Rockman X6

Nightmares of the Past and Present

Chapter 3: Into the Amazon

Versus: Commander Yammark

Back at the Irregular Hunter's HQ, X was helping Douglas fix the Falcon armor. There had been several malfunctions that had been occurring during practice rounds with Mina. Or...at least that was what X had figured. What else could cause the buster gun to release slower blasts of ammunition and for his D.A.S.H. system to also run slower?

"Nothing's wrong with it X." Douglas lifted up his goggles and looked to the Irregular Hunter. "To be honest with you...and blunt..." the mechanic gave him a sly grin. "...you're taking it easy on Mina."

X rubbed his nose and looked away off handedly. "Am not. If anything, she's taking it easy on me. Now come on, we haven't checked the configuration on the buster gun have we?"

Douglas sighed, shaking his head. As he worked on the buster gun, another thought came to him. Without looking to X, he grinned slyly again. "Or maybe Mina is actually kicking your butt and you just won't admit it?"

"Mina's kicking whose rear end?" Mina's voice filled the mechanic's room. X cringed as she walked in with a brilliant smile on her face. "Could this rear end that I'm kicking be an azure blue and have a face the color of a radish?" Mina clasped her hands together behind her back as she looked at the Falcon armor. She whistled lightly.

"Pretty snazzy." she commented.

Douglas nodded his head as X continued to work at the buster gun. "X, there isn't anything wrong with it!" he insisted, snapping his tool case shut. He stood up looked at them both, shaking his head with a heavy sigh and left the room.

Mina stared as Douglas left. She nonchalantly placed her arms behind her head and blinked. "What's eating him?" she looked over to X. "Please tell me you're not bothering him...or are you?"

X stood up and looked over to Mina. "I was just...It's just maintenance." he explained.

Mina placed her hands on her hips. "Right. Now, you may be interested in this little piece of info. Alia-san caught hold of a radio wave. Someone's having a press conference."

"And I should be concerned about this because?" X, looked back over at the falcon armor. He sighed lightly, readjusting the buster gun on it.

"You should be interested because it involves Zero..." Mina stared sullenly at X as he seemed to have been frozen in place. His right hand moved and rested on the armor's shoulder plates. They gripped it tightly as X looked to the floor. "X-senpai...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned it...and..."

X shook his head and looked back over to her. "Let's go. I want to hear this."

Mina watched X walk past her. "In person..." he muttered.

She sighed and shook her head. "I'd better follow him..." she said quietly, following X.

"Attention all reploids on earth! As you all these are chaotic and disturbing times. The Nightmare is upon us."

"You know when I heard that Isoc was a smart reploid...smart reploid you know, intelligent I thought that well he'll look respectable." Mina pointed up at Isoc's head. "Why are we listening to a guy whose head looks like a toilet paper roll?" she asked X, standing beside him.

"Sh." X placed a finger on his mouth and motioned for Mina to keep quiet.

"It shows reploids a kind of 'dream' for human beings...no, it's a 'nightmare'. The nightmare makes reploids confused. In the worst case, they may malfunction or delete themselves." Isoc's hands were spread wide as he stood at the podium outside in the ruins. "Due to the space colony incident there are few reploids or humans that are left on Earth."

His hand slammed down on the podium in a hammer fist. "We won't accept sacrifice anymore! This would bring us to the Earth Crisis. Taking the matter seriously, we have sent investigators to the eight suspected areas to uncover the mystery of this nightmare phenomenon. It's said that the Nightmare Phenomenon is caused by a ghost of Zero...known once as an Irregular Hunter."

"What!?" Mina was startled as X stared wide eyed at Isoc. "What are you talking about!?"

"How could...How could he!?" she agreed, nodding her head. "Zero can't be the cause of this!"

'Wait X, Mina... 'Alia spoke to them through the com-link. 'Let him finish his story'

"Now," Isoc smiled and looked to the audience. "I'd like to call on volunteers! Unite with us and help our cause! Work for these eight investigators. Our goal is to wipe out the Nightmare and to delete Zero's ghost!"

Mina glanced over at X and noticed his hands clenching tightly. She frowned and looked on sadly.

"Come together for our future!" Isoc went on. "High Max will lead the missions. We guarantee your safety if you join us. Both Irregular Hunters and Reploids now suffer. Let's preserve our future together! We're waiting for you...Everyone!"

