Chapter 7: "Promises"

A bolt of blue-red light shot down into the transportation grid at Maverick Hunter headquarters. Alia poured out of it, rising up as Shimmer moved up to her. She smiled, but couldn't shake how disturbing his goggle-optics were as they focused and shifted independently. "Shimmer, good to see you."

He offered his hand. "Well I figured snapping out of camouflage right after your arrival would put a bit of a damper on your visit home."

Alia smirked as they shook hands. "I appreciate the consideration. So I understand you want me to fast-track a few new recruits?"

Shimmer nodded as he gestured out, and they started to walk out of the transportation grid chamber. "Yes, and thank you for taking the time. I know we're trying to keep up momentum on that island."

The other Reploid laughed softly. "Can't abandon the whole ship, though. So what made these three stand out for you?"

"Raw talent," he answered instantly, handing her a datapad from the gangled flank of his body.

Alia took it as they kept moving, reading it over rapidly. Her expression eased with controlled shock. "You weren't kidding. These Reploids had no previous combat experience?"

A doorway opened for them, Shimmer's legs making subtle, stuttering hisses with his smooth and fast steps. "Confirmed. They're all but fresh off the assembly table. Clearly Reploid engineering is doing something right."

Alia frowned a bit, looking over more detailed data. "It's a little disconcerting all the same. The Reploid mind needs some development time to avoid distorting perspective."

Shimmer raised an optic ridge at her sidelong. Clever. We need to be more careful. She's starting to see the cracks in our little pageant.

"Still, I assumed you wanted to meet the Reploids I was suggesting?" he added aloud.

Alia handed him back the pad. "Absolutely. Calling me back was the right decision."

Just another few halls led them to a simple meeting chamber. As Alia and Shimmer walked inside, three Reploids stood up and saluted from chairs on the opposite wall. Shimmer fell into Alia's wake, and she moved up, saluting properly first, and when the three were at ease, she offered her hand. "I'm Operations Lieutenant Alia. Shimmer recommended you three very highly."

The first was a monster of a Reploid. He stood well over her head, with hefty armor studded with metal spikes, and a head built like a muzzled beast mask. His forearms were double-long and thicker than standard, with extra spikes running down the length in rows. He was a dark crimson and black coloration, with yellow, solid optics. "An honor, ma'am," his voice rumbled with electronic filtering. "I'm Spikesaw."

His hand dwarfed her own, and more resembled a tearing claw than a hand. It moved with flawless control, however. Alia smiled, shaking his hand firmly. She noted how his hand fluidly let her own drift to the next Reploid.

"Simply called Turbo, ma'am," the next began with a little nod. He was a slender humanoid, only slightly taller than Alia, with sharp features that sloped back over his frame. Golden fins cut over silver, blue, white, and pale green plating. His optics were fully detailed, but his head was a plate-mask-type with segmented plates leading down into his collar. The mask itself and the center of the plated neck were golden.

And the last of the trio had the most unique structure she'd seen in a long while. He tipped his head, which was a solid red visor embedded in a back-slanted silver and purple helmet that sloped directly into his shoulders. An agile torso and slender waist fed into thick, stable boots, where black and gold interrupted the purple-silver armor. His arms, however, were rotary coils of some kind of segmented black and silver metal, and the bottom of each wrist had a mechanical blade that looked ready to split apart like a claw feeding out from the coil.

"Tripwire, ma'am." His voice was a rasping rush, somehow even deeper than Spikesaw's.

Alia eased back, smiling for them. "Your initial test scores are practically off the charts, gentlemen. You definitely know how to fight." She let her manner become serious. "I'm a little concerned, I have to be honest."

"Worried we'll go Maverick, ma'am?" Tripwire replied instantly. It had everyone in the room staring at him.

Alia sharpened her gaze, appraising him. "…Yes, to be blunt. For you to be this good at fighting so soon after coming online, I have to assume it's your primary functionality. There's a theory going around that the Maverick problem is just Reploids going crazy because they have too much firepower tucked away in their armor." She was pacing across the three of them, meeting their eyes, truly speaking to each.

Spikesaw tilted his head, responding, "It's not like that, ma'am."

She stopped, looking up at his optics dead-on. "Then what is it like?"

"We know, like you do, that this Maverick thing is getting worse. People are getting hurt, and it's happening because of the Reploids that are supposed to protect them."

