Disclaimer:

I do not now, nor ever have, or will own Rockman X. I do not own X, Axl, Alia, Zero, or Signas. Hawke is my own character and is non-canon. Explanation of reploid gender or lack thereof is my own theory as is the reploid internal anatomical structure. Please no stealy.

If you ask nicely I may let you use my technical mumbo-jumbo for your own fics if you can't come up with your own explanations for reploids' human-like abilities.

Important:

The rating for this chapter is PG. However, there are a few mild curses and references to sex in a general fashion. None of the references are graphic or specific.

If you feel this rating is too low, please let me know and provide reasons. If appropriate, I will change the rating. Thank you.

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Reploid Anatomy 101 – Anatomically Correct

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Anatomically Correct?

...Upgrades optional.

Based on records and information regarding Dr. Light and his interactions with his creations, the humanoid androids Blues, Rock, and Roll, it can be extrapolated that he would have likely considered his final creation, the reploid, Rockman X, in the same manner he regarded his earlier humanoid type creations. Because he regarded Blues, Rock, and Roll as though they were his own children, it is likely that he would have regarded Rockman X in the same fashion. Particularly since X is a reploid and was the first self-aware, sentient android that was capable of emotion and making his own decisions. Therefore, it is possible to theorize on his motives when designing X in regards to his viewing X as his son.

Just as any father would wish for his son, Dr. Light wanted X to have a happy life and to experience life and living to its fullest. To that effect, he designed X to be as human-like as possible to be able to experience the same things that humans could.

While Dr. Light hoped that X could live a peaceful and happy life, he also knew that sometimes, dangerous things happen. If X was ever attacked, or found it necessary to fight in order to defend himself or others, Dr. Light wanted to make certain that X would not only be able to protect himself and others, but also be able to win the fight and continue living. To do this, Dr. Light designed and equipped X with the most powerful and sophisticated weapons systems and optional additional armors that he could design and create. Just as any father would, Dr. Light wanted to protect his son.

Because X was capable of experiencing emotion, Dr. Light hoped that he would experience friendship and love and that he would receive those emotions from others in turn. However, since X was a one of a kind, Dr. Light knew that it was possible there might not be others like him for some time after he was activated. This meant that any relationships he formed would likely be with humans. Dr. Light wanted X to experience the entire spectrum of love, not only the emotional and mental side of the emotion, but also the physical. To permit this, Dr. Light designed X to be anatomically correct, outwardly, as a male human, of somewhere around 16 or 17 years of age.

When the first few generations of reploids were built by humans, there was concern that deviation from the original template design could cause problems. While the outer synthetic flesh layer could be altered to give unique features to each reploid, and things such as height could be altered, changing the layout of the internal systems could cause problems with the sophisticated systems that were still largely mysterious to the scientists. The result was that the first generations of reploids were all humanoid type. The scientists also designed anatomically correct female reploids as counterparts for the male ones; and possibly, because some of the scientists didn't get out much.

As the internal systems of reploids became more fully understood, deviations from the original body template began to be designed and built. Humanoid animal designs began to crop up in the newer generations of reploids. Then even more bestial and animalistic designs were created and built. Making the animal type reploids anatomically correct was not a high priority, particularly considering some of the socio-cultural repercussions of having sentient animals capable of sexual acts with humanoids. To avoid this, most animal type reploids were built without the pertinent parts of anatomy. As a result, most animal type reploids chose what gender they wanted to be unless there was some particular gender-based feature the species they were based on had that was present in their design. For example, a reploid built to resemble a rooster would most likely not choose a female gender.

As more reploids were built, the design often became a matter of cost-effectiveness and design expediency. If the builder could not afford the extra cost of adding anatomically correct features, then they were left asexual. This occurred in various later generations of humanoid type, animal type, and humanoid-animal type reploids. Also, if the reploid was designed for a specific type of task from a batch generation template, such as a heavy artillery soldier or a sanitation engineer, and the task was not particularly constructive to a social life, then sometimes the anatomical features were left out of the design to save costs, particularly if the design was mass produced.

The result is that reploids can be anatomically accurate males or females, anatomically inaccurate males or females, or asexual. Most humanoid types are anatomically correct while most animal types lack those particular features.