"X..." Mina looked over to him again. She was disheartened when the azure reploids shoulders sagged, almost in defeat. He looked on in disbelief not being able to believe what he had just heard.

"How dare..." he said quietly and then raised in volume. "How dare he talk about Zero that way! Zero gave his life to save us!"

'It can't be helped now.' Alia offered. 'Actually we saw the Nightmare shaped as Zero. So, we also need to investigate what the nightmare is. For now, leave Isoc and High Max alone'

'You too Mina!' The violet reploid had been gripping her chakrams with anticipation. 'Leave them both alone or you will be declared an Irregular!'

"Damn..." Mina muttered.

X placed a hand on his waist and held a his chin in his other hand. "I wonder what are those 'suspected areas' he mentioned. Can you find out Alia?"

'X and Mina waited for a few moments. , due to a strong jamming. I can't look into it from here.'

He opened the palm of his hand and hit it with the other one. "So I have to go in there blind." he muttered.

"Me too!" Mina raised her hand in the air enthusiastically. "Don't leave me behind X-sempai!"

X looked to Mina. He nodded. "But what about Hikari?" he asked.

"She'll be okay. She always is..." Mina assured him.

"Who knows, maybe I'll be able to feel the Nightmare directly." Just like when we saw Zero, he thought to himself. "Besides, I'm suspicious of the investigators."

'The nightmare...the mission is risky but we must minimize the damage by uncovering and deleting it...' This time it was Signas over the com-link. 'As Isoc said we cannot allow anymore reploids to be lost...X! Mina! Return to Hunter Base now!'

"Roger!" Mina replied.

"We'll be back right away." agreed X.

Everyone was in the headquarters. Alia, Signas and Douglas stood side by side in front of X and Mina. Sitting beside Alia, leaning on Alia's leg was Hikari with a new stuffed doll. It was a stuffed dog. "We are now beginning our mission to check the eight areas that Isoc had sent investigators to investigate the Nightmare Phenomenon." Signas's arms were crossed as he looked on. "But considering the situations of the Maverick Hunters, you are the only Hunter who could accomplish these difficult missions. As we've lost Zero, you are our only hope. Can you do it X?"

"I'll do it." X answered, a frown was displayed on his face. Again, Mina thought, again was the reminder that Zero isn't here to help and fight along his side.

Alia pulled out a clipboard. "I've just obtained the report on the Nightmare areas and the investigators sent to those areas. However, the details of the situations in the areas are still unknown, due to bad radar transmissions. Also, in case any changes occur in the Nightmare areas, I'll show you by a red signal. It's difficult to predict what these changes are though..."

X looked over to Alia and smiled reassuringly. "That's okay. I'll know when I get there. I will discover what the Nightmares are and what Isoc's intentions are."

Signas laid a hand on X's shoulder. "Don't push yourself too hard X. Remember, you're our only help."

X nodded. "Roger."

Alia looked to the floor. Mina's eyebrow raised as she glanced over to her. "Umm...X?" Alia looked over to the azure reploid.

"What is it Alia?" X looked back over to her.

"Umm...Nothing...Just be careful."

"Some reploids may accept what Isoc says as true and come to the Nightmare areas..." Signas continued. "If you find them, secure them and send them to Hunter Base."

"And if you find any items, I'll process them into parts you can use." Douglas piped in, swinging around a wrench.

"Good luck X!" Signas smiled and left back to his office.

Before X could turn away, Mina gripped his shoulder and spun him around. "You're not going alone are you?" she asked him, a wicked glint in her eye.

"And if I am is that a problem for you?" he looked her up and down. "You don't look prepared. Besides, I can handle it perfectly fine on my own. Look you can help out by looking out for everyone here."

"Did you know that if you don't come back, all hope is lost!? I..." Mina's mouth shut tightly. I want to go with you too...So I can find out what is wrong with Zero. I haven't completely given up on him. He is out there somewhere...I love him too much to let him go.

"You...?" X blinked as Mina wrestled with her thoughts.

Hikari stood up and tugged on X's arm. "Let Mina-chan go with you X! I want her to go and beat up the bad guys! Just like you! Come on...please?"

"Hikari..." X looked down at the girl looking up at him with puppy dog eyes. He closed his eyes and glared at Mina. "Did you set her up to say that!?"

Mina's eyes widened and she angrily retorted "I was just as surprised as you are!" she yelled.

"Well I'm off." X turned and walked away to the teleportation bay.

"So am I. Somebody has to make sure he comes back alive." she said to Alia and Hikari.

