he acknowledged them similarly. Unlike the scientists assigned to the other lab stations, many of the technicians working in Laboratory Twenty-One weren't on the official payroll of the Cerebra Group - Saren had personally hand-picked a good number of them from various black market locales and supplied them with cash out of his own pocket to assist him on the viral project. All of them had been worthwhile bargains - thanks to their diligence, the project was running several days ahead of schedule.
He stopped at a smaller collection of technicians assembled at the rear of the large chamber. They were receiving orders from a tall, lanky scientist in a large white coat.
"...double check the fuel lines for the stasis units - we need to keep these bodies preserved. Haley, begin the pre-testing sequences for the infusion simulations."
As the group dispersed to carry out their orders, the supervising technicians personally greeted Saren with a firm handshake. Saren smiled pleasantly toward the elder Reploid technician, not in a show of mere respect but in one of friendship. Nigel Farragut was one of the more renowned scientific names in the mercenary world, his reputation for creating superlative military constructs for his employers justifying the excessive amounts of zenni required to buy his services. Saren had not regretted the decision - Farragut had served well as head designer for the project, his meticulous nature during the construction lending him the tone of an artist at work on a masterpiece rather than a scientist creating two powerful weapons. Saren could always respect such diligence from any high- level profession.
"Ah, Saren, it's good to see you. I trust you'll be satisfied with the show we have for you today - the exoskeletons have been completed!"
Saren nodded gratefully.
"Indeed, doctor; please unveil your team's creations," He replied.
Farragut turned back toward a pair of opaque capsules embedded in the back wall. The blue glass gave off an eerie glow, a slight trail of mist seeping out from underneath the bottoms of the containers. Several boxes of various parts and tools were strewn nearby, many of them recently used.
"We've had to contain the bodies in stasis units to optimize the conditions of their circuitry, but as soon as we run a few simulations on the introduction of the Zero Virus into the Bionoid cellular circuits, we'll be ready to proceed with phase two of the project."
He moved over to a square-shaped computer terminal that ran multiple cables and wires into the two capsules. After clicking on a few of the module's buttons, the containers slid away, causing cold stasis-inducing gas to spill out into the room. Several seconds later, Saren was pleasantly surprised to behold the two perfectly finished exoskeletons of Vile and Iris standing before him, their systems wired safely into the capsules' stasis circuitry.
Farragut paused briefly as Saren moved forward to examine the two forms. The head technician had done an extraordinary job - everything from the precise grooves in Vile's armor plating and T-visored helmet to the sweet, unblemished demeanor of Iris's face had been recreated in these incarnations. Their forms were completely beige-colored save for Iris's excessive brown hair - their exterior plating had been redone with the Biotech Armament as Saren had requested. They were both motionless in their stances, still awaiting mental programming to fill their CPUs. But even inanimate, it was an awe-filled experience just beholding them. Each of them held a unique piece of Maverick Hunter history within them, and when they were finally given life...Saren couldn't wait to see the horrified looks on X and Zero's faces once these two were alive and doing his bidding.
He smiled toward his two masterpieces.
"'All ignorant that soul that sees thee without wonder,'" He mused to himself, turning back to the technician. "Expect a bonus to be deposited into the accounts of yourself and your design team, Doctor Farragut - this is a job well done!"
Farragut bowed meekly.
"You're too kind, sir," He smiled as he examined the exoskeletons. "I apologize for the lack of coloring given to the bodies, but the cellular framework of the Biotech Armament rejected all of the different shadings we tried."
"Biotechnological cells were never meant to be colored, doctor," Saren replied. "Do they still possess all of the correct features?"
"Of course, sir; we had to use your older set of Bionoid armor as a template when we were mapping out the similar versions for Vile and Iris. It was difficult technology, but we managed to recreate it without much trouble - their armoring contains the same regenerative and tenacious features that you once possessed during your days as a soldier."
Saren nodded approvingly. The former feature had always been what had made the Bionoids so dangerous back in their day - even powerful blows to their armor could've been repaired within minutes simply by the cells rapidly multiplying overtop of the damaged or destroyed layers. It had saved Saren's life on numerous occasions during his tenure.
"And from your research, doctor..." Saren went on. "The Zero Virus will only improve these features?"
"Theoretically, the symbiotic cellular regeneration will be sped up incredibly, allowing them to recover from injuries in mere seconds! Their offensive and defense capabilities will be extensively strengthened as well, giving them greater power and speed than any Maverick Hunter on the current active duty roster. Once the virus has bonded with the cellular armor and the sentience programming infused into their CPUs, all that remains is to install the specified weapons onto their bodies, and they'll be ready for activation."
"And the drawbacks?"
Farragut scratched his chin.
"Well, as I mentioned to you at the onset of this project, it's impossible to know what kind of effects the viral integration is going to have on their mental functions - we simply don't have enough data on the virus to create a complete safeguard that will prevent it from seeping into their CPUs. However, many of us are confident that we can at least stifle a bulk of the viral programming from getting into their higher mental processes."
"Do whatever you can to optimize that effort during the retrieval of the Zero Virus," Saren told him, confident in the doctor's abilities. "The operation will be taking place within the next several hours."
"Yes, sir," Farragut acknowledged him. "By the way, are you still considering the placement of the virus into your own suit of armor?"
Saren sighed, unresponsive at first. Technically, it was possible, albeit incredibly risky. Ever since the thought had first occurred to him, it had been a tantalizing temptation that was difficult even for him to overcome. It would've transformed him into an incredible warrior of power, much like his new creations.but the mental side-effects of the Zero Virus had always been what deterred that course of action. What would be the influence of the virus over his older circuitry and unguarded programming? How much of himself would he lose in gaining such power...
::'If I lose mine honour, I lose myself.':: He decided. No cause was worth making such a rash sacrifice, allowing the altering of one's judgment on a suicidal level. And Saren valued his mind above almost everything else - in a deranged state, he could've forgotten his true purpose for executing these events: repairing the injustice caused to his kind so long ago. His mind firm, he turned back to face the doctor.
"Perish the thought, Farragut," He shook his head. "Just do what you can to strengthen the safeguards on their vital circuitry while I see to the recovery of the Zero Virus."
"As you wish, sir," Farragut seemed relieved, letting out a held breath as he curtly bowed to his employer. Saren appreciated the sentiment - the doctor's bond with him had grown since the beginning of the construction, and though Farragut was professional enough to keep their relationship on a business-like tone, Saren did regard the elder scientist as a friend.
As Farragut turned away to return to his work, Saren strode confidently out of the chamber, eager to brief Dynamo on his upcoming mission. He only hoped that the arrogant mercenary had cleaned himself up after his 'activities' from earlier; without his full cooperation and focus on the mission, the virus could've easily slipped through his fingers and ruined everything that he'd worked so fervently to set in motion.
