Chapter Twenty-Seven: Mobilization
Gate took one final look at the scene of the crime, keeping up the perpetual frown that had lined his face for the past hour. An ambulance had finally been given permission to remove the bodies of Kim Stetson and Louis Simons from the scene. Gate had taken charge of the investigation immediately, being as he was already in Sub-City 3 when it happened, and he'd ordered that the scene be undisturbed until he had a chance to draw conclusions.
It hadn't taken long at all. Several witnesses explained with consistent detail the capture of Maverick Hunter Zero and the murders of the young humans. Other motorists had seen the attack on Signas's car, and it was easy to surmise what Officer Casey had died doing. Signas had just returned to Megacity 5 via the transporter in the Hunter Station and now Gate was turning over the investigation to the local Hunter commander.
So, Commander Zero is missing…presumably in Maverick hands. Gate didn't like that scenario. Zero was a powerhouse, a Reploid almost too strong for his own good. He'd proven his inability to handle his own strength on a number of occasions, and he'd lost control of his emotions too often to be truly reliable. He wasn't like X at all, Gate thought. X was calm and collected, a pacifist, just like Gate. He hated fighting, unlike Zero, who reportedly relished it. Enjoying combat, Gate thought, was merely the first step on the long road to insanity. Perhaps it was that weakness in Zero that enticed Sigma so much. After all, this wasn't the first time Zero had been held captive by the Mavericks, if Gate's memory served him correctly. That first time, when the X-Hunters had revived him, they'd also reprogrammed him to be a Maverick. Supposedly. Even Gate had never gotten the true details of that incident. Some said that Zero had indeed gone Maverick, but he'd fought off the effects after a quick battle with X. Other reports said that Zero escaped before Sigma had a chance to reprogram him, so the Maverick King had built a Clone Zero and intended to use it to kill X, but the real Zero returned and took it out before it had the chance. Whatever the case, Gate had been interested in Zero's past for a long time, and not just the incidents at the end of the second uprising.
When Sigma still led the Maverick Hunters, he went on a mission to a nearby desert lab. By the time that mission had ended, an entire Hunter unit had been destroyed and Sigma himself had been severely mangled. He'd never been the same since. Gate had followed up on that incident and learned that several locals noted the existence of a "Devil" in red. Shortly after, Gate had learned, Zero joined up with the Maverick Hunters. It wasn't hard to connect the crimson Hunter with the red Devil, and Zero had thrashed Sigma good in the fourth uprising, proving that he would certainly have been capable of doing it that first time.
But what did that mean? Had Zero really been a Maverick, even before the first uprising? It was something Gate was deathly curious about, even though he'd never dare to voice his opinions publicly. The Zero he knew from current reports and occasional meetings such as the one today in City Hall was not a bad guy. He and Gate had differences in opinion, policy, and ideals, but Gate could not quite bring himself to hate Zero.
However, that did not stop him from fearing him. Zero's mind had been somewhat…troubled, especially after the fourth uprising. Gate knew all about Iris and Colonel, and he had even heard rumors from insiders that Zero was experiencing strange dreams. It wasn't so much that Gate didn't trust the Hunter. If anything, Zero needed help, not elimination. He'd done too much good to merit execution, even if Sigma did manage to get to him…provided he could be turned back to normal. Gate had decided to keep tabs on Zero, monitoring him to make sure he didn't lose control of himself over something.
That being said, it was easy to infer why Gate was so worried about Zero being back in Maverick hands. They'd obviously wanted him alive—witnesses had seen Zero drop after a mere shoulder wound, and while those could be bad, they were almost never fatal for a Reploid. Even with an expert angle it would have been too difficult to hit his generator. So, they'd obviously taken him alive, and on purpose. Gate could only surmise one purpose for that.
The air above the scientist's head suddenly grew very hot. Gate looked up and watched as a Reploid phoenix, complete with a fiery aura around its wings, descended from the sky. The phoenix had been scouting the rooftops of Sub-City 3, searching for any remaining snipers. Finding none, he touched down next to his boss, folding his wings neatly behind his back before making his report.
"We in the clear?" Gate asked his associate.
"No pricks left in the area," Blaze Heatnix responded. "Not that I can see, anyway, and if I can't find 'em, nobody will."
Gate allowed him that. Blaze Heatnix was indeed a stellar observer. He could pick out life forms like none other. It was a shame that he stuck out like a sore thumb, else he'd have made an outstanding aerial spy.
"So what's the beef with the Hunters?" Heatnix asked, curious.
"It seems that our friend Zero was captured."
The phoenix blinked. "How'd he let that happen?"
Gate shrugged. "I imagine it was a tranquilizer dart. According to the locals, he hesitated right here when Boomer Kuwangner held that girl hostage. Zero held nice and still until the trank bullet hit. Didn't stop the son of a bitch from killing the hostages, though," Gate added with venom.
Heatnix glowered, which was always an interesting thing, since the flames his armor gave off glowed brighter. "Barbarians, every last one of them! They can't even fight man-to-man anymore. The hell is this world coming to when you can't even have a duel anymore without being shot in the back?"
Gate didn't answer. Blaze Heatnix was a dedicated duelist…he sparred often with his fellow Investigators. He would probably never understand the shift in Maverick policy…well, he might understand it, Gate allowed, but he'd never come to respect it.
