Note: I'd usually have longer A/Ns as there are a lot of things I wanna say, but I'm still a little sick (not as much as I was but still not entirely there).

Will be a little slow but everything will pay off later.

Musings

He shot his plasma pistol, and the damned Hunter nearly blew his head off with just one shot of his buster. Even more, the blast wasn't even fully charged!

Goldminer didn't possess any lungs, yet he was beginning to understand the meaning of the human phrase "out of breath." Not so much that he was winded and starved of oxygen, even if his vents were going into overdrive cooling his systems, yet he felt a considerable strain on his focus and state of mind, his tension and overall anxiety rising as it became more and more clear that he was no match for the Red Devil.

The Red Devil would surely have his head in due time.

But maybe, if he managed to get to his "collection," then he would possibly have a chance! The maneuver would be risky, but, at this point, he had little choice.

Taking a moment to stop upon realizing that, to his horror, he had lost sight of the blonde Hunter, Goldminer took shelter behind a sizable boulder, optics searching for any hint of the red Reploid's location. For someone who had such a sporting mane of hair, the bastard was surprisingly good at being stealthy.

CLICK!

…very, very good.

"So, the fact that Hunters are coming here means that X managed to take Armadillo out," a shape hidden in the shadows mused aloud, albeit with a hushed voice, Goldminer and Zero in his sights, yet he was completely unnoticeable to them. "Still…I doubt he did it easily. Let alone all the way," he continued with a scoff. "Probably let the idiot tire himself out goading him on with deliberately holding back," a hiss slipped out. "Damn coward."

Perhaps someone else would've said that the proof of X's victory was the communications being restored, yet the hidden shape knew better. Better than anyone. Better than Sigma, Fujiwara, hell, better than even Zero himself! He knew that blue weak-willed runt, even if he had technically accomplished what was set out for him, the B-Class bucket of bolts didn't go as wild as he could've. He didn't exert as much force, or use as many tactics, and those he did use were slow and far too time-consuming.

"Armadillo's no slouch, hence why our glorious leader chose him as one of his higher ranking officers," the figure mused to himself, all the while still watching the skirmish between Goldminer and Zero take place below, the two having resumed firing back at one another in hopes of disabling their opponent. "But he's also old-fashioned. He wouldn't give X any sort of leeway or mercy," he continued, pausing for a moment. "But, knowing that idiot," he scoffed, observing the unsuspecting Reploids a distance down. "Armadillo might be dead…but, if possible, then X won't have it stay that way."

Goldminer stood still, the red Hunter's weapon positioned where a direct shot, not necessarily a powerful one, would be all that was needed. Still, despite his current situation, the Maverick couldn't help but make his loathing for the other Reploid known. "I don't see what you're so upset about," he mocked, optics catching the singed edges of the blonde's hair. "The black contrasts great with the lighter color, I'd say."

"Let's see if you still think that when the insides of her cerebral cortex are the same shade," Zero hissed dangerously, still cursing the Maverick for daring to damage his locks, unintentionally or not. "You've given me more than enough reason to show you already."

"Not going to arrest me first?" Goldminer questioned. "Not exactly professional for a Hunter, especially the guy that's supposed to be in charge now," Zero said nothing, yet the Maverick could see his lips tightening with anger. "And here I thought Sigma said you were the more decisive of your pair."

"Pair?"

"Yeah, you know, the blue guy," Goldminer answered. "Although, maybe a bright stripe of yellow would also serve him nicely."

"Don't speak of X that way," Zero hissed. "And quite a bold statement coming from you, the one who's spent the last few minutes doing everything in their power to avoid me. At least I can trust X has faced Armadillo."

"Even then, only because he was forced," Goldminer shot back. "Don't pretend that he would go all in either," the Maverick narrowed his optics. "You've known him for long enough," he said. "And Sigma even longer."

"And you know nothing of him at all," Zero retorted. "Which is why I'm getting sick of hearing you talk." he aimed yet didn't fire. Granted, while Goldminer perhaps had some wisdom in his assessment of the blue Reploid, X was much rather willing to detain and subdue the criminal than go with Zero's more "certain" method. Yet, that fact alone should've perhaps given Goldminer some sense of caution, if not at least a sliver of self-preservation.

