Yay, the second chapter. Everyone meet Alpha. Well, granted the original plot for her is much different. Maybe one day I'll give a relatively short synopsis of her original role A few more of the original background characters should show up in this chapter. Not only that, some more flashbacks, I think.
Warning; Watch out for flying techno-babble, purposely crappy love scenes, and more references to other shows.
Special Note: for those who have not noticed, the tittles are in the Hebrew alphabet. Also, special thanks to my Obasan for betaing this chapter… and most likely the rest of the story…. Heh, but yes, Thank you! (Geez, when this woman betas, she fucking betas)
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¤~¤ Beth ¤~¤
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When X had finally woken up he noticed Zero dazing at the sill. How odd, it's not really like Zero to be up this early, thought X as he sat up and gazed at his friend. Zero moved and looked at him with a sleepy smile.
" Stupid…" X said with a small pout. " Why have you been up so late?"
" Oh, I just couldn't get back to sleep."
" You weren't drinking again were you?"
" No, no I wasn't." He stood up and moved over to X sitting down. " You know, you're worse than a wife." At that moment the monitor screen in their room started to beep softly indicating an incoming message. X moved to get up but was stopped as Zero put his hand to his chest.
" It's ok, X. I've got this one covered." He stood up and walked over, pushing the button. At that moment Signas' image appeared on the screen and addressed him.
" Zero Omega, Megaman X. Come at once to my office." Then the screen went blank and the hunters blinked at each other before shrugging.
¤ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¤ Signas' Office ¤ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¤
Signas looked at the two hunters that he had just called into the room. He had noticed Zero's limpid behavior days earlier and decided to address the reploid about it. It was not that he was particularly angry, but he knew that some things had to be dealt with. He sighed and wondered why such duties had to be his. He knew why Zero had fallen into such a depression, and had great faith in X's ability to help his friend, but he had worried a lot about the top hunter's health.
" Sir, is there something wrong?" X leaned a bit peering at the addressed reploid. He had noticed that Signas had spaced out a bit, as it seemed.
" Oh, no, I am fine. However…" He turned his gaze to Zero, " I would like to suggest, Omega, that you cut back on the oil. Understand?" He lifted an eyebrow towards the soldier.
" Yes, sir." Said Zero feeling a bit sheepish that anyone would mention it to him. X just smiled.
" Also, I have called another little daisy in." He said pushing the communication button to his secretary. Soon after the door opened and a reploid walked in. He saluted and introduced himself.
" Hunter Dart Vision reporting, sir." He seemed nervous as he stood on the right-hand side of X. He was a fairly tall reploid. He had a long skinny build with sharply cut armor and a spike on each of his knees. His one offset was the he had a large red belt that kept his beam-glave to his back.
" Well, according to these reports..." Signas lifted some papers." It seems you've been enjoying quite the bit of the blue ruin yourself. What do you have to say for yourself soldier?" The tone of his voice sent the orange reploids generator churning faster.
" Well… um…. Sir, I…" Signas put his hand up to stop the babble.
" I am sure that your commander can explain." Almost immediately the cadmium hunter gasped and started to tell what had happened.
" What really happened sir is that my buddies and I were playing a round of cards," Signas nodded, enjoying the frightened reploid before him. "Things got a bit out of hand, we made some bets, and we…"
" I get the point." He said in his ennui. He had heard it all before: Hunters getting drunk based on stupid bets. He exhaled a dismissal of the subject before pushing his communication button. " Hello, yes, would you please send in unit 3's commander, Deena." Dart's heart almost crashed. He was in big trouble now. Deena was one of the very few female human hunters. But there was no question as to why she was head of the 3rd Unit. She was a bitch who could kick-ass and paint her nails. She had actually once been in Unit Zero, however, with the death of one of the captains she had been nearly ordered by Zero to take his place. She was an excellent fighter who used brains, skill, and her agility to defeat her enemies. Even reploid men didn't touch her for fear of being turned into scrap. The only reploids that could strike up a conversation with her were in her unit, in higher command, or had miraculously gained her favor. Dart was one of her favorite chew-toys because he still acted (to her at least) like rookie.
