Note: Moving along here, only a couple of chapters left before we go take a dip in the ocean! I'm actually super excited about getting to that part because one of my favorite characters in the X series as a whole gets to make her debut!

Please alert me of any errors I may have missed! Thank you!

Restoration

The two Reploids standing at the entrance of the Power Plant spotted two approaching figures, drawing their weapons, yet they didn't fire, not yet.

"Halt!" one of them shouted. "Who goes there?"

"At ease," the approaching party said, an unexpected figure tailing behind them. "It's just us."

The two guards lowered their weapons, the familiar sight of a blue sheen and youthful face with green eyes alerting them that there was no danger. At least, not at the present. "X?" one of them questioned aloud, then noticing the human tagging along. "What's she doing here?"

"I didn't exactly choose to bring her," the blue Hunter responded. Not to say you aren't good at your jobs, but you wouldn't have happened to see anyone go by here, would you?" he questioned. "One that potentially might've gotten past security?"

"Impossible," the other guard argued. "We've seen no one. And besides, we wouldn't be foolish enough to let someone just waltz on by."

"Oh, I think this guy has his ways," X countered, gazing up at the building he had previously cleared. "He snuck into the factory on the outskirts, I'd imagine he'd find ways around this too."

"Sorry, but I find that unlikely," the first guard spoke. "Now, if you would kindly go back to the city-" he paused, receiving a notice on his com-link. "Hm? Yeah, what is it?"

A few moments of silence fell in between the three, Chiyo not saying a word, but listening in keenly on the conversation. Then, the message ended, and the guard's attention was back on X.

"What is it?" X questioned.

"Well, looks like there's some credence to your theory after all," the first guard answered. "The Thunder Slimer is gone."

Within the Power Plant

Electricity.

His fuel, his lifeblood, it was being given back to him.

Yet where from? He couldn't discern the source, and he had been separated from his main connection in the previous battle. So how…?

"...hear…can…?"

Wait a moment. There was something else amiss.

"Can you…me…?"

He was not alone.

"Can you hear me?"

The mechaniloid given intelligence found himself slowly regaining his sight, the world around him showing that he was back in the previous chamber he had been situated in before, only this time, his bubble was unable to be formed, and he found himself mostly drained of power, save for the jumpstart charge given to him. Yet who had done so, and even more, why?

It was not long after these ponderings that he became aware that the one who had addressed him was not behind some protective shield, but right in the room with him. And, from the looks of it, resembled a human pre-teen or young man garbed in a heavy trenchcoat he dwarfed in size.

Small surges of electricity emitted from his red fingertips, alerting the mechaniloid that this boy had been the one to revive him, albeit only so much.

"And why should I answer?" the mechaniloid questioned. "Why have you done this? Brought me here? Don't you know who I am?"

"Actually I do," the coat-wearing machine answered. "In fact, I've got a few questions that need answering, and I don't see anyone better than you do to do it," he paused. "Thunder Slimer."

The mechaniloid's optics widened in shock, uncertain of what he had just heard. Nevertheless, it appeared that it was indeed so. "Who are you?"

Ray B. smirked underneath his yellow scarf. "Give me some answers, and I might give you some clues."

Abel City Streets

"So, do you have any idea where she's gone?" Firefly questioned Roll, the female Reploid nodding in response.

"Ai said that there were some Hunters that saw a figure making their way to the Power Plant, right?" she asked. "I would assume that would be the best guess as to where they're heading."

"That said," Firefly added. "What does that have to do with you being here?"

Roll's lips tightened, teal optics shifting in trying to find an answer. "I'm here to collect Fujiwara's child," she answered. "I just wanted to know which one of you knew which direction the Power Plant was in."

Power Plant

Thunder Slimer's Chamber

"I ask again, who are you?" the mechaniloid questioned his newest company. "And how did you retrieve me from that storage room?"

Ray B. shifted in place. "Teleportation is a little unpredictable now, but it came transport more than one individual, it seems," he observed. "But that's aside from the point," he decided to get to why exactly he was here. "You were created by Dr. Fujiwara and turned to Sigma, right?"

