Note: Hello! A little bit of a longer chapter this time, around 5k. I'm trying to extend the length for as long as I'm able, as I'll admit I move slow, but I don't want to bore you guys too much.

I'm really enjoying doing this, so I hope you all are too! We'll be moving on from here, so this interlude point will be shorter! But first, let's get through it!

Revisiting Secrets

"So…it's not a bomb?"

Noelle LaLinde shook her head, Blues sitting up and closing his chest. "No, but it will eventually cease to function. Instead of an explosive, consider it more like a lit candle that will eventually burn itself out."

The brunette, child-like machine nodded. "I see."

Wily had lied. Kalinka was still in danger, and he had just delivered her into the hands of his own tormentor. What had to be done was clear. He rose from the table, walking toward the door, but not before taking his helmet.

"Whoa, where are you going, handsome?" Vesper Woman questioned. "Didn't you just hear what Mom said? Your core is going to-"

"I know," Blues answered, holding the helmet that concealed his face entirely. The helmet of Break Man. "But…not yet. There's…something I have to do first."

"What do you mean?" Dr. LaLinde inquired. "Blues," she gently put her hand on his shoulder. "What's happened since you've been gone?"

"Better yet," a figure approached from behind. "Why are you in such a hurry now? You should technically be in surgery."

Both Blues and LaLinde looked to see Quake Woman eyeing the brunette, then to her mother's arm, as if she were watching for the other robot to try something. He wouldn't articulate it, but the suspicion in her optics brought to his core a certain pain he hadn't experienced before, yet it was still stinging all the same.

"There's…something I have to do," he answered, "After that, I'll explain, I promise."

"Blues," Dr. LaLinde began, yet the robotic boy went off. "Wait!"

The machine vanished in a blur of red light, the Filipina-Spanish woman rushing in vain to catch him, yet it was ultimately too late, her finger meeting nothing but colored hues which soon evaporated into nothing.

Standing atop the partially damaged tower, Ray B. gazed outward, his destination quite a distance away. Nonetheless, he had every intention of going to the Power Plant, the details he had received from the Abandoned Factory were possibly his only lead as to what Sigma was up to. Still, from what he had been informed of by one of the Hunters (Signas, he believed), he might have to do a little bit of work to get the information he needed.

"For once, I hope you didn't bruise someone up too badly." he mused aloud, beginning his trek toward the Power Plant. His energy was getting low and he would need rest for the next few hours, but, until then, he had to at least try to get this if not for the sake of those here in the city, but perhaps for himself and those like him who were still around.

Little that there were.

"Warning?" Chiyo questioned, then remembering that, indeed, while she hadn't heard it directly, such a subject was heard on and off throughout her father's lab when the blue Reploid was first unearthed. "Oh, yes. That," still, she did not entirely understand. "What of it? Isn't its main contribution to it that you outlived your own creator?"

X nodded. Harsh a truth as it was, it was still the truth. "Compared to those before me, there was supposed to be no other," he told the human. "Blues' programming was in line, from what little I've heard, yet his body couldn't hold the energy brewing in his own chest, but he was reluctant to give up his supposed freedom. Rock, on the other hand, could maintain energy levels just fine due to his use of a generator instead of a nuclear core, yet the mentality difference between them was clear," he then paused. "Dr. Cain and Fujiwara told me that I'm presumably the 'best' of both of them, the mind of one, the body of another. And it wasn't just by accident that Dr. Light constructed me as he did, however, he did it," the blue Reploid gazed down at his hands. "Like Blues, Rock, even Roll and the Robot Masters, he wanted there to be more than just one," he stopped again. "He wanted machines to be on an equal field with the ones who made them."

"But he couldn't guarantee the results." Chiyo finished.

"Right," X agreed. "He knew he wouldn't live to see it, he knew that I would never see him," he paused, biting his lip. "But…he made it so that I would at least be able to see them. The others he made. They would surely survive another thirty years after their creator's departure."

