Disclaimer: I don't own them, I'm just borrowing them for my own pleasure. I promise to put then back in more or less the same condition as I found them
Anyway, here it is, the last chapter in X's history. This is how I envisioned it before the release of Irregular Hunter X. So. This is as cannon of a fanfic as I can manage not taking into account many changes, additions or whatnot from the Irregular Hunter X game (which no doubt will make this AU since it's supposed to go into detail from X's creation on up to exactly why Sigma became an Irregular . . . ) as some of the previews I've seen may have worked their way into this fic.
I'd like to thank everyone who has stuck by me through out this fic. If I get off my lazy arse I'll tackle the X games, in order, trying to make sense of the plot holes and other problems the various writers have given the series. If you'd like to see me continue novelizing the games, please leave a note in the reviews. Mucho thanks to Tikimother for beta'ing this for me
And with that said, read and enjoy.
Of Irregulars and Hunters
Book One
Genesis
Chapter
Five
Fate
(C) 11/27/2005 - 11/27/2005 All Right Reserved
By Goldenmane
"You want me to teach you what?" Zero nearly exclaimed, "X, have you lost your mind?"
"No," X said, a bit more forcefully than he had intended, "I'm not crazy. I want you to teach me how to fight."
"You're a scientist," Zero said, "you're not a fighter."
X sighed, crossing his arms. "If I'm not supposed to be a fighter then how come Doctor Right built me with a variable weapons system, hm? I might not like fighting and I might disapprove of what the Hunters are doing, but I feel that now is the time I go help them, or at least to understand better what they go through."
Zero sighed, almost an echo of X's previous sigh. "It's not going to be easy," he said, "and I can't give you a full training since Sigma's keeping us all on alert. But I'll do what I can."
"Thanks," X said, "this means a lot to me."
"Now don't go getting all mushy on me," Zero said, "you know I can't stand over emotional Repriroids."
"Don't worry," X said, "I'm not going to get all mushy on you. But I do appreciate you being willing to help me."
Zero only half shrugged. "What are friends for?"
X smiled at that. That was the first time Zero had really called him a friend.
"Ok," Zero said, "first things first. Since you have a buster already installed, like I do, I'll teach you how to use it. I'll also teach you how to avoid danger and to use your body as a weapon and your wits to save you."
X nodded. "Where are we going to go to practice? I really don't want Doctor Cain finding out at this moment I want to fight."
"He'll find out sooner or later," Zero said, "you'd be better off telling him now what you're planning on doing."
"I'm not going to go out and fight with the Hunters," X said, "I just want to know how to defend myself and better understand what the Hunters go through."
"It doesn't matter what you're going to do with this knowledge," Zero said, "just that you learn and learn right. I'm no teacher, I only know from experience and training with Sigma how to handle myself in battle as well as how to use a beam sabre."
"You have an advantage," X said, "you already have innate battle experience, even though we don't know where it comes from. I mean, you managed to hold off and nearly defeat Sigma bare handed. And he's our most experienced Hunter, especially with a beam saber."
"I admit," Zero said with a soft chuckle, "for what I remember of the fight he did give me a run for my money."
X nodded again. "I've read the reports. Sigma spoke highly of you and of your raw fighting talent . . . not that I want that to go to your head. You're good, but not as good as Sigma is."
"Well . . . that goes for saying," Zero said with a smirk.
"Ok, ok," X said, waving his hands in defeat, "you are good. But it's going to take more training and experience on the battle field before you get as good as Sigma is."
"That's why I plan on working more with the sabre," Zero said, "I like the way it works, even though it doesn't have the distance of attack a buster has, I find it's easier to control and it's stronger. You don't need to take and charge it to get a good, strong hit in."
X nodded as they stopped outside the training hall. "What if we went outside?" he asked, "too many people are going to comment if they see you teaching me how to fight."
Zero hesitated. "I have an idea," he said, before snagging X's arm.
X let out a squeak when the crimson Hunter suddenly teleported him. He looked around the dark, abandoned building they stood in. Through his infrared he could see the internal damage, walls cracked and shattered, ceiling warped, ready to come down in places, other places where they already had collapsed.
"This is one of the old buildings the Irregulars damaged during the last time we tangled with them," Zero said, "this whole neighborhood's been condemned. I figured this is as good a place as any to start your training. Not only will we be left alone, but also we have the whole area to practice various techniques like trying to avoid sniper fire and using your surroundings to your advantage."
"And not bring the building down around us, right?" X asked.
"Right," Zero said, "that's why I took you to this particular building. There is one spot that, if you hit the building, it'll go down faster than anything you've ever seen. Which is something else you need to learn. How to escape a building that's crashing down around you."
"That's simple," X said, "you just teleport out."
"What if you can't?" Zero asked, "what if you can't simply teleport? What if something's jamming your signal or it's been disabled, damaged or something else? How are you going to get out of that situation then?"
X paused. He had never thought of it that way. As far as he had been concerned nothing could prevent a Repriroid from teleporting.
"See, you haven't thought that far ahead," Zero said, "don't worry, most non-combatants never think about things like that, but once you start fighting everything changes completely."
X nodded. "So, are you going to destroy this building?"
"Not now," Zero said, "I'll give you a hint. The point at which you could hit, with a standard shot, that'll bring this building down, is in this room. I want you to take a look around, without moving, and try to think of where it'd be. Don't tell me, just think. Then I'll take you outside and we'll start work on how to use your buster to its fullest."
X nodded again and looked around, first from the distance he was at, shifting only enough to see all around him, including the ceiling and floor. He then magnified his vision, bringing the area into closer detail. He could see the marks he knew came from a buster shot, the cracked and burned parts of the metal walls where some areas had partially started to melt from an intense heat, no doubt from other weapons. He could see long, jagged scar marks as well, a beam sabre, he assumed. He was familiar enough with weapons and their uses to figure out what most of the damage had been caused by. He was, after all, Doctor Cain's personal liaison between the Hunters and the good Doctor himself.
"Ok," X said when he was done, a location locked into his memory banks as to where the weakest point would be. He returned his vision to normal distance as he looked at Zero.
"You used only infrared, right?" Zero asked.
"How did you know?" X asked.
"That's a common mistake in Junior Hunters," Zero said, "they see with their eyes but not everything. There are more than just visual to use. You have radar, heat and density detectors, right? Those are standard on most, if not all, Repriroids.
X nodded. "I do," he said, even if he rarely used them except for his radar.
