Mega Man Zero

Log Interference

Phase 1: Iris

A/N:

Narration

"Dialogue"

Monologue

*sfx*

Resistance Base, 2F Maintenance Rm hallway

"Thank you,"

After hearing that Zero's repairs are finished from an unfamiliar female reploid, the blonde female human Ciel, quickly runs into the room to see his condition. Unbeknown to her, Iris silently monitored her movement, facial expression, and even her heartbeat.

"Haaaaaaah..." Just as the door of the room beside her closes, she sighs heavily before leaning back to the nearby wall of the room. "This is far too real to be a dream," she said in a weak voice while recalling all that had happened.

In a certain area in cyberspace, two individual detonate themselves to fix the error in the log data that their presence caused while a colleague of theirs watch at a distance.

The explosion should have been the end of it.

That should be the end for her, yet her consciousness returned. And the next thing she realizes is that she is in the middle of a desert. And the desert stage is not in any stage archive of the X series.

With her eyes closed, she rests her head on the wall, tilts her head up, and recalls the events each step of the way.

Sand wilderness

Regaining her sense of self, the white-haired reploid finds herself in the middle of a wreckage. The first thing she did was scan her surroundings. Cross-reference the image that she sees to existing stages of X's followed by locating the nearest sign of life. Organic or artificial alike.

To her surprise, she saw a damaged Zero on the ground. What's more, is that the Zero she found does not have the design of the Zero of the X franchise. This Zero sports the design of the Zero series that took place centuries after the X series.

To think I found myself at the intro stage of Zero 2...

Seeing the damaged Zero lying in a desert setting and the wreckage of the mechanoid Mega Scorpia nearby, she deduce that this is from the intro stage of Zero 2.

Does that mean Harpuia is nearby?

"I know you're there; show yourself." And to test her assumption, she tried calling him out.

*swoosh*

A small gust of wind blew as two figures descended from the sky. A green humanoid Reploid rode a Hippogriff-like Reploid.

"Sage Harpuia," And just as she assumed, the Guardian Harpuia descended along with the muto reploid Aztec Falcon.

"Who or what exactly are you?" Harpuia asked. He looked at the unknown female reploid beside the body of the fallen Zero.

"Iris," she pauses for a moment before continuing. "That's a good name. I'm Iris, former Repliforce Reploid turned Maverick Hunter operative."

"It's a good thing the script was followed to a certain degree even if there was a small anomaly," Iris whispers, not minding the attention she is getting from the resistance soldiers that walked past the hallway.

Originally, after succumbing to all of his years of damage, Zero was brought to the new resistance base by the green Guardian, Sage Harpuia.

That presents a problem with the reploid who introduced herself as Iris. Harpuia's action was based on his whim and pride as a guardian. Now that a third party is at the scene, there's no assurance that he will still save Zero. If worst comes to worst, she might even have to defend herself from him.

There are plenty of names I can use and will still likely get the same result, Iris thought. Excluding mine, Aila, Layer, Palette, and even Nana work as navigators for X but there is a catch. Which are canon events in this world.

There is much uncertainty in the new world that presents itself to her and choosing a name that was a previous ally to X is a key factor if she wants to get into Harpuia's good side to aid them. Even if it is a hail-mary pass at this point.

For one, timeline and canon events play a huge factor in her choices. In the Zero series, the events of X7 or 8 are uncertain. Model A might use Axl's A trans but that is all there is to it. Model A is not Axl unlike Model Z to Zero and Model X to X. There is also no information regarding the fate of the 2nd generation of reploids which is a key plot for 7 and 8. More so the events in Giga City that is the setting of the Command Mission.

This leaves Iris and Aila as the only viable option. For one, remnants of the Repliforce submarine are still being used in the Zero time, and area Zero was the crash site of the Eurasia colony making up to x4, 5 and 6 canon events.

Aila might be the safest choice as Iris already died in the Repliforce rebellion but several reploids came back even after being destroyed. Sigma is the main example to an annoying degree, Vile and even Zero.

If it's Zero... Iris is the only option...," Iris mumbles. After all, when Zero became fully playable, Iris was the one who acted as his support.