Indeed, the female human thought. Even if death itself was an obstacle, Dr. Light would've surely passed the task of unleashing X to someone he trusted. So why? Why was it until a century later that my capsule was ever even found?" he stopped again, everything coming to the surface that had been kept within, his buster serving as his means of "therapy" in a sense. X would not dare say it, as he still didn't consider violence a pastime, yet the release of energy and seeing the results of that release was somewhat relieving. He just wished it didn't have to result in broken metal and damaged circuits. "What happened so that programming like mine was banned worldwide? That those that came before us were…" he lowered his head. "When and why did things change?"

Chiyo was silent, unsure of how to exactly answer. Yes, while she had been surrounded by mechaniloids for half her life and Reploids for the other, some theories abound regarding just what had happened to the robots that once fascinated yet terrified the world. Same as with Reploids now, she realized. "Perhaps it's merely history repeating itself," she said. "Although, now," she turned her head to face X. "You're in a position to do something about it."

X looked down. "That's what I'm afraid of," he confessed.

"Afraid of what?" Chiyo inquired. "Afraid of us? Of me?" to the blue Reploid's surprise, the human appeared bemused by this. Almost as if it were sickeningly funny. Perhaps it indeed was. A smile unconsciously came to her face. "Surely you've seen that we're no match for you," she said. "We all witnessed that with the example my father provided."

X was quiet briefly, processing her reaction to the situation. "...maybe you're right," he answered. "After all, Dr. Light said so himself," he concluded, remembering a singular line from the warning left in the code of his capsule, as well as himself.

NO FORCE ON EARTH COULD STOP HIM.

"If that's the case, then what's there to be afraid of?" Chiyo questioned. "If we can't stand against you, then…" she paused, noticing X's optics were focused elsewhere. "What?"

X rose to a standing position, not entirely sure at first, yet upon analyzing it further, there was no mistaking it.

There was a figure going from rooftop to rooftop.

"...go back inside. I need to make a small trip."

At the moment, he was hoping that X had maybe taken it easy for once, despite the dire circumstances of the present situation.

The first time he had seen the figure rush into the abandoned facility he had previously visited, as well as barely escaped from, Ray B. wasn't entirely certain as to what exactly he had seen go in. True, it was something fast and slim in build, yet aside from that, he had little to go off of. Of course, upon investigating the place himself, he found that same shape meeting him yet again.

Only, this time, it appeared to be a little more confrontational.

The area was still sparsely lit and barely able to function, yet he could at least discern that the figure, whatever or whoever it was, had been shaped not as a humanoid, but as a four-legged creature. It was fast, his blasts from his buster not able to reach it as it darted around the operating tables and vastly outdated computers that needed upgrades half a decade ago, and once the first set of jaws landed on his shoulder and tore through both fabric and metal, Ray B. knew that it was best to make himself scarce.

Not before giving his pursuer a small jolt to disorient it long enough for him to escape, yet surviving that encounter was just one step down. From what he found on those files, as well as what little he had heard regarding the testament of Fujiwara's child, the machine knew that simply cutting Abel City, as well as the entire island off, was far from all that Sigma had in mind.

No, what was going to happen here would be a demonstration to the world, to all those like X and himself. And, even more importantly, a message to be delivered to all of humanity.

"The effects of which will spell out the demise for you all." he mused aloud, his destination but a short distance away. Ray B. adjusted his head, biting his lip as the face of a familiar, bearded figure with warm eyes came to his mind. "I know I've done nothing but cause you trouble," he whispered under his breath. "And he's the one you made for this sort of event," his concealed eyes centered on the now active and reclaimed Power Plant. "It's selfish on my part, but I have to try," he closed his optics, a distinct moment coming to him, the first time he had been activated.

"Welcome to the world, my dear, sweet boy!"

"...I have to give you one reason to not regret creating me. Creating us."

While he perhaps should've been elsewhere, upon seeing the clothed figure in the distance, X couldn't stop himself from following, compelled to tail Ray B. as he made his way to the Power Plant, now powering the damaged but still partially standing Abel City.

Still, the lingering question remained: why was he even going to begin with?