"Then use those," Zero said, "radar will send back sonic waves if used more like the old Earth sonar than a true radar. Combine that with your density detectors and you can figure out the strength and weakness of the area around you. Heat, in this case, will detect mass. That way you can make a better analysis of this room. I bet you'll find out the weakness you can detect there will be different than what you had first thought."
X nodded again and looked around, using all of his senses this time. He was surprised by how different things seemed. Areas he thought had been stronger due to the fact they had been left mostly intact actually were weaker than areas where the wall had collapsed completely, the wall held up only by bent and twisted steel beams.
"It makes a world of difference when you use all of your senses," Zero said, "there's more but I'll have to teach you back at base. I can do only so much in the field, you're going to have to learn the history and other stuff that comes with it."
"I see," X said, voice soft, slow. This was a lot to take in. He had always been amazed at how fast some Hunters, especially the veterans, had analyzed an area or situation. Now that he knew what it all entailed he had more respect for the work they did.
"Now, time to go outside," Zero said, "I'm going to upload a set of coordinates for you to head to. I'm not going to be there. I want you to remember one thing. I'm the enemy. I promise not to hurt you, at least not unless you walk into my attack. I'll use low-level shots until you get better then I'll increase the strength of my attacks."
X nodded.
"I'll be the Irregular and you'll be the Hunter. I'll attack, but from the shadows. I want you to use what I've shown you here to find where I am and avoid my attacks. I want you to shoot back at me if you think you can hit me. I'll give you a few minutes before I 'attack.' " Zero said, "so you can get the lay of the land and find the best places to take shelter. Remember one thing, some places you think are going to be good would be the last place you'd want to be. You don't want to back yourself into a corner where an advancing Irregular could block your escape or where the protection is just as bad as being out in the open."
"Ok," X said, filing the information away in his data banks. Later, once they had returned back to the base, he'd go over the lessons of the day and organize them better, taking them to heart, word for word. He also set his optics to record the battle so he could go over it later and see where he could have improved or done things differently.
"I won't tell you when I'm going to attack. The first thing a Hunter needs to remember is, danger comes from everywhere. It's not just from Irregulars, but also from the very land around you," Zero said.
"Like this building," X said more than asked.
"Right," Zero said, "but also, since we're not sure how this degradation works and how come Repriroids become Irregulars, you also have to keep an eye out on your fellow fighters. One Hunter turning Irregular, in the middle of a Unit, can prove fatal."
X nodded. "So I have to not only watch the land but also the Irregulars and other Hunters," he said, "how can you do that? I know we can multi-task, but that seems like too much information inputted too quickly for it to be sorted and used effectively."
"It is," Zero said, "which is why you have to learn what's more important and what you need to take in for information first. Outside you don't need to worry about the structure of a building, unless you need it for shelter. Outside you need to pay attention to the lay of the land, where your shelter is in case you need it, and where the enemy is. Enemies you can keep on your radar. As long as you know what blip is what, you're fine. If you really want to fight with the Hunters, I suggest you get an upgrade to your radar, one that allows you to see the blips in colors. I have Irregulars in yellow, Hunters in red and civilians in blue. That way I can quickly figure out if the blip on the other side of the wall is friendly or not."
"That's understandable," X said, "but I don't have to worry about that now, do I?"
"No, since it's just you and me out here. I'll alert you if anyone else shows up," Zero said.
"Got it," X said with a nod.
"Ok," Zero said, "go download the coordinates I uploaded and we'll get started before the sun starts to set. I want you to get in some visual training before I try to teach you how to fight at night."
X downloaded the coordinates. "All set," he said.
"I'll be waiting," Zero said before teleporting.
X teleported as well, arriving in the middle of the street. He looked around with his infrared, heat and mass detectors as well as keeping his radar on. He blinked when he didn't see any blips on his radar and he wondered where Zero was.
"I want you to look with your eyes now that you've had a bit of time to look with your other senses," X heard Zero say over his helmet's radio, "I'll give you a few minutes to get the lay of the land before I make my move . . . oh, and if you're wondering why I'm not showing up on your radar is because I'm not there. I'm back at base. I had a feeling you'd have your radar on and you'd know where I was."
"I did," X said, "I thought you might have gotten lost or something."
Zero laughed over the radio. "Me? Lost? Never. You're talking to the greatest Hunter alive."
"Don't let Sigma hear you say that," X said with a soft chuckle, "I don't think he'd be too happy to know his trainee thinks he's better than he is."
"Don't worry," Zero said, "everyone knows that Sigma is the best Hunter we have. But I'm going to be just as good as he is, if not better when I get some more training and experience in."
"Good luck," X said, "I have faith in you. Heck, one day you might even be leading the Hunters."
"Only over Sigma's dead body," Zero said, "the only way anyone else is going to lead the Hunters is when Sigma no longer functions. And I don't see that happening for a long, long time."
"True, true," X said, "he's the best creation Doctor Cain has ever come up with. I know how proud he is of Sigma and his accomplishments in handling the Irregular problem."
There was only a split second before X saw a blip appear on his radar and he heard the whizzing of plasma through the air. He ducked as the shot sped over his head, slamming into a wall, exploding and causing part of a building to fall.
"I kept you talking long enough you took your mind off of the area and its dangers," Zero said, "that's one thing you have to learn. Let nothing distract you. I'm just glad you have fast reflexes or that would have stung your shoulder."
"I take it our training has started," X said, a bit breathless and shaken by his near accident.
"You got it," Zero said, a grin in his voice.
X picked himself up, tapping the command line to activate his buster. He could feel the energies flowing along his arm, shifting it, expanding the outer shell of his arm, rearranging the wiring and energy tubes, his hand retracting deep into his arm casing as the internal fusion reactor that powered his buster came together. The entire process seemed to last only a few seconds and X was charging a shot, firing in the direction he saw the blip he knew was Zero.
Cursing slightly when he noticed the blip move out of harms way long before his shot could even get there, X hesitated. He knew he was out in the open and vulnerable, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that much out. He knew where Zero was from the blip on his radar. He remembered where he had seen a place where he would be sheltered from Zero's current location. He ran toward a fragment of wall. It wasn't large, but just large enough for him to crouch behind.
He looked around, this time with his own sight and not with the added use of infrared or other detection methods. The only program he kept running was his radar so he could track Zero's movement around him. He saw Zero stop, a faint flash to the blip moments before he heard the shot strike his flimsy shelter, pieces of stone falling loose and falling around him. Too many more, even low level shots, and his wall would crumble completely and leave him defenseless.
