CHAPTER 2
A NEW LIFE
"Ohhh..." she groaned. "What... where..."
"Yes! It worked!" Smith exclaimed through clenched teeth. He walked to the desk and looked down on her. "Iris..." he said calmly. "Can you hear me?"
She slowly turned her head to face him. "You... You're... Professor... Smith?" she asked weakly.
"Yep," Smith said with a nod. "Welcome back to the land of the living."
"Urrgghhh... Where..." Iris moaned as she tried to sit up.
"You're in the Science Museum of Minnesota," Smith started as he tenderly helped Iris to a sitting up position. "These are my colleagues, Charles Olson and Wallace Krein."
"Nice to meet you," Olson said.
"Wow! We didn't really think Smith could do it," Krein admitted. "Welcome back!"
"What happened?" Iris asked as she got on her feet and slowly walked around the room. "The last thing I can remember was Zero screaming my name. I must have passed out..."
"What, don't you remember what I told you when I was inside your CPU?" Smith asked.
"Not all of it, I'm afraid..." Iris admitted.
"You've been dead for a hundred years," Olson restated. "We've just brought you back."
"A hundred years..." Iris said, shaking her head. "Well, I don't really know what to say besides... thank you."
"We brought you back so that you could live again," Olson said. "Such a nice reploid didn't deserve to perish in such a meaningless struggle."
"Oh, sure. Mr. Big Words over there," Smith muttered. "Anyway, Iris, you're welcome here. The world is very different now."
"Yeah, it is..." Iris said. "But... What purpose do I serve, other than being a relic from another time? I must be pretty out-of-date now..."
"Not as out-of-date as you might think," Krein said. "Hey, Snake! Our new friend is awake!"
The laboratory door opened and a robot wearing a green snake helmet and a white labcoat came in. "What was that, professor Krein?" he asked. Just then, he noticed Iris and his eyes widened. "Ah! You must be Iris!" he said as he extended his hand in friendship. "Glad to meet you!"
"Who're you?" asked Iris.
"Oh, sorry! My name's Snake Man," Snake Man replied. "I work here at the museum with the professors."
Iris looked Snake Man over. "You work at a museum?" she asked. "But you have so much armor, and even an arm cannon..."
"Yeah, I know," Snake Man replied as he lifted the gun. "The labcoat doesn't really hide the armor, does it? I was built by Dr. Wily and programmed chiefly for battle, but Professor Smith gave my program some new reploid parameters, so I can think and act independantly like yourself. And I must say, I much prefer cleaning test tubes and assembling dinosaur skeletons to fighting."
"Doctor... Wily?" asked Iris. "That name sounds familiar... Wasn't he....?"
"The demented scientist from 20XX," Smith started. "He was always overlooked by the leading officials in artificial intelligence, so he decided to conquer the world with his robots to prove his superiority. He built many dangerous robots, like Enker, Bass, and... others..."
"Others?..." Iris asked. Smith's description had left her hanging.
Smith shook his head. "Oh, don't worry; I'll tell you some other time. For now, relax and get yourself settled in to your new lifestyle."
"New lifestyle?" Iris asked.
"You didn't think the prof brought you back just to talk, did you?" Snake Man said with a grin. "You've got gazillions of opportunities now! You could travel the world, or climb mountains, or even just stay here at the museum and work with us."
"Hmmm..." Iris said as she rubbed her chin. "So much to think about... I'd like to take a little walk, if you don't mind..."
"Sure," Professor Smith replied. "I know... Why don't you follow Snake Man around on his job shift? You guys could get to know each other."
"Yeah, that would be nice," Snake Man said. "Today's the day I have to clean the omnitheater, and I could use a little help..."
"Well..." Iris said. "...All right. Lead the way, Snake Man."
"OK!" Professor Smith said. "You two enjoy yourselves. And Snake Man, bring Iris back here before you check out for the day, OK?"
"Got it, prof," Snake Man replied as Iris and he disappeared down the hall.
"I wonder how this is going to work out," Olson said.