"You...followed...me...again!"

Mina looked at X as innocently as she could. "But Hikari insisted and I'm supposed to follow her orders. It's...It's kinda in the program X-sempai." she tapped her head with a grin. "Besides, if you don't like me following you, make it harder for me to follow."

"We're not talking about a simple mechinloid like before. We're talking about High Max like investigators out there. You might not come back from the mission." X turned to leave for the Amazon.

Mina brushed aside several vines as she followed him. "Better me not making it back than you..." she muttered.

X stopped in his tracks. "Did...Did you just say what I thought you said?" he asked, not looking back at her.

She held out her two chakrams and shook her head. "I didn't say anything. I'm going in on my own so...so out of my way!"

Mina rushed past X and ran into the amazon forest. The azure reploid could do nothing but shake his head and run after her. "Sempai! Check it out!" He looked up from Mina's excitement. She was standing on a mechinloid and it didn't seem to mind it one bit.

"What are you doing Mina?" he asked her in disbelief. "We're on a mission remember?"

"I just...I just thought it'd be something we should take note of that's all." she pouted lightly. Her eyes then looked ahead. "Sempai!"

X turned just in time to duck a slice of air thrown at him by a green mantis mechinloid. Mina jumped over the mantis and plunged down into a hole below. "That idiot...!" X cursed to himself lightly before throwing a few charged shots at the mantis. It responded with sending more miniature versions of itself at him. X quickly took out the sabre and slashed the little mantises and it's creator into scrap.

He looked down into the hole. "Mina!" he called.

There was no answer. He grew steadily worried as he jumped down only to see another mantis in a scrap heap. "Mina!" he called again.

"Over here X-sempai!" she called from a small cave. She gestured him over and revealed to him her find. "I wanted to dodge whatever is was that mantis threw at us and I jumped. However I only landed to face another mantis so I destroyed it and found this!"

X looked over her shoulder to see a capsule. His eyes widened as he ran over to the capsule and he ran his hands over the cover of it. "I can't believe it..." he whispered.

"What? What did I find?" Mina watched as the capsule suddenly opened and a blue holographic figure appeared. At least, that's what she chalked it up to be. Could it be a spirit? An apparition? The man was dressed in a white lab coat and appeared to be a bit paunchy. His hair was white and his beard long and white. He stared at x with eyes of pity and...did she actually see it? Fatherly love?

"X...I wonder when peace will return? I wanted you to live in peace and in a warless era..." The man sighed and looked down, almost as if in thought. He then looked back up at X with a stern face. "But we must put an end to this Nightmare...Forgive me, all I can do is give you this armor. However for security reasons the armor won't work until all the four programs combine. Please collect the four programs to complete the armor. Now I will install a foot program for the Blade Armor. This program will enhance your dash performance and enable you to perform the Mach Dash. You can dash while jumping and you'll be invincible in the beginning."

"Doctor..." X stared at Dr. Right. He started to shake his head. "No...Don't go. Don't go! Not this time!"

"For the Earth, for the future..." Dr. Right smiled at the azure reploid. "Good luck!"

Both reploids watched the doctor disappear. Mina slowly looked over to X. His shoulders shook but he was quick enough to regain his composure before she was able to ask him anything. He moved into the capsule and Mina shielded her eyes from the sudden blue flash. When she looked next, X was already moving out. "X-sempai! Wait up!" she called.

The reploid stopped and looked back at her. "We're a team remember? You agreed back when we were at Isoc's press conference." Mina frowned and held a closed fist close to her heart. "I...I know I'm not Zero but please...X-sempai, please give me a chance!"

He continued to stare at her. Mina bit her lip. X turned and started to leave again. Mina chased after him, dodging mechinloids. "X-sempai! Answer me! X...X!"

X turned to look back at her as she shot a chakram in his direction. Startled, he ducked and looked at her wide eyed. "What the hell!? What was that for?"

"It's not dead! X-sempai!" Mina pointed in his direction, standing poised and ready to shoot again.

X looked back and nearly choked on air. It was purple with a yellow head. Wicked tentacles stretched out toward him, threatening to strangle him. Holding out his buster gun, X quickly charged the attack and shot at it. Both of them heard the piercing scream of the creature as it was torn apart by the blast. X seized the glowing orb and looked down at it before storing it away.

"What...What was that?" asked Mina, her whole body shaking. The scream echoed in her mind.

"Alia, can you give us an analysis?"