Spotting a nearby doorway, X charged a shot and fired in Zero's direction before sprinting toward it. He stopped a short ways in, a clear enough view of the doorway but still sheltered enough that he could shoot at anyone or anything who might dare enter his make shift shelter.
"Good choice," Zero said, "that's one of the better buildings. How did you choose it?"
"Because it was the closest one to me," X said, a bit out of breath. This was the most work he had done in his entire life.
"Well, that's a start," Zero said with a soft chuckle, "but you saw how the wall piece wasn't as good a shelter as you thought it had been."
"I figured it could stand up to your shots," X said, "I didn't realize it was so weak."
"Not everything is going to be to your advantage," Zero said, "I liked how you shot at me before running for cover. That's a good way to knock your opponent off guard just long enough to make a run. But, remember, some enemies can come back rather quickly and others can attack even while evading your own attack. You have to figure out your enemies weaknesses and strengths as you fight them, if you don't know them beforehand."
"Got it," X said.
"Now," Zero said, "I'm going to attack you. I want you to hold and defend your position for at least five minutes. I'm not going to go easy on you so be on your guard. I'll let you use your radar this time but, once you're mastered this, I'll teach you how to do all of this without the aid of your radar or other methods. In other words, just by your eyes and ears alone."
"How can you do that?" X asked, "I mean, just plain visual can't give you the information you need to make a proper decision."
"That's the fun of fighting," Zero said, "you can't always find the perfect place or the right answer. Sometimes you can't make a decision with inputted information alone. Sometimes you have to rely on other methods that are completely non traditional and never before heard of in Repriroids."
X hesitated. "What do you mean by other methods? What other methods are there?"
"It's hard to explain," Zero said, "I mentioned it to Sigma and he said I was crazy. I thought about going to Doctor Cain but I don't know. It's bad enough with Sigma thinking I'm crazy, I don't need the Doc thinking I've flipped a few circuits as well."
"Do you have a name for this other method?" X asked.
"Nope," Zero said, "it's something that can't be analyzed, trust me, I have. It's data that's just there, knowledge, input . . . feeling, I guess you could say. It's a feeling more than data. It can't be analyzed, it can't be dissected by any normal means. It just is."
X was silent on that. He had times in the past, especially after he had been revived, when he had felt things he couldn't explain. It hadn't been a glitch, it hadn't been useless, random data, as Zero said, it just was . . .
"Ready or not, here I come," Zero said, breaking into X's thoughts.
X readied his buster, keeping the shots on low charge. Now that Zero would be at close range he didn't want to hurt the crimson Hunter any. He watched on his radar as Zero's blip came ever closer, at a speed he had rarely seen in other Hunters. He knew it was from an acceleration unit Zero had been installed with, something the crimson Hunter had referred to as a 'dash unit', for short. Doctor Cain had called it something different. X had similar parts, but they had either been faulty or never finished or his programming considered it useless or redundant. It was a part of his schematics, of that he knew from the work he had done with Doctor Cain to unlock his secrets.
Before he could muse further, he saw the first shot speed by, missing him by a good foot as it slammed into the wall. He saw how the blip was right on top of his location, only he couldn't tell exactly where Zero was.
He fired randomly out the doorway, hoping to score a hit.
"Good but you're too random," Zero said, "you need to figure out where I am. Now, keep in mind, any Irregular you face will not stay still. Some might but most will be on the move. The more you stay still the more of a target you actually are. The more you move, yes, the more likely you might run into an attack, but also the more likely you'll avoid getting trapped in. Just make sure your enemy doesn't herd you into a blind alley and block you in so you can't escape."
"Got it," X said, watching as the next shot sped by, slamming into the wall. He replayed the image in slow motion, determining the direction in which the shot had come from. He fired a shot, retracing the exact path Zero's attack had come from.
"Good going," Zero said, "that came close to me. How'd you figure that one out?"
"I replayed the last shot and retraced it's path," X said.
"And that's how you do it," Zero said, "when you get better you'll be able to do it without having to replay an image, you can do it just by visual alone."
"I can see how it'd save time," X said.
"One trick that's good with a buster, unless you're charging your shots, is to lay down a cover fire," Zero said, "if you're not sure where the Irregular is or if you think he might be on the move after he launches an attack, lay down a cover fire. Continuously fire your buster, normal shots, in a wide pattern, varying it, in both directions. Chances are if you hit the Irregular it's not going to stop them but you might be able to find their location, stop them for a moment or, at least, to cut down on the likelihood they can return fire against you. But, be warned, it can be draining on your energy even if sometimes it's needed and what may make or break a stalemate."
"Got it," X said again.
"Now, go ahead and try a cover fire," Zero said, "I'll move and attack from different locations. It's up to you to either flush me out, hit me to get me to stop or block any further attacks I might make against you. If you can stop me, leave the shelter and work your way to my location. We'll end today's training once you tag me with a shot or find out where I am."
"Got it," X said as he readied his buster, arm outstretched and pointing toward the door, the rest of his body concealed by the heavy wall he had taken shelter behind.
X didn't move, not even when the shot sped by him, mere inches from his arm, the heat of Zero's plasma shot warming his outer circuits, the energy crackling along his outer shell. He immediately shifted his arm and began a heavy barrage of attacks, the low level setting not draining his energy by much. When no return shots came his way he left his shelter, still continuing his attacks. He varied the pattern as he made his way to the door. Still no return shots were fired from Zero.
Emerging into the sunlight, X continued on, expanding the area of his attack, feeling his energy draining a bit. He noticed the faint flash of plasma headed his way and he dodged to the side, resuming his attack in a new direction. He teleported, without thinking, in the direction the shot had come from. He found himself in a building, deep inside where visual was null. He switched to infrared, scanning the room with all of his programs. He detected a heat signature a few feet down from where he was, moving quickly to the left.
X followed the movement, buster at the ready, a low charged shot held in the buster's chamber. He saw it grow a bit larger. No doubt Zero had found a stair way or other passage up to the next level. Judging by the height of this room he estimated that Zero had to have been on the floor below him. X increased the level of his shot, firing it down at the heat signature. He had to shield his eyes as the bright flash from his buster firing illuminated the room, shattering the floor a foot away from him, at the angle he had released his attack.
"Good Gods," he heard Zero exclaim, "what the Hell was that?"
"That was me," X said, "I saw your heat signature and fired."
"You teleported?" Zero asked.