The scientist walked to the spot where Kim Stetson's blood was still splattered all over the pavement. He looked at the grisly scene with a blank face, letting his loathing for the Mavericks grow within him. Heatnix had it right: they were all barbarians, especially these madmen with the Buzzbombs. They were ready to kill hundreds of people at once, just to urge other Mavericks around the globe to begin another pointless war. It would be worse than that, Gate realized. These nuclear terrorists would eliminate the Hunter presence in Megacity 5, one of the most important cities in the Megacity System. The Mavericks would spread out through the city, probably overpowering the Megacity Army. From there, the economy of Megacity 5 would stagger, and the entire System would feel the blow. In effect, one properly aimed Buzzbomb would rearrange the state of the world. They must never let that happen, Gate thought with firm certainty. In order to prevent that, they had to deny the Mavericks any assets, including backup bases. Gate knew just what to do about that.
"We're done here," the scientist said, turning back to the phoenix. "I need you back at our base as soon as possible, and bring Scarabich and Wolfang with you. I have a new mission for you."
Heatnix threw a beaky grin at his commander. Whatever mission Gate had in mind probably involved killing Mavericks, and Heatnix was in a killing mood at the moment. "Sure thing, boss. I'll round 'em up for ya. Be home in a jiffy!"
Gate nodded and his associate lifted off. That, too, was always interesting to watch, since the air around the phoenix seemed to glow as he flew through it. An interesting Reploid, that Blaze Heatnix. A bit of a hothead, sans pun, but reliable and efficient nonetheless.
Satisfied, the scientist turned his back on the scene of the murders and walked back towards the wreckage of the van and the car, where most of the other spectators were. He would check out that UNDINE thing for Signas as soon as possible, he decided. In the meantime, he'd tell Commander Yammark to start plotting an attack. Gate would work things out with the Brazilian military…he didn't think they'd object to what Gate had in mind.
One way or another, Gate decided, the Mavericks would pay for this, and even though his personal efforts might not be as important as those of others, it would still leave an irreparable dent in the enemy's war machine.
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By late noon, news of the events in Sub-City 3 was common knowledge. Hunter HQ bustled with activity as units intensified training, messengers ran to and fro with new information, and commanders gathered to plan their next move. Throughout the entire facility there was a common sentiment: anger. Two of their most respected figures had been attacked and nearly killed, and one had been taken prisoner. The Hunters were more of a clannish bunch than most people suspected, and they always fought hard to bring one of their men back from behind enemy lines. They'd fight doubly hard this time, considering the captive Hunter was Zero.
Mega Man X hadn't taken the news well. It wasn't that he was afraid for Zero—Zero was quite capable of handling himself. To this date, no Maverick had ever been able to control him, Sigma included, and though X's heart went out to his friend, he knew deep down that Zero would not submit easily to anything he did not deem worthy of submitting to, which amounted to pretty much everything.
No, X was more worried about the fact that they'd lost one of their best soldiers, and the fact that the Mavericks weren't afraid to take risks anymore. That more or less meant that they were ready for their attack, and that meant that the Hunters had to scramble in order to meet that state of readiness.
Signas had returned to Hunter HQ around noon. His leg had been fixed up, and now it was a matter of waiting for his nanobots to repair the damage in full. However, he hadn't waited long at all before calling all available commanders and chiefs to the same meeting room where Colonel Kitao had broken the news about the Buzzbombs, and so here X was now. The only difference, he noted sadly, was that the chair next to him was empty this time.
Signas limped to his seat with the help of one of his assistance. Boomer Kuwangner's Boomerang Cutter had done a number on that leg of his, X saw. A few more inches and the leg would even be there anymore. However, give or take a few days, and the damage would be negligible. That was the beauty of being a Reploid, X thought. The healing process was far faster for them than it was with a human.
Signas looked up and down the table, spotting X, Zion, Caligula, Douglas, Tiberius, Archer, Mason, Damia, Taggart, and Zegmann. He got right to the heart of the matter. "As you by now know, Zero and I were attacked on our way home. Four of our comrades are dead, as well as three humans. One was a police officer who saved both my life and Zero's only to be gutted like a pig afterwards. I'm told he'll be given a hero's funeral. The other two were college students that Boomer Kuwangner held hostage in order to cause Zero to freeze. He all but decapitated one when he was done with her, and had the other one murdered as well." Everyone at the table felt something inside them stir. Signas spoke with the deadly calm that gave them only one option: see the Mavericks for what they were and show them no mercy when you meet them. After that summary, no one present would even think of doing otherwise.
"In addition," Signas went on in a tired voice, "Zero was taken captive. We do not believe that they killed him back there…all reports indicate otherwise. So, we have to assume that he is still alive, and in Maverick custody.
"Before we proceed any further, let me elaborate on the day's other events. Zero met with Colonel Tony Jones of Alden Base, and we will be receiving a platoon of ride armors and munitions. They will be here by tomorrow, if Jones doesn't slack. Also, Zero learned that someone has stolen a new ride armor type. It's called the X74 Marauder, and it's a real monster." Signas looked hard at each face at the table. "Commanders, make sure your units know about this thing. When we attack Seraph Castle, there's no telling when that thing might show up. Watch your backs.
"In the meantime, I met with the Megacity Council. All our requests have been granted, and we should be getting the things we need in a day. They will hurry, especially after what happened today."
"What about Gate?" Caligula asked.
Signas nodded. "He agreed to help us out. Also, one of his people in Brazil discovered a Maverick base under construction. Split Mushroom is in command. Gate believes that this base is the one the Mavericks plan to retreat to after they fire the Buzzbombs. Gate's agent in Brazil is going to mount an attack with the help of their army."
"So we have roughly two days to mobilize," X summarized. "What should our priorities be during that time?"
