Note: Finally, back to where I want to be, the plot will move along faster. Plus, there will be many character introductions in this chapter, but rest assured, X is still the central figure of the story. True, a specific unnamed individual will also have a significant role in the story and series, but he is NOT the main character. Neither is Roll, though I plan to do a lot with her.

I originally wanted to include this in the last chapter, but it got overly long, and I had to split it up. Thus, this is sort of 'Part 2' of the last chapter in a way.

The characters introduced aren't exactly OCs. They're more "obscure characters" getting more screentime. However, some familiar faces show up here!

The Maverick Hunters

December 20th, 21XX

In just a few months, X found himself having a plethora of experiences since that time. Given that Arcadia was a city-state located in Japan, events such as the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving were celebrated by Cain on his lonesome. Yet given what he had seen from Roll's memory files, even "foreign" holidays such as that interested him. Even if it turned out to be something he didn't care for, he wanted to experience it at least once. Cain's celebration of the day his home country's official decision to break off from Britain was fascinating, seeing as only he and Roll were present to celebrate with him. And while it was awkward then, the fact that no Reploidd, let alone any mechanical life form, could consume human food. Thus, Roll found a solution in producing some of the same colorful screws he had seen her prepare from long ago. They didn't have a "taste" per se, but chewing them created a pleasurable popping sensation inside his mouth. Dr. Cain remarked that it sounded similar to a candy called "pop rocks," and he also likened the green energy in X's glass to a soft drink. Again, there was no taste, and despite how Reploids mainly ran on artificially created energen crystals, a small number of fluids were still essential to how they functioned.

What Dr. Cain said next made X spit out what he had poured out of his E-Tank. "You know, you eat pop rocks and drink soda at the same time, your stomach will explode." Cain, far from expecting green energy to come flying in his face, the older human coughed and spat out the fluid, almost unable to believe what had just happened. Roll immediately lathered the man with a towel. Thankfully, she had mixed the "drinks" to where they were non-lethal to humans, but it didn't improve the taste, according to Cain. But it had a kick to it, Cain said. "I can't tell whether to compare that to the worst lemonade of all time or the best tequila ever."

Now, X realized he was about to have his very first Christmas. True, while Japan held few members of the religion that mainly celebrated it, the holiday was still quite an event. As he walked through the snowy streets, the blue Reploid saw numerous figures, both human and Reploid alike, going about their business in what was most likely Christmas shopping. Decorations such as street lights being coiled by green tinsel and fake snowmen being placed outside several shops filled with those ready to spend their zenny. It was somewhat crowded and hectic, yet as long as he was out of his room in the lab, he would take it. If anything, it made him appreciate the quiet of Fujiwara's lab or Cain's study. Roll was super excited about the holiday, especially seeing as it'd be the first Christmas she would have with her "little brother," though X found himself unable to embrace the seasonal mood fully.

While things seemed to have gone back to being relatively uneventful, what had occurred in the previous months regarding these "Maverick" Reploids made relations between the replicated androids and their human creators and peers more strained. True, they still walked among the other, and from what X had seen, his and the existence of those that came from him was still accepted by the public. While they were just rumors, Roll had told him that Fumiko's parents were considering ordering a Reploid to care for their household. And if it were true, then they wouldn't be the only ones. In the last couple of months, especially now in December, Reploids classified as "personalized" were seen just as prominently as those made for work.

"Apparently, they want one with a female build." Roll had told him. "And Mr. Takenada wants, as he said, something cute, but his wife doesn't want it to be too cute."

"And cute clearly is code for something else." X answered.

"Clearly." Roll answered, then she shook her head. "Some humans have strange tastes." At first, X thought that robot and human relations could go in "that" direction, but Roll quickly changed the subject. She said that she'd tell him when he was a little "older."

I'm a hundred years old, dammit! He complained to himself. Even if I AM younger than she is, which I'm NOT, I've got the same AI she does! He crossed his arms. It's like I'm five years old forever in her mind.