Turbo rubbed his armored neck, looking up at Alia as he did so, "None of us like using these weapon systems, but we're here for one reason."

Alia eased back to include all three of them again. "And what is that reason?"

"To protect the people who can't protect themselves," Tripwire rasped, his visor tightening.

Alia set her hands on her hips, eyeing each of them. Each Reploid in the room was estimating the other in new ways. Shimmer had worked with Alia for some time already, but he could tell there was a force and power emanating from her that was palpable. She didn't seem aware of it, but she had the bearing of a general.

Spikesaw, Turbo, and Tripwire realized why Shimmer considered Alia their main challenge. It would be made or broken by her opinion.

Alia knew the three Reploids in front of her were being honest, but their optics showed her something strange. She'd seen it before. Airstrike's eyes when they spoke on the bridge. Guilt without cause. Experience without a past.

Turbo gestured toward her. "You were trained under Flame Stag, right?"

Her eyes flared, and locked on him.

"His training is part of the default programming new battle Reploids are given. It's wisdom, not just battle tactics. The bot who put those lessons together wouldn't hurt innocent people. Even a newbie like me can feel that, ma'am. I know it's a crazy time. It is for everyone, but if you give us a chance to help, I promise you won't regret the decision."

Alia tilted her head back. It was unsettling how precisely he'd gotten under her skin, but sincerely so. He stabbed right into the real issue. She felt she couldn't trust them. If someone as solid as Stag had fallen… At last, she started to smile faintly, and nodded. "Fair enough, Turbo. I'll put my approval on Shimmer's request. Keep up the good scores, and you'll be joining us sooner than you'd like, I bet."

"Yes, ma'am!" all three replied, saluting again.

Alia returned it, and then left the room with Shimmer again.

"You alright?"

She blinked at Shimmer, and then laughed a little. "I am, yes. Sorry. They seem… experienced somehow."

Shimmer glanced back, optic-ridges up. "Yeah, it's a little spooky. Got my attention. That was a big part of why I wanted you to see them yourself."

"Which I appreciate. Keep an eye on them for me, okay?"

"Will do!"

Alia winked. "I've gotta get back to the island then. Good work, Shimmer!" she started to jog ahead.

Shimmer waved her off, chuckling. Very clever.

Depthcharge sighed. It was a mechanical habit he'd picked up from working with humans to show exhaustion with a current task. His optics were looking over the waters of the bay from one of the trade docks. Even on the edge of the main city, Maverick Hunter headquarters was clearly visible around the buildings and storage containers.

"What's gumming your gears, Depthcharge?" a familiar, deep voice called idly from off to his left.

The Maverick Hunter rolled his optics, and focused over on Inferno, who was hefting a crate the size of a small car up onto a warehouse forklift. "Boredom. All of the action is happening on that island, and we're here playing… not even playing guard. I should probably join you helping the workers anyway."

Inferno smirked, and leaned against the side of the warehouse as Depthcharge walked over. "This is the most tactically vulnerable area of the city, and that super-storm proves those this city is still at risk."

"Yes, yes. Thank you for the reminder of basic security protocols, Inferno."

Before Depthcharge could reach his comrade, one of the humans working the dock was walking along briskly, but was focused on a datapad in her arms. The Reploid realized she was about to bump into him, so he stopped, his hydraulics softly chorusing their hisses as she moved directly in front of him.

That was when the human finally noticed she'd nearly crashed into someone, and jerked, staring up at the hulking robot meekly. "Oh! Wow, you're t-tall… sorry!"

Inferno was chuckling lightly, but then became curious when he realized Depthcharge was gawking at the human. The other Reploid's optics were wide, and his frame hadn't moved from the quick halt of his forward movement to avoid hitting the woman.

Flustered herself, the human realized the Reploid hadn't replied in any way, and her shoulders scrunched. "A-are you okay? I didn't mean to just march through like that." Fear was starting to eke into her expression. Was this Reploid going Maverick before her eyes?

Depthcharge finally animated, easing back to a natural distance by a step, and clearing his non-existent throat. "Ahem, yes, I-I'm fine. Sorry about that. We're all a bit distracted today, I think."

Relief eased her frame completely, and she smiled. "Seems so! Sorry again. Stay safe!" she included Inferno in her little wave as she hurried on to wherever she was needed.