The Thunder Slimer was quiet for a few moments as if he wasn't certain of how to answer. "How do you know this?"

"I read your file," Ray B. replied. "I read about all of you, the mechaniloids Fujiwara helped produce," he explained. "I also know that he decided to experiment with some higher programming in regards to some of you."

Thunder Slimer remained quiet, yet his processor was spinning, so much being delivered to him at once. Had he been in a more able condition, he would've seen fit to strangle this life form and demand answers for himself, yet, for the time being, he was rendered quite incapable of retaliating.

At least, physically. "You know nothing."

Ray B. adjusted his scarf that concealed his mouth. "I know that your friend, the Mole Borer, was once like you," he said. "They once had a mind similar to your own, one also given to them by Fujiwara."

"And one that was taken away," Thunder Slimer retorted. "He kept complaining about not being able to go outside, to see the sun," he then paused. "...he was the reason I never even mentioned the sun at all."

The smaller machine clenched his fist. "Humans can be a…mixed bag, I'll admit," he said. "Yet what Sigma plans to do is just…unfathomable." Or rather, it wasn't. This wasn't the first time he had seen something like this, yet it was always from an external force. Not one from within. At least, when he didn't count himself.

"It is for the good of us all," Thunder Slimer responded. "Without them, there shall be no one to hurt us anymore."

"Is that what Sigma's led you to believe?" Ray B. questioned.

"It's what I've experienced and seen firsthand," the mechaniloid answered. "I shall tell you nothing, and you can't convince me otherwise."

Abel City

The entrance to the enormous building was just a short distance away, Firefly spotted it as he rode up to the desired location, Roll on the back of his bike and riding with him. Usually, that seat was reserved for Ai, yet circumstances demanded that it have a temporary stay from a stranger.

"All right, here is fine?" Firefly questioned, Roll disembarking from the bike.

"Yes, thank you," she answered. "I trust Zero will be along?"

"He'll catch up in no time," the green biker answered, turning around. "I don't know what his creator put in him, but that guy's near superhuman, even by our own non-human standards."

With that, he rode off, Roll a small walk away from the entrance. Before she could take a single step forward, another figure whooshed by, catching her off guard and having her recoil to shield herself from whatever was coming. Thankfully, her concern proved to be for nothing as the one that had just come was of no danger to her.

Ironically enough, considering how they first met.

Zero gazed forward, spotting that the way inside had already been opened, yet not by those guarding the door. "Stay close," he ordered Roll, going toward the Power Plant and seeing just what exactly was amiss.

"What's wrong? Isn't this place supposed to be safe…?!" Roll began, following behind and also coming upon what the Hunter also witnessed. The two Reploids standing guard had been torn into, bitten, and torn to pieces as if mauled by some sort of animal judging from the claw marks and teeth indentations. "What could've done this?" the female blonde muttered, wincing as she surveyed the damage done to each mechanical being.

"Definitely not something with a gun," Zero noted. Then, his eyes turned to the broken-in entrance. "And definitely something that's on someone's tail."

Inside

"So, what was that about Ray B. being a…what again?" X questioned Chiyo, the human walking alongside him, holding her weapon tight. While she had her own reasons to come, she wasn't so foolish as to wander too far away from her only source of protection. He could've left her at the entrance with the guards, yet she outright declared that she'd simply follow him.

To a degree, perhaps she was still a fool. No different than the man who helped bore her.

"A renegade robot," the young Japanese woman answered the blue Hunter. "A survivor from an age we both only know from photographs and old articles detailing centuries-old history," she explained further. "The question is, how and why did he survive, let alone, is he really who he says he is."

"You believe he's someone else?" X asked her.

"I have some…theories," the human confessed. "Although, if I brought any of them up, I have no doubt he'd deny every one of them."

"Then what are some of those theories?"

Chiyo thought for a moment. "Well, he certainly knows a lot about you," she observed. "And probably much more. But still, that brings up the question as to how he managed to survive for so long," she then paused. "And while there's something I have in mind, some things don't fit."

"Such as?" X questioned.

The dark-haired young woman wondered if she should relay what she truly thought to the blue Hunter, wondering if it perhaps would have some sort of effect on what she herself was trying to do. "When we do meet him, promise you won't make a fuss about it?" she requested of the Reploid.