Suddenly, he was nearly knocked off of his feet by a booming explosion, both Reploids and humans alike shouting or screaming in shock and terror as they fled from the scene. X looked to see if he could spot anything, but he didn't have to look long as a wheeled vehicle was sent flying overhead until it crashed right through the window of a nearby shop. Large shards of glass went everywhere, people either shielding themselves or their loved ones while several Reploids tried to either shield or escorted humans out of the way. Perhaps it was mere curiosity, but X found himself drawn towards what was going on, going towards the source of the destruction instead of away.

"Yeah, that's right! Run! Run, you pathetic monkeys!" a somewhat high-pitched voice cackled, sounding very much like a mad clown. And upon seeing him, X found that he very much fit that label.

The Reploid was composed of mostly round shapes with a clown or jester surely in mind during his construction. He had black shoulders and joints connecting his torso with his legs and a violet chest with bright, yellow buttons and lining to make the metal resemble a vest. His face was a white, smooth surface with dark strokes of red outlining his eyes and mouth, and a red orb served as his nose. Two extensions sat atop of his head, making it resemble a jester's hat with two golden bells on the ends. Had X been active during the time of the Blue Bomber, he would've very much compared the Reploid to Clown Man. Unlike the Robot Master built as an amusement park attraction, this mechanical being seemed to revel in the sounds of panicked cries all around him.

Then, he caught sight of the blue Reploid staring at him. "And what do you want?" the clown asked. "Wait a second," he then held his chin, taking in the details of X's appearance. "You don't belong to one of these stupid humans, do you?"

"Uh, no," X answered. Truthfully, while the clown's tone sounded genuinely curious, the blue Reploid was still apprehensive given what he had just seen. "I belong to no one." he then took a step forward. "But I don't think that matters in comparison to what's going on! What do you think you're doing?!"

"What does it look like?" the clown scoffed. "I'm finally giving these flesh bags a piece of my mind!" he answered. "They think I'm some stupid toy made for their amusement! Like I'm a huge joke to them!" X was unsure whether or not the clown was even aware of the irony of that statement. "But now, no one's going to laugh at me! Never, ever again!"

"Really? Because I'm about to from how stupid you sound right now!"

A green ride chaser flew over both X's and the clown-like Reploid's head, the vehicle's driver swerving it around until he came to a stop. The driver leapt off of the ride chaser and aimed a plasma pistol in the clown Reploid's direction. The Reploid himself had green armor with faded blue sections serving as links between them and the more exaggerated proportions. A red gemstone, more prominent than X's rested on his green helmet, his audio receptors having small fins that touched his cheeks and others that were placed higher up.

"Pierrot Unit-021," the green Reploid began, voice young and masculine like X's, but this guy sounded as if an occurrence such as this was just an ordinary day for him. "You are under arrest."

X looked over the other Reploid's appearance, particularly the weapon he wielded. Wait. X pondered. Could he be one of them? Again, his green eyes fell on the firearm. Could he be a Maverick Hunter?!

The clown, Pierrot, looked at the Reploid aiming the pistol at him with confusion. "And who the hell are you?"

The green Reploid smirked as if he were expecting such a question. "Name's Firefly, and as of now," he readied himself. "That's the last name you're going to hear if you don't comply."

"Oh really? If that's the case, since you already know who I am," suddenly, Pierrot's right wrist loosened itself, and his hand shot forward, connected by a linked chain-line extension. "How about I give you a special greeting!?"

A Short Distance Away

Sigma stood atop a nearby building, watching Firefly combat the Pierrot unit, yet still, X remained largely uninvolved.

"So when's this guy going to do something?" A female Reploid questioned, looking down and watching the green Reploid combat the clown.

"Patience," Sigma told her. "I have seen what he is capable of. But, don't forget, it's from him where we all came from."

"Feh! Still doesn't look that impressive." a far-less human Reploid scoffed, or rather, squawked. Despite the fact he could speak clearly, his voice was high-pitched and comical sounding, very much matching his appearance.