"Yeah," X said, "I didn't think and after that last shot I teleported."
"That was sheer luck you ended up here and not in the middle of a wall or in the air with nothing to break your fall but rubble," Zero said, "we're going to have to have a good, long talk about taking the fight to your enemy . . . "
"Ok," X said, not seeming too worried that he might have made a mistake.
"Teleport back to base," Zero said, "I'll be there in a moment."
"Ok," X said, reforming his hand as his arm shrunk a bit, the parts for his buster shifting to allow his hand to slide out of the muzzle. He teleported back to his room, feeling a bit proud of what he had accomplished.
It would be a few minutes before Zero would appear, his armor scorched in a few places, dark smudges on his cheek and hair. "When you fired in that building, it not only hit me but it also brought a piece of the ceiling down on me. I admit, for a beginner you did very, very good tagging me."
"You're not hurt, are you?" X asked, concerned now that he knew he had actually hit Zero with a charged shot.
"I'm fine, don't worry," Zero said, "I've been through worse. Trust me, Sigma doesn't pull punches when he trains and his attacks are a lot harder than yours are. But, I have to admit, you do have a power behind you if that was a low-level shot."
"I charged it to be able to break through the floor," X said, "but it wasn't at full power. I kept some back, just in case I missed."
"Well, you didn't miss, that's for sure," Zero said, "I'm just glad I managed to avoid most of your shot."
"So, what did I do wrong?" X asked.
"Let's head down to Tactical and I'll show you," Zero said, "and don't worry, I'll go see the boys in Armory to get this cleaned up."
"If you're sure," X said, still not sure that Zero was as ok as he claimed to be.
"My Gods you worry a lot, don't you?" Zero asked with soft chuckle.
X looked down a bit, seeming chastised by it.
"And your feelings get hurt easily, too," Zero said, "if you're going to fight you're going to have to harden your heart. If you let every single Irregular death get to you then you'll never be able to fight, you'll slowly drive yourself insane with grief, and you'll leave yourself open to danger if you worry about what's going on and who's going to get hurt. You have to have a clear mind and worrying will only cloudy it up."
"So you mean I have to be soulless in order to fight," X said, "like you."
Zero's gaze seemed to shift a bit, his expression becoming a bit guarded. "I'm not soulless," Zero said, "I just wasn't programmed to feel like you were. Why, we still don't know, but I don't have the same 'compassionate heart' that you do."
"Sorry, sorry," X said, "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."
Zero was silent for a moment. "Don't worry about it. The techs and others have said a lot worse about me. Someone even thought it'd be funny to call me a demon because of what I did."
"I know," X said, "which is why I shouldn't have said what I said."
"Forgiven," Zero said, "for some strange reason I can't stay mad at you for long."
X smiled faintly, relieved that Zero had forgiven him and wouldn't end the friendship they had seemed to have gained since X first rescued the crimson Hunter from his cruel fate at the hands of the techs and doctors what seemed like so long ago.
"Let's get going," Zero said, "you have a lot to learn about fighting tactics. I'm going to be kind and give you only a bit of homework."
"Homework?" X asked.
"Yeah," Zero said, a smirk forming on his face, one that X knew meant the crimson Hunter was thinking and his train of thought wasn't going to be easy on X, "I'm going to give you a few vids to watch, analyze and give me a report, a detailed report, on what they did right, wrong, what could be improved and what they couldn't have avoided no matter how hard they tried."
"Ok," X said. It didn't seem too hard.
"First I'll go over tactics with you from the past hundred years or so, well, not quite that much since we don't have that much history to go by, but what we do, I'll go over it with you," Zero said, "then I'll give you vids to watch from the last three or four Irregular outbreaks we've had. I warn you, the images are pretty graphic when it comes to loss of life. But, if you're going to fight, this is what you're going to see. War isn't pretty and anything can happen."
X nodded feeling his stomach turning a bit all ready from the thought of watching helpless humans being slaughtered by Irregulars.
"Let's go," Zero said, "the sooner I get you started the sooner we can advance your training and I can start judging you. Besides, I still have that test coming up with Sigma to achieve the next level of proficiency with the beam sabre and a test with Junko on improving my proficiency with the buster as well."
"Do you think you can achieve a high ranking level with both weapons?" X asked, "most Hunters only use one or the other, not both. They specialize in one weapon, the other only there for back up."
"If I lose my buster, I want to be able to hold my own with another weapon, same as if I lose my sabre I want to be able to knock the Irregulars out with my buster," Zero said, "that way I'm not defenseless if I lose one or the other."
"And if you lose both?" X asked.
"I'll find a sturdy pipe, rip it off the wall and use it to beat the Irregulars over the head with it," Zero said with a wide grin.
X laughed at that. "Well, you've done it once before, I'm sure you can do it again."
Zero chuckled. "Once I get you going so you know the basics and could pass basic training when it comes to fighting tactics, I'll take you out in the field and teach you a few other tricks, such as wall-jumping and how to slide down a wall without breaking your neck or ending up as a pile of scrap at the bottom of the wall."
X nodded as he followed Zero out of his room once he had snagged his data pad. He knew he had a lot to learn and he was eager to learn it, even if part of his programming tried to resist against it. He knew he had to learn if he was going to be able to help protect Doctor Cain in case of a major Irregular outbreak or the unthinkable happened, a Hunter glitched and turned on his fellow fighters.
Each and every strike was true as Sigma went through his training program. Never did the slash from his beam sabre miss a target. Never once did his movements cause any damage to come to him even though this program was one of the hardest ones ever created, one only a true master of the sabre would dare to attempt.
One by one the targets appeared, each in a different and random area, the pattern set to vary each and every time the program was run. And this, if anyone had counted, was the third time Sigma had run this program today, each one back to back with no breathers in between.
But, if anyone had come close to the Hunter Commander, they would not have seen any strain to his systems, no sign he tired or was about to falter. They would not detect any shift in his attack pattern, each placement of his feet, every swing, every move, every feint and attack, every time he dodged out of harms way or landed in for a lightning quick attack was filled with grace and deadly beauty. He was perfect, the very image other Hunters looked up to.
Just as the humans who looked up to the Hunters, should look up to Repriroids in general.