And while, yes, Goldminer was clearly taking each action made into the account, he also appeared to have some sort of motivation outside of merely keeping himself alive. Rather, instead of just running away from Zero, he was going in a very specific direction hidden from the main series of tunnels and passageways of the mine. The former crook-turned-lackey for Sigma clearly possessed limited bravery, so whatever he was searching for must've had some kind of value.

Enough for him to risk getting killed.

"...if it means anything, at least your buddy will have a new accessory to go with the rest of his new suit."

Zero's focus was momentarily lessened, his mind drawn to Goldminer's statement, yet he dared not move his buster. "What was that?"

"Hm? You didn't happen to notice it on your way down here?" the Maverick questioned. "Then again, it doesn't matter anyway, considering that the real one is in-"

BOOM!

"Cut the crap, answer the question."

Goldminer stiffened, the concentrated blast of plasma splintering a sizable portion of the rock that stood mere inches away from his dome. Zero hadn't missed his target, he just made it clear that, should it come to it, the red Hutner had no scruples in fitting the Maverick in that role at any time.

"They're meant to be hidden away, and Sigma's ordered everyone to keep their hands off, yet it seems that some Reploids just can't help themselves," Goldminer began, steadily backing away. "Of course, those that actually try and approach one of them say that sometimes, odd things happen," he then shrugged. "Not too sure about the one you might've missed, seeing as that one isn't real."

Zero only presented a look of puzzlement, disappointing Goldminer greatly, yet, unknownst to him, his words clearly resonated with another.

And, even hidden away in the shadows, a singular, red optic began to gleam red with an unsettling intensity.

"See ya!"

Taking this momentary distraction as a means to escape, Goldminer blasted a hanging spear of rock, the formation of plummeting stone missing Zero only by mere inches and only because the red Hunter leaped out of the way at the last second. The hardened concentration of Earth was then splintered by Zero's own power, the charged shit sending bits of rock flying in all directions.

Yet, when everything had cleared up, the long-haired "Devil" saw that his criminal was gone, only catching a flash of him as he turned a corner and delved deeper into the mountain.

Although Zero followed, Goldminer now had more than one pursuer on his tail. And the newest addition to the now budding trio had no intentions of letting the Maverick off easy.

Outskirts of Abel City

The world outside of the damaged metropolis and small entryway before the gaping maw of the darkened building before the clothed machine was silent enough, yet his words almost made Roll's entire universe go dead quiet.

"…kill?"

Ray B. bit his lip, concealed eyes narrowing as the reborn robot's voice echoed throughout his processor. Despite the added maturity to her voice, he could still recognize it for what it once was.

What world she had once been a part of. A world that ultimately no longer existed.

"Granted, 'kill' is a broad and varied description," the machine answered his guide. "But the ultimate goal is to make sure you're no longer able to move. And, once that happens, I doubt they would leave much untouched with whatever they can literally get their hands on," he took a small look around. "And if these broken pieces of scrap won't do, then there's plenty of rocks lying around."

A few moments of silence passed before Roll could conjure up the courage to pry further. "But…for what reason would the humans want to kill us?" Roll questioned. "I mean, retaliation against Sigma's forces is understandable, yet why would they want to attack us? We're Maverick Hunters, aren't we? Those that were put here specifically to combat threats such as this?" After a couple of seconds, she also added. "Besides, I can't say the same for me, but the standard Reploid model is meant to withstand reasonable damage that doesn't exceed a certain threshold. It would take more than just a few rocks."

"Weren't you the one that was speaking on behalf of the potentially erratic behavior people can demonstrate under certain circumstances?" Ray B. asked.

"Well, yes, but I was mostly speaking for Chiyo regarding her decision to leave the shelters and wander the streets," Roll answered. "No one could really fathom why she would make such a reckless and foolish decision at the time," she then huffed. "I swear, for mechanical beings with supposedly more developed circuitry regarding the processing of abstract signals and sensations, almost everyone here has the emotional intelligence of a mechaniloid."