"Well, if someone doesn't do something soon, I'm going in there!" another one of the figures watching what was taking place took a step forward but was held back by Sigma.

No. Not yet. The tall Reploid's blue optics knew that if things continued, the others would have to step in, but he needed to see more for now. He needed to see if the blue figure below would actually act.

At the Scene

Firefly continued to fire at Pierrot, who used his extending limbs to dodge all of them. The clown was surprisingly flexible, able to twist and turn at odd angles, and his wrists and ankles could extend themselves to better try and snag the one blasting at him. Currently, his agility allowed him to hoist himself atop a nearby street light, Firefly aiming to fire yet again. But, unfortunately, this was what the clown was waiting for. Pierrot swung down and kicked the green Reploid right in the chest, sending him crashing into his ride chaser, the vehicle tumbling back along with its rider. And upon seeing the plasma pistol on the ground, the clown immediately grabbed it.

"GAH!"

Only he never got the chance. First, Pierrot looked to see that his left hand had been shot, the metal covering of his appendage sizzling, and a sizable hole had been formed, though the blast didn't entirely pierce through the hand. Next, the clown saw who had fired at him, bewildered to see the mild-mannered Reploid he had happened to run across aiming a built-in plasma canon right in his direction.

"I'd suggest you stay put," X told him, voice firm yet level. Pierrot shot his other hand in X's direction, yet X jumped back, barely missing the incoming first. Then, seeing that the clown had snagged onto another street light, the blue Reploid shot another plasma blast and struck the other hand, dislodging Pierrot's grip. He was sent plummeting to the hard concrete below, X standing over him, weapon still aimed in his direction. "Don't overdo it. Remember, you're injured." he took a step forward, intending to restrain the other Reploid so this "Firefly" could, as he said, arrest him.

"W-Wait!" Pierrot pleaded, raising both of his damaged hands. "I surrender! Don't shoot!" The green Reploid had gotten back on his feet and back on the scene, surprised to see his fellow machine had been armed as well.

"Hurry! Finish him off! Do it now!" X heard the biker shout.

"No, don't! Please!" Pierrot begged. "I-I'll go with you! I won't cause any more trouble! Just don't shoot!"

The green Reploid watched, waiting for either of the two to make a move. "What are you waiting for? Take him out before he tries something!"

"I won't! I promise!" the clown said, gazing up at X with frightened eyes. "Please. I think…I think I'm sick."

X raised a brow from underneath his helmet. Sick? What did he…X realize what this could mean. "You mean you believe you have the virus?" X asked, Pierrot nodding in response. "Then you need to go with him," he said. "If the virus is in the early stages, there are treatments that can clean out your systems." he then held out his hand to Pierrot, his buster slipping back into his forearm. "Here. Let's get you to a nearby clinic."

Pierrot reached forward, yet his submissive demeanor quickly switched, a twisted grin coming to his painted face. Taking X's hand, the clown sucker-punched him in his abdomen, disorienting him and letting Pierrot grab the plasma pistol. Then he took the blue Reploid and held him in an armlock, the pistol aimed at his head. "One move, and he dies!" Pierrot bellowed, holding X tightly as he backed up with his hostage. Firefly gritted his teeth, his brown eyes glowering at the renegade jester. "Now, seeing as I've got your attention," he chuckled darkly. "How about you tell me a few things?"

Firefly was puzzled, yet if he kept him talking, perhaps he could go in and create a chance for the hostage to get his way out of this. "Like what?"

"Well, for starters, what'd you do with my buddies?" Pierrot questioned. "Take me to them, and I'll let this guy go."

Firefly crossed his arms. "You're a little late for that," he said. "The Commander and the rest of the squad had taken them before I even arrived here."

The clown-like Reploid's eyes widened. "W-What?"

"As of now, you're the only one left."

