Note: Hello! Sorry, but I've got just a few more exposition chapters before we get to the Reploids becoming a worldwide phenomenon. As well as get to a certain someone.

That said, here's hoping you enjoy it!

Reignited Ties

Roll. Well, at least she knew her name, X thought. Or maybe that was something Fujiwara programmed into her, as he did have to put together a personality from scratch. Whatever the case, at least she could recognize herself as "Roll." But that wasn't all that was on X's mind. He reminded himself that Roll, this "new" Roll (with a little bit of old in there), was just like him and had her mind and consciousness, but still, the blue robot wanted to ask her so much.

"If I may," Roll began. "Why am I here?" she, ironically, began questioning X. "Who are those two men?" she then looked the other robot over. "And why do you look like Rock?"

X noticed that she spoke of "Rock" or Mega Man as if she had a connection with him. Was it evidence that such things as familial ties remained intact? If so, that was fantastic, X thought. At least that part of her was unchanged, or he hoped that was the case.

"Hey, I'm asking you a question." Roll said again after not getting an answer. "Who are you?"

Well, for one, you could pick a question and stick with it. X he didn't say that aloud. If anything, he was somewhat unprepared for just how forward she was. Nevertheless, she had no idea what was going on and deserved some sort of answer. "Well, I'm not Rock, but I am a creation of Dr. Light," he explained. "I'm X, Mega Man X."

"Dr. Light?!" Roll exclaimed. "Ah…" she said as her teal eyes scanned X's form. He does look like Rock. she thought. But I wonder. "So, you are a creation of his as well?" she asked, X, nodding in reply. "But then, why were you made to look like Mega Man?" Roll looked him over again. She then looked at his right arm, then to X himself. Taking the hint, X presented his buster to her. "So, you DO have one as well." the blonde robot observed. "Were you modified to be like this?"

"Not that I'm aware of," X answered. "As far as I know, I was constructed to be like this, buster and all."

"Really?" Roll pondered this. Rock and I started as helper bots, but this one was made with a built-in weapon. Why is that? Immediately, she needed to get answers for something else. "Is there any conflict going on?"

"No." X answered.

"So, Dr. Wily hasn't been causing any trouble?" X shifted his green eyes. "What?"

"Dr. Wily…isn't around anymore," X answered her.

"What are you talking about?" Rol asked, not entirely understanding. "What do you mean?"

"I mean he's, well," X struggled to find an excellent way to explain this. "He's dead. He's been dead for decades."

Dead? Dead?! "But…" Roll stammered. "But then, what of Dr. Light? What of Rock? Auto? Eddie? Where are they?" she would even welcome the presence of that mysterious robot with the scarf. Just some assurance that what she was experiencing was not her reality. That this was all some bad dream.

X looked at her, and she looked back. Neither of them said anything to each other, but they could read what they were thinking. Finally, the blue robot that very much resembled her brother looked down at the ground. "I'm…sorry."

Roll's lip quivered, her mind registering what she had just heard, but was still trying to come to terms with it. "What year is it?" she asked. She knew she could look at her internal clock, yet she couldn't bring herself to do it. She needed this blue robot to confirm it for her.

X sighed. He knew where this was going. "It's 21XX."

21XX. An entire century. Roll's eyes grew wide, yet she was puzzled in her growing despair. X saw her touch the corner of her eye and look at her finger as if she were expecting to find something there. Like a tear. But she found nothing. "What the?" she touched her eye again, seeing that there was nothing there. She…couldn't cry? Why couldn't she cry? She could cry before! Dr. Light had given her and Rock the ability to do so! So why couldn't she now?

She stared at X, wide-eyed and eyes glassy, despite her inability to produce tears. Then, after a few moments, she ran to him, throwing her arms around him and burying her face in his chest. X was left unprepared for this, but it was clear that the blonde robot needed some sort of comfort. Not but a short time ago, X had gone through the very same thing. Slowly, he reached around and embraced her, the two machines holding each other tightly as the blonde wept while the blue continued to support her.