"Too much emotion is never good either," Ray B. retorted. "In fact, there's been a lot of misunderstandings and mistakes made because a select few didn't use their heads," he then paused. "But, in her case, she probably would've been safer outside than in with the others."

"...yes, her relations don't exactly make her popular with anyone, even here," Roll confessed. "But there are those put in charge to deal with any issues that may occur between the humans, a few Hunters themselves are routinely deployed there," she said. "Surely, even if they don't see her in the highest esteem due to the name of 'Fujiwara', it's still pretty clear that she and her parent don't tend to betray their own in common."

"You think that matters to them?"

"What?"

Ray B. sighed. "I understand your sentiments, but…the people," he stopped himself. "No, the living things that reside here, both creatures of flesh and metal," again, he paused. He hadn't intended on revealing much, if anything to her at all if not just to perhaps spare her from what he knew, yet the desolate landscape he found himself residing in at the moment shattered any illusions of keeping the rebuilt and refurbished DLN in the dark any longer.

But, by Asimov, he wanted to. He wanted her to never have to know what happened.

"Tell me, Roll," he began. "How far back do you remember?" he questioned. "What is the latest event that you know of before things begin to…get fuzzy?"

At first, Roll believed that delivering such an answer would be simple, a snippet of memory pulled directly to the front of her processor, yet, upon viewing it, she found herself not entirely sure of just how to proceed. Yes, she had been more than aware of how times had quite literally changed, as well as how many she knew were seemingly no longer around, some cases unfortunately inevitable, such as with her creator or the likes of those like Cossack or LaLinde. Yet, even with their doomed status as humans, that still didn't explain where everyone else had gone.

What had happened to them?

"...does this have to do with why I…why X was sealed away for so long?"

"Yes, but answer me first, if you would," Ray B. requested. "What is the last thing you remember?" he inquired again. "...what was the last day you knew of when you still lived in that world?"

The last day?

Technically, she would be lying with her answer as her demise, whenever it came, occurred after the most recent memory of that long gone time came to her, yet, after what she was able to conjure up, all she knew was an overwhelming burning consuming her chest.

Then, she was staring into the green eyes of her baby brother.

But one night, a night that took place not long after the world had been saved again, this time from an invading force known as the Stardroids that had taken to occupying a station on the moon and essentially continued from where their parent, Ra Moon, had started.

And, unlike before, the ponytailed blonde found herself caught right in the middle.

Granted, much of that was unfortunately lost to her as well, yet there was one particular event that occurred at the celebration of her brother's victory.

Or rather, what took place outside of it.

She only managed to catch the disappearance of one guest at the event at the very last second, her form vanishing from view the moment Roll realized who the figure was, as well as how, despite what she had just seen, they didn't have a teleportation device installed into their body.

The blonde debated her options at the moment, as she knew she'd be missed if she too went off, yet, at the same time, she'd be lying if she said she was totally comfortable with leaving her friend alone. For, while the world in itself was safe yet again, this victory didn't come without a good degree of sacrifice.

Borrowing the hovercraft for a short period, Roll managed to locate where the other machine had gone via the sensor Dr. Light had built in if not just so he could keep track of where his children were.

Those that were left, anyway.

To her surprise, the runaway robot had gone to Greece of all places, specifically the island of Crete, yet Roll found that they couldn't be found in any of the populated areas of the Mediterranean Islands. It wasn't until she received word from an approaching Centaur Man that he had seen the person (technically robot) of interest go into the wild sectors of what was perhaps the fourth coastal village she searched through.

However what he told her caught her by surprise.

"She didn't say much," the equine-based Robot Master told the DLN, "Only that she wanted to go where the Tears of Asterea bloomed."

Granted, while Roll held no shame of being a lover of flowery language or a devotee of anything that could potentially be considered "romantic," she wasn't exactly sure what Centaur Man meant at first. Yet, upon getting a better view from a higher vantage point in the seaside town, she saw a place of interest that could've potentially led her to where she wanted to go.

