Author: Laserkid
(Collaboration of Magus and Laserkid)
Fear was in their eyes as he closed in, fear was almost as good to him as murder was. His red eyes looked down on them as he began to smirk. The humans were cornered, and there was no escape. His beam cannon began to charge as he pointed it at them, the other hand holding his blade, already stained with their blood.
"You have been good entertainment tonight, so I will thank you with a quick execution." He said, still smirking.
His blaster fired and the humans burnt to ashes in an instant. He put his blade away in its sheath, and reformed his hand out of his blaster. He grabbed his black cape around himself and beamed back into his layer.
"Pathetic humans…scurrying to the will of the Mavericks, the Hunters, or that other group they know nothing of." He said to himself smiling as he sat down.
He sat there in his dark lair looking into nothingness, his perfection, the nothingness. He remained there until a communication came through.
"What is it…" He said to the figure in the communication, not knowing, or caring whom it was contacting him.
"So Steele, you killed more tonight. Good, the master will be pleased." The figure said.
The figure wore a uniform bearing the Maverick symbol.
"Humans have grown too easy General. I hope your lord Sigma knows this. With so little challenge I grow weary…but what have you for me." Steele grumbled.
"Oh this is something you will like…we have some Reploids…a pair of Hunters we want exterminated." The General replied.
"Too much for your forces eh? Very well, send the information to me…my prey awaits me then." Steele said smirking.
The General nodded and the screen went empty, two papers entered his lair. One titled "Blade" the other "Rock".
Steele examined their photographs.
"This one…I have seen this one before…yes…that's right…this should be interesting for you…Rock" Steele said with a devilish grin on his face.
Meanwhile at Maverick Hunter HQ:
"Looks like you got another assignment there, Blade." Zero said commenting to his old friend.
"Apparently so- what did you do to get this desk job anyway buddy?" Blade said in jest.
"Well I heard a rumor about a point system for every Maverick you destroy…" Zero returned the jest.
"Seriously sir, what are we up against?" Rock said in a serious tone.
"Well Rock, seems we got a renegade Maverick...we don't think he's associated with the Mavericks, but he's been slaughtering, and torturing people…we've always been too late to catch him though—he seems to know our reaction time limits to the tee—he's out nanoseconds before we can arrive." Zero said.
"Does he have a name?" Blade asked.
"Not sure, but the Hunters have nicknamed him Twilight because of how swiftly he comes in, and eerily escapes." Zero replied.
"Any pattern or idea where he may strike next?" Rock asked.
"No known pattern, but we intercepted a transmission…his next target is…you two." Zero replied with a bit of emotion played into the end of his statement. Zero always figured if Mavericks would target Hunters it would be him and/or X, but these two were clearly identified.
Blade stayed calm and unmoved, but Rock's eyes widened quite a bit.
"Mavericks want US?" Rock said in surprise.
"Guess they didn't like the number we did on their arctic base a few years back Rock." Blade commented.
"What a way to hold a grudge…" Rock replied.
"Anyway, we've given you all we know about Twilight in the mission profile packages, if you need any assistance just call us. I'll be sure to be around for you, but X is taking care of another project right now." Zero said.
Rock and Blade nodded and walked back into their quarters. "So do we wait for him to attack us, or do we hunt him down first?" Rock asked as they walked back to their quarters.
"Its time to do our job, and hunt him down, besides I'd rather meet him in our conditions, rather than his." Blade commented.
"Good point." Rock replied.
The two went through the robust corridors of Hunter HQ. The technological influence was high, even though some of it was run down from use. Some corridors were lit with overhead blue lights, other times they were yellow, and other times still red. The Hunters base was very unorganized, as it was built and rebuilt so many times due to damage, and reconstructing. Some of the oldest parts of the building still had windows to the outside that allowed sunlight in, these were increasingly rare with each successive Maverick attack on the base. Still to many Reploids who believed in protecting their Human brothers, it was home.
The two continued to walk until they hit their quarters. Hunting pairs tended to live together while at the HQ. They were living in what was called "Alpha Sector" of the base, it was the first corridor built for the base. In actuality the Maverick Hunter Headquarters had several buildings, most of them for living quarters, but the main building housed three living corridors, a conference hall, a lab, and other facilities needed. There recently had been lobbying to gain more facilities to the other buildings because the main building became extremely overcrowded when the facilities were needed. The Alpha, Beta, and Gamma corridors were thus stuck in multitudes of Reploids. In any case, Rock and Blade still considered it home.
Entering their room one could notice the difference between both resting areas. While Blade's resting capsule had several file folders neatly stacked together (with the occasional opened file), Rock's resting pod had a few file folders that were almost always out of place, disorganized, or on the occasion when he did clean it up, they just looked unimpressive. Rock's area however had plenty of gadgets for use.
The two entered their quarters and looked out the window to see the sun still beating down on them. They had windows, but it was super enforced with force fields that the two developed together for their quarters. Blade sat the new file folder down in the middle, and the two began to analyze "Twilight's" file.