"Yes, Sir." A deep female voice called. Deena had arrived and Dart started to mentally make his will before she was unleashed on him.
" I've summoned you on behalf of your loyal subordinate's conduction." She nodded and shot a death stare at Dart before looking at Zero and X, slightly bowing to them both to show her deep respect. She was a tall woman of dark color. Her eyes were a light brown and she had a filled build. Granted that she was thin, but she had enough muscle to do her job. The dark woman's black hair curled over her round face giving her an oriental look. She wore samurai-like armor over her Chinese clothes, knee-high boots, and a sword strapped to her waist. She also had a diadem made of silver and onyx holding her hair back.
" I see." She said in a curt and obviously displeased manner. " I shall attend to him." She walked right up to him and belted him one so hard that it messed up his wire system. He doubled over to the ground gritting his teeth. X's mouth hung open in shock. However, Zero and Signas were the only ones that caught the pain that she was experiencing.
" I shall take him now." She said fiercely as she grabbed the hurting reploid and almost forcefully led him out of the room. As the door closed X had watched their retreating figures. What was that?! Man, I never knew a woman could do that! He turned to face Zero.
" What kind of a human is she?"
" One part Asian, two parts African." He smiled knowing full well what X had really meant.
" Har, har." Said Signas gaining the hunters' attentions. " Now, past that I'm also calling in Spulunk."
" Who?" X said giving an almost confused face.
" He's the reploid that's leading the excavations, right?" Zero said with a small hand gesture giving the floor to Signas.
" Yes." He nodded in a sage-like manner before continuing. " He has stopped here for the past few days in order to ask for assistance. There are still mavericks around and he feels that the sites need to be protected." The two top hunters nodded and soon after the door opened again. An amethyst reploid appeared. He seemed to be old and had been given a mustache. However, the air around him was exciting. He had bulky round armor and spike-like appendages on his feet.
" Commander Signas, it's good to see you." He walked over to the desk and firmly shook the reploids hand with an old, pleasant joy.
" You too, Sir." Signas replied truly happy to see him. Zero and X were befuddled with the friendly behavior.
" You two must be those two boys going around defeating Sigma all the time." He walked over to Zero and X slapping their backs, laughing, and treating them like grandchildren. The two hunters were not offended in any way, but X had taken special note. Yeah, me, young, though I'm the granddaddy of all reploids.
" Anyway, you came to tell us about what is happening at the excavation sites, right?" Inquired Signas as he adjusted himself in his seat leaning back. A hearty laugh was given by the senior reploid as he placed himself between the desk and the hunters.
" Ya darn right!" He winked and snapped. " It seems all is going pretty well, but the workers are nervous. We've been finding more and more treasures. It seems to be a very old lab, however, from the reports, it seems that everything is from the time before the Cataclysm."
" From X's time then?" Zero whispered and glanced at his friend that was intently listening. He watched X from the corner of his eye and it dawned upon him that this could be a clue. Hmm, X knows nothing of his past at all. It shouldn't surprise me. There is so much mystery behind him… us. What about me? He looked at the back of the old man that was hurriedly explaining about the only robots and helpers they had found. Some of the robots were even intact enough to tell them a little about the past, but most were so badly damaged they could not be revived. In fact that's when Spulunk mention Alpha, which gained the two hunter's attention.
" Alpha?" X stepped up lifting a hand a bit.
" Huh?" the man stopped in his rambling. " Oh yeah, Alpha…" He turned to Signas giving quickly raising his hand and curling his fingers. " Why don't you call her in here, she's most likely in her room." He suddenly turned serious. " She's the biggest mystery of them all."
" She is?" X said walking up to the man. " I thought she was just a new human on the base."
" What?" the purple reploid almost sputtered. " Are you kidding?" He blinked in total surprise. "Boy, she's a reploid… or at least a robot, but it seems she's a reploid."