Signas considered his response. He knew full well that X knew the answer to his own question. He'd just asked it for the benefit of the other newer commanders in the room. "No further training will be of any use. Start having your units move supplies and equipment. After two days, we have to start moving. We can teleport most of our forces to a certain point, but our larger pieces of artillery will have to be moved the old fashioned way. If we start early, we can be in attack position by nightfall."
"That's too late," Zegmann pointed out. "They'll see us coming long before that."
"That's the best we can do," Signas said without emotion. "Unless, of course, we get the support we need faster."
There wasn't much left to discuss. X left the hall ten minutes later and found himself wondering what he was supposed to do now. Yes, there was equipment to be moved and readied, but there were also plans to finalize. X caught Douglas on his way out of the meeting hall.
"Yeah?" the mechanic asked.
"We gotta be ready to move long before Signas said we would," X pointed out. "What do you need done that will allow a faster departure time."
Douglas took a deep breath and thought hard. "I don't rightly know. Our mobile units, ride armors and the like, were ready yesterday, but if we're gonna be getting new things…well, if you know any gearheads, send them to my garage. It'll make servicing and checking the new equipment faster."
X nodded. "I'll see what I can do."
Douglas looked uncomfortable. Then, "Zero'll be able to handle himself, you think?"
X let out a long breath and nodded. "He's been in this situation before. He'll manage until we can bust him out."
Douglas absorbed this. "What if the bad guys take him on a trip to Brazil?"
That earned him a blink; X hadn't thought of that. "Then I guess Gate's agents will have to know what not to shoot at." It was hardly satisfying, but it was the best he could come up with.
Douglas nodded and they parted ways. X headed back to the rec room specifically reserved for officers of the 17th Unit, where he found his sergeants right where he expected them to be: Jasper was lounging in his own recliner; Shadin, Alia and Scylla occupied the small couch; Lariat sat cross-legged on the floor, looking like the big lounging beast that he was. All of them straightened up when X entered the room. Over the years they'd learned that X was a prime source of information, as he did not put much priority on the words "top secret". This meeting hadn't been top secret, but everyone wanted to know what had happened anyway.
"Somethin' going down, chief?" Jasper asked for them all.
"We move the day after tomorrow."
"That's nothing new," X's second in command pointed out.
X shook his head. "No, it's not, but it's official now at least. We'll all pound Seraph Castle at once, securing or destroying the Buzzbombs as we find them." All of his sergeants knew, of course, about the nuclear threat even though Signas wanted to keep it on the down low. X figured that if he couldn't trust these five, he couldn't rightly trust anyone. "Our training is over, people. Now it's a matter of getting things ready to move as soon as possible."
They absorbed this. More than one of them clearly wanted to ask another question, but no one was breaking the silence. Finally it was Lariat who spoke up. "What about Zero's unit?"
X let out a sigh. "They'll be coming along, you can rest assured of that. I haven't seen them yet, but you can bet they want nothing more than to bust their commander out of there."
"So," Shadin asked, "you believe Zero's still alive…?"
A half smile formed on X's lips. "He's alive, all right. Bloody stupid move on the Mavericks' part, but I'm not complaining. He's alive, and knowing him he'll bust out on his own before we even get there. Who knows? Maybe he'll even take care of our objectives for us."
They all smiled at that, though wistfully. It was a nice thing to hope for, but they all knew that the odds of one Hunter battling out of a fortress full of Mavericks carried dim odds for survival.
"All right," Scylla said, getting down to business. "What do you need us to do?"
X took the cue and went through the plan he'd formed in his head on the way here. It wasn't much of a plan, but he had to have something to tell to his sergeants, didn't he? "Do the final equipment checks for our unit today. Don't wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll need the whole unit to help Douglas service our new machinery. Also, you guys probably know the new recruits of Unit 17 better than I do. If you know of any prospective ride armor stars…get them some last minute training and have them pick a model they like to work with." One of the good things about being in the elite 17th was that you got first pickings of pretty much everything.
Jasper nodded and stood. "That's a rog, sir. By the way, your message box is nice and full. Looks like you got a night of reading to do."
"Lovely." Another element of being in Unit 17, especially being the leader, meant that there was always a motherload of paperwork to sort through. X shook his head in wonderment. How did people expect him to get anything done when he had to read through countless reports? Zero had a tendency to actually shred report clusters with his saber right before a mission started, but X had never been able to bring himself to do that, for fear of destroying some important tidbit of information. It helped that he was a speed-reader; else he'd never get a wink of sleep.
As Shadin, Scylla, Jasper, and Lariat got to their feet and shuffled off to perform their various duties, Alia, who had been silent this whole time, stood and walked towards her commander. Her armor was no longer as extensive, and had been reduced to a simple breastplate. This only made sense, as the wounds she'd taken in the quarry meant that she'd probably no longer be any good in a fight. She'd also cut her blonde hair very short, signifying a change in…something. X wasn't sure what, though he suspected he was about to find out.
"Commander."
"Alia." He nodded. "Something I need to hear?"
"As you know," she said somewhat regretfully, "I'm no longer able to fight in battles. So, I'm not going to be going with you when you leave for Seraph Castle."
This was not a surprise, though X did pretend to mull it over. "Is this a resignation…?"
"A what?" She blinked in surprise. "No, no! It's just that I've been assigned other duties at the Headquarters."
"Assigned? By who?"
"Cain." She placed her hands on her hips and recalled the conversation. "He gave me the option of resigning. I'd considered it…I didn't really want to be a burden to everyone else around here. But then I thought more about it and realized that Hunting was the only thing I'd ever done. I wasn't prepared for anything else."