Lucky for her, Harpuia relents to her request, and with bathed breath, Iris uses the opportunity of being carried by Aztec Falcon while carrying Zero via one man carry, with his right arm wrapped around her neck while her left arm is wrapped around his waist, to get a clear bird eye view of the world she is in.

A world that has been ravaged severely by the previous war.

Iris thought as they ascended higher. From her position, she saw the sand wilderness stage with little to no vegetation or sign of organic life below her as the scenery stretched far and wide to the horizon in front.

The horizon and landscape stretch as far as the eye can see are barren at best, the temperature of the sun, the gust of wind and sand that passes through my body as we fly to our destination. All of it tells me that they are all real. And above all...

After getting a full view of what lies in front of her, Iris looks to her back. "Neo Arcadia" and saw the silhouette of a large metropolis that is Neo Arcadia. From the large tower that used to be an orbital elevator to the dome that kept humanity safe from the harsh environment of the world that is in ruin.

At the outskirts of the last human domain in the world is the old surface city, an abandoned urban area that the Resistance used as their previous base of operation.

And each stage is connected like an actual world. Unlike the logs we dive in that have a definite start and end point.

Further from the abandoned city is the desert stage of Zero 1. A landscape full of sand and old ruins of past civilizations that had been long forgotten. Going further from the desert stage you will be able to access the Sand Wilderness of Zero 2

All are interconnected. Iris took a side glance at the unconscious Zero and tightened her hold on his waist. In a way, this is like Zero 1 and ZX. In a more elaborate sense.

And the realization of her current condition presents a new obstacle to her.

A Dream? No that can't be it. Then am I still inside the deep log? Is this the deep log for Zero perhaps or is it like with X-Kai's situation? A separate world from canon timeline.

"Hmm?" As her line of thought continued to run in a circle, she was brought back to her senses with the sudden descent of Aztec Falcon. "We're not there yet."

Iris knotted her eyebrow and calculated their current distance to the new Resistance base.

Originally, he brought him to the entrance of the resistance base, and right now

We're still a few miles away.

"You already know where it is," Harpuia replied to answer the look she was giving him. "You have legs and if that thing on your back is not just for display, you should be able to reach their base before sundown." Even with Harpuia's cold response, he was still cordial enough to make sure that the two safely landed first before flying back to Neo Arcadia.

"Haaaaaaah... and he's gone," With a frown on her face, Iris watched his figure shrink until she couldn't see him any longer.

"It can't be helped. I guess it's just us again," Iris turned her head to the unconscious Zero at her side. "Whether it's you, the original, or him," holding his arm that is wrapped around her neck, the female reploid took one last deep sigh "It seems like you're both helpless without me." before turning her gaze to the landscape before her and the mechanoloids that litter all over the place. "But first.. "

I need to gather more intel in this world. Iris thought before taking his buster shot.

*pew pew pew*

She fired a few shots to the ground and a few mechanoloid in her sight.

"I see... the terrain immunity and conventional HP system do not apply,"

The shot she fired on the ground leaves a hole in it. And continuing to fire at the same spot further deepens the hole she made. While durability affects the number of hits it needs to kill an enemy, even a single non-charge shot to the condoroid's head is critical compared to hitting the body twice. But repeatedly gunning just the wings is not going to kill the condoroid unless the shot fired is to its critical parts like its main body or head.

"Play time's over," After getting all the data she needs, Iris changed how she carries Zero. From a one-person walk assist to just treating him like a sack and placing him over her right shoulder with her arm wrapped around his waist while her other hand held his gun. "It's time to move on to the next stage."

With an injured Zero on hand, Iris opts for a speed run approach with two goals in mind. Avoid as many enemies as possible and reach the resistance base before sundown.

While she manages to accomplish both goals, Iris realizes that the most common mechanics of the entire Mega Man franchise do not fully adapt to the reality of the world she is in:

First, during her trial test with the buster shot, because of heat convection due to the extreme temperature of the desert, it affected the accuracy of her shot.

Second, when you defeat an enemy, they don't drop e-crystals or energy capsules. If she needs to fuel up, she needs to physically drain their power source. If she needs it in crystal form to save for later, she needs to extract the energy and convert it to e-crystal first. This made her more cautious about how she acted to save energy and how much damage she could receive especially now that she is carrying an injured reploid.