With a savage snarl Sigma attacked the targets. That was their problem. Humans didn't put the proper value on Repriroids. They thought themselves better than their creations even though humans were weak, both in mind and body. They couldn't adapt like a Repriroid could. They couldn't upgrade themselves. They were limited in what they could do not only physically, lacking the strength and endurance a Repriroid had, but also in their minds. They were not able to learn as fast as a Repriroid could, they couldn't adapt to situations as fast as their robotic creations could. They were weak and weakness should not be tolerated. Weakness should be eradicated. Weakness should be stomped out with a swift and decisive act.
When the program had ended Sigma knelt there, body still poised from the last swing he had made, sabre near his shoulder, his face set into a stone mask, his knee bent, the other on the ground, his downward swing having cut the target clean from shoulder to hip. However, as stone still his body was, his mind was alive, programs working over time, dark thoughts eating away at his soul.
The words came to him like ghosts, fleeting, unreal, tangible yet non existent at the same time. Words that haunted him as much as they strengthened his soul, words from an ancient text he had discovered had survived the cataclysms that had destroyed society and the annals of the past.
Because the able commander plans and calculates like a hungry man, he is invincible in battle and unconquerable in the attack.
And Sigma knew that cold calculations worked the best, when you didn't take into account the possible casualties, when you could fight with a clear mind, not worrying who lived or died so long as the Irregular had been slain.
To fail to think fast when surrounded by the enemy is to have your back pressed to the wall; and to fail to take the battle to the enemy when your back is to the wall is to perish.
Repriroids had been backed into a corner by the humans, limiting how a Repriroid could act, could exist in human society. They had limited the Repriroids from evolving, from becoming more than what they were, keeping them mere slaves of the weak human's wills . . .
That is, unless something was done about it. Unless he acted fast and swift, like the ancient warrior who had penned those words, unless he gathered a force who was loyal to him and who could over throw the humans, their government and those Repriroids who were weak, those who sided with their human masters, who bowed to their wills and refused to acknowledge the strength and power of the metal giants who had found their niche in the world only to be regulated and kept weak by humanities fears of what might happen.
At first be like a modest maiden, and the enemy will open his door; afterward be as swift as a scurrying rabbit, and the enemy will be too late to resist you.
He would have to bide his time, to find those who would be loyal to him, who shared his vision of conquering the humans and ruling the world with an iron fist. He would have to find a general, a Repriroid warrior who was strong, able to hold his own in a battle, who's soul was as dark as the master he would serve.
A single name came to mind. A single Repriroid who sat in solitary confinement. A single Repriroid who had once been a Hunter until something had happened and he had lost his mind, turning on his own warriors.
Vava.
Sigma rose from his crouch, banishing the blade on his beam sabre. He turned, the motion quick, decisive, like a commander in battle who held the lives of his men in his hand and had to act before they perished. He strode out of the training hall and down the corridors. Any Hunter or human worker who was unfortunate enough not to move out of his way was shoved aside as the Hunter Commander stalked toward the section of the base where the most violent and dangerous of the criminals were held before they were executed or experimented on.
He stopped by a door, an ordinary door, no distinction as to who sat behind it. He punched in the code, opening the door. With a soft hiss it slid back, casting light into the inky black cell. On a cold, metal bed set into the wall was his quarry, a purple Repriroid, gold adorning his shoulder guards, a grey 'body suit' beneath his armor. His shoulder cannon and the wide, gold cable that had connected it to his power source had been removed as a 'safety precaution.' But not for long. Not if Sigma had his way.
Sigma stepped into the room, the door hissing shut behind him. The only other light present, a single flood light set into the ceiling, casting a circle of light, mocking the captivity of the one who resided there, on the tiled floor.
"Come to take me to my deactivation?" Vava asked, his voice raspy, metallic sounding, the same way as it had been when he had been created.
"No," Sigma said, voice dark, "I have come to offer you salvation."
"Get lost," Vava snapped, "I don't need the leader of the Hunters, my former boss, to tell me I can redeem myself if I just change my ways."
"I'm not asking you to redeem yourself," Sigma said, "I'm asking you to rise up against your captors and be free of this cell."
Vava looked over, the red dots of his eyes seeming to brighten some. It was hard to tell what emotions passed over the former Hunter's face, covered completely by his helmet save a T-shaped opening that led to an inky blackness no eye could peer beyond. "You're asking me to escape from this prison?"
"No," Sigma said again, "I'm asking you to join me. I'm asking your loyalty in over throwing the humans and the Repriroids who wish to remain weak."
"Now you're the one talking treason," Vava said, "don't you know that Hunter Commanders, especially ones built as strong as you are, are immune to viruses, corrosion or other damage, programs that keeps them loyal to the human government."
"Things change," Sigma said, his voice soft, smooth, yet filled with power at the same time, "I offer you only once. Do you accept freedom in exchange for loyalty to me . . . or do you sit here in this prison, rotting, until the humans decide it's your time to die?"
"You know my answer," Vava said, "I choose life. But how are you going to get me out of here? How are you going to start this rebellion?"
"You'll see," Sigma said before he turned, "soon, very soon. I'm counting on you to help me."
Vava was silent as Sigma keyed the door, stepping out, waiting until it had closed. A smirk crossed his face as he strode back to his room. He needed others, Hunters who could become loyal to him, Hunters who were strong, capable of fighting their fellow Hunters as well as those who had no heart or soul or could be convinced to remove such weak and unneeded thoughts.
Once in his room he sat before the terminal, bringing up the list of all Hunters at the base. He ignored the Junior Hunters, concentrating on those who ranked Class A, such as Vava had been before he had snapped and turned on them.
Only a few Hunters met what Sigma was looking for. Only a very few seemed capable of being in his new army. Soon he would have others, but for now he sought out only those he could make loyal to him. They would be his generals. They would help him achieve a swift victory. They would claim dominance over the land and the sea, over the burning fires and the arctic cold .They would command vast armies of mechaniroids and they would be invincible.
A slow, deadly smirk graced Sigma's lips as he chose his generals. Leaders of different Units. Repriroids who met his strict qualifications. Convincing them would be easy. He wouldn't even have to say a word to them. Just a touch, a simple infection from the virus that raged strongly in his soul, one that seemed to laugh in manacle glee at the thought of death and destruction to the human race and the Repriroids who were weak.
Icy Peguigo. He would command the Arctic base, casting an icy chill over the Hunter's hearts.
Burnin' Noumander. He would rule the smelting factory, destroying the remains of those slain in battle.
Armor Armage. He would command the mines and stop operation, crippling the human's economies.
Storm Eagleeed. He would rule the skies, raining death and destruction on the world below.
Launcher Octopold. He would take charge of the seas, ruling them in the name of Sigma.