"If her rapport with Snake Man and us is any indication, pretty well, I'd imagine," Krein answered.
Smith said nothing; he gazed at the empty doorway, lost in his own thoughts.
"So, Snake Man," Iris said as the two reploids walked into the dinosaur exhibit. "What's your story?"
"My story?" Snake Man asked as he hopped onto a display of bone fragments, took out a magnifying glass and looked over each of them. "What's to know? I was created by Wily to destroy Mega Man, which I failed at miserably. Two hundred years later, Smith brings me back as his experiment in robotology. I've been working here ever since."
"But if you're a reploid now, you have free will, right?" Iris asked. "You're not just a programmed servant?"
"Nope," Snake Man answered. "I stay here because I like it here. I never got the chance to develop many hobbies back in the day, so now I'm doing all kinds of stuff! I've never been happier."
"So..." Iris said as she leaned on the metal guard and watched Snake Man dust off some split stegosaurus ribs. "Smith said that this was a different world from 21XX... What's been going on?"
"Reploids and humans live in harmony now," Snake Man explained. "The Reploids have their own history centers, schools, and holidays. And those rogue Reploids called Mavericks don't exist anymore!"
"Mavericks don't exist anymore?" Iris asked with surprised eyes.
"Nope," Snake Man replied. "At least, that's what I've been told... I've only been around for about two years, so I don't know everything..."
"A world with no Mavericks and the Reploids and humans coexist peacefully..." Iris repeated. "Amazing... It's almost paradise... But there's something missing..."
"What could be missing?" Snake Man asked as he hopped out of the display. "This place is perfect!"
"'Perfect' is an opinion," Iris said.
"...Well, you've got me there," Snake Man admitted embarrassedly. "But come on! Let me show you around the museum."
Snake Man took Iris all around the museum and showed her everything: the biology wing and its beautiful gardens; the technology wing and its realistic holograms and tools; the natural history wing with its fossils and petrified wood sculptures. After a few hours, Iris was well acquainted with the museum grounds.
"So, did you like the museum?" Snake Man asked as he hung up his labcoat in the briefing room.
"Yes, very much," Iris replied. "But I still don't know what to do with myself..."
"Hmmm..." Snake Man said as he scratched his chin. "Well, as far as your personal self, I can't really help. However, if you talk to Professor Smith, he could get you a job here at the museum."
"A job..." Iris said. "Something that doesn't involve violence and bloodshed?"
"Only when you have to clean up after some kid stabs himself on the tribal spear exhibit," Snake Man replied.
"Hmmm..." Iris replied.
"Ah, there you guys are," Professor Smith said as he came around a corner. "So, Iris, did you like the museum?"
"Yes, it's very nice," Iris replied. "I especially liked your exhibit on seashells."
"That's good," Smith said. "Have you, ah, decided on anything?"
"Well..." Iris said. "It's still too early for me to make any big decisions, but for now... Professor, do you have any jobs open here at the museum?"
"A job, eh?" Smith asked with a grin. "Well, I don't know personally, but I'll talk to the employment office tomorrow and see what strings I can pull."
"Tomorrow?" Iris asked.
"It's closing time now," Professor Smith replied as he hung his labcoat up next to Snake Man's. "We're all going home."
"What?" Iris asked. "But I don't have a place to stay!"
"Actually," Snake Man spoke up. "Why don't you come back to my place? We've got some extra room."
"Yes," Smith answered. "You guys are looking for another roommate, aren't you?"
"How about it, Iris?" Snake Man asked. "It doesn't have to be permanent; just until you get on your feet."
"Well..." Iris said hesitantly. "I wouldn't want to be a burden..."
"Forget about it," Snake Man said with a cheerful wave of his hand. "I know the others won't mind!"
"Others?..." Iris asked.
"I'll introduce you when we get there," Snake Man replied. "Come on; our apartment isn't far from here, but we've gotta catch a bus."
"Come back here with Snake Man tomorrow, Iris," Smith called as the Reploids left. "I'll tell you what I've found!"
