Note: Hello, everyone! This time, we'll be taking a look at the chaos going on outside of HQ and in the city. But first, they have to get out, so this chapter is partly about the characters trying to escape vs. X and Zero doing their own thing.

I'll admit I got a little burnt out by the end of this chapter, mainly because it's a continuation of the last one, but we're getting to the Highway soon!

Breaking In and Out

Even with the larger, green Maverick in the room, Trinity and Ai continued their work. They were so close that they needed only a few more seconds to dismantle the locks. The Medic produced a taser to keep Sting Chameleon back. Trinity and Ai began unlocking all entrances and exits, and Roll backed up from the lizard, keeping Chiyo close to her. All the while, the mechanical reptile had his red optic centered on her. It looked her up and down, taking every detail it could catch.

"Hmmm," Chameleon hummed, licking his lips with his elongated tongue. "Yes, you'll do."

"Do? Do what?" Whatever he meant, Roll didn't like it one bit. Chameleon stepped forward, knocking the Medic out of the way and approaching Roll. The reptile's tongue seized Chiyo's arm, and the human was yanked off the ground. "Let her go!" Roll shouted, kicking and punching at the reptile's larger form.

"Oh, relax," Chameleon scoffed before throwing Chiyo to the side, her prototype clattering just a few feet away from her. "She's better off dead anyway," he then looked back at the human, hunched over in pain from the impact. "And, if you all know what's good for you, you'd best think of Commander Sigma's offer! Assuming there's still time to change your mind."

"You…you can't be serious," the Medic said. "You're speaking of breaking the Laws-"

"There are no Laws anymore!" Sting Chameleon shouted. "We can do whatever we want!" He then looked down at Chiyo. "Anything…."

The human saw her invention and immediately grabbed it, but Chameleon shot out his pronged tail. "Watch out!" The Medic shouted, leaping in front of Chiyo. The green-armored, short-haired brunette felt the appendage piercing her back, and then she realized just what Chameleon was about to do. "Get down!" She ordered Chiyo, the human flat on the ground mere moments before three lasers were shot out of Chameleon's tail. The Medic was propelled forward, crashing into the wall before landing in a painful heap on the floor.

The Medic was still functioning, yet the reptile's Chameleon Sting had done a considerable amount of damage due to the proximity it was fired at. The green lizard looked Chiyo over again, but, unlike before, he seemed to regard her with little interest. "No, it's too early for that," Sting Chameleon muttered. "I'll need more practice before I can get to that stage," he licked his lips. "Speaking of," he turned his sights back to Roll, the homemaker quite uncomfortable under the reptile's gaze.

She hated it, and she knew Ai did too. But neither Ai nor Trinity could stop. True, they had broken into the HQ's security system, but now came the process of manually unlocking every potential escape route. For now, they had to rely on the Medic and Roll to keep Chameleon distracted. Just for a little bit longer, at least.

"Why?" Roll asked.

"Why what?" Chameleon responded. "Why are we doing this?" He answered for her. "Why has Commander Sigma decided to wage a campaign against humanity?" He then glanced back at Chiyo. "Why he decided to turn dear ol' dad into a shishkabob?" The human said nothing but clutched tightly to her prototype gun. Chameleon directed his attention back onto Roll. "Didn't you listen to the Commander? He said that we're creating a new world!" He then looked back at Chiyo. "A world where you're no longer on top…."

He then shot forth another Chameleon Sting from his tail, smirking when he saw the Medic take the hit for the human. The Reploid fell to the floor, electrical sparks coming out from the areas struck by the lasers. "Stop it!" Chiyo shouted. "She's taken enough!"

"Don't you at least have some concern over your own life? Besides, your father said you never cared much for his work, did you?" Sting Chameleon questioned. Chiyo was silent, her dark eyes on the Medic's damaged form. Even if there was no bloodshed, the human saw the pain the robotic life form was in. "Oh, trust me," the reptile chuckled. "If you knew what was coming, you would want me to end you here and now," he then turned to the other three Reploids present. "But her fate doesn't have to be yours," he drew closer to Roll. "Tell you what, you come with me, and I'll see if Sigma's interested in having another pet. That old man's not going to live forever, after all."

Roll's teal eyes widened. "You mean Dr. Cain?" Chameleon didn't say, but his silence was all she needed. "Where is he?!"

"In a few hours, he's probably going to be one of the few humans alive," Chameleon said. "Even with you opening the way to the underground over there," he gestured to Trinity. He then made his move. "YAH!" His tail shot forward in the Navigator's direction, but instead of piercing the Reploid, it hit the machine she was sitting at. The monitor was run through, splintering the screen, and the image presented before it faded to black.

