A/N: Still plugging away. Here is another revision, with a bonus dream sequence.
Enjoy!
Sigma kept his word. X's access code remained valid, and it allowed him to visit Dr. Cain and that Maverick in Lab 44 whenever he wished. Dr. Cain was present for most of the time, a fact that worried X when he considered the doctor's age. X also knew that despite the old man s frail appearance, his heart and soul lay in solving complex puzzles. Therefore X rarely mentioned his concerns while the doctor engrossed himself in his work. X noted with some irony as well that it was the most X had seen of Dr. Cain since his retirement.
X started to look forward to his visits. Every time X went to see Dr. Cain, he would also view the progress of the doctor's reconstruction of the red Maverick and make note of his improved specs and appearance. Every time there would be a new piece added, and it made X feel like he was watching a plant grow, and he felt a pride similar to seeing that plant mature and flower.
"Why, he's as remarkable as you are," Dr. Cain would sometimes say. He sounded more excited than X would have liked, but his scientific curiosity was infectious. X soon began to work for the doctor as an unofficial assistant, and for longer and longer periods, until the doctor would tell him to leave and get some rest.
One event in particular, though, disrupted X's ability to find any rest for some time thereafter. While X helped the doctor, it was not infrequently that X would come in direct contact with the Maverick, either to change input and output connections, take readings, or some other basic but essential task. It was during these routine tasks that X's sympathetic systems nearly overloaded. At the time, X was having some minor difficulty in swapping some of the connections through the jungle of wires connecting to the Maverick's cranium. X was leaning over, with his face very close to the Maverick's, trying to finger his way around the mess of cables.
Suddenly, the Maverick's eyes snapped open. X yelped, and his mind blanked with fright. He noticed a moment later that he had fallen back onto the floor, and he remained there as Dr. Cain turned around at a computer terminal.
"X! What happened?" Dr. Cain asked.
"His, his eyes!" X said, pointing. The Maverick was still staring, though appeared to be making no further movement.
"Oh, X," Dr. Cain said, sighing with relief. "He's been doing that a lot lately. It's merely a reflex a random, involuntary motor impulse." Dr. Cain turned back around and continued, "It's actually a good sign for his health, for it means that his systems are responding well to our repair efforts."
As the doctor explained the phenomenon, X composed himself and rose to his feet. He approached the Maverick cautiously, his apprehension giving way to curiosity. He did not yet feel ready to continue the task he was previously trying to accomplish, so he studied the Maverick in stillness and quiet. He believed the doctor, but while examining closer, he noticed that the Maverick's hazel-colored pupils were dilating and closing erratically. X considered that it may merely be the effect of additional glitches and readjustments in the Maverick's buses and processing units, but it also appeared that the Maverick was consciously trying to see.
"Just close his eyelids yourself if it bothers you too much, X," Dr. Cain said. For the first day, X did just that. He gently used two fingers to pull the lids closed, and then resumed his work in peace.
A pair of hands reached out of the darkness and seized X by the throat. He gagged and kicked his legs. From the blackness the face of his assailant emerged, but shadows obscured its features. However, X could recognize the bluish gleam from a crystal crowning the figure's forehead. In his heart, too, he knew it to be the Maverick from point CSO.
X struggled against the Maverick's grip, unable to speak. X retracted his hand and charged his buster gun. Then, a strange symbol appeared in the crystal. X froze, entranced by the image.
The Maverick spoke. The voice sounded cold and modulated. "Help."
X furrowed his brow, taken aback by what he heard.
"Help me."
The buster gun stopped charging. X felt his heart move at the Maverick's plea. He choked out, "How?"
"By dying!"
The voice sounded like Sigma's. Suddenly, the face transformed into the head of a mechanical wolf. Its jaws opened and it lunged, fangs closing in to crush X's head in one bite.
"No!" X yelled, paralyzed with terror. He jolted awake in his maintenance bed. He blinked, allowing a moment for the rest of his systems to safely come online from their rest mode. After a minute he sat up, putting a hand to his forehead.
