Note: This is an odd way to start an A/N, but I couldn't help but let this chapter start strangely. Rest assured, it doesn't stay as weird as it begins, but how it starts might be a bit odd, but it does have a purpose.

Also, if not in this chapter, then the next, but we will be "starting the game" officially.

As for the questions left in the reviews by Guest, I'll admit that I'm thinking about some things, but for the most part, I have a way that I'm going to work things out. But they will be addressed, so don't worry.

With that said, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Prelude before the Journey

His green eyes shot wide open, a panicked gasp escaping him as he rose from the capsule. As his vision adjusted, X realized he was back in the Hunter Base, situated in a capsule with everything around him appearing normal. Except for the fact that everyone around him seemed to be gone. Rising from his resting place, the blue Reploid peered around, on alert and with his buster ready. But as he traveled through the halls and throughout the building, X concluded that he was the only one in the entire HQ.

Reaching the entrance, X exited the building and saw that, to his confusion, everything was in the same state it had been before Sigma's announcement. Humans and Reploids were doing their business in the streets of Abel City, not a single thing out of place or wrong. Even so, X felt on edge, as if something troublesome was brewing underneath the very city. He tried to spot familiar faces in the crowds around him but found no sign of anyone. There was no sign of Zero, Roll, Chiyo, or even Dr. Cain! No one from the HQ either; everyone around X was a stranger!

"Excuse me?" he said, trying to get someone's attention. "Excuse me, sir? Ma'am?" everyone ignored him again. X was about to look elsewhere, trying to figure out what was happening, but he felt a hand on his hand. "Huh?"

"You look lost, mister," a young boy observed, his blue eyes gazing into X's green. "But if you're like me, you will always feel a little out of place."

"What do you mean?" X questioned. "Who are you?" He knelt at the boy's level, studying his appearance. The boy was young, possibly around the age of ten or eleven, and his hair was a dark brown that was somewhat messy and wild. His eyes were large and blue, and he wore a blue and white shirt with the number twenty-three emblazoned on it in blue text and a block font, beige shorts, and a pair of orange sneakers and white socks on his feet.

The boy was silent at first, looking around at the mass of humans and mechanical life. "It's started again," he said. "Only now, there's no human behind everything. The machines can speak for themselves now."

X was puzzled. "What do you mean?" Just who was this kid?

"Things will never be the same again," the boy told the taller Reploid. "Things can't go back to how they were, even though many want them to," he continued, X only growing increasingly confused. "Ever since Dr. Light created the first robot, things have been set into motion. Even if he couldn't have predicted it, humans and machines will feel the effects of a battle of wills centuries after the two men engaged in it have died."

"Centuries later?" X asked. "What are you," he was cut off by the boy suddenly running off. "H-Hey! Wait!"

He was about to run after the child but then felt an intensely cold chill run down his back, stopping him in his tracks. He didn't understand why, whether it be his logical systems kicking in or some form of human "instinct," X felt something was wrong. But then, he noticed a small crowd gathering at the station's edge that connected Abel City and Arcadia. Just what was going on? He received his answer when he reached the edge of the station, looking down at the water below to see several figures swimming to land.

Indeed, down below, dozens of Reploids disappeared underneath the water as if they had all just decided to swim to the mainland, some faces X recognized while others he had never seen. He had no idea what was going on, let alone why he felt the sudden urge to do so, but the blue Reploid had to get to Arcadia first. He HAD to get there first, lest something awful took place. So, without a word or even checking in, he leaped over the railing and boarded one of the transporters, the door closing behind him and the vehicle setting off for Arcadia. As it traveled, X's green eyes peered down, searching for any sign of those that had entered the water moving in the water, even if the depths were too great to tell.

Eventually, at long last, X had reached the White City but, to his shock, saw that the sun had already begun to set. So soon?! he thought, growing panicked. Just what was going on?! Oh no, I might be too late!

Running out of transport, X ran into the streets of the still-active city, about to warn everyone of the terrible wave coming for them all. But before he could get a single word out, he heard a booming, loud sound behind him. Whirling around, the blue Reploid saw the missiles Sigma had launched falling toward Abel City. As soon as he realized it, X reached out in a vain effort to try and stop it, but there was nothing he could do. The island metropolis was engulfed in a ball of flame, the shockwave of the explosions rocking Arcadia.