Then, he grabbed the pink-haired android, but someone got in the way. Ai had jumped out of her chair and dove right for Trinity, knocking her away from Chameleon. "Hey, kid!" She shouted to Chiyo. "Get me that pistol!" Ai gestured toward the weapon that lay by the deceased Hunter. Chiyo grabbed and tossed it, but the reptile's long forked tail knocked the weapon away. Then, she threw her prototype to Ai; Chameleon, puzzled as to what it was. He had assumed it was just some toy. "What's this thing?" The blonde Navigator questioned.

"Just pull the trigger!" Chiyo answered.

Chameleon looked back at Ai as she did as she was instructed, but instead of a laser, a sharp spike shot out. This confused the Reploid, but it seemed to do its job as it pierced through the reptile's shoulder. But all she seemed to do was cause mere surface damage, for while the spike did its job, Ai wasn't close enough to do as much damage as she could've. In response, Chameleon aimed his tail at the still seated Trinity. Ai grabbed the pink-haired Reploid, and they both fell to the ground, the tail striking the area Trinity was working at.

This proved to be precisely what they all needed.

The central processor was damaged, but with it came the unlocking of every possible means of escape. Seeing this, Ai shouted, "Move!" Everyone that still functioned ran to the elevator, Roll collecting Chiyo before she went.

The party of two Navigators, a homemaker and a human got into the elevator, but Ai stepped out. "What are you doing?" Trinity questioned.

"Chameleon knows where we're going, so he will follow us!" The red-armored Reploid told Trinity. "Someone's going to have to stay behind and deal with him," she then looked at Chiyo. "Not to mention open the paths to the shelter," she sighed. "Sorry, but I'll be needing this. I promise to return it."

"But Ai-" Trinity protested, but the elevator door closed, taking the three up while Ai was left behind.

The Navigator closed her eyes and turned around to face Chameleon. "You're a more advanced model than I am," she whispered, aiming the prototype weapon at the green lizard. "Just keep A-1 safe."

Missile Base

2:30 PM

"Why don't you just do it?"

X turned around to see A-1 standing behind him. "You're supposed to be putting up blockades to disrupt the incoming signal for the missiles, aren't you?" The taller blue Hunter questioned. Since Zero and Firefly left, X had assigned himself to guard the outside while the smaller Navigator worked inside.

"I'm going as fast as I can," A-1 said. "But I can tell you don't want to be here at all."

"It's not that," X said. "Zero's right; someone's got to be here to ensure the missiles can't launch."

"I never said they wouldn't launch," A-1 replied. "I said that I could disrupt and block the signal. But I'll have to prepare for that, as I doubt the Commander would stop after just one try."

"No," X shook his head. "He's no Commander. Not anymore."

A-1 looked at the ground, his "ears" falling forward, drooping slightly. "Yeah, you're right," he agreed. "But, if anything, that's why you, of all Reploids, should be out there!" The smaller Navigator argued. "Sigma kept you and Zero alive for a reason, you know!"

"So he could recruit us?" X said, already knowing the answer.

"Exactly," A-1 nodded. "It's the same reason he sprung Vile," he explained. "He probably wants those than can go Maverick at will."

"Maverick at will?" X questioned. "That's just it, though. What reason would anyone have to go Maverick on their own accord?"

"According to Sigma, much," A-1 answered. "Even if you and Zero are his enemies now, he wants you alive because he sees something in you two," the rabbit-eared Reploid then pointed at X. "Especially you."

X pondered this, reminiscing on all that had happened up until this point. Indeed, there was no logical reason for Sigma to keep him alive. Zero, he could understand, even if the red Hunter would've never joined Sigma's cause, and X still felt immense guilt for that moment of doubt he had. If he had acted, could he have prevented all of this? When he thought about it, X realized that Sigma was right.

I was given a test, and I blew it.

"Go." The blue Hunter heard A-1 tell him. "The others in the city need you more."

It wasn't as if X had any reservations about going, but at the same time, "Zero told us to stay put, remember?"

"Yeah, but is he your Commander?" A-1 asked. "You think he told you to stay here because he's mad at you?" X averted his gaze, but it was obvious that's what it was. "If he were, he wouldn't care where you go," A-1 explained. "But he told you to wait here explicitly," he smiled. "He doesn't want you anywhere near where the danger is." X's green eyes widened. Yes, thinking about it now, it did make a lot of sense. "Go. Every threat in the base has been taken care of; I'll be fine."