Still, thinking about the two perfectly constructed exoskeletons he'd been witness to inside the lab restored his wavering conscience. They would things of wonder on the battlefield, felling the despotic Maverick Hunters like so many gnats swarming about in a random, aimless cloud.
::'Everything that grows holds in perfection but a little moment.':: He mused to himself, the wisdom of the old artists ever present in his bustling mind to provide him with guidance. Once that moment of perfection came at the activation of his viral warriors, he would make certain that the instant would endure long enough to see the Maverick Hunters crumble to dust...
The world around Zero was hazy and dark; as trails of purple mist drifted past him, he realized that he was alone. As he stepped through the shadowy place, he heard his footsteps echoing across a glass-like floor, the ground around his boots giving off a strange glow as he moved. Aside from that sound, the dark place was as silent and ominous as a graveyard.
He cocked his head to the side as he felt his audios picking up faint whisperings from beyond the shroud of mist encroaching upon him. The voices were incoherent, fading in and out like a soft breeze and adding even more eeriness to the atmosphere. Zero could feel himself being surrounded by enemies as he moved through the darkness. They wanted to tear him apart, wanted to spill his blood on the floor of the foreboding arena and break his exoskeleton into dust.
Zero wouldn't let them, feeling his courage and tension rising as he drew his slender Z-Sabre from the scabbard attached to his back. The green flame from the sword added another luminous glow to the chilling aura permeating the realm. He held it firmly in his grasp, waiting for the first of his attackers to reveal themselves.
Suddenly, a chittering from the left. Zero snapped his head toward that direction, seeing a small, agile figure leaping from the darkness. His form glowed with a brilliant white shade, and wisps of blue smoke were rising off of his body. The enemy brandished a pair of claws on his wrists, slashing at Zero as he flew at him. The Maverick Hunter deftly sidestepped the attack, decapitating the assailant in a swift fluid motion. Strangely, the apparition-like enemy sprayed blood and fluid from its separated body parts as it collapsed onto the ground, vanishing from sight.
A roar pierced the darkness from behind Zero, and the Hunter quickly whirled around and swung harshly at whatever new threat had presented itself. The Z-Sabre pierced the gullet of a heavily armored ghost Reploid that stood nearly his height. The sword lodged itself partway into the side of the spirit's throat, turning the guttural bellow into a gurgling, bloody scream. Fluid escaped from the attacker's square mouth as he gazed with extreme pain at Zero. He didn't stop there - these weaklings had come to battle him, to kill him, and he would certainly not spare any of their pathetic lives.
Tensing his arms, Zero pulled the Z-Sabre through the ghost's transparent throat. The material was as tenacious as high-grade armor plating, and it took a lot of effort from Zero to drag the flaming sword through it.
::Urrgghh...come on and die already...::
After several seconds of forceful exertion, the powerful Z-Sabre finally cut the rest of the way through the spirit's esophagus, and the burly Reploid's head dropped backward off of its neck. The grisly stump spurted blood onto Zero's armor as the vanquished ghost keeled over onto the ground. Just as before, the corpse vanished into the floor.
Zero caught his breath, feeling an arrogant grin coming to his face as he hefted the sword into the air, eager for more enemies to challenge him. It was such an exhilarating sensation, to so thoroughly decimate any enemy that was stupid enough to cross his power.
Two more forms darted out of the billowing mist toward him, brandishing heavy laser pikes. Zero met them as they charged toward him, impaling the first's midsection on his Z-Sabre and turning its flaming laser pike on the second attacker, jamming it into the spirit's right eye. He jerked his sword out of the first ghost's stomach as both dropped to the ground. He barely noticed that his enemies' blood was blurring his vision slightly; he didn't care - he wanted more.
Wiping entrails away from his mouth, Zero felt himself laughing slightly. He leveled the sword toward the chittering shadows lurking behind the mist, shouting back in a defiant voice.
"Is that the best you've got?! Come on, who else wants some!!"
The spirits acknowledged him, and another pair emerged from the darkness, leveling high-powered rifles in his direction. Zero laughed even louder as he rushed toward them, no fear in his blazing eyes.
A wave of laser fire from the rifles struck Zero's armor, right below his chest. The pain from the blasts stifled him momentarily, but as he felt his own fluid trickling down his armor, Zero's anger began to intensify. He hacked the closer spirit's gun to pieces with two strokes of his sword, crying out in a rage as he impaled the ghost with his sword and hacked its legs out from underneath it.
The second gunner fired another volley of rounds into Zero's back, and the Hunter felt the back of his head getting pelted with hot energy. As fluids trickled down his back, Zero felt himself growing even more belligerent and incensed, not even acknowledging the pain as he clutched the hilt of the Z- Sabre and whirled toward the second attacker. He javelined the sword into the gunner's shoulder, causing the spirit to cry out and fall over, its weapon clattering to the floor several inches away. Zero stomped toward the ghost as it tried to reach for its rifle, and the Hunter responded to the action by tearing the Z-Sabre out of its shoulder and chopping the reaching arm clean off. As the ghost gazed up in horror at the berserker Hunter, Zero lifted the Z-Sabre high over his head with both hands and started to hack away at the defenseless soldier. Zero gutted the spirit in every way he could think of, tearing through its midsection and thoroughly dissecting its chest as blood flew everywhere, completely soaking the front of his armor.
As a relief to the spirit perhaps, its body finally vanished as Zero brought down the sword where its head was. As the Z-Sabre cracked through the glass-like floor, he growled in frustration.
"Dammit!! I wasn't finished yet; bring him back!!!"
Out of the corner of his blood-filled eyes, Zero spotted three more enemies approaching from the rear. They were all twice his size and possessed long, slender laser sabers.
Zero felt his good mood returning as he dropped the Z-Sabre to the ground - more enemies, more warrior wannabes who thought they could match up to him. He welcomed it, the greater odds and the constant stream of foes. They would be more bodies to add to the growing pile.
Charging energy through his emergency weapons' systems, Zero pounded the ground with one of his fists, releasing a torrent of built-up energy from his exoskeleton. As the glass floor shattered beneath the force of the blow, the approaching enemies were instantly shredded in a torrent of superheated plasma orbs that discharged from his arm. The closer of the two attackers were incinerated, their entire upper bodies completely gone. The third had managed to keep most of his body parts, but not by a large margin; his luck certainly hadn't been enough to save his life, as he dropped down next to the corpses of his two compatriots.
Oozing with arrogance and satisfaction at his handiwork, Zero snatched the loose Z-Sabre up from the ground, gazing around at the shadowy atmosphere with a crazed and defiant expression in his eyes. The shadows continued to whisper and murmur around him, and Zero finally let out a hardy raucous laugh at his enemies, swinging the vibrant sword randomly at the darkness. He silently dared all of them to come out and face him as he shouted irreverently into the stale air.