Noonvale Apartments was an apartment complex well-equipped for both humans and Reploids. Though both kinds used similar things, like showers and beds, there were toilets for humans and waste filters for Reploids.
"Here' s our place," Snake Man said as Iris and he walked up some stone steps to apartment GG202. "It's not much, but it's nice."
Iris shook her head. "Right now, any place will do, Snake Man," she said.
"Good," Snake Man replied. "Hmm... We're gonna have to double-up a room, and I suppose we'll need a new bed or a futon or something, but it'll be all right."
Snake Man opened the door to a sparsely-furnished room with brown carpeting that connected to two rooms and a kitchen. A few pots and pans soaked in the sink, but that was about it.
"Darren! Sharon!" Snake Man called. "I'm back!"
"Eh?" a girl's voice asked as foosteps could be heard tramping in from other rooms.
Two people emerged from the rooms. One was a cross-looking girl reploid dressed in red armor, and the other was a young man with straw-colored hair, a backwards baseball cap and a friendly smile.
"This is Iris Thorne," Snake Man said. "She's Smith's newest resurrectee, and she'll be staying here until she gets her bearings."
"Yeah, sure," The girl, apparently Sharon, said. "As long as she helps with the bills. Nice to meet ya, Iris; I'm Sharon."
"Hello," Iris said shyly as she shook Sharon's hand.
Darren was equally enthusiastic, and he tried to make a good impression. "HelloOOOOOOOWAAAAAGGGG!!!!!!" he yelled as he walked forward, tripped over his own feet and crashed face-first on Iris's midsection. He immediately scrambled up with a bright red face. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I'm such a klutz."
"Errr...It's OK. Pleased to meet you, too, Darren," Iris said with a smile. It was the first true smile she'd had in a long, long time.
They talked a while longer, and Iris learned a lot about Sharon and Darren. Darren was a rookie engineer who had a job at the museum adjusting the omnitheater machines. Sharon was a museum security guard who absolutely loved physical activity.
"So, we all work in the museum?" Iris asked.
"Yeah," Sharon replied. "Smith gave all of us jobs when we showed up. He's a real lifesaver."
"So, Iris," Darren said. "What would you like to do?"
"Actually..." Iris said as she stifled a yawn. "I'm pretty tired... I think I'd just like to go to bed."
"Yeah, you're right," Sharon said as she glanced at the clock. "11:30?! Jeez, it only feels like we just started talking! OK, well, you can hole up in my room until we get another bed."
"Thanks..." Iris said as she walked off, opened the nearest door and walked in.
"Well, I guess we'll have to double-up for a while," Darren said. "This won't affect you since you sleep in the living room, Snake Man, but..."
"It's OK," Snake Man replied. "I'll lend a hand. Well, goodnight, fellas..."
"Yeah, I'd better turn in, too," Darren said. "I heard that the bolts on the gyroscope need some extra work tomorrow, so I'd better get some sleep..."
Darren turned around and walked into his room. Sharon opened her door and walked in. "...Iris? Hey Iris, where are you?" she asked.
Darren sighed cheerfully as he walked into his room and began to disrobe. Just then, he glanced off to the side and gulped. Iris was curled up on his bed, fast asleep and snoring away. "Aww, geez," Darren grumbled. Not having the heart to wake her, he reached out and pulled the covers over her. She moaned and smiled in her sleep. Darren then grabbed his bean bag chair and dozed off.
Weeks passed, and things settled down. Sharon pretty much became Iris's exercise instructor and gave her rigorous aerobic lessons to regain her stamina after her 100 year snooze. Professor Smith was able to wrangle her a job at the museum as an Omnitheater operator, which she enjoyed immensely. Still, though she was happy for the company of her new friends and life, she still felt that there was something missing... something important.
Six weeks after Iris's reactivation, it was a chilly night in the city. Since it was so cold, and because nobody wanted to drive up the energy bill, Darren made a fire in the apartment's hearth. "Nothing like a nice, crackling fire to warm up a cold night," Darren said as he sat down on the couch next to Iris, Snake Man and Sharon.
"Yeah," Sharon replied. "Ugh. It was so cold out there today that I think I caught a cold."