" A what? She looked pretty human to me!"
" When did you see her?"
" Oh, the other night when I was helping Dart back to his quarters."
" Well…" He stroked his mustache. " Hmm, what can be said? She's an odd ball, has the weirdest
ideas about everything." He smiled and talked to Signas more about the latest news. Soon Alpha arrived. She was wearing a cute red and white sundress with sandalwood shoes. She was quite short and as she approached she barely reached Zero's shoulder guard. Her hair was very long and fine. It was light brownish red and looped four times on the back of her head making a butterfly. Her ponytails reached down to her knees.
She smiled cheerfully as Spulunk embraced her and brought her before Signas.
" Hello Commander Signas." She bowed and then turned to X and Zero greeting them in the same way.
" Hey, I remember you. You were the one helping that poor reploid." She smiled at X. Then she turned back to Spulunk who had gained her attention by putting his big hand on her shoulder. His hand almost seemed to swallow her up at it encased her shoulder.
" Why don't you tell these good men about the past?" He said and she smiled nodding before starting.
"Well," She started. " The past is quite simple. There isn't much for me to tell because I was created so close to what the world now calls the "Cataclysm." First, reploids did not exist then as you can tell. In fact, upon seeing them (she looked at X and Zero) I was a little afraid. I had been programmed with the knowledge of what the New Model was… but I hadn't known that someone would be stupid enough to mass-produce them.
" Hey, hey, now…" Spulunk intervened seeming a bit hurt. She smiled and blinked innocently. " It's not like it's truly a BAD thing…but look what's happened."
" Well," X spoke up a little reluctantly, " I was found by Dr. Cain…"
" Yes, I have heard of him. He seems like a good person. However, have you spoken to him lately?"
" No… is there something wrong?"
" Yes, he's a dying man. I'm sure he wishes to see his only son."
" Son?" It was the only thing X could say as his mind started to stress over the subject of Cain's death coming.
" Well, adopted son. Whoever built you must have regretted not being able to wake you."
" But, how long has he been in this condition?"
" What? Dying?" X nodded at her. " OH! Sorry, I get technical like that; I mean he's dying because humans start death from birth. It's just a slow process, not like a reploid would have to worry about such things." She smiled sweetly hoping that it comforted his nerves.
" Anyway…" Signas jetted in. " What else can you tell us about a Dr. Light and Dr. Wily."
" Oh, them… well, to put it simply. They were the fathers of all robots. However, that's back in the times of a robot named Megaman and what we called the Robot Masters. I'm not really sure what all happened, but I know that Dr. Wily was doing some pretty nasty things and Dr. Light was using his only son, Megaman, to stop him. I have no visuals of all of this. This has all been programmed… in fact, the program is not complete. Whoever built me was either killed or stopped before completion. Either way, that's all I can tell you."
" So," Signas started. " It seems that that chaotic time is still covered in mystery. However, we did learn something new, Megaman is now not just a whisper. He existed and really did do great things."
" Yes, it seems that the humans' memories serves them well." Zero had spoken up after absorbing all the information. " What is odd, though, is why more files are not out there. All the information that we have of the past comes from the Dead Zone."
" Oh, is that what you call it now?"
" Now?"
" Well, I was never there but I never knew the place as it's original name. Don't mind me." She walked up to Signas and asked to be excused because she had no more to say. Zero was a little offset on the whole thing. What had happened in the past was still a mystery, but this humanoid-reploid Alpha was one of the very few keys.
" Ahem," Signas gained their attention sitting upright, " With that information we do know that all files of Megaman and the like were kept in the Dead Zone before its destruction. Now why it was so confined, I do not know."
" Maybe because the rest of the world had not been under the influence of this Megaman as much as that one area." Said Spulunk.
" You are right, that could be so. Why don't we continue on this subject." He looked over. " Zero, X, you are both dismissed."
The two reploids walked outside only to find Alpha still standing there.
" Yes?" Asked Zero.
" Zero… walk around X will ya?"