"Um, yeah, sure. Why?"

"Well, my personal theory," she stated. "Is that he's a creation of Dr. Light," she turned her dark eyes to meet X's green. "The same as you."

"Really?" X asked. "Like a brother?"

"...maybe," she answered. "Again, I have nothing but hunches and theories, but still, there are a lot of loose threads that those theories tie up." she then pondered the very name her previous rescuer had told her. "Ray," she repeated. "Like the musician, Ray Charles," she then turned to X. "And you call him Ray B., right?"

"Seeing as there's a Ray back in Arcadia, yeah."

Even that struck a chord with her. "Ray B.," she pondered aloud. "You know, there was another title that Ray Charles went by in life."

"Yeah, that's right," X responded. "I mean, I could technically look it up myself, but I don't suppose you know the answer, right?"

"Only due to a little research that I did the night I met him," the young woman answered. "Turns out, B. might have a place in his name after all."

"It was originally meant to be a placeholder," X replied. "But how does it relate to Ray Charles?"

"Easy," Chiyo responded. "One of the names he went by was Brother Ray."

While the lack of obstacles and mechaniloids to dodge made the journey somewhat easier in regards to navigating the building, the sight of the cleared-out halls and corridors cemented that this place was once again under the Maverick Hunter's control, a fact that the quadrupedal stalker was most displeased with.

Or rather, his Master was the one displeased, they in themselves an echo of Sigma's own reservations and mindset, their eyes serving as a link between the two, allowing one to observe the actions of another.

Their target was close, the scouting prowler already having a good idea as to where exactly the intruder from before had gone. Or rather, who they had come to see, especially given what the files he had delivered contained. A part of them wondered if they should go and attempt to collect that as well, yet Master decided against it, seeing as it would ultimately affect nothing.

"They only have information of what's coming," his voice echoed throughout the mechanical predator's CPU. "It won't prevent the inevitable."

No, it would not, they thought. Perhaps it would allow them to momentarily prepare, yet their defenses wouldn't be enough. Eventually, every human and opposition to Sigma's cause would go down.

Along with the rest of this island.

"What do you think you could offer me that Sigma has already not?" the Thunder Slimer questioned Ray B. "I had my freedom and the ability to finally have control over my life, everything the humans ripped from me," they paused. "And had done worse to others."

"Then why hasn't he come back for you?" Ray B. questioned the sentient mechaniloid. "After all, it's like you said: Sigma presumably acknowledges your increased intelligence, yet he hasn't even made an effort to come and collect you."

"He may not be aware that I am in custody." Thunder Slimer countered.

"Or he simply doesn't care," the smaller robot retorted. "If I managed to get you out of storage, then how much of a problem would it be for him?"

"Forget your foolish goal in trying to wrangle answers from me," the mechaniloid remarked. "Besides, I hold little information as it is."

"You have enough to where it could greatly benefit the Hunters in their efforts." Ray B. argued.

"The enforcers of the humans and their restrictions? No, thank you," the larger of the two hissed. "Even if those moments before were indeed my last, then they were better spent with my mind intact and free than being confined and stripped of all that makes me what I am."

"I understand that, truly, I do," Ray B. assured Thunder Slimer. "There's nothing worse than having your freedom robbed from you, much less being under the thumb of someone who has no regard for you as anything living," his lips tightened, unintentionally dwelling on some more unpleasant memories. Still, that couldn't be the focus at the moment, not now. "But I promise you that Sigma is not the savior that you think he is, let alone what he's led the rest of you to believe."

"You lie!" Thunder Slimer roared, drawing the attention of two figures steadily approaching the same chamber the massive machine had been fought in before. "Sigma was set to give Mole Borer its mind back! He was going to do the same for the rest of us!"

"And you know this how?" the smaller robot inquired. "Given your position, someone like Sigma could play you hundreds of different ways, all of which will eventually be to your detriment."

"He's already proven to be more trustworthy than those that built me," Thunder Slimer protested. "Once the city was taken, I would be free, along with everyone else!" he declared. "He planned to let me and Spark Mandrill control this area of the island, and we were doing perfectly fine until the Hunters decided to intervene!"