They may have not been literal tears, but there was a multitude of wildflowers situated right outside of the town's borders. And, indeed, after a few moments of visually scanning the area, she spotted her friend standing far off in the field of the natural flora of the Greek Islands, particularly in a collection of particular plants that, upon approaching them, Roll realized that she did indeed recognize this species.

Aster, flowering plants of the Asteraceae family. She then recalled actually trying to grow these upon noticing them in Dr. Petil's conservatory in Brazil. Although she was a little more convinced that Plant Man was interested in more than just whatever flowers she wished to grow, the Robot Master practically compared her to every specimen the two came across.

Her thoughts regarding the floral Robot Master came to a halt when she saw the one she had been searching for, back turned and optics completely focused on the dark yet surprisingly beautiful, sparsely-lit abyss that hung above the Earth, her long tails of dark-brown hair lightly dancing in the gentle night breeze.

Roll had spent the last hour searching for this very fellow machine, yet now that they were in her sights, she found herself uncertain of what to do. Yes, she had found her friend, now what? Better yet, now that she was here, had she truly made the right decision? Should she have just left their fellow machine alone? Maybe she had overstepped her boundaries in even going after them at all.

Yet, just as she was considering turning back, the figure before her shifted.

The movement was slight, barely visible, yet, upon catching it, Roll couldn't let it go. The green armored shoulders of her friend, another robot such as herself, albeit one that had quite an extensive and confusing bout with their own programming and central processing, shook with a sharp jolt. Brief, but, if captured at just the right second, unmissable.

And before Roll could offer any comfort or ask if they needed any assistance, they spoke.

"...she's right."

The blonde paused. "Wh-What?"

"Vesper Woman," the figure answered, voice feminine yet slightly lower in pitch and tone compared to the DLN's, as if it were a replication of a teenage girl. "I once engaged in a debate with her regarding the term of how stars are 'diamonds in the sky', as the old rhyme goes," The green and violet Robot Master (or, perhaps, in her case, Mistress) paused, normally mellow and relatively inexpressive cadence slowly crumbling through no will of her own. Whatever was going to come was inevitable, no matter how badly she wished for it to be contained. "I didn't understand the relation, as stars themselves are gaseous bodies of heat that hold no solid form to stand on, unlike that of carbon hardened over centuries, perhaps even millennium."

Roll bit her lip, fingers curling reflexively to the tension developing. "Tempo…"

"And, it isn't until a star is dead that it could perhaps even be considered similar to a diamond or any sort of mineral found on Earth," the other machine, Tempo, Quake Woman, continued. "It's only then that it gives off no light or possesses any qualities that make it qualify as a living astral body. It is little more than a cold, floating object."

The blonde DLN steadily began to walk around, circling to where she could get a better view of the other robot's front, the housekeeper's more fair skin contrasting somewhat with her friend's more warm complexion, the presence of a more prominent tan seen on the artificial skin. True, she had too once been more "light" at one point, yet, eventually, the Robot Master had opted to be darker herself. A precaution since her involvement regarding Dark Man and the smear campaign against Blues. Despite the initial reason, it was an adjustment that Roll herself had encouraged as, in her words, the deeper tones would bring out her eyes.

Tempo couldn't help but then debate whether or not optics would've been more appropriate, yet it seemed she was in no such state to care about such things. No, her mind was elsewhere.

Upon reaching her entirely, Roll saw that the literal rock-buster (an irony that wasn't lost on her even when she tried to hook Tempo and Rock up at one time) held something in her grasp, both hands carrying the object firmly but treating it as if it were constructed of material even more fragile than China. However, considering what said the object was, perhaps it was just that.

Proto Man's helmet, what had once been Break Man's, heavily cracked and damaged with the visor split in several places was in the other machine's possession, Quake Woman holding the protective piece of equipment as if it were a part of her own body. Her optics then shifted to the multitude of plants surrounding them both. "...have you seen these flowers before?" Tempo questioned Roll, the other robot caught off guard by the sudden inquiry.