" Huh?!" They both said with matching comical expressions.
" Just walk around him." She said almost giggling from the odd request. " You can walk can't you?"
" Uh, yeah…" He was a bit bewildered but did as he was asked. He walked around X once and stopped before Alpha. The small woman nodded in confirmation and smacked her hand with her fist.
" I thought there was something wrong."
" Huh?" Said Zero with little grace.
" You're hydro-lubricator is weak in your right leg."
" How did you…?" He was not only surprised, but a tad embarrassed. He had known that it was going out but since he was relaxing all the time, he neglected to go in for it.
" Hold it." X put his hands on his hips. " Let me get this right Zero, you're walking around with a faulty lubricator," He pointed to Zero's foot. " But you scold me?"
" Well…" He looked towards the ceiling with a cheesy smile. " This is different." Alpha busted out laughing. The two hunters looked at her and shrugged.
" You fight like lovers!" She said as one miscellaneous reploid woman slid up and stated.
" That's because they are." Her voice was high pitched and obviously strained. X and Zero turned to each other and clasped hands.
" X."
" Zero."
" X."
" Zero." Alpha's jaw dropped at the fake scene before her. It was obviously a farce but it was romantic in a small way. Two friends comfortable enough with each other to know. This base is wacky, I think I'm gunna like it here. She smiled as X took Zero's hair and smelled it and then let out the corniest line he could think of, to the amusement off all the people who had stopped to watch.
" Zero, your hair is like a flowing bouquet of fragrant sunflowers. Your eyes, the deepest of the blue seas." He moved his hands up to cup Zero's face. " Zero Omega…"
" Oh, this is classic." The humanoid said watching. One of the other base reploids slid over to Alpha.
" This happens all the time."
" How hilarious. I think I'll stick around."
"… I think I want you by my side forever." X continued looking deeply into Zero's eyes.
" OH, X!" Zero broke from X's grasp and gave a big bear hug. Which totally ruined any mood that had been set. Life resumed as normal at the hunter base as reploids started back on track.
" You two are nuts!" She exclaimed joyfully.
" Yeah, we know." They said together nodding and letting go of each other. Alpha exhaled shaking her head and excused herself from their presence. With a deep feeling of content the two friends went on their separate ways. X went to the diagnostics lab about his eyes and Zero to the Med. for a repair.
¤ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¤ Automation Bar ¤ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¤
Still not over all that had happened in the course of the last several weeks, and because X really couldn't hold his liquor and didn't care for the dainty delights of nightlife, Zero had gone out with Deena that night, one of his many outlets. There had been a drinking contest and he had joined in, but when it came to winning, he was left in the dust. A warrior reploid with long white hair won the contest. He was drunk as hell but still managed to compliment Zero's hair.
" Whoa, what a lot of hair." A debauched grin played on his face as he balanced himself against the bar table.
" Thank you." Zero said quite intoxicated. He was resting on the lap of Deena, complaining softly about his head. His helmet was on the bar next to his hair tie. When he had put his head down Deena commented on how it was spilling onto the floor, but he didn't care. The winning reploid unevenly bent over and lifted some of Zero's hair drunkenly looking at it.
" So, what is it made out of?" Zero scrunched his eyebrows at the question. His brain's systems were on overdrive trying to keep him, not only awake, but also competent and aware. Unfortunately, in their struggling attempts to get Zero to remember his own makeup, they overloaded and he fainted putting his full weight onto Deena. She quickly had to catch him and pull him onto her even more. It was a sad sight. Grand Master Bad-ass Hunter Zero Omega was drunk as hell and had finally lost his grip on reality. She would have slapped her head but holding a man that was almost half a ton took all of her appendages.
" Um, his hair is made out of an aluminum alloy mixed with gold and copper dust."
" Really? Well mines a silver alloy." He said with a saucy look about him. She almost missed what he was trying to do before she gave him a look.