The third is gravity. Carrying someone will affect the height of your jumps, how fast you can run, and how the land will react when you land on them. Especially edges.

And lastly, enemy retention span when they detect a target. They don't easily lose focus unlike in the game when they stop chasing after they are already off-screen. As long as you are in eyesight, they will chase you. Really chase you.

With those added hurdles, Iris repeatedly curses Harpuia for leaving them there.

Sand Wilderness, midnight

In contrast to the scorching heat of the wilderness in the morning, the sand wilderness at night is a different beast altogether. And in the midst of it, a lone figure floats near the wreckage of Mega Scorpia.

"This reading..." the lone figure shrouded in shadows mumbles as he analyzes the date projected from the device of his arm. "Interesting... A small rift to cyberspace opened recently... but there is no reading similar to... or is it... Hee hee hee hee hee! hee hee hee hee hee..."

Resistance base, 2F Maintenance Room.

Zero didn't wake up until the next morning.

*pfff...Sshssssss...kluck*

With the Zero gaining consciousness, the maintenance bed opens up to allow the patient to be able to move around freely.

"Ugh..?" Slowly opening his eyes, Zero found himself lying on a bed and looking at an unfamiliar ceiling. "Hm?"

"Zero!"

"..."

Hearing a familiar voice, he hadn't heard in a year, Zero slowly got off the bed and saw Ciel's worried and tired expression. There are build-up tears in her eyes and eyebags that show how little sleep she has.

"Thank goodness you're alive Zero!" Ciel cried as she tried to run to him but

*thud*

Since last night, Ciel has not been able to focus on her work so she regularly visits the maintenance room to see Zero's condition. Even with Rocinolle and Cerveau's assistance to inform her as soon as he wakes up, Ciel stubbornly comes by. Again and again. Hoping at each visit would be the time Zero regained consciousness. And now that he has woken up, all the fatigue catching up on her she fell to her knees. Zero tried to approach her but she raised a hand for him to stop. "I... hick... I'm sorry we are powerless to send you aid... hick... sob..."

"Ahem," Seeing Ciel's condition, "It's nice to see that you're operational again Zero." Cerveau fakes a cough to get his attention and greets him to let Ciel gather herself back.

Zero turns to his side and sees him standing beside his maintenance bed "For a second there, with how badly damaged you are, I was not expecting you to wake up any time soon. Welcome back."

"Hmmm..." Zero pauses for a bit and examines the room he is in. He is inside a small well well-lit and made maintenance facility. Compared to the facility a year prior, all pieces of equipment are in pristine condition devoid of rust or cracks. In front of him is a human named Ciel. The leader of the resistance and the one who woke him up from his deep slumber. To his left stood Cerveau, the inventor of the rod and shield boomerang that he used, and lying on a bed next to him was an unfamiliar white-haired female reploid with a different design than the rest of them. "Where am I?"

"This is the new resistance base we built after leaving Neo Arcadia," Cerveau answered. Seeing as he was unconscious when Iris brought him here, it is natural for him to wonder where is he exactly.

Zero scowls as he recalls the last thing in his memory. He defeated the mechanoloid and collapsed after that. There was no sign that the resistance base was nearby which only meant that someone had brought him to them. Which now leaves the question of who. For one, he never activates an S.O.S. signal before fainting. "... how exactly did I get here?"

"Hm?" Cerveau tilts his head in confusion. After all, the reploid named Iris, who brought him to them seems familiar with Zero they all assumed that she was accompanying him in his fight against Neo Arcadia.

"Ms. Iris brought you here back to us," now that she finally has to calm herself, Ciel points to the sleeping reploid before slowly standing up.

"... I... Iris?"

For a brief period, Zero showed a shocked expression before it turned into a scowl. "That's Iris?" He asked with clear doubt in his mind.

"Something wrong Zero?" Ciel asks nervously.

*pfff...Sshssssss...kluck*

With Iris showing signs of gaining consciousness, her maintenance bed also opened up.

"Yawn... Good morning, Zero," Iris greeted sleepily. She stretched out her arm carelessly before sluggishly getting off the bed. "What did I miss?" she asks as all eyes are fixated on her."

"... are you really Iris?"

Iris just smiles at his question which prompts Zero to stand in front of Ciel in a defensive pose.