X nodded, turning to look at the distant Abel City. The blue Hunter knew he was needed elsewhere despite Zero's orders and concern for A-1's safety. "Wait," X said. "The ride chaser!"

"Oh, yeah," A-1 realized. "Guess you're going to have to walk."

As much as he hated to accept it, X knew there was no other way to get to the city. "Are you sure you'll be all right?" X asked.

"Yes, yes! Just go! Every moment counts!"

"Right." With that, X began running, growing more and more distant from A-1, the Navigator watching as the blue Hunter grew smaller and smaller in his view.

"He'll need you," A-1 said quietly, "And, even if you don't want to admit it, you know that we'll all need you."

Abel City HQ

The elevator finally stopped, the three occupants disembarking from their ride. "All right," Trinity said. "The nearest emergency exit isn't too far from here!" She said, "Follow me!"

"Wait!" Chiyo spoke up. "What about that other girl?!"

"Other girl? You mean Ai?" Trinity asked. It was then that Chiyo realized she addressed Ai in human terms. "Nothing can be done about your tool at the moment. We have to to-"

"No, that's not what I meant!" Chiyo protested. "She's still down there, and-"

"And there's nothing that can be done about it!" Trinity interrupted; her usually calm demeanor had broken underneath everything happening. "Right now, nothing can be guaranteed. Luckily, you two are even still alive. Unfortunately," she sighed. "It's everyone for themselves."

"But…." Chiyo tried to argue but ultimately accepted that it was useless.

Trinity then led Roll and her human charge through the corridors of their floor, trying to travel lightly but swiftly. After a short while of sneaking around, Roll spoke up. "Ai said something about a shelter. What's that?"

"You don't know what a shelter is?" Trinity questioned.

"Of course, I know what a shelter is," Roll shot back, slightly insulted. "I'm just asking what it is concerning the city."

"It's essentially an emergency retreat meant to withstand a massive attack," Trinity explained. "Such as the one Sigma plans to deliver at dusk."

Roll bit her lip. "Can it be stopped?" She asked.

Trinity shook her head. "Even if possible, I doubt it would do any good," she admitted. "The most important thing is to direct the population to get underground," she continued, then she looked back at Roll and Chiyo. "This is no place for you," she then looked down the hallway they were traveling down. "But I can't guarantee what you'll find outside."

Indeed, neither Roll nor Chiyo knew what lay in the city's streets, but they sensed that it too would have its dangers. "And what will you do?" The lone blonde Reploid asked.

"I'll need to get into the Telecommunications Tower and direct the populace to shelter entrances," Trinity answered. "You must take Fujiwara's daughter and make your way to one."

"That's funny," a voice suddenly spoke, and before anyone could say anything, Roll felt her ankle seized, and she was lifted off the ground. "Considering it's not much better outside as it is in here!" A long, green tail made itself visible, having wrapped around Roll's leg.

Boomer Kuwanger and Spark Mandrill came from around both corners, surrounding the three. "Run!" Roll shouted. "Both of you, get out of here!"

"But-" Chiyo began to protest, but she felt Trinity grab her by the wrist. "Roll!" There was no time to protest as she was dragged away, leaving the blonde Reploid in the clutches of the three figures, which meant nothing but harm.

The Missile Base

Trying to stop what was coming was easier said than done. And while A-1 couldn't blame X, Zero, or Firefly, none of them seemed to understand just what stopping the missiles entailed. For one, while he could input a firewall to keep the command to launch from coming in, there was no guarantee of how effective it would be. After all, no one knew precisely how Sigma would launch the missiles, leaving A-1 to theorize every possible scenario he would have to counter. True, he could make blockades or disrupt any incoming signal, but he would have to be ready at that very second to take care of it.

But, despite anyone else's efforts, he suspected that one way or another, those missiles would launch eventually.

Suddenly, the Navigator felt an enormous shadow looming over him. Before turning around, he heard a voice whisper in his audio receptor. "What's up, little rabbit?"

A-1 recognized that voice immediately. He didn't even get a chance to turn around before Vile grabbed him by the helmet and lifted him off the ground. The Navigator's blue eyes turned to see a pair of red eyes staring into his. "Y-You!" A-1 yelped as he began to struggle. "How….what are you doing here?!"

"Where are they?" Vile asked the smaller Reploid.

"W-Wha-" A-1 didn't get another word before being slammed face first into the monitor, the impact forming a sizable crack. "Ah!"

"Where are they?!" Vile demanded again. "Don't even bother playing dumb with me; you know who I'm talking about!"

