Note: Hello everybody! I'll admit that I'm kinda wanting to power through some of these next chapters (5 or 6 at least) so I can get to show off some of the cooler stuff. Finally, I get to show robot on robot violence! Plus, I am rather anxious to show you just how I'm planning on introducing the next major character in this story, as well as this series!

I've taken some liberties in the dates, for while I'm referencing the original manual's journal entries by Dr. Cain, I want to show a passage of time and how it dramatically affects Reploids and humans alike, as one is more affected by the other in a physical sense.

Take some liberties as time passes, and I want to show the effects time has on humans in the story, especially Chiyo. But I'll admit that I want to get on and get to what I think is the first "big battle" of the story. And I think I know who I'm talking about.

Maverick

May 3rd 21XX

"Wow, you DO look like Mega Man." Fumiko said in awe, looking up at X, the blue Reploid feeling a bit sheepish.

"So I've been told." he told the more petite girl.

"Oh, come on." Roll said, standing by Chiyo. "First, you want nothing more to get out of that lab, and now you're avoiding any sort of social interaction."

"I am not!" X protested. "It's just…."

"What? Afraid of being seen walking two little girls home?" the longer-haired Japanese girl taunted playfully. "Oh, what a big, strong man you are!" she cooed.

X felt heat rising to his cheeks, yet this seemed to garner Fumiko's attention. "Wow, you can blush too? You really are just like a guy in a robot suit!"

"All right, girls, leave him alone." Roll said.

"By the way," Chiyo reached into the pocket of her uniform and pulled out some zenny. "Tatsuya's requested some potstickers Thursday. So he put in some extra to cover the ingredients needed."

The blonde Reploid gasped, "Chiyo! You took money from one of your classmates?!"

"I told him that making stuff like that isn't cheap, so we worked out a deal." the longer-haired schoolgirl explained.

"That still doesn't make it right! What would your father say about this?"

"Like he cares. Besides, this is the closest thing to an allowance I'm ever going to get."

They began to argue back and forth on the morality of getting money out of one of her fellow schoolmates, yet X found himself drawn more to the dozens of other mechanical life forms like himself all around. Since the approval from the council, the Reploids of the city-state of Arcadia had fully integrated into human society. All throughout the White City were several of these "replicated androids" walking among their "creators", the two of them vastly different in bodies, but more like-minded than ever before.

Granted, even with the council's approval, this new line of robotic life forms couldn't be released out to the public. Firstly, while they were more advanced and had far superior AI than previous machines (even that of Dr. Light's robots, if the promotional material was to be believed), they still had needs that were to be met, should they function to the best of their ability. And while this meant some more tests assigned to X (much to his "delight"), the results did lead to what he saw all around him. Like the robots before them and even the still present mechaniloids (they were still quite prevalent despite the emergence of more advanced machines), Reploids needed energy to keep running, lest they become low on power and slip into stasis lock (or what was essentially a coma.) Fortunately, they required far less oil and other fossil fuels than their predecessors, yet the oil still had to be processed and filtered of impurities. But the primary source of energy that kept their systems running was a far more recent discovery.

As X had come to learn, humans had expanded their horizons far more than he could've realized, even if he himself was proof of such a thing. One of which was the creation of artificial crystals that could contain varying amounts of energy, mainly consisting of electricity given the Reploid's low fuel consumption, of which were mined in controlled environments where the conditions were right to develop them. And many of those were located on artificially cultivated islands off the coast of Arcadia and along the coastline of much of Japan. The islands themselves had been growing over the past decades since they were established almost half a century ago, yet they had steadily become hotspots for far-off power generators and radio towers, nearly all of which served to provide energy to the mainland.

And, as of recently, these new forms of robotic life.

This is all because of you, my boy. X remembered Cain telling him when the first Reploids were released off the production line. You may not even realize it, but your contribution will lead to the world changing forever.