"Zero?" A confused Ciel took a peak to his side and saw the white-haired reploid look back at her with a faint smile.

Sensing the growing tension, Cerveau slowly reaches his hand to the medical terminal's emergency button

"Haaaaaaah... don't bother calling in security," Iris's eyes move from Ciel on Zero's right side to left where the reploid Cerveau stands near the medical bed monitor. "I am not an enemy."

"But it does not mean you are our ally as well right?" Cerveau followed up.

Iris nods before turning her focus to Zero with a faint smile. "I am just your ally."

She declared. It also means that as long as Zero is their ally then so shall she.

"Uhm... I think we can trust her," Ciel replied meekly.

From what she has seen so far, the female reploid does not pose a threat to them or is acting as a spy for Neo Arcadia. She never wanders around the base, Instead, she continues to monitor Zero's condition. until her remaining energy ran out. If she is truly a spy, she would have not let them fix Zero. The moment Zero is under maintenance, she should have sabotaged the whole place. She has plenty of time to sabotage their new base if she really did work for Neo Arcadia.

Above all, for Ciel, Iris brought Zero to them and even helped with his repairs. And even if she did that to gain their trust, she did not attack them or even show some hostility to them. Granted her cold attitude to some resistance soldiers that came to talk to her does resemble Zero a bit.

"And if Neo Arcadia truly wanted to, they could just send their full force to crush our base without needing a spy," Ciel added

Taking one last look at Ciel, Iris began to frown and drop her shoulder a bit. "Haaaaaaaah... I see. So now that you're with a cute girl like her, you're saying you already forgot about me?" Iris glared at him, leaned forward, and crossed her arms. "Is that it, Zero?"

"..." Zero did not reply but scowled when Ciel gave him a puzzled look.

"To think this is how you treat me." Iris began tapping her right foot in irritation.

"..."

"I even went out of my way to search for you after just waking up!"

"..."

"To think I was worried after not seeing each other in a long looooooong time," snaps her head to the right. "Men... seriously!" Before turning her back to them to hide the facial expression she is trying to hold back the embarrassment of how she is acting right now.

"Uhm... because his awakening didn't follow the proper procedure, Zero has no recollection of his past." Ciel tried to step forward but Zero raised his arm and prevented her from walking past him.

"Stop making excuses for him,"

"Uhm... but..."

Cerveau on his part, listened to their conversation until he came to a realization. Mainly to the tapping of Iris' foot that uses Morse code.

D-u-m-b-a-s-s

"Oh..." Cerveau mumbles. "Oooooooohhh... That must be it," he muses with a nod before walking towards Ciel. "Ciel, We better give them some space to... discuss things." He then returned his buster shot and Z-saber before resting one hand on Ciel's shoulder to escort her out of the room "And Zero,"

"... yes?" Zero returned the buster shot to its holster on his back while leaving the Z-Saber in his right hand.

"I've returned your rifle and saber," Cerveau said loudly as a means of warning to the unknown reploid in case she really is an enemy. "The rod and boomerang that you have are beyond repair. Come to my Lab to get their replacement." He finished as he hurriedly led Ciel to the room's exit.

Neo Arcadia, Yggdrasil

At the same time with Zero's awakening,

Inside one of the most secure places of all Neo Arcadia, the guardian Sage Harpuia knelt in front of the still figure of X, encapsulated in a throne-like structure. With his head hanging low, he reassessed his new responsibility and the last thing the unknown female reploid said

...X would have done the same...

"If you were in my shoes, what would you do, Master X?" Harpuia looks up at their progenitor before glaring at the huge container behind him. the very reason for X's current condition. "Will you save an injured enemy? How will you deal with this energy crisis?"

The green sage remained rooted on his spot recalling the small incident in the wilderness again and again until the door of the room opened with one of the four guardians.

"So this is where you have been holding yourself, Harpuia," Leviathan, one of the Guardians of Neo Arcadia, a feminine blue reploid, said in an annoyed tone. "You should have at least told me that you would be here when you called for me!"

"..." With one last bow, he stood up and approached the blue reploid. "Sorry about that, Leviathan."

"Wait what? You're apologizing?" Leviathan took one step back in shock as her facial expression began to sour. "Please tell me you haven't gone maverick?" and proceed to withdraw her lance.

