Author's Notes; Pre-Day of Sigma AU. X gives Zero a tour of MHHQ. Dr. Cain and X begin to realize Zero is built differently than the reploids they've put together and studied. Sigma wants to give Zero a trial to see if he is still Maverick, but both may be seeing changes in behavior. Please enjoy.
X led Zero out of the lab to start their tour. "I guess we'll start from top to bottom. We will be getting new floors sometime soon, but for now there's only 4. This floor is mostly for research and science. There are research labs, experimental labs, and a few lounges for break rooms." Zero followed X quietly, catching glances of the labs and even the lounge rooms. Both human and reploid scientists could be seen working or having a break. X stepped inside the elevator at the end of the hall, pulling Zero in with him before the door closed. Zero happened to notice a large door closer to Dr. Cain's lab. "Hey, what's that room?" "Its a sort of showroom for the scientists. If someone makes a big discovery or holds a demonstration, the scientists gather and watch in there. Hunters and most other staff are not allowed in there." X answered pressing the 3 button on the elevator's control panel. The door closed and the elevator started down with creaking sounds. X gripped his arm tightly and held a side rail. Zero looked at X in concern. "Something wrong?" X sighed. "Its just this elevator. It doesn't sound right and I fear a day where it might get stuck and I'll be trapped in here. I won't be able to reach the escape hatch or force the door." Zero nodded. "That does warrant concern. Have you asked Dr. Cain about getting it fixed?" X nodded back. "We've asked the electrical workers in the building to keep a close eye on it, though presently there's nothing they can do about the creaking and squeaking." Zero sighed. "If it makes you feel better, perhaps we could take the stairs the rest of the way?" X nodded. "I don't mind that. One problem; There are no stairs to the 4th floor. The stairs end at the 3rd floor. The elevator is mandatory for the 4th floor." Zero looked puzzled. "That makes no sense. Did the architects forget stairs when building this place? All the floors need stairs should something happen to the elevator." "I agree. We were talking to a local contractor about the stairs and the new floors. Though, that same contractor is swamped with other projects. He says he won't be able to get started with either until next year. I can't shake the feeling that the elevator won't last until next year." X told him. The elevator stopped and opened its doors on the 3rd floor for them. "Here's hoping it still has a while ahead of it." Zero tried to be optimistic as the two of them stepped out.
On the 3rd floor were lots of reploids ahead of them. All were minding their business, be it chatting or just going to certain rooms. "This floor is basically housing for the Maverick Hunters. Everyone has their own dorm and if they want, sharing dorms is possible too." X told him. Zero glanced at all the mostly closed dorm doors as he kept close to X. As they got closer to most of the reploids, he knew he would have to keep watch on his violent urges. All the reploids outside of the dorms froze when they saw him and X. X looked down, not wanting eye contact. Zero's eyes were trained on the back of X's blue lab coat. Looking at X kept him calm. All that could be heard were X and Zero's footsteps as they walked. No one dared try to speak with a reploid who looked like a vampire.
When they reached the stairwell, Zero flew low beside X going down one flight. They both heard murmurs and footsteps resume on the 3rd floor just as they reached the 2nd floor. X was a little surprised. "They never get that quiet. There's always something happening on that floor. You must've either intimidated them really bad or they were really curious. You are making good progress on controlling your violent urges. What were you doing back there?" Zero grinned slightly. "I was trying to keep my eyes on you. It is strange. The sight of you...Your presence calms me...It helps me think clearer if that makes sense." X giggled. "Am I having the same effect on you as you do on me?" Zero smirked with a light blush. "Could be. By the way, there was another room that we didn't get to see." X nodded. "That's the conference room. That's for Hunters and Navigators only. Navigators tell the Hunters where they need to go for missions. And of course, its also where they gather for meetings." X then looked at the hall before them. "Anyway, this is the 2nd floor, the medical bay. Commander Sigma is still under repairs here. This is where injured Hunters or even other staff are admitted and taken care of when they're hurt." Zero followed X catching glances inside windows of the rooms. He could see the windows outside the building showing the rest of the city too. X had started to a certain room. "We should visit the commander while we're here." He knocked and then slowly opened the door.