"Th-They're not here!" A-1 said, Vile pressing down harder on the back of his head.

"When did they leave?" Vile questioned.

"What does it matter to you?" A-1 retorted.

"Wrong answer, you little shit," the violet-armored ex-Hunter snarled. He then grabbed A-1's satellites (or his "ears") and began pulling upward, the cables and cords holding them in place being pushed to their limits. "Where are they?! Where did they go?!"

"A-Ah! Stop!" A-1 cried out, only to feel Vile pull even harder. "They're not here!"

"I know that!" Vile shouted. "Where are they now?!"

"Zero-ah! Zero went with Firefly to the city!" A-1 answered.

"And X?!" Vile questioned, saying the Hunter's name with an unsettling intensity compared to Zero.

"You just missed him!" A-1 cried out.

"What?!"

"He just left!" A-1 was released from Vile's grip, falling onto the keyboard and the hen to the floor. He began to inspect the damage and found his left satellite fell forward, yanked from its place.

"How long ago?" Vile asked.

"Just now. He left….ow!" A-1 yelped as he tried to put his ear back in its place. "He left just now." The smaller Reploid told him.

"In what direction?"

"Abel City," the Navigator said. "But if you didn't see him, then I guess you got here just a little bit too late." The truth was, X had been gone much longer than that, so he was well out of Vile's reach. That was the only comfort the shorter Reploid could take in his current situation.

Vile was quiet for a moment, looking at the monitor, the missile launch system on display. "Hm? What have you been doing, rabbit? Trying to stop them from coming down?" A-1 didn't answer, but he hurried back when Vile approached him. "You let them out, didn't you?" He asked A-1. "Give me a reason I shouldn't put a bullet between your eyes?" He then thrust his shoulder cannon onto the Navigator's forehead.

Despite his predicament, the Navigator nodded, glowering at his attacker. "What kind of reason?"

"Any reason. It doesn't have to be a good one," Vile said. "I'm just curious about what you'll come up with."

It was then, however, that Vile heard an incoming message. Growling in annoyance, he turned away from A-1 and answered. "Yeah, what is it?" A-1 wasted no time scrambling for a place to hide while Vile turned his back, but he still listened into the conversation. "Wait, what?!" Vile shouted. "They're where?! He's where?!"

Abel City HQ

"We can't just leave her!" Chiyo argued, but Trinity kept running.

"Thousands of people in this city need to take shelter, and someone has to direct them!" Trinity argued back, continuing to go forward. "Once I get to where I need to be, you'll be escorted down into the shelter for your protection."

"But Roll-"

"It can't be helped!" Trinity answered the human. They had finally found a relatively safe place, so the pink-haired Navigator stopped, allowing Chiyo to catch her breath. "It's unfortunate, but this has evolved beyond just combating an incoming threat," she said, sighing softly as her processor brought up images of Ai and Blu. "Now it's a matter of staying alive."

"Then why all the effort to make sure I'm ok?" Chiyo asked.

"The Laws, of course," Trinity answered. "You're a human. Naturally, your life takes priority."

"At the price of everyone else's?"

Trinity didn't speak for a moment. "Unfortunately," She said. "It's nothing I hold against you or your kind," the Reploid told Chiyo. "But no matter what happens, the human population must be the majority to survive."

Chiyo was about to speak again, yet she suddenly realized they weren't alone. The figure stomping towards them out of the shadows made himself known, a tiny bit of fire coming out from his trunk. "So, this is where you've been," Flame Mammoth said his optics set on Trinity. "I'm surprised you haven't ditched the flesh bag yet," he continued, directing his attention back onto Chiyo. "Surely she's been slowing you down more than that Reploid she was with."

The young woman's eyes widened in terrible comprehension. "What did you do to her?!" She demanded, though it was something she had done in the spur of the moment.

"I didn't see her myself, but whatever happened to her will probably be better than what happens to you!" He then released a wave of fire from his trunk; the scorching heat sent right in Chiyo's direction.

Trinity jumped and knocked the human to the ground just in time, the flames rushing past them over their heads. Then, the Navigator tried to run with the human, but Mammoth's hand seized Chiyo by the throat, lifting her off the ground. "No! You can't!" Trinity shouted at Mammoth. "The Laws-"

"No longer apply!" The silvery elephant bellowed, a low trumpeting sound accompanying his voice. "And speaking of apply," he tightened his grip on his captive's neck.