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Commander Rockman X, of Elite Unit 17, was slightly irritated. Not that he showed it, X rarely lost his temper. The source of his irritation was, surprisingly, nowhere to be found. Hence, his irritation.

Commander Zero, leader of the Special Unit 0, had apparently vanished into thin air. Which, generally, was a bad thing. Particularly if he was wanted at Signas' office for a joint upper echelon staff meeting. Another sign that heralded the coming doom was that Zero was ignoring his communications unit, or had turned it off. That meant serious trouble; or Zero knew he was doing something that would get him into serious trouble, and probably drag X along with him.

X couldn't decide which scenario had more appeal.

And this was why X was currently searching Head Quarters from top to bottom, looking for the errant reploid. Alia had recruited Axl to help search as well. Alia was searching the grounds outside the main building while Axl was taking the above ground facilities. X had taken the underground levels for his search area.

They were meeting back at the main lobby in two minutes; just enough time for X to take the lift. Hopefully, Alia or Axl had found him. X had certainly had no luck tracking his best friend down. None of Zero's usual haunts had produced results, and neither had his search of less likely, but plausible locations.

Grumbling to himself after the lift doors closed behind him, leaving him alone in the lift car, X opened his comm. channel and tried to reach Zero again. Static. Again. What the hell was he doing?

Assuming it was not because Zero had been grievously injured or killed in a maverick attack no one else knew about, there were multiple possible reasons for his vanishing. None of which were particularly welcome. Zero could have gotten drunk and passed out somewhere out of the way, which was generally a bad way to start the day, and would bring Signas down on him for drinking while on-duty. Or, he could be off sulking and brooding somewhere, which was also not a pleasant thought. Or, Zero could be plotting something. Something dire, and terrible, and certain to involve X in some particularly embarrassing or unpleasant fashion. They usually did. X just hoped it didn't involve Alia and his relationship, or lack thereof. Or a vacation. Vacations always seemed to end badly when Zero was involved.

X stepped out of the lift and into the main lobby on the ground floor of Maverick Hunter Head Quarters. It was still early in the day, late morning sunshine streaming in through the massive glass windows that made up the front wall of the building in this area. The lobby itself was a wide-open circular atrium stretching up ten floors. The entire front wall of the atrium-lobby consisted of glass and titanium-alloy frames that stretched up ten stories and curved outward from the building. The first ten floors that fronted the atrium were either balconies off of hallways or glass windows into offices and conference rooms.

Hanging from the railing boxes of the balconies stretching up to the ceiling were hanging vines and various ferns and other plants. A few potted palms rose from the ground floor, stretching upwards, while boxes of flowering plants were splashes of bright color. Clusters of padded chairs and couches, centered around low tables were scattered across the tiled lobby floor. The main doors opened out onto the patio that descended in a series of stairs, with side ramps, to the lush gardens that sprawled across the Hunter Head Quarters' grounds. X could see the large fountain just past the steps, centered in a round section of the main pathway that led to the visitor parking lots and the main gates, or deeper into the compound, depending on which path you took from there.

Several front desk kiosks were located against the walls around the room, each manned with secretarial staff for each of the various purposes of each front desk setup. Each desk had a different purpose; among them, one was for recruitment, another for information and visitors, and another for staffing and quarters. Various humans and reploids were scattered sparsely across the lobby. Some were sitting at the low tables talking or even reading, others were passing through the lobby on their way in or out of the building, a few were talking to the humans and reploids staffing the desks.

Axl was waiting for him and Alia, perched on an overstuffed sofa arm. While X and Alia were on duty, and therefore in armor, Axl was currently off-duty, so he was in civilian clothes. Noticing X as he stepped forward, Axl hopped off and dusted his black jeans before heading over to greet him. "No luck, huh?"

"None. You?" X asked hopefully.

Axl shook his head, his messy red ponytail bouncing back and forth against his shoulder blades. Without his helmet, his hair didn't stick out from the back of his head nearly as much. He reached up and ran a hand through his loose bangs, pushing them out of his eyes. "I'm hoping Alia found him."

"And no one you talked to has seen him either?"

"Nope. Besides, my search grid was a long shot. Zero doesn't do paperwork or offices very well. You know that."

