Note: Hello everyone! Just one (or two) more chapters, then I'm going on a brief hiatus. I'm eager to get this done before I go onto my other projects (like my Ruby-Spears series), but I am enjoying writing this.

Also, I'm trying out typing on here instead of Google Docs at first. While my Chromebook has no problem (usually) running it, the main computer slows down when used. So I'm experimenting with typing here first, and if I need to, paste it into Docs for me (or someone else) to edit better.

Anyway, there's a familiar action scene at the end of the chapter, so here's hoping that'll give you something to look forward to!

Thanks to KrispyOS for the info on the Maverick Virus itself. I think I jumped the gun a bit too soon here, but I think I have a way to correct it.

With that said, enjoy!

Attempted Rescue

This had gone on long enough.

Sigma was currently making his way towards the dig site, following the coordinates provided to him via Ray and Glenn. "Gamma...gone." he muttered to himself, the pale moon reflecting in his forehead gem and completely blue eyes. "His entire unit...gone. How could a virus-" he stopped himself. "No. No virus could do this. Not entirely. This...this is something from within." after all, what virus completely altered one's personality to the point where they were nothing more than a wild animal? Yet if it was not this Maverick Virus, what else could it be?

Whatever the case, he could deal with that later. What Sigma currently had at the forefront of his mind was apprehending that Red Maverick and putting an end to all of this. Since this case had started, officially started according to the council, the Maverick Hunters have been doing little than cleaning up the messes that this so-called virus had caused. But a virus corrupted systems and caused machines not to function correctly, and even then, no virus he knew of caused such violent behavior. But if this was the case, that this WAS indeed some internal issue within a Reploid's systems, how could it be solved?

Though he didn't allow it to be shown, Sigma was beginning to feel the council's weight on him. They made it clear that they wanted this issue resolved, and they wanted it resolved fast. In this case, while he couldn't be sure, he suspected that it was causing his men to doubt his capabilities. They're questioning everything about me. He thought. Everything that I am, they are questioning it all. Whether he could lead the Hunters, the capabilities of his men, as they had been on this case for months, and even more, whether or not the upgrades given to him were even worth it! How could the council suggest such a thing?! How dare they! After all that he had done for them?!

When he found that Red Maverick, he would give all those ancient bags of flesh proof of his abilities! Not only to lead but take care of any threat that came his way! After all, was he not Sigma? The sum of all of the efforts of humans to create the perfect machine? True, X had come before him, but it was by the hands of the council's scientists that he was made. They oversaw everything; they made sure that his systems were the most advanced AI of the time. They made him to be the ultimate specimen. They made him to be perfect. Not X nor any of the others that came after. Him.

"This is Ray to Commander Sigma! Repeat! This is Ray to Commander Sigma!" the tall Reploid answered the call, somewhat surprised to be hearing from one of his men, especially since he had just left Arcadia.

"This is Sigma," he answered. "Status report. What's happened?"

"Oh, this is bad." he heard Glenn say over the call, his voice in the background. "This is REALLY bad."

"This is all my fault!" he heard X shout, clearly distressed. "Oh, what have I done?! Roll, I'm so sorry!"

"What is going on?" Sigma asked, voice loud but not aggressive. It was at just the right volume to capture the attention of everyone currently panicking. "Ray, has the Maverick been seen?"

"That's just it! He came here!" Ray answered. "The trap worked! He went for it! But then he went to this one tent for no reason, and he took her!"

"Took who?!" Sigma questioned, voice much more forceful. "Who was taken?!"

"Just some Reploid that worked here or something! I don't know; I don't even think I got her name!" Ray answered.

Damn! Sigma mentally cursed. If this has turned into a hostage situation, then the council will be breathing down my neck. "I shall be there shortly. In the meantime, keep on that Maverick's trail, but don't let him know you're following him."

"Roger that, sir!" Ray responded.

"And X, you stay with Dr. Cain," Sigma said; the blue Reploid was able to hear the Hunter Commander from Ray's audio receptor. "Sigma, out." he ended the call and began making his way towards the dig site.

Things were not going in his favor at all.