"Hmph... think what you will but I have a favor to ask of you."

"And what will it be?"

"I want you to look up on something for me."

"Hooh~ look up on something? You?"

"... Yes, as much as I want to do it myself, the issue at hand is under your jurisdiction."

"And what could it be?"

"Data regarding reploids listed as part of the repliforce," Harpuia closes his eyes and recalls the information he got from the reploid named Iris.

"What good will it be in looking for ancient information like that?" placing one to her waist, Leviathan looks to Harpuia with indeference.

"Let's just say I met an old relic of the past and claimed to be a former Replifoce reploid and had worked with Zero and Master X a few centuries ago.

"Is this when you came to look for Zero yesterday?" Leviathan asked.

Yesterday, when reports reached the top brass of Neo Arcadia that Zero was spotted in the sand wilderness, it was Harpuia who came to supervise the pantheon and mechanoloid that they sent. And while Leviathan wants to be the one to lead the assault, Harpuia uses his new authority to order her to stand by and protect Neo Arcadia as the battle freak Fenrir is not suited to the tasks.

They never heard from the pursuing troops and Harpuia did not even inform them what happened back then.

Which it now came as a surprise when all of a sudden, Harpuia called for her.

"Hm?" Leviathan tilts her head in confusion. Right now, their temporary leader is asking for her to look upon at ancient data. And somehow it is related to his trip outside Neo Arcadia yesterday. "What do you want to know?"

"All information regarding the reploid named Iris. Appearance, features, and actual connection to Zero and Master X."

"Iris... that's a female's name,"

"And what of it?"

"Hoho~ Don't tell me you're interested in her"

"Not exactly," Harpuia answered calmly. No change in his expression despite Leviathan's efforts. "You'll see for yourself if you encounter that reploid "

"Very well, What will I get with this... favor that you're asking for?" Leviathan crosses her arms.

"They will likely send him back on the field sooner than later," Harpuia clutches his ear as he tries to hold back his excitement. "I'll let you get to play with him first in the chance he is sighted in areas under my jurisdiction."

Leviathan's eyes open wide in shock as her lips curl to a smile. "You better not take back what you said."

Resistance Base, 2F Maintenance Room

Their standstill continued for a full ten minutes after Ciel and Cerveau left.

Iris sat on the edge of her maintenance bed with her legs crossed and her back facing Zero. Leaving her defenseless.

And while Zero is on alert with the white-haired reploid, he opts not to make the first move. He may owe her his life but if he pose as a danger to them, it is not wise to attack first. The female reploid that claims to be Iris has a design not like any reploids he saw after waking up. A different model with unknown capabilities and a somewhat nostalgic look. Many unknown factors prevent him from attacking first.

I may have lost my old memories but... Zero thought as he looked at the defenseless back of the white-haired reploid.

Zero may not have his old memories but Just like with X and his encounter with Copy X. He is familiar with the name and was able to distinguish that the X that he fought a year ago is nothing like the real X that he knew.

The same goes for Iris. He may have forgotten what the reploid named Iris looked like right now but just the name of her stirred melancholy, regret, and anguish to him. He did not feel it with this reploid. And just like with Copy X, his instinct is telling him one thing.

I am certain, she is not Iris.

Whether she is a copy or a different individual using Iris' identity is up on air for the time being as what's more concerning to him is that he sensed a familiarity with the white-haired reploid when she first spoke to him.

An unknown familiarity that is different from the familiarity he has with X and Iris.

One is trust and confidence that he has his back and the other is an unknown feeling that stirs regret and melancholy.

For this Iris, it is like meeting a stranger for the first time that he knows for some reason.

"Just who or what are you," He asks as his hands tighten the grip on the handle of the saber.

"Is this a rhetorical question?" Iris leans further back so that she can see him without turning around.

"..."

"Haaaaaah... Even if I say I am Iris, you already knew from the bottom of your heart that I am not the one you knew, right?" Iris rose from her bed and turned around to face him.

"Then why not drop this farce and identify yourself?"

"Not yet, we are not on that stage yet,"

"..."