X dreamed like humans did. When X first told Dr. Cain about his experiences, the doctor dismissed it, saying that all Reploids can experience some visual and aural stimulation while in maintenance. Flashes of light, buzzing, that sort of thing. But when X insisted that he saw vivid images and scenery, and heard more than just buzzing in his dreams, the doctor struggled to believe him. Why would someone program an artificial intelligence with such a frivolous ability? the doctor asked.
X wondered that himself after such an unnerving experience.
Images of the dream entered X s mind as the Maverick's spontaneous eyelids continued to spook him. They popped open without warning more frequently until it became a daily occurrence, and usually when X came within close proximity to the Maverick. Although he continued to shut the eyelids when he wanted to work, he also took on a perverse humor about the ritual. X sometimes let the Maverick stare off into space, and X would smile and chat with him as though he were awake.
"You know," X would say, leaning with his elbow on the capsule edge and resting his chin in his palm. "Maybe you ought to switch to decaf, Mr. Red." X smirked and waved a hand in front of the Maverick's face.
"X " Dr. Cain warned, but chuckled at X's silliness.
You know, I feel kind of sorry for him, X said.
Feeling sorry for a Maverick? What brought this on? Dr. Cain asked, smiling.
X looked at the Maverick s blank eyes. He didn t choose this. He never had a choice. What if he doesn't want to be a Maverick?
Other Mavericks don t get the luxury of choice, either, the doctor observed. "A Reploid must obey their programming, even if it is malicious or faulty."
X sighed. He placed his fingers over the Maverick's eyelids and pulled them shut.
Over the coming days, the small amusement X enjoyed with the Maverick turned out to be a welcome break from his larger concern about his commander's behavior. Since the day he brought the Maverick in, Sigma seemed preoccupied and distracted. That the other officers didn't notice, or they chose not to mention it, also bothered X. It was subtle to be sure, and X doubted himself on occasion, but Sigma was not only becoming more prone to tirades, but would chew out subordinates with personal attacks rather than with professional corrections. A couple of new recruits had quit after receiving a long, searing earful from him over simple mistakes in training. They resigned the following day. Word of the incident became an open secret, but never discussed lest Sigma find out about the gossip.
Sigma's light-hearted remarks always had a sardonic edge, too. However, they had taken on a crueler taint. X overheard Sigma joke about humans getting what they deserved for creating Reploids. While others in the room laughed, X found it disconcerting. Feeling alone with his doubts and having nothing more to go on but his bad feelings, X let the matter go and continued doing his duty as normal.
The next time X saw Sigma came several days later. The door to the lab swished open, and X found Sigma conferring with Dr. Cain.
"Good, X. I m glad you could be here for this," Sigma said.
"Why is that, sir?" X asked. X observed the red Maverick's progress like he usually did, and was surprised to see that he looked mostly complete, with much of the original wiring and life support systems having been stripped away. His broad shoulders and golden markings gave him the air of grace, power, and purpose that X both admired and feared.
"Because today is the day we break the spell on Sleeping Beauty here."
X tensed and his throat went bone dry at Sigma's statement. X imagined the feeling of hands around his throat, like in his nightmare. Although X was accustomed to the Maverick s presence by now, he still very much preferred that he remain subdued. X looked toward Dr. Cain and asked, "You approve of this?"
"I do, X," Dr. Cain said. "In all my years and education, I am still at a loss as to the full extent of this specimen's capabilities. I can't even say that we directly repaired him, for all of his damaged motor, limbic, and cognitive functions were gradually restored on their own. All we have been doing is controlling the flow of energy he needs." Dr. Cain sighed. "It has only been a short time, but the tests I've been able to do in order to determine his exact engineering have provided no clues. The way his DNA interacts with his nanomachines is still a mystery to me, at least while he remains in stasis. I'm hoping that by reviving him temorarily, we can shed some light on it. Although I dare say it's as if he's missing a significant part of himself, but that won't be clear until we can see how his system performs while conscious."
X nodded, understanding as well as he could, but still believed that there was everything wrong with what they were doing. Synthadrenaline coursed through him, making his skin tingle with anxiety.