Pierrot's terror and fury grew, looking back at his hostage, then to the other Reploid that had come to detain him. "Then…" he stammered, X seeing the clown look as if he were about to tear up if he could produce tears. "Then I don't have anything to lose, do I?" he muttered, then tightened his grip on X, moments away from pulling the trigger.

"Hiya!" a high-pitched voice cried out from behind X and the clown, but before either of them could see who the voice belonged to, Pierrot found himself being sent off his feet and flying into the air.

X fell to the ground on his side, yet he heard someone approach him before he could rise. Hoisting himself up on his feet, he saw that two figures had arrived, and even more, potentially saved his life. Before him stood a Reploid around his height and general build, trim and well-shaped black form covered with pauldrons, forearms, boots, and a helmet that concealed his face from view, his armor was a distinct violet sheen with golden highlights, and there was a T-shaped space that allowed the Reploid to see. While X couldn't be sure, for the briefest of seconds, he swore he could see a single red eye looking down at him from within the darkness the helmet created.

Pierrot finally came plummeting to the ground, landing with a loud thud and bouncing off the hardened road below. "Strike!" the high-pitched voice cried out triumphantly; X looked to finally see who it belonged to. To his surprise, it was another Reploid, but it had no resemblance to anything human. On the contrary, he very much resembled an animal—a penguin.

The penguin was round in figure; his thighs and upper arms were relatively thin than his forearms and calves, especially his broad shoulders and bright yellow chest. A red belt was also around his waist. He had come to a stop from gliding across the frozen section he had created to take Pierrot by surprise; his large eyes (with relatively tiny green irises) had a blue lining underneath that sat atop of a long, silver beak with the under portion being colored yellow. Two containment units of red were situated on the back with an extension connecting to the back of the penguin's darkly colored head, two red gemstones resting atop the crown.

"It's not a strike if there's only one pin." the violet-colored Reploid scoffed, clearly not impressed.

The penguin huffed, and though X couldn't have been sure, he swore he saw the bird's cheeks puff out and his face grow red. "Whatever! Just take care of this guy! I'll get the kid!"

The violet Reploid didn't answer back, racing towards the downed Pierrot while the giant bird walked (though his gait had a slight waddle to it) towards him. "You ok?"

"Y-Yeah." X responded.

Pierrot had finally come to his senses from the fall he had taken and found a plasma pistol aimed right between his eyes. Then, before anyone could either protest or encourage it, the violet Reploid pulled the trigger, and a red beam pierced the clown's head and completely tore through the vital center of his cerebral chamber. His expression was forever frozen in with shocked, wide eyes and lips that were about to part to beg for mercy. Pierrot wheezed before he fell to the ground, twitching for a moment before going limp and unmoving.

"Vile!" a female voice shouted, she and a far more significant figure leaping down from above, the larger of the two holding her in one arm. "The hell do you think you're doing?!"

At first, X had nearly mistaken her for Roll as she bore a very similar, long ponytail of blonde hair, but she bore a prominent widow's peak instead of bangs that covered her forehead. Her outer shell was composed of red and white and her thighs, upper arms, and neck. She wore a headpiece of red while her audio receptors were white, making it appear almost as if she were wearing a headband. Her eyes were more blue than teal, but they glowered at the violet Reploid (assumedly Vile).

But the one carrying her had nearly taken his breath away, even if he did not need to breathe. "S-Sigma?!"

While the Reploid's face was recognizable, the rest of him was not. Instead of a body composed of no armor, it seemed that he was finally provided with his own. He had a chest plate of green with a silver collar and broad shoulders, blue forearms with silver bands around the wrists, and his hands white like X's but there were red linings around the joints of his digits. In addition, he had brown boots with silver bands around the collars, and his chest bore a red gemstone centered on his right pectoral, his abdomen dark with white metal surrounding it.

The blonde Reploid was put down on the ground, and she immediately ran up to Vile. "We needed to take that guy in alive! He had got vital information about why these Pierrot units went crazy!"