The ocean waves washed up onto the city's coastline, causing mild flooding to nearby areas, but as the sun set and the sky grew dark, the shapes that had swam from Abel City emerged from the water. Only, they were no longer fully mechanical life forms. Instead, the Reploids that stepped onto land had changed in appearance; twisted fusions of flesh and metal. Unidentifiable creatures with claws, teeth, weapons built into their arms and other limbs, and eyes, so many eyes. X watched as they made their way to the city, unsure of what these beings were, but he was ready to fire.

But, instead of combating him, the Reploids fused with scales, fins, patches of fur, skin, and unnaturally colored flesh darted past him, confirming the worst. Then, the mechanical animal hybrids unleashed their wrath on the residents of Arcadia. All around X, fellow Reploids, humanoid or animal-based, were slashed, shot, sliced, and torn into pieces as the deranged combinations of flesh and metal ran through the city. The blue Reploid watched on in horror, unable to grasp what was happening. So much was making him question what was real, but when it soon became apparent that lives were in danger, he knew he had to act.

Sighting one of the twisted creatures, X aimed his buster and fired, hitting the bizarrely shaped image of a lion and other predatory creatures. This action managed to get the monster's attention, and the beast slashed its claws in X's direction. X fired again, his charged shot going through the Maverick(?) with surprising ease. The creature fell to the ground, and once X saw it had gone still, he checked up on the poor soul it was attacking. That was when another horrific sight met him.

Instead of a Reploid, X saw the slashed-up body of a human, a young woman with short hair and glasses, her body covered in long gashes and dripping blood, her outfit torn in several places and ripped to shreds. The sight of the deceased girl, especially at such a terrible end, robbed X of speech, but when he looked closer, he saw he recognized the dead human. The shorter hair, the glasses, the softer expression on her face, even in death. One that her friend never wore.

"Fumiko?" X said aloud, still baffled at his discovery.

As he said that, he turned to see that she was far from the only one. Everywhere he looked, humans were being cut down and slain. X lost his senses; the incessant noises, the sickening combination of anguished cries of help and roars mixed in with laughter at the destruction and slaughter. Flashes of red blinded X's vision; Reploids and humans alike became little more than black silhouettes laughing or screaming in terror. Then, everything went dark.

X was trapped in the black abyss, unable to move. This sudden paralysis panicked him at first, yet he then heard the young boy from before speak. "The wheels are set in motion, but the future hasn't been decided yet," he told X, realizing motion began to return to him. "This is just one possible future," the boy said. "But you can steer things in a different direction."

Even if X couldn't see, he began to reach blindly out for the one speaking to him. "Who...who are you?"

Suddenly, he felt a hand seize his. The hold was firm but gentle, the hand slightly smaller than his own. "Starting out is never easy, especially when it's like this," the voice said. "But I think I can count on you to take care of things from now on."

Take care of things? What did that mean? X opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by another voice. One that sounded far off and distant but familiar.

"Is he coming out of it?" a female voice asked. Roll?

"I think so," Zero? "But it might be too soon to tell."

X felt the boy release his hand. "Just remember," he said. "The potential is limitless," his voice grew increasingly distant. "But you have to decide how to use it, X."

"X...X..."

"X!"

Slowly and steadily, X's green eyes opened up, the sight of greyish-purple tiles overhead alerting him that he was not in the HQ. Instead, he was situated in a capsule, several cables hooked into his audio receptors, monitoring his processor's wavelengths and functioning capabilities. X tried to move but found the cords restricted to where he could go. They also seemed to be in the middle of processing information from his CPU.

"Well, you're responsive. So that's all well and good," the blue Hunter turned to see a Lifesaver Unit standing over the capsule, looking down at him. "Given the damage you sustained, we're checking for all signs of potential contamination or infection."

"In-Infection?" X choked out, a sudden flash of pain coming to his chest.

"You've come into proximity with several Mavericks two days prior, so we need to check for any signs of any potential symptoms for a virus," the Lifesaver said. "Even if it is, at the moment, just a theory."

Wait a moment; X just realized what the medical Reploid said. "Two days?! I've been here for two days?! GAH!" he groaned, the pain in his chest flaring up again.

"Yes, and you're quite fortunate," the Lifesaver told the Hunter. "Your chest cavity was crushed when Zero brought you in here, " he explained. "Just slightly more pressure, and your core would've been reduced to little more than a tin can."

"Zero?!" X was about to rise again, but the Lifesaver's hand kept him down. "Where is he?" the blue Reploid asked. "Where's Roll? Dr. Cain? Chiyo?"

The green and white medic sighed. "Zero is currently in the main hub of this small HQ away from home," he said. "As for Roll, who is she again?"