"X, you and I will stay in here while the doctor reverses sedation. Bear in mind we will be the only security available to contain him," Sigma said. He then smirked. "I understand if you refuse, however. He gave me two black eyes, after all."
"My own safety is not what I'm afraid of," X said, rising to the challenge. "I'm ready whenever you are."
Sigma smiled at him before saying, "Good, that's what I like to hear.
Dr. Cain nodded, saying "I will cancel his inhibitors remotely. I also want to precaution you that this lab is equipped with powerful electromagnetic pulse emitters that I can also activate remotely in case the situation escalates. The pulse does no permanent damage, but is powerful enough to incapacitate most large mechaniloids. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do to guard you two from the effects if we absolutely have to use it."
"Understood," X said.
Sigma said, Alright, be on your guard. Doc, let's fire 'im up."
"Please do your best to keep the worse case from happening. The longer the specimen stays conscious, the more data I can collect," Dr. Cain finished.
"Roger," X said in a lower tone. He could not believe he was about to finally meet this Maverick.
Dr. Cain nodded, then turned to exit. The door swished shut and bolted, and X's anticipation grew with every silent minute that passed. He retracted his right hand into his buster arming himself just in case while he stared at the red Maverick, fully alert to any sign of life that developed. Soon enough, the eyelids of the Maverick began to twitch and flutter, signaling the gradual recovery of his senses and awareness. In the dim room, X made out the eerie glow of irises from the Maverick who, after having opened his eyes fully, tilted his head and met X's petrified stare head-on, not unlike what the Maverick had been capable of while comatose.
X returned the stare, willing himself not to panic. Like a rogue bot caught in searchlights, the Maverick's unnerving glare rooted him to the spot. The Maverick's eyes then focused and swept over him, seeming more curious than hostile. X was nonetheless relieved when his gaze moved to Sigma.
The moment the Maverick saw Sigma, the Maverick bore his fangs. He growled, and with laserlike speed, the Maverick pounced from his capsule and lunged toward Sigma, ready to kill him with bare hands. His vicious, feral persona contrasted starkly with the serenity he had while slumbering for so many weeks. And for the first time, X noticed the extraordinary length of blonde hair sprouting from the Maverick's helmet.
There was not a spare moment to dwell on the spectacle, however. Sigma caught and held the Maverick in place by his wrists. The latter quaked with intent to kill. The Maverick spoke unintelligibly, uttering only low growls and hisses like a wild animal. X moved to intervene, but stopped when Sigma said, "Stay back, X." He then called, "Hey Doc, how are the readings?"
"We're getting them, Sigma, but I'm going to need more time. Can you hold him?" Dr. Cain responded from the intercom.
"No sweat," Sigma said. "He sure is as feisty as I recall, though."
X froze in hesitation, both in what to say and how to act as he watched his Commander struggle to keep his own death at bay. Would X then be next? No, Dr. Cain would intervene before then, wouldn't he? Nothing was certain, and his thoughts caved in on themselves when the Maverick roared and X heard something snap.
Sparks cascaded from Sigma's left arm, a tear appearing at the seam where his replaced limb had been attached. Sigma howled in pain. The Maverick cackled as he wrenched the rest of the limb off in one swift tug. The Maverick tossed the limb aside as sparks and oil spilled from the wound. For the first time, X witnessed genuine fright on his Commander's face.
"No!" X yelled, and before he could think, he leapt behind the Maverick, wrapping one arm under one of his shoulders and the other around his waist. The Maverick grunted, frustrated by the restraint, and violently twisted in an attempt to shake X off. X planted his feet firmly and held on tight, though it was all he could do to keep the slightly bigger Maverick from tossing him like a ragdoll.
"You got him, X? Just a few more moments, please!" Dr. Cain called. Sigma meanwhile had slumped to the floor, cradling his wound, yet appeared darkly amused by the situation.
"You ought to be more grateful, you rusted bucket of scrap," Sigma then said, rising to his feet. "If it weren't for me, you'd be ground up and forgotten in some junkyard by now!"