"Uh, yeah," the DLN responded. "Asters," she answered. "They're a pretty popular variety to have in backyards nowadays. I mean, there's the aromatic breed, but also blue wood, calico, frost, New England AND New York,"

"According to its classification," Tempo went on, optics locked onto the various blossoms of red, pink, and yellow. Yet among those majorities were the sparse yet highly distinguishable Asters of brilliant purple. "They are considered perennial, in that they are doomed to wilt, as all organic life must, yet, under the right conditions, they are able to return and sprout again another season." Her shoulders shook again, the motion more violent this time. She then knelt down, still holding Blues' helmet, yet she released one arm to lightly trace her ivory digits over the thin petals.

Then, Roll saw it.

Moisture. Moisture developing in the corner of the other machine's ducts.

"It's both a pity and a shame," Quake Woman said, tears now falling freely from her eyes, dripping from her cheeks and lightly watering the Asters below.

Centaur's words then clicked. The Tears of Asterea.

"That it took a series of events like this for a supposedly intelligent mechanical automaton to understand what's really so simple," she then hunched over, holding the helmet to her chest. "...but he understood it all without much effort. Indeed, despite the differences in our components, he was more…advanced than I." another hitched breath. "...there's something about the Aster flowers. How they were said to be the tears of a Goddess who wept when the sky was so barren, yet the Golden Age was over, so she fled the world to escape its destruction," optics turned from the flowers and to the stars hanging above, Proto Man's broken visor reflecting the scattered dots of glowing light in its surface. "...it may not be the Golden Age anymore, and there never may be a time like it again, yet…" the first crack. "...if it holds things like this, then maybe it could be beautiful all on its own."

And then, only a few more words could be said before she splintered entirely, coming apart as her legs gave way and she fell to the ground before her voice was overtaken with sobs.

"...but he'll never get to know it."

While the particular recanting of what came to mind wasn't exactly what she relayed back to Ray B. entirely, Roll answered his question all the same. "...and, after that, I find myself in Arcadia with the revelation I have a younger sibling," she said. "There really isn't anything in between. So, what is different now compared to then, at least, a difference I don't know of?"

She was met with silence.

"Mr. Ray B.?"

"...she said that?"

"What?"

"Tempo," he said. Then, as if he realized he had misspoken, he corrected himself. "Y-Your friend, I mean," he clarified. "Did she…really say that?"

"Of course she did," Roll confirmed. "Granted, that's the last I remember of her and, well, anything else, but, even if she herself wasn't exactly best at communicating them openly," the reborn Reploid said. "She was never good at concealing what she was feeling."

"...no, she wasn't."

"What was that?"

"Nothing," Ray B. quickly responded. "But, still, my point stands. Before, even with what happened regarding the Stardroids and Ra Moon, those such as her and yourself could still live in that world without fear. It was a world that, while it still held its fair share of difficulties regarding relations between mechanical beings and those of a more…natural origin, so to speak," he paused. "There was still a place for you. Or, at least, there were those in the right places that acknowledged you had a place among them,"

More silence fell in between them.

"...but that world's gone now," he finally said after a few lingering moments where nothing but the ambience of a ruined landscape was all that could be heard. He looked down, seeing that, to his dismay, there was nowhere he could turn without standing on some machine's dented, broken pieces that once functioned and thrived as if they were new.

Someone's dented, broken pieces…

"Well…in that case, what kind of world are we in now?" Roll inquired, not entirely sure where Ray B. was going with this, yet the delivery of his words indicated what he was referring to was vital. Perhaps even to her and everyone else's lives.

The heavily clothed machine didn't respond for a short while, although whether it was due to him being unable to articulate what he wished to express, or because he simply didn't wish to say it, Roll wasn't sure. Yet, before he entered into the seemingly abandoned factory outside of Abel City, he left her with one piercing statement.

"...one where I don't know who'll survive, if any, because what happened before is going to happen again In fact," he took a step forward. "...it's already started."

Zalts Mine

"Well, aren't you a slippery one?" Zero mused aloud, having, for once, stopped for a second to survey his surroundings, Goldminer once again escaping his grasp.

Indeed, he was beginning to grow a little tired of this.

The red Hunter was rather taken aback by how, given the current state of things and the soon-to-be reclaiming of this particular section of the island, X appeared to have been more successful than he in completing their task. Granted, Zero still had his doubts on whether or not X had truly done it in regards to actually "terminating" Armadillo, yet, if communications were back up. He must've achieved some semblance of victory.

