It was dark. Unaware of anything beyond her dim vision, she tried to lift her head, feeling on a nostalgic little thought that was unfamiliar with anything around her. When had she felt this before? It was familiar, and yet, not.
Slowly, Gamma tried to sit up, finding herself on what appeared to be a heavy metal lab table… in a lab, no doubt, as well. Azure eyes rotated about her surroundings, trying to discern details; computer screens, tools and electronics needed to repair Reploids…
And a pair of figures.
The first was deactivated and rested within the confines of a storage pod, but its frame was ruined and broken down it seemed, covered by shadow and difficult to see. Shuddering, Gamma tore her gaze from it, and to the second.
This Reploid was 'alive'. Laying stretched out on a strangely thick, cushioned chair, the little figure couldn't be taller than five feet, slumped in sleep and head tilted to rest on his shoulder. He wore no helmet- which sat on a table to his left- which left his messy, pale brown hair covering half of his face. His arms, covered by thick sleeves of a trailing and also faded robe, were resting on his stomach and chest, completely unaware of her presence.
Gamma frowned, unsure if she trusted what she was seeing… then again, thinking back to her last memories… where was she? She wasn't in the-
It all crashed into her like an avalanche and a rush of data. This wasn't Hunter Base. This wasn't even her laboratory or the forest…
This was somewhere completely different.
A century's worth of difference no doubt.
===xXx===
"Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey…"
Bakey? The statement had been absurd enough for X to groan and open his eyes, trying to clear his head… and what he saw when his vision cleared made the old Reploid screech and leap backwards, slamming into his chair and sending it nearly bounding off to its side, or at least it would have, had not the figure who had been poking him in the nose jumped forward and grabbed it.
"Yeesh! I wasn't expecting that kind of reaction…"
Startled and wide eyed, hands holding onto the armrests of his seat as if his life depended on it. "W-what…?"
The Reploid who had been sleeping on the table when he had dozed off was perched at the bottom of his seat, blinking owlishly with her large, impossibly blue eyes.
Her armor was a sharp aquamarine, shot through with blacks, whites and a few stripes of gold on the little 'vest' covering her chest. But her helmet was the most complicated piece of armor on her- it had taken X weeks to make it perfect- its back was crested by two 'fins' that pressed backwards and followed her spine, while just before them, where ears would be on a human, little winglets lifted or drooped according to electronic signals from Gamma's brain.
X continued to stare at her, so much so, and so silently, than a little huff escaped the cyan Reploid.
"Well that's a fine hello, X… I forgot how short I made that body…" She sat back on her heels as she mused, looking around. "Where is this? And why do I feel so funny?" When he did not respond quickly, she scowled at him. "Are you listening, or is your voice box busted?" When she finally got a response out of him, she was not expecting a shaky, broken laugh to escape him.
"S-same old Gamma…"
She was surprised by the pitifully weak tone X used, but that didn't stop her from leaping to her feet with an excited squeal. "You're aliiiiiive!" She threw her arms around the minuscule Master of Neo Arcadia, crushing him in a tight embrace. While she hadn't put as much strength into the gesture, Gamma blinked as she heard a desperate wheeze escaped her old friend.
"G-gam-ma… l-let go…!" X squirmed, his face pained. He slumped back to the chair the moment she let go and took a step back, a concerned expression making the disks of her eyes widened and the little winglets on her head actually raised in alarm.
"I barely touched you! What in the world have you done!" Gamma's gaze turned suspicious, and once more she was right in his face, something no one dared to do in this day and age. "You went and ruined the body I made, didn't you? Do you know how much effort I put into that!" She poked a finger into his chest accusingly, not expecting the smile he gave her.
"I'm sorry… But I'm glad you're back. Its been a very long, long time."