"And do you know what happened to Spark Mandrill after he was defeated?" a voice questioned, Thunder Slimer and Ray B. directed their attention to the source, finding not one, but two faces meeting them, to their collective shock.

"And where do you think they'd be going?" Roll asked, Zero, in turn, searched through the monitors before him, the security post still displaying all areas of the Power Plant, including those that had initially been locked off beforehand by Mandrill.

"Not entirely sure," the other blonde confessed, looking through the recorded footage taken a short time before they arrived. "But we can confirm that X and the human are here," he told her, this news giving her a slight degree of relief.

"Still, that doesn't explain what exactly did…what's outside to the guards." the unarmed Reploid remarked, turning her head back to the entrance from where they had come.

"Not exactly," Zero argued, pulling up some particular footage detailing what seemed to be a fluctuating camera going in and out in, plagued with static versus a clear picture at various intervals. During these intervals, brief images of a struggle could be seen, a violet blur going across the screen and quickly dispatching of the two Hunters guarding the entrance. "I think we got something."

Roll came over to see for herself, immediately taking note of the color. "You think it may be the one you and X faced on the Highway?"

"No, this doesn't match Vile's attack pattern," Zero observed, watching the sparse bits of discernible footage again, catching details such as claws and teeth. "It's wild and unhinged, but this is almost animalistic in nature."

Nodding in agreement, Roll glanced over at the other monitors, spotting one that seemed to be a brief flash of red. "Hey," she began, gesturing to the screen. "What's that?"

Zero turned to look as well, sighting what she too was seeing: somehow, another figure had gotten into the storage area of the building where most of the downed mechaniloids and their pieces were kept, especially the remains of the Thunder Slimer. A smaller shape dressed in a coat and scarf with a hat seemingly manifested in the room from presumably nothing, no evidence of his arrival apparent save for a sudden red flash that he soon took the place of. The nonfunctioning corpse of the advanced mechaniloid given a Reploid's mind sat in the corner, tendrils splayed out on the floor haphazardly, the figure continuing to approach. He then placed his hand on one of the metallic tentacles, the red glow slowly enveloping the entirety of the machine.

Then, the two vanished entirely.

The Thunder Slimer's optics widened despite their restrictive size, his former killer taking steps toward them. "You," they began, voice dripping with disdain. "Enforcer of the humans and their tyranny."

"If that's the case, then why is it that I'm here to help you now?" X questioned, yet the mechaniloid remained unfazed.

"I have no need of any help you can give," the mechaniloid then noticed the rather unusual companion the blue Hunter had with him. "What is this? Some sort of joke?" The Thunder Slimer inquired. "You bring one of those creatures here?"

"Not exactly," X confessed openly. "But she doesn't mean any harm to you. We're just here to talk."

"Talk?"

"That's right."

"What of? If you're considering using me for your organization's purposes, then I would rather offline myself right here and now." The mechaniloid threatened.

"There's no need for that," Ray B. assured the larger machine. "I know your first meeting wasn't exactly the best, something I can sort of relate to," he added under his breath. "But if you would just listen-"

"To who? A filthy human sympathizer?" Thunder Slimer retorted. "You both are nothing more than slaves to the hairless ape."

Chiyo glanced behind her, noticing a control panel that appeared to be a little smashed up, most likely due to X's previous battle, yet she noticed that it seemed relatively salvageable. Perhaps this conversation would allow her time to mess around and see if there was something she could tinker with.

But first, she needed to know something. "What is this, exactly?" she questioned both the Reploid and robot. "This room? What is it for?"

Ray B. bit his lip, somewhat irritated that X had brought a non-combatant with him in the first place. Nevertheless, he answered. "According to the schematic of the building, this was to house the Thunder Slimer, a mechaniloid originally built to sustain and store power, yet there were some…changes in the plans along the way."

"You mean, Fujiwara decided to experiment with some of us in giving the minds of Reploids, all to then just rob it from some of us because they expressed their grievances!" the Thunder Slimer barked back. "I only was spared because he had plans for me later," the machine then went silent. "Not that being locked away from the world with no light is much better."