Chiyo's brown eyes widened to their maximum, and her gasp quickly transformed into a series of choked gags. The human began uselessly clawing at the metal hand that held her, nails scraping along the surface in vain, all the while legs kicked and swung wildly. Her chest began to burn, and she started to see spots in her vision. Her hearing also began to die, the rapid thumping of her heart echoing in her head. And then, at last, she began to lose feeling in her limbs; neither pain nor pleasurable euphoria flooded her brain.

Instead, she felt numb and cold.

Suddenly, the sensation of the tiled floor hitting her back began to awaken her depleting senses; Chiyo immediately took in some breaths when she found she could breathe again. Her vision was still a bit foggy, but she could see that Flame Mammoth had his back turned to her, facing the other direction. From what she could tell, the elephant's shoulder had been damaged by a plasma pistol, the one a green Hunter was wielding as he stood between Mammoth and Trinity.

"The hell are you doing here?" Flame Mammoth asked Firefly. "Come to check in on your girlfriend?"

Firefly's eyes narrowed. "Where's Ai?" He questioned, all the while allowing Trinity to flee.

Yet, discovering the Navigator had fled the scene, he didn't go after her, much to the green Hunter's surprise. "You're just going to let her go free?" Chiyo questioned, not that she wanted the elephant to go after the Navigator.

"Believe it or not, Sigma wants most of the humans here to survive." Mammoth answered her.

"What?" Firefly was confused as well.

"Why do you think he gave out the warning so early? You still have a few hours before the missiles come crashing down."

"Why?" Firefly questioned. "Why declare war on humanity, then allow them to seek safety?"

Even if he bore no visible mouth, both Firefly and Chiyo sensed that the elephant would've been smirking. "He's got more in mind that just bombing a city, you know," Flame Mammoth said. "In fact," he then looked at Chiyo. "You would've been better off if the munchkin here didn't stop me from snapping your neck. Especially with what's going to come for everyone left."

"Then why did he have to kill him?"

Mammoth was puzzled by what Chiyo meant, but thinking on it more, he was able to deduce what she was talking about. "Huh, and here I thought you would've hated the Doctor," he folded his arms and gave a cruel chuckle. "He seemed to be under that impression."

"It's not as simple as that!" Chiyo argued. "I didn't….I DON'T hate him!"

"But you don't like him," the elephant countered. "Then again, he would've probably been more useful than you. You're not even worth taking in."

"Back to my question," Firefly spoke, getting Mammoth's attention off Chiyo. "Where's Ai?"

"Don't know," Mammoth said, answering Firefly's question. "Why don't you ask Kuwanger and Mandrill? I'm sure they might've seen her around," he paused. "Or maybe," he set his sights on Chiyo. "She's seen her."

Firefly kept his wits about him, but he still wanted any information on the red-armored Reploid. "Ai? I don't know any-" Chiyo paused, remembering the blonde aside from Roll. The one that had taken her prototype.

"Oh? What's wrong? Did something happen?" Mammoth asked mockingly. Chiyo didn't answer. "Well, whatever. If you know what's good for you, you'll lie down and just let it happen!"

He was about to produce another Fire Wave but was stopped by Firefly firing at the arm with the elephant's blaster. "Run!" He ordered Chiyo. "Get to an exit!"

Chiyo got to her feet but was stuck in that spot for a moment or two as Firefly fought with Mammoth. "But what about-"

"There's no time! Go!"

Chiyo backed up but still couldn't entirely bring herself to leave. She couldn't do anything, but she didn't wish to see yet another person die! Wait, she thought. Person? No, they're not…. Even if none of them were human, the mechanical beings around her perished nevertheless. The light from the blue-haired Reploid's eyes fading as her systems died came to mind. And because they weren't human, the Three Laws dictated that her life was above theirs.

Up until now, the human hadn't given a second thought about it.

"Go!"

As much as she didn't want to admit it, Chiyo knew that this was perhaps the only chance she had to get out of here alive. Thus, with a guilt-ridden conscience, the dark-haired human started running and didn't stop. She kept going and going with little sense of direction, but given how the green Hunter spoke to her, there seemed to be an exit somewhere. She wasn't aware of just what floor she was on, but she couldn't afford to let that slow her down. She had to get to the outside world!

Note: Sorry for the shorter length, but we'll be changing scenery next chapter. As for Chiyo, her feelings regarding Dr. Fujiwara will be explored, as well as her changing views regarding Reploids. While she is human, she will earn her keep in this, along with Roll. And her prototype will be appearing later and being used to its fullest.

That said, I hope you've enjoyed this, even if it was a little shorter, and I hope to hear from you all later!