"The tail part of my helmet is all stiff," Snake Man said as he rubbed at the helmet. "I've gotta warm it up."
"Snake Man, that just DOESN'T look right," Darren grumbled. "Just throw a blanket over it."
"Hmmm..." Iris said as she sat back on the couch. "That's a nice fire, Darren... It's really relaxing..."
"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" Darren replied. "Nothin' to do now but sit back and enjoy the show."
There was a brief silence as everyone watched the fire.
"So, Iris," Sharon said. "What was your life like, back in the day?"
"Hmmm..." Iris sighed as she leaned further back. "It was nice... I had a lot of friends there..."
"Friends?" Snake Man asked. "Really? Anybody we'd know?"
"Probably..." Iris mumbled as her eyelids grew heavier. "I made a lot of friends at the Maverick Hunter base... There was Rudy and Koko and Terrence and Philip and... X... and... Zero..."
"X and Zero?" Darren asked. "The famous Maverick Hunters?"
"..." Iris said. Her eyes were completely closed now. "...Zero..." she mumbled again.
"What about Zero?" Sharon asked softly.
"That's... what's missing..." Iris said in a tired whisper. "Zero... My..."
"So, she misses her friends..." Snake Man said. "Poor Iris."
"Iris?" Darren asked. "Uh... I know you miss your friends... but... WE'RE your friends too, right?... Iris?..."
Iris was sound asleep.
"Maybe we'd better..." Sharon said as she motioned to the doors.
"Yeah..." Darren said. "Snake Man, you can stay in my room tonight."
As he often did when Iris fell asleep, Darren pulled a sheet over her and tiptoed away.
"Zero... That's what's missing: Zero..."
That particular phrase repeated itself over and over in Iris's sleeping mind like a monk's mantra. As it flooded her skull, a feeling of choking heat and a stench of sulfur seeped in around her whole body. Growing uncomfortable with the atmosphere, Iris squirmed for a moment and then opened her eyes.
Iris stood in a rough, earthen tunnel. A hot, red light shone far ahead of her, almost beckoning to her. As she walked forwards, the temperature seemed to increase with every few steps. Iris wiped away the sweat from her forehead and kept walking.
She finally reached a pit of bubbling, steaming lava. A nearby rope bridge stretched from Iris's side to a wide, stone pillar in the middle of the pit. In the pillar's center stood a bright blue, cylindrical capsule.
"What... What's in there....?" Iris asked. "I... It looks familiar..."
With a loud swooping sound the capsule opened, and a familiar-looking blue reploid with a ruby on his helmet emerged. "Hello, Iris," he said.
"...X?!" Iris gulped as she remembered who the reploid was: Mega Man X, one of the strongest Maverick Hunters, and a good friend.
"It's good to see you, too," X said as he walked across the bridge and faced her. "Iris...." he said. "I sensed your reactivation and wanted to contact you."
"X, if you're OK..." Iris said as she looked around. "Zero... Is Zero still alive?"
"Well," X said as he looked around, as if he thought someone else was there. "Yes, he is."
"Oh, that's wonderful!" Iris said as she smiled happily. "Where is he? Can I see him?"
"The good news is that his remains are buried deep in this tunnel," X said as he motioned behind him; past the pit was another opening that led into darkness. "The bad news, though, is that once you find him, reviving him is impossible..."
"What?! Oh, no..." Iris said as she stifled a sniffle. "He... He's..."
"...Don't cry, I'm not finished," X said. "During the war against Sigma, our medical doctor came up with a syrum that would blunt the effects of the Sigma Virus. You need to attach one to Zero's systems before you reactivate him."
"A syrum?..." Iris asked with a puzzled look. "Why do I need that?"
"Iris, Zero may have never told you this before, but.... he was built by Dr. Wily," X sighed.
"THE Dr. Wily?!" Iris said as she became very startled. "But... But Zero was fighting for the Maverick Hunters..."