" Um, yes, that's nice." She said in a purposeful dead-tone. He smiled in a fashion she didn't like, then walked off. Something about him made her wary and she watched him saunter away and disappear into the crowd before looking down at the snoozing reploid against her breast. One day Zero, one day, she thought as she adjusted her body and waited for Zero's systems to kick in. She only had to wait an hour, and that wasn't too bad. Once he woke, he stoically sat up looking dead to the world. It was actually quite the comic scene. It's what happened every time he got smashed at the bar: he'd pass out onto her after complaining and SWEARING he'd never drink again, then sit up as if he were in a black and white film, like nothing had happened. He was coming down from his high now, obviously, and looked like a sulking child.
" So, Zero, what's been eating at you lately? Or are you rusting in your age?" She said without true humor. He turned to her with a slight, exhausted whine. His eyes were emotionless and half-open, but that was because he was having what she liked to call a " Ctrl-Alt-Delete", so that one by one all of his programs were being manually terminated till his body was down to all the essential base programs. Once he rebooted, or in his case slept, everything would be back to normal.
" A lot of things really." He sighed as he looked at her with a deadpan look. " First, Iris' death is really killing me. I'm questioning my very existence." She nodded at him. " I miss her a lot, but while I have put her behind me to a degree, what really gets me is… if I can't be happy with the person I love, then what am I a hunter for?"
" I can't tell you that." She said looking at the glass she had been trying to finish for the past three hours.
" Yeah, but how much did I give up to do duty?" He looked hard at nothing in particular.
" A lot." She sipped the drink. " But would she have understood your reasons?" He looked up at her and she returned the gaze from the corner of her eye. " Would she have understood, if you told her, what you were really trying to protect?"
" That's the problem." He exclaimed in a low voice. " What am I protecting? Myself? The base?"
" Yes, that's the basis of it. If reploids truly are made like humans then yes, that's what you're protecting. However, beings, not just people or reploids, like to say they are protecting something outside of themselves. This is because the base need is usually so well hidden in the …well we don't need to go into that. But when you protect something other than yourself, then usually one mentions that and not themselves. In this case, you were protecting the base, your honor, and everyone on this planet not on the Maverick side." After she said it they were silent. Zero was thinking of everything she said with great care. He knew he needed to think but he was still stressed. He didn't feel he could think properly in the place he was at. The Automation Bar was only a good place to forget.
" On top of that, I have been having very atypical moments with X."
" What's new?"
" No, no," a sort of concern came over his face. " It's much different." She looked at him. " When I see X, I don't see him, not really. It only happens when he's not looking at me or paying attention. Usually at night this happens but the way I look at him is odd. I start studying his body."
" Like an artist?"
" No, like something is going to happen."
" Do you fear for his death? That may be it, you're scanning his body into your systems so you don't forget him, just in case…"
" Don't be silly, I won't let X die. We're buddies and he's a great hunter."
" All right." She said defensively from his sudden outburst. He blinked and sheepishly rubbed his head.
" Sorry about that, guess I'm just sensitive to that."
" Yeah, I mean, one important person has left you, you don't need it to happen again."
" That's right, so you have to take care of yourself as well." She nodded at him but was worried that something was still bothering him.
" It's all right, nothing will happen to us."
" Yeah, you're right." He looked over to see her dazing off. She had been up for a long period of time and he had forgotten that she was only human. Humans needed sleep at least once a day for seven hours, and that depended on the age of the human.
" I suggest." She said sluggishly. " That you go talk with X on this. He understands you more than I do, I'm sure. Not only that, you guys are in the same chambers together, tension between you or just you would be bad. He'll worry." She leaned on him a bit and yawned deeply. " I best get back."
" Yes." He said slowly picking her up and carrying her back to the base.
¤ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¤ X ¤ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¤
At the same time that Zero had gone out with Deena, X had run into Dart. The poor orange reploid had been looking all over for his captain.
" Captain X." He called and jogged over to X with a dreary smile.
" Something wrong Soldier?" He said with a little concern. He was pretty sure that the 3rd Unit captain had given him hell. Shit! She punched him square in the stomach without a flinch. Deena's always been one hell of a tough cookie.