"Doubt my identity all you want but I assure you one thing that is true." She slowly turns around with open hands to show that she is unarmed. "I am your ally," slowly walks towards him until their face is inches apart. "I will always be your ally. Yours and yours alone."

"What is your true intention then?"

"I am searching for something... for someone," She put both her hands on his shoulders and Zero instantly activated the Z-Saber on his hand. "And I will be needing your help for that."

"...!"

Yet he did not expect her next action. She did not reach for his rifle or the sword Cerveau left. Instead, she slowly wraps her arm around his neck, "In exchange for your assistance, how about this; I may not be your Iris but please let me aid you as your personal operator just like with what she did before." Press her body to his to a full embrace "It's a win-win for us," before resting her head beside his. "After all. Just like him, you're hopeless on your own." Even after Z-saber aimed at her back, she remained unfazed. "What would you say?"

"Let go of me!" Zero used his other hand to remove her arm around his neck yet she did not budge.

"I'm establishing intimacy so no..."

"I'll cut you if you don't-"

"Go ahead," Iris replied emotionlessly "I should have been dead already so that should not be an issue. And the buster shot is a safer option if I were you."

*swish*

He swung his sword but stopped a few centimeters from her neck. The reploid named Iris remained still. No sign of fear, just resignation to her fate.

"..." Seeing Zero stop on his track, she relaxes her body and loosens the grip she put on her arm as Zero seems to already lose interest in pulling her arm off him. With her thus close to him, he could tell one thing was certain, she was just like him in a different sense.

"How are we related?"

"You'll learn soon enough. But not now."

"In that case," Zero recalled all of his recent memories before walking up to the medical facility. Just as his system shut down. He remembered seeing a silhouette in the middle of the mechanoloid's explosion. "You're the one I saw before fainting right? How-"

"Let me rest for a bit," Iris mumbles near his right ear. "All that acting and struggle earlier is tiring me out already..."

She continues to stay in that position for how long it takes as Zero already gave up on counting.

*pshssss*

that is until the door of the Maintenance room swung open.

"I hear from Sis that Zero's awake!"

Recalling the owner of the voice as the child Alouette that he met at the resistance base a year ago, Zero decided to turn off his sword and quickly return it to his thigh holster so it wouldn't scare her.

"Now, now, he is still a patient so we better-" Rocinolle ran after Alouette and quickly covered Alouette's eyes right after getting a clear view of the two.

"Hey, I can't see!"

"You're far too young for this!"

"Young? What do you mean?"

"Hmph," with Iris loosening her arms around his neck, Zero shrugs off Iris to see two reploid standing at the exit. The small child reploid is Allouette together with a female reploid that must have joined the resistance in his year of absence. The more mature female reploid wears a medical uniform. As they now seem decent, she let go of her hands covering Allouette's eyes while giving Zero an accusing look for him doing this that should not be done in the maintenance room.

"Zero, welcome back!" Allouette greeted cheerfully as she waved a hand to him. "Oh and..." noticing the unknown reploid behind Zero, Allouette looks up to Rocinnole who is now standing beside her. "Who is she again?"

"I believe she's called Iris," Rocinolle replied calmly. "She's the one that brought Zero back to us."

"I see," Allouette nods. Turning to look at Iris, she also greeted her with a smile. "Iris, welcome to the resistance base!"

"Haaaaaaah... I guess that's that," Iris whispers before hanging her head down. Zero. "So what will it be, Zero?"

"..." Zero said nothing. He slowly walks out of the room, giving Allouete a head pat while ignoring the look Rocinolle is giving him. Turned to his right, to the reploid standing guard, Colbor, in the hallway to ask for directions."Where is Ciel's laboratory?"

"Zero, nice to see that you're walking again," Colbor greeted. "Past the command center to your right, the last room is her lab. And the one next before it is Cerveau's"

*nod*

"...got it." Zero paused for a bit before he turned his gaze to the three reploid inside the room. "I... er, let's go," before continuing his path towards the command center.

With Zero hesitating to call her Iris and his intention of not waiting for her, Iris giggles before turning to Rocinolle who is looking at her injured arm. "I'll have it fixed later, Zero's calling for me," she then places her left fingertip to her lips and looks directly at Rocinolle. "Also please don't tell Ciel what happened earlier."

Aaaaaaaand Cut!