"Blonde hair, green bow, red skirt," X described her. "See her anywhere?"

"Perhaps," the Lifesaver said, neither confirming nor denying he had seen her. But, in truth, he wasn't sure. He was unaware that X even had a "sibling." He then continued. "As for Fujiwara's child, she's here as well. I've heard that one Reploid is staying close by her, but she's generally been avoiding everyone else. As for Dr. Cain," the Lifesaver paused. "He...hasn't been found."

X's lips tightened. "So, it's true then. He's been...?"

The medic nodded. "It seems so," he said. "Yet, if that's the case, then at least he's still alive," he then put his hand back on X's chest. "But it's not something you should be concerning yourself with now. You can tend to that when you're fully repaired, and your systems pass inspection."

X tried to rise, despite the pain in his core. Indeed, Vile did do a number on him. All because of his stupidity. "But..."

"Rest," the Lifesaver commander. "You should be ready to go in the morning." with that, he made his way to other Reploids still being repaired, whether from recent injuries or ones sustained in the clash with Mavericks two days prior.

With little else to do and few options, X resigned himself to laying in the capsule as the machine scanned his systems, his body steadily allowing him to slip back into stillness and calm. His focus and worry about those he had mentioned before slowly faded until he let his internal components go offline again.

When he had awakened again, X was looked over and cleared. Then, finally, he could walk out on his own again. Without the medics or his previous damage holding him back, the blue Reploid explored the smaller headquarters that lay underneath the very foundation of Abel City.

As with the emergency shelters, this secondary HQ was built underneath the city, protected from any attack from above. It was constructed soon after the Hunters had expanded and branched out into Abel City, the suggestion by, surprisingly enough, Dr. Cain. When the Missile Base was established, Dr. Cain raised concerns over the possibility of Mavericks using the weapons available. Thus, they built underground shelters into the island itself. And then, a smaller HQ lay beneath the surface of the standing tower in the city.

The Headquarters was a great downsize compared to the expansive building in Abel City, the colors faded away, and everything had a dull, greyish color, even if the floors and walls looked reasonably clean. Still, despite that, X found that the interior appeared unfinished as if this place was composed of the inner foundation without the outer walls being finished. In addition, the lighting could have been more reliable than above, and many Reploids were nowhere to be seen. Although, given what had happened a few days prior, X didn't need to ask why that was. Upon thinking it over, this place now seemed almost too big with how few of them were left.

"X!" a familiar face caught his attention. Turning to his right, he saw a pink-haired Reploid running towards him, completely intact and with no scratch on her.

"Trinity!" the Hunter cried out, his core elated that the head Navigator was alive. "Are you ok?" he asked, though he felt rather foolish. Appearances meant nothing; no one here was ok. His features fell upon seeing the Navigator avert her blue eyes for a second and put an awkward smile on her face in response to his question.

"So far, everyone accounted for is functioning," she told X. "And this base of operations appears to have not been affected by the missiles."

X bit his lip—the missiles. He was unsure whether to ask, he was hesitant to, but he had to know. He had to. But before speaking, the blue Hunter felt a hand place itself on his shoulder. "There you are," another familiar voice met his audials, X's green eyes coming to meet a piercing pair of blue.

"Commander Zero! There you are!" Trinity greeted the red Hunter. "I wasn't aware you had returned."

"Zero!" X was not expecting to see the other Reploid so soon, especially given what had transpired before his and X's capture at the Missile Base. And wait a moment, Commander?!

"If I may, sir, anything to report?" Trinity asked the blonde Hunter, who shook his head in response.

"So far, there's been nothing but remains of his work," Zero told the Head Navigator. "The one responsible isn't anywhere in the city," he said with a growl. "He might not even be on the island."

"Then what are your next orders, sir?" Trinity questioned. "Do you wish for us to attempt contact with the Air Unit and Eagle?"

"Yes," Zero answered. "Now then, if I may, I'd like a word with X," he then looked at the blue Hunter. "If he's well enough to maintain a discussion."

Wait, what? Did Zero want to talk? X didn't need to ponder what, but the Reploid would wish to speak to him at all was surprising. But then, X was aware that Zero was waiting on him for an answer. "Oh, uh, yeah! Sure thing. I'm available." he said.

This answer appeared to amuse Zero, though X was still quite nervous. "Well, if that's the case, please excuse us, Trinity."