"Crazy?" Vile questioned mockingly. "These guys knew well what they were doing! They were causing destruction for the hell of it!" the Reploid with the hidden face scoffed. "If anything, I just did that stupid kid and everyone else here a favor!" he then went over and put his foot on Pierrot's head, pushing to allow him to turn and better see the clown's face. From underneath his helmet, Vile looked on with satisfaction. "This is what we were built for, right? I'd think given that big brain of yours; you'd be smart enough to know that, Ai."

Ai was about to stomp towards Vile, yet Sigma placed a restraining hand on her shoulder. He then looked towards X; the smaller Reploid turned away, unable to look into those piercing blue eyes. His expression was calm and neutral, yet X couldn't help but wonder if Sigma was silently expressing frustration. Frustration aimed at him.

But he soon eased out any wrinkles and called out to his team members. "Firefly! Penguin!" The green and bird-like Reploids looked at Sigma in acknowledgment. "Assess the damage done! Then, Ai, you run a diagnostics test on the Pierrot unit."

"Yes, sir!" The blonde female answered, running over to the terminated clown.

"And Vile," Sigma then said, his optics falling on X. "Escort X to Headquarters."

Both Reploids were puzzled by such a command. "Are you serious?" Vile began to protest. "This guy completely-"

"Escort him back to HQ. That's an order." Sigma then began to walk away and join Ai in examining Pierrot.

Vile and X shared a glance, neither entirely sure of what to make of each other. Nevertheless, it seemed that the blue Reploid wouldn't be returning to Fujiwara's lab anytime soon.

Later

The building before X was relatively small, resembling a human police station, though it was composed of more slanted shapes, and the exterior was white, just as many other structures in Arcadia. The violet-colored Reploid stood beside X, bringing him to this current location.

"If you're done gawking, then let's go inside." Vile told X.

"Oh, y-yeah! Sorry." Vile said nothing, both he and X entered the building. The interior was just as white as the outside, Vile leading X to an elevator a short distance away. "Wait," X suddenly spoke up. Even if his helmet concealed his face (or perhaps that WAS his face), Vile was beginning to grow rather annoyed with the blue Reploid. "This building only has one floor. So this elevator has nowhere to go to."

"Nowhere else but down." Vile responded.

Before X could question him any further, the elevator did indeed begin to move down, sinking beneath the ground and going a reasonable distance away from the surface. So they went down, down, down, until they finally arrived at their destination. The door panels opened to reveal a short hallway with a handful of doors located on both sides. Yet there was one door at the very end of the hall that stood out.

Mainly because it was the only one that was already open for them.

"Follow me." Vile commanded, the blue Reploid going with him through the open door and found the same figures from before all present in a small, white chamber that matched the interior seen above.

Yet this room bore some differences. For one, this place seemed to be both a meeting area and a communications center, several monitors linked to a supercomputer displaying a general layout of the city, as well as the city-state itself. A small table was situated in the center of the room, all the other Reploids he had seen before, including the one riding the ride-chaser and Sigma himself. They all were gathered around the table, a map of the White City on a square monitor built into the center.

"Ah, X, Vile. Glad you can join us." Sigma greeted. Vile went over by the other four Reploids, leaving X alone with five pairs of eyes gazing upon him, ranging from intrigued to indifferent. "Greetings." Sigma told X.

"Greetings to you too, sir." X answered back. Despite trying to be cordial and calm, he still couldn't help but keep pondering why he was even brought here. Better yet, what was this place?

Sigma raised a hairless brow. X wondered whether or not he had done something wrong, but the taller Reploid's expression turned to one of amusement. "Hm. If you're calling me that already, then you'll fit right in."

Fit right in? What did he mean by…wait. Was he where he thought he was? Sigma mentioned something about "headquarters", but he couldn't have been sure. But now, he couldn't deny it. He was here in the presence of the elite team put together to combat Maverick threats.

In the presence of the Maverick Hunters.

