Note: Hello! I'm thinking of powering through these following few chapters while I'm in the swing.

Also, I am re-reading some of the Rock Man X manga, so expect some references and callbacks to certain scenes and characters. This chapter is a little shorter, but it's mainly to give the Maverick revealed his own chapter to fight X. Although, the Maverick here is pretty obvious.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy it!

Through the Icy Terrain

It took some effort to dig through the snow, but Boxer managed to do it. Some of his men were following him, yet eventually, they'd all make it out. Yet that wasn't the problem. The problem was that their enemy now had an advantage in the distance. He was further ahead and, in turn, had a better chance of discovering the method of their mission.

"All right, move out!" Boxer commanded. "I know a shortcut!" he dashed forward, and those who could follow him. "No matter what, we can't let him reach the western side of the region!"

This entire operation depended on what was located there, and the Armor Soldier leading the others suspected that the blue Hunter would discover one of the crucial parts of this operation eventually.

Further Ahead

If Trinity was correct, this area was where the Polar Unit had its base of operations when they were away from the city. But, then, if that was the case, where was everyone? X looked around him, his leg upgrades helping him navigate through the snow far smoother than before, yet he kept himself in place to look around. All around him were small, igloo-like structures and X found that, upon entering one, they were small housing areas for the Hunters. Yet there was no sign that anyone had been here in some time.

Machinery was still running, yet there was no one to maintain it, and the communications network was down, not allowing any contact with the outside. "Sabotage, perhaps?" X thought aloud. "If that's the case, who's responsible?"

Exiting the igloo, X continued, eyes peeled for any sign of enemy forces, mechaniloid or Reploid. "There he is!" as if on cue, the blue Hunter heard a voice shout from behind. Turning, he saw that the Armor Soldiers had dug their way out of the snow and were gunning for him. "Fire!"

A barrage of energy bullets flew in his direction, X ducking underneath the gunfire, speeding through the snow, out of the way. The Armor Soldiers continued to pursue him, then X saw another structure nearby, in an even worse state than the storage. The entire wall the entrance stood on was gone, showing nothing but a gaping hole that led to the other side. But, as he approached the building, he noticed a sizable slope ahead of him. And that it was surprisingly close to the roof.

The question was, could he do it?

There was only one way to find out! Dashing forward, X gained enough momentum to stay in the air for a short time, allowing him to reach the roof of the structure. Then, seeing his pursuers below him, the blue Hunter continued. Boxer and his men entered the building, aiming their weapons up at the ceiling, ready to fire.

"Don't let him get out of here!" Boxer commanded. He then spied a pair of machines in the distance. They looked old but still functional. "I've got an idea."

From up above, X ran along the roof of the building, but soon found his path blocked by the slew of plasma bullets shooting through the surface. From behind, even more, bullets blasted through the ceiling, surrounding X. When it became evident what his aggressors were trying to do, it was too late. X found himself taken by gravity as the slab of roof he stood on fell through and to the ground below. The blue Reploid landed on his knee and found himself surrounded by Armor Soldiers, as well as some mechaniloids that had emerged from the snow.

A pair of Spiky's rolled their way in X's direction, the blue Hunter dodging one, but was unprepared for the mechaniloid turning horizontal and spinning across the icy surface of the floor. The spikes of the appropriately named machine nicked X on his outer left thigh, tearing slightly through the cyan covering. This moment of weakness triggered the Armor Soldiers to begin firing from all sides, forcing X to the ground to keep out of the way. The Spiky's continued to come at him, sliding along the floor, yet it was then that X spied an opportunity. Though he knew he would have to time it right, otherwise he would end up taking several sharpened spikes to the face!

The Spiky's came spinning toward him, and then, at the last second, he rolled out of the way, the mechaniloid unable to stop itself from crashing into several of the Armor Soldiers. The other Spiky came spinning toward him, yet X fired a charged shot at the machine, the blast tearing through its motor relays. The mechaniloid was sent spinning in the other direction, out of control before crashing into a wall and creating a small explosion. Seizing the opportunity, X got up and dashed forward, getting ahead of the Armor Soldiers, who were once again back to pursuing him from behind. Don't hesitate, Zero's words echoed in X's mind again. Just act. If the blue Hunter was honest, he wasn't doing that good of a job of acting on those words.