"Hey," X was drawn out of his trance by the sound of Fumiko's voice. "What's your job?"

"Huh?" the blue Reploid raised a brow underneath his helmet. "Job?"

"Yeah, like, what do you do?" the spectacle-wearing girl clarified. "What's your…what do they call it? Function?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Chiyo interjected. "His function is to shoot stuff."

"What? No!" X protested. "I'm an assistant to Dr. Cain."

"Full-time in comparison to me." Roll added.

"So, you're not made to be a fighting robot? Er, Reploid?" Fumiko asked. "But why would you have this," she lightly tapped X's right forearm. "If you weren't supposed to use it?" she then paused. "Then again, there's nothing to shoot exactly, so…"

"No, there isn't," X said, though Roll noticed that he didn't sound too disappointed about it. If anything, he sounded glad.

"Well, maybe that's a good thing." Fumiko said, thinking it over.

Chiyo sighed, reaching over to scratch an itch on her back lightly. Damn tag STILL itches! She thought, though she dare not say it aloud with the blonde Reploid right beside her. "You know, it's kinda disappointing." she began. "That's there's no fighting robots anymore."

Roll's head turned to face the human girl. "You might've not been around for it, but robots like that are no joke," she explained. "They wrecked all sorts of havoc, and that's not to mention the damage Wily caused from his larger creations."

"I'm not talking about anything too dangerous," the longer-haired girl replied. "But wouldn't it be cool if people got to see you show off your stuff? I saw those recordings dad took of you, those were awesome!" she grew excited. "Like, we could have Reploid fighting tournaments or something! Show them blasting and beating the gears out of each other," she then saw both X and Roll look quite disturbed at the girl's want to see such violence. "Nobody has to be destroyed or anything. It's just seeing them fight. Besides, you guys can just put your arms and legs back on, right?"

"Well…yeah. We can do that." X answered with a nervous chuckle. Geez, kid. Were children this bloodthirsty in Dr. Light's time? He was torn between being unnerved and finding the girl's comments somewhat humorous in a sick, dark way.

"Well, regardless, I doubt that we'll have to even consider constructing any sort of fighting robots or Reploids for a long while." Roll then said. "Although," she then winked at X. "I'm sure that my baby brother would be the strongest of them all."

Later

Did she have to add the 'baby' in there? X groaned to himself, still a little miffed about Roll addressing him as such. He turned in his capsule (as a bed would not provide him with nightly charging), frustrated he couldn't sleep. He could still see the two human children giggling to themselves, his cheeks growing even redder. Damn it, were some of these features necessary? Even if X would never speak ill of the Doctor, he couldn't help but wonder if he gave him a facial heating system just to see how he'd look.

"Like a perfectly ripe tomato." He remembered Roll saying once. She didn't treat X poorly, but whenever the opportunity came, his "sibling" always mentioned his status as the "baby" of the "family" to whoever was around. And almost always, the blue Reploid grew hot and flustered.

Still, despite his feelings on being the "youngest" (which he was not), X found another memory coming to the forefront of his mind. And honestly, even now, he still didn't know what to make of it.

Months Before

The moment the door was opened, the blue Reploid rushed into the study, his green eyes examining and taking in all that was around him. Since the clearance from the council and the approval for the production of Reploids as a whole, X was finally able to get out of Fujiwara's lab! He couldn't be happier! There were so many places that he wanted to go, yet given that he knew next to nothing about the city outside, he was allowed to go to Dr. Cain's home a short distance away. Even if it wasn't as far-off a location from the lab, X was elated regardless. Anywhere that wasn't his room in that lab would be welcome!

X found that despite Dr. Cain's home's exterior being relatively small compared to the other houses surrounding him, the man's abode had much to offer. While some elements retained the more "futuristic" look of the present time (X still had to grasp that he was decades, no, a century-old), Cain's furniture and interior decorating appeared to be trapped in time. There was still modern technology, yet instead of smooth, thin cubic shapes serving as shelves and tables, traditionally carved wood and cushions emblazoned with flowers were seen. In addition, an old grandfather clock still ticking away, pendulum swinging back and forth in the den, and several paintings of ancient cultures nearly lost to time.