X sighed. "Yeah. Was hoping to get lucky though."

Axl grinned wickedly. "Well, here comes Alia. Now's your chance." Axl was rewarded when X blinked in confusion for an instant before a vivid red blush flushed across his cheeks. Axl snickered as X glared at him and fought back the blush as Alia came up to them.

"Any luck guys?" Alia asked as she stopped next to X and glanced from face to face before blinking in curiosity. "What gives?" She focused her gaze on X as she said that.

"Nothing, just Axl hanging around Zero too much." X glared at Axl who was trying to keep a straight face.

"Oh you found him?"

"No. Unfortunately. We were hoping you found him, but I guess not, huh?" X replied as the red tint faded from his cheeks and he turned to fully face Alia.

"No sign of him. No one's seen him either."

"Man, when Zero doesn't want to be found, he sure is good at hiding. You think he'd be better at sneaking into maverick compounds without attracting attention." Axl frowned as he straightened up and shook his head.

"I rather think he enjoys the chaos he creates when they realize who it is running around their base." Alia shook her head in exasperation.

"Well, this is Zero we're talking about. Chaos seems to follow him around like a puppy." X sighed as he crossed his arms and glanced around. Then blinked. "What is he doing up here?"

"Huh? Who?" Axl looked around before following X's gaze to the reploid in civvies that had just stepped out of the lift.

"Hawke?" Alia asked in confusion as she too turned to see the reploid.

The reploid in question was a humanoid-raptor type reploid with six limbs, two of which were feathered wings. His feet were large and shaped like hawk's feet, complete with talons. Each of his hands was tipped in much smaller talons and a knee-length feathered tail extended downward from the base of his spine. His eyes were amber-gold and the dominating feature of his face was the hooked hawk-like beak. His slacks and button-up shirt had been specially altered to accommodate the large taloned feet, feathered tail, and magnificent black-barred and bronze synthetic feathered wings that extended from his shoulder blades. What skin wasn't covered by the cloth was coated in fine, short, bronze body feathers. He was currently carrying a picnic style basket with a red-and-white checkered blanket folded under the handle, on top of the basket, in his right hand. A red long-stemmed rose was tucked into the basket, the red bud bobbing as he walked. His left hand held a bottle of wine nestled beside two wine glasses in a round ice bucket as he set off across the lobby toward the main doors.

X stepped away from Alia and Axl and headed to intercept Hawke, a frown on his face. "Hawke!"

Hawke jerked in surprise and spun, his wings flaring open in reflexive surprise. His amber eyes went wide when he realized just who was approaching him, trailing Alia and Axl. "C-commander X, sir. W-what are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same question Hawke." X frowned up at the taller reploid as he came to a stop in front of him.

"Eh heh... Picnic?" Hawke offered lamely as he lifted the basket in explanation.

X frowned. "You are supposed to be leading the rookie orientation session right now. Not having a picnic. Why are you not there? And why are you in civvies? You're on-duty." X demanded in the no-nonsense tones of his position as a Unit Commander and second in the chain of command for the Hunters.

"Er... Well, you see..." Hawke stammered; he was in it deep. Hawke might have been a Lt. Commander and 2IC of Zero's unit, but X not only outranked him but held a lot of his respect. He might not have been directly under X's command, but when X stepped into his authority, there wasn't a Hunter on base that would refuse his orders.

"Out with it." X frowned. Orientation was scheduled to have barely started 20 minutes ago. If Hawke had skimmed orientation and rushed the rookies through it, then the rest of HQ would be dealing with lost, confused, and, heaven-help-them-all, cocksure, full-of-it rookies who had no idea where or what anything was.

"Sir, yes, sir." Hawke snapped upright, pulling his wings in smartly. "I, er, had a previous engagement for the afternoon. I called in a favor with Tempo, who was off-duty, and asked him to take over the seminar for me today. He's fully qualified to lead the orientation seminar."

"So Tempo is with the rookies." X mulled that over for a moment. Tempo was qualified, but that still didn't excuse Hawke from swapping duties for a date.

"Er, no, sir." Hawke cringed slightly as X snapped his green gaze up to meet his own eyes.

"He's not?" X said levelly, his gaze rooting Hawke to the spot.