Sometime Later

Unknown Area

When he had finally set her down, Roll attempted to bolt, only to feel a hand seize her by the wrist. She didn't lock eyes with her captor, but she took a moment to take in her surroundings. The same, dry landscape of risen Earth from the sea was all around, so she had presumably not been taken far, but far enough from the dig site to where she could no longer spot it. She then looked at what was before her: a massive, rusted door that her captor pried open with one hand. It took some effort as he couldn't use both hands; otherwise, Roll would've tried to escape again.

Once enough space had been created, the Red Maverick had pulled the other blonde inside, guiding her as if she were a disobedient dog on a leash. That said, despite her constant attempts to get away from him, Roll noted that he hadn't laid a hand on her save for a restraining one. And even then, it had only been just enough force. She could feel the firmness of his grip, but it wasn't painful.

No time to worry about that. She scolded herself. Just what sort of place is this? It was undoubtedly an old structure, some dilapidated laboratory or small factory. Or maybe a hideout. Indeed, Roll suspected that this place would've been right up Dr. Wily's alley. Almost everything in this place looked as if it hadn't seen the light of day in decades, perhaps even centuries. And given she had no idea when this particular section of land was reclaimed, that could've been the case. Roll then saw that she was being led to a door that had the heavily deteriorated but still visible medical symbol.

Just what lay beyond that door? She knew her mind was getting ahead of her and conjuring illogical nonsense, but she still couldn't keep the images from her mind. A collection of sickening tools for torture or a collection of hanging Reploids drained of their energy flooded her CPU, but Roll forced herself back down to reality. Getting in a panic wouldn't do her any good, and she needed a clear head if she was going to get away from the red stranger. The Maverick opened the door, and inside rested a small operating table, which was rusted over and had not seen use for some time. Roll was taken over and, despite her protests, was picked up and sat down on the table as if she were a doll being put back on the shelf.

She noticed another thing about her captor: despite being capable of more, he treated Roll as if she were made of glass or china, almost as if she could break at any second. This wasn't to say that his treatment of her left much to be desired (kidnapping for one did NOT sit well with her), but so far, the red Reploid had shown no signs of hostility towards his hostage. He hasn't said a word to me, but he's not entirely mindless. I think. Roll remained still, wincing when she felt the Maverick take her broken arm, the shoulder joint rendered useless from the blast she had taken. "A-Ah! Hey! Careful!" she said, her captor pulling on the damaged wires too tightly. It was then that she wondered: was he trying to reconnect them?

Seeing as he was getting nowhere, the Red Maverick began searching around the small space, though for what, Roll had no idea. Half of her wanted to try and make another run for it, but she reminded herself that she was now stuck in a much more limited space with this criminal. Whatever he had done, she was unsure, but as far as she was convinced, Roll needed to know that he was branded a "Maverick" and was potentially dangerous. She hadn't seen it herself, but Roll knew of the damage any Maverick incident could cause, what this Maverick could cause.

And this guy looks like he was tailor-made for just that purpose! She wanted nothing more than to escape, but until that chance came, Roll would have to bide her time and, at the very least, try and keep herself alive before help possibly arrived. She was alerted of her captor's presence yet again, the Reploid holding what appeared to be some sort of short, small conductor of sorts in his hand. "And...what do you plan to do with that?" she asked, genuinely curious, but she still was far from ok with being kidnapped. Finally, Roll was answered when the Maverick worked the conductor through the blast hole in her shoulder. The ends protruded out a bit, but, as Roll found, she could move her arm freely again. "You..." she was astonished, touching the conductor in her shoulder to confirm it was real. "You want to fix me?"

He said nothing to her, Roll unable to read whether or not his silence was a confirmation or denial. Maybe she could get him talking? He turned and began rummaging through the other various bits of junk and scrap littered all over. This place would've been somewhere Wily would've chosen to hide away, constructing something else to torment her creator and brother once again.