That statement caught Gamma off guard, and she sat back down on the floor, crossing her legs beneath her frame and tilting her head. "Yes. I noticed my internal calendar… it says-"
"This is the century of 22XX." X murmured, laying back against the chair and placing his hands back into his wide sleeves. "I had to completely remake your body, Gamma. I cleaned out traces of the Maverick Virus in your brain, installed an immunity program to keep this from reoccurring," as he spoke, he tried not to stare at Gamma's startled look. "You're memory banks have been restored, sorted and streamlined for better usage. This capacity has also been quadrupled to keep you from slowing down. Even your armor and the alloys in your joints have been reinforced. Not for combat, but should that need arise, you are not defenseless." He opened an eye, smiling cheekily. "Did I miss anything?"
Gamma's head shook slowly from side-to-side. "No… but who are the ones on the other side of the door?"
===xXx===
Leviathan had little to no clue what was going on behind the doorway that led into X's laboratory, but she was damn determined to get through the layers of coding that their Master had installed into the security system. Her skills with code cracking and hacking into electronics was top notch, but it was taking her a lot longer than she would have liked. Especially since a trio of grumpy Reploids hovered over her.
"Aren't you done yet?" Fefnir hissed, jostling her shoulder. Harpuia added his own grumbling a moment later, but Leviathan pushed it aside, paying no attention.
Phantom stood back, grumpily muttering. "I don't think this is the best idea-"
"Ah ha!" Leviathan cackled, a beeping sound chiming after her voice, and the door hissing open. At once, all four General's crowded the doorway, trying to rush in all at once. A shriek and a tumble later, Fefnir stepped on Phantom's foot, Harpuia bumped into Fefnir, and Leviathan was shoved forward by all three, sending all of thme tumbling into a heap. Inside, a pair of green and blue eyes stared back, wide and startled.
===xXx===
"You've been busy, X."
The old Reploid looked up from his chair, smiling back that same, odd smile that made Gamma's face twitch. "Perhaps. The Guardians seem a little rough around the edges, but they mean well."
"Since when have you wanted to be protected by others?" Gamma asked, standing in the middle of X's personal quarters frowning. "And what did you mean by I was the fifth?"
X gave no answer, shaking his head. The little incident with the Guardians bursting into the room had been… well shocking. It had taken over an hour for X to explain as much as he dared, and then shooed them back to their duties. He had a lot to explain to Gamma after all.
A hundred years ago, she had been in the same situation. Brought into a world she knew nothing about, set into a purpose she couldn't fully understand, but her gaze wandered away from her old friend, and to the window that cast a string of light over the blue Reploid instead. She could see the tops of buildings, towers and streets and even a few dotted shapes she guessed to be humans milling about on their daily tasks. The structures all seemed so refined and grand, coated in lights that made even the darkness back away and recede. "Its pretty… I can't believe you built it so quickly."
X frowned. "It didn't take a single night, of course. More like fifty years or so. But enough about that." He hauled himself up slowly, making Gamma imagine him more of an old man than anything else. "Don't you have any questions?"
"Too many." said Gamma. "First and foremost; the Guardians. If they're not your body guards… what are they, X?"
"They protect the City." X replied simply. "Guardians of the elements, and of the humans who live within these walls. They also are equipped with powerful abilities to clean the world."
Gamma's eyes widened. "They can do that?"
"Harpuia is in the process of building a machine that can clean the atmosphere and filter out pollution. Outside of this dome, humans can get ill, and die, very easily. Leviathan cleans our oceans and bodies of water. Every bit the humans drink has been filtered and cleaned by her." He smiled, closing his eyes. "Now… Fefnir and Phantom both work with Harpuia and Leviathan, but they focused on the earth. They clean toxins from the soil. Our crops are grown this way. Each of them have a purpose-"
z "What's my purpose, X…?" Gamma's voice was tiny.
X paused, and turned back to her. "Gamma, you have the freedom to do what-"
"No, X. Tell me. What am I supposed to do?"
