22. Futuristic

((Author's Note: aka the Mega Man X fusion!))

Her arm is a mess of sparks and jumbled circuits. Robin can only stare at the damage, and decide it's a lucky thing her limbs have emergency shut downs; otherwise she'd likely be paralyzed from the pain. But instead of getting paralyzed by the loss of one limb, Robin brings her other arm, and the blaster fixed to it, around to the machine.

The ride armor towers over her, a three-ton power armor piloted by a soldier glaring at her through a mechanical mono-eye. Her enemy has already scored the one hit on her, and looks ready to go for another-

But its single eye is focused entirely on her, and not the other hunter dropping from above.

Chrom lashes out, the glow of his saber piercing the gloomy factory. It slices through shadow and circuitry alike, knocking the giant armor and pilot askew. As the machine fights to right itself, Robin has just enough space to follow up with an attack of her own. Robin snaps out her blaster, lets the circuitry in it whine up to a loud charge, before firing off a blast of energy. It crashes into the soldier and armor, leaving a gout of fire and explosions. The only thing left is a charred out husk of machinery.

As she watches it, Robin wonders if she would've looked the same, if either she or her partner had moved a moment slower; no spark of life in her body, just another mechanical husk. She steps over the defeated machine as it spits electricity; in the brief flashes of light, she can see other husks lining the factory; half built or disassembled reploids like them, lacking in only the spark of life.

"Focus, Robin." Chrom steps up beside her. The blues on his armor blend for a moment in her vision, before the lenses in her eyes snap into focus. The faint glow from his hands helps with that, as he passes them over her mangled arm.

Robin has downloaded libraries worth of information to her memory banks; it helps make up for the strange gaps in her personal logs. The best theory she has for Chrom's ability is that he can supercharge any sub tanks he carries, and apply their energy to other people.

"You didn't have to waste that on me, Sir." She mumbles. "I could've kept going-"

"Not worth the risk." Chrom tells her. All the algorithms Robin runs through say otherwise… But there's also a decisive glint in Chrom's eyes that make any theories or arguments fall short. Instead, he runs his hands along her arm, carefully making sure it's been completely mended. Robin gives her fingers an experimental flex, and feels all the silicon chords and wires twitch and move in response. Even the skin analogue covering her arms is getting restored, and hexes of violet armor also eat up the energy and grow one hex at a time over her arm. "And you can call me 'Chrom' you know."

Robin's pretty sure that isn't in her programming, to drop the title like that.

"But still, Sir… What if you need that charge later on-?"

"Well, either way I need my partner at her best, if we're going to take on any rogues."

"Mavericks." Robin supplies the proper term. Chrom winces at that… But still nods, standing up and pulling her up with him. That ride armor was their last bit of resistance in the factory, though they're careful as they pick their way along; Robin dashing forward first, then calling Chrom over, as they do a leapfrog arrangement.

Through it, Robin finds that her eyes linger on Chrom longer than they should.

'Partner. That's what he called me.' They've only been in the field a handful of times, and Chrom thinks of her as that already. It's testament to his… Somehow, the word 'programming' feels like it falls short. But there's a kindness to him that Robin appreciates. A willingness to trust her, after she was found half broken by the peace keeping force, and repaired.

It makes a strange emotion flare through her… Something she can't properly describe yet. 'Loyalty' or 'drive' both feel like they fall short. But there's a desire to improve herself, to be worthy of that gesture, even if her memory is still faulty.

It helps, that whatever virus is tearing through the other androids and reploids hasn't touched her or Chrom. That much is proven when they find their mark. A shutter door slams shut behind them, the only warning they get before a collection of six glowing red lights flicker to life. Things that could be the eyes of another reploid, but this one too far gone.

Robin adjusts the sensors on her own eyes, taking in the figure of a deeply mangled reploid; circuitry and wires drape around them like limbs from a man-of-war, and those still spark with electric currents. Robin expects the face to be inspired by a spider, with all those lights… But instead, she sees that the reploid's face has been twisted, like four new eyes have burst open along the face. Shreds of synthetic skin drape around those red globes, giving the reploid a ravaged appearance.

"M-Maverick." Chrom speaks up, cutting through the odd fear twisting through Robin. "Stand down peacefully-"

That's not part of their protocol, Robin distantly realizes; they're meant to kill Mavericks on sight, not talk terms and conditions of surrender. Not that it matters much to the Maverick, as it throws itself at Chrom with a mad howl.

It's a fast lunge, but Robin moves faster. She's been gathering energy ever since she saw those first glints of red light, and now she's ready to fire, full force. Her shot blasts the Maverick back, and leaves Chrom room to cut forward.

After that, it blurs together. A part of Robin worries that her mind doesn't pick out the details very clearly. The rest of her is focused on dodging attacks and blasts, making certain that the Maverick stops moving before she does.

"Robin, it's okay." Chrom's voice finally brings her back… And once more, she finds herself looking at a twisted, mechanical mess. This one is even less recognizable than the ride armor pilot, and a strange violet fire burns along the husk. Her data banks give sparse information on that; just that it's the effect of too much energy and virus surging through the reploid, along with-

"G-get back!" Robin remembers the other effect of that surge, and throws herself into Chrom. Her shoulder checks him and drives him back, well beyond the reach of the explosion when it sparks in the husk. Robin turns her face to the side, sparing her eyes and sensors as the world briefly goes white. There's a few new scrapes and gouges along her body thanks to the fight, and they burn from that flare of energy.

But soon enough, even that last surge of power subsides, leaving them with a burnt out shell, and a smoldering factory.

"…Too far gone." Chrom shakes his head in regret. "The virus was too deeply rooted."

Which means they still don't have any answers, on why some reploids go mad. Just one less Maverick causing chaos. And looking at the blackened chasis, a touch of dread sinks through her again.

"Sir… What happens if something like this happens to-?"

To either of them? It's a chilling thought.

"It won't. Not as long as I'm still functioning." Chrom tells her, amazingly decisive. And what amazes Robin even more, is that she believes him. Even with the worrying odds. And she wonders for a moment, if this is another part of their programming… Or if it even matters if it isn't, and if there's something changing in them.

That should give her fear, make her wonder if it's something that happens to reploids about to go Maverick… But that would mean snuffing out that strange, hopeful sensation sparking through her. And Robin doesn't want that to happen; not when she finally has a name for what she feels around Chrom.

"Robin… You're coming with me, right? We need to report back to headquarters."

"Right behind you, Chrom." She says that without pause… And feels another bright spark in her chest at that, along with a smile.