Outside the Room

Cain didn't think that there'd be a way to see what was going on, but lo and behold, on a small screen by the door, the two robots could be seen. "Is this a good sign?" the older man asked Fujiwara, who was also observing what was taking place.

"They're communicating," Fujiwara answered. "So that's a step somewhere. What direction, I can't say for sure."

"You don't think one of them will, well, end up," Cain began but was interrupted. He was somewhat thankful, as he didn't want to consider the possibility of one of them terminating the other.

"If anyone would be killed, it'd be the new android." the Japanese man said. "But even if X didn't attack her, I doubt there would be a way she could kill him."

True, but Cain didn't wish for either. As he watched the two robots embracing each other, he couldn't help but wonder whether or not what X wanted to accomplish was either done or was Roll reacting as Fujiwara programmed her? True, her systems were based on X's own, yet, while Cain would never say it to Fujiwara's face, neither was Dr. Light. So what this robots' needs would be, only time would tell.

But for now, Cain was glad at least the blue robot was no longer alone. And from what he was seeing, he hoped that this interaction would just be the first of many, and they would hopefully be positive.

Inside

How long the two of them stood there, neither robot was sure. But eventually, X felt Roll draw away from him, her teal eyes, despite not possessing any tears, still looked sorrow-filled. "So…does that mean that we…are the only ones left?"

X bit his lip. "From what I know…yes." but to Roll's surprise, the blue robot then grew excited. "But since you're here, it's going to be fine now."

"Wh-What?" Roll asked, confused.

"Well, since you're here now, I can know now everything," X told her. "I can know about Dr. Light and his other creations!" he continued, growing excited. "All that time lost, I can see what it was like! I can know what happened in all that time!"

Roll then drew away from him, seemingly shocked at what she had just heard. "So…that's the reason?" she asked.

"Huh?" X was puzzled.

"You…just wanted me here so I could tell you about Dr. Light?" X began to second guess his choice of words. "That's all?"

X saw her lip tremble and she looked at him again, her expression not exactly a happy one. He was about to speak, but she turned away, hugging herself as she stood in silence. Just as the two machines had been brought together, they had just as quickly been torn apart.

The Next Day

Roll had been alone in a separate room for an entire night. Suffice to say, X was rather anxious to see how she was doing. He hadn't seen her since she was shown a spare room in the lab, and X was sent back to his. Or rather, he went because he knew that she was in no shape to talk anymore. In fact, she made it clear to specify that she didn't want to be seen by "anyone" for an indefinite amount of time. And while X could've been mistaken, he swore that he saw her look back at him, her fact struggling to find an emotion to stick to. Roll was a mess of confusion and uncertainty, but also seemed somewhat…irritated at X.

She seemed angry.

The recently activated robot had been given nothing more than a capsule for the time being, so it wasn't as if she would be busy or occupied with anything. Still, the blue robot was warned by Cain that she may not be in the mood for talking. And honestly, X was torn on why he wanted to do this at all. In fact, since Roll's creation (or rebirth?), he found himself torn on a lot of things.

Mainly on whether or not he should've even done this.

Reaching where she was, X knocked on the door and waited for it to be opened, or for Roll herself to call out to him. It turned out that X received neither. "Hello?" he said, not even knowing if she could even hear him through the door. "Um, I was just coming to see how things were going. So," he shifted, struggling to find words. "Can I come in?" he received no answer. "Look, I've had the night to think on it, and, well, I think that maybe I acted a little too fast." the blue robot confessed. "I…I didn't think about some things that I should've." he still received no answer, but he continued on. Even if she wouldn't open the door, then at least she could hear what he needed to say. "What I'm trying to say is…I'm sorry." X said. "I'm sorry that I didn't think about how all this would affect you."

It could've been his imagination, but the blue robot swore he heard someone step closer to the door from the other side. It wasn't a confirmation that she was willing to listen, but X knew that he had been given an opportunity. And thus, he took it.

"I know it's not an excuse, but there is a reason!" X told her. "And it's not just because I wanted to know more about Light." he then sighed.