He wasn't going to get away with playing around with words or phrases. X gave a little sigh, putting his chin in his hand. "You really are my protector Gamma. You are also my friend, someone I can trust, and a keeper of the past. The guardians are great companions, and take care of me… but they do not understand I don't like being called 'Master' and such titles. Its selfish of me but…"
He opened his eyes, and was startled to see Gamma right in his face- again- with a growl. "You're not selfish, you old coot! You just need a friend, right? Well fine then!" She slapped a hand down on his helmet, smirking as he winced. "So get over it, you're stuck with me, blueberry."
"Delighted, I'm sure…"
===xXx===
It had been a week since Gamma had been woken, and introduced to the Guardians. The general populace had been informed, but X had shot down any big ceremony or any such 'silliness' as he declared it. If the population wanted to meet her, or had any other grievances, they could come to him personally.
X had other ideas though, and took his time letting Gamma get used to her new home, and even letting the Guardians take her for tours about Yggdrasil's hallowed halls. Few humans resided here- much to the Guardian's liking- so there were few chances for interruption.
Suddenly smiling, and standing in an elevator next to the 'Fifth General', X chuckled. "What do you think, Gamma? Is it to your liking?"
"It's a little… fancy." There was a long pause between his question and her answer, but if X took it as strange or off, he said nothing, his weak smile still in place. It bothered her, but she chose a different subject. "X, about your repa-"
"No, Gamma. If I require a repair, I will get one."
"You're falling apar-"
"You have proof?"
"I can see it in your eyes and the way you move around, you broken down piece of scrap! You can't hide from me what you hide from your Generals." Gamma retorted, grabbing his elbow to stop his walking forward once the elevator had opened. "I mean it! You might be hiding your status from me, but I don't need to see charts and blueprints to tell there's something wrong." She winced at the look he gave her before he spoke, his voice very soft. Too soft.
"Let go of me, Gamma."
A few tense heartbeats passed before Gamma obeyed, though hesitantly so. Once she had, X relaxed considerably. "These are trying times. I have neither the time, nor the want for such things. The resources aren't readily available, no matter how much you scrounge and scrimp."
Gamma obviously had other thoughts to his response, but she decided now wasn't the best time to be questioning her old friend. Something about the subject was sore, and she intended to- secretly- learn what that was. For now, she changed the subject.
"Where are we going, X?" Her voice was instantly, and carefully neutral. She was a little hurt by his snap, but she didn't want him knowing that.
"There is a sealed off laboratory in these sectors. There is…" X's voice trailed away as he considered his next move. Gamma watched his face intently, but could not see past the immobile mask. "Ah, where was I? Oh. Yes. There is something of great value hidden within this particular area. No one is allowed on this floor without my clearance. Not even you, so don't get any funny ideas."
"What happened to the fun X!"
"Oh, bah." X muttered, waving a hand dismissively at her. "Come along. There's much to show you and so little time." He ignored her irate little huff, smiling to himself as he walked along a dim corridor without turning to see her obviously disgruntled face. It wasn't long before X's brisk walk slowed, and then halted all together, standing before a rather large doorway. It was bolted shut by some of the most powerful technology Gamma had ever seen, and her eyes widened in amazement. If only had time to study the complex data streams she had picked up from the doors internal mechanisms and locking computers, then she would have a real challenge to tinker with.
When the door suddenly opened, Gamma gave a pouting expression she then turned on her companion. X merely smiled and waved aside her displeasure. "You'll have plenty of time to fiddle with the device when we're done, Gamma, don't look like you just bit into a lemon."
"A lemon?"
"Nevermind." He rolled his eyes, stepping into the dark chamber within.
Gamma wasn't exactly sure where she had been led to. The room was blackened- a trend she was noticing in a lot- and no matter how high she adjusted her optical sensors, she could not penetrate the gloom. There was not even a scent in the room. So focused on the oddity and why she couldn't adapt to it, Gamma was startled a moment later when the shadows were chased away by a sudden intrusion of light, and she winced as her eyes protested the change and quickly recalibrated to accommodate it. What she saw confused her.