" Yeah, I can't find Captain Rutel. Have you seen her?"
" Oh, you mean Deena?" He nodded at his superior in command. " Well, she went out with Zero."
" Damn it!" He blurted out in vain. " She was supposed to… aw, hell." He sagged a bit bending down.
" You look pretty tired." X said taking a step towards the direction of his on barracks. " You should sleep." The other hunter nodded before getting an idea and stepping up to X.
" Sir, do you know anything about this new reploid man named Gate?"
" Hm? Gate?"
" Oh, he's not very well known now, but he's raising pretty high in the reploid division of robots."
" Robots that study about robots." He shrugged his own comment off. " Well, Dart, why don't you tell me a bit about him?" He said this purely out of courteous reasons; he was not truly interested. Many reploids studied the makeup of their own kind. Some were good, some were great, others were outstanding but after a time he became tired of it, mainly because he and Zero were always gunned for when it came to such research.
" Well, I don't know much, that's why I'm trying to find her." He grunted a bit before Alpha came round the corner. Damn this woman loves the night, thought X as she walked slowly down the hall. She was checking her surroundings and studying the portraits of all the hunters that had died. The halls were filled with reploids left and right. Some were women. She looked before her in the dim hall to see X and Dart. She waved happily and skipped over as they beckoned to her.
" Hey guys, what's happening?"
" Oh talking a bit about the Gate person."
" Gate? Oh yeah, I've heard of him, but I don't know much about him."
" Seems we're all stuck." X said.
" Yeah well I'm gunna get going then." Dart excused himself and started jogging down the hall.
" Seems everyone's always busy here." Alpha looked after Dart for while before turning to X.
" Hey, I've been meaning to ask…" X started as he crossed his arms. " How did you know that Zero needed a new part?"
" Hm?" She blinked innocently at him before realizing what an odd trait it really was. " Oh, well, you can tell what's wrong by the sounds reploids make. Then just figuring out what part is most likely the problem is all you have to do."
" Hmm, I guess so, I never pay attention unless it's loud."
" I see. Well, I have to get going. Sleep is sounding good right now anyway." She bowed to him and started to skip off. X waved and started towards the nearest elevator. He himself was exhausted. He passed one of the main hall clocks and it read nine thirty.
¤ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¤ Zero ¤ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¤
Zero walked into the hunter base. He was carrying Deena on his back and had, to him, a drunken gait but was fine. After he dropped her off at her room he looked up at the clock and it read ten. I best get to bed. He walked to the nearest elevator and to his room. When the door opened he found X sleepily peering at him.
" Hey bro, you didn't have to wait for me. It's not like it's dinner time or something."
" I know." He smiled sleepily and flopped as if he were dead on his bed. " I just wanted to point out this." His finger led to a stack of papers on the desk. And Zero grumbled. " Also, we're hunting soon."
" Soon as in…"
" Tomorrow."
" Great, when was I supposed to find out about that?"
" Signas called us in but you were out drinking."
" I hate when this happens." Zero folded his arms and walked over to his pod sitting down. He reached over and picked up the files. " What is this? I don't get it, in this day and age, why the heck are we still using paper?"
" Old habits I guess." X said very amused. " Those are the lists and status of all the new hunters coming into the base."
" What? They cut trees for something I could look up in the base's computer? This is bogus shit man. Who did it, they need to be slapped." X turned away at his statement. " X… you didn't!?"
" Well, I just thought it'd be easier than sitting at the computer. I'm sorry!"
" That's it pansy-bot!" Zero playfully got up, pinned X, and began to give him baby slaps spitting comments between each one. After he was finished he sat down and reviewed the new-bees. Many of them were going to be trained in simulation first. Others were going to start under some of the units. Zero sighed and looked back at X, who was lying in his pod.