"That's a common sentiment," X agreed. "Once a soldier, always a soldier." He regretted the words right away.
Alia took it in stride. "Well…seeing as I can't be the said soldier anymore, Cain gave me another option. The communication team is in need of a dispatcher with high-level clearance to manage the more important missions. He offered the job to me."
Well, there was an idea. "I presume you accepted?"
She nodded cautiously. "I'll have to formally withdraw from the 17th…withdraw, not resign…but I'll be in contact with you for most of your missions. I'll manage missions for both Unit 17 and Unit 0, and whatever else is asked of me." She paused uncomfortably. "So, uh…there it is. I request your leave. I need at least verbal permission to withdraw before I can work on the Seraph Castle mission."
X had to smile. For as long as he could remember, Alia had been a firebrand of sorts, always saying whatever the hell was on her mind. Shyness was not befitting of her. Yet here she was now, uncomfortable as hell, for once unsure of herself before her leader. That meant that she actually cared what he thought, X realized. The smile died when he realized just how much he'd miss having her around. Like most members of his unit, X had found Alia rather personable and easy to get along with. Her take-charge attitude had also come through for the unit on a number of occasions when there were too many options to consider or infighting was clouding peoples' minds. Even though she hadn't played much of a role in recent events, the unit would feel her loss for sure.
"You've got my leave, then." He smiled again, this time hoping to convey that he did regret losing her. He wondered if it got across. He had never been much good at conveying the correct emotion. "Guess you're not going all that far away."
"Just down the hall," she replied with her own grin, relieved that her commander wasn't being an ass about her transferring. Some commanders would do that.
"Well, don't be afraid to stop by and show your face. You may officially be a member of the communication staff, but as far as I'll be concerned you're still just as much a member of the 17th as you always were."
"Thanks. Thanks a lot." She regained some of her former confidence. "Guess we've both got some work to do, then?"
X nodded. "Get to where you're going. Now that I think about it, it'll be useful to have a navigator out there. Maybe we won't have to worry about not knowing the terrain anymore."
She pursed her lips and shrugged. "I'll do my best. I imagine it can't be that hard, but if it's okay with you…"
"Do us proud." X grinned and saluted. Alia returned the gesture and left the 17th rec room, heading to a new profession. X hoped it would work for her. She hadn't taken the news well, he remembered. Anyone high up in the 17th Unit had been a Hunter for several years, and given that the oldest of Reploids weren't even twenty years old yet, this fact meant that X's team members knew little other than Hunting. Alia hadn't been sure she could handle the change to something else, despite all her confidence on the field. Still, Cain came through, as he usually did, X thought with a smile. He'd have to check in on the old man, he thought, before they left for Seraph Castle. It was more for him than for Cain, he admitted to himself. X valued the scientist's company, and he feared that when it came time for Cain to retire that that company would become much more limited. Maybe he should head over there now, X thought. There wasn't much else for him to do.
Then he realized that Cain would probably be busy now, what with these new developments, and that there was indeed something else for X to do now.
The azure Hunter left the room and walked robotically, for lack of better term, to the nearby lounge used by Unit 0. It wasn't far enough away, X decided as he neared the door. He hadn't had any time to think of something to say. But then, nothing ever came of him pondering his words, so he figured he'd just wing it. After all, he realized as he pushed the door open, he did know what he wanted to say and do after all.
The scene waiting for X in the Unit 0 rec room was similar to the one he'd just left. The only difference was that Zero's sergeants had all been talking to each other, some of them in less than restrained tones. All of them quieted, however, when they realized who was in the room with them.
A green Reploid who had been standing near a window turned and looked X in the eye. This was Delates, X remembered. He knew all of Zero's Hunters by name, as their two units often worked together. Delates looked back and forth from soldier to soldier before finally breaking the silence by addressing X. "Sorry, sir. Guess they can't find their tongues."
"I know the feeling," X responded with a weak smile, breaking the ice. Sergeants working with X and Zero were generally on good-friend terms with both leaders, though a commander was a commander, and it helped when they said the first word.
"Sorry, sir," a burly orange Reploid said, getting to his feet and nodding X's way. "We're just a little…miffed."
"That's rather mild, Tyclammel," a tall Reploid armored in black said, crossing his arms over his chest. "We're bloodthirsty."
"All right, Cort, if you want to be morbid about it…" Tyclammel shrugged. "This unit has been insulted."
X looked from Hunter to Hunter, recalling names and specialties. Zero's "sergeants" were really the unit in general. Unlike X, Zero's unit didn't draw massive amounts of recruits during times of trouble, being as the unit was for special operations only. Delates was both a sniper and an infiltrations specialist. Tyclammel was, if X remembered correctly, a demolitions expert. Cort, the tall, silver haired Reploid in black armor, carried twin magnums around in side holsters that he used to play connect the dots with anything he didn't like. Nearby were Lyon, Riposte, Feldspar, and Seamus. Lyon was a heavy assault specialist who wore white armor under a green "suit". Riposte was an averagely built dark Reploid who did well as a bomb disarmer. Feldspar had a fairly standard humanoid design, and probably took his name from the feldspar stone that sat in the center of his helmet. His skill was in distance attacks like sniping. Seamus had the oddest coloration, a blue coat of armor over a green "suit" and flaming red hair. He was very good at pursuit and capture missions. There were a few other soldiers that were related to Unit 0, but these seven were the key players. No women, X saw with a wry inner smile. Then he stopped. There had been a woman, he remembered. Her name had been Katana. She'd died with Sol in Byte's mine trap in the quarry. Goddamned Mavericks.