"As I'm sure you've figured out by now, we have been appointed and formed by the council to protect the city-state of Arcadia and investigate any reported incidents potentially caused by Maverick activity," Sigma explained. "With our sharpshooter and bike maniac, Firefly," the green Reploid waved at X, who waved back. "Our navigator and operator, Ai," the blonde female merely looked at X with a neutral expression, as if his being here didn't even interest her. "Our most unique member, and part of an experimental program himself, Chill Penguin, the bird puffed out his chest to make himself look impressive. "And our weapons expert, Vile." Vile said nothing, but he kept his concealed optics on X, his expression hidden and unreadable.

"Well, nice to meet you all," X said. "But if I can ask, what am I here for?"

Ai then spoke. "Well, for one, you're in violation of Article 234: no Reploid can carry a concealed weapon without a license." her tone was very matter-of-fact. "Though given the circumstances, we're willing to settle you with a smaller charge."

"Oh." X cursed himself for not considering the Article at the time. He suspected something was up when Vile had taken him here. "Well, yeah, sure. Thank you."

"Firefly here is quite grateful for your intervention," Sigma remarked. "Even if things didn't go in your favor."

X lowered his head in embarrassment. He had been a complete idiot, he knew. But still, he had a question. "Did you get any information on whether or not that Reploid's systems were infected?"

The room went silent for a short time. "Unfortunately, that's classified." Chill Penguin told him. "For you at least."

"Hey, give him a break." Firefly then spoke up. "It's because of him using that thing that the Pierrot unit couldn't make use of his hands." the green Hunter gestured to the arm that held X's buster. He then saw the blue Reploid's eyes widen. Finally, it seemed that he had figured it out. "Something like that could help us out."

Especially with this most recent case. Sigma thought. He looked at X, and X back at him, the reason why X was brought here at all right there before him. "X, I have a proposition for you."

The Next Day

"You're part of the Maverick Hunters now?!" Roll exclaimed, having come with X to Dr. Cain's residence. The paleobotanist had decided to try and reorganize his books, of which Roll volunteered to assist with. And she found that while the human had years of experience in studying ancient plant life and reading history and philosophy in his own time, the man still couldn't remember to place his books in alphabetical order. "How in the world did 'A' make it into 'Z'?" she muttered, grabbing the book and placing back where it belonged.

"Well, not exactly," X told her, looking over the shelves as well. "I'm more of an informant."

"Informant? For what?" Roll questioned, continuing her work. "How long has it been since Dr. Cain even had these books in order?"

They're ALL misplaced and out of order. X groaned to himself. True, he sometimes left his stuff lying around in his room (despite what Roll claimed), but this was way different! Still, he and Roll were having a conversation, so he answered her. "I'll admit that I can't give any too many details," X told his sister. "But, seeing as I have direct connections to Dr. Cain and Fujiwara, they would perhaps be potential targets and would need protection."

"Protection? From what?" Roll asked, this news not sitting well with her at all.

"Well, Sigma believes that there may be a connection between all the Maverick incidents," X explained. "They haven't located the programmer responsible for creating the virus that causes the program errors, but there's been a more recent development that may point Sigma and his team in the right direction."

"And that would be?"

Maverick Hunter HQ

"There have been reports of a certain figure being present at all the sites where incidents took place," Ai explained, the map of Arcadia before them on the electronic screen in the white table. Several red dots then appeared in various locations around the city-state. "The earliest sighting took place right around here," she pointed towards an area around the border. "Right around a Reploid production plant."

"That plant produced some of the Reploids that went with Dr. Cain on his dig when the first Maverick incident took place, right?" Firefly asked.

"Exactly." Ai nodded. "The programmer must've gone in and hacked into the main computer that holds every component of a Reploid's systems. Each of them was to be installed into each individual unit. Unfortunately, three of these units were infected, yet after the incident at the dig site, every Reploid that this factory produced was recalled and tested. Luckily, those three units were the only ones that contained the Maverick Virus. Aside from the one that Mega Man X terminated, the other two Reploids were able to be taken in for study and cleansing of their systems. The Virus was in its earliest stages, so it hadn't delved too deep to where there hadn't been any major damage done." Ai explained. "And while it hadn't been declared an issue yet, those two were able to provide us with a list of potential symptoms, so early detection is now possible."

