Chapter 4: Storm Eagle: Maverick or Hunter?

After returning, Zero told X and Zoey that while he was searching for Sigma's fortress, he may have found another Maverick.

"Are you sure?" X asked him.

"I'm pretty sure," Zero answered, "But I didn't see the Maverick. I just picked up something on radar that I thought seemed unusual."

"Where?" Zoey questioned.

"The air base. So it isn't too far from here." Zero answered, "Even if it isn't a Maverick, you should check it out, just to be sure."

X looked over at Zoey.

"Are you up for this or do you want to rest a while?" He asked her.

"Are you kidding, X?" Zoey laughed, "Of course I'm ready! Just as long as you are."

X smiled.

"Alright then, let's go!"

So they left for the air base immediately, and Zero continued searching for Sigma's fortress, hoping that this time he'd have some luck.

"This place is huge..." Zoey said, "How are we ever going to find whatever it is that Zero picked up?"

"Well," X answered, also looking around the huge air base, "It may take a while, but we'll find it... whatever it was."

"Are you expecting it to be a Maverick?"

"Yes."

"What are the chances?"

"I'd say it's a fifty-fifty chance. But we won't find anything if we just stand here talking."

"You're right."

So they moved on through the air base, and they soon came to a tower-like wall that they had to climb over. When they got to the top, X looked down and saw some gas tanks. They seemed to be blocking an opening to something, and X wanted to see what it was. He knew just what to use to get them out of the way, too. They were marked, "WARNING: FLAMMABLE."

"Stay here, Zoey, I'll be right back." X told her.

"What are you doing?" Zoey asked.

"I'm going to check something out."

"Alright, be careful."

So X went down the other side of the tower, and went over to the tanks. He switched his X Buster to his flamethrower, and blasted one of the tanks. The tank exploded, and caused all of the others to explode as well, one by one. Just as he had thought, they had been blocking an opening.

X walked into the gap that he had un-blocked. Inside, he was pleased to find one of the capsules that Dr. Light had said that he had hidden. He approached it, and an image of Dr. Light appeared.

"This capsule contains an enhancement for your helmet which will allow you to break certain things with a head-butt." Dr. Light said, "Step into the capsule."

X did so, and just like before, light glowed around him. This time, his helmet changed. His helmet was now white, gold, and blue, just as his boots were.

X looked up and saw the same type of blocks that he had seen in the old robot factory.

'Hmm... I wonder...' X thought.

He kick-jumped up the wall and hit the blocks with his head. Thanks to the helmet, he didn't feel anything, but the blocks broke easily.

"I think we may have to go back to that robot factory and check that ceiling out later." X said.

X returned to Zoey, who had been sitting and waiting for him to come back.

"You look different... you're wearing a new helmet." Zoey said, "I like this one better."

"Thanks," X said with a smile, "But now that I have it, we need to go back to that robot factory sometime."

"Why?"

"This helmet can break certain things, and I saw something that it can break in a very odd place at the robot factory. I just want to investigate it later, that's all."

"Alright. But right now, we need to keep looking around here, don't we?"

"Yeah, let's keep going."

After exploring for some time, they finally saw someone. It was what seemed to be another Maverick. He looked like a cross between a man and an eagle, and the look on his face showed malice.

(Zoey's point of view)

Even though the first two Mavericks had been frightening, the look on this one's face made him look even more fierce and evil than they had. He looked strong, too, but this I had expected.

X aimed his gun at Storm Eagle, and said word-for-word what he had said to Flame Mammoth: "We can destroy you here and now, but we would rather you surrender and accompany us to HQ. Power down or face us." How many times would these Mavericks have to refuse this offer before he got it through his head that they wouldn't listen to him? He had to approach it differently than the way he was now.

"Why on earth would I, Storm Eagle, surrender to you, Blue Boy?" the Maverick asked.

I had known that he was going to refuse...

"Storm Eagle," I said, "I would like to ask you something myself."

X looked over at me and whispered, "Why haven't you transformed yet?" I answered his question in a whisper as well. "X, I'm a lot like you. I'd rather try to persuade enemies to switch sides before having to fight with them. But you can't get them to agree the way you're doing it. You can't offer once and give up. You need to keep trying. Make an offer they can't refuse. Trust me, will you?" X didn't look too sure, but he agreed.

"What do you want to ask, you scrawny little pest?" Storm Eagle asked with impatience.