And in a move that stunned both X and the struggling Maverick, Sigma buried a punch square into the Maverick's abdomen, just above X's arm. X felt the force ripple through his own gut, and could hardly imagine what the Maverick had felt. The force of the blow put a stop to his struggling in X's grip.
"Oh? Where did that hunger for blood go?" Sigma taunted, bending over to look the Maverick in the eye. "Don't you wanna see me dead? And what about X there? You were created only to destroy, weren't you?"
The Maverick heaved, still staggering from the blow. Sigma's taunting made X recall his words weeks ago. He thought of his dream, and the cry for help. The Maverick s nature was not his fault. Was he, too, living in misery, just like the rest of the world? Maybe he didn't just want to kill. He had ample opportunity to wring X s neck, yet the Maverick chose not to. As X's sympathy got the best of him, he buried his cheek in the Maverick's thick mane and hoped this would not end badly for him.
"You can't even speak, can you? That proves that you aren't meant to exist in a civilized world," Sigma said. He then brought his fist back again and cracked it across the Maverick's cheek. He brought his fist across the other cheek as well. He raised his hand to strike him again and again. The endless, pointless violence was more than X's spirit could take.
"Stop!" X shouted, releasing the Maverick to step in between them. He shielded the Maverick with outstretched arms and a defiant countenance, saying, "I'm sorry, sir, but that is enough! We can't punish him for the way he is. You said it once yourself, that Reploids shouldn't have to fight one another!"
"X, are you standing up for a Maverick? I never thought I would see it!" Sigma roared, lowering his fist. Sanity seemed to waver in his Commander's eyes as the conflict escalated, and X hoped Dr. Cain would fry them all right then and there.
"Give me a break, X! That heart of yours is so pure that you believe even a Maverick like him deserves a chance? Garma must be spinning in his grave. No wonder you only made it to B rank. I thought you were different, X, but you're a fool, just like everyone else in the damned place!" Sigma went on. "Now get out of the way!"
X remained unflinching against the harsh torrent of words, more concerned now than ever that the Reploid behind him be left alone. As of that moment, the Maverick disturbed X less than the enraged Class S officer before him.
"X " X heard from behind him. X's eyes widened in disbelief that the Maverick would utter his name, but before he could turn around, a pair of hands grabbed him and he felt himself being lifted off of his feet.
X knew he was dead. He miscalculated, and now the Maverick would tear him in half with one pull. His fear turned to confusion, however, when the Maverick carried him to the stasis capsule and gently placed him inside. He looked up at the Maverick's soft yet blank face, and watched as he tapped at the control console. The forcefield switched on, sealing X inside.
"Hey!" X called. "What ?"
X could not see what happened next through the forcefield, but could hear it clearly. Sigma said, "Hah! What a marvel you are. You kill indiscriminately, but suddenly decide to protect him? You crazy Maverick! Stay away from me! Doc! Throw it!"
X flinched as a loud buzz and a humming reverberated through the room, followed by the sound of heavy collapse metal bodies to the floor. Dead silence followed, from which X deduced that the EMP did its job. X felts his whole body tingle, yet the forcefield of the stasis capsule seemed to have protected his vital circuits from the pulse's effects. He briefly wondered if the Maverick knew of this outcome, but even if he hadn't, it was no less astonishing that the Maverick would ensure his safety like he had.
"Oh my goodness," X then heard Dr. Cain say. "This was a bad idea. What a mess."
The forcefield released, revealing the doctor to X as well as the state of the two other Reploids. They had both crumpled to the floor separate in heaps.
"Oh, X, you're still awake! I'm very glad the capsule protected you," Dr. Cain said.
X said nothing, but suddenly threw his arms around the old man and hugged him.
"I'm sorry, X," Dr. Cain whispered, accepting the hug and patting X on the back. "I'm sorry for making you do this."
"It's okay," X said, releasing him. "Now let me help you get them back online."
A/N: I wanted to have it make more sense why X would choose to defend the Maverick.