"But that doesn't help with fighting the Virus now," Firefly added. "And it's only been getting worse."

Ai nodded grimly. "And with each sighting, there has been worse and worse corruption." She then pointed to another red dot on the map. "Here is where the most recent sighting took place," she said. "And not long after our mystery man visited this production plant here, an entire line of Reploids all tested positive for the Virus."

"But how could they go in and do all of that damage in one night? Or even in the span of a few hours?" Chill Penguin squawked. "As good a programmer this guy is, no human can work that fast!"

"Who said the culprit was human?" Vile remarked. "And even if they are, they wouldn't be stupid enough to go out on their own to cause trouble."

"That's another detail that's recently come to light," Ai interjected. "The suspect was reported to have the standard form of a Reploid. So, as of now, all we know is that wherever this Reploid has gone, the Maverick Virus has gone with them." Next, the five Hunters studied the map of the city-state they currently resided in, noticing how the dots indicating reported sightings grew closer and closer to more populated areas. "Can't believe I'm saying this, but it almost looks like a contagion from how it's laid out."

"Computer viruses don't work that way, though." Firefly said. "Whoever's doing this HAS to be doing it by hand." They had to be. What other option was there? "The only question is when they'll strike next."

Sigma looked down at the map, contemplating what his and his team's next move should be. Yet the bizarre pattern before him was considerably puzzling. Who were they working for if the suspected person seen at the scene was indeed a Reploid? While it wasn't out of the realm of possibility for a Reploid to create a computer program, let alone a virus themselves, what reason would they have to create it? Such a thing that caused others like themselves to lose all sense and endanger those around them would indeed affect their own existence. Why would they create something that would destroy them?

But this would have to be taken care of soon, otherwise, things would surely grow worse.

Dr. Cain's Residence

Finally, at long last, they had gotten halfway done with organizing the shelves. While this was a major relief for him (X's systems unable to fully comprehend how such an intelligent human could be so disorganized), he had noticed that his sister had grown quiet.

"Roll?" he asked. She appeared to be deep in thought. "Hey, Roll?"

"Hm?"

"You look like you want to say something."

The blonde Reploid looked confused. "What? No, I'm fine. I'm just going over how many more of these need to be put back in their proper places."

"And you call me a terrible liar." X remarked, Roll about to argue back that she was indeed NOT lying, but said nothing and went back to the current task at hand.

X didn't know what she wanted to say, X didn't know, but from how her face expressed a conflicted and unsure expression, he could suspect that it was perhaps something more personal. If that were the case, he'd keep his mouth shut, but-

"Actually," Roll then spoke. "There IS something I've been meaning to ask you. Well, perhaps I should say Dr. Cain, but you could put the word in for me, right?"

"Sure," X answered, thankful she was talking but confused. "What is it?"

Roll was quiet at first, contemplating how to go about this exactly. But after a few short moments, she finally found the words she was looking for. "You wouldn't happen to know when Dr. Cain's next expedition is, would you?"

Now X was even more confused. "In just a couple of months." the blue Reploid answered. "Why?"

"Well," Roll began, nervously toying with her ponytail. "I was perhaps wondering...would you be able to squeeze in another member of the crew?"

Note: Cutting if off here, but here's hoping this made up for the lackluster chapter last time. The current Hunters are based on existing characters, though incredibly minor. Ai herself is based on the concept art of a female Reploid from the first game. And Vile will be getting his infamous shoulder cannon later, as even with growing Maverick incidents, I doubt that he'd be handed such a weapon right away.

We're inching closer and closer! Thank you all for reading, and I hope I've enticed you to want to see more!

Let me know of any errors I missed during editing and perhaps what you would like to see in the future! If you enjoyed it, please give your input, and I hope to see you later!