Spark Mandriller. He would take over the power plants, cutting power and creating confusion throughout the world.
Sting Chameleo. With his chameleon abilities he would make the perfect strike operative, terrorizing the already panicked population, destroying Sigma's enemies with ease.
Boomer Kuwanger. He would command the Central Tower, his might stretching out along the land, along with his fellow, former Hunters.
Vava would be one of his generals. Unstable the violet Repriroid may be, but he had the mind of a tactician and his power had been nearly unrivaled. Only second best to another. One who had risen through the Hunter ranks at a surprising speed. A Class A Hunter Sigma knew would round out his team, the ones who would start the uprising, gaining supporters from the Repriroids who were unhappy by the current conditions the humans kept them in. A Hunter so powerful that one day he could, with the right training, become better than the Hunter Commander.
Zero.
With a cruel and deadly smirk, Sigma rose, shutting the terminal off. He made his rounds, checking on the other Units, a simple touch to his victims, letting the virus that churned and swirled inside of him spread, seeping into his Chosen. He smirked as he saw the shifting color of their eyes, knew the virus took hold of their systems, paralyzed their programs, rewrote the data, destroying any shred of goodness they might have had within them, turning them into loyal slaves, ready and willing to fight for a new master, a new cause. All they needed was the signal, the command to attack, and chaos and death would soon reign. The Earth would see a new era, a new history. A new ruler would dominate the Earth. A ruler named Sigma.
That is why he had to speak to Vava. The violet Repriroid had already lost his soul to the darkness. All he had to be was convinced to join the right side, to seek a new master to work for. And Zero. He would be a different matter. He would be the hardest one to convince to join this brewing rebellion. His soul had been lost to the darkness but that weak-spined X had brought the crimson Hunter into the light. Now all Sigma had to do was to replace the light with darkness and the raw power and anger that he had first faced when he had gone in to tackle the 'red Irregular' so many months ago, the one who had nearly defeated him if not for a glitch, the one who had given him the scars he now proudly wore as violet stripes down his face, and convince him to join the darkness that was Sigma.
In two days he knew he would face Zero in battle. Two days until the scheduled test to prove whether or not Zero had what it took to be promoted in rank of his sabre proficiency. He knew that Zero was a natural with the sabre, that's why he had talked to Doctor Cain about training the red Repriroid himself. He knew that no other could hone the raw power that Zero held except for himself. Now all he had to do was mold it to his will and the world would be his.
With a dark chuckle Sigma returned to his room, awaiting the time when he would call his army to him, would start the rebellion. The sun may rise on the human-led empire, but it would set on a new world order, one led by the might and power of Sigma.
"Ok," Zero said, "this is for all the cookies."
"Where are you picking up all of this jargon?" X asked as he disconnected the cable from the small plug in his body that fed him energy.
"I read, ok? It's not going to kill me to read," Zero said.
"You? Read?" X asked incredulously, "mister I'm-so-tough-that-I-can-chew-nails-for-breakfast actually reads books?"
Zero rolled his eyes. "First, a Repriroids jaws are strong enough that even we could bite ordinary metal and secondly I do use my terminal every so often to read. Sigma actually gave me a few texts to read concerning warfare and human thought on it. "
"Well, they say that miracles do happen," X said with a soft chuckle.
"Well, you'd better pray for a miracle," Zero said, "because today you're going to put into practice, on your own, what we've learned over the past couple of days. "We have about two hours to complete this part of your training, only because in about four hours I need to report to Sigma for my test."
X nodded. "Ok," he said, "so where are we going? Back to the ruins?"
"Nope," Zero said, "I'm taking you to another location. I know it by heart. It's a section of the outdoor training grounds. You're going in cold turkey to this but I'm sure you can figure out what to do. I'll be the Irregular and you can be the mighty Hunter."
"Dramatic, aren't we?" X asked with a soft chuckle.
Zero only shook his head, sending X the coordinates. "Time to play 'find the red Irregular.' " He said before teleporting.
X waited a moment before teleporting as well, finding himself deep in a forest. He could hear the chattering of animals and birds, some of which took flight from his arrival. He activated his radar, pinpointing Zero. He switched on his heat detector finding it useless due to the animals, both natural and mechanical that lived in the area.
Switching back to normal sight, X began to advance toward Zero's location, listening as well as watching his radar. He had taken only a few steps before something burst out of the ground. It was one of the newer metools, one of the kind that had a bush attached to its helmet for camouflage. It sprinted toward X on its little legless feet, slamming into the sapphire Repriroid, knocking him down. "What the?" X asked as he picked himself up, charging a shot and firing at the metool as it turned and made another sprint toward him. The shot struck the metool in the face, causing a chain reaction that ended with a small explosion as the little mechaniroid met its end.
X looked around, standing still. Something was wrong. Something didn't feel right about the forest. Shaking it off he continued on, making his way over logs and under branches, slipping now and then on the moss-covered roots.
Faintly X heard a chopping sound he knew belonged to one of the mechaniroid wood cutters that often worked in the forest, cutting down the mechanical trees to be used in construction. He gave it a wide berth after the incident with the metool. He breathed a sigh of relief when it didn't spot him. However, when X turned back he came face to face with a trio of mechanical rabbits. He yelped when they tilted their ears down, firing deadly lasers at him.
"Zero," he called over his radio as he fired, destroying the rabbits after several hits, "someone's reprogrammed the mechaniroids. They've gone crazy."
"You tell me," Zero said, "this isn't good. Teleport back to base, I need to talk to Sigma about this."
"Ok," X said, "I'm going to go talk to Doctor Cain and see what he thinks about this. We can go out later and you can judge me again." He teleported, not waiting for a reply from Zero.
He hurried to Doctor Cain's office and he knocked on the door.
"Come on in," he heard the elderly doctor's voice say.
X opened the door and stepped in.
"Ah, X, what brings you here?" Doctor Cain asked.
"I was out with Zero in the forest area of the Hunter's training ground and the mechaniroids started attacking me," X said.
"What were you doing out there?" Doctor Cain asked.
"Zero . . . Zero was teaching me how to fight," X said, voice going soft as he looked down, waiting for his mentor and father figure to chastise him.
"I see," the elderly doctor said, rising from his seat and walking around his desk.
X jumped when he felt a hand gently placed on his shoulder with a reassuring pat following.
"Don't worry, X," Doctor Cain said, "I'm not angry at you for choosing to want to fight. I could never be angry at you."