"Hey, listen," she began. "Maybe we can work this out," she suggested. The Red Maverick stopped what he was doing and looked at her. She shrank back a bit, beginning to regret opening her mouth. "Uh, here." she then said. "How about we start from the beginning? My name's Roll." she introduced herself, though mainly because she couldn't think of anything else to say. "And you?" she received no answer, just those icy optics looking into her own. His gaze was somewhat predatory, but nothing in seeking sensual pleasures. Instead, it was like a wolf that had brought a rabbit to its den but had yet to kill it. But in her case, it was like the wolf had never seen a rabbit before and didn't know what to do with it. "Uh, heh heh. Yeah." Roll broke out into nervous laughter. "So, thank you for this," she gestured to her "repaired" shoulder. "But you know, this would look good for you. Not potentially harming me and all." whether he could understand what she was saying, Roll couldn't be sure. Nonetheless, her statement did seem to get a reaction out of him. A low growl came from the Maverick, showing his disapproval for such a possibility. "Well, they've already sent two Hunters out here for you, so you might as well turn yourself in."

He went back rummaging through the broken bits and pieces, completely ignoring her.

"Hey! I know you can hear me!" she raised her voice, but again, the Reploid paid her no mind. Fine. she huffed, folding her arms. You're not the only one who can give the silent treatment. Then, she heard the Red Maverick's door open exiting the small room. "H-Hey! Wait!" Roll protested, but she was presented with a look that told her to stay put. Even if he hadn't harmed her (yet), the smaller Reploid knew better than to press her luck. The door was closed, shutting her in the room.

Dig Site

"But sir-" he began to protest, but the taller Reploid was firm in his decision.

"You are to remain here, X," Sigma told him sternly; X felt the oppressive, commanding aura radiating off of the Hunter leader. "Without you, Dr. Cain would have no protection."

"Yes, I know," X answered. True, he understood the logic of what Sigma was saying. Still, he felt he should do something. Roll was now in the hands of a potentially dangerous criminal, and it was all his fault! The damn trap with the energy in the tent was his idea! That Maverick probably saw her gathering energen crystals or E-tanks inside! "Oh Roll, I'm so sorry." he muttered.

He then felt a hand place itself on his shoulder. It was more like it had covered his shoulder entirely, given the size. "Ray and Glenn are high up there in their unit," Sigma told the blue Reploid, who was growing sicker and sicker with dread. "And," Sigma continued. "I shall join them should they need any further help," he told X assuredly. "Your sister shall be rescued and returned to you in one piece. But, in the meantime, stay and protect Dr. Cain if that Maverick tries to come back. Understand?"

"Yes, I do." X answered. "But her arm, it was shot. What if she-"

"Stay with Dr. Cain." Sigma ordered before going off in the two other Hunters' direction had gone in.

X was left alone with the older human, who was equally as worried about the bow-wearing Reploid. "I don't understand."

Dr. Cain turned to X. "Understand what?"

The blue Reploid shook his head. "Why would he take her?" he asked. He knew it was a useless question, but he couldn't help but wonder. "What's the point in taking her? It's not as if she could do anything against him! Hell, she's completely helpless!" X said aloud, worry consuming him to the point it was unbearable. He wanted nothing more than to run away from this place and find that Red Maverick himself! But ultimately, he knew that despite his core begging and pleading to go after Roll, if he left and the long-haired kidnapper came back, the humans would be left unprotected and the other Reploids here.

The Maverick's behavior also puzzled Cain, especially as he had just gone off with Roll. He didn't even try to make demands or begin firing on them (assuming he had any weapons); he simply took his captive and bolted from the scene. He hadn't even tried to fight anyone at all. And while he had seen the Red Maverick for only a few moments, Dr. Cain saw those blue eyes lock onto X and X's eyes onto the other Reploid.

As if they had already known each other.

Unknown Location

He hadn't intended for things to turn out this way.

The Red Maverick still had no idea what he had done wrong. All he had done was go and get nourishment for himself when he had none. How could sustaining yourself be a crime? Regardless, he's sure that was what brought those machines that invaded his home. They fired at him, and he retaliated until there was no longer a present threat. Although the Red Maverick had to admit that, even if his head was foggy and scrambled, he could identify the growing sense of satisfaction as those invaders fell by his hands. Once tall and proud soldiers were finding that they had been blown in half by their weapons trying to catch him, the sight of broken and torn limbs was exhilarating.