Thankful for the lack of heavy rain and lightning, the blue Hunter traveled through the steadily darkening city, all the while trying to keep on Ray B.'s tail while trying to keep himself from being seen. True, he hadn't asked, yet the enigmatic figure seemed to be the type that didn't like being followed.

From the look of things, the streets were surprisingly quiet compared to what he had heard, not a single mechaniloid or even a Maverick in sight. Good, he thought. It was too soon for a repeat of what occurred with Armadillo.

"...damn Vile," X cursed. "Then again, I could've maybe…"

A good portion of him wished to place blame solely on the violet former Hunter, yet Firefly's assessment of him having more than enough time to take a shot was also true. Indeed, it was cowardly, X admitted, to be unable to pull the trigger. Penguin was an exception, yet just barely. Still, there was considerable reluctance, and X himself wasn't entirely certain why. Yes, there were the obvious reasons why everyone they had been going against was once friends and allies for a considerable amount of years, battles and hardships shared, grievances aired, and moments held in between them all. All gone within the span of just one day. Much more could've been lost, yes, but there was a great amount of damage done. And in more ways than just launching missiles at a populated metropolis.

Still, in one area, that should've made X more willing to take action, having just seen the enormity of what his former leader was willing to do in his campaign. Indeed, it was the code, as Sigma ironically said once himself. Hunters were both swords and shields to those who couldn't defend themselves, and none seemed to fit that position more than the humans.

And yet he had just learned that there may be more to so many going Maverick than just a simple urge to rebel against humanity or following their Commander, no matter where he went. True, perhaps Fujiwara's mind was full of how he'd use his new position over his fellow man, and maybe Sigma himself was sane, yet now that he heard what he did from Armadillo, X couldn't forget it.

"...Dr. Light, your dream," he mused aloud. "I don't know if it can ever be a possibility now."

Just then, shuffling from around the corner reached his audio receptors, the blue Hunter turning with his buster drawn, yet he only kept his energy at a level to where it would be enough for a small shot. If he needed more force, it would be easy to conjure up, yet he wanted to make sure. Of course, a few short moments later alerted him that such a maneuver at all would be unnecessary, not to mention rather illegal, considering who had just emerged.

"Y-You…"Chiyo stepped out in full view for the Reploid to see. Her uniform smudged and showed signs it needed a wash, with her weapon in her grasp. "What are you doing here?"

The dark-haired young woman sighed, sensing well that he wouldn't take what she had to say well. Nevertheless, what other option was there but to be honest? "I know you're following that guy," she told him. "Ray B. right?"

X nodded. "And I take it you're here with that so you can come with me, right?" he questioned her in turn, she responding with averting her dark eyes to the side. "No, impossible," he told her plainly. "You shouldn't even be out here in the first place, it's dangerous. Roll will be worried sick."

"I won't be alone," Chiyo remarked. "You're here."

"I can't take you with me!" X protested. "The Power Plant might have been retaken, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's clear to just waltz in. Bear in mind, a time like this is perfect for one of Sigma's mechaniloids or soldiers to start patrolling the place for those like you."

"All the more reason why we should stay together, yes?"

"No, you're not coming with me!"

"Then do you plan to take me back?"

"What?"

"Think about it," the human suggested. "You're out here, and so am I. You, as a machine, are inherently stronger than I am," she said. "And while I didn't encounter anything or anyone on the way here tailing you," she glanced down at her weapon. "I didn't come completely unprepared."

"You could never be prepared," X told her. "And the fact you even came out here," he paused, sighing. "You knew that I couldn't send you away."

The human nodded. "And since you're trying to catch up, it'd be a shame if you wasted time taking me back."

The blue Reploid inwardly cursed, realizing that the young woman had crafted this entire plan the second he went off. "You know me."

To his shock, the human presented him with a wry grin. "I've known you since I was barely half your height."

Though he didn't articulate it, X narrowed his gaze, helpless but to adhere to her request. Lest that there be one less human to account for. Indeed, in some ways, she was like her father.

Ray B. shifted in place, noting that he was halfway done with his journey, the Power Plant just a few miles away. Still, the fact that he wasn't moving bothered his watcher.