'From what I can tell X...it's...It's the Nightmare itself! Be careful, the both you. There's more of the same energy readings stead ahead'

"Thank you, Alia." X looked over to Mina. "You...You saved my neck back there...twice. I..." He cougehd lightly into his hand. "I guess, I mean what I'm trying to say is..."

The violet reploid walked over to him. "Your welcome X-sempai!" she said, knocking the azure reploid off guard. "Sorry if I bruised your ego."

Sweatdropping, X shook his head and caught up with Mina. "You didn't bruise my ego! I was...I just didn't know you had such capabilities...and I was out of it for a little while!"

"You're right X, you were zoned out." Mina replied. "You...You really seem attached to that man. Maybe you can tell me about him later?" she asked.

He looked back to her. "Maybe...But first the mission if you will."

"Right!"

"They seem to be getting along..."

Douglas looked over to Alia as he held playing cards in his hand. Hikari sat across from him, both sitting cross legged on the floor. "Mina-chan is making friends!" Hikari giggled and hugged a teddy bear in one hand and holding a hand of cards in the other.

Alia smiled in relief. "X has been on his own for a month and has really noticed the difference. With Zero not being here..." She then looked over to Hikari. "Are you winning sweety?" she asked.

Douglas grinned widely and laid down his hand. "Take that! Straight jacks!" He shrugged. "I'm sorry if I'm a little bit harsh on you little one but I was king of poker back in the academy."

"Queens."

Douglas opened one eye. Hikari laid on the floor a hand full of queens. "A...A kid beat me..." he said in disbelief.

"Well...At least X and Mina are getting along..." Alia smiled lightly and turned back to her station.

"My bologna has a first name it's M I N A...My bologna has a second name it's M I N A..."

X sighed and turned away from the happy violet reploid. Both sat on a transport mechinloid crossing dead spikes. "What...is that? What are you singing?" he demanded.

"Hikari has a favourite commercial on television. A kid munches on a sandwich and sings a little tune like the one I just sang. It's how I...relax you know...Singing." Mina blushed brightly. "Do I sing that badly?"

"Well.."

"We're here!" Mina jumped up and looked on ahead. "Platforms..." she muttered in dismay.

"I have an idea...Jump on my back."

Mina blushed wildly again. "X-sempai...We barely know each other!" she teased.

X frowned and pointed to his back. "Come on!" he urged.

Mina jumped onto X's back, wondering what his plan was. "Until we get you a D.A.S.H. system, we'll have to do this." he noted and dashed to one platform. "I'm relying on you to remove any obstacles!"

"Right!" she looked up seeing a mantis. She charged up a chakram and shot it at the mantis, effectively slicing it's head off, decapitating it. "Woohoo!" she cheered, shooting another mantis as X jumped from platform to platform.

"A door!" X exclaimed as they entered it.

Mina jumped off of his back. "Come on X-sempai!" she cheered. "Time to investigate the investigator!"

He couldn't help it but a small smile appeared on X's face. He nodded to Mina as both checked their weapons. "Are you sure?" he asked her. "You still have Hikari to protect back at the base."

"X-sempai, if you go on without me and...well, perish...Sorry!" Mina caught X giving her a confused look. "I know, I know! You're really powerful but so was Zero-sama. If you were to perish, I would probably fight in your stead. Now come on! Let's go kick some Irregular butt!"

X and Mina entered the door and jumped down to the arena. From above flew a reploid. It looked like a dragonfly but it was an anthro type. He looked down at the two reploids with his big red eyes. "I know him X-sempai! That's Commander Yammark!" Mina exclaimed. "I would escort Dr. Yukimura to meet with him and another reploid..."

He noted Mina's comment and turned to Commander Yammark. "You're the Nightmare Investigator, Commander Yammark?"

The dragonfly reploid narrowed his eyes at them both. "Yes! I'm in charge of the Amazon Area. Tell me! What is Zero up to? You must know something..."

"X...X-sempai..." Mina whimpered lightly, her weapon shaking in silent realization.

"Zero has nothing to do with this! Stop accusing him!" Mina's pleas were unheard. Zero's name being used again incited X's anger.

"Sempai!"

"I won't trust both Maverick Hunter and Reploid researcher. I don't know what you're thinking...I won't end up betrayed and deleted! I will delete you first!" Commander Yammark flew up to the far corner of the arena, small dragonfly mechinloids circled around him.