"I want to know why you Mavericks are all so loyal to someone like Sigma. I have reason to believe that he treats you all terribly." From the look Storm Eagle now held, I knew that he didn't know exactly how to answer my question. It took him a moment, but he did answer.

"Because," He said, "We Mavericks share the same goal that Sigma does. We want to annihilate the human race."

"Why? Was it not humans who created you? Without humans, how would you even exist in this world?" Again, he seemed flustered, but he answered this question more quickly than before.

"Humans only created Reploids to work for them. So that we could make everything easier for them. Humans are greedy, disgusting creatures that don't deserve to have life."

"Well those 'greedy, disgusting creatures' are the ones who so generously gave you the gift of life."

"GENEROUSLY? They built us so that we could be servants!"

"Isn't that how Sigma is treating you?"

"N-no! Lord Sigma treats us well! He cares for our well being!"

"Let me put it this way, Storm Eagle. Humans built you so that you could help them, that are true. But in return, they were willing to co-exist with you on this planet, and treat you just as they would treat anyone else. Even though Reploids were built to help mankind, that didn't mean that mankind was going to stop helping itself. Humans would still have jobs, as you would, you see? Sigma is using you to destroy the humans because he wants to be the dominant ruler of this planet. That means that once he gets what he wants, there's a good chance that he will treat you the way that you seem to think humans do."

"What are you trying to get at?"

"If you join with us to help save the human race, then you would be in a position for a much better future. If you become a Hunter yourself and help to save the human race, you will be a hero, and the humans will treat you as such. You will be honored, Storm Eagle. You won't get that honor if you stay with Sigma. All I ask is that you think about what I've told you. I've been in a lot of battles. I know some one who is going to betray his race because his race was evil, and I can almost guarantee that Sigma is planning on turning on each and every one of you Mavericks in the end of this war. Don't go down that road. Join us. Put your strength and power towards a life worth living."

Storm Eagle stared at me with wide eyes. He obviously was taking in what I was saying.

"How can I be sure that you won't betray me if I join you?" He asked.

"Storm Eagle... we won't. Believe me, we won't."

"Do I have your word?"

"You do."

I smiled, and I remember what Dren told me after our battle.

(Flashback)

Dren and I were panting heavily; I was left to fight Dren while the other Mew Mews were fighting Sardon and Tart.

"Zoey, fighting you made me realize the truth; Deep Blue will torment your people and our people once he conquers Earth. So I'm going to betray the Cyniclons." He told me.

I gasped. "Dren… you are?"

He nodded.

I smiled weakly; for once I'm starting to have feelings for him. Then I fell into the floor and went back to my normal form. Dren picked me up and teleported I back to my house in my room, there he lay me in the bed.

"I'm going to hide from the Cyniclons and the Earthlings, you may never see me again, but I will always love you kitten." He said those last words to me and teleport out of here, never to be seen again.

(End flashback)

(X's point of view)

Zoey had come closer to converting a Maverick than I ever had. I was impressed. No, I was more than impressed. I was amazed. She was very convincing.

Storm Eagle looked over at me, and I nodded to assure him that I promised not to betray him.

"Sigma won't be happy with me..." Storm Eagle said with a sigh. "But the chance to be honored by so many is impossible to refuse. I am not taken seriously among the Mavericks, and I can see that you are most definitely not lying to me. I will join you. But if you treat me at all unfairly..." Storm Eagle sent a warning glance towards both of us.

"We won't." Zoey assured him. I lowered my gun, realizing that I had it aimed at Storm Eagle for this whole time. I made my gun into my hand again, so that I didn't look threatening.

Storm Eagle still looked unsure.

"Storm Eagle, every word that she has just said is true. We will treat you as an equal. You have our word." I assured him.

Storm Eagle looked more confident now, and approached us. He held out his arm.

"X," He said, "You have the ability to copy other Reploids' abilities. Take mine. You may need it in this war."

I did so, and tested it. It was a tornado technique; very powerful. Needless to say, I was pleased. I was also proud of Zoey for bringing another Hunter into our ranks. Having her around would definitely make things easier.

To Be Continued…

Next time: X, Zoey and Storm Eagle take on Spark Mandrill and Sigma takes an interest on Zoey and orders the remaining Mavericks to capture her and is working on a project that rips anime characters from their dimensions and sends them to the MMX timeline.