He adored it. And a craving for more had begun to bloom.

Yet further opportunities would have to come later, for he had been discovered despite having taken care of the threat. And he was sure he had been followed. Upon coming across the bizarre collection of humans and beings like himself, he spotted a deliberately left open tent, full of energen crystals and other resources. It was a trap, and a part of him felt insulted upon seeing it. Did they take him for a fool? But, nevertheless, he required some energy, and he could afford to carry some of it with him, then make his escape.

Yet that was when he saw "her," and then, he had seen "him."

The blonde with the green bow immediately caught his eye; familiarity and deja vu hit him hard. She was peering in from behind another one of the tents, and someone had come to his mind upon seeing her. A small portion of the intense fog in his mind began to dissipate, allowing for a still disjointed but clearer picture. The Maverick couldn't remember her name, but the female android he had taken with him had so many of the same features as her! Same blonde ponytail (not as long as his), same teal eyes that looked at him with fear, but her voice was distinctly more mature. The one she had reminded him of had the body of a little girl.

A little girl that had looked up at him with tear-filled, pleading eyes. "Please! You don't have to do this! Don't hurt him!" she choked out, her voice high-pitched and young. "Look, take me, do whatever you want with me, but don't hurt him!" he remembered stepping towards another figure on the ground. "Please! No, don't hurt him!" he paid her no mind. "Please don't!"

That was all he could make out. What happened next completely escaped him. He had attacked the one he had followed upon being awakened, yet something else happened. For the next, brief image that came to him was of the one he had seen before, the one the girl had begged him to spare. Yet she was not with him. That was the last he had seen of her.

"Y-You..." the more miniature robot, also resembling a child despite his armor, growled. "You're going to pay for what you've done." he snarled. "Do you hear me?! I'll make you pay!" The Red Maverick could only decipher bits and pieces from his memory banks, yet he had overpowered the smaller blue machine, despite the fight he had put up.

And then "he" appeared.

"He" was not the one he had been ordered to destroy. Instead, "he" was one like himself and not like those others he had seen. No, "he" was one just like him. The one that was his equal and opposite in every way. But that was all he had seen of "him." Until he saw the green-eyed android before he took the blonde. She looked like "her," she really did, yet was it? "She" looked different and yet the same in many ways. As did "he."

He had to take her. If he had stayed, he would surely be fired upon again, and those two others who followed him were there. So he simply brought the female to a place where he could have a moment to look her over. And those fools had already "broken" her arm, so he had to fix her. But he knew they would come for her. That "he" would come for her.

And if that were the case, then he would be waiting.

Hours Later

Morning

The sun beat down on the dried, raised Earth as two Maverick Hunters hid behind a sizable boulder. Finally, at long last, they had tracked that red bastard down! A large, rusted door lay but a short distance away, the entire area completely silent.

"Do you think we should've let X come with us?" Glenn asked Ray, the other Hunter shaking his head.

"Oh please. You know that he'd just be a liability. Hell, he'd probably try and make friends with this guy." he then scoffed. "Idiot."

"Still, it's extra firepower." Glenn brought up.

"You heard the Commander," Ray argued back. "X is to stay with Dr. Cain, no matter what. The fact his sister was taken has no bearing on the situation."

"And what is our current situation?" a baritone voice questioned; the two Hunters turned to see their leader standing a few feet away.

"Commander!" Glenn said in surprise.

"The Red Maverick that wiped out Gamma's unit," Sigma began; Glenn and Ray lowered their heads to respect their fallen comrades. "Where is he?"

"Inside," Ray answered, gesturing towards the mountain a short distance away. "He's inside that door."

Good, Sigma thought. Now they have him cornered. "And the hostage?"

Glenn was silent for a moment. "We can't say for sure," he told his Commander. "But she was alive when she was taken." that wasn't much of a bit of hope to hold onto. Roll could've been torn into little pieces by now for all he knew. Just like the rest of their friends.

"I see." Sigma gazed at the massive, rusted door that led into the mountain's side. "Very well. You two leave this to me."