Name: Twilight (assumed)
Age: (unknown)
Race: Reploid
Sex: Male
Height: 5'11" (estimated)
Information: Twilight attacks as soon as it becomes dark, and continues his murderous rampages until either daylight or he is satisfied. He somehow has managed to escape direct Hunter confrontation, escaping seconds before units can arrive. It is assumed he may have been a former Hunter himself, but we cannot be certain. We have yet to revive any of his victims, but vid cameras have shown him to wear excessively dark attire, including a black cape. Hunters are advised extreme caution when engaging—do not be afraid to shut him down—he has killed far too many innocents.
Origin: unknown
"Sounds like a regular nutcase to me…" Rock commented.
"Still he's after us for one reason or another. We need to know why…" Blade replied coolly.
Later that night:
"Emergency Alert, all available Hunters to the front line. Frontal assault, Unknown Maverick." An electronic voice spoke over the speakers of Maverick HQ. Rock and Steel got out of their recharge phase immediately and looked at each other.
"Its Twilight." Blade said. The two raced outside to see the assailant wearing all black, and a cape of black blacker than the night covering most of himself up.
Other Hunters were trying to attack him but he merely blocked their attacks and continued attacking the base sensors.
Until Rock and Blade arrived.
"Ah, finally the prey is here. Now to keep from any interruptions!" The figure said grinning shooting of a special attack that shut down the other Hunters systems, missing Rock and Blade on purpose.
Throwing his cape off he looked straight into Rock's eyes.
"Remember me Rock? Remember your tormentor? I live you pathetic fool!" The figure said.
"What?! Who ARE you?!" Rock demanded.
"My name is Steele if you require a name, but you know me as the 'Maverick' who killed your human friends. You never understood though. I could care less Human or Reploid. It is the slaughter that I enjoy." Steele said with a grin.
Rocks face first went pale white in realization of whom he was facing.
"It…its him…I don't know how I know but its him. The one who made me decide to be a Hunter. The one who killed Ryan Taljaner, Mark Ralsons, and Peter Roushda." Rock said with tears in his eyes.
His face then grew to that of anger.
"So you come to kill us? I won't allow you to harm my friends anymore!" Rock said angrily and rushed Steele with his pure strength.
"Fool." Steele said knocking Rock to the ground with a swipe of his hand.
"Those who fight by the sword…" Steele said pulling his sword out of its sheath.
"…Kill by it." Steele said with an evil laugh at the end of his modified proverb.
"NOT TODAY!" Blade said swishing his blades outward, blocking.
"I let you witness because you will be next, and it is best to let your prey squirm, but since you insist on interfering…I will kill you first, then the boy." Steele said smiling.
"You can try." Blade said with an equal grin.
The two's swords danced in the night sky like birds of prey. Each attacking valiantly, striking to kill, but being blocked or dodged. Back and forth the slashes came and went. Blade remembered his fights like this. Calmness, ultra calmness spent through Blade's mind. Steele was frustrated by his inability to strike Blade though.
Blade looked into Steele's evil face.
"You are a strong fighter but like Rock you lack the ability of calmness. However your other weakness is obsession. Your obsession with Murder will destroy you." Blade said calmly.
"Save the speech hunter, you have not won." Steele said diving at Blade with a strong force.
"You leave me no choice my honorable enemy. The Vibra Blade is a harsh attack, fair thee well in another world." Blade said turning his special technique on.
His blades energized and knocked Steele down…HARD.
Electric sparks fled from Steele as one of his hands fell off.
"'Tis a flesh wound! Nevertheless I cannot fight you without my limb. I will have to replace it Hunter. We will meet again, and then you will wish you had struck more than my hand." Steele said smiling.
Blade charged at him but was too late, Steele had disappeared.
Rock got up soon after Steele had left.
"He knocked me out good. Seems I need more training still Blade…did he get away?" Rock said.
"Yeah, but he'll be back, besides we have one of Steele's limbs. We can have the labs analyze it and figure out more about him. At least we have a name for Twilight now." Blade said.
"Steele." Rock said.
Later…
"So this Maverick isn't a part of the Maverick organization…and enjoys killing. We may have more on our hands than just a Maverick diversion….I fear the worst." Zero said after Blade's report.
"Diversion?" Blade said.
"The Mavericks apparently knew of the link between Rock and Twiligh…err Steele. They sent them after each other to be unnoticed. During our little skirmish THIS happened." Zero replied pulling up a video window.
The video window showed a massive Reploid army marching towards the human capitol.
"They have hostages." Zero added.
"Shit." Blade said lowly.
"Rock and I can…" Blade began.
"No, you two need a rest. X is on this one, no worries." Zero said smiling. Zero rarely said something so nonchalantly.
"If its no worry why show me?" Blade asked.
"They may try it again." Zero said sternly.
Blade shook his head. What kind of a mess had he gotten himself into now he wondered.
Meanwhile…
Steele returned to his lair badly hurt, and began to laugh at himself.
"One stronger than I, stronger than I thought anything possible! I will have them both. It is personal now Rock and Blade. Business is business, but now…this is war!" Steel said bursting into psychotic laughter.