Sigma looked up from the recharger pod he was in. His wounds were patched up, but strange purple scars were under and above his soulless eyes now. "X? Visiting again? Where's Dr. Cain? Have you repaired that blasted Maverick?" X nodded. "Dr. Cain got called for a meeting. And yes, we repaired the Maverick. In fact, he's joined me this time." X stepped aside and into the room. Zero stepped into the room with him and looked at Sigma. Sigma almost didn't recognize him with his new armor. "A new armor already? When you are in the simulation room tomorrow, I had better not see you use that armor. Far too luxurious an armor for a beginner." X was surprised. "Oh, so you intend to try him out?" Sigma nodded. "Base form only. No exceptions. If you can't follow such an easy order, you will be expelled. Is that clear?" No response came from Zero, just a blank stare. Mentally he was disappointed. "Did you hear a word I said?" Sigma barked angrily. Zero nodded. "I heard you. No need to shout." Sigma growled. "Cocky little-" X pulled Zero out of the room with him, closing the door. "This is strange...Sigma was always a good and caring leader. Now, he's bitter and angry. Something has to be wrong...By the way, did he jog your memory at all?" Zero shook his head. "No. Nothing still."
X showed Zero the 1st floor after the stairs again. "This floor is where a lot of the building staff are. Electrical, mechanical, a few lounges, and even the commander's room and Dr. Cain's office. Not much to this floor." Zero nodded as they walked. "Not a bad place. Not bad at all. It just needs a few touch ups here and there." X nodded. "We're working on that part. Hopefully, this place will be your new home."
Back in the lab, Dr. Cain had come back and was staring at Zero's blueprints on his computer screen. The more he looked at it, the more new things he noticed. Zooming into the core area in Zero's chest, he noticed what seemed to be a human heart though mechanical. Dr. Cain was curious. None of the reploids he and X built, Sigma included had that. Theirs were only oval shaped cores for the most part. He made a mental note to get X to check that area when he and Zero returned. Zooming out again, he had another look near Zero's groin. He blinked a few times. "Hmph, a reproductive system too? Now I'm convinced his creator didn't even know what he wanted to accomplish here."
Just moments after, X and Zero returned and walked into the lab. "Just in time." Dr. Cain smiled. X tilted his head. "Oh? What's wrong?" Dr. Cain stood up. "There's an area on Zero's chest I'd like you to check." Zero, as if on cue, walked and sat on the examination table. X had a glance at Dr. Cain's computer screen. Dr. Cain had centered Zero's chest area on the screen. "Is that...? What even...?" X said before putting the back of his hand on Zero's chest lens. He could feel a fast pulse from it. "The reploids we made don't have hearts...Whoever your creator even was..." Before X could say more, the AI unit in the room whirred to life. "I might be able to explain. Before I passed and before I sent you to hyperbolic sleep, I was planning on a new kind of robot, able to think and feel for itself. I had blueprints for it which contained such things as a mechanical human heart and even a reproductive system. I didn't have time to start on that robot." Dr. Light's hologram told them. Dr. Cain pondered. "Then whoever made Zero must've seen those blueprints." The hologram nodded. "I suspect so too. It truly sounds like the antics of my former friend in college, Dr. Albert Wily. Can you find a name on those blueprints anywhere, Dr. Cain?" Dr. Cain looked back to his computer and zoomed in and out on the blueprints, searching for any names. He finally found some text on the bottom left corner of the blueprint. "Here's something..." He paused and then read aloud. "Made by Doctor Albert Wily."
X stepped away from Zero. "So...Wily...he finally did it...That makes you...the very first reploid..." Dr. Cain nodded. "I found those blueprints of yours, Light. I discarded the heart and reproductive systems in the reploids we assembled for lack of logic in them...but this...finding a reploid that bears a more precise following to your planned robot...Fascinating isn't even the word." Zero wasn't sure how to process all this or what it truly meant for him. He was jolted from thought from the hologram calling his name. "Wily often made robots designed to conquer the world. You were his last attempt at such. I know in his right mind he wouldn't have included those things in your design. Yet he did. Unpredictable as ever. Consider them gifts from me, since it was almost certainly my blueprints he used in making you." The hologram then powered down.
Zero's head lowered and his eyes closed. "So...that settles it. I was created to destroy. To destroy everything I see. That must be why I got into that fight with your commander. There's some part of me that doesn't want to destroy. It wants to focus on those close to me." He held his head as a W appeared on his helmet crystal. "Aaagghh..What am I going to do...?" "Dr. Cain and I suspect that your programming to destroy is in conflict with your true nature. That's likely why you stalled and screamed during your fight." Zero shrugged, gripping his helmet. "What am I going to do...? Your commander wants me to fight tomorrow." X took his Zero's hand gently. "We're going to do this together, Zero. That's what friends do. We will figure out the rest. We'll take it one step at a time."