The watcher in question wasn't foolish enough to reveal themselves, not yet, not until the time was right. Yet still, they didn't care for their target seemingly growing suspicious of the world around him. Yet he couldn't see them, not in the shadows of the empty city and the night. They were tempted to make some sort of noise, some sort of motion to maybe get their quarry moving, yet they remembered well what their Master had ordered of them.

Follow, but don't let yourself be seen. When he is alone, then you can kill him.

Finally, at long last, he began moving again, the shape concealed in darkness trailing the clothed machine as he continued.

Master Sigma's orders, they remembered.

"So, what's your reason?"

Chiyo tilted her head inquisitively. "Hm?"

"Tagging along with me?" X rephrased his question. "Or should I say, forced me to be your only means of protection?"

The dark-haired human raised a brow. "Then you would leave me, should you have a choice in the matter?"

"No, of course not," X retorted. "You know I can't do that."

"But you can, should you want to," Chiyo added. "You could do anything to me, bend me, break me," she examined her own throat, memories of Flame Mammoth's grip on her neck briefly flashing in her mind, phantom pain assaulting the tender flesh of that area. "Anything."

"Well, I don't want to," the blue Hunter told her plainly. "And it has nothing to do with any code or protocol."

"Then what?"

X was silent for a few moments, closing his eyes. "Because violence begets more violence," he answered. "Thus, this cycle is being treated all wrong," he went quiet once again, a slight howl of a night breeze meeting both of them. "But back to my question," he said, redirecting the conversation. "What's your reason for coming along?"

He was reluctant to go further, she kept this in mind for later. Still, she wouldn't get anywhere now, so she'd answer him for the time being. "That guy, I recognize him," Chiyo told X. "Fumiko, she…brought him to her house once. But he jumped out the window before I could do anything with my tools," she explained. "I only caught a glimpse, but I encountered him again a short time ago. I wasn't certain at first if I had seen the same guy, but seeing him atop the building…" she paused. "It has to be him."

X's initial frustration at the human twisting his arm to let her come had somewhat softened. This all related to the girl that had been lost a few days ago. Still, what sort of information Chiyo was after from Ray B. perplexed the Hunter. Did this interaction have her assume that the enigmatic machine and her deceased friend had known each other? He pondered asking, yet, despite the human enforcing her own will on him, he wasn't sure if he could bring himself to discuss such a topic with her.

Still, he did ask, "What do you need him to tell you?"

"No more than what he has to say," Chiyo answered. "And, if he has nothing, that's fine too," she continued. "There's still a shared memory we have of her."

X said nothing.

"Still," Chiyo went on, not allowing herself to dwell for too long. Difficult as it was, it would do her no good, not now. "Don't you find his sudden appearance somewhat odd?" she asked X. "Dare I say, convenient in a sense?"

The blue Reploid pondered the young woman's inquiry. "I'll admit, it is odd that he seems familiar with me," he answered. "Still, I don't think he's a threat."

"Neither do I," Chiyo agreed. "Still, he seems old, despite his height," she thought back on when she had first seen him, in the rain. "Somewhat dated, and yet, there's no difference between the two of you, programming-wise."

"What do you mean?" X asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" the human inquired. "From all your talk of the Robot Recall, I'm surprised you haven't figured it out yet," she said. "He's one of them."

"He's what?"

Chiyo turned her head, locking eyes with X. "He's a renegade robot."

"I take it you said everything you needed to?"

Firefly nodded. "More or less," he answered his Commander. "I think he got the message."

"Don't be so sure," The long-haired blonde responded. "There are some lessons that seem to escape that one at times."

Currently, the green biker and red Hunter stood at the edge of the rocky edge of the island, the lighthouse previously lit behind them both, yet it cast no beacon to the outside world that night. Waves beat against the barrier of stones, clashing against the earth, as if trying to repeatedly swallow the land and all on it. Although, if things continued, perhaps there wouldn't be much left to swallow.

"If I may be so bold, sir," Firefly began. "Why do you trust X with this task at all?"

Zero turned to face the other Hunter. "What do you mean?"