As he went further ahead, a pair of tall, violet-colored mechaniloids stood, blocking his path. They resembled robotic cranes, but their "plumes" were a sawblade ready to be dislodged and sent in the blue Hunter's direction. The Flammingles swung their heads around full three-hundred-sixty degrees, sending their spiked head decorations toward X. The sawblades tore through the surface of the frozen walls, not even becoming stuck before they went back to the robotic birds. It was but a small taste of what they could do, the mechaniloids almost seemingly daring X to step forward. And X heard the forces he had left behind close by.

The Flammingle on the left decided to take another swing at X, yet when the sawblade came in his direction, the blue Hunter fired a plasma shot, the force of the shot sending the blade off course and back at the mechaniloid. The bird ducked its head, yet this allowed X to get a clear shot at it, a charged blast destroying the Flammingle's head, and in turn, the mechaniloid's explosion caused its twin to retaliate. This time, however, X blasted the sawblade back at the robotic bird, the sharpened instrument piercing through the mechaniloid's central processor. Seeing as the two were no longer a threat, X continued on his way, all the while trying to put as much distance between himself and his pursuers as possible. He was doing much thinking, but not so much acting.

He suspected he wouldn't have much choice but to do the latter soon.

Exiting the building, X dashed through the snow and continued, passing by several igloos, all empty and devoid of either Reploids or humans. While the blue Hunter assumed that, if this was Maverick territory, no opposition would remain. Especially after what had now become known as "The Day of Sigma." But why wasn't there any evidence that there was a culling of those still loyal to the Maverick Hunters? Where was the evidence of a skirmish or battle?

He had seen no indication that anything had taken place. No bodies, no blast marks on the walls of the structures he had gone through, nothing. While he was somewhat hopeful, X knew that it was unlikely that those that had gone Maverick would allow any potential opposition to live. But, even with that said, there would at least be evidence of something having happened. It was as if everyone had just disappeared. Lost to the mountains forever.

Just then, X saw something in the distance, a sizable figure standing tall in the snow presented itself to the blue Hunter, situated between a few igloos. Upon studying the figure closer, X saw that it was not just one, but two. An Armor Soldier had gotten into a Ride Armor, the chest, forearms, and leg a sea green while the joints were a bright yellow. And then, X spotted another Ride Armor of the same color nearby, albeit this one was unoccupied. The figure in the mobile suit stood still, allowing X to approach.

"You're not running from me this time!" Boxer proclaimed, maneuvering his mobile suit so that it was pointing at X. "Get in that suit, and fight me!"

It didn't take long for X to know what the Armor Soldier meant, his green eyes falling on the other Ride Armor. He then closed his eyes, grimly. "It seems I have no choice," he admitted and got inside the Ride Armor. It took a few moments to adjust, but eventually, he gained control over the machine. "I suppose we begin?"

"Yeah," Boxer answered. Then, he dashed forward. "Me first, though!" A massive fist was thrown in X's direction, the blue Reploid barely dodging it by maneuvering his Ride Armor out of the way. But this only allowed the Armor Soldier to deliver a punch to the abdomen of X's mobile suit. The blow also affected the suit's driver, X's lower body wracked with pain. He nearly lost his footing from the move, the Ride Armor almost toppling over an igloo. "That's why they call me Boxer," the Armor Soldier answered, his Ride Armor's arms crossing over its chest. "You look like you've never thrown a punch in your life."

X's expression soured. "I'll admit, I don't pilot mobile suits often."

"Looks like you'll have to adapt," Boxer scoffed, readying himself for another attack. "But we're Reploids, right? Adaptability is in our very being!"

He threw another punch, yet this time, X was able to dodge the incoming blow, and once Boxer's back was turned, the blue Hunter delivered a left hook to the Ride Armor's back, sending Boxer and his mobile suit back and crashing into one of the nearby igloos. X knew he wouldn't stay down long, so he couldn't let his guard down just yet. And then, he was soon proven correct as Boxer soon got back up and readied himself for another attack. He thrust the Ride Armor's hands forward, seizing the right forearm of X's driven, walking weapon. Then, with a sharp twist, Boxer flipped X's Ride Armor over, the blue Reploid nearly falling out from his suit when it hit the ground, smashing into another igloo base.

This wasn't going to work, X thought. While he doubted that he'd be allowed to pass, the blue Hunter's mission was to investigate the mysterious earthquakes and avalanches occurring. But how was he going to get past this guy and his Ride Armor? It was then that X studied the fingers of his machine as he got it to rise to its feet again. It was a risky maneuver, and he would need to act fast, but if it worked, he believed he had a way to end this fight. But he would only have one shot at it, so he would have to make it count.