Ray and Glenn were flabbergasted. "C-Commander! By yourself?!" Ray questioned.

"Just one of my men is one too many," Sigma answered. "And I will not allow any more Reploids to fall victim to this Maverick's rampage." he then made his way forward, walking towards the door and preparing for what he was about to face.

This was actually falling into place rather well. True, most of Gamma's team being wiped out made him want to rip this Maverick apart, yet he thought it through. Perhaps this Reploid that the Red Maverick took with him would serve Sigma in the end. After all, what better way than to show the capability of the Maverick Hunters, as well as their Commander and Head than to come to someone's rescue? And the Reploid was utterly unarmed and defenseless: a perfect candidate! He had it all worked out!

This would turn out just fine, and the council would never dare to doubt him again.

Inside

He hadn't come back in hours, though she wasn't sure whether or not that was a good sign. Roll realized that she must've fallen asleep sometime after she was left alone in this room, rising from the table, her systems coming back online after her brief period of rest. She looked over to her damaged arm and found that the conductor was still working as intended. Well, at least there's that. She thought. Still...I can't stay here. She steadily made her way off the operating table and opened the door.

There was no one in sight, so she slowly and quietly made her exit, making as little noise as possible. As she walked through the empty, deathly silent structure, she couldn't help but think of Wily again. This would've suited him perfectly, but that brought another question: why had her kidnapper brought her here? He seemed to know exactly where to go as if he was familiar with this place. But how could that be? She had never seen that red Reploid before, yet he behaved as if he had seen her. If anything, that was perhaps the only thing that saved her from being harmed or worse.

Well, whatever. The authorities could deal with all of that. For now, she was getting out of here! Roll continued, walking a straight path to keep herself from getting lost, hopefully. This place, while large, didn't have any winding corridors, so it wasn't overly difficult to navigate. But her main concern was where that Maverick was. Was he still here, or had he left? And even more, if she had managed to get out of here, where would she go? She had no idea where this place was, let alone how to get back to the dig site. But she knew that she couldn't stay here, if not just to spare those two Hunters any harm—especially X and Dr. Cain.

Any of her questions regarding the Red Maverick would have to come later.

Ah, yes! Roll saw the main entrance. She wasted no time dashing forward, freedom but a few yards away. "Ah!" only to find her way blocked by her long-haired abductor. "You can't keep me here!" Roll told him, having long reached the end of her patience long ago. "People are going to be looking for me!" Well, technically Reploids, but still. The Red Maverick said nothing, continuing to stare at her. "All right, can you understand me or not?" she questioned. "Because either way, you need to understand that I can't stay here. And you can't either," she explained. "Look, since you haven't hurt me," she gestured to her arm. "And, even if it's not exactly a long-term solution, you did do this, so maybe the authorities will take it easy on you." Roll found herself torn. Sure, this guy did bring her here and held her against her will, yet he hadn't yet harmed her despite being capable of doing so. Yes, he needed to pay for his crimes, but that didn't necessarily mean Roll wanted to see him riddled with plasma blasts. "So...how about this? You just lead me back to the dig site, I'll explain everything, and then all that'll happen is that you'll be taken in custody." it probably wasn't something the Maverick wanted. Still, it was perhaps his only chance to make it out of this alive given the circumstances.

She tried to move forward, but the Reploid moved in front of her. She tried going the opposite direction, but he blocked the way again. He then placed a hand on her undamaged shoulder. "No!" Roll protested, trying to pry her captor's hand from her. "I'm not staying here!" she began to struggle, but the Maverick held her firmly. "Let go of me!" she demanded, beating his chest. She felt her body lifted off the ground, knowing that her captor would take her back into that room. "No! I'm not going! I'm NOT going!" she shouted, increasing her twisting. But the Maverick's strength was great, and with her cheaply-made body, she knew she'd be unable to overpower him. Somebody...help me!

Suddenly, the sound of the massive door being opened alerted them that they weren't alone. The Red Maverick released her; Roll's pushing and struggling sent her to the floor upon being let go. She looked to see a familiar face and was overjoyed. But then her expression turned into one of fear when she saw her kidnapper turn his head to look at her savior.