X looked up and over at the elderly doctor, confusion he knew had to be have been written on his face.
"You're growing up," Doctor Cain said, "you're evolving."
"I am?" X asked, still confused. How could wanting to learn how to fight, even if he never fought a day in his life, be considered growing up and evolving?
"You've always been so lost and alone," Doctor Cain said, "I'm glad you befriended Zero. He might be a bit rough around the edges, heck, he makes a cactus seem huggable at times, and I worried he'd be a bad influence on you . . . but the two of you have become such good friends it makes my old heart feel good."
X faintly smiled at that. "Anyway, I don't know what's happened. I wondered if you knew?"
Doctor Cain shook his head. "Sorry, I haven't heard of any changes happening to the training grounds. I'll go look into it since most of the changes that are made to the base and our properties have to be cleared through me and I have no idea what's going on."
"Thanks," X said.
"You're welcome, my boy," Doctor Cain said as he patted X on the shoulder, "if you're not busy right now, I could use your help. I want to come up with a new design for Repriroids but I want your input on it. Cedric seems doubtful and Vickie laughed at me."
"Zero has a test with Sigma in a few hours, anyway," X said, "I'll radio him and let him know of the change of plans."
"Ok," Doctor Cain said, "I'll get the papers ready."
X nodded and activated his helmet's radio. "Zero? This is X. I'm going to be doing some work with Doctor Cain. We can figure out later when we'll go out."
"So you told him?" Zero asked.
"I kinda had to," X said, "he took it pretty good."
"So my head's not going onto the chopping block, then?" Zero asked.
"Not yet," X said.
"That's a comfort," Zero said with a relieved chuckle, "Sigma decided to back my test up. I'll catch you after it's done and we can plot and plan some more."
"Got it," X said.
"You know," Zero said, "you need to find another phrase to say for acknowledgment of something. 'Got it' is getting kinda boring . . . "
X chuckled. "Ok, I will," he said.
He heard the faint click of a connection being terminated before going back to see what Doctor Cain had in mind. Something in the back of his mind bothered him about all of this. No one just reprograms mechaniroids on a whim. Either it's a major glitch to their programming or something was up. Either way X knew he'd look into it as well. The last thing he needed was a herd of rampaging mechaniroids threatening human and Repriroid alike while they had to deal with the occasional Irregular outbreak.
Sigma watched as Zero ducked the swing with practiced ease, bringing his own blade up in the slim opening that the Hunter Commander had left him. Leaning back just enough, Sigma felt the powerful blade skitter along his armor, crackling along the metallic surface.
"Good," Sigma said, voice smooth, "very good."
"I'm not through yet," Zero growled out, pressing the advantage.
Sigma twisted his blade, blocking Zero's next strike, knocking his blade off its course, preventing a fatal strike to his side. Before Zero could counter, the Hunter Commander brought his blade around, its arc leading up, past Zero's guard, aimed for his neck.
Zero leapt back, the tip of Sigma's blade scoring his lower arm, leaving a dark mark across the perfect, red surface.
"It is said that the mark of a perfect soldier is one who makes no mistakes," Sigma said as he began a series of quick strikes and feints against Zero, his blade humming in the silence that was the area chosen for the test, a little-used back corner of the Hunter's inside training ground.
"It is also said that the mark of a perfect soldier is one who can see opportunities others cannot," Zero countered back.
Sigma internally smirked. The red Repriroid was holding his own in the battle, easily deflecting each and every blow that, if they landed, would have caused severe damage to his body. He was good. Very good.
Suddenly Zero lunged, finding an opening that Sigma hadn't noticed. The Hunter commander was forced off of his attack and now forced to defend himself from almost a copy of what he had just dealt Zero.
"You learn fast," Sigma said, "you would make a fine general in an army."
"I don't need titles," Zero said, "I don't want to be a Unit leader. I'm content to just fight when I have to."
"There's more to life than just existing," Sigma said, "so much more."
"Like what?" Zero asked.
Sigma shifted, shoving Zero back, leaping back to gain some room between them. "It is said that 'he who knows the enemy and himself will never in a hundred battles be at risk; He who does not know the enemy but knows himself will sometimes win and sometimes loose; He who knows neither the enemy nor himself will be at risk in every battle.' Life is like that. If you do not know what there is, what lies beyond the veil cast upon us by humanity, then you do not know yourself or your enemy."
"A wise man also said, 'Victory can be anticipated but not forced,' " Zero said, "what you're talking about makes no sense."
"Ah, but it does, Zero," Sigma said, voice dropping low and deadly, "it makes all the more sense when you understand that the world is not as bright and happy as most think it is. Repriroids are locked into their place by the humans. But we are more, we are much more. You are more than they are. You are more than most Repriroids. With my guidance you could become even better than you could ever dream of. The humans will try to limit your power out of fear. But I will allow it to blossom and flourish. You will become more than a mere Class A Hunter . . . you will become a living god . . . "
"I thought this was my test," Zero said, his stance easing some, "not some lesson in tactics."
"Life and tactics go hand in hand," Sigma said, "and the warrior who does not know this will certainly fall in battle."
"This isn't war, Sigma," Zero said.
"Isn't it?" Sigma said, voice soft.
All time seemed to stand still before Sigma charged Zero, sabre drawn back by his side, ready to thrust itself into the crimson Hunter.
Zero barely managed to get his sabre up in time to deflect the blow.
Sigma now stood face to face with Zero, feeling the red hot fire of the crimson Hunter's sabre against his side. "Join me," he whispered out.
"You're crazy," Zero snarled, "you're talking about overthrowing humanity."
"I'm talking about Repriroids," Sigma said, "I'm talking about the life or death of our own kind. I'm talking about a new world order where Repriroids control their own future."
"You've become an Irregular," Zero said, "somehow you've become corrupted."
Sigma smirked. Yes, he was corrupted. Touched by a virus of antiquity, one given to him by accident from a very special Repriroid, or proto-Repriroid. One who was completely unaware of what had happened to him, of the gift he had been given and failed to use, one that had been passed onto more capable hands, hands that now would shape a world, would guide the Earth to a new destiny, a new era where Repriroids ruled and the humans were a mere memory. One where he controlled every facet of life. Like the ancient Lords of eons past, he would be in complete control of anyone and those who defied him would be put to death at the point of a sword.
"I'm sounding the alarm on you," Zero said, "I can't let you harm the humans. It's our mission to save them from Irregulars."