" You know we… X?" He leaned over his friend. " X…" He poked his nose but nothing had happened. " X?!" Zero was beginning to worry. This had never happened before. He shook X but the bot would not wake up. His systems sped up to find him a logical answer for the problem before he promptly panicked over his friend's condition. After a few seconds it had accrued to him that X was having eye problems. His engines calmed a bit more with the realization that maybe X was more affected. Upon further investigation, this thought got him revved again. What if X had been affected by a virus. In his mess of thoughts one stood out. Then why the hell are you leaning over him like a mourning wife? Get your rear in gear, stupid!! Scolding himself was one way to get him motivated and he contacted Lifesaver right away.
" Yes?" came an almost drowsy voice. It was pretty late at night.
" Something's wrong with X." With this statement Lifesaver was revitalized.
" Bring him in right away." He said calmly since he could hear the Zero was not in the strong emotional suit. He figured Zero must have gone out drinking that night. Zero picked up X's limp form and started down the hallway double time. He couldn't run because the clanking of his feet would wake everyone. Once he got there he was surprised to see Alpha there. This woman is everywhere, isn't she? Does she ever sleep? He walked in and put X on an examining table. Immediately Alpha walked over to X assisting Lifesaver with putting the Hover-Scan over the bot.
" Alpha, could you take care of this?" Lifesaver asked and he rubbed his temples.
" Sure can." She said without of hint of dreariness. Zero was shocked. He was on the verge of protesting when Lifesaver took his arm and wooed him outside.
" What are you thinking?" He said in a whisper. Zero was not fond of the fact that a stranger was about to examine X.
" She knows what she's doing. In fact, it scares me how much she knows about reploid bodies." This statement did calm Zero a bit but he figured he was so hyper about the situation because of the alcohol. " Hmm, I figure, whoever programmed her gave her the default ability to repair robots of his type."
" Actually, Lifesaver." He had given that comment a bit of thought. " Do you think she could have been made by the same person who built X?"
" Possibly. X is the first and she is the first female of his type we've found from his time. Or around there." Zero nodded in understanding. The night was long since it took awhile before Alpha came to the door informing them that X was all right. Once they entered X was still prostrate but the difference was that he was breathing. That meant his systems were working since all robots breathed in order to keep cool. Zero was allowed to carry the reploid back to their quarters. This at first quirked Zero. If X had just had a power shortage, why were they allowing him to go back? Won't they need to scan more? He didn't ask questions but left as he was instructed.
¤ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¤ Ungodly hour of 5 in the morning ¤ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¤
That morning the two reploids woke up groggily. They both stalked down the hall and towards the main Command Center. They had gotten a new intelligence agent and guide, but this time the two would be working together. Even with this up, there was a down; they had to be there by six. They woke up at five thanks to Signas sending an annoying cuckoo noise through their computer. What Zero did notice in his haze was that X seemed not to know that he had fainted last night. Then a pang of guilt hit him, he had smacked X around , but then again, he thought to himself, I didn't really hit him hard at all. There's something wrong these days. They arrived at their destination and were greeted by a few surprises. Not only had Alpha been assigned under the both of them. Which was damn odd since she was not a hunter, let alone apart of the base. Well, I guess she is now, thought X as he found out about his little lapse the night before. With that, caution was going to be used. Since she had a good source of knowledge concerning reploids she was now their personal aid. More like a secretary.
" Hi." Said a reploid woman that walked over and stood next to Signas. " My name is Alia. I'll be your new guide." They shook hands and started with more formalities. Signas introduced the hunters and all was set into place. However, there is almost never a dull moment at the base and Alia already had something to report to them.
" Hunters," She said as they went to the viewing screen. " It seems there's been an attack at the site."
" What?" X question looking at the picture of billowing smoke. " Geez, the irony of it all."
" No kidding," Zero said finally waking up a bit more. " Who did it?" He finger gestured towards the destruction.
" We don't know." She informed him. " We're still investigating that."
" Hmm, maybe someone's trying to hide something." Suggested X. " Never know who's corrupt in this world."
" Naw, I don't think that's it, but it might be. However, X, maybe it's an accident. With all that equipment." Zero trailed off.