"Yeehahahaha!! That's right!! No one messes with me!!" He boasted wildly as he ripped his weapon across the air almost uncontrollably. "Okay, bastards...who's next?!"
His eyes had been nearly clouded over with fluid and blood by this point, and though his vision was impaired, it didn't stop his rage from escalating as he noticed no additional challengers stepping forward to meet him. The sudden cowardice served to do nothing more than infuriate Zero further - they were backing down, robbing him of the pleasure he would be taking in ending their pitiful existences.
::They can't hide behind their smoke forever...I'll finish them myself!!!::
He lurched forward into the void, trying to chase down the source of the murmuring echoes. He hurried across the floor for at least fifteen minutes, his pursuit guided by his hateful aggression as the voices continued to resonate inside his skull.
"Stupid, freaking cowards!!" He screamed, lashing the Z-Sabre out at the surrounding mist. "Shut up!! Come out and face me!!"
A sudden beacon of light emerged a short distance from him, and Zero felt elated at the coming of another foe. He braced himself, the blood dripping into his mouth tasting bittersweet as he prepared to siphon more of it from this next ghost.
Instead of an armored warrior, however, Zero spotted a small, dainty figure approaching him slowly. He was motionless as he watched the glowing specter morph into a more solid appearance. He stopped breathing as he noticed the female figure and the long, flowing hair that nearly came down to the spirit's ankles. He clutched the Z-Sabre tightly - it was her.she'd been one of the ghostly masses conspiring against him in this dead world. Considering the circumstances of their previous meeting, he wasn't surprised.
"Zero..." Iris's voice was soft and eerie, her high-pitched tone echoing clearly in the emptiness. Zero didn't move an inch. Though her eye sockets were hollow, he could sense a degree of shock on her face as she studied his blood-soaked form. "Why...? Why did it have to be that way..."
"They were the enemies...my enemies...they needed to die! They HAD to die!!" Zero was forceful in his tone, his belligerence not dissuaded by Iris's appearance. He felt his vocal circuitry sinking, and his voice croaked out a guttural tone that was absent of its usual nobleness. "It was them or me...if X hadn't been so tricky at the virus crater, I'd have killed him, too...along with Sigma...and the commanders! General Signas, Lifesaver, Alia...I've seen them looking over their shoulders when I pass them by...they want me dead, want my CPU incinerated...but they'll never get to me!! None of them, understand?!"
Iris's look was unchanged, though she turned away from Zero, speaking sorrowfully.
"Was I your enemy...?" She inquired. "Was I just the victim of bloodlust...reduced to a meaningless shadow because of your rage...? I had so much I wanted to tell you, Zero...but you never listened...you were always so content with war...but never with me..."
Zero felt his legs moving again, stepping slowly up to the spectral Iris as droplets of blood rolled off of his body and evaporated against the burning Z-Sabre. He raised the weapon, his low tone seeming louder then before.
"You got in my way...always got in the way of what I needed to do to survive..." He began, measuring her up. Iris still had her back turned, and she was defenseless. "I just wanted you out of my life...to grow up inside and leave me ALONE!!!"
He drew the weapon back and swiftly stabbed her through the heart, pressing the sword down with all its weight until the hilt touched her ghostly form. Iris collapsed onto the ground, blood draining from her wound like a waterfall. Strangely, there was no cry of pain, no sudden flinching of her body parts as she went down. But as Zero spat on his latest conquest, Iris turned her face back toward him, and suddenly, a bright flash interrupted Zero's senses.
All of a sudden, he was staring at an apparition version of X beneath him, wounded in the same locale with the Z-Sabre fully driven into him. As Zero blinked his eyes rapidly, the vision switched back to Iris, then to X, and Iris again. He backed away, his fingers trembling as the ghost spoke to him again. Zero's processor began to cave in on itself as his audios recorded two different voice signatures - X's and Iris's. Even his passionate anger was stifled - what the hell was happening?
"The shadow has won..." They said in perfect unison. "You chose bloodshed..."
Suddenly, other objects - a large collection of shattered ghost corpses - appeared on the hazy ground. There were so many in fact, that Zero could hardly find room to maneuver. All of them were severely dilapidated; none of the corpses possessed all of their body parts, and most had been utterly massacred, their inner circuitry spilling out onto the floor along with pools of fluid and blood. Zero gazed in stunned horror at the visual, his eyes nearly not able to take the sight of so much death. As he stepped backward - nearly stumbling over a large corpse in the process - the X/Iris hybrid ghost spoke again, turning its head away from him.
"...And they...have paid the price...along with me..."
"No...stop...I had no choice!!" He rushed forward as the hybrid began to fade. But the mass of bodies was too deep, and he couldn't get to it in time. As Zero drove fruitlessly to catch the corpse, a faint ringing noise began intruding itself into the atmosphere, growing louder as the seconds drew onward. He pounded the ground with frustration as the Iris/X ghost had completely vanished, leaving only the blood-covered Z-Sabre where it had been slumped over.
The frustrations and the sight of so much all-encompassing death around him welled up in his chest, and it took all of his emotional reserves to keep from screaming out in pure unmitigated rage at the injustices of this horrid place.
As the ringing began to grow shriller, Zero looked up and found the dark world fading away around him, spinning out of existence like a whirlpool.
Before he knew what happened, Zero was awake inside his resuscitation pod, his armor clean and his sheathed sword and helmet lying next to him on the cushioned bed. He let out a soft breath; the ringing noise had been the radio built into the pod - someone was transmitting a message to him. He silently thanked whoever was on the other end of the line; without their call to rouse him from his slumber, he would've still been imprisoned in that dreadful world.
"Dammit..." He massaged his temples and reached out for the activation switch to the radio. "Another one...the worst yet..."
He cleared his throat as Signas's visage materialized on the transparent side of the pod.
"Did I catch you a bad time, commander?" He asked with concern, observing Zero's features carefully.
"No, of course not, sir," Zero rubbed his thick blonde hair, reaching over to his right side to retrieve his helmet. "Just catching a nap after my shift."
"Forgive the bad timing, commander, but we've just received some vital information regarding the HYBRID weapon organization. I'm on my way to the Hub to meet with X and his supports. We'll then be holding an emergency briefing in Command Central momentarily."
"What's this got to do with me? That's Unit Seventeen's case file."
"I'm aware of that, but considering the potential of this information, I think it's pertinent that you be in attendance. We may need your skill and experience to assist us on this case. Join us up in Command Central in five minutes."
Zero sighed inwardly, but nodded dutifully to Signas.
