"Well," said a cruel voice "What have we here." It was a black and blue
maverick. "Who are you?" asked the little girl who had called Cerebro
sissy. "Well, little one I'm called Htaed." "Isn't that death spelled
backwards?" The little girl said, "Ssshhh!" said a man as he pulled her
close trying to get her quiet. "But Greg," she started to say but Greg put
his hand over her mouth to shush her. Htaed just smiled cruelly, then said
"Yes, little one my name dose spell death backwards, and since you were so
quick to notice it I think I'll kill you last or if you run now I won't
kill you, right away.
"You won't be killing any one." X replied. He didn't won't to fight while he was holding Zeno but he wasn't gong to let any one die either. "Did you start that fire?" hissed Greg. "Yes, you see I was told by an unknown source that Vile had taken to a girl here and so Lord Sigma gave me orders to get both Vile and his girl." "You know you just burned Vile and that girl to a crisp." Snapped one of the girls. "Actually no I didn't see." Htaed replied pointing to two flying mavericks that had a figure in each of there arms. One resembled a woman, X couldn't make who it was but he didn't have to because he knew it was Cerebro.
"I guess you can live for the day. Since I've got what we needed." Replied Htaed and he joined the other two in the air and disappeared. "Sissy!" cried Zoë "SISSY!!" Zoë tripped but got up crying. "First my parents died now my best friend and sister has been taken." Zoë mumbled. X didn't know what to do, but he knew he couldn't just leave these people here. He walked up to Zoë and said "Don't worry I'll get her back no matter what the costs." Zoë whizzed around and threw her arms around X's neck and cried. X lifted her up and turned to the others he saw some of the hunters were burnt but seemed okay. "Lets get them back to headquarters." X said he then heard some one yell
"X, What happened?" It was Naomi, but when she saw the building burning and Zoë crying she stopped in her tracks. "Where's Cerebro and Vile and especially where's Zeno?" "He's right here Naomi," said X as he handed the baby over to her. "How did you know Vile was there?" asked one of the hunters. "Dose it matter right now." Said Greg "some of the girls were burned we have to get help." "Yes I've already called for a clean-up crew and a medic they'll be here soon." Replied Naomi still cradling Zeno.
"Naomi, now please tell all of us the truth. How did you know Vile was there?" Dr. Cain asked Naomi. They had gotten back to headquarters and had called Iris there to see if she knew any thing about Naomi knowing that Vile was at the club. "It' a long story." Was all she said, "Then get started." Snapped Retro one of the members of the Dragoon Squad. "Don't yell at sissy." Said Zoë as she appeared at the doorway. She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Naomi's legs. "Will you get sissy back and Vile? Please, I miss them very much." Tears began to fall down Zoë's face, Naomi bent down and lifted Zoë up. Naomi sighed as Zoë threw her arms around her neck. "Don't worry will find them." Said Iris as she took Zoë from Naomi. "First things first do you know where Zero is?" asked X, Naomi turned to X and said, "Did you try following the signal from his communicator?" "No." "Then try now." He flipped on the tracker. "This can't be right, it says he's right here." "It's because he is right here." said Naomi "WHAT!" everyone, but Proto, shouted. "Don't holler." Said Naomi covering her ears. "I said he's right here, may I hold Zeno." "Yes but why." Asked Dr. Cain who had been holding the baby. She walked towards X and the communicator began beeping loudly. "This can't be right it says Zeno is Zero." X said shocked, "It is right." Replied Naomi, "This is Zero. Sigma has Dr. Doppler working on a laser that would accelerate the age in reploids." "What has this got to do with Vile or the fact that you claim that baby is Zero." Asked Retro rudely, that earned him a hard look from Star Fire one of his fellow Dragoon members.
"Well, you see Vile is my older brother." That got shocked looks from all around, "I was build from the same plans as him but you see we fight on different sides. One night I'd just happened to be outside X and Zero's apartment building when I saw my brother, he was leaving the building with some one in his arms. I followed him and when we reached the base laboratory. I saw Dr. Doppler use the laser and turn Zero into an infant don't you remember the note he left you it was a hint what he was going to do with him, and I only know what the note said because he told me." X took out the note in his pocket and read it aloud to the others,
"Sorry for the mess but I need him for a test, a child is precise you see but It was hard to find a child that could please my lady for awhile. Sign Vile." "You see he need Zero to see if the ray was reversible to make Zero a child to give to his lady. Which turned out to be Cerebro, because she can't have children." Said Naomi, Zero who was still lying in her arms did his best to prop his head up on his hand. "Well it took you guys long enough to figure it out. Now how about figuring out how to change me back." "You mean the greatest maverick hunter, besides X, that ever lived has been reduced to a mere child." Retro said with a tone of disgust. "That's one way to put it." Replied Star Fire, "Now Naomi how do we get Zero back to normal?" "Well," started Naomi. "Well what?" asked X. "I don't know where Doppler is and Vile is the only one besides him that knows rightly how to reverse this. So we're going to have to rescue not just Cerebro but Vile too."
"So what are we going to do?" said Iris "Well, Sigma knows I exist but he doesn't know that I'm a maverick hunter. I could find him and figure out where my brother and Cerebro are being held. That is if Protoman is willing to help." Replied Naomi, at her last statement she got confused looks from all around. "Why do you need my help?" asked Protoman. "Because the base they're presently staying at is the old skull fortress of Wily, and presently you are the only person alive that knows the security systems better than Wily." "You have a point, but how need you know that I knew about the security systems?" "And old friend of yours told me." "Who?" "They didn't give their name they just told that they knew you, but they need tell me to tell you this, Proto I've never forgotten you or what you did for me." Proto didn't speak right away but in a voice almost to low for human ears he said, "Bass" "Whose Bass?" Asked Star Fire. "Will answer questions later now what did you have in mind once you get in the fortress Naomi." Said Dr. Cain, he knew that Bass was a touchy subject with Protoman but only he and Proto knew why but Dr. Cain wished that Proto would not keep the pain inside.