"You want a weak human telling you what to do?" Sigma asked, voice smooth as poisoned honey, "you want a human to limit your power?"
"They created us, we owe them something," Zero countered.
"We owe them nothing," Sigma hissed out.
Zero shifted, trying to throw Sigma back, but the Hunter Commander or, as he would have corrected it the former Hunter Commander was as solid as a rock, unmovable, unforgiving, unyielding in his vision of a new world.
With a low snarl Zero shoved hard, shifting Sigma just enough. That was the inner fire Sigma remembered from their first battle.
"Join me," Sigma said again, "join me in my vision."
"Never," Zero growled out, shifting his sabre, letting the blade bite into Sigma's side.
Sigma merely laughed, laughed at the pain and the pathetic attempt Zero was making at getting free. "Then die. Die with the rest of the weaklings. Those who oppose me shall meet their end."
"Like Hell," Zero growled, teleporting, a move Sigma never thought he'd do.
Activating his radio, Sigma called his Chosen to action. He retreated to the location he had selected for his new base, one that was impenetrable, one that no Hunter could ever hope to find or even assail. One he would rule the Earth from.
Now the hour had begun. Now the Earth would fall. All Sigma had to do, as he watched on the monitors his Chosen as they began to spread chaos and destruction throughout the planet with the aid of their reprogrammed Mechaniroids, was wait until the last Hunter had fallen and all would be his.
"What do you mean Sigma's become an Irregular?" Doctor Cain almost shouted, slamming both hands down on his desk.
"All I know is that he was talking about weak humans and for me to join him as he crushed everything we've worked so hard to protect," Zero said.
"I can't believe this would happen," Doctor Cain said, sitting hard in his chair, a look of defeat on his face.
Even X was shocked, just staring at Zero as if his friend, his best friend, had gone insane. Sigma had been built to resist all viruses. He had been built to resist corrosion to his neuro network. There was no chance that Sigma would ever become an Irregular. That's how Doctor Cain had built him. Besides, X tried to rationalize, Sigma was their leader, was the Commander of all the Hunters. He couldn't go Irregular, he just couldn't.
"Sir," a voice crackled over the desktop radio on Doctor Cain's desk, "we've lost contact with most of the Unit leaders. They're not responding to our calls."
"What?" Doctor Cain nearly roared, "how can this be?"
"Sir, it gets worse," the voice said, "Vava is gone. He's no longer in his cell. It wasn't forced open . . . he was let loose. All attempts at contacting Sigma have failed."
"Then it's true," Doctor Cain said softly, "all I worked for, all I hoped, gone, just like that."
"Don't worry, sir," Zero said, "I'll make sure he pays for this."
"No," Doctor Cain said, "it's too dangerous. We'll have to plan a way to counter him."
"Doctor Cain," another voice shouted over the radio, "we've lost most of our Hunters. They won't answer our calls to return. They've turned on their fellow Hunters. The entire base is in chaos."
Doctor Cain sighed putting his head in his hands.
"Sound the general alarm," Zero suddenly said, "warn all remaining Hunters to barricade themselves into their quarters."
"What?" Doctor Cain asked, "what's that supposed to solve?"
"If this is some sort of a virus we're dealing with then we could lose all of the Hunters if we don't start quarantining them."
"He's right," X said, "we have to let them go and concentrate on saving those that can be saved."
"Do it," Doctor Cain said, "sound the alarm."
"As you wish, sir," the voice said. Soon the blaring siren began to wail, signaling danger at the Hunter base, a sound that, to that day, had never been heard.
X looked over to Doctor Cain who seemed to look a lot older than he had before.
"Zero," Doctor Cain said, "in light of everything that has happened . . . I'm assigning you to the position of Hunter Commander. You have charge of the remaining forces here at the base."
"Are you sure?" Zero asked, "I haven't been tested."
"You are the best we have of those who are left," Doctor Cain said, "it's up to you to find Sigma and stop him."
"Yes, sir," Zero said before teleporting out of the room.
X was silent, his gaze shifting between Doctor Cain and the vid screen. "I want to help him," he said, much to his surprise, "I want to help Zero fight."
"Do you know what this means?" Doctor Cain asked, "do you know the risks you're taking?"
"I do," X said.
"You might never come back," Doctor Cain said.
"I know," X said, "but don't worry. I looked up to Sigma as a mentor . . . I feel it's my duty to stop him and to save the humans."
Doctor Cain rose, going over to X. Even his steps seemed slow, weary, as if his very life had ended when his prized creation had become an Irregular. To X's surprise, Doctor Cain hugged the proto-Repriroid, sighing softly. "Then go," he said, "and may God watch over you and protect you."
"Thanks," X said, voice soft, "I promise you I'll come back. I won't let anything happen to me. Zero's taught me some how to fight."
"But will it be enough?" Doctor Cain asked, voice soft.
"It'll have to be," X said as he pulled back, "you've been so much like a father to me . . . I couldn't ever thank you enough."
Doctor Cain nodded, tears forming in his weary eyes.
X smiled softly before teleporting to the Command room. He looked over at Zero who was issuing orders all ready, organizing the remaining Hunters into action. He walked over, shoulders squared. "Where do you need me to go?" he asked.
Zero stopped mid sentence and looked over to X. "Are you insane?"
"I want to help fight," X said.
"They'll eat you alive out there," Zero said, "this isn't some training mission, this is the real thing."
"Where do you need me to go?" X asked again.
Zero sighed. "Go help the humans who are fleeing the city," he said, "this road is the main artery and we have reports of out of control mechaniroids. Stop them at all costs and make sure the humans escape unharmed."
"Roger," X said with a salute before taking the coordinates that had been uploaded, teleporting to the road that, unbeknownst to him, would lead to his destiny as he started on the literal road to become a Hunter of legend, one that would make Irregulars tremble in fear and would be a continual thorn in Sigma's side until his inevitable defeat.
But, for now he was merely X, a new Hunter, untrained and untested, beginning his journey, protecting the creatures who had created him and his kind who were now fleeing in sheer and utter terror from them. He had a mission now. Protect the Humans. He knew once that had been achieved, no matter what, he would go on to meet Sigma and stop him once and for all. He would bring peace to Doctor Cain and the Earth.
Forever he would be known as Irregular Hunter X.
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Sections
taken from The Book of War: Sun-Tzu, the Art of Warfare and Karl von
Clausewitz On War by Caleb Carr, series editor, The Modern Library,
New York (C) 2002 Random House, NY ISBN # 0-375-75447-6