Chapter Three - Uncovering plots...

It is often said that 'history is written by the winners.' However, the winners should not be trusted implicitly. Different people can have wildly different accounts of the same event. Our job, as physical historians if you will, is to try to form the most accurate picture of an event through the collation of 'physical stories,' or, as they're known to the lay person, artifacts. -Dr. James Cain, 'The Archaeology Lectures'

The Beeblader launched it's rockets at me. "Pathetic." I easily jumped over the explosive projectiles and blasted the orbs it sent out to attack me. Several more blasts were all it took to destroy the giant machine. Leaping up as it careened into the road beneath me, I continued making my way down the highway. Now this brought back memories. Right before Sigma started his revolt against the humans, he released me and told me his plan to change the world. It was this highway that I found myself wandering down when the hunters sent their first attack against Sigma's forces. It was here where I fought X for the first time. I defeated him then, and I would have finished him had Zero not rescued him.

But this was not that highway, all those years ago. This was some training computer's recreation of it. The enemies I was fighting weren't real and there was no way I could die like I had in the past. Casually blowing away anything that got in my way, I reached the spot where X and I had dueled years ago. However, to my surprise, X was nowhere to be seen. 'Is the simulation over?'

Suddenly my question was answered as I heard a loud noise from above me. I looked up and saw the Death Rogumer, Sigma's flag ship which was piloted by Storm Eagle. I wondered what it was doing here when, all of a sudden, the rear hatch opened up and a very large figure fell to the road. I gasped as I realized what it was. I was staring at myself, clad in full armor, and inside of the Goliath Ride Armor. "So, you're what the hunters sent, huh? I'm insulted. Oh well, the Goliath needs a work out, and you'll do!"

Without a second's hesitation the simulation charged at me. Stupidly, I let myself be hit, and what a hit it was. I knew the safety protocols were on, but it still hurt like hell. I tried to get to my feet but before I could even move, the simulation leapt on top of me, pinning me to the ground. After it stomped on me several times, it reached down and grabbed me with it's massive hands. It slowly applied pressure to me as I saw myself at the controls. "Ha ha ha! You can't even put up any resistance. It was a mistake for you to come here, it's just too bad you won't survive long enough to learn from it."

All of a sudden, everything disappeared and I was back in the simulation room of the MHHQ. The safety protocols had kicked in and ended the scenario at what would have been my death in the real world. The realization that I had failed the mission crept into my head and I slammed my fist into the ground with frustration.

"Hey, don't worry, everybody freezes up on that one the first time." I heard a voice come from the rooms entrance. Half expecting to see that X had come back from what ever business he had had to take care of, I turned to greet the new comer. In the split second before I clearly saw who it was I realized that this voice was a few octaves lower then X's, but still one that I remembered clear as day. Then I saw who it was and the reason for the familiarity was revealed: I was now face to face with Zero.

I briefly wondered about the seemingly cosmic irony that caused him to show up when he did before panicking again. If anyone would recognize me, it would be him. Zero had been directly responsible for my first loss to X. He had been the one who destroyed my ride armor and distracted me, leaving me open to X's attack.

As I stood, frozen, he walked towards me. He stuck his hand out towards me and said, "my name's Zero. How about you?"

"V…Vava." I cautiously took his hand in mine and we exchanged greetings.

"Vava huh? You must be that new recruit some of the guys were talking about. Well, looks like you were doing real good there for a while."

"Yeah, I just wasn't prepared for… that."

"Neither was X. That was the first time I rescued him."

I decided to feign ignorance. Zero would get suspicious if I didn't act curious. "Really? How do you mean?"

"Well, that maverick you just went up against was called Vile. He was a real bad egg. Before Sigma's first uprising, he was imprisoned for the excessive violence he used when retiring other mavericks. Of course, he fit right in with Sigma's bunch. Caused quite a bit of problems. And to top it all off, he's been rebuilt several times. He's a true maverick, and I'll bet you anything he'll show up again."