The Red Maverick saw an invader that had surely planned to bring him down. But, no! He wouldn't allow that to happen! With a roar, he swung a fist in Sigma's direction, of which the taller Reploid dodged with ease, despite being within range of the blow. The renegade machine saw that he had missed and kicked, his leg smashing through the wall. A small explosion had occurred, Roll shielding herself from both the blast and debris that was sent flying. Sigma once again maneuvered out of the way of the attack, chuckling as he did so.

This is almost too easy. Sigma thought, though his confident features faltered somewhat upon seeing the Maverick walking towards him through the dense cloud the explosion had produced. "Hurry!" he told Roll, standing a few feet away. "Get out of here!" Cain's helper had served her purpose; now, it was time for her to leave. Besides, he would be in trouble if he came back without her intact.

Roll nodded and made her way towards the open door. Her captor saw this and raced in her direction to prevent her from leaving. Sigma used this opportunity and dashed forward, intending to strike when the enemy's back was turned. It seemed the Red Maverick had caught onto his tactic at the last moment because he ducked out of the way of the larger Reploid's fist. But before that, Roll felt herself being grabbed and pulled close, both she and the Maverick rolling out of the way until they came to a stop. Although Roll was somewhat disoriented, her captor rose to a standing position while she was on the ground. He said nothing, but his eyes gave her the silent command to stay put.

The Red Maverick then went back to Sigma, throwing punch after punch in his direction, which Sigma dodged effortlessly. Even though freedom was right in front of her, Roll found herself drawn to the sight of the two Reploids fighting with each other. She didn't know why but watching that Red Maverick had stirred up familiar emotions from within. The Hunter leader and Red Maverick took their battle further into the depths of the hideaway, Roll following and keeping herself concealed in the thick shadows and beams of steel that stood up despite their severe rusting. The Maverick continued his barrage of throwing fists, yet Sigma rose his leg and, with one mighty kick, sent the other Reploid flying into some empty oil drums, the impact hard and echoing throughout the area. The Maverick didn't stay down long, quickly rising and going for Sigma again.

Yet just as he was about to strike the Hunter, Sigma seized him and flipped him over. Then, the larger Reploid threw him upwards, his head crashing through the ceiling. Roll winced while Sigma looked on, quite pleased with himself. But before there was time to celebrate, the Red Maverick began to move, and he peered out from the hole he had created. Seeing some loose sections of the ceiling, he had torn one off to use as a weapon. Sigma wasn't intimidated, yet he wondered if he had underestimated his opponent. Whatever the case, it would make his victory all the more satisfying. And he would make this fool pay for daring to make anyone question him again.

The way he fights...Roll reflected, teal eyes watching the ongoing brawl. There's no rhythm or structure to it. she observed. He's just wildly swinging like a savage. The Maverick threw what he had torn off in Sigma's direction, the larger Reploid batting it out of the way. Then, both their fists collided, a wave of energy from both of them sending a small shockwave throughout the structure. He's powerful. Roll observed. Maybe a bit too powerful. Then a terrifying possibility came to her, but she quickly dismissed it. No, impossible. Sigma would succeed! He had to succeed! He has to...huh!?

The Red Maverick was delivering a barrage of punches yet again; Sigma then leaped upward onto the steel bars above. The Maverick did the same, and Roll saw the Hunter leader draw out an energy saber, its green glow lighting up some of the darkness. His opponent took a broken-off piece of steel, intending to make this fight even. The two of them leaped forward, their weapons striking against each other. Swing after swing, Sigma struck the Maverick's makeshift "sword", the steel was dense and not easy to cut, but the dense energy that formed his weapon was breaking through. His opponent seemed to realize this and would have to think of something else.

Finally, at long last, the steel bar was rendered useless, Sigma splitting it in half, just barely missing the Red Maverick's hand. Well, no matter, he would just compensate by splitting this Reploid in half! He lifted his saber high in the arm, the Maverick foolishly charging forward. What was he doing? He was the one unarmed! Sigma paid this no mind, preparing to deliver the killing blow. The two Reploids charged at each other; Sigma swung down his weapon, yet, to his shock, he missed his target entirely.