"Yammark-san! Wait!" Mina cried out before being tackled by X onto the ground as dragonflies flew over their heads.

"You know him?" he asked hurriedly.

Mina bit her lip. "He's supposed to be dead!" she replied.

Both reploids stood up and dodged green orbs thrown at them by Yammark. X jumped towards the wall and rebounded as he charged his buster. Mina rolled under Yammark and charged her chakrams. Both unleashed their shots and dust filled the air. "Did we...?" Mina looked up at the dust cloud as X landed beside her.

"No...Irregular hunting isn't easier either." X replied. "Look at you, you're sweating already."

"Oh...like you don't sweat." Mina retorted as the dust finally cleared. Both were startled as Commander Yammark was now charging at them with his armada of dragonflies trailing behind him. "We really have to...Commander...Yammark-san, I'm sorry." she whispered.

Both reploids jumped up to the wall and rebounded off, landing behind Yammark. Mina knelt on one knee and pointed her chakram blaster at the investigator while X stood beside her point his own buster gun. The weapons charged up. "Finishing Strike!" they both yelled.

Yammark turned and barely had time to open his mouth before a blast of blue and violet met and dismembered his body. Mina watched in despair a once good friend of her creator died needlessly. I guess this kind of thing needs some getting used to, she thought with her fists curled in tight.

"Mina!"

She snapped out of her thoughts and looked to X. "Think it's about time we head home, huh?" he asked her. A smile was worn on his face. One of praise and joy. Mina's spirits were lifted and she nodded. "X-sempai...about Yammark-san.."

"It takes guts to fight against someone you know. I know that...it's happened to me." X walked over to her. He looked into her eyes and shook his head. "It's all right, you can cry. I won't think any less of you."

"X-sempai...I'm sorry...Crying isn't programmed into my system." she looked up to him, a frown set upon her unusually cheerful face. "If you wish, when we get back to base, I can perform a system search but I doubt you can find any such program."

Mina teleported away, leaving X confused. "What does she mean, not programmed? Something like that doesn't need to be programmed. It comes natural." Looking to Yammark's corpse, he frowned and teleported away.

X and Mina stood in the briefing room. Alia looked over to them. "Well, Hikari did well while you were away. She didn't seem to worry one bit...Except when you two were fighting, that was when I swear I thought she wanted to cry."

"What? Where is she right now?" asked Mina worriedly. X looked over to her. Back to normal, he thought, back there after the battle she...wasn't Mina.

"Playing with Douglas. I never realized he could make quite the horsie. But anyways, I suppose you two want information on Commander Yammark, am I right?" Alia asked watching the two reploids nod. "Well X, I was able to convert Commander Yammark's power for our use."

She handed them both an energy capsule. "Mina, in order to use this all you have to do is slip it into the weapon slot we'll soon be putting on your chakram blaster. If you two find anymore of these, just press the white button on it and it'll switch."

Mina smiled nervously. "Hope I remember!" she replied.

"Don't worry. X will show you the ropes. Using the Yammar option, dragonflies will come to your aid and help in defense and offense. Now...," Alia backed away and picked up a stack of papers. "Commander Yammark. An ex-investigator in the Amazon Area. He was a reploid created for the nature preservation project. There was an incident where he accidentally burned the forest by control disorder. He wasn't accused of the incident but...Someone altered Yammark's flying system...He crashed and died."

X looked over to Mina who was biting her lip tightly. "So he was resurrected." he commented.

Alia frowned and looked to the floor. "He was created by my colleague...Gate."

X and Mina's eyes widened. "Gate!?" X exclaimed.

Mina frowned as well. "Not him...him of all people..."

A/N: Konnichiwa! Konbanwa! Good morning! I don't know your time zone so here's all three. Sorry for the lack of updates lately. It had taken awhile for me to decide how to write the first maverick stage. However, here it is written. By the way, all you X/Mina fans, I have a Christmas gift for you! Click on my profile and you'll find Christmas Mistletoe, a giftfic for all you X/Mina fans. Good old fashioned fluff...featuring X in an elf suit. You'll find the answer to the X/Mina question there. For now though...sayonara! And don't forget to review, review, review! Or I'll send Sigma on you!

Omake Special! 's equal action

Mina and her training!

Alia: 'watches Mina train' She's really strong...

Signas: She can run fast too...

Alia: But there's one problem...

X: 'looks at a napping Mina' She doesn't have any stamina for it all...Wake up sleepy head!

Mina: Zzzzzzzzz...