Zero took X down a short hallway and into a small room at the end. From the looks of it, it appeared to be an area that didn't store anything of note, as if the room's purpose still needed to be decided. This whole place felt incomplete as if it had just come into reality. Still, regardless, it was clear why Zero had brought X here. The only question was, which one of them would start first?

Ultimately, however, X found the silence too unbearable and began first. "Zero," he said. "About what happened at the Missile Base," X paused, trying to figure out how to word what he wanted to say. "I...I will admit, I may have doubted you, even if for a second," he told the blonde Hunter. "But whatever the case, whether it be Sigma, history, or any of that, it's no excuse," he then lowered his helmeted head in shame. "After all these years, I should've put my trust in you. I should've been aware that becoming Maverick isn't in your character at all," he sighed. "I know it might not mean much, but I am sorry Zero. I'm sorry for doubting you."

Zero was left speechless, not saying a thing for a few moments. The longer the silence went on, X began to grow concerned his apology had further offended his friend. Or perhaps, his former friend. To his shock, however, X's answer appeared to soften the other Hunter's expression a bit. "Well, now that's not going to do," he said.

X was puzzled. "What isn't?"

"Here I was, going to lecture you about disobeying orders and going off to the city," Zero answered. "Now you've got me feeling bad for being mad at you." he smiled.

X was taken aback by the red Hunter's forgiveness, grateful for it but also undeserving. And not just because of his former doubt. "You should be," X told Zero. "I let Vile get the upper hand on me. I fell for one of the oldest tricks because I didn't take the shot," he then closed his eyes, sighing in dejection. "Even if I crippled the Ride Armor, I couldn't defeat Vile."

Zero's original plan of chewing X out for going out on his own had been wholly discarded; the other Reploid could not go through with it anymore. But what his friend was saying would not stand with him. "You are also forgetting that, even without that Ride Armor, Vile himself was constructed with combat in mind," Zero informed X. "Defeating him would be difficult for anyone."

X sighed. "Still, it doesn't excuse the fact I didn't take the shot," he said. "Nor does it excuse how I've been holding back. Not just then, but ever since I joined the Hunters." It also extended back to when he was first activated, yet Mavericks didn't even exist then. The worst he had to do was shoot at targets and the occasional mechaniloid. Fujiwara said that his "practice dummies" would've been repaired, but X always had lingering doubts. Nevertheless, there was little he could do about it; he was practically a prisoner in his lab then.

Zero crossed his arms. "True, I agree with some of that," he said. "If there's one flaw I see in you, it is your hesitance," he admitted. "And after all this, I'll admit I am worried."

X sighed. "I...understand."

"However," Zero continued. "I'm worried that you might not realize what I mean," the red Hunter said.

"What do you mean?" X questioned.

Zero began speaking again. "Even with your hesitance, you are powerful, X," he said. "More powerful than you could imagine," X was shocked at what he was hearing, but Zero went on before he could get a word in. "But you aren't there yet," he told the slightly shorter Reploid. "You're not to that level in that you haven't reached your full potential, what you could be," he said. "I'm not sure just what Dr. Light put into you, but from what I've seen, every Reploid has shown that they are more advanced than the robots that came before them. So we can match humans in hyper-intelligence and live among them as part of their world."

X understood what Zero was saying but needed to get his point across.

"Reploids are full of potential, X," Zero told the blue Reploid. "And if that's the case, imagine how much you have," he said. "If you truly use what Dr. Light gave you, you could be one of, if not the greatest Hunter of us all," Zero then paused. "Perhaps you would be able to challenge even me."

"What?" X was flabbergasted. "Impossible." he dismissed the notion instantly. Challenge Zero? No way.

"You challenged me when I was..." Zero paused for a moment. "When I wasn't in the right state of mind. When I took your sister."

"You were under the influence of a crippling virus, and, well, despite what happened, you left Roll completely unscathed," X said. He didn't mention Sigma at all. "I went with Dr. Cain to get away from the requests of becoming a Maverick Hunter. I didn't go in wanting to fight you."

"But you still did," Zero countered. "You went in and fought me. You fought me without hesitation when you saw the state Sigma was in," he found himself shocked he would be saying his former Commander's name in anything but disdain. "All to save your sister, someone that didn't stand a chance against me."

X was about to protest, saying that Zero was making himself sound like some untamable monster, but the red Hunter kept going.

"Remember that from here on in," Zero told the blue Reploid. "Approach every situation as you did then," the blonde Reploid went up to X and gestured to his arm. "Show me your buster," X did so, and Zero took it in his grasp. "When it comes to this, don't hesitate. Realize what you're fighting for, and make it possible."