But his target didn't.

It took him a few moments to realize, yet upon hearing a loud CLANG!, he turned and saw that his arm had been torn from his body, his clenched fist still holding his saber. Sigma instinctively felt a strange sensation overtake him, his large form beginning to tremble slightly, and his once steely optics widened with dread. The Red Maverick began to chuckle as he approached his injured opponent, ready to deliver everything that Sigma had given him. And much, much more.

What was once relief had become twisted and morphed into unbridled terror. From the noise of metal being crushed and smashed into the agony-ridden cries of the proud Maverick Hunter, Roll was left to keeping herself concealed from view, lest she be the next to suffer her kidnapper's wrath. And the low, dark sounds of amusement from him made her inner circuitry run cold. She watched the Red Maverick beat Sigma viciously, his fists colliding with the Hunter leader's battered form and damaging his outer body. Finally, Sigma was knocked to the floor, allowing Roll to see that the synthetic skin on his face had been ripped and peeled in various places, specifically over his eyes.

The Red Maverick took hold of Sigma's head and arm, restraining him as he began to put pressure on one of the larger Reploid's blue optics. He continued to chuckle; Roll put a hand over her mouth to keep silent, lest she gasped or screamed. The battle had long been over, yet her captor wasn't done. No, instead of ending it quickly, he saw fit to beat and toy with his damaged opponent, battering Sigma and letting him go a short distance before he was struck down again. Nothing about this "fight" warranted this behavior, this savagery. This Red Maverick was outright torturing the Maverick Hunter, reveling in his despair and agony.

He's a monster...! Roll's teal eyes then saw a white digit press itself into the thick glass of Sigma's optic; the surface was beginning to crack. This Maverick continued to exert pressure, pressing down harder and harder, Sigma's groans of pain beginning to rise. I...I can't let this happen! I can't just let him die! But what can I do? What can I do?!

Then, her eyes fell on a sizable rock nearby, the bow-wearing Reploid silently made her way towards it. She lifted it up, thankful that she was about to do so. But as she turned to face the Hunter leader and her captor, she stopped. She could only theorize on what would happen, yet she knew that the moment she used the boulder in her hands, her fate would be sealed. But if she didn't, then Sigma would surely die. Roll was torn, core split between the desire to save herself or save another, yet she knew that a decision would have to be made soon. If not for Sigma's sake, then her own.

The Maverick had gone from giggling to breaking out into full-on laughter, the Reploid underneath him steadily having his life drained away. This felt fantastic! This was more than just satisfying or enjoyable; this was euphoric! The sight of his beaten-down prey fruitlessly struggling against his superior strength brought forth an overwhelming nirvana that felt so right and natural. This was what he was made for! This was why he existed in the first place! He was a masterpiece!

The Doctor's masterpiece.

But just as the Red Maverick was about to break through the surface of Sigma's optic, a large object crashed right into the side of his head. He was sent off his feet and into the wall, knocking him off of the Reploid that he was tormenting. The blow hadn't done enormous damage aside from scrambling his circuits, and he looked to see just who had thrown something at him. Roll stepped back, knowing well that she had just doomed herself. With little else she could do, the blonde dashed into the depths of the ancient structure, disappearing into the thick darkness.

The Red Maverick got back up to his feet and followed her, steadily walking the direction she had gone in. "C-Coward..." Sigma snarled, choking on some of the fluids that had worked their way up to his throat. Small streams of deep red liquid trailed down his chin and dripped onto the floor. "Don't walk away from me..." the Red Maverick looked down at him. "We...we're not finished!"

The Maverick didn't respond, only staring down at the Hunter, that was in no condition to fight. Then, he turned away, knowing that his prey wouldn't be going anywhere.

Note: So yeah, things will be a bit different here. While I won't alter too much, one big problem I have with the X series is how X himself is usually pushed to the side.

True, a specific other character is also essential, but X's name is in the title. I find it rather sad that X is just seemingly forgotten about, as he is a good character (and my favorite Mega Man).

Let me know if you catch any errors I might've missed; please leave your input on what you'd like to see in the future, and I hope to see you all soon!