"You won't be killing any one." X replied. He didn't won't to fight while he was holding Zeno but he wasn't gong to let any one die either. "Did you start that fire?" hissed Greg. "Yes, you see I was told by an unknown source that Vile had taken to a girl here and so Lord Sigma gave me orders to get both Vile and his girl." "You know you just burned Vile and that girl to a crisp." Snapped one of the girls. "Actually no I didn't see." Htaed replied pointing to two flying mavericks that had a figure in each of there arms. One resembled a woman, X couldn't make who it was but he didn't have to because he knew it was Cerebro.
"I guess you can live for the day. Since I've got what we needed." Replied Htaed and he joined the other two in the air and disappeared. "Sissy!" cried Zoë "SISSY!!" Zoë tripped but got up crying. "First my parents died now my best friend and sister has been taken." Zoë mumbled. X didn't know what to do, but he knew he couldn't just leave these people here. He walked up to Zoë and said "Don't worry I'll get her back no matter what the costs." Zoë whizzed around and threw her arms around X's neck and cried. X lifted her up and turned to the others he saw some of the hunters were burnt but seemed okay. "Lets get them back to headquarters." X said he then heard some one yell
"X, What happened?" It was Naomi, but when she saw the building burning and Zoë crying she stopped in her tracks. "Where's Cerebro and Vile and especially where's Zeno?" "He's right here Naomi," said X as he handed the baby over to her. "How did you know Vile was there?" asked one of the hunters. "Dose it matter right now." Said Greg "some of the girls were burned we have to get help." "Yes I've already called for a clean-up crew and a medic they'll be here soon." Replied Naomi still cradling Zeno.
"Naomi, now please tell all of us the truth. How did you know Vile was there?" Dr. Cain asked Naomi. They had gotten back to headquarters and had called Iris there to see if she knew any thing about Naomi knowing that Vile was at the club. "It' a long story." Was all she said, "Then get started." Snapped Retro one of the members of the Dragoon Squad. "Don't yell at sissy." Said Zoë as she appeared at the doorway. She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Naomi's legs. "Will you get sissy back and Vile? Please, I miss them very much." Tears began to fall down Zoë's face, Naomi bent down and lifted Zoë up. Naomi sighed as Zoë threw her arms around her neck. "Don't worry will find them." Said Iris as she took Zoë from Naomi. "First things first do you know where Zero is?" asked X, Naomi turned to X and said, "Did you try following the signal from his communicator?" "No." "Then try now." He flipped on the tracker. "This can't be right, it says he's right here." "It's because he is right here." said Naomi "WHAT!" everyone, but Proto, shouted. "Don't holler." Said Naomi covering her ears. "I said he's right here, may I hold Zeno." "Yes but why." Asked Dr. Cain who had been holding the baby. She walked towards X and the communicator began beeping loudly. "This can't be right it says Zeno is Zero." X said shocked, "It is right." Replied Naomi, "This is Zero. Sigma has Dr. Doppler working on a laser that would accelerate the age in reploids." "What has this got to do with Vile or the fact that you claim that baby is Zero." Asked Retro rudely, that earned him a hard look from Star Fire one of his fellow Dragoon members.
"Well, you see Vile is my older brother." That got shocked looks from all around, "I was build from the same plans as him but you see we fight on different sides. One night I'd just happened to be outside X and Zero's apartment building when I saw my brother, he was leaving the building with some one in his arms. I followed him and when we reached the base laboratory. I saw Dr. Doppler use the laser and turn Zero into an infant don't you remember the note he left you it was a hint what he was going to do with him, and I only know what the note said because he told me." X took out the note in his pocket and read it aloud to the others,
"Sorry for the mess but I need him for a test, a child is precise you see but It was hard to find a child that could please my lady for awhile. Sign Vile." "You see he need Zero to see if the ray was reversible to make Zero a child to give to his lady. Which turned out to be Cerebro, because she can't have children." Said Naomi, Zero who was still lying in her arms did his best to prop his head up on his hand. "Well it took you guys long enough to figure it out. Now how about figuring out how to change me back." "You mean the greatest maverick hunter, besides X, that ever lived has been reduced to a mere child." Retro said with a tone of disgust. "That's one way to put it." Replied Star Fire, "Now Naomi how do we get Zero back to normal?" "Well," started Naomi. "Well what?" asked X. "I don't know where Doppler is and Vile is the only one besides him that knows rightly how to reverse this. So we're going to have to rescue not just Cerebro but Vile too."
"So what are we going to do?" said Iris "Well, Sigma knows I exist but he doesn't know that I'm a maverick hunter. I could find him and figure out where my brother and Cerebro are being held. That is if Protoman is willing to help." Replied Naomi, at her last statement she got confused looks from all around. "Why do you need my help?" asked Protoman. "Because the base they're presently staying at is the old skull fortress of Wily, and presently you are the only person alive that knows the security systems better than Wily." "You have a point, but how need you know that I knew about the security systems?" "And old friend of yours told me." "Who?" "They didn't give their name they just told that they knew you, but they need tell me to tell you this, Proto I've never forgotten you or what you did for me." Proto didn't speak right away but in a voice almost to low for human ears he said, "Bass" "Whose Bass?" Asked Star Fire. "Will answer questions later now what did you have in mind once you get in the fortress Naomi." Said Dr. Cain, he knew that Bass was a touchy subject with Protoman but only he and Proto knew why but Dr. Cain wished that Proto would not keep the pain inside.