He received no answer, and after a few more moments of silence, X was about to turn away, but then, he heard the door opening behind him. Turning around, he saw Roll standing there, face neutral, but she seemed to be in a much more stable state than before.

"No, that WAS your reason." Roll told him. He began to protest, but she cut him off. "But…I know why you did it," she said again, voice softer. "And…I…probably would've done the same thing." she closed her eyes and her brows furrowed for a moment. "Still, you must admit that all of this came on me a little fast, don't you think?"

X nodded, lowering his head. "Yeah. It did."

"But…it must've come fast for you too." Roll told him. She stepped back to welcome him in, but he looked inside and was reminded that the blonde robot literally had nothing save for a standard capsule. "Well?" Roll was confused, wondering why X was refusing her invitation.

X tried to remember what Dr. Cain had told him. Try to break the ice. Make her feel comfortable.

The only thing he could think of was perhaps not the best idea, but it was something. "So, uh, you want to go and check out my room? It's got more…stuff." Wow, X. Supercomputer for a brain, and you can barely articulate a sentence. Good job.

She looked at him as if pondering his proposal, but she didn't keep him waiting long, seeing the suspense was killing him. "I think I will, thanks."

Fujiwara's Office

"So, they've had their first conflict." The black-haired scientist said, reviewing the data he had collected from the previous night. "Well, at least none of them have gotten violent yet."

Dr. Cain shook his head. "I doubt that would happen."

"Bear in mind, X has that buster built into him," Fujiwara told the older man. "If she gets physical, then he won't hesitate to use it, as you've seen."

"That was because that mechaniloid shot at him, of which was your idea, by the way," Cain said. "Do you even talk to him? At all?"

"Who? X?" Fujiwara questioned. Cain narrowed his gaze, clearly not amused. "I thought that was your contribution to this entire thing," he remarked. "You're the one who deals with the 'human' half, and I deal with the mechanical." he continued reviewing the notes he had taken.

The human half doesn't exist for you at all, does it? The older man thought bitterly. Though his views on the Japanese man's view on the blue robot (and the one just built) also brought up another issue he had in mind. And while he probably wouldn't get much of an answer, he still needed one if not to ease his own uncertainty. "Sorry to get off-topic," he began. "But how are Cecilia and Chiyo doing?"

"Hm?" Fujiwara barely acknowledged the other human, more preoccupied with other matters. Nevertheless, he still gave Cain an answer. "Both of them are becoming rather unbearable." he sighed. "Chiyo won't stop obsessing over that animal and Cecilia is demanding that I make time to come home earlier." he continued, Cain noticing that his expression didn't change in the slightest for one second. "Says that my presence is especially needed during this…difficult time."

Cain was silent. While he knew that the man may not have cared, some part of him hoped the scientist did. That was the reason why he had dedicated so much time to studying X and not going home. Going to an empty bed. Anyone would feel sad after that, surely. Anyone, anything, they should feel something, right?

"I'm sorry about Hinako, Sho." Cain said quietly. "When I called you when I uncovered X, I didn't realize that she was-"

"It was a couple of weeks before, so your timing affected nothing," Fujiwara told the older man plainly, continuing with what he was doing. "Though, I suppose my time here did lead to Chiyo getting that animal," he spoke of his own child as if she were an afterthought, Cain observed. "Now she won't be quiet about him. Or rather, he won't be quiet." he then grew irritated. "I made it clear what would happen if I found out that thing in my room." he continued working, analyzing all he had gone over. "With any luck, this interaction will test how these two can problem solve." Fujiwara went right back to business as if what was discussed before never happened. "Or get into a more heated situation."

And either one would be fine with you. Cain thought. Still, he hoped for the best, for even if Fujiwara would get what he wanted one way or another from this, the older human wondered just what the two machines would do, and he hoped that whatever would happen, it would be for the best.

X's Room

"Hm…you seem to like the color blue." Roll noted as she surveyed the small space X dwelt. "In many ways, you and Rock are alike," she said, continuing to look around.