X was silent for a few moments, absorbing Zero's words. "I...I understand."

Zero smiled. "Good," he then turned to the door. "Now, come on. Roll's been dying to see you."

X then froze. "Roll! Is she ok?! Where is she?!"

"She's here, and she's fine," Zero told him. "She was in better shape than you when you came here."

Relief washed over X, but he then remembered another figure caught up in the madness that took place not too long ago. "And Chiyo? What about her?" he questioned. "No, wait. She'd probably be in the shelter with the other humans."

"No, she's here," Zero told X. "She was a little scratched up, but nothing was broken. Humans are so fragile."

"She's here?" X asked. "Why?"

Zero was quiet at first. "Let's just say it's probably better this way that she's not with the other humans." X didn't entirely understand, but Zero went on. "Roll's been watching over her, so wherever Chiyo is, she is. Well, might as well not keep her waiting, right?"

X nodded, exiting the small room after the taller Hunter. Still, despite Zero's words, he couldn't help but question some of his reasoning. For it was also during their first encounter that X hesitated. If he had delivered another shot, while X wasn't sure if he could've defeated Zero, he would've still done severe damage that would eventually prove to be crippling at the very least. So, in that case, how would he know when it would be fitting to take life and when not to?

And, in the end, would it even matter?

When he entered the small room at the end of yet another hall, he met the embrace of the mechanical woman behind the door. "X!" Roll cried, her eyes dry, but her voice was choked and rife with emotion. "X, you're safe," she said as she held him. "When I heard you didn't come back from your mission, and then Sigma..." she stopped herself. "I... I'm just glad you're all right," She stepped back from him. "Are you sure you're fixed up enough?" she questioned, inspecting her (younger) sibling for herself. "The medics made sure to look over everything, right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Roll," X assured her. "What about you?" he then began looking her over. "Did anyone get a hold of you?"

Roll shifted uncomfortably. "There was one with a long tongue that tried to," she confessed. "But he arrived at the last second," she said, looking at Zero. Then, to X's bafflement, she presented the Red Hunter with a smile.

"And Chiyo?" X asked. "Zero said she was here."

"She is," Roll answered. "She's back here." She then led X to the back of the room, the Reploid's green eyes spotting the young Japanese woman still dressed in her uniform.

"Chiyo?"

The young woman was sitting at a small table, a small jar of pickled plums with a small bed of rice before her. She looked from her untouched food to X, eyes widening upon realizing he was there. But that was all she did, her eyes falling back to the small meal she had in front of her. Her stomach growled, but she didn't feel like eating.

X then pulled Roll to the side. "Why is she here and not with the other humans?" He asked.

Roll bit her lip. "It was Zero's suggestion," she told X. "It took some looking, but we did find her isolated in the corner of one of the boarding rooms."

"But still, why is she here?" X questioned. It wasn't as if he had a problem with the human, but a human was in a primarily Reploid-filled space.

"It's a little complicated," Roll admitted. "But given the circumstances, I think it's best if Chiyo is here," She drew closer to her brother. "It's a matter concerning human nature."

Human nature? Before X could ask any further, Trinity's voice could be heard over the intercom, gaining everyone's attention. "ALL HUNTER PERSONALE, PLEASE REPORT TO THE BRIEFING ROOM!"

She repeated her announcement, ensuring everyone in the small base could hear her. "That's our cue," Zero said. "Let's go, X."

X nodded and followed Zero as they exited the room. "Wait!" Roll called out, the two Hunters stopping in their tracks. "Zero, before you go, about before, I-"

"We can talk later," the taller blonde told, the shorter of the two. "Right, now, something is going on." With that, he left. X gave one last look at his sister and Chiyo before he followed Zero, leaving the two alone.

…

When everyone gathered in the briefing room, the same area X had walked into earlier when he exited the medical wing, he saw just how little of them were left. According to Zero, anyone that wasn't here was either dead, nearly dead in the infirmary, or aligned themselves with Sigma. As she did when she delivered the Navigators' collective findings, Trinity stood in the center of the room, speaking. X looked around and saw, to his relief, a few familiar faces among the small crowd, but more were missing than found. He could only wonder where they were now.

"So far, we've confirmed that, despite the city's damage, Sigma did not release every missile at his disposal," the pink-haired Navigator relayed to everyone at the briefing. "If he had done that, the entire island would've been destroyed."

A discussion broke out between everyone, X more shocked than anyone. "Then," he began. "Then, is there still some of the city left?" he asked.

