Chapter 3: Uncovered Secrets

Back at HQ, Nightshade was once again in the lab, being scanned and examined by Gadget. This time, however, Signas was in the lab with him, along with another member of the Hunters, Specter Raptor, a dinosaur-like Reploid.

Specter was at least as tall as Gadget, and his skin was dark gray, while his hair was long and silver. Two large bangs hung down to his shoulders, which were clad in silver shoulder guards. His armor was black and white, and a mysterious red design surrounded both of his eyes. He drummed his fingers on his arm as he observed Gadget working.

"Well, I think I might have an idea as to what Nightshade did earlier," said Gadget as he looked at the scan results. "It seems he has an instant teleportation drive of some kind, allowing him to teleport instantaneously without actually having to go through a transfer like us. As far as how he knew where to go, I'm still stumped," he said, running a hand through his hair.

"Well, he didn't do anything I would consider contrary to our policies," said Signas, rubbing his chin. "I suppose we can allow him to work with us."

Suddenly, Gadget leaned over at the screen displaying the information, his eyes wide. "What in the hell?" he wondered out loud.

"Gadget, what's the matter?" asked Specter, walking over to the scientist's side.

"Specter, you said that you and Strike are the only ones with Quantum Circuits, right?" asked Gadget, his voice shaking a little.

Strike was Specter's younger brother, but he was just as powerful. Each of them contained a special Reploid microchip called the Quantum Circuit. The Quantum Circuit had long been considered a myth, a chip that could allow a Reploid to achieve immense, possibly infinite, power. Specter and Strike were the only Reploids to have Quantum Circuits, as they had all been created by the same scientist.

"Yeah, but why do you ask?" asked Specter, his eyes starting to show a hint of worry. He knew that Gadget was definitely spooked about something, which was a bad sign.

Gadget simply stepped back from the screen and pointed at a section of data.

Specter looked over it and he was overcome with shock. "No freaking way!" he gasped. "These readings, they can only come from one thing…a Quantum Circuit! But, how is that possible? Nobody else knew about the Quantum technology except for…" His voice died away as his eyes widened in fear. "It couldn't be him," he said, looking at Gadget.

"Yes, there's a chance it might be Dark Eagle," said Gadget. Dark Eagle was a Maverick, one who had practically booted Sigma from his seat of power as the number one Maverick. Not only that, but Strike had actually worked with Dark Eagle before joining the Hunters.

"So, Dark Eagle might be the one who built Nightshade?" asked Signas, who had heard the whole conversation.

"Yes, there is a very big chance that it was," said Gadget.

Nightshade, who had been out for the duration of the conversation, finally came to and got up off the table. "So, how is my bill of health, Gadget?" he asked.

After exchanging looks with the other two, Gadget said, "Well, you're in great shape, Nightshade. I give you a clean bill of health."

"Is something wrong?" asked Nightshade.

"No, we were just impressed by your scan readouts," said Signas. "Well, you're dismissed to do whatever you please."

Nightshade stretched his arms and said, "I'm going to the data library. I want to see if we have any information on a Reploid called Aries the Solo Hunter." He stepped out of the lab and left.

Signas looked at Gadget after a few moments. "Well, you're the scientist," he said. "What do you propose we do?"

Gadget rubbed his chin for a few seconds. "The most we can do is just to keep an eye on him when we can. That power surge that erased his mind destroyed anything that could be used to track him down, or place him under outside mind control. The only way he'd pose a threat now is if he just decided on his own to be evil. Even then, there is almost nil chance of that happening."

"Why do you say that?" asked Signas.

"Because, like I said earlier, he absorbed some aspects of Zero's personality during the data transfer he tried to pull. Just like Zero, he has a sense of justice, as well as distaste for Mavericks. At the same time, he knows everything that Zero knows about us. In other words, they're like identical twins."

"Man, who'd have thought that we'd have not only Zero, but his new twin brother," said Specter, shaking his head lightly.

"Life's full of surprises, amigo," said Gadget.

Back at a small, abandoned lab, Aries was unwinding from her exciting evening. Her armor was being cleaned, polished, and repaired by some of the lab machinery while she took a refreshing shower.

As the hot water cascaded over her body, her mind flashed back to memories of the day she had lost her creator, Dr. Wilcox. She remembered holding his lifeless body, which she had found on the floor of this lab, which had been nearly destroyed. As she sobbed uncontrollably, she had heard someone laughing evilly. Looking up, she had seen him…the monster made in the image of the noble Zero, who had been the inspiration for her own design. The Black Zero just laughed and departed, leaving her in a ruined lab, alone and broken-hearted.

She shut off the water, dried herself off, and put on a light blue robe. 'That abomination of a Reploid took away everything and everyone I ever had!' she thought, her face set in a look of rage. 'I must determine if he is that same Black Zero from my past, and if he is…I'll make sure that this time, he pays!'