"I'm on my way."
He closed the channel, slinging the sword over his back and jumping up out of the resuscitation pod. He stretched his arms a bit and adjusted his helmet properly on his head, attempting to assuage his jarred nerves. The first part of the nightmare had been nothing new.but the Iris/X apparition had been something completely new, and remembering his conversation with the ghost frightened him even more. He'd heard the animalistic growling coming from his throat, and he'd felt the hatred boiling within him as he'd driven the sword through the specter...
"Stop it..." He told himself, taking a deep breath and marching toward the entrance. "Bad memories...that's all, nothing but a dream..."
***
As the two Forge brothers passed by the Hub's fountain, Richter noticed the transport unit in front of it energizing, its dark blue pad receiving a passenger from elsewhere on the base. Neat piece of technology, that. A pair of figures materialized out of the gold haze engulfing the unit, and as they came into focus, Richter and Gavin automatically gave a straight, rigid salute to General Signas and his well-dressed elderly companion.
Signas glanced down with pleasant surprise at the two Forges, returning their salute and giving them a curt nod.
"At ease, soldiers; it's good that you're here," He said to them, prompting the brothers to maintain a relaxed yet dignified stance. "Forgive me for my tardiness, Lieutenants; I know I was due to enter the transfer briefing with the two of you over an hour ago."
"It was my fault entirely, general," The elegant-looking man next to him lowered his head reverently in apology. Richter was impressed by the man's appearance - he appeared very human-like for a Reploid, and the suit he was donning certainly wasn't cheaply tailored. "Once I begin to talk about business, there's no stopping me. But thank you for considering those proposals of mine."
"I'll have the Civilian Protectorate contact you later in the week about the implementation of the aid dispersal. Again, Saren, I thank you and the Cerebra Group for your hospitality."
"Please, the lives of the Reploids braving this cruel world are my utmost concern," The old man smiled pleasantly, his voice taking on an eloquent tone. "There's a saying from old humankind that can still apply to Reploids today: "'Kindness, nobler ever than revenge.'"
"'As You Like It,'" Gavin smiled broadly, an odd-looking brightness emerging in his eyes as he listened to the elder Reploid. Saren and Signas were both surprised, turning to face Gavin as the young Hunter suddenly realized his outburst and moved quickly to reaffirm a solemnity in his face. Richter arched an eyebrow in confusion at his brother.
"As they like what?" He asked. It was unusual for Gavin to blurt out something as random as that, especially before a superior officer.
"Errmm.merely admiring your fondness for Shakespeare, sir," He replied in a more respectful tone. "As You Like It, Act Four, Scene Three."
"WHO??" Richter shot his younger brother a blank stare. "What kind of stupid name is that?"
"William Shakespeare!" Gavin rolled his eyes. Seeing that Richter was still giving him a blank stare caused him to scowl. "Come now, brother, even you've had to hear about him in between all of your military maneuvers courses!"
Saren looked pleased as he smiled respectfully back toward Gavin. As Richter continued to look baffled, Saren gave him a mirthful laugh.
"You should borrow some of the young one's cultural prowess, valiant soldier; the battlefield certainly isn't everything, even in this day and age. Tell me, young Hunter, what is your designation?"
Richter noticed Gavin becoming jittery as Saren calmly sauntered over to him.
"Err...umm...Gavin, Gavin Forge, Lieutenant Third Class," He stammered, drawing a smirk from Richter. "If...if I may, sir, would you happen to be Saren Thell?"
"That I am."
Gavin's posture faltered slightly; Richter could tell that he was excited by the acknowledgement.
"Forgive my outburst, but I am a huge supporter of what you and your organization are doing for the arts in Talara and of Shakespeare, as you've seen. It's truly an honor to be acquainted with you, sir."
"Please, Gavin, call me Saren," He shook the young Reploid's hand, looking back in Signas's direction, nodding approvingly. The general had previously been watching the exchange with silent amusement. "It's encouraging to see quick, sharp wits being applied to more than just the military end of this fine organization. I admire your commitment to the classics, young Gavin."
"In my opinion, Saren," Gavin looked a bit more at ease, though he still bore some signs of fluster. "There is no classic author greater than Shakespeare. I'm just glad I'm not the only one still interested in maintaining his legacy among Reploids."
"True words, friend," Saren replied. "I'll be opening another theater in the south district soon; perhaps you may be able to spare a visit. Its performances will be primarily based on Shakespearian works."
"It would be a pleasure, sir!" Gavin was elated, more than Richter had ever seen him. "Err, I mean, thank you, Saren. I would be honored."
::Boy, these two are made for each other.I might as well be listening to an audio dictionary.::
Richter knew that this encounter would only serve to fuel Gavin's academic half as opposed to his performances as a Maverick Hunter, which certainly wasn't the best direction to head into considering their recent promotions. It had been difficult enough to keep Gavin on a decent training regiment during their days in Unit Eight because he'd always found a fascination with some old-world novel or story.
Saren glanced down at his gold-encrusted watch.
"My, how time flies," He noted, addressing General Signas. "I will be taking my leave, general. I anxiously await your status report."
"Good day, Saren," Signas bowed politely as Saren spun on his heels and headed toward the entrance.
"Farewell, Lieutenant Forge. Please continue your interest in the old works. They carry much value for this generation of Reploids."
Gavin nodded briskly as Saren moved toward the sign out desk at the Hub entrance. As soon as he was out of hearing distance, Richter leaned over toward Gavin with interest in his eyes.
"Making friends in high places, very good, little brother," He joked. "You catch on to the politics of the business very quickly."
"Oh, come on, Richter," Gavin said with irritation. "You have your role models, and I have mine. I always wonder what the old artists like Shakespeare or Baudelaire would say about beings like us."
"They wouldn't say a thing - they'd probably just write it down in a language too complicated and excessive for the average Reploid to understand," Richter answered him, folding his arms. "But that's my view."
"Gentlemen!" Signas addressed them distinctly. Both Forges took their cue and diverted their full attention to the general. "As I was saying, your timing couldn't be better. It seems that the two of you have the potential to be thrown into the fire on your first day."
"How do you mean, sir?" Richter asked.
"Let's wait until X and Alia arrive," Signas answered. "Then you'll have your answers."
"Speaking of whom..." Gavin nodded toward the right end of the Hub, and Richter spotted the two Hunters hurrying around the corner. Alia waved to them as they approached, and X possessed a look of elation on his unblemished face. "Well, someone's looking eager..."
Out of the corner of his eye, Richter noticed something else, something a bit out of place. Next to the check-out desk, he spotted two hulking Reploids hovering near Saren. He at first suspected they were accosting the elderly Reploid, but after the two saluted him, Richter assumed that they were serving him in some kind of bodyguard capacity.