I had to bite my tongue to keep myself in check. 'He doesn't know what it's like, being remembered for something that you didn't do. I was never part of 'Sigma's bunch.' And I never exhibited any other behavior that follows the classic definition of maverick.' "He certainly sounds like bad news."

"That's an understatement. Well, X had been going through the same things you just did, when he came upon Vile. Unfortunately for X, Vile was a bit too much for him and I had to save him."

"How did you defeat him?"

"Well, later on, near the end of the uprising, we fought him again in Sigma's fortress. He was in his ride armor again and he put up one hell of a fight. We managed to destroy his ride armor and then we defeated him. I was too badly damaged from the fight however, resulting in my death, the first of several."

'NO! That wasn't right! I won! X beat me because I got careless, but I defeated him! If it hadn't been for Zero, I would have finished it. I would have changed the world.'

"Uh, you okay man?"

I looked up; Zero was staring at me worriedly. "W…what?"

"Well, not that I mind or anything, but normally when I mention that I died people usually ask questions. You know, 'what was it like' or things like that."

"Oh…yeah." I couldn't let him know that I had intimate knowledge of that subject. "Well I just figured you'd probably get annoyed with me if I asked. I imagine it's a sort of personal thing."

Zero looked taken aback. "Well…thanks. Not too many people are that considerate nowadays. Say, would you like to do some sparring? I've been trying to get X to join me, but he thinks it's a bad idea for us to spar together. Although, considering the past few weeks, I can see his reasoning."

"Sure, I'd love to, but what's going on between you and X. Word was you two have been best friends for decades?"

"Well, I probably shouldn't talk about it, but X would want me to be more open." Zero briefly looked at me; for a minute I thought he wasn't going to go any further, but then he sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "Can you keep a secret?"

"Sure," I replied, knowing this could be my big break in getting closer to X.

Zero looked down towards the floor and began to speak. "Lately I've been having some bad dreams. Yeah, I know, not very common in a reploid, right?"

"Oh, no. I don't think I've ever even heard of a reploid that had bad dreams."

"Well, you're looking at one now. What's worse is that it's the same dream over and over again. I think it has something to do with my creator, but I don't even know who that is."

"You don't?"

"No, I was reactivated by Dr. Cain years ago with no memories of who my creator was or what happened to me prior to my reactivation. Sigma…this was back when he was one of the good guys, told me that I was the only survivor of a renegade maverick's mad rampage. Other then that, it's all a blank. But anyways, back to the dream. It starts out in some warehouse and I'm there, inside some sort of stasis tube. I get out of it and I see the bodies of dead robots lying on the ground. Then I see a man silhouetted in bright light, and he starts talking to me."

"And you think he has something to do with your creator?"

"I think he is my creator. He then tells me that I need to destroy everything, and he specifically mentions X."

"Wow, that's weird."

Zero looked at me again. "I'd appreciate if you didn't mention this to anyone. I've been trying to talk to X, but he wants me to see some shrink."

First he's having dreams that tell him he is the destroyer of everything, and now he's going to see a psychologist? This was unusual. What Sigma had said was starting to make sense to me now. If Sigma hadn't lied to me, then Zero was having dreams about Dr. Wily. This was bad. If Zero really was the final creation of Dr. Wily, then Sigma's plan could mean the destruction of everything in the world. 'That can't happen. If that's Sigma's plan, I have to try to stop it. But I still have to be careful, I can't let them know who I am.'

"Hey, you ok, you started spacing out again."

"Yeah…yeah, I'll be fine. Don't worry, I won't tell anybody."

"Thanks buddy. Hey you want run a few scenarios with the training computer?"

"Well actually, I just remembered I have a prior engagement with some old friends of mine. Can I take a rain check?"

"Sure, that's cool." Zero looked slightly downcast, but I sensed from his tone that he was expecting my rejection. "I guess I'll catch you later then?"

"Yeah, yeah, later." I made my way out of MHHQ, retrieved my helmet, and proceeded to warp back to Sigma's hideout. We needed to talk.

End Chapter 3