Trinity averted her gaze for a moment. "There are...some things still standing," she said. "Although it's no good to anyone anymore," X looked down at the ground, overcome with guilt. Zero placed a hand on his shoulder. "But the areas outside of the city's borders are still intact," on the large monitor on the northern wall, a map of the artificial island was presented, along with the surrounding ocean. "We've tried making contact with the other bases we have stationed throughout the land, as well as areas where workers, both Reploid and human, are under occupation by some of Sigma's men," she then pressed a button on a switch. The monitor zoomed into the snow-covered mountains of the island. "We've discovered that the Polar Unit's Mountain Base is up and running, and we sent one of the Unit's former members to investigate. But, unfortunately, he has yet to return."

"What's going up there anyway?" Firefly questioned; X was thankful to see him among the living. He had heard that Ai was still being repaired. But, unfortunately, the damage she received was more severe than initially suspected.

"We've lost contact with the other bases around the island," Trinity clarified. "But from what little information we've been able to gather, even with the limits imposed by the Communications Tower," X didn't understand what she meant by that, but before he could ask, she continued. "There have been tremors experienced in the mountain's area. This occurrence, of course, is a problem, especially considering the human populace is still under our care," she then paused for a moment. No one heard her, but she said, "Even if they don't want anything to do with us."

"Tremors lead to avalanches," Firefly added. "Which would lead to all of us being buried alive under snow."

"Indeed," Trinity said. "The Polar Unit's Commander was dispatched to investigate the newly active base, but we're still waiting to hear from him. And if what we believe is true, then someone is stirring things up in that region to try and cause a potentially catastrophic event."

The Hunters left began to debate among themselves as to who should go. So few of them left, so their numbers would be stretched thin. Not to mention that if the area were under Sigma's control, it'd probably be littered with those loyal to him. "Trinity," Zero suddenly spoke up. "Any word from Eagle or the Air Unit?"

The Navigator's features fell. "Unfortunately, no. We haven't heard a single word," she saw Zero close his eyes for a moment. "But for the time being, the Mountain Base needs to be investigated, and the potential threat is taken out. One of us must do this." Everyone looked around, but soon, everyone's eyes fell on Zero. No matter, as the red Hunter was about to volunteer anyway. "Wait a minute," Trinity protested. "You're still needed to help track where Sigma's gone," she said.

"Firefly's more than fast and skilled enough to lead a squad," Zero responded. "And, if one of Sigma's men is involved in this, he will want whatever he's doing up there guarded."

As this exchange was going on, X couldn't help but ponder his place in all that was happening. True, he was still alive and, so far, ready to return to his duties as a Hunter, but now, Sigma had turned everything upside down. X knew so little, yet what the blue Reploid did know was that this city, the Hunters, Reploids, and humans, were in danger. And these potential avalanches and the missing Unit Commander were just a few details in the long stretch of happenings that occurred when he was unconscious for those two days. So much was already gone, and more potential disaster lay before them.

The disaster brought on by one he had once revered and admired, now a branded Maverick. And even if he didn't consider himself one, his actions concerning Dr. Fujiwara said otherwise. Yet still, a part of X couldn't help but wonder, was it Sigma, as in, was it indeed him acting of his own accord? What if his actions resulted from a deeply rooted infection that no one had discovered until now? X knew it was foolish, yet some of him wanted to hold onto the hope that just maybe Sigma wasn't in his right mind.

Although, X realized that it probably was a false one.

Regardless, the situation still needed someone to take care of it. And while Zero appeared to be willing to go, X could see that he would be required here, especially if he now held the title of Commander, something still hard to grasp from X. But if not Zero, then who? Who would go up into the mountains and search for the missing Hunter? As well as investigate the strange happenings occurring there.

Who would take responsibility for everything that had happened?

Suddenly, a voice no one expected to hear spoke up. "Excuse me?" Trinity turned from talking with Firefly to see X had stepped forward. "If you're taking volunteers," he said. "I'll be willing to go."

Note: Next up, we head up into the snowy mountains, where we shall probably meet a familiar penguin. I don't care what Maverick Hunter X says; Chill Penguin will always be the first choice.

Details and other events during X's time in the medical wing will be delved into more as the story continues, but I want to avoid having long periods of the plot dragging, as this is Mega Man X, an action series.

Roll and Chiyo will have more significant roles from here on in, although they won't take away from X and Zero, as those two are the story's heart.

With that said, thank you all for reading, and I hope to hear from you all later!