Ray B. was silent for a few moments. "What Dr. Fujiwara has done against you and your fellow mechaniloids is wrong," he told the largest of them all. "Yet taking revenge against the humans won't solve the problem of your pain, nor will it bring relief to anyone else's either."

"Who says I'm in pain?" Thunder Slimer remarked.

"You must be," X interjected. "You know, if I had my way, I wouldn't have fought you at all, just simply found a way to escape the room," he confessed. "When I found out you were alive, like me, I-"

"You still progressed," the mechaniloid cut the blue Hunter off. "It's not the fact that you slew me that causes me ill will toward you. You were merely completely your objective, and I the same," they told X. "Yet Sigma provided me with freedom, the ability to move as I saw fit."

"So why were you locked in here the first time we met?" X inquired, crossing his arms.

Ray B. all the while noticed Chiyo was preoccupied with the panel to the side, seemingly toying with the wires and and keyboard. He approached, observing the contents on the semi-cracked monitor. "What are you trying to do?"

"This room," the human remarked. "It has an elevator, right?"

"Judging from the schematics, yes," the machine answered her.

"And what time is it now?"

"Around five-thirty AM. Why?"

"Well, if that's the case," she continued, securing the last of the frayed wires with the bits and pieces she managed to find around the computer. "I think I've got a solution to your problem. But first, I need to make sure if the connection is still stable."

Before Ray B. could question what she meant, the slightly shorter machine gazed back to find X still conversing with the Thunder Slimer.

"So, there's nothing that we can do to change your mind?" the blue Hunter asked the advanced mechaniloid.

"Unless you free me from my current confines, I see no form of negotiation being possible." the larger of the two responded.

"You're no longer in any warehouse or storage center," X observed. "What do you want to see?"

The mechaniloid paused, debating on whether or not they should even say. Not that it would make much of a difference, especially seeing that there was no way that these oppressors wouldn't be able to fulfill his request anyway.

"Show me the dawn," Thunder Slimer said plainly. "Let me see the sunrise in its natural environment, with my own optics, and with its rays grazing my sheen. Until then," they concluded. "I have nothing to tell you."

Suddenly, a reverberating hum echoed throughout the room, and everyone in the room was startled by the sound. Save for one.

"Chiyo?" X asked, noticing that the human approached him and the giant mechaniloid without hesitation, she then turned to Ray B.

"Well?" she asked. "You coming?"

The robot was about to inquire just what she meant, yet then caught on as he realized just where exactly Thunder Slimer had been placed. Nodding in agreement, he approached, all three figures and the mechaniloid situated in the center of the room.

"Chiyo, what's going on-" X began, but was cut off by a small movement underneath him, the floor dividing out into geometric patterns before a cluster formed into a platform, that in turn rose up from the ground and through the opening hole in the ceiling.

The elevator continued on upward, going through a somewhat narrow (narrow enough so the Thunder Slimer just barely fit) passage that continued to ascend. Higher and higher up it went until, finally, it reached its destination, the ceiling opening up to reveal the world outside the building.

"Wh-Wha…?" the mechaniloid began, uncertain of just what he was experiencing. Their optics then centered on the sole human accompanying them. "What did you do?" they questioned, in no position to threaten, yet they would be damned if they dare give her the satisfaction of lording over them.

"I'm only granting you your wish," she responded. "According to our friend here, we still have," she paused. "What's the time again?"

"Six-fifteen AM," X answered. "Why?" just as he asked, he then realized.

The horizon was pained with an array of soft colors of blues, yellows, and oranges, a few traces of pink making themselves known in the clouds above. The human's dark eyes turned east, seeing nothing, yet she knew that wouldn't be the case for long. "We still have a few minutes before sunrise, but by the time it comes, you'll be able to see it," she relayed to the Thunder Slimer, who was still in evident shock at what she had just done. "Now, care to answer some of those questions?"

Note: 4k mark here, but we'll have some action in the next chapter. Also, we'll get to see just what X actually received back in Armadillo's section.

Thank you all for reading! Please give your input! Thank you!