Hawke swallowed reflexively. "Tempo had plans as well. So he called in a debt with Commander Zero, because he lost that bet last week."

X blinked as a sinking sensation hit his stomach. "Zero... is leading the rookie orientation seminar."

"Yes sir."

"Oh scrap." Axl put in eloquently from behind X.

"Oh... This is bad." Alia moaned from beside X.

"Sir?" Hawke blinked.

X spun on his heel and bolted for the lift, Axl, a step behind him.

Alia snagged Hawke's wrist before he made good on his abrupt hook-less-ness. "Oh no you don't, Hawke. This is as much your mess as Zero's. You're coming too." And with that, dragged him after her to the lift, catching it just before the doors closed.

"Sir? I don't understand what's wrong." Hawke asked meekly after the doors closed and the four of them headed for the new recruit outfitting level, two floors down.

"You'll see." Axl replied, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Hopefully we'll be in time so he doesn't see." X replied with a frown.

"Sir?" Hawke asked, his confusion growing. Before he got a reply the doors opened and X and Axl bolted out again, heading for the doors down the left hallway that held the orientation seminar room the new recruits were in. Alia dragged Hawke out and after them. X reached the doors and pushed them open and froze on the threshold, Axl stopping beside him and shaking his head.

Alia and Hawke reached them a second later and Hawke could finally see into the lecture hall style room. The hall had a capacity of 250. Currently there were just under 100 rookies arranged in the seats facing the staging area at the front of the room.

Zero stood there in front of a podium talking into a microphone and holding a pointer stick like it was his Z-saber. To his right was a whiteboard he had found from somewhere. It was currently covered in multicolored squiggles and lines with arrows pointing in all directions. Scrawled across the top was messy handwriting that could just barely be made out to say 'Ineffective Fighting Tactics – Big No No'. Various doodles of stick figures covered much of the board. One appeared to be firing wildly around, one hand over its eyes, as other stick figures dove for cover. Another seemed to be standing on a box labeled 'soap' and grandstanding, as evil looking maverick stick figures, complete with horns and devil tails, closed in, carrying pitchforks. Another stick figure was apparently kicking a devil-maverick stick figure in between the legs.

As Hawke blinked at the colorful mess, Zero's words finally registered to his confused processors.

"And so you see. This explains why so many animal-type reploids end up going maverick. Its no wonder mavericks are always so angry and grouchy to everyone else. Unfortunately, they deal with a lot of stress, and since they can't get laid, they find other outlets for all their repressed emotions. Hmm, hard to blame them, really. I'd probably go bonkers too if I couldn't get any." Zero mused, rubbing his chin slightly.

"Anyway. As you can see," Zero pointed to the stick figure kicking the other between the legs, "this sort of battle tactic rarely works with mavericks. You shouldn't expect it to considering most of them don't have any balls."

X groaned and buried his face in his hands as Axl snickered softly.

Alia scowled and elbowed Axl. "It's not funny. I think they're in shock." She gestured to the rookies, sitting in silence, faces pale and twisted, in either confusion or attempting to hold back laughter.

"And this is why we don't let Zero near the rookies unless they're going into his own unit." X sighed heavily before heading into the room to try to get Zero to relinquish his position of supreme authority.

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The End

Owari

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Please review. Babbling and gushing reviews are welcome.

I can hardly believe I tackled the issue of reploid gender. The first part is not as technical as previous ones, but I felt it needed to be addressed in some fashion. Preferably by not going into detailed technical explanations of how it works. I think you can figure that out for yourselves.

Just to give a heads up. I have at least three more chapters planned out at the moment. However, two of them are not humorous. My brain can only come up with so many humorous situations at a time. Its kinda like lightning, in that its random where and when inspiration will strike.

The two non-humorous chapters are actually fairly serious and will be more graphic than the others have been. The rating will go up to PG-13, at least, for one of those chapters due to blood and violence.

I actually didn't intend this to be at all linear, but it's ending up that way, sort of. Think of it as something of a prologue to a story I'm still working the kinks out of the plot for.

Anyway, please review and tell me what you think.

Loved it. Hated it. Wanted to eat it. Wanted to feed it to your dog. Plan to use it as a homework substitute. Whatever.