"Forgive my bluntness, but you said so yourself, there are some lessons that seem to escape him," the biker responded. "With all due respect, the potential to be an asset is only as great as the one that's willing to take it to that level, and he has yet to display he's willing to go that route."

Zero nodded, much to the biker's surprise. "It's not as if he doesn't know what must be done, the entire Hunter Code, as well as the Three Laws, are hardwired into his programming as foundational knowledge by this point."

"So why does he hesitate still?" Firefly questioned. "Isn't he aware that he just cost us an advantage in not taking out Vile? Or does he just not care?"

"Of course, he cares," the long-haired Commander chided. "Although, it may be difficult to believe otherwise," Firefly remained silent. "X…he might have the same label as the rest of us, but he's not like us."

"I don't entirely understand," Firefly confessed.

Zero looked out at the ocean, the night breeze lightly playing with his hair. "Reploids…robots…mechaniloids…" he began. "When I first became lucid, I had no idea which was which, let alone if it mattered," he admitted. "If we have to compare it to the evolutionary ladder of humans, I suppose Reploids would be at the top, with mechaniloids at the bottom," he explained. "Robots alternate between the two, yet never quite cross the line into either."

"Forgive my asking, yet if X is the predecessor of us all, how could he NOT be a Reploid, let alone the first of their kind?" Firefly questioned.

"You also know what Reploid in itself means, right?" Zero inquired back. "Replicated Android," the blonde clarified. "And, in theory, yes, the basics of X's systems have been given to each of us, but there was something in the transfer that didn't seep through. Whatever this is, it's what's holding him back," a pause, with the narrowing of blue eyes. "And I don't think it has anything to do with Sigma."

"Then what is it?"

Zero bit his lip, wondering whether or not to share his theory with the other Reploid. If he even was one himself, his own origins still a mystery in of itself. "It may have to do with what he sees in himself."

Firefly was about to ask further, yet a slight beeping echoed from within his audio receptor. "What the…?" he answered the call, only to find that the voice on the other end did not belong to Ai or even Trinity.

"Is this Team Zero?!"

Upon hearing the frantic tone in her voice, the blonde Commander answered the call. "This is indeed them," he answered. "What's up, Roll?"

"Ah, yes! Thank goodness! I finally reached you!" the other blonde back at base expressed in pure relief. "Sorry if I've interrupted anything, but there's an emergency!"

Zero raised a brow, yet he sensed he already knew just who she was referring to. "Is X in trouble?"

"I…I don't know," Roll confessed. "I haven't heard anything from him since I saw him last. But it's Chiyo! She's gone missing!"

"What the…?" the red Hunter gasped, his teeth then gritting. "Damn kid," he hissed. "Any indication as to where exactly she was last?"

"It's not just that," Roll answered. "I have an idea of where she's going. And if my hunch is right, I suspect that's where X is too," she paused. "I think they're together."

"And you know this how?" Firefly questioned, not entirely understanding what she was getting at.

Then, from behind, the sound of an approaching figure was heard, both turning to find, to their shock, the owner of the voice coming up to them, hand on her own left audial.

"Let's say, after the last time she ran off, I took a few measures myself," Roll answered. "For her own safety, of course."

200X

Cossack Residence

"And then Break Man brought me to where Papa and Mega Man were, and that's when I was dropped off at Dr. LaLinde's home for the time being until Mega Man finished taking Dr. Wily to jail…" The blonde Russian nine-year-old trailed off, explaining away her newest and rather exciting ordeal to her dear friend, Roll, of whom was rather pleased to hear about this turn of good news. The both of them continued on, the conversation eventually turning over to the enigmatic Break Man himself.

"Say, do you know where he went?" Roll questioned the human in turn shrugging.

"Sorry, I have no idea," she admitted. "Still, it was kinda romantic in a way," she giggled. "One brother comes to save me while the other saves my Papa and the world."

This statement began to have Roll grow excited. "Oooh, so, which one do you fancy?"

Kalinka's cheeks flushed. "Well…I…"

The two of them continued their conversation while another set of eyes watched them from the window, completely unnoticed in the dense canopy of trees in the Russian winter. Save for one pair that had just caught a flash of red, as well as something different that gave them pause at first.