" That's another possibility Zero, you are very right." Said Alia adjusting herself in her seat. " Let's just hope its that. Thought there were a lot of injuries."
" It could very well be Sigma." Said Signas putting a thoughtful finger to his chin.
" AWWWW!!!! NO!!" The two hunters whined in union. " Don't even JOKE about that!"
" I'm not joking." He smiled at the two before looking back up at the screen. " I am being completely serious. We've decided to send both of your units to investigate and to protect the base camp there." The hunters nodded. " I'm also sending the 3rd Unit to assist you as well."
" Taking this pretty seriously, I see." Said X and looked at Zero. " At least our units won't be strained."
" Yes that's true, now go to the garage. We're calling your units there. Unit three is already there." The two hunters reached the garage with many bikes and other vehicle lines up in long rows. Deena greeted them.
" It's good to see you have arrived. Alpha will be joining us." The humanoid waved as a blushing rookie was explaining to her all the buttons. Deena rolled her dark eyes and looked back to the hunters. " Anyway, shall we get going? Alpha." she turned and regarded the woman. The female walked over leaving the poor little lackey behind.
" Yeah, Deena?" She said with bright eyes. This time Alpha was dressed in more formal attire: pants made of a thick jean material and cotton turtle neck, the clothing magenta and plum colored.
" You're riding with, X. I'm with Zero."
" Huh, why?" X said not understanding why Alpha needed to ride with him.
" Because she's not used to the buttons yet. Watching you should help her." He nodded at her and went to his Jet Cruiser. It was the latest model and could support two reploids. Deena hopped on after Zero and settled into his body. Which was a little hard because of the fact that his back wasn't smooth.
The large group started out towards the northwest. As they rode X and Zero stayed relatively close in order to talk.
" So, what do you think is the cause of all this, Alpha?" He looked back at the woman for a split second.
" Your guess is as good as mine. I don't go around hunting and all that." She was holding on to hi a little tighter than he what expected. However, what he didn't know is that Alpha had motion sickness and keep her eyes closed the entire time. She could deal as long as she didn't look at anything.
" Hey, I figure the forces we may meet is more important!" Zero yelled over the motors. " Never know what we'll face!"
" That's true Zero!" Deena yelled loud enough for X and Alpha to hear. " I think that we will most likely run into a few of the maverick forces. You never know. Plus the lab that's suppose to be deep in there most likely has a defense system.
" Good point." Alpha shouted. Her hair was waving behind them like twin flags. She had put it down in low and big hoops so it wouldn't come out in the wind. " That's what we should really worry about. I know that there are defense systems in there. I was built there after all. I can shut them down.
" Really?" Deena shouted moving her hair out of her eyes only for it to come back. Her eyes watered a bit but she ignored it. " Well, we won't be getting there till late anyway. So don't worry too much about it all!" And that was the end of the conversation. They rode for hours on end and at some point X silently cursed his joints.
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¤~¤ Mega-X's Notes ¤~¤
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This is a small rant on behalf of Iris. One day I sat down and watched Iris's death. The FIRST thing to come to my mind is this " WHAT THE FUCK?! WHAT KIND OF INJUSTICE IS THIS!?" And it is an injustice. You remember how she died? She was on the ground lying there fully intact. Not a thing missing! Even her little hat was STILL attached to her head. She had scratches! I mean, come on! When Zero and X die, they get the shit beaten out of them. They're torn up, kicked around, and missing all kinds of parts. However, they still live. But she lies there and looks like sleeping beauty (minus the beauty) and a few scratches. As if the seven little metools got tired and dragged her carcass through the dirt! I don't really care for the girl, but come on! She deserves a better death than that. Granted she's a girl and they didn't want to bang her up, but why didn't they at least give her some reconciliation? Allowed her to at least have panels of her skirt missing, her hat gone, maybe even some rips in her features! Anything to justify that she was actually going to die.
Ahem, that's all, I just wanted everyone to know that for those who thought the death scene was bogus, you've got a new member to the party.