"We're rather pissed off about it," Tyclammel went on. "That's our boss who got nabbed, and us who got challenged, even more so than the rest of the Hunter troops." X didn't think so—he was pretty pissed off too—but there would be no arguing with these folks now.
"When do we leave?" It was Delates. He'd been good friends with both Sol and Katana, X remembered, and Zero was rather well liked by everyone in his unit. Losing three friends simultaneously wouldn't sit well with Delates. He'd want to pay the Mavericks back, and fast.
"Day after tomorrow," X responded. "How are you guys going about this…?"
Delates understood what was being asked. He looked back and forth to each unit member and got nods from every one. He looked back to X. "Zero never had an official second in command, but I'm the one with the most experience, so I've been elected the acting commander. Doesn't mean a whole lot, but at least there's a scrap of organization left."
X nodded. "Zero's plan for this unit was to invade from the west side of Seraph Castle and rendezvous with my unit, which will come in through the east entrance—I know there is no east entrance, but trust me, we'll make one." He looked at each Hunter individually, the words coming to him from personal feelings. "However, Unit 17 has gained a significant amount of new troops in the previous days, and, well…I just wanted to be clear on something."
"What's that, sir?" Commander Delates asked.
"I was just gonna say," X went on, "that if any of you thought it would be fun to merge our units, screw the cautious 'side one, side two' infiltration and just bust a huge hole in one wall, pour into Seraph Castle, beat the shit out of the Mavericks, and bust Zero the hell out of there, it wouldn't be any problem with me."
They all blinked. X wasn't one to change plans so late in the game. Finally, Tyclammel spoke up: "You forgot the nukes, sir."
"Ah. Well we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
Delates had to smirk. "You want us to babysit your recruits for you, sir?"
X smirked right back. "I admit I could use some help. If you each took five or so with you and bossed 'em around…well, they'll only be mine until the battle's over. I don't care that much about their feelings toward being handled by a rival unit."
Cort blinked innocently. "Does this signify a change in your feelings toward protocol, sir?"
X sighed, shaking his head at the Reploid who always asked these incriminating questions. "I'm living under the threat of nuclear attack, my partner's been captured, both our units have taken losses, and all because of these goddamned terrorists in Seraph Castle. Right now, Cort, my only protocol involves the best ways of serving Fried Maverick on the barby." And you knew X meant business when he used Australian slang.
Delates did another check of his comrades' faces before looking back to X. "Well then, sir…we'll be happy to help you piss in these bastards' eyes." He snapped off a sloppy salute. "Now, uh…you got anything for us to do, or do we have to continue to sit here venting our anger?"
X smiled. He liked the way this was going. He really did want to take the Mavericks out this time. He was actually looking forward to it, and that was first. Nuclear weapons…what kind of psychos resorted to that anymore? "As a matter of fact," he announced, "Douglas could use some help with the big guns. We'll field any other problems as we come to them."
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Vulcan had heard all the warnings, but until now he hadn't believed things could get so hectic. His training regimen had doubled during the past week, which had been quite a shock to his systems, considering that he'd just been released from the medical ward. However, he viewed the enhanced training as a way to get back in shape, so to speak, and by now he was positive that his former rustiness was all but gone.
As X had promised back in the infirmary, Commander Archer had begun to place more emphasis on Vulcan, though he'd stopped short of assigning the Reploid the position of unit sergeant, for which Vulcan was grateful. As it stood, Archer only had two sergeants. They were Hawkins and Kyre, and both were battle-ready, though Kyre had given them a scare after the quarry battle. Kyre had met up with his pal and Vulcan's, Alec Tremont, only to learn that Alec was in a sour mood after the demise of his comrade, Carlos Delgado. Goddamned Mavericks.
Vulcan found himself in the segment of the unit more closely associated with Hawkins, which was fine with him. Hawkins, after all, was quite an agreeable Reploid, and was extremely reliable in combat. Hawkins was a heavy assault specialist, like Rykov, who appreciated big guns more than anything in the world, except of course for filling things with holes using the said big guns. He looked after his squad with constant vigilance, and that reassured both those who followed his lead and Commander Archer, who liked it when he didn't have to worry about one of his sergeants leading a squad into a hopeless situation.
Rykov, however, was in Kyre's squad, and Kyre was more or less the same soldier that Hawkins was. They both specialized in heavy assault, and Kyre had worked with Rykov during the quarry business, so they knew and respected each other, a development that had begun when Rykov had kindly stopped Kyre from stepping on a mine. He hadn't been around to shove Kyre out of the way before Malevex's sniper round caught him in the chest, but they both knew that you could only do so much.
Krysta, the third member of Vulcan's little posse, did not seem to have a designated squad commander. She often switched from Archer to Kyre to Hawkins, which Vulcan found rather curious. He'd been meaning to ask her about that for a while. He suspected she didn't know why either, but it never hurt to ask. Besides, the accelerated training had kept him apart from his friends, which he rather hated after being confined to a hospital bed for so long. Any excuse to talk worked.
Training ended abruptly when word spread of an attack in Sub-City 3. Archer had been summoned to some meeting, and when he came back he confirmed the rumors that Signas had been attacked and Zero had been captured.