"Enough of this!" Boxer shouted, pounding his Ride Armor's fist into the other hand's palm. "Stop pussyfooting around, and fight me!"

He then dashed forward again, hands stretched outward to grapple at his opponent to disable and dismantle the other mobile suit. This was the moment X was waiting for! Controlling his Armor's hands to reach out as well, the fingers of his hands clasped with that of Boxer's locking the two Ride Armors together.

"H-Hey! Let go, damn it!" Boxer commanded, yet X had no intention of releasing him. He had locked the arm components in a tight hold on the other Ride Armor, allowing him a means to get to the other pilot.

Realizing the time had come, X exited his cockpit and ran across the interlocking arms of the Ride Armors until he reached Boxer himself, a buster pointed in his direction. "Tell me where the avalanches are coming from," X commanded the Armor Soldier to answer.

"And?" Boxer questioned.

"And, if you disavow your loyalty to Sigma, I won't have to resort to drastic measures," X told him. Again, he wasn't doing a very good job of taking Zero's advice, but if he could avoid conflict, he was going to take the chance. "Although, I'd strongly suggest you stand down, if not just for your own sake."

Boxer stared down the barrel of the blue Hunter's buster, inwardly cursing that he had gotten himself in such a position. It seemed he was now the one without a choice. "It's further up ahead," he told X, who still had his weapon aimed at his head. "The Commander here has set up more than one of the machines responsible, so don't think it'll be easy."

X raised a brow. "Commander?" Was the Armor Soldier talking about Sigma?

"Yeah, I can't believe it either," Boxer replied. "To think Sigma would put HIM of all Reploids in charge of this place, let alone this operation."

"Who?" X questioned.

"Go and see for yourself!" Boxer shouted, putting in a code before he exited the control panel. "If you survive the explosion!"

Explosion?! It was then that X realized that the Ride Armor was set to go off, so he had to make his escape! Spotting a ledge close by, the blue Hunter dashed toward the edge and leaped upward, kicking off the cliff's edge and working his way up to the flat ground. He covered just enough distance, yet X still felt the explosion when the Ride Armor's timer went off, taking his mobile suit with it. He waited for a few moments, hoping that the blast wouldn't trigger another avalanche. Thankfully, everything appeared to be all right, and X rose to his feet, ready to continue.

At least, he believed that before he felt another tremor from underneath him.

X looked up and saw a series of far-off figures standing in a uniform line, atop a peak that overlooked the world below the Polar Region. Specifically, the ruins of Abel City. One act of "kindness" Sigma had done, according to Zero, was to put out the raging flames that were left in the missiles' wake. It took some time, yet eventually, the fires were extinguished.

"Why?" X remembered asking Zero, the red Hunter, now appointed Commander, shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine," the long-haired blonde answered. "But I doubt it's because Sigma's had a change of heart," he said. "Rather, I think that he has something in mind for those left here."

Despite the vagueness of his statement, X found himself chilled by the possibilities. "Like what?"

Zero shook his head. "Whatever it is," the Hunter Leader said grimly. "It's nothing good. For either the humans or Reploid opposers."

That included everyone currently in the city, as well as any potential survivors outside of its borders during the missile strike. And, while he needed a closer look to truly see what they were, the figures atop the peak might've had the answer to what was causing the avalanches. Spotting him below, one of the figures appeared to lift its arm and swing an object forward, which then caught on the snow as it traveled down, gathering more and more until it grew into a massive collection of dense ice. X jumped out of the way of the incoming snowball, the boulder of white continuing to roll down the hill until it promptly exploded, sending white powder everywhere, along with stirring up the ground it had disturbed. Were these explosions the cause of the avalanches?

Whatever the case, the snowballs would cause some serious damage on the way down if not taken care of. The only question was, just how was X going to make it up there? He didn't have much time to come up with a strategy, as one of the green, red-eyed Snow Shooters spotted him approaching. Sighting its enemy, the mechaniloid produced another small, silver bomb that it threw, the sphere landing in and gathering snow on the way down. And even more, it was aimed directly at X!