"Something happened between Sigma and Zero, and they changed personalities," X continued. "As long as Zero was alive, so was Sigma.The syrum will prevent the traces of Sigma Virus inside of Zero from reactivating. If you want to bring him back, you'll have to find that syrum."
"Where can I find the stuff?" Iris pleaded. "Please, X, tell me!"
"I'm not all that familiar with this new world," X said as he frowned. "If there's any syrum left, I'd bet that it's in reploid medical centers in the ruins of the older cities... And if you can't find any, you should look for the four types of computer chips that make it up."
"What are they?" Iris asked.
"The four pieces are labeled Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Omega, respectively," X said. "If you can find one of each type, it should be enough to reconstruct the syrum."
"So..." Iris said. "If I can find this syrum and put it on Zero, he'll be OK?"
"That's about the size of it," X replied.
"Thank you, X..." Iris said as she grabbed X and gave him a big hug.
"Well, you're awfully friendly, aren't you?" X chuckled.
Suddenly, all went black and Iris woke with a start. "Huh?... Wha?..." she asked as she sleepily looked around; it was well after 2:00 in the morning, and the fire was dying out in the hearth. "All just a dream..." she sighed as she fell back on the couch. "But... If what X said is true... Syrum... four chips... Zero... I'll talk to Professor Smith in the morning; he'll know what to do!"
"Hey, Iris, what's up?" Sharon asked as Snake Man, Darren, Iris and she got off the bus and started walking towards the museum.
"Well, I had a strange dream last night," Iris replied. "I was hoping that maybe Professor Smith would have some insight."
"Good thought," Snake Man said. "The prof is a good fellow to talk to when you're bothered. I was feelin' kinda down during my first year, what with people still scared of me for bein' a Wily Bot, but Smith gave me some good advice and I pulled through."
"That's good," Iris answered. "I hope he can help me that way, too..."
Darren looked up and his eyes widened in alarm. "He can't help you if he's got the pulp beaten out of him!" he gulped. "Look!!!"
Everyone looked up ahead and gasped. The science museum was a mess; windows were shattered, exhibits were smashed and patrons were fleeing every which way.
"Good Lord!" Sharon exclaimed. "What's goin' on?!"
A green airplane flew over the museum with a monstrous roar, and several reploids leaped out with chains and tazers. They immediately ran into the museum with their weapons swinging.
"Mavericks!" Snake Man cried. "Come on, we've gotta go help everyone!"
"Mavericks?!" Iris asked. "But the Sigma Virus..."
"The virus only made reploids do bad for Sigma," Sharon growled. "Stopping it didn't stop troublemakers. Come on, let's kick some ass!"
Snake Man and Sharon ran into the museum, but Iris hesitated. "What's wrong, Iris?" Darren asked.
"I'd like to help, Darren, but I don't have any weapons," Iris admitted.
"Don't worry," Darren said. "Let's just get in there, find the professor and get him out!"
"All right," Iris said as she followed Darren through the broken door.
The outside of the museum had been a mess, but the inside was a total disaster. All the exhibits were either in pieces or being dismantled by the punk reploids. "This is awful!..." Iris exclaimed. "The scientists worked so hard on these!..."
"Never mind that," Darren said as he took Iris by the arm. "We've gotta find Professor Smith!"
Iris and Darren charged through the museum, trying hard not to draw any attention from the Mavericks. "Let's get to the downstairs labs," Darren said. "That's usually where Smith is at this time of day..."
"Darren, if we get cornered, what will we do?" Iris asked as Darren and she ran down a flight of steps.
"Let's worry about that when it happens," Darren grunted. "Oh, forget the stairs! We have to go faster!" He leaped onto the stair banister and slid down the rest of the way.
"Wait for me!" Iris cried as she clumsily mounted the banister backwards and on her stomach. All Darren saw before he was knocked to the floor was a speeding upturned skirt.
"Agh," Darren groaned.
"Oops," Iris said as she rolled off of Darren. "Sorry!"
"S'OK..." Darren grumbled as he got to his feet. "Come on! Let's go! Smith's lab is this way!"