The first emotion that swept through the rookies of Unit 5 was one of dread. They'd lost one of their key soldiers. Could X handle things on his own? Of course he could, they all realized immediately. X had done it before, single-handedly. He'd have all sorts of troops at his disposal this time. It wouldn't be like the other uprisings, Vulcan reminded himself. This was the destruction of a base, not necessarily the infiltration of one. He was wrong, though he couldn't have known that. Only unit commanders had all the details of BROKEN HALO, and they planned to let their troops know just before they moved out.
Krysta wound up talking to Vulcan first.
"Doesn't this make your confidence soar, pal?"
He grinned. "If you ask me, it was a dumb move on their part. Zero's inside the base now, and we still have enough firepower to take the place apart. We can work from the inside and the outside."
Krysta shrugged. "We'll see."
Vulcan blinked. "Something wrong?"
She sighed, clearly frustrated. "'My role in this mission has been redefined.'"
"What? What do you mean?"
"Unit 5," she explained, "is supposed to form the right flank for Zion's Unit 20, with Unit 3 under Mason as the left flank."
"Where'd you hear that?"
"Archer," she replied simply. "He told me this when he gave me my revised assignment."
"Which is…?"
"I get to hang back a while. The rest of you get to go off and fight and I get to manage the departing mobile infantry."
Well that explained why no squad had laid claim to her. Still, it seemed like a pretty random action on Archer's part. "Why'd they pick you to do that?"
She smiled distantly. "Before I came here, I worked at a manufacturing plant that supplied the Hunters. I manned the computers that monitored the product while it functioned, and apparently similar skills are required to do the operating checks on the mini-tanks and ride armors before they can leave." She shook her head, trying to dismiss it. "I'll still be coming along, but it'll be with Commander Zegmann's Unit 15. They'll be the last to leave. And even then I'll be with the stragglers."
Vulcan nodded, noting that she clearly wasn't happy with this. "What's the big problem? You don't have to worry about being taken apart."
She sighed again. "No, I get to play computer technician while the rest of you do your jobs."
"But you'll be doing your job too," Vulcan pointed out. "The Hunters need people with computer skills. Scythe is staying behind too, I heard. He won the bloody weapons match, and they're keeping him behind."
"He only won because you and Rykov eliminated each other," Krysta replied.
"That's not the point." Well what was the point, then? "If I were you, I'd be happy. I'm not a coward and you know it…hell, even Rykov has reservations about going to fight. Us soldiers are too eager to throw our lives away."
"Then why become soldiers?" Krysta fired back. "If we're reluctant to go to battle, why not leave the fighting to those who won't hesitate?"
It was a cavalier attitude, though Vulcan knew it wasn't Krysta's fault. She hadn't almost been sliced in half by a demon swordswoman. Vulcan had, and he was in no hurry to return to a place where something similar could happen.
However, Krysta had been nearly blown to bits by mines. "Fighting is what we train for, sure, but…if you have a chance to avoid it, why not? Don't you even remember what happened to you in the quarry? You should have seen yourself in the medical ward afterwards. You had this look, like you'd seen death and just managed to get away, and it terrified you. I know the feeling. I remember lying around and wondering how in the hell, with all these sword wounds, had that bitch Maverick not managed to slice open my generator. I'm in no hurry to repeat that, nor should you be."
She sighed. "I know what you're saying. I don't mean that hanging back is cowardice. It's…well, it's the whole 'team' thing that everybody tries to get across. If you don't fight with the rest of your unit…how can you feel like a part of the team?"
Vulcan frowned, carefully planning his answer. He loved conversations like this. They forced him to develop new opinions on new things, and he was one who enjoyed philosophical debates. "You already fought with the team. I'm the one who fought outside of it on that damned train mission, and I'm fine, aren't I? You'll be in the Catskills eventually. It's not that big a deal. Neither of us have seen much combat, but I've seen more than you, and I'm telling you, I'd rather stay in the training rooms. There ain't nothing glorious about going out there and hacking some Maverick to bits. You do it 'cause it has to be done, not because it makes you into a man or a woman, or some fool thing like that. What's glorious is coming back after the battle, alive and in one piece, and watching the world unfold that you helped create, and the reason you can still watch is that you did what had to be done without taking any fool risks."
Krysta stared at him a while before speaking again. "You sound just like X. What the hell did he DO to you in that infirmary?"
He laughed. "Sorry, I get on a soapbox a lot. I know." He looked to Rykov, who was talking to Hawkins now about something or another. "I hear that the main reason people stay Hunters is because of the people next to them. So far I agree, even with my meager experience." He put on an honest smile. "I'll be happy only if you and Rykov get out of this mess alive with me."
She laughed quietly, not sure what to say to that. "You sound like such a sap…we have to start you swearing and drinking like the rest of this crew." She laughed again, louder, and nodded. "But all right. I'll live if you live. Let's see if that works again."
"Worked all right the last two times."
She smiled sweetly. "Try not to let any more girls kick your ass, all right?"
"You're only confident cause you'll be hiding in the garage for most of the fight."
Her mouth dropped as she looked for a suitable response to the simple contradiction of his long speech. "You…bastard!"
"I win," he said simply.
"Get out of here!" she said, pushing him back with a laugh. "Go sweet talk Rykov."
"He'd shoot me," Vulcan pointed out as they parted ways. Rykov finished talking to Hawkins and went over to meet his friend.
"All ready for the party?" the sturdy Reploid asked.
"I guess so," Vulcan responded. "What was that about?"
"Demolition contest." Rykov wore a broad grin. "If you'll remember, before you got zonked out by that girl on the train, I was in a little contest with Hawkins. We're gonna settle the score after this mission, see who can blow things up the best."
Vulcan had to laugh. "He's got years of experience on you, Ry. He'll kick your ass."