X found that, after moving out of the way of the incoming snowball, more of them came soon after! It wasn't long before all of the Snow Shooters began unloading upon the blue Hunter, snowballs of varying sizes all heading in his direction. It was a literal uphill battle, but he would have to travel it to get to the top! When a sizable snowball rolled in his direction, X dashed to the side, then back to where he was to avoid yet another white sphere barreling toward him. This pattern continued, the blue Hunter was unable to shoot, lest he creates a possible series of explosions that would surely trigger a great and terrible reaction.

The Snow Shooters continued to roll round explosives at the approaching Reploid, yet, finally, X spotted an opening where his shots would matter. Having reached the peak, X kicked up off the face of the cliffside and worked his way to the top, and his first order of business was to take out the Snow Shooter that was just about to throw another bomb. It seemed that, for now, conflict was inevitable. X had no time to dwell on his reservations and complicated views on mechaniloids, he had a mission to accomplish. As well as a city to potentially keep from being buried underneath mountains of snow.

The Snow Shooters directed their attention from their initial programming to throw their explosives down the slopes to combating the intruder, yet it was a losing battle. While somewhat more durable than the other mechaniloids he had faced before, the green machines still fell to X's firepower, a charged shot tearing through several Snow Shooters, one after another. There were many, yet given their lack of legs, the green automatons were mostly stationary, making X's work slightly easier. Still, there were many of them. Finally, however, at long last, X had gone through them all, dozen of blown up and smoldering pieces of Snow Shooters all around him.

As X surveyed the damage, he pondered whether or not he had taken care of the source of the avalanches. Yet, upon wondering that, another tremor shook the entire area, jostling the blue Hunter and forcing him to the ground. When the shaking had ceased, X rose and continued forward, noting the strength of the quake that had just passed. It was just a theory, yet X suspected that he was getting close to the source of the movements in the region. The only question was, just who was responsible for them?

Not too far away, X spotted another structure, just as frozen over as the others. Yet was this one also abandoned? There was only one way to find out. Approaching the building, X found the front door sealed shut, a small keypad beside the left frame. It was destroyed, rendering the controls useless, leaving X with the only option of forcing the door open. Grabbing both sides, the blue Hunter slowly moved the two pieces away from each other, creating just enough space for him to work his way inside.

The door closed behind him, sealing X within the small room. It appeared to be little more than a hallway that extended a short distance, yet it appeared to go down a slope. The path seemed to go underground. With only one way forward, X began his journey downward, going under the snow-covered earth. Then, after a short time running, he spotted a door in the distance, similar to the one he had encountered before. Though, upon reaching it, instead of opening it, X stopped.

True, it was useless to dwell on such things now, but the blue Hunter couldn't help but wonder just who was inside the concealed room. Who was the one in charge here? Given how many Hunters were either missing or terminated, the one under Sigma's command could've been anyone. The blue Reploid's core sank at the thought of just who he would possibly encounter when he stepped through the door. He could've been wrong, and he hoped he was, yet the one he would face would possibly be someone he was familiar with. Someone that he knew, perhaps very well.

Regardless, the avalanches had to be stopped, as well as those responsible for them. Yet, instead of having to open the door, it parted for him, allowing the blue Hunter to enter the small chamber. The chamber in itself was somewhat dark, the floor covered in an icy sheen, crystals trailing up the walls and along the ceiling. There was a pully or lever at the top of the room in the center, though what it was for, X was unaware. But the most drawing element of the enclosed environment was the multiple, icy pillars that were situated on all sides.

X approached one of them and realized just what they were, and the answer horrified him.

There was a face within the ice, quite literally frozen in a state of shock and, if X was right, despair. The Reploid sealed inside the ice appeared to be one of the Reploids specifically built to work for the Maverick Hunters, and as he looked, X saw more Reploids like the Hunter frozen in similar positions. "Wh-What the...?" X stammered, green eyes facing a collection of still faces caught in a moment of surprise and fear. "What...is this?!"

His mouth hung agape in shock, startled and stunned by what was in front of him. Frozen figures encased in ice, still and silent. How long had they been here? X continued to look around until he came across a figure larger than the others, the sight of him causing the blue Reploid to step back. He couldn't believe who was standing in front of him, a large frame trapped in a solid icy crystal. The trapped Reploid was mostly covered in white armor with teal midsections and a headpiece, a beard of blue on his face with widened, large blue eyes.

Despite his intimidating size, the Reploid had the gentlest optics. "M-Marth?!" X stammered, almost unable to believe just who was before him. The Commander of the Polar Unit himself couldn't stand against whatever had taken out all of his men?!