"Hey, wait!"

Blues paused, turning to see Quake Woman had emerged from the expansive abode hidden away in the forest, small snowflakes drifting on a light chilled breeze. It was then that she saw that his former helmet had gained some new features. Or rather, lost some. The mouthpiece was completely ripped out, leaving a hollow space where his nose and lips could be seen. His face was more visible, but still mostly shrouded in mystery.

"I only came by to see how Kalinka was doing. I won't be a bother for much longer." The runaway DLN answered, assuming that she didn't want him here either.

"...I'm not here to tell you where to go," Quake Woman told him plainly, making it clear that, while the rescue of Cossack's daughter was shocking, as well as her initial kidnapping, trust was still on a shaky foundation between them. "Yet, since you went and pulled your latest stunt, where do you intend on getting repairs now?"

"At the moment, the best plan of action is to keep damage to a minimum," Blues answered, presenting his shield. "For once, I actually can give this thing an actual purpose."

"Forgive my saying, yet you staying out of trouble is unlikely," the pigtailed Robot Master stated, crossing her arms. "Especially now that you aren't exactly on Wily's good list."

Blue frowned. "All the more reason I should probably be making myself scarce," he said, turning away after putting his shield back in place. "Goodbye, Tempo. Tell Kalinka and Roll that Rock is eager to see them both."

He began to walk away. First a few steps, then more, and soon he was a few feet away, about to disappear entirely into the winter forest of the mountains.

"...one more thing," Quake Woman said, reaching Blues' audials and causing him to stop in his tracks. "I…still don't know about you," she confessed. "What happened before…was a lot," she added, although, unlike before, she tried to keep talk of the past to a minimum. "Yet, considering the position you're in now, I don't think it wise for you to simply go off on your own," she paused. "...not without somewhere you can fall back on."

Blues was puzzled, yet he slowly began to put the pieces together. "You mean…?"

Quake Woman nodded. "Wily is now your enemy, and you still refuse to go to Light," she looked back at Kalinka's residence. "And while Cossack may be an option, I take it that you don't wish to endanger the girl any further, yes?"

The brunette prototype nodded. While it was more speaking from his own perspective, he acknowledged that for the time being, getting involved with him was dangerous. Kalinka would surely offer him assistance, yet he had no intention of getting her wrapped up in something like this again. Not if he could help it.

"I only ask that you announce when you're coming, and what you specifically need," the green and violet android requested of the other robot. "My Mother may not be as brilliant as your creator, yet she has her own set of skills."

Blues was quiet for a few moments, snow gently falling in between the two of them. "...thank you."

Quake Woman hugged herself as if recovering from an unforeseen chill, despite having little worry about the elements. At least she wasn't buried in all this ice and snow like last time. "...I just wanted to let you know, that was all," she stepped back, turning her head to observe the mansion hidden away in this thick woodland. "...just be careful."

With that, she began to make her way back. At least, that's what she told herself to do, yet halfway there, she stopped in her tracks. Turning back, however, she saw that the machine had left, seemingly as if he had never been there at all.

Present

The truth was, he had been there, watching her as she left, making sure that there were no further threats in the area. True, Wily had just been apprehended once again, yet the old man had multiple tricks up his sleeve, so better safe than sorry.

And he had more than enough to be sorry for.

"Maybe one day, I can go back to him," Ray B. remembered the foolish little robot thinking in those moments. "Maybe one day, I can go back to being Blues. Just…not today. For now, I'm the first of all Robot Masters, of all machines, the prototype."

And, in that moment after, with a renewed sense of hope, he declared himself a new identity.

"For now, however, I am Proto Man."

Ray B. scoffed. "I wonder how long this one will last for."

Note: This section will be shorter, I promise, as I want to get to Launch Octopus soon. However, some character development for Chiyo is coming, and Zero and Roll are chatting with each other.

Also, the figure following Ray B. will be revealed later, and it sort of hints at what exactly he saw in the old factory.

Thank you for reading, and I hope to hear from you!

Alert me of any errors I may have missed!

Review if you liked it!

Thank you!