Still, even if he held higher sentiments for the blue Reploid than the Maverick he was currently tailing, the long-haired blonde had to admit that, despite whatever intentions he might have, the B-Rank Hunter's hesitancy and reluctance to take decisive action would have to change soon. If not just for his own sake.

"Hey, Pretty Boy," a familiar voice called out, Zero whipped around to see Goldminer standing in the archway of a distant tunnel, seemingly waiting for the other Reploid to notice him. "Come and get me, Hot Stuff!"

Goldminer then dashed through the tunnel's entrance, Zero, in turn, pursued after, all the while the third party among the group remained concealed in darkness, yet he tracked both Hunter and Maverick as they continued their little chase.

"Idiot," the figure scoffed. "He's just as much of one as X is," red optic tracking the two of them through the network of pathways, they went on as well, all the while occasionally rechecking to see if their weapon was ready to be made use of. And, with that thought, before they got going, they shot Goldminer a piercing glare. "Fake, huh?" they muttered, digits running over the long barrel of their shoulder cannon. "Well, if that's the case, someone's going to need to serve as practice until I get to Sigma's little Golden Child."

Armadillo's Chamber

The silence that was to pass after his defeat had come, yes, yet, as he came to discover with the passing seconds of slowly regaining awareness, it was not to be eternal.

At least, not yet.

But, how could that be? He had been defeated, bested, his opponent had managed to bring him down and…wait.

…his opponent.

Armored Armadillo soon grasped that he wasn't dead. Beaten and bruised, yes, more so than he had expected X to dish out, yet he was still among the living. And yet, upon trying to move, he found that he was also rendered immobile.

While he prided himself on conducting himself as a disciplined master of combat in regards to what his less humanoid form was capable of, the banded metallic mammal found that all his patience had been spent in the previous bout, thus, he began to twist and turn, trying to see if he could at least move something of his, an arm, leg, tail, anything.

He couldn't move a single digit.

Not to mention that, while it was perhaps his systems just coming back online, he found himself feeling rather…chilled.

"I wouldn't recommend that," a voice cut through his thoughts, bringing him back to reality, senses steadily returning to him as a familiar figure manifested before him. "You've somewhat recovered from the state you were in, but you're still far from one hundred percent yet."

Visual feed began to function as intended, and, with time, Armadillo's sense of sight had returned, allowing him to fully understand just what had occurred during his presumed period of "death" as well as just what the blue Reploid had done to him.

Well, for one, to Armadillo's surprise, the Hunter hadn't done something incredibly foolish. At least, not entirely. True, the fact he was still alive was a poor judgment in itself, yet, regardless of this brand of useless mercy, X hadn't completely surrendered to basing his actions on the relationship the Maverick and he once had.

The Met that had been situated outside was now being held by X as if it were some small toy, the former member of the Armored Unit realizing that he had been restored, but only so much in that his processor and core were functioning. Aside from that, quite frankly, it felt as if he had pulled his back, a feat he deemed impossible at first.

Another reason to never envy the humans. He thought. Even if he had been healed by his adversary, he wasn't left free to roam as he pleased, as everything save for his head was encased in a thick layer of ice, densely packed and recently added as well. Armadillo turned his gaze to X. "And here I believed you had qualms about using the weapons of others."

X bit his lip, yet nonetheless retorted. "Then I suppose whether or not I'll use yours will remain to be seen. But, for the time being," he glanced at the trapped member of the Xenarthra family. "It's certainly done its job in regards of dealing with you "

Armadillo narrowed his eyes. "…if you're not going to finish me, then why have you decided to not forgo all caution to the wind?"

It was then that, to the banded Reploid's surprise, X's expression grew rather stoic and professional. Almost like the Maverick Hunter he was supposed to be. And then, he provided his current "captive" with a response.

"Because the fight is over," X stated. "But this discussion isn't. And, quite frankly," he added. "I've got some things to say to you."

Note: Alert me of any errors you catch that I might've missed.

Thank you!