Strangely, they didn't look like the kind seen around a humanitarian and would-be poet like Saren. The one on the right was about eight feet tall, his beige exterior rough and textured. In place of hands, he had sharp- looking pincers, and a versatile tail with a prominent stinger protruded out of his back, dangling on the floor behind him. His narrow gold eyes possessed a dangerous edge to them - Richter had seen the same hardened looks on mercenary and assassin types.
His companion was no less intimidating, possessing highly durable-looking armor and a set of elegant wings. The different shades of maroon, teal, and marigold gave him the appearance of a peacock at first, but after noticing the sharp beak and clawed hands, Richter figured that he was either a hawk, or eagle. Either way, he looked as shady as his partner and quite fearsome - Richter wondered how such devious figures had fallen under the employ of someone as obviously proper and regal as Saren Thell.
He turned away as the hawk Reploid's beady eyes met his, acting casual and not wanting to arouse hostilities. Richter shifted his mind back on whatever task was at hand, finding that he could barely contain his excitement of their first potential mission.
***
"We'll be returning to the complex, Marett," Saren informed his obedient driver as he entered into the hover-car. Marett silently nodded, closing the door as Saren took his usual seat. The Bionoid let himself sink comfortably into the leather cushioning - things had worked out perfectly, as always.
He glanced at the brooding figures seated nearby. Terrahawk's wings were crunched up against the interior, and he was shifting uncomfortably to adjust them. Scorpulos was smirking with his pincers folded across his chest at his partner, flashing a set of gold fangs as he snuffed.
"I can just as easily glide back, you know," Terrahawk grumbled as he batted one of his transparent feathers away from his beak. "I hate these contraptions...it makes flying seem like less and less of a gift..."
"It's necessary; I need to update you two on the current time-table before my meeting with the project teams," Saren informed him. "The next forty- eight hours are going to be critical if this plan is going to succeed; I may be out of touch for some time."
"I can't believe you went with that arrogant punk for the HYBRID break- in..." Scorpulos hissed as he picked his teeth with the tip of one of his pincers. "I can just as easily acquire those viral samples, and none of us would have to put up with his attitude..."
"Questioning my wisdom, Scorpulos?" Saren didn't want to directly admit it to the hot-headed Scorpulos, but he didn't consider the crude fighting methods that both of his hires employed as the best way to go about robbing an organization as heavily armed as the HYBRID. As classless and arrogant as Dynamo was, his finesse and sheer skill would ensure that the virus samples would be as good as his.
Scorpulos nonchalantly leaned back.
"Tcch. The job doesn't matter much to me, just the cash you're funding it with."
Terrahawk interjected himself just as crassly as his comrade.
"One job for fifty grand; I'd be just as cocky as Dynamo was if I knew I'd be rolling in that kind of cash," He glared at Saren, who steeled his own gaze. Ungratefulness, especially among his rougher hires, was something he did not tolerate - he was their employer, and in such dealings, he had to command control in order to keep them in line.
"Keeping that up will gain either of you nothing. Bear in mind that I can choose whether or not to retain your services once the Maverick Hunters begin to fall. I'd certainly be willing to pay handsomely for the heads of any Hunters my viral warriors happen to miss."
Scorpulos nodded his head, satiated.
"You have a way with negotiations, old man," He replied. "You've got my vote."
"Now then, to business. Scorpulos, you mentioned that security was increased?" Saren asked as the car began to lift off. The seats were buffeted momentarily by the take-off but soon settled. "Was there any indication that they'd discovered the bugs?"
"Unlikely," Scorpulos replied in a raspy, serpent-like tone. "All computer systems were operating at normal security functions as far as I could tell. We were probably just a bit unlucky."
"I don't think that little aerial sideshow went over well with the administrators," Terrahawk noted. "I doubt I can get away with it during our next visit without being thrown out."
"We'll be a bit more creative next time," Scorpulos nodded. "Besides, the last half of the communications systems was covered in this visit. That takes care of the primary defense grid; all that remains is to get those things into the electrical systems, and poof, no more high-tech Maverick Hunter fortress."
"Just a dark, dead shell casing," Terrahawk gnawed on one of his sharp claws. "It'll be an easy target for the program retrieval."
"We'll get to that momentarily, Terrahawk," Saren activated a small pad on the arm of his chair, triggering the activation of a video screen in the front of the cabin. He clicked in the digits of the frequency corresponding to the quarters he'd situated for Dynamo in the Executive Suites of the Cerebra Complex. For mostly practical reasons, many of the employees of the Cerebra Group were put up in the residential towers within the complex, and Saren's private and most-honored (or most notorious) guests were always given the finest luxuries.
"Dynamo, do you copy?" He spoke into the receivers embedded into the sides of the screen. Many seconds passed, and the rectangular screen remained pitch black and silent. Saren frowned with irritation - he'd given Dynamo explicit instructions not to wander off, even if the bounty hunter had remained on the grounds of the complex.
"The golden boy's nowhere to be found, how surprising," Terrahawk chuckled.
"Dynamo, this is Saren; please respond to my signal!"
Fifteen more seconds went by, and Saren was about to speak again when an audio message crackled through the speakers.
"Hang on; give me a second!!" Dynamo's anxious voice rang through the cabin, though he hadn't activated his monitor yet, leading Saren to wonder what he was up to. "Dammit, I didn't expect you to contact me until you got back, old man!"
The monitor finally flickered on, static filtering out of the image before it stabilized. Saren saw Dynamo straightening himself, his armor loose and somewhat disjointed on his body. His hair was a bit frizzed, and he looked to be a bit out of breath.
"How's it going, old timer?" He laughed aloud, attempting to act casual as he replaced the red visor over his eyes. "Sorry about the mess...you kinda caught me in the middle of something."
Saren gazed suspiciously at Dynamo, but he let the thought pass - he was probably catching a quick recharge and overslept the cycle completion.
"In any event, I wanted to touch base with you - considering the current activity from the HYBRID headquarters, I've decided to send you in there tonight. I'll be arranging for suitable transportation once we arrive back at the complex."
Dynamo pumped his fist, his overly confident demeanor restored.
"All right! I was wondering how long you were going to keep me sitting around up here. I mean, don't get me wrong - I enjoy the royalty treatment and everything, but I need to see some action on the field every once and again! What kind of transportation you looking at for me? A high-powered jet fighter, some kind of stealth ship?"
Saren regarded the overzealousness mildly - hopefully, it would only lead to the desired results of his mission.
"I was thinking of something along the lines of a disguised cargo vessel leased from one of our fronts, IF you don't mind."
Dynamo looked slightly crestfallen, prompting Saren to address him a bit more sternly.