"And…is that a good thing?" X asked, not entirely understanding what she meant.

Roll was silent at first but eventually answered. "At the moment, I'm not sure," she said. "I…I'm not sure of many things right now."

X was really regretting his hastiness in the robot's construction. "I'm sorry," he told her. "I…I didn't know…or I guess think that you'd…that you would be…" he was making himself look like an idiot. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…put you through all this."

Roll was quiet for a small span of time, X growing anxious as to what her answer would be. Finally, at last, he was given an answer. "No," she sighed. "It's not your fault." she turned to face the blue robot. "You couldn't have known. I mean, yes, you did, seeing as you went through my files, but that's all you never," she stopped again. She had to just come out and say it. "Why did you 'rebuild' me? Why did you…" she paused again. It felt so strange to say this. It all felt so strange. So unfamiliar, and yet not. As if she were a stranger in her own "skin." "Bring me back?" Or was that even the right way to phrase that? After all, she had been activated just a day ago but held recordings of events that took place decades ago.

X shifted, knowing well that this question was coming eventually, but he still didn't have that good of an answer.

"I…" X began. Whether he formulated a good answer or not, Roll deserved some sort of one. "I…I woke up alone," he said. "And…I knew next to nothing. I admit, you knew so much more than I did, I wanted to know more." he told her. He wasn't proud of it, but he had to be honest. "So, when I saw you down there in the lab and looked through your memory files, I just," he paused. "I wanted to just see what all of that stuff was like," he said. "I…I wanted to know what the Doctor was like."

Roll turned around to face him. "You found me where?"

"Down in the lab I was in," X explained. "You were laid out on a table. Though, you were in your old body." he gestured to her new form. She still seemed unsure, the blue robot wondered if he should say something. "You…look pretty," he said. It wasn't exactly thought out, he had just pulled it from the top of his head. "Red suits you."

Roll looked at him for a moment, expressionless. X worried he had screwed things up even more, but suddenly, he saw her lips curl into a smile. "Hm." she hummed, seemingly amused. "So, Dr. Light has programmed some gentlemanly tendencies in you." X felt his cheeks grow hot, this caused Roll to gasp. "And he programmed you with internal heating in your facial region?!" she rushed over and took ahold of the blue robot's cheeks. And indeed, she did feel the warmth on X's synthetic flesh. "You really ARE one of his creations," she said in awe. She had no reason to doubt him, yes, but with all that had been unloaded on her, she was still unsure of what to think. Yet now that she had seen this, this display of something only Dr. Light would think of, there were no questions anymore. "And…that means…" she then looked at him with wide eyes. "You're my brother."

X stared back at her, shocked at what he had just heard. "Brother?"

"Yes, of course!" she responded. "You are a DLN, correct? Same as me!" she declared, then her expression changed from pleased to uncertain again. "Well, in this…body, I'm registered as…" she searched her CPU, yet what should've been a couple of seconds turned into several, then half a minute, to a minute entirely.

"You're registered as?" X questioned, puzzled.

Roll bit her lip, grinding at her synthetic flesh. "That's odd." she finally spoke. "I'm not registered as 'Dr. Fujiwara Number,' or DFN," she explained. X couldn't help but feel that she was treating him like a child almost. "I'm registered as RN 000."

"And what does that mean?" X asked, now even more puzzled.

"I'm…not sure," she said. "Even Dr. Wily's robots were listed as belonging to someone…" she muttered the latter part. Usually, robots not listed under a particular individual were usually constructed on an assembly line. "Well…that can come later," she said. "At the moment," her attention centered back on X. "I can't believe that Dr. Light constructed a little brother for Rock and me!" she embraced him, her hold surprisingly tight.

But something that she had said stuck with him. "Wait," he said. "Little brother?"

"Well, yes." Roll answered. "Dr. Light created Rock, then me, and there's everyone from Cut Man to Oil Man," she thought for a moment. "Oh my!" she giggled. "I guess that makes you the baby of the family!"

