A/N: You know...if I owned Capcom and it's Rockman/Megaman characters...I wouldn't be writing this fanfiction now would I? So I don't own it.

Rockman X Episode Six

Nightmare of the Past and Present

Act Two: Missing Light

Versus: Giant Mechinloid

Two weeks later:

Mina sat on her bed watching Hikari play with some dolls that she had made from scrap. The violet reploid let out a sigh as she thought about X. Where was he right now? Was he out defeating mavericks? Was he out there rebuilding the earth? Why was she stuck in here? Sure, Hikari had a reason. The pollution outside was horrible. But Mina didn't have to stay.

"Hikari, will you be fine here? I know I'm supposed to watch you but I can't help but feel almost useless. They took us in after all." Mina explained to her young charge. "You understand right?"

She pulled on one of her purple pigtails and looked at Mina with questioning eyes. She smiled enigmatically and laughed. "Mina-chan likes X-sama! Mina-chan likes X-sama!" This obviously caused the reploid to blush and stand up.

Mina eyed Hikari sternly. "I won't be having any of that. My primary objectives include helping mankind. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to ask Alia-san where everyone is."

Hikari watched her mentor leave. Her eyes drifted back to her doll and hugged it tightly to her chest. Flashbacks of the debris they uncovered and the Eurasia colony disaster flew by her sky blue eyes. The child looked up and her eyes widened. "Santa Claus?" she asked the specter that had drifted into the room. Hikari smiled lightly. "I like calling you Santa Claus better."

The man smiled back down at her as she stood up and sat on the bed. "I'm worried about Mina-chan. I'm pretty sure my father programmed her with emotions but I've never seen her cry."

Dr. Right nodded his head. "Mina-chan only has me but I'm human. I know what happens when humans age. I want Mina-chan to have a reploid friend at least. Do you think X-sama will understand?" she asked. The doctor nodded his head again, and Hikari smiled widely. "Thank you Santa Claus!"

"X? X was called for an assignment. There's a disturbance at an old junkyard where a giant mechinloid went maverick"

Alia blinked in confusion as Mina paced back and forth of the Hunter's operation room. Mina was biting on her white-gloved finger as she pondered her next move. "Guess I should suit up." She finally said.

"Suit up?" Alia asked still confused. "Don't tell me you're going out there! I know I've been asking X to find someone else to train but this is ridiculous!"

Mina glared at the navigator. "I'm a bodyguard. I think I know what I'm doing. I've had my share of mavericks." she retorted as she held up two chakrams. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna help out."

Alia watched as Mina teleported out of the room. Sighing she looked over to Douglas who shrugged. "Douglas, could you bring Hikari here? Someone's got to baby-sit that child," she asked softly.

The mechanic gave the navigator a thumbs-up and left the room. Alia switched on her headset. "This is going to be interesting." She whispered to herself. "How's X going to take this?"

"WHAT?"

Mina blushed brightly as X looked at her with mixed emotions of surprise, anger, disappointment and maybe even embarrassment. When she had arrived, the trail leading to X just stood out. Debris was scattered all over the place and the smell of burning oil filled the trail.

"Look," Mina looked away from X trying hard not to read his face. "I just want to help. Besides, with Zero-sama gone you need all the help you can get!"

"Say that again!" X shouted at her. "Maybe it hasn't occurred to you that we don't need anymore casualties in this war?"

The violet reploid frowned. "Maybe it hasn't occurred to you that if you get scrapped no one else is there to lead? No one else is there to fight? Or…" Mina's fists shook angrily. "Maybe it hasn't occurred to you that Zero-sama is dead and will never come back? I've gotten over it. Why haven't you?"

:Break it up you two:

Both X and Mina stood stiffly as Alia's voice rang in their ears. :You two are acting like children! I mean really, Douglas is more mature than you two put together:

"I think she has a point…" Mina admitted quietly.

:Like it or not X, Mina is there with you. She has a bodyguard background and has put several mavericks down in her lifetime. She may not be A-class or SA-class but I'd wager she's around B-class:

Mina blushed brightly. "I can stay?" she asked in disbelief. "Wow…"

"Well then we'd best be on our way." X turned and ran ahead. Mina, surprised at how quickly he took off, went after him.

"X-senpai! Hey X-senpai!" She looked around. "Where'd he go…?" Looking up, her eyes widened. A drill mechinloid threatened to come down at her. A hand grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the way.

X shook his head, obviously annoyed. "You've got be more aware than that. Otherwise, you could end up scrap. I'll slow it down for you."

"I'd hate for you to do that…" Mina sighed deeply. "There's reploids put there that need to be helped. Maybe I shouldn't have come along."

X opened his mouth to prove that he was right but stopped. If so much a peep about that were to come out, Alia would be sending an earful to him. His expression softened instead. "Come on. I know you can do it," he told her. "Hold my hand all right?"

Mina blushed brightly. "That's so sudden!" she blurted. X frowned and gestured again. Mina complied and was immediately pulled out of the hole and out into the open. X had initiated his D.A.S.H. sequence.

"When we reach the wall kick it with your feet!" he shouted atop the loud crashing noise of the drills slamming into the ground.

"Kick?" Mina shouted confused.

"Now!"