"You say that now!" Rykov trumpeted. "But in time you will bow to the greatness that is Rykov, Exploder Extraordinaire…that doesn't sound very respectable, does it?"
"No!" Vulcan laughed again. "Better than Mr. Blow-Up, though."
This time Rykov laughed. "You ass. You'll respect mah authoritah one way or another, even if I have to plant mines in your bed. Now come on…Alec said he wants to show us his bird before we leave—oh, get your mind out of the gutter, you asshole!" Vulcan was doubled over laughing. Rykov slapped him hard on the back and he straightened up, snickering. "Hopin' this job'll give him the chance to avenge his pal."
"Yeah," Vulcan agreed, getting serious. "He probably wants to hurt the bastards good, after that." Goddamned Mavericks!!!
"Don't we all. Now go, scoot, skitter." They left the training room and headed for the airfield. Vulcan only made two jokes about "Alec's Bird" on the way down, and after a while Rykov was mad that he hadn't thought of it first. He must be getting rusty.
____________________
Scythe entered the computer lab and scanned the rows of mechanical devices one by one until he found the right computer. He explained to the technician, a human named Joe, that he liked to be in a certain position of the room, for comfort's sake. Joe thought this was odd, but didn't make any note of it. In fact, Scythe chose the computer for two purposes. One was that he'd used this particular computer before, and it suited his parameters nicely, he thought. The other was because he wanted to be as far as possible from one of the other technicians…the tall, surly dark Reploid called Nightchaser.
It wasn't that Scythe feared "Chase". Far from it, actually. It was merely the fact that Chase was an asshole, and Scythe couldn't stand being around assholes. The world only has so much free space, he reasoned, and it was overly cluttered with dimwits and assholes like Chase. If you had any opportunity to change that, why wouldn't you try to distance yourself from the said dimwits and assholes? Scythe had originally liked the computer room, before the other technicians had started talking to him. It gave him privacy, and he needed privacy both professionally and personally. He was a loner by nature, and never got along well with others. Vulcan, Krysta, they were all right, he supposed. They had good heads on their shoulders. Rykov and Alec were a little too rambunctious for Scythe's liking, though neither was as bad as Harrier had been. Scythe was glad that that Teytha chick had eliminated Harrier early on, or he may have done it himself. The cocky little shit hadn't given Scythe any peace since the weapons match ended. In a sense, Scythe appreciated the sentiment—not enough people appreciated his skills. They said he'd won the match on a technicality, after Rykov and Vulcan, the "true" competitors, had taken themselves out of the running at the same time. Scythe thought this was bullshit. Everyone forgot that to advance to the final battle in the weapons match, one had to overcome a number of preliminary opponents, and Scythe had done this with real skill and style. For all the attention to go to Vulcan and Rykov irked Scythe more than a little…but at least they weren't degrading about it towards him. Harrier's constant efforts to impress Scythe, however, had grown on the lone wolf's nerves. Oh well. He supposed it couldn't be avoided. After all, even after Harrier had died, a new, worse asshole had stepped in to take his place.
The said asshole was sitting in a corner seat at the opposite end of the room from Scythe. Nightchaser gave the gold Reploid a glare that said he hadn't forgotten the coffee incident. Scythe returned fire with the sweetest smile he could muster, a smile that wordlessly screamed "I knew you liked it." Nightchaser's blood boiled, but Scythe sat down before he could throw anything.
Asshole, fool, loser, there were all kinds of words for Nightchaser. Scythe just hoped that he didn't interfere with his mission. Scythe was staying behind, manning the home front during BROKEN HALO. He would help command the antimissile batteries that would stand by, just in case Buzzbombs came flying at Hunter HQ. Scythe would have the security clearance to activate and fire the interceptors, so they could whiz harmlessly past the already active and locked-on Buzzbombs. Scythe shook his head. It was a useless sentiment. If a Buzzbomb got through, then they were all dead. No interception missile would take one out, not if it were fired so close to home.
But, maybe that 1/100 chance would mean something, Scythe allowed reluctantly, and he accepted his job. It was better than being on the frontlines, he thought. Even if he did have to work with assholes like Nightchaser.
For his part, Nightchaser didn't give a shit what Scythe thought. He didn't give a shit what anyone thought. He hated his superiors, he hated his current assignment, he hated half the people in this building…he hated the Hunter organization in general. Once this mission was over, he decided, he was out of here, headed someplace warm. He'd get away from all this chaos and find other Reploids like him. They had to be somewhere out there, he reasoned.
Nightchaser readily accepted the hatred of others both because it was mutual and because he didn't deem their opinions worthy of his attention. He was a Reploid doing what he wanted to do while a turbulent world settled down. Then, he'd return to the outside world and continue on in some other profession. His beef was with all the lazy asshole Reploids who flocked to the Hunters, using the group as a shield. They were too damn scared to go out into the real world, Chase thought, and begin to associate with the people who would control their lives once Sigma died for good—the humans. Humans ruled everything, and sooner or later all Reploids were going to have to go back to working together with humans. Chase hated humans above all other things. They were condescending, racist elitists who treated Reploids like toxic waste. However, after a long period of hunting, Chase would find two or three humans who weren't complete bigots, and he wouldn't mind working with or for them for a while, trying out some new profession in life. There was one he'd been really happy with—deliveries. He'd worked for a company that transported fairly large, complicated products to places all over the world. Chase had gotten the opportunity to travel and see new places, which was perhaps his only real hobby.