"Need I remind you that this operation requires secrecy and subtlety above all else?" He remarked with irritation. "If you or our transport craft are discovered or captured, they could trace you back to me and the Cerebra Group. Then all of us are going to be losing out!"
"All right, all right, old timer, point taken; but I'm pretty sure I can handle whatever brass they've got skulking around over there," Dynamo threw back some of his white hair. "Just give me the details, and I'll fetch those samples, no problem."
"No need to get ahead of ourselves, friend," Saren held up a hand to stifle the bounty hunter. "Just allow me to perform some routine checkups on the prototypes, and I'll join you for a formal briefing around nineteen hundred hours."
"Dynamo?" Another voice - this one feminine and somewhat alluring - called from off-screen, prompting Dynamo's nervousness to return as he glanced with a bit of panic to his right. "Aren't you coming back to bed?"
"Err...Is something wrong, Dynamo?" Saren wondered, confused at first - had Dynamo invited a guest into the suites? If so, the Bionoid would've been furious - there was no room for a possible security breach on this project, and divulging the wrong information to the wrong people could've been disastrous. "Who's that?"
But Saren felt his nerves settle and his gorge rising as the second speaker wandered partially on-screen. At the realization, he buried his face in his hand with embarrassment as Scorpulos and Terrahawk tried to keep from bursting out into laughter.
"Sweetheart, this is kind of an important call..." Dynamo fretfully said to his scantily-clad accomplice, who started gazing sleepily into the monitor. The bounty hunter quickly took her by the arm and dragged her out of the monitor's view. "Look, there's been kind of a change of plans...my boss is coming back in a bit, and I think he wants his room cleared out..."
"What?" The female Reploid asked in confusion. "I thought you said this place was yours?"
"Err...slight misinterpretation, honey..." Dynamo replied. "Here's your share, with a bit extra thrown in for all the work you put in..."
The female sounded satisfied, and Saren heard the sound of the door sliding open.
"Thanks a lot, sweetie! Call me back anytime!" Saren shook his head grimly as he heard the sounds of kissing before the door slid closed again. He scowled as Dynamo hurried back onto the viewscreen, his face nearly as red as his visor. Scorpulos and Terrahawk were barely able to contain themselves as Saren's iron gaze bore into the bounty hunter.
"Well...you gave me ten grand up front; I figured that I didn't want it sitting here collecting dust, heh..." Dynamo stammered before his head came to rest on the monitor controls. "Anyways...I guess I'll straighten up around here and wait for you to get back...Dynamo, signing off, Saren!"
Saren disconnected the message before Dynamo could, letting out a breath of disbelief and revulsion. With Dynamo gone, Scorpulos and Terrahawk were free to let loose, and it didn't take them more than three seconds to start cracking up.
"'Have patience and endure...'" Saren muttered to himself. "'There was never yet a philosopher that could endure the toothache patiently...'"
He did decide on one thing though - the asinine fool who dreamed up the idea of granting Reploids hormones should've been dragged out into the streets and shot, preferably multiple times.
*** Signas punched in the access codes for Command Central, going through the usual senior officer voice ID and retinal scans before the heavy iron doors rolled back, allowing them access to the proverbial brain of the Maverick Hunter base.
No matter how many times he'd been inside the immense chamber, X was always utterly amazed by its layout and functions. Several communications officers from other units were hard at work at the powerful mainframes and radio consoles lining the outside of the spherical room, fidgeting and tweaking the various multi-colored knobs and switches and jotting notes down onto data-pads. Jutting out of the middle of the chamber's tiled floor was a state-of-the-art circular holo-projector, used for battle strategizing during particularly important Maverick Hunter incursions. Signas took his usual seat at the control console on the far side of the projector while the others seated themselves in various locales around the globular device.
As X settled into his chair, Alia leaned over and whispered softly to him.
"I can't believe Signas actually let the rookies into the session, on their first day no less! This has got to be huge!"
"We'll have to wait and see..." X focused himself as Signas activated the power switches for the projector. The blue grid map on the top of the device began to glow eerily, the internal circuitry warming itself up as Signas addressed the congregation.
"As almost all of you have inquired about the importance of this new information, you'll be glad to hear that it could prompt military action."
The grid began broadcasting a hazy green image about half a meter above its surface - as X studied it, he noticed that it was a wilderness area; huge expenses of evergreens rolled over the hills at the foot of an expansive mountain range. From what he could gather, the flat areas surrounding the forests were glaciers or snowfields.
"The Tundra sector..." Gavin murmured absently. "Way out there..."
"Thank you, lieutenant, may I proceed?" Signas chided Gavin slightly before beginning with his briefing. "He is correct, however; this is the extreme north end of the Tundra sector, at the foot of the Atlus Mountains. Within the past hour we have received critical radio traffic from Commander Tygeron of Unit Fourteen - he's updated us on some potential unauthorized activity occurring in this region."
"Is it anything major? We've found evidence of small-time thieves hiding out up there before," X suggested.
"True, but what Tygeron found was quite disturbing - he's reported the detection of several large convoys of armored vehicles passing through the snowfields in the past few days. The markings on the transports were largely inconsistent with the usual traffic that flows through the Tundra sector, so Tygeron acted on a hunch and led a small raiding party to tail them."
Signas clicked on a few buttons in front of him, zooming in on a particular section of the image to a close-up of a minor clearing near the mountains. X nodded slowly as he noticed a box-shaped icon flashing in the middle of the clearing.
As Signas prepared to continue, the heavy doors of Command Central slowly opened to admit another soldier, and X was pleasantly surprised to see Zero strolling confidently into the chamber. He nodded in greeting to his friend, who dutifully seated himself as the general went on.
"Following one of the convoys led Tygeron to this hither-to unknown structure sitting right under the shadow of the mountain range, well protected by the elements from radar detection. After watching the unloading of some illicit cargo from the vehicles and cataloguing the fortress's heavy defenses, Tygeron is roughly ninety-five percent certain that this is the HYBRID's main base of operations."
"Son of a..." Richter leaned his head on his arm. "It makes sense, though. I remember hearing rumors about the shifting of power among some of the Maverick guerilla commanders in the surrounding sectors. HYBRID might be prepping themselves for some new customers."
"Regardless, we need to decide quickly what to do about this discovery - increased sales of these illegal arms to those Mavericks will only escalate the instability of the region."
"What kind of weapons have been IDed by the scout groups?" X asked.
Signas shook his head grimly.
"Unfortunately, the group's better equipped than we previously believed. From what Unit Fourteen was able to determine, the unloading convoys were carrying a plethora of small arms and military grade weaponry - rifles, plasma grenades, rocket launchers, aerial mines, you name it. They also suspected the carrying of parts and fuel used in the construction of cruise missiles and EMP devices."