The duo ran to the end of the hallway and reached a door labeled SMITH LAB. "Well, the door looks intact..." Darren said as he opened it. "Professor! Are you... Ulp!"
Smith lay on the floor with a big bruise on his forehead. In front of him stood a large, musclebound reploid with a big, red T painted on his face. He held a long, spiked bat, and he looked mean.
"Grrrr..." The reploid growled as he turned around and noticed Darren and Iris.
"Professor!!!" Iris cried. "What have you done to him?!"
"Big T's puttin' him in his place!" Big T laughed. "Same as he'll do to YOU!"
"Ahhh!" Darren exclaimed as Big T swung his club and shattered a metal closet. Hundreds of statistics books tumbled out and buried the clumsy teenager.
"Darren!" Iris cried.
"Hey... You're the one the boss is lookin' for!" Big T said as he looked Iris over. "OK, yer comin' with Big T!"
"No way!" Iris snapped. "Leave me alone!"
"An' whose gonna stop me?" Big T chortled. "You?!"
"You get out of here right now, or... or..." Iris grunted, aware that she was running out of threats.
"Looks like you need t'be taken down a notch," Big T grunted. "I bet the boss wouldn't mind if I brought you with only a few scratches, heh heh heh... HA!!!"
Before Iris could react, Big T's club had smashed her into the wall. "N'yaaaagh!" she cried as the pain sank in.
"Want some more?" Big T chuckled as he advanced and pulled his club back.
"Vuooo..." Iris groaned. "...Someone help me..."
Just then, the wall Iris was stuck in gave way and Iris tumbled into a small closet. "Argh!" she yelped as her bottom hit the floor. "Where am I? What's this?!"
Iris quickly looked around; the room seemed to be a storage space for more artifacts and things. "Maybe there's some kind of weapon in here..." she said as she quickly dug through the boxes and crates.
"Hey, sweetcheeks, are ya still kickin' in there?!" Big T laughed. "Come on out now, all civil an' pretty-like!"
"I've gotta find something... I've gotta help my friends..." Iris panted as she knocked boxes around. "...Ohhh, come on!!! Isn't there ANYTHING in here I can use?!"
Iris angrily kicked a box, and something small and cylindrical tumbled to the floor. When it hit the ground, a focused beam of green energy emerged from one side. "...Hmm?" Iris asked as she reached down and picked the object up. "...Wait... This is... a beam saber?..." she said as she looked the object over. "I've never used one of these before, but... it feels strangely familiar..."
"Hey, chicky!" Big T yelled from the other side. "If you ain't comin' out... I'M COMIN' IN!!!"
Big T saw a bright green wave come out of the hole, followed by a very angry-looking Iris. She landed in front of Big T and bared her weapon. "...Come on," she growled defiantly.
"GRAAAAAAHHHH!!!" Big T yelled as he charged Iris with his club.
"HEEEEEYAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!" Iris screamed as she ran at Big T with the beam sabre. The two reploids met, the room lit up bright green and a powerful SWOOSH was heard.
"Uh-uh-AAAAAAHHHH!!!" Big T screamed as he split in half and exploded; shrapnel flew every which way.
"Ooohhh..." Darren groaned as he dug himself out of the book pile and looked up. "...Woah!..." he exclaimed.
Iris stood in the center of the room, her beam saber sparking with energy and her face wearing a determined scowl. She straightened up, turned the saber off and looked over at Darren. "Darren, are you OK?" she asked.
"I... uh... uh... You... uh..." Darren gawked. "...What was THAT?!"
"I... I don't know," Iris said as she looked at the deactivated beam saber. "It's like something inside the blade gave me the courage to defeat him..."
"Urrrgghhh..." Professor Smith coughed as he started to come to.
"Professor!" Darren exclaimed as he ran over and helped Smith to his feet.
"Vuooo..." Smith said. "What an awful situation that was!... Those guys were..."
"Are you OK, Professor?" Iris asked.
"Iris..." Smith said as he looked at her strangely. "You could use that weapon?!"
"This?" Iris asked as she reactivated the beam saber.