"Don't bother trying to free them," X heard a voice state. "They've been frozen solid for the past few days, their cores have already been extinguished," the voice was familiar. Almost bird-like in sound. "Although," then, X turned to see just who was addressing him. Upon learning the identity of the speaker, he was even more shocked than before. "You might be joining them soon enough."

A few feet from X stood a short, stout bird fashioned after a semi-aquatic bird, his markings and red containment units affixed to his back unmistakable. The blue Hunter was wishing that he wasn't seeing what was before him. This entire scene was a nightmare. "Chill Penguin?!" he explained, reeling back.

"Surprised, aren't you?" Chill Penguin questioned, puffing out his chest. "Bet you didn't think someone like me could ever work their way into Sigma's ranks, didn't you?" he didn't bother letting X answer, continuing with his speech. "Well, that's where you're wrong! I'm now in charge of this entire mountain! As well as the operations taking place here!" he then grinned. "Surely you've noticed a few seismic movements going on since you arrived?" he then smirked. "Of course, I gave the Snow Shooters some work as well, as it seems that the shakes aren't working fast enough."

X's green eyes widened. "You...you did all of this?"

Penguin huffed. "Don't act all surprised," he said. "You know that we can't allow for any opposition to get in the way," his eyes surveyed the area, looking upon all the "sculptures" surrounding him and X. "You of all Reploids should know that by now," then, Penguin noticed X's leg components. "Wait, what's that?"

X shifted his gaze to his upgraded boots. "This?"

"Don't tell me, you found the capsule," Chill Penguin snarled, even if he could see the answer right in front of him. "Damn! I TOLD them to hide it somewhere safer!"

Wait a moment, the capsule? "You know about the capsule?" X questioned. "Where did you find it?"

"I didn't find it, and neither did Sigma," Chill Penguin answered. "Dr. Cain did. From what he said, they began turning up on his digs after you officially joined the Maverick Hunters."

"Dr. Cain?!" X exclaimed, momentarily forgetting his peril. "Where is he?!"

"He's alive, that much is for sure," Penguin replied. "Unlike Fujiwara, the old man's gotten on Sigma's good side," he then glowered at the blue Hunter. "Just like you are, somehow."

X furrowed his brow in unease. "What?"

"Yeah, believe it or not, Commander Sigma DOESN'T want me to kill you," the bird-based former Hunter said. "For some reason, he still wants you alive."

"I have no intentions of joining him or his cause," X proclaimed, standing firm on his decision. "But as for you, why?" he asked. "Why are you here?"

"Unlike those humans or anyone else, Sigma's paid for the use of my abilities!" Chill Penguin answered. "Working for him is a million times better than being stuck up here with nothing to do!" he said proudly. "Besides, it's not as if they would've respected me in my decision anyway," he gazed at the numerous Reploids frozen around them. "They wouldn't have followed, especially him." he pointed at the crystalized form of Marth.

"Chill Penguin..." X was left speechless. He looked down at the floor, blue and tiled. Despite the limited lighting, the inside of the chamber resembled the interior of an igloo.

"Don't act like you're hurt!" Penguin suddenly shouted. "Sigma was right, you're no different than they are!" he then snarled quietly. "Those that always laughed at me."

"What?" X asked.

"It's none of your business!" the mechanical bird shouted. "Just look at you," his eyes fell on the blue Reploid's leg components. "You think those upgrades make you all high and mighty, don't you?" Despite contrasting with the rest of his armor, they signified that Penguin had partially failed in his mission. "You know, Sigma wants you alive, but hell with it," he then, with surprising speed, charged forward and slid on his stomach, heading right toward X. "He's going to thank me for this later!"

Note: I'll admit that, at first, I was somewhat choosey about what characters to put in, but re-reading the mangas, I found that, despite their short time, the minor characters do leave an impact. Of course, for this story, some details will be altered, but overall, I hope to keep the original core of the character present.

Also, I plan to delve into Chill Penguin's background, as well as what led him to follow Sigma. Even if Iwamoto's manga came first, I like the characterization given to the Mavericks in Maverick Hunter X. True, there was some of that before in the original game materials, but it wasn't expanded until the remake of the first game.

Sorry for the shorter chapter this time, but I think that it'd be best to give Chill Penguin's boss fight its chapter, so I won't be crunched for word count.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope to hear your input! Both English and Spanish readers! I take those reading the Spanish translation into account as well, so thank you all!