"I'd love to know where they got their hands on that stuff." Gavin snuffed indignantly.
"In that case," Zero spoke up for the first time. "I suggest we go after them as soon as possible - if this base has been under our noses for such a long time, who knows what they've already got assembled and ready to go."
"Regrettably, we may have to move in very soon, sooner than you may be suggesting, commander," Signas continued. "The scouting mission didn't go off without slight setbacks. The group was detected by a motion sensor and got caught in a firefight with HYBRID terrorists just outside the compound. Tygeron managed to get most of his men out of there, but he reported several casualties."
"That's not good..." X felt his processor tightening. "If they suspect that we've discovered their operation, they might decide to pack up and get out of there."
"We've seen it before," Alia added. "I'm inclined to agree with Commander X. Considering the failed results of previous attacks on suspected HYBRID outlets, I'm almost positive that they would completely disappear from the area if we fail to act."
X wholeheartedly agreed with that assessment - he'd participated in several of the aforementioned strikes over the past months, but upon arriving at the bases, the strike teams had always been astonished to find them totally vacant and wiped clean of any traces of illicit materials. Needless to say, repeated occurrences of this disappointing result had nearly caused X to blow a gasket. HYBRID was notorious for their secretive and sometimes paranoid nature, and that mindset had left the Maverick Hunters with little to no connections to a central headquarters until now.
"If we can band with Unit Fourteen with a heavily armed team of our own, we could be able to storm the complex and at least wreak some havoc to slow their production. It's worth a shot, I think," Zero suggested.
"That's our dilemma," Signas replied. "Most of our units are currently out in the field on active duty. The remaining forces are nowhere near enough to even make it past the outer defense grid of their fortress. The significant amount of casualties sustained by Tygeron's unit also makes me hesitant to send them back into the fray - we still need their continued presence in other areas of the Tundra sector, and I believe it's best to let them recover from their setbacks first."
"So, now what?" Richter inquired. "We can't just sit here and watch them run away."
"There is an alternative; of course, just as much risk runs with it," Signas went on, standing and clasping his hands behind his back. "Commander X, I'm going to ask you and your unit if you're comfortable running an infiltration mission with the assistance of Commander Zero. We would drop you into the fortress from one of our stealth-capable transports, and you would gather as much information and, if necessary, create as much chaos as you can."
"Infiltration, sir?" X was surprised at the suggestion - stealth was not an optimal job for hardened frontline soldiers that X considered him and Zero to be. But looking over their options, it was the best plan. Besides, he would've kicked himself for days if he threw away a chance to finally nail the HYBRID organization. "I'd be more than willing..."
He glanced over toward the Forge brothers thoughtfully. It normally wasn't regular practice for the rookies of elite units to actively participate in the first mission - they would generally be on the sidelines in a support role for the sake of observing the tactics of their new comrades. But considering the circumstances (not to mention their obvious skills), he felt that they would be more valuable alongside him.
"...But only if my new recruits can accompany us in combat on this operation."
X noticed Gavin and Richter shift in their seats, their faces becoming brighter and more excited.
"As you wish, commander," Signas nodded. "Lieutenant First Class Richter Forge and Lieutenant Third Class Gavin Forge, feel privileged - you're being sent into your first mission with the elites."
"Thank you, sir!" Both Forges exclaimed toward X and Signas.
"And Zero, are you--"
"You don't even need to ask," Zero gave an eager smirk toward Signas. "Just set me loose, and I'll tear them up!"
"A reminder to you, Zero: this is an infiltration mission, not a guerilla war," Signas chided him, glancing over toward the communications officer. "And Alia, of course you'll be participating in this as well."
"Of course, sir, I'll ready my station for full radio and tech support--"
"Err...that won't be necessary," Signas waved his hand as Alia stared back in confusion. "If we're going to proceed with a clandestine operation, then long-range radio communications are not an option. You'll be stationed in the transport and utilize short-range burst communication with your team."
Alia nodded in understanding, the new situation not deterring her a bit.
"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Richter stood up from his chair. "We're losing precious time! Let's get out there!"
"Not so fast, lieutenant," Signas interrupted him as Richter was charging toward the door. "We'll still need to settle on an attack strategy from what little information we have on the HYBRID fortress. Also."
He measured up the four Hunters, shaking his head with a bit of smile on his face.
"How can I put this...you're too...bright."
"Bright...sir?" X asked him, glancing down at his armor. He didn't think his blue shade stood out that much; if anything, Zero's vibrant red coating and Richter's polished silver apparel were much more noticeable. "What are you suggesting?"
"I think a slight re-coloring is in order to lessen the chances of you being seen by the enemy. Report to the Infirmary Wing for a temporary paint adjustment. All of you."
X heard Zero groan lowly - he always hated it when people attempted to tamper with his form, even vehemently rejecting the idea of getting a new shade for his armor whenever the subject was brought up. Even if it meant a powerful upgrade for him, Zero never wanted to remove what he considered to be his dashing good looks. Signas's eyes drifted to the grumbling Hunter. The last part of his statement had obviously referred to Zero's stubbornness on the idea of being altered.
"If it's not a problem, sir, I have a better idea, at least for me," X suggested.
Signas looked over toward X.
"What did you have in mind, commander?"
"Just one of my acquisitions from the Nightmare Crisis," The blue Hunter replied. It took Signas a bit to understand his meaning, but when he did, the general approved.
***
The circular entranceway opened up for Saren as he passed through the infrared motion sensors, and the Bionoid sauntered confidently into the expansive laboratory beyond. He gazed around with satisfaction at the state- of-the-art facility; Laboratory Twenty-One was the largest and most sophisticated of his private research stations constructed several hundred meters beneath the Cerebra Group Complex. While many of their outward functions served in developing new vaccines or medicines for the humans before the Great Collapse, Saren had converted this particular lab to be the main R & D area for his two viral projects.
He couldn't help but feel a sensation of built-up excitement tingling in his processor as he stepped across the sterilized metal floor - his head developer had promised him the completion of the physical prototypes by the late afternoon, and Saren was incredibly eager to see the results.
The humanoid, white-coated researchers bustling around the lab saluted him as he passed by, and he acknowledged them similarly. Unlike the scientists assigned to the other lab stations, many of the technicians working in Laboratory Twenty-One weren't on the official payroll of the Cerebra Group - Saren had personally hand-picked a good number of them from various black market locales and supplied them with cash out of his own pocket to assist him on the viral project. All of them had been worthwhile bargains - thanks to their diligence, the project was running several days ahead of schedule.
He stopped at a smaller collection of technicians assembled at the rear of the large chamber. They were receiving orders from a tall, lanky scientist in a large white coat.
"...double check the fuel lines for the stasis units - we need to keep these bodies preserved. Haley, begin the pre-testing sequences for the infusion simulations."