The entire room was filled, wall to wall, with odds and ends. Relics from her time-then again, it wasn't her time, was it? There was a pod that looked vaguely familiar, computer screens working and otherwise, baubles and other miscellaneous items she couldn't begin to fathom. However, none of these caught her eye as sharply as the flat, rectangular shape resting just a few meters away on an unremarkably made steel table.
As she stepped to it, hands shaking as they rose, X spoke. "I've spent the last… let's see, sixty? Seventy years or so excavating the ruins of our old home, Gamma. I've found very little of use. This however, was completely intact."
"My laptop." Gamma's voice rattled from her throat, as it had the day she had woken in this strange new world. "You found my laptop? It still works?"
X's answering smile was coy. Something almost alien to him now. "You think I can build five of the most powerful Reploids ever to walk this earth and can't repair a laptop?"
"Its over a hundred years old, you old fart!"
"Fair enough." X chuckled, sinking into a stool near a work bench. On its surface behind him loomed strange tools, broken electronics with wires hanging from them, and even what looked like a half repaired Mechanaloid. "It did take a few years to completely put it back together. Then I had to reformat and bring back all of its files… it wasn't easy, mind you. Your coding was more confusing than I had anticipated. I think I built that too well." X's hands tucked into their wide sleeves, and he ignored Gamma's giggle at the sight of him. All smug and proud of his odd little workshop and looking more like a preening magpie than an all powerful figurehead for an entire civilization.
"You really went through all that effort to save my silly little laptop-" Gamma's face would have turned bright red, X imagined, if it could. "You didn't read anything on it, did you! Its none of your business if you did!" The only response she got was X's weak smile and snickering.
"No, no, I know better than that. I was sorely tempted, though, don't you doubt. I did a little search through it though-now don't stand there with your jaw open, you look like a gasping fish, let me finish- it was only those last few weeks when… well…" His voice trailed away, and at once Gamma picked up on his meaning.
"When Zero disappeared."
The words stung. Despite over a century of his friend's strange sidestepping of fate, X had never forgotten that pain. When he spoke, it was with difficulty. "Yes… when Zero disappeared. I was looking for clues. In all the searching I've done, I cannot find him! He couldn't have died," Gamma winced, watching the suddenly quiet and withdrawn Reploid jump to his feet to pace, his face twisted into a mask she couldn't quite read. "I would have found evidence! Proof! A faded signal, a scrap of his armor. SOMETHING. But I've found nothing… nothing at all in all this time."
"X, you can't blame yourself for that, and don't pretend you're not. You know better than anyone if Zero didn't want to be found, he won't be found." Gamma tried to sooth the agitated Reploid with a pat to his small shoulder, only to have it rolled aside.
"I need him, Gamma. I can't keep doing this. Not forever."
"What are you saying, X?" Gamma's voice held a tone of unease.
"You know very well what I mean. I cannot entrust my home to any other." X's back was turned to her now, his small fists clenched at his side.
Gamma yelped, "Stop talking like that, you idiot! All you need is a few repairs! And what about your guardians? What about me? We could-"
"No more… best not to speak of it." X's sharp hand gesture silenced the hysterics.
He could tell she wanted to say more, to rant and rave at him, but he wasn't in the mood. She'd mind that, he hoped. Trying his best to ignore her cold gaze. "I still need him, Gamma. For reasons I cannot explain."
"Then we should stop playing in this lab and do something about it, shouldn't we?
X considered her words with only a sigh. He'd rather not talk about it… "There's still more I wish to show you, and discuss. You are free to enter this lab, but please, do not wander about too much." A smile jerked at the corner of his lips. "I know how badly you could damage the door openers just by touching them, missy."
"Don't call me 'missy'. Its insulting, you fart."
"And 'fart' is much, much better?"
"Damn right."
"Cursing isn't fit for a lady. Now. Let's stop chit chattering like old ninnies. There's still much to do."