"My God..." Smith said as his eyes lit up. "No one's ever been able to turn that saber on... How did you do it?"
"I don't know," Iris answered. "It came on by itself, really..."
"Hmm..." Smith said as he scratched his chin. "Very interesting..."
"Why?" Iris asked. "This is just a regular beam saber, isn't it?"
"Not at all," Smith answered. "That sword was once wielded by Zero, one of the strongest Maverick Hunters in history."
"Zero?!" Iris asked as she looked at the blade. "Zero used this? No wonder it felt so familiar..."
"Yeah!" Darren said. "You knew Zero, didn't you, Iris? I bet that blade responded to you because of your connection to him!"
"How very uncanny..." Smith said. "Well, now you have a weapon, at least..."
"Professor!" Snake Man said as Sharon and he came crashing into the room.
"We cleaned out the Mavericks," Sharon said with a smirk. "They didn't stand a chance! ...Woah, what happened in here?"
Iris looked around. "Uh..." she chuckled embarrassedly. "Have a seat; I'll tell you all about it, and about some other stuff..."
Iris explained about the beam saber to Sharon and Snake Man, and then talked about her dream. When she had finished, Smith sat back and scratched his chin. "Well, you've certainly livened up my day, Iris," he said. "Your dream practically sounds like a mission."
"I know..." Iris said. "And this beam saber responding to me..." She was silent for a moment, then looked at her friends with a new air of determination. "I'm going to find them," she said. "I'm going to go out there and find X and Zero."
"Are you serious?" Snake Man asked. "You're going off to find the strongest Maverick Hunters in existence?"
"You guys have been really great, but ever since I was brought back I've felt like there was something missing," Iris continued. "Now I understand what it is... Zero and X were the best friends I've ever had, and I want to make up for what I did before..." She stopped to stifle a blush. "Besides... Zero is..."
"Iris..." Darren said.
"I understand," Professor Smith answered. "Hey, if you do find them, I'll have the opportunity to study them and ask them all about themselves! Think of what we could learn!"
"So, that's what I'm going to do," Iris said. "I'm going out to find my friends!"
"And I'll come with you!" Smith said. "I know where all the ruins from your time are, plus I have a great car! What do you say?!"
"All right, Professor," Iris answered. "Let's go."
"Hey!!! You're leaving, just like that?" Sharon objected.
"Aren't you forgetting about someone?" Darren asked. "We're your friends too, you know. Let us come too!"
"I'm sorry, Darren," Iris said. "Judging from what happened just now, this could be very dangerous... I don't want you guys to get hurt on my account..."
"Snake Man, you'll hold the fort down here, won't you?" Smith asked Snake Man.
"Oh? Yeah, sure, prof!" Snake Man replied. "I'll get this placed fixed up in no time flat!"
"I can't believe this!" Sharon snapped. "Iris, I'm hurt! You're goin' off in search of two of your friends, and you're totally ditching three others!"
"Iris, please think it over..." Darren said. "Couldn't we be of any help?"
Iris gave her friends a kind smile. "It's sweet of you to offer, but I don't want any one else to be put at risk... I'll come back someday. Good-bye, Sharon... Darren."
"Well, come on," Smith said as he grabbed a knapsack off the counter and Iris and he walked out of the lab.
"Well, there she goes..." Darren said sadly.
Sharon gave Darren a sly grin. "You didn't just think I was going to give up right there, did you?" she asked.
"...What? You have a plan?" asked Darren.
"Oh, yeah," Sharon said. "We'll fax ourselves to their destination and meet them there!"
"...Fax ourselves?" Darren asked with a raised eyebrow. "Sharon, you can't fax people!"
"Why not?" Sharon asked. "They do it all the time on 'Star Trunk.'"
"Geez..." Darren muttered as he shook his head. Suddenly, he got an idea. "Wait... That's it! Come on, Sharon!" he said as he ran out the door.
"Darren! Wait up!" Sharon cried as she chased after the clumsy boy.
"Uh..." Snake Man, who was now alone in the room, said. "...See ya later, guys." He then quietly grabbed a broom and started sweeping.