As the group dispersed to carry out their orders, the supervising technicians personally greeted Saren with a firm handshake. Saren smiled pleasantly toward the elder Reploid technician, not in a show of mere respect but in one of friendship. Nigel Farragut was one of the more renowned scientific names in the mercenary world, his reputation for creating superlative military constructs for his employers justifying the excessive amounts of zenni required to buy his services. Saren had not regretted the decision - Farragut had served well as head designer for the project, his meticulous nature during the construction lending him the tone of an artist at work on a masterpiece rather than a scientist creating two powerful weapons. Saren could always respect such diligence from any high- level profession.
"Ah, Saren, it's good to see you. I trust you'll be satisfied with the show we have for you today - the exoskeletons have been completed!"
Saren nodded gratefully.
"Indeed, doctor; please unveil your team's creations," He replied.
Farragut turned back toward a pair of opaque capsules embedded in the back wall. The blue glass gave off an eerie glow, a slight trail of mist seeping out from underneath the bottoms of the containers. Several boxes of various parts and tools were strewn nearby, many of them recently used.
"We've had to contain the bodies in stasis units to optimize the conditions of their circuitry, but as soon as we run a few simulations on the introduction of the Zero Virus into the Bionoid cellular circuits, we'll be ready to proceed with phase two of the project."
He moved over to a square-shaped computer terminal that ran multiple cables and wires into the two capsules. After clicking on a few of the module's buttons, the containers slid away, causing cold stasis-inducing gas to spill out into the room. Several seconds later, Saren was pleasantly surprised to behold the two perfectly finished exoskeletons of Vile and Iris standing before him, their systems wired safely into the capsules' stasis circuitry.
Farragut paused briefly as Saren moved forward to examine the two forms. The head technician had done an extraordinary job - everything from the precise grooves in Vile's armor plating and T-visored helmet to the sweet, unblemished demeanor of Iris's face had been recreated in these incarnations. Their forms were completely beige-colored save for Iris's excessive brown hair - their exterior plating had been redone with the Biotech Armament as Saren had requested. They were both motionless in their stances, still awaiting mental programming to fill their CPUs. But even inanimate, it was an awe-filled experience just beholding them. Each of them held a unique piece of Maverick Hunter history within them, and when they were finally given life...Saren couldn't wait to see the horrified looks on X and Zero's faces once these two were alive and doing his bidding.
He smiled toward his two masterpieces.
"'All ignorant that soul that sees thee without wonder,'" He mused to himself, turning back to the technician. "Expect a bonus to be deposited into the accounts of yourself and your design team, Doctor Farragut - this is a job well done!"
Farragut bowed meekly.
"You're too kind, sir," He smiled as he examined the exoskeletons. "I apologize for the lack of coloring given to the bodies, but the cellular framework of the Biotech Armament rejected all of the different shadings we tried."
"Biotechnological cells were never meant to be colored, doctor," Saren replied. "Do they still possess all of the correct features?"
"Of course, sir; we had to use your older set of Bionoid armor as a template when we were mapping out the similar versions for Vile and Iris. It was difficult technology, but we managed to recreate it without much trouble - their armoring contains the same regenerative and tenacious features that you once possessed during your days as a soldier."
Saren nodded approvingly. The former feature had always been what had made the Bionoids so dangerous back in their day - even powerful blows to their armor could've been repaired within minutes simply by the cells rapidly multiplying overtop of the damaged or destroyed layers. It had saved Saren's life on numerous occasions during his tenure.
"And from your research, doctor..." Saren went on. "The Zero Virus will only improve these features?"
"Theoretically, the symbiotic cellular regeneration will be sped up incredibly, allowing them to recover from injuries in mere seconds! Their offensive and defense capabilities will be extensively strengthened as well, giving them greater power and speed than any Maverick Hunter on the current active duty roster. Once the virus has bonded with the cellular armor and the sentience programming infused into their CPUs, all that remains is to install the specified weapons onto their bodies, and they'll be ready for activation."
"And the drawbacks?"
Farragut scratched his chin.
"Well, as I mentioned to you at the onset of this project, it's impossible to know what kind of effects the viral integration is going to have on their mental functions - we simply don't have enough data on the virus to create a complete safeguard that will prevent it from seeping into their CPUs. However, many of us are confident that we can at least stifle a bulk of the viral programming from getting into their higher mental processes."
"Do whatever you can to optimize that effort during the retrieval of the Zero Virus," Saren told him, confident in the doctor's abilities. "The operation will be taking place within the next several hours."
"Yes, sir," Farragut acknowledged him. "By the way, are you still considering the placement of the virus into your own suit of armor?"
Saren sighed, unresponsive at first. Technically, it was possible, albeit incredibly risky. Ever since the thought had first occurred to him, it had been a tantalizing temptation that was difficult even for him to overcome. It would've transformed him into an incredible warrior of power, much like his new creations.but the mental side-effects of the Zero Virus had always been what deterred that course of action. What would be the influence of the virus over his older circuitry and unguarded programming? How much of himself would he lose in gaining such power...
::'If I lose mine honour, I lose myself.':: He decided. No cause was worth making such a rash sacrifice, allowing the altering of one's judgment on a suicidal level. And Saren valued his mind above almost everything else - in a deranged state, he could've forgotten his true purpose for executing these events: repairing the injustice caused to his kind so long ago. His mind firm, he turned back to face the doctor.
"Perish the thought, Farragut," He shook his head. "Just do what you can to strengthen the safeguards on their vital circuitry while I see to the recovery of the Zero Virus."
"As you wish, sir," Farragut seemed relieved, letting out a held breath as he curtly bowed to his employer. Saren appreciated the sentiment - the doctor's bond with him had grown since the beginning of the construction, and though Farragut was professional enough to keep their relationship on a business-like tone, Saren did regard the elder scientist as a friend.
As Farragut turned away to return to his work, Saren strode confidently out of the chamber, eager to brief Dynamo on his upcoming mission. He only hoped that the arrogant mercenary had cleaned himself up after his 'activities' from earlier; without his full cooperation and focus on the mission, the virus could've easily slipped through his fingers and ruined everything that he'd worked so fervently to set in motion.
Still, thinking about the two perfectly constructed exoskeletons he'd been witness to inside the lab restored his wavering conscience. They would things of wonder on the battlefield, felling the despotic Maverick Hunters like so many gnats swarming about in a random, aimless cloud.
::'Everything that grows holds in perfection but a little moment.':: He mused to himself, the wisdom of the old artists ever present in his bustling mind to provide him with guidance. Once that moment of perfection came at the activation of his viral warriors, he would make certain that the instant would endure long enough to see the Maverick Hunters crumble to dust...