But the moment the elderly human had opened the door for him, X saw that all the waiting and tests were worth it. Inside was a room containing nearly everything that centuries, no, millions of years before his time. A large desk with a small coffee mug full of half-full ink pens sat in front of an even larger bookcase, X scanning the titles and seeing everything from Mesopotamia to what was called "The Rise of Robotics." Almost every period in history was present for X to choose from, though that was not all the study had to show him. On the walls were samples of fossilized plants and small examples of sealife and insects (though the insects were vastly more significant than their present-day descendants), and beside the desk was a classic, round globe was painted in blue and green beside the desk.

"I take it you're interested?" Dr. Cain asked, having entered the study as well.

"It's wonderful!" X responded in awe, immediately walking over to the fossils displayed. "Did you find these?"

"No, those are actually replicas of actual fossils." X then felt the older man lay a hand on his shoulder. "Although some of my findings have been taken and preserved." he then led X over to the desk and held up what looked to be the ancient imprint of a flower. "I found this in Argentina. Until I accidentally uncovered it, this species was thought to have never existed. And yet it has ties to several other ancient plants found in the same dig site." he explained, looking over the small sample of rock.

Cain then proceeded to tell the Reploid more and more of his years searching and studying not just extinct flora but also world history and culture. And while X's AI already knew the information these books contained, actually seeing and feeling the bound collection of pages made him experience a sense of satisfaction he couldn't describe. Maybe he was overthinking it, but he didn't care. He was just so glad to be out of that room and that lab finally!

But it was just then that he stopped and remembered. "Wait, where's that other Reploid?"

"Hm?" Cain looked at X. "Oh, you mean Sigma?" X nodded. "I believe he's still with Fujiwara. The council wished to speak with both of them still."

"Even now? What else is there to say?" X asked. "If we've been approved, then surely it means they see us as safe, right?"

Cain was silent for a moment. "Old beliefs are being challenged, my boy. Both those when robots were first introduced, and when they were reverted back to little more than drones with the most basic of programming," he explained. "And those at the top want to make sure that, this time, nothing goes wrong."

"But why would they need Sigma to prove that?" the blue Reploid remembered asking Cain. It wasn't as if he was insulted, but he couldn't help but wonder why he wasn't chosen to speak to the council. Granted, it got him the chance to get out of Fujiwara's lab finally, but it still made him wonder.

"Because, X, this is still a matter of control for them." the paleobotanist explained. "There is still this mindset that mechanical beings are in servitude to us. And, in many ways, we have used them as such. Whether right or not, it is part of daily life now, and it isn't changing anytime soon. But now," he continued. "Things have changed. A machine like you exists, and thus, Light's work has entered the world again. And just as he did when he was alive, Light can make everyone see robots and mechanical life as a whole in an entirely new way."

Present

"An entirely new way." X muttered. What that meant held as many possibilities as perhaps there were gigabytes of data in his systems, but the future didn't seem to be in any mood to wait.

"A new way that," he remembered Cain telling him. "In one way or another, they can understand. Though there may be some that will want it to be one they can control." the robot remembered the sensation of warm flesh on his smooth, blue outer shell. "But with Sigma, someone that they built themselves, maybe they will recognize you for what you and the others to come truly are."

"What we truly are." X mused aloud, feeling a wave of drowsiness begin to fall over him. "I wonder…" he muttered, his tongue failing to form words as he drifted off. Still, he wondered whether this "new way" would lead to enlightenment or disaster in the remaining part of his active consciousness.

Or perhaps, in some bizarre twist of fate, both.

July 16th 21XX

Even though it was the year 21XX, there were still places