Inferno waved back with his comrade, but then watched Depthcharge slowly walked over to him in a haze. He finally batted Depthcharge's shoulder, "Depthcharge! Seriously, what's wrong? I've never seen you this distracted while on-duty."

Depthcharge glanced at his fellow hunter, and then back out at the water. "It was her."

Inferno's optic ridges creased. "Pardon?"

"Jessica. The granddaughter of the human I used to know. Before the war. The one I… helped."

Inferno's expression lit with surprise and understanding at last. "…You're sure?"

"Utterly. When I came back as… this," he lifted his hands, "I couldn't locate her directly, but I made sure her accounts had some funds. She was getting an ivy-league education. I don't know why she's here. Her grandfather would be upset… no, rather, he'd be sad for her."

Inferno looked out in the direction she'd vanished off to. "Maybe she wanted to do something like her grandfather did? If I remember rightly, you said he was all she had?"

Depthcharge nodded, his optics looking through the waters. "I hope that's all it is."

Then he noticed it. It was subtle, only someone easy with the way of the waters would have caught it. A shadow beneath the waves, deep and smooth.

He stomped forward, out of his haze instantly. "Trouble."

Inferno snapped forward, optics scanning immediately. "Slag and coal, how did I miss that? I'll sound the alert. You watch the line?" He was already running to the side.

"Done, go."

As Inferno sprinted off, his heavy feet shaking the cement subtly, Depthcharge moved further along the dock, moving in parallel to the mass in the water. His forearms shifted, missiles appearing around his wrists. Alarms started to sound across the docks as the water parted around some kind of machine or vehicle.

/Unidentified vessel, report your purpose. This dock is under security lockdown./ Depthcharge broadcast the request on every standard frequency.

The long machine, with gold and blue armor plating, rotated in the water, unmistakably aiming at him. He braced, and then watched missiles burst out of the water around it, arcing toward him and the docks around him.

With a backward glance, Depthcharge noted in growing anger that it was the worst possible timing. Humans and non-combat Reploids were just starting to flee from the buildings within the dock.

"Not today, you wretches!" Depthcharge roared at the waters, ramming his arms forward and up as his legs braced.

Eight missiles ripped free, coiling through the air along his targeting paths. They met the enemy missiles in mid-air, just over the line of the docks themselves.

The mass in the water started to turn and move further along the docks. Depthcharge started to run along with it.

/Heading your way!/ Inferno's comm reached him.

Depthcharge also tapped his audio receptor. "Maverick Hunter base! Unit Depthcharge reporting. Armed assault on East docks. Marine weapons and vehicle confirmed!"

"Depthcharge, this is Alia!" the operator replied instantly. Clearly she was watching the comm network like a hawk. "Have civilians evacuated?"

Another volley of missiles burst out of the water, and Depthcharge twisted around, lashing his arms out to fire fresh volleys from each wrist. "Not yet!" he shouted back as the missiles collided in a cloud of fire, smoke, and shrapnel.

"Reinforcements en route, but they'll take too long!" Alia warned. Her tone clearly understood the danger of the situation.

Inferno charged up from behind Depthcharge at this point, firing plasma bolts from both arms at another set of missiles to ease the pressure on his comrade. "We'll hold as best we can!" Inferno said over the comm.

Depthcharge was just twisting to look ahead as he ran along with the attacker, and his optics flared, his insides going hollow. Jessica was bursting out of a door facing the water, trying to run for the path the two Reploids had just come from to evacuate. Something must have forced through that part of the building. She was clearly aware of the danger, running with all her might, her hair lashing behind her.

In that same moment, Depthcharge's peripheral vision caught the ominous red glow in the water. It was beneath the surface, but clearly part of the machine firing the missiles. It was almost perfectly in line with Jessica.

"Hit the deck!" Inferno roared desperately to both of them.

Jessica saw and heard him, and made the mistake of looking out at the water. In that moment, the world exploded.

A raking beam of crimson power burst out of the water amid steam jets and waves of force, tearing toward her, while Depthcharge dove for her with a shout of desperation.

Depthcharge's arm managed to get around her, and he hefted her off the ground enough to pull her into his front, his back twisting toward the plasma beam. Jessica cried out, huddling against him.

Inferno skidded to a halt, stunned as he watched the dock just behind Depthcharge, the front of that building, and the line through the water back to the attacker all explode in one instant, fire, debris, and evanescing coils of heat churning upward, pulsing more softly around the Reploid cradling the human woman in his limbs.

Wasting no time, Depthcharge immediately put Jessica on her feet, and gave her a safe push forward. "Run!"

She was already doing so, but shouted, "Thank you!" back, sincerity powerful in her shining eyes as she shot past Inferno.

Depthcharge let that glance soak into his optics for a core-pulse, and then he twisted to the water with a dark rage etching through his hard features.

Inferno had never seen that look on his old comrades face. Even before the war. Even as a Maverick, he'd never seen this Reploid look so… murderous.

"Not her, too," Depthcharge rasped, his arms trembling as his missile launchers prepped to fire. "You're not TAKING ANYONE ELSE!"

And he ripped forward, flying over the water, his arms rising up in a broad sweep as they unleashed a full volley of missiles around him in an mad crescent. It had predicted the fresh volley from the enemy machine, and they all exploded together over the Reploid just as he dove into the water.

Beneath the waves, it was more obviously a mechaniloid submarine, autonomous, and for some reason modeled after a fish in actual shape. Ports along the flanks were reloading missiles, and a focusing lens on the head was the source of the plasma beam that had nearly killed Jessica.

Depthcharge hammered into the flank of the machine, denting it and actually pitching it slightly to the side from the raw force of the impact. With a water-muffled roar, he rammed his fists down into the two closest missile ports, and unloaded his own weapons into them. The explosions tore a chunk out of the machine's side, and threw him back.

He saw the lens building red light again, and wrenched himself through the water toward, even as the machine tried to turn to face him directly.

"BURN THIS!" he roared, yanking himself over the nose of the 'fish' with one hand, and driving his right fist straight down into the dome-like firing mechanism. At the moment of impact, the lens cracking, he fired all four missiles from that same arm.

The explosion threw him back and up, but also tore down into the machine's frame. The power core for the weapon went critical, and the mechaniloid submarine decapitated itself with an explosion of plasma, fire, and super-heated steam.

Depthcharge came flying out of the water backwards, but somersaulted with it, and crashed to his haunches on the main dock, Inferno now over to his right. He watched with Inferno as the remains of the submarine blew themselves apart in geysers of water and parts.

As Depthcharge stood up, Inferno joined him directly, both still looking out at the water. There were more shadows approaching.

"Feel better?" Inferno muttered.

"A bit," Depthcharge rasped, his arms dented and cracked, but still readying weapons.

Inferno touched his comm. "Alia? About that backup?"

This time she was smiling, "Landing."

The two Reploids smirked as a small rain-storm of teleportation fields shot down all around them.

X appeared just to their left, but so did Signas, Airstrike, Deepfreeze, Overload, Barrel, and Quickman, along with several other veteran hunters.

"Sorry we're late," X began, his new armored body already starting to shimmer with power.

"Looks like we're right on time for the party, though," Quickman added, already pulling his cutter from his head and bracing.

Inferno chuckled. "That about sums it up. Maverick Hunters!" His plasma cannons aimed at the water, triggering a wave of readied weapons in ranks on the dock. "Defend the dock!"

A storm of missiles came ripping out of the water from much further out, but a wall of energies and combustion weapons tore out to meet them.

X and Quickman ripped out over the water the next instant, X's dashing bursts letting him skid along the surface quickly enough, while Quickman's legs blurred and flickered into a water-geyser of thrust in his wake.

They split at the center of the enemy ranks, some of the submarines just breaking surface. X dashed along, twisting as he did, unleashing fully charged plasma bolts with each arm. The massive surges of power vaporized water and machine alike, cutting two submarines clean in half… by erasing the middle third of their mass.

Quickman seemed to defy physics. He seemed to simply throw his boomerang cutter into the water, but almost immediately catch and re-throw it the same way multiple times.

It wasn't until he reached the end of his line and started to double back, replacing his cutter on his head, that the result of his effort revealed itself. Four submarines erupted in geysers of parts and water, their plasma-beam cores sliced in twine right through their 'heads.'

X and Quickman reconvened and rushed back toward the docks together. As they flipped over and landed with their fellows, both crouching, X looked up, and saw a missile from one last submarine firing. It had hung back as a rear guard, apparently.

X was about to fire it out of the air, as were most of his comrades on the dock, but Signas appeared just ahead of him, a burning purple-black plasma blade out across X's front in an instantaneous slash. The missile fell in half, rolling harmlessly around X's feet, perfectly bisected along the detonation charge.

"Thanks?" X muttered idly, looking up at Signas.

The Reploid officer shared a smirk over his shoulder.

Overload eased forward a step. "Depthcharge, can you arc one missile into that survivor?"

Depthcharge answered by snapping one arm up, and firing.

Overload chuckled, and rammed one arm forward, arcing a bolt of electricity over the water. It met the missile, supercharging it with a storm of crackling fury.

The missile ripped down, sizzled into the water, and then more jets of steam, water, parts, and fire flew up into the air, this time marked by forks of electrical power.

"Well done everyone. Depthcharge, Inferno, excellent work holding the line," X said, rising up and facing them.

Signas added, "Precisely. Well done, you two."

Various salutes were shared in response.

As Hunters started to teleport away, returning to their normal duties, Depthcharge moved to X. "Do we know who sent these?"

X shook his head. "My assumption is Bubble Crab, but I'll coordinate with Alia to confirm." He saw the unusually raw emotion in his comrade's optics. "…What's wrong?"

"I want him," Depthcharge rasped, but kept his voice low. "Because of him, I nearly lost…" he glanced around self-consciously. "…I want to be part of what brings him down."

X's brow creased. "Inferno?" he called more loudly.

"Yeah, X?"

"You can run the start of the clean up, right?"

Inferno glanced between the two talking, and then said, "Yeah, boss."

X then nodded to one of the warehouses. "Let's talk, Depthcharge."

Inside an office in the warehouse, X crossed his arms, looking at his comrade. "So what am I missing?"

Depthcharge looked down to the side, anger still broiling, but his discipline holding it. "Jessica is here. She works on this dock. Like her grandfather."

X's eyes flared. "J-Jessica?" The name always reminded him of his own losses as well… "Was she hurt?"

"Would be. That first strike would have incinerated her."

"You got her out?"

"…Yes."

X moved closer, and actually put a hand to Depthcharge's chest. "My friend, this is very important. Please listen to me now. Let your anger fade, and listen."

Depthcharge frowned, but his frame slowly eased. "So, no permission to join to fight Bubble Crab?"

X tilted his head down. "Go talk to Jessica, Depthcharge."

"She doesn't know me, X! She barely knew Launch Octopus!" His arms flew out in exasperation.

"Depthcharge, this is vital. If you focus on revenge first, and not the reason you're fighting, you'll turn into something you hate. Jessica is alive, you protected her successfully. Make THAT the reward. Make that the reason. I promise nothing, but you need to talk to her. For yourself."

Depthcharge did ease slowly. His optics fell away. "I… don't know how."

"No one does. That's what you have to find out. Be honest with her, but just talk to her." X eased back. "If you still want to help with Bubble Crab after, I'll see what I can do."

"…Thanks, X."

X smiled. "We've gotta look out for each other." Starting fresh, he added, "I've gotta get back to the island. Alia might already be tracking the origin of those submarine mechaniloids, but I want to make sure I stay updated. …Good luck, Depthcharge."

The X-Hunter tipped his head, and let X run out. "…Just talk to her, huh? Why am I so scared?"

Jessica was just returning to the dock area herself about an hour later. Maverick Hunters and rescue crews had worked in record time. The building she'd been working in was still shut down, as it had nearly been cut in half, but she had other tasks in other parts of the dock. She was glad to see so many security soldiers and Maverick Hunters sticking around just in case, too.

"Excuse me?"

She turned, recognizing the voice this time. It was the Reploid who had saved her during the attack. "Oh! Hi! Thank you so much! I… owe you my life, don't I?" she realized awkwardly, giggling a bit.

Depthcharge waved the issue down, clearly awkward himself. "I would have never forgiven myself if I hadn't helped, you owe me nothing, ma'am. …I… just wanted to speak with you. I know this is very strange, but I honestly wasn't sure how to approach you in any other way than just… walking up."

Jessica blinked. "Oh, okay. Is there something wrong?"

He shook his head. "No, nothing. I… I knew your grandfather. By reputation, I should say. He was a good man."

Surprise lit her features, and she started to smile. "Really? What a small world! Yes, he was. He always took very good care of me. Worked himself to the bone," she added with a sigh.

"Yes, I heard that, too," Depthcharge said gently. He cringed, and then said, "I… learned about your grandfather from a comrade of mine back then. My comrade has… also passed away."

Jessica frowned softly. "I'm so sorry… Oh, I realized I don't know your name, sorry. Again," she added with a roll of her eyes as she realized she was using the same words so often.

The Reploid chuckled, and just offered his hand, "Depthcharge."

"Jessica," she answered, shaking his hand warmly, though it dwarfed her own.

Depthcharge tipped his head in thanks, and then went on, "My comrade asked a favor of me, should anything happen to him."

Jessica blinked. "What was it?"

"To look after you. For your grandfather."

This time she froze. Her eyes widened more seriously, and she tried to read his optics carefully. "…The money…"

He could tell he'd just tread onto dangerous ground, and he cringed a bit. "Y-yes… it was the only way he—and I—could think to keep our promise."

Jessica looked down, but her breath was harder. Stress was clearly building in her frame.

Depthcharge raised a hand. "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to disturb you, Jessica."

"N-no, it's just… I… have no way to repay you," Jessica admitted quietly, her fists clenching at her sides.

Depthcharge carefully reached up, and just touched her shoulder. It let her look up at him, and he leaned down to put them on more direct eye-level. "Jessica, the help I gave was not to put you in debt. In truth, it was to pay one. Your grandfather was the only human to show my comrade and I real respect. He treated us as people, not tools. We saw how hard he was working for you. He never actually asked us to help you. We took it upon ourselves, when we… learned of his passing."

Her expression softened, growing more astonished.

Depthcharge continued, "I intended to leave the issue be, remain anonymous, but when we bumped into each other today, I felt like… I know your grandfather would… worry, seeing you down here at the docks."

Jessica suddenly laughed and started crying at the same time. "You really did know him…"

The Reploid offered a wan smile. "I see how hard of a worker you are, Jessica. He'd be proud. I just wanted to check in, really. Make sure you were here for… of your own will. Not because of some… pressure."

She wiped her eyes softly, but smiled happily as well. "I chose it, yeah. All that education, but the people were… just unpleasant. I wanted to do something… down to earth. I came here because of my grandfather. I'm saving up pretty well, too. I think I might go into teaching once I get myself a place, you know?"

Depthcharge's smile warmed up, and he eased back to avoid encroaching on her space further. "A splendid plan as ever I've heard. Forgive my being nosy, I just felt… compelled to check in, as I said."

Jessica's smile brightened. "I'm glad you did. In a way it was… kinda like my grandfather helping me again, you know?"

He couldn't explain how good that made him feel. Depthcharge just kept his smile, and tipped his head. "I'm honored to have helped, Jessica. If you need help some day, just let me know." He offered a small data card. "You can reach me at any of these contact points."

She took the card, but then gave a playful gesture for him to lean down. He blinked, but did so. He was startled by her giving him a little kiss on the 'cheek.'

"Thank you for all the help, Depthcharge. And I'm sorry about your friend."

He eased out of his start, and smiled again. "I appreciate it, Jessica. You're entirely welcome. Stay safe."

"You, too."

He nodded, and then simply moved away with a casual wave.

After he was out of sight, Jessica looked down at the card with a little smile. "…Thanks, grandpa."

/X, have a moment?/

/Yes, Depthcharge. Checking status on Bubble Crab?/

/Actually, no. If you need backup, I'll help, of course, but… Jessica asked me to stay safe. You were right, X. Thank you. I was blinded by fear and anger. It would have been a mistake./

/I'm very glad it went well, Depthcharge. Keep those docks secure, hm?/

/Heh, yes, sir./

"You okay?" Alia asked, looking at X across the holomap table. It showed a coast line and deep water structures.

X focused up at her from the map, smiling. "Yes, actually, sorry. Excellent work, Alia. I think Bubble Crab is our next target for sure. With that assault on the docks, and all of this tactical data you've compiled, I think we're ready. He gave us an opening, and made himself a problem."

Alia leaned on the table. "That's what worries me, though."

X tilted his head. "Another baited trap?"

"Exactly. I think they're trying to draw our attention. Or just pull you into a contained environment. There is still another X-Hunter out there, you remember?" she finished with a somewhat dry tone.

X chuckled, nodding. "I'll watch my back, Alia. You do have a good point though. Mind shifting gears and doing a fresh analysis of that geothermal plant and the computer facility? They've been a little quiet this whole time."

Alia hit a command on the table, and the geothermal plant snapped into view. "Already have been, actually." Her manner had turned very serious.

X's brow creased as he absorbed the map himself. "…Flame Stag?"

She nodded. "…He taught me almost everything I know, X. This… none of it makes sense."

He kept his eyes on the map rigidly. "…I know. I'm sorry."

Alia looked at his face, her expression creasing. "Do you know why he did this?"

X's eyes closed slowly. He couldn't let the pain show. She was in pain because of Flame Stag, wounded in her heart, and she was too smart to miss the pattern in the fights, in the Mavericks, and in X's behavior. He knew that. It still hurt more than he could express to have her use that tone toward him.

Slowly, his eyes opened, and he drew them up into hers. His expression was loose, emotionless. "Yes."

The map table creaked under her hands. "But it's one of those things you can't tell me?"

"He's not the Reploid you remember, Alia. That's… all I can say."

Anger was etching through her features, making her eyebrows shiver. The table was creaking more. Her voice came out as a quieted rasp as she tried to control her anger. "…I've shown you every courtesy, X. I've let everything go. Your new armor out of nowhere, your weapons. I've ignored things that made my instincts scream at me, because I trust you. I know you're a good Reploid, and that you're doing your best. Right now, that is the only thing holding me back from…" her jaw clenched. "Are you sure that's the only answer you're going to give me on this? After everything I've done for you?"

She watched, too angry for her sympathy to take over this time, as his expression clenched into a vice again. His eyes squeezed shut, his jaw clenched like her own, his teeth bared in a slow, painful grimace.

It was a storm in his mind. His own instincts screamed that he should just tell her, lay it all out for her, so she could be at peace. She had to understand, had to agree with all the secrecy being so important.

But it would put her in so much danger. Why would she keep it a secret? Dr. Cain should know, even though he'd take right to the human authorities, and cause a world-wide panic that would likely get every Reploid destroyed or locked up.

He couldn't tell her, there was too much at stake. All of the X-Hunters, his X-hunters, were relying on him to keep the plan together. What would happen to them if they were exposed?

X slowly opened his eyes, and whispered, "It's the only answer I can give."

Alia's face remained rigid, but she stood up. "You have what you need for Bubble Crab's base, right?"

X bowed his head and let his eyes close again. "Yes… Thank you."

Alia marched around the table, flowed past him, and left the room.

X opened his eyes as tears dripped down his cheeks. "…What are you doing, X?" he asked himself quietly.

Author's Note:

I'm quite fond of this little chapter. Originally, this was just going to be an introductory event to the infiltration to Bubble Crab's base, but as it developed, it was clearly it's own entire chapter. I wanted some page time for the good X-Hunters, and I realized one of the only ones with a concrete 'past' to play off of in my version of events was Depthcharge. Especially after using 'Jessica' as a name twice in one story, I felt it was important to show I didn't just use the concept as a quick-fix backstory generator. She's a real character in this world, and has real goals.

As a side note, the woman that X held while she bled to death in the opening of Chronicle 1 is also named Jessica. They are two different people. I apparently had that name on the brain, and only realized the problem long after the story was published, so I've embraced the error, and used it as a 'huh, small world' moment.

This chapter is being posted on time (bit early) because I had the window of time, and actually posting it on time is going to be delayed by another phase of my cross-country move. At the moment, I'm unsure if this will delay chapter 8 or not, so I can't give a solid ETA, sorry folks. I hope to stay on the two-week timer (just pretend I posed THIS chapter on the 24th before you start counting on me, heh)

This moment at the finish between Alia and X is the official start of a story arc I foreshadowed from the first time this story establishes Flame Stag trained Alia. It'll start to accelerate now, and represents possibly my favorite single element of Chronicle 2. I hope you'll all enjoy the ride with me.

As always, thanks for the reviews, favs, follows, and other notes! Greatly appreciated, and they keep me fueled to continue!