X had let go of her hand and jumped onto the wall. He kicked it and soared above her to the next platform. Mina bit her lip and leaped up to the wall. She kicked it hard, unsure of how hard to kick it. She soared above X. Too far. The Hunter reached out and took her hand again, pulling her back out of the way of another drill.

"Not bad for a first-timer." he commented with a smile. He raised a finger and placed a hand on his hip. "But not too much power or you can overshoot your shot."

Mina panted as she got up. "R-Right." She said with a grin. "See? I can do this!"

X nodded and activated his D.A.S.H. again. Both made their way up the platforms dodging the drills. X raised his X-Buster and shot plasma bullets at machines that blocked their way.

Wow, Mina thought as they journeyed on. And they say he's a B-class? His skills are topnotch…why? Why is he so underrated?

"Here we are." X stopped and pointed to a door. "From experience I can tell you we're near the malfunctioning mechinloid. Are you ready?"

Mina held out her two chakrams. Looking down at him, her thoughts returned to Hikari. "If this makes me a better bodyguard, I'll do it. Let's kick Maverick butt!" She blushed brightly. "I'm not programmed for battle cries…" she admitted.

X nodded solemnly and opened the door. Mina raised her weapons but then lowered them when she saw two reploids. "X-senpai! What happened to them?" she asked startled by their injuries.

"We came across that crazy mechinloid. It's huge!" One explained as the other could barely speak. "We tried to take it out but we got battered. We thought we should wait here and stop anyone from proceeding so they don't meet the same fate."

"A good job you did. Get back to HQ." The reploids teleported out as X turned to Mina. "You sure you're ready for this?" This time he wasn't asking out of business. There was concern in his voice. "Miss Hikari will be sad if you don't come back."

Mina shook her head. "Don't be like that X-senpai. I won't die. I'm with you! And you always do your best to help others. Can't you have faith in yourself?" she asked curiously.

X turned away and nodded his head. "Yeah. Sure I can. Come on." He opened the door and both ran in.

Mina's eyes widened. "It's huge!" she commented. The mechinloid was green and white. Attached to it's large rectangular body was a huge jaw that taunted X and Mina by opening and closing, threatening to make short work of them. "Is there even a weakness?"

"Less talking more shooting!" X shouted, raising his X-Buster and shooting charged shots at the monster. Mina nodded and her chakrams started to rotate around her wrists turning into swirls of energy. Swinging one wrist, she sent an energy chakram at the machine.

It did mild damage. X's attacks were doing better but still the machine wasn't letting down. It moved toward them. "Split up!" X shouted, rolling to the left. Mina complied and rolled to the right. Something caught her eye. There was a small sphere above the machine that was connected to it via a blue energy stream. She shot a chakram up to it but, the machine repelled it.

"X-senpai!" she called. He gazed in her direction up at the sphere. "I'll distract him!"

About to protest, X was silenced when Mina spoke "My attacks are repelled." Nodding, he set forth drawing the Z-Sabre. "You can do it X-senpai!" she cheered as her attacks kept the machine's attention. With one swipe of the Z-sabre, the sphere crashed to the ground. The machine crashed also, the resulting shockwave knocking Mina off of her feet.

"Did we do it?" she asked.

X slid down the wall and landed on the ground. He held up the Z-Sabre as the machine started to start up again. The jaw opened and closed, making it's way over to Mina. The reploid started to scream as X dashed over to her when someone had appeared in front of them both. The purple silhouette slashed at the machine, finally putting it down for good. Both eyes widened as the silhouette disappeared.

"I…I can't believe it…" Mina choked.

X blinked, stunned. "That was…"

:Zero: Alia asked over the com-link..

X looked to Mina confused. Mina shrugged and was about to scold sheath her weapons when Alia shouted There's another reploid!

Mina readied her chakrams while X raised his X-Buster. He stood in front of Mina as a black reploid floated down to them both. The reploids eyes were a dark gray with no irises like Mina or X's. He spoke in a deep voice that made Mina shake in fear.

"I see you've met with the Nightmare. The Nightmare that is Zero." He looked down at them all. "I'm investigating the Nightmare. Tell me what you know."

"We know nothing!" X shouted. "Leave us be or I'll shoot!"

"My weapons are far more advanced than your ancient ones. I am High Max." he said simply before shooting out energy shots. Mina dodged to the right as X dodged to the left.

"Mina! Get out of here!" he shouted, shooting charged shots at High Max. Mina shook her head stiffly, not being able to move out of fear. The charged shouts not working, X drew the Z-sabre and rebounded off the wall. Slashing with the sabre he was met with disappointment. That didn't work either.

"Pathetic." High Max taunted. "I will find out more about the Nightmare Zero." He spoke deeply as he teleported away.

"X-senpai!"

X looked to Mina who was obviously distressed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for disobeying orders. I just couldn't move. That High Max…His voice…His weapons…I was scared."

"Mina…" X looked down at the ground grimly. High Max? Zero Nightmare? What's all of this about? Zero…What do you have to do with this? I remember I dreamed about you but…What is going on?

A/N: Those :'s you've been seeing are there to indicate that Alia is talking over com-link. And if some people didn't notice, Hikari is from Japan and since Mina was programmed there, she also has the accent. Just to explain some things.