Then came the damned Repliforce War and suddenly no one trusted Reploids anymore. Chase had been cut loose, and he'd joined the Hunters to pass time. He'd expected some scare like this to happen after the fourth uprising—it always happened. After this, he'd be free to head off back to wherever he wanted to go. Maybe he'd get back at some assholes who'd pissed him off while he was here, he thought, looking at Scythe and thinking of Vulcan.
He was in the computer lab because, before working deliveries, he'd done something he really hated—network managing. Apparently, what he'd done was similar to what needed to be done for something or other crucial to BROKEN HALO, and so Nightchaser had been forced to sit out the battle and play computer technician. He really hated computers, and would much rather be having fun dismembering things. Still, he did have a computer, and that meant maybe he could piss people off for giving him this crappy job. He was very good with computers, so he knew of one surefire way. He'd just have to wait. If he were needed, his old pals would give him a call. Nightchaser leaned back in his chair and waited for his computer to boot up.
____________________
The last major task of the day involved the fliers of an unfriendly sky. Commander James Taggart saluted as a stately looking Reploid touched down on the ground, having hovered down from the top of a transport ship. He had been pattered after a horse, a Pegasus to be exact, and the horn associated with the Pegasus sat in the middle of his white forehead, though it was nothing more than a simple spike. His armor was formed into a uniform primarily white in color, with trimmings of red and gold. Broad white wings adorned his back, and an air of authority surrounded the new arrival.
"How was the flight?" Taggart asked after the Reploid returned his salute.
"Dismal," he replied, motioning behind him towards the thick, black cloud cover approaching Hunter HQ. "The pilot drove us right through that. Turbulence like you wouldn't believe…but enough of that. It's good to see you again, Jimmy."
"Pleasure's all mine, Sky," Taggart responded, accepting the Reploid's offered hand gingerly.
The Skiver shook Taggart's hand carefully, not crushing it like other Reploids who underestimated their own strength had a habit of doing. "Bloody awful business in the Sub-City." He spoke with a British accent, having been activated and trained to serve with the New London (or Megacity 12, officially) Air Force, the descendents of the SAS. In time, that particular air force became a branch of the Repliforce, and during the fourth uprising the Skiver had kept a low profile. He'd obtained a leadership position easily, and used his position to try to influence his good friend and former mentor, Colonel, to stop the Repliforce coup. The Skiver himself had never attacked a human settlement, though he had stopped some Hunter aircraft before they could attack Repliforce targets. After the foolish war ended, the Skiver's stability had been noted by the Megacity Council, and he was tapped to lead the Reploid Air Force, a collection of former Repliforce and Megacity Army sky patrols who needed assignments to keep them from getting into trouble. The Skiver had done remarkably well in not only converting his team of rogues into a respectable air force, but also in rebuilding the bridges burnt during the fourth uprising between Repliforce elements and the Maverick Hunters. In fact, there was only one grudge that the Skiver had carried out of the fourth uprising—he'd never forgiven Zero for killing Colonel. However, since he heard that Zero hated himself for the deed, he saw no need to press the issue. Revenge was not something he placed much importance on.
"It's rotten," Taggart agreed, leading the Skiver back to the hangar where his Ravens were stored. "But it's inspired us, in a way."
The two airmen entered the hangar and surveyed the Ravens being prepared for battle. The Skiver examined one up close. He'd seen Ravens before, but he was still more used to the old Repliforce Dark Clouds.
"Bloody fine aircraft," he remarked, which was quite a statement from an old enemy. The Reploid Air Force and the Maverick Hunters were allies now, but a rivalry still existed.
The rivalry made it all the harder for Taggart to approach the next issue. "We had fifteen Ravens, but one got shot to hell the other day and three more are down with serious maintenance problems. That leaves 11. That should be enough, but we still don't know what Tony Jones at Alden Base can get us for home court defense."
The Skiver grinned mercilessly. "I know, we've already been alerted. Don't feel so bad, Jimmy. It's not that you're inferior. It's that we have more lunatics in airplanes than you do."
"Sure thing, you smug bastard."
"As far as our response," the Skiver got down to business, "our force is larger than yours, but not by much. 11 Ravens really ought to be enough to handle Seraph Castle, but I don't know about dividing them to guard your Headquarters. I can help you there."
"What do you have to spare…?"
"I know that Dark Clouds aren't as nifty as your Ravens, but you'll have to do with those. We have twenty on standby should things go awry. If that's not enough, we do have plenty of aerial mechaniloids and even a gunship or two. Believe me, we're trying to guard against the whole 'Maverick sky superiority' thing. Oh, did I forget the Hawks and the Eagles? They're not as good as a jet, but they're airborne, aren't they? We'll hang back and protect the city. If we see a, ah, a guest, we'll try to take it out before it gets too far." Both knew what the guest was, and neither wanted to even think about one of them getting this far.
"Thanks," Taggart said, relieved. "Jesus, I'll be glad when this is all over."
"You and me both, old friend."
"Where are you staying?"
The Pegasus shrugged. "The Army's quartering me near Alden Base. If anything happens in that Sub-City, I'll throttle the foes good."
Taggart nodded, believing it. His comrade kicked like the bipedal horse he resembled. "I'd ask if you wanted to have a pint, but now's not the time to be tipsy."
"Quite so. Wouldn't that be our luck?" It was only vaguely funny.
Taggart checked on the rest of the Ravens with the Skiver in tow. When he came to the empty slot formerly occupied by Raven 12, his mind began to simmer with rather venomous thoughts. He'd get the bastards who killed Delgado. No one shot down one of his airmen and lived.
Goddamned Mavericks.