X's cheeks grew bright red. Baby?! "Uh, wait a minute," he protested. "Aren't you technically the younger one?"

Roll rose a brow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you were just activated yesterday," X told her. "And it took a couple of weeks to get everything ready, so technically, I beat you by a few months, if you count when I came out of the capsule."

"What? No way!" Roll countered. "My systems came from my old body, so even technically, I am still older than you."

"No, I'm the first of my kind," X argued back. "Dr. Cain and Fujiwara said so."

"First of your kind?" Roll questioned. "You're still a robot."

"I meant that I came first, and you came second," X told her. "So, YOU are the little sister."

Roll folded her arms. "Sorry, but my files have recordings from years before you were even possibly constructed, so I am the older one."

"You can't just use that as an excuse!" X argued. "That doesn't even make sense!"

"It makes perfect sense!" Roll argued back. "I am your older sister, and YOU are my younger brother!"

"No, I think you have that backward."

This exchange went back and forth between the two machines, both debating on who was the older of the two, unaware of the fact their future was being discussed at that very moment.

Fujiwara's Office

"So, let's assume that everything goes well," Cain told Fujiwara. "Where do we go from here? Like it or not, no matter how much of a marvel Light's work may be, the law is still the law." indeed, that was the case, as much as both men hated it. Though Cain suspected the Japanese man had other reasons for his frustration. "The council will eventually have to see this. And I would hate to see what would happen if the two were potentially seized."

"They won't do that," Fujiwara assured the older man. "Not after what they see."

"Are you blind, Sho?" Cain questioned. "The ban against advanced AI has been in effect for decades! Even before you or even I were born!"

"X is also a creation of Dr. Light," Fujiwara argued back. "They wouldn't dare destroy him."

"Only imprison and confine him." Cain retorted. "Bear in mind where Roll's old body went to."

"Roll 2.5," the robotics expert corrected. "Even if this experiment has, so far, been successful, what X wants is impossible. That housekeeping robot's consciousness, or however X perceives it, is long gone, and is not coming back." he then crossed his arms. "True, her personality could be accurately reconstructed, but it is still a set of traits put into her. She's essentially a fancier version of what's still considered to be ancient technology." he then pondered, If there wasn't that damned law in place, I could give that robot a job. It'd certainly be nice to not hear Cecilia's complaints.

The Asian man then scrolled through the various sections of the lab, the cameras put in place capturing what was currently going on all throughout. He landed on one particular area, yet his blood ran cold when he saw what the camera captured.

"What is it?" Cain asked, he was then taken by surprise when Fujiwara rose from his chair.

"She's gone!" he said. "That robot is gone!"

It didn't take long for the two men to bolt from the office and make their way towards Roll's rather empty room, though upon running down the hall to get there, both humans heard something.

"And never, EVER call me that again, do you hear me?!"

"Y-Yeah! Yeah! I got it! Just let go!"

That was coming from…X's room? The two men went but a couple more doors over and, indeed, the two robots were in X's room, Roll having a hold of the audio receptor and X wincing in what appeared to be pain.

"What is going on in here?" Cain asked, both robots immediately looking at the man as if they were children that had been caught fighting. And, in a way, they had.

"He insinuated that I was some ancient piece of scrap!" Roll answered, crossing her arms.

"I did not!" X argued back. "I just said that she admitted that she was way older than me!"

"And you then called me an old woman!" Roll then gestured to her face. "Do you see a single wrinkle? I look just as youthful as I did back when I was functioning!" she then looked X in the eye. "In conclusion, I am the elder sibling and YOU are the younger."

X furrowed his brows (though it was difficult to tell from the way his helmet was angled at the forehead) and grumbled. "I don't want to be the baby…"

Cain and Fujiwara looked at the two machines, then at each other. Even if the two men rarely saw eye to eye in many things regarding Light's last work, they both drew the same conclusion.

These two machines had just had their first argument. How intriguing.

Note: Again, just a few more exposition chapters until things start getting violent. After all, things usually start off fine before things go wrong.

Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you soon!