Chapter 2: Welcome to the Resistance

Neo Arcadia's meeting room

Due to the events of two hours ago, Harpuia has summoned the other Reploids of his ranking, Guardian, to discuss and plan their next move. However, the other Guardians were away on field assignments, therefore they had to appear as transparent holograms at the time of the meeting in a few moments. Until then, Harpuia and the ruler of Neo Arcadia sat in silence in the meeting room; which is little more than a gold, half circular table in a black and blue room with monitors on the walls. While the master sat at the hollow end of the half circle (once again shrouded in shadow), Harpuia sat at the lower left end. The hour arrives and a blue hologram appears at the lower right end of the table.

"Ah, Phantom. You're the first one of the others, as always." Harpuia comments with a tone of familiarity.

"I make it a point to do so, you of all people should know that." Phantom answers flatly, crossing his arms before looking at the ruler. "Ah, good afternoon Master."

A few seconds later, another figure appears at the upper left section of the table.

"I'm here; what did I miss?" The other Guardian, with a feminine voice, stretches her arms up as she asks. "And good afternoon Master, you're looking well."

"We were just about to begin, Leviathan; you have not missed anything." Harpuia answers.

"Goody." Leviathan claps her hands together before looking at the empty spot at the table. "And where's Fefnir?"

"Not here. Obviously." Phantom, with a disapproving tone, answers Leviathan's question. Five minutes later, the upper right part of the table is occupied by the last Guardian's hologram, Fefnir.

"Alright, I'm here." Fefnir, in a laid back tone, states to everyone present, only to get a mixed reaction from the other three. "…What?"

"You…are late." Phantom, clearly upset by Fefnir's tardiness, is the first to comment.

"You have the biggest nerve to keep the Master waiting." Harpuia angrily states, glaring daggers at Fefnir.

"Honestly Fefnir, were you out fighting opponents past our meeting hour?" Leviathan asks in annoyance, leaning her head on her left palm.

"What can I say? Someone has to get the job done." Fefnir answers in a dismissive tone.

"And you couldn't have the troops handle it?"

"Aw come on Phantom; it's that kind of talk that dulls your skills." Fefnir insultingly retorts. "What good would you be to the Master then?"

"What was that?" Phantom glares at Fefnir for his remark.

"ENOUGH." Harpuia speaks up before any more can be said. "Let's not keep the Master waiting any longer."

"Finally…" Leviathan exclaims, straightening on her seat.

With all the ruckus settled, Harpuia stands up and places his hand on a console near the monitors, allowing his recordings of Zero to play on them.

"As you can see, this is the Reploid that the Resistance has taken from the outskirts; he goes by the name of Zero." Harpuia explains.

"Unbelievable, he did all of that to a squadron of pantheons AND a golem?" Leviathan asks, clearly intrigued by Zero's skill.

"A simple blaster, saber and even his fists no less." Phantom adds, studying Zero's moves carefully.

"Alright, now this is what I've been looking for!" Fefnir exclaims in excitement. "When do we get started?"

"When do we get started? Are you not seeing what this Reploid is capable of?" Harpuia retorts. "On another note, one of the pantheons managed to record some dialogue from Zero before it deactivated completely; apparently, he can't recall much of his past or even his identity. That could be our advantage in defeating him; before he discovers who he used to be."

"If he has little to no memory, then how does he fight with such skill and precision?" Phantom asks.

"Unclear. If I had to make a guess, I'd say that it's something ingrained into his subconscious; he used to be a Maverick Hunter in the past. First class no less."

"How do you know all of that?" Leviathan asks as well.

"The Master has informed me previously of this. He was acquainted with Zero in the past."

At this information, the other Guardians turn their attention to the Master, surprised that he would know about Zero and his past.

"Harpuia is correct; Zero and I are acquainted, in a manner of speaking." The Master calmly states. "I can tell you this now; even in his limited capacity, you must not underestimate him."

"We will take your advisement strongly, Master." Phantom states. "He will be considered completely hostile and to be eliminated on the spot."

"I personally can't wait to see what he's made of." Fefnir adds with a cocky smile.

"You'll only get to see it once, if you're careless." The Master states to Fefnir, who clears his throat at this.

"We will not underestimate him. You have my word, Master." Harpuia bows his head.

"Ok, so what's our plan? Since we can't find the Resistance base, how will we find him?" Leviathan asks.

"I have an idea; we have several captured Resistance members sentenced to execution. The Resistance has tried on several occasions to save previous detainees and they've failed before, so I don't doubt that they'd send in Zero this time." Harpuia details the plan. "So, let them know about the execution again and Zero will undoubtedly arrive and we strike."

"Very well." The Master agrees with Harpuia's plan. "Now then, which of you will be on standby for his arrival?"

"I haven't been in a fight in a long while; I volunteer." Leviathan answers, raising her hand.

"Very well, Leviathan." The Master nods before getting up from his seat. "Remember my words; Zero is not to be underestimated." With that, The Master leaves the Four Guardians to themselves.

"Well, what about the rest of you guys?"

"I will stay in Neo Arcadia; I won't leave The Master unprotected." Harpuia comments before leaving as well. "If Zero makes a move on our sanctuary, I'll be ready for him."

"I'm going to review the footage again. We'll be in touch." Phantom states before deactivating his hologram.

"Eh whatever, you can have your fun with Zero." Fefnir states in a dismissive tone. "I've still got other Reploids to take down elsewhere. Just make it good." Fefnir finally deactivates his hologram and the same action is followed by Leviathan. Elsewhere, Leviathan stares out a window in a campsite of pantheons and smiles maliciously as clouds begin to form in the sky.

"Take heed, Zero; it looks like rain is coming…"

Resistance Base

Having arrived at the base, Ciel walks Zero through the halls of it. As they walk towards the elevator, Zero becomes visibly uncomfortable at the many eyes on him.

"They…don't have much to say, do they?" Zero quietly asks.

"Oh, don't let it get to you; this is the first time they've seen a Reploid of your caliber that didn't want to put them out of commission." Ciel explains, trying to calm Zero's discomfort. "Just give them some time."

"Hmm…" Zero looks forward to avoid all eye contact and heads to his destination with Ciel. "Uh, where are we going exactly?"

"To see Cerveau, our head scientist…ok, he's our only scientist, but that makes him special." Ciel explains, giving herself a chuckle. "Fair warning though; he's a little 'hands on' when it comes to research."

"Ah. I mean, that's expected of a scientist though. It shouldn't surprise me at all." Zero retorts, cocking his head to the side in confusion.

"You'll see soon enough."

Finally descending the elevator, they reach the bottom floor and Ciel leads Zero to the lab; a small, ramshackle hut that really wouldn't pass for a store room.

"This?" Zero asks, raising an eyebrow. "This is your 'lab'?"

"You'll see, it's better than the one we found you in and less moldy." Ciel states. "Now, wait out here for a minute; I'll talk to Cerveau first." Knocking on the door, Ciel calls out. "Cerveau? Are you in there?"

"Come on in Ciel, I'm just working on another gun for our efforts." Complying, Ciel enters to speak with Cerveau (a Reploid with a dark blue bodysuit, brown boots, dark green gown with yellow pockets and trim, white gloves, dark blue hair and an orange visor), who gets up from his seat. "Hello Ciel, how did the mission go?"

Before answering, Ciel looks down in sadness. "It…was a disaster; I was the only one who came back."

"And Passy?" Cerveau asks, shocked by this news. Ciel nods dismissively at the next question. "I see…Then, he wasn't there after all?"

"No, he was there; Passy used her power to bring him back." Ciel answers. "He's here now."

"I don't believe it; then the stories are true!" Cerveau asks in excitement. "Where is he then?"

"One minute." Ciel knocks on the door, signaling Zero into walking inside. Though wary, Zero enters the lab.

"Hello."

Stepping aside, Ciel allows Cerveau to observe Zero and he walks up to him. "You…you're really Zero."

"Uh, yes." Zero reluctantly answers. Cerveau only stared intently at Zero, making the former even more uncomfortable than when everyone else had stared at him. Breathing deeply, Zero decides to speak up, however…

"Remarkable!" Cerveau grabs Zero's head to bring him to his eye level, surprising the red Reploid. "Your facial skin may be from older technology, but it resembles our own! Your teeth are perfectly symmetrical and show no sign of wear!" Cerveau excitedly states, groping Zero's face and even pulling his cheeks to see his teeth. From the side, Ciel does her best not to laugh at the scene unfold. "Whoever built you really put their all into it! Now you're here; the Legendary Reploid!"

"…You're kind of hurting my face." Zero comments, cringing at Cerveau squeezing his face.

"Sorry." Cerveau releases his grip and Zero rubs the underside of his face in discomfort. "I got a little carried away, didn't I? Now then, how can I help him, Ciel?"

"Ah yes." Ciel, relaxing herself from a near laughing fit, walks up. "Zero seems to be experiencing some form of memory loss. I was hoping that maybe you could help to restore it."

"Oh, I see. Well, I can give him a look over. Very well, come back in an hour; I should have something by then."

"Good. Ok Zero, I'll be back in an hour or so, good luck." Ciel pats Zero's shoulder before walking out, much to the latter's quiet protests.

One hour later

Ciel returns to the lab to see Cerveau and Zero after the formers check up and she enters to see the two seated at opposite ends at a nearby table.

"I'm back. What did I miss?" Ciel asks. "Did he hurt you, Zero?"

"I wouldn't call it that." Zero answers. "There were no probes at least."

Giggling at that, Ciel turns her attention to Cerveau. "What have you discovered, Cerveau?"

"Ah yes; first the basics. Zero, if you will?" Cerveau hands Zero his weapons and the latter stands up while the former activates targets at the nearby wall.

"Alright." Zero complies and shoots his blaster at the targets with, once again, pinpoint accuracy. Now, he begins to well up energy into it before firing off a charged shot, destroying the targets.

"His blaster is basic enough, but he can charge up energy into it for a stronger blast. The kicker; he is the only one who can do it with this particular blaster. I tried shooting with it, but I could not accomplish this."

"How can that be?" Ciel asks, rubbing her chin with uncertainty.

"My hypothesis is that he is drawing energy from himself to do this; as if the blaster was some sort of conduit for his own energy. Yet, he shows no signs of fatigue from this. But, more on this later." Cerveau explains. "Now, on to the next."

Nodding, Zero activates his saber, forming the triangular, long green blade on the white handle.

"Now, this one is interesting; while the energy forms the blade, Zero's body adds yet another layer to it; stabilizing the energy and effectively solidifying it. This not only strengthens the integrity but also makes the blade sharper."

"Astounding. You are capable of quite a few things, Zero." Ciel states, fascinated by what she's hearing.

"I…suppose I am." Zero adds, still unsure of himself. "But, why can't I remember any of it? We all saw that I know how to fight, and yet I can't figure out who I am or was."

"I know, Zero. But like I said; I can't glean anything from your mind. Your mind is like a book without its table of contents, as in all your memory might be there, but I can't find anything. As it stands, I will need much more time before I can come up with some kind of solution."

Breathing deeply, Zero deactivates his saber and sheathes it on his back. "Thank you, Cerveau. And you too Ciel, without you then I'd probably still be in that lab for who knows how long."

"It's alright. Thank you too for saving me, Zero." Ciel answers with a smile and Zero responds by giving a small smile himself.

"Alright then, shall I continue?" Cerveau ask, to which Zero and Ciel nod. "Very well, now comes the important part of my analysis." Cerveau shuts off the lights and brings down a monitor with several X-rays of Zero's body. "Now then, Ciel, do you recognize these structures?"

Astounded, Ciel walks up to the images on screen and looks them over. "Cerveau, are these…muscles?"

"Structurally, yes. But instead of flesh, they are completely artificial. Originally, I thought carbon fiber, but they're made of titanium. What allows them to bend and move are the fact that they're several thin rings tightly packed together. We've been able to confirm that these 'muscles' give Zero much freer movement, as if it was a basic human body while, at the same time, augmenting his strength."

"Impressive." Ciel then looks at Zero, who is just as intrigued by this as well. "And what about his energy? How does he have plenty?"

"Ah, that. Well, he has a power cell that allows him to take in any kind of energy; be it fossil fuels, electrical, geothermal or even solar and convert it into power for himself. Truly an impressive design, though one thing still leaves me perplexed…"

"What would that be?"

"This." Cerveau brings down another image, this time of Zero's thorax. "Look; there's an oval shaped object in his chest."

"What is it?" Ciel asks.

"I don't know exactly. My scanners can't identify it, yet it doesn't seem to have any adverse effects on Zero."

Zero walks up to the image and places his hand over his chest, feeling unease with what that object is in his chest. Catching this, Cerveau deactivates the images and turns the lights back on, much Zero's surprise.

"Well, I think that's enough for today. Zero, why don't you go out into the base and stretch your legs a bit?"

"What?" Zero flatly asks.

"Yes, I agree." Ciel adds. "We have no assignments at the moment, so why don't you go and get acquainted with the others? I'll show you to your room later; I have to talk to Cerveau about our patrol routes."

Though apprehensive, Zero nods and slowly walks to the exit. "Wait, what should I say to them?"

"Hmm, I think 'hello' would be a good start." Cerveau states. "Now, run along then, Ciel and I have those patrol routes to discuss." With that, Zero finally walks out, leaving Ciel and Cerveau alone. "Well, what's the situation with the patrol routes?"

Ciel takes the pad from Cerveau's hands and sets it down on the desk before speaking. "Cerveau, you know that's not why I'm really here; what is on your mind?"

"Am I that transparent?" Sighing, Cerveau sits at his desk. "Well, if I'm being honest; there are several things on my mind. First; Zero's design specs; they are unlike your average Reploids designs. They not only look like muscles, they even have the same shape and form as those in human anatomy. Why would they be formed that way?"

"True, that is peculiar." Ciel concedes. "I haven't seen other Reploids with the same thing."

"Also, there's another issue that we need to take into account; Zero's creator. Like we've said before, most of the records were lost during the wars, but what few I've managed to find with our limited resources has given us this; Zero's creator was one Dr. Albert Wily."

"The Dr. Wily?" Ciel asks in shock.

"Yes, the same Dr. Wily who has terrorized man and robot many years ago. From what I have gathered, Zero was the good doctor's final creation. Ciel, he destroyed many Reploids and Maverick Hunters when he was unleashed."

"What?"

"Now, what I want to know is; do you think having a potentially dangerous Reploid in our midst is wise?"

Bearing these facts in mind, Ciel sits down and ponders it all, as well as the events from a few hours ago, before answering. "I trust him. True, these facts are clear, but remember; he used to be a Maverick Hunter in the past as well, he protected me from the pantheons and that golem without taking into account his own safety. Cerveau, he is our only chance at stopping Neo Arcadia."

Sighing, Cerveau looks at Zero's images once more before looking at Ciel. "Very well, I trust you Ciel. So, I'll go on a little faith with Zero as well."

"I promise, Cerveau; you didn't see what I saw back at the lab. He is no monster, even with his lack of memories, I can feel it."

Resistance Base

Even at Ciel's insistence, Zero has had mostly fruitless attempts at mingling with the Resistance members; being mostly ignored or given indifferent looks. Weary, Zero sits down at a bench on the first floor hallway, breathing a heavy sigh. Moments later, while he sits, Zero feels that someone is watching him. Turning his head, Zero spots someone immediately hiding behind a side passage in the hall and he decides to keep his sight fixed on it until whoever that is comes out. Sure enough, a little girl Reploid peeks from that passage. Remembering what Cerveau said, Zero slowly brings up his right hand and waves at her. The little girl blinks twice and slowly waves at him in return and Zero nods at her before looking away again. Eventually, the little girl (Reploid with a long, pink dress with yellow trim covering a black body suit, brown boots, white gloves, fair skin, blue eyes, long blonde hair and round white plates for ears. In her hands is a white, cartoony stuffed cat) slowly walks over to Zero and sits on the bench that he's on, staring at him the whole while.

"…Hi." Zero, looking at her, finally greets.

"Hello…" The girl quietly greets in return. "You're the that Reploid that everyone is talking about."

"Oh yeah?"

"Uh huh, but…you don't look all that scary."

"Oh no? Well, I guess I'll just have to try harder." Zero answers, a little bothered by being labeled as frightening by the others. At this, the girl starts giggling, much to Zero's surprise.

"You're funny."

"I thought I was scary."

"Maybe the others think so, but I think you're funny." The girl says with a slight smile. "Oh. My name is Alouette."

Zero's expression begins to soften at Alouette's earnestness and he slowly begins to smile as well. "I'm Zero."

"Are you here to help us, Zero?"

"I guess so. I don't really know much about what's going on, but I feel like I need to. I don't understand it myself, but I can't just let someone be unjustly harmed. Do you know what I mean?"

"I think so; you're a hero." Alouette happily states.

"A hero?" Zero asks, surprised by that label. "I don't really know about that."

"Well, hero or not, I can tell that you're not a bad guy."

"Thanks." Zero, unexpectedly, reaches out and pats Alouette on the head, making her smile at him. At that moment, Ciel appears and they both look at her.

"Ah, I see you've met Alouette." Ciel happily states.

"Ah, it's more like she found me actually." Zero states. "Well, what can I do for you?"

"Oh, nothing really, I just thought I should show you to your room. You've had a really big day after all."

"Yeah, that sounds good. Alright, let me see it."

"This way." Ciel leads Zero, followed by Alouette, the elevator. Unbeknownst to anyone, a few of the Reploids have been watching Zero's interaction with Alouette and the apprehension of him slowly but surely turned into curiosity.

Third floor

Ciel leads Zero to a door at the end of the third floor hallway, past the Trans-Server room, to what is now Zero's lodging; a bed and desk.

"It isn't much, but I bet it's better than that lab." Ciel states, bringing up how almost empty the room is.

"No, it's fine. I don't exactly have any possessions anyway." Zero retorts, waving off the lack of objects in the room. "I think some, actual, rest would do me some good."

"Ah, good. Well then, I should leave you to your business now. Come on Alouette."

"Ok, see you next time, Zero." Alouette waves goodbye to Zero as she walks away with Ciel.

"Wait." Zero reaches out and Ciel stops to look at him. "I still have a few questions; what exactly are we resisting? And why?"

"Uh, Alouette, why don't you head on to your room? I'll catch up in a minute." Ciel quickly recommends to Alouette and the latter nods before walking off. Now alone, Ciel gathers her thoughts. "Neo Arcadia; the supposed safe haven for humanity and Reploids. It was the last bastion for humanity to survive past the Maverick Wars and Elf Wars, and it was for a time. While both sides lived in harmonious coexistence, The Master decided that humans had to come first, while the Reploids were used as workforce and treated as second class citizens instead of being equal to humans."

"That's not all, is it?" Zero asks, listening intently to everything being said to him.

"No." Ciel sighs heavily before continuing. "We are currently facing an energy crisis as the citizens demand for it continued to grow, way beyond what the city can provide. To counteract this setback, The Master decided to cutback one of the groups needing energy; Reploids."

"Hmm." Zero tightens his arms in anticipation of what's to come.

"To supply more energy to humans, it had to be cut short to the Reploids, but instead of giving them less energy, Reploids received none at all. Under the pretext of avoiding the repetition of the calamity of the Maverick Wars, little issues and false accusations of being Maverick, many innocent Reploids were arrested and then executed while simultaneously being stigmatized. This came to a head as the Reploids, fearful of unjust persecution, actively rebelled against Neo Arcadia, though any and all efforts were quickly subdued and dealt with. The surviving Reploids of these accusations fled Neo Arcadia and formed the Resistance, living however they can. Though, they face constant threats from the military force of Neo Arcadia and The Master."

"Who is this Master? What gives them the right to do this to anyone?" Zero asks, clearly angered by this information.

Ciel readies herself before revealing an awful truth to Zero. "The hero of the Maverick Wars; Mega Man X."

"Mega Man X…?" Zero asks, almost uncertain of what to make of that information. "That name…"

"Do you recognize him?"

"I…think I might. But, it's really hazy." Zero answers, rubbing his head in discomfort. "Can you probably tell me more about him?"

"Well, he was arguably the first Reploid ever created by one Dr. Thomas Light. In between the time he was discovered, he became a Maverick Hunter along with several others, including you. Those were some of the most brutal wars fought, caused by something called the Sigma Virus, created originally by the Maverick Virus."

"Sigma…" Zero quietly comments, finding the name Sigma disturbingly familiar….

"Zero?" Ciel calls out in concern.

"What else do you know?"

"I'm sorry, but that's the most I know of. Again, most of the records were lost." Ciel answers remorsefully.

"Right." Zero looks to the side with downcast eyes, frustrated by this lack of information.

"Don't worry so much though; your memory should come back in due time." Ciel tries to comfort Zero before reaching into a bag slung on her left shoulder, pulling out Zero's blaster and Z-Saber. "Also, you forgot to take these back. Here." Ciel hands the weapons back to Zero, who takes them. "Now, I think you should get some rest."

"I think so too. Thank you, Ciel." Without another word, Zero enters his room, closing the door behind him. From outside, Ciel lingers a while longer with a guilty expression on her face.

Zero's room

Now alone, Zero places his blaster and Z-Saber on the desk next to the lamp before sitting down on the bed. Remembering the names Ciel told him, Zero tries to recall them but finds the process very difficult, ending in a headache. Deciding to stop reminiscing, Zero gets up and picks up his blaster and looks it over, spinning the trigger on his index finger a grand total of five times before setting it back down. Picking up the Z-Saber, Zero activates it and looks it over, even able to see his reflection on its glass like surface. Moving to the center of the mostly empty room, Zero swings the saber slowly and low towards the ground. Eventually, Zero feels more comfortable with it and starts to swing it faster and wider, even going so far as to swing the saber six tines in his hand, behind and in front of him and ending in a massive downward slash. Exhaling, Zero turns the saber twice in hand and deactivates it before setting it down again on the desk. Lying back down on the bed, Zero ponders on his lack of memories, particularly how his fighting prowess remained intact while everything else was mostly a blur to him. Soon, he allows sleep to take him.

Hours later

Zero's sleep is interrupted by the sound of a door opening, making his eyes shoot open. Sitting up, Zero is baffled to see himself inside of a lab and before he can ponder why this is, a man is standing in front of the door; obscured by the blinding light entering from it.

"Zero, my masterpiece." The individual, clearly an elderly man, addresses Zero.

"Who…who are you?" Zero asks, completely unaware of who this man is.

"After him; he is my nemesis! Our rivalry is what gives me motivation in life. Now go; destroy him! That is an order!" The man states in an authoritative tone before disappearing back towards the light, leaving Zero alone.

"Hey, wait!" Zero reaches out to the man, but immediately relents as he sees that his arms are completely different; though red, his hands are white and with silvery gray wrists. Startled, Zero looks for a mirror to see if he looks any different as well, finally grabbing a metallic platter off of a nearby table. Slowly, he brings it up to his face to inspect himself, until an alarm begins blaring.

Resistance Base

Zero awakens from his "dream" to the sounds of the alarm, breathing heavily and looking down at his hands to see that they're the same as he remembered. Picking up his weapons, Zero exits the room in time for Ciel to intercept him.

"Zero!"

"Ciel, what's going on?" Zero asks the panicking Ciel.

"It's happening; more Reploids are about to be eliminated. Our spies indicate that Neo Arcadia is sending a large number of them to the disposal center. Zero, I know that you've only been here for less than a day, but we really need your help to save those Reploids." Ciel explains in a pleading tone. Zero looks at her and then the other Reploids scrambling to prepare their rescue operation. This awakens something in Zero, a sense of duty to protect the innocent; something he didn't know that he had. Now, he knows what he has to do.

"Where is the disposal center?" Zero, with a determined expression, asks to a relieved Ciel.

To be continued.

Author's Note: Bam, chapter 2. Once again, there are lots of changes to what was already established in the game, but I want to flesh out Zero more throughout the story because we really didn't get much of it in the Zero series. So, while it's mostly a novelization of the first game, I'm adding elements from the X series to complement it. Once again, the changes made in later chapters serve a purpose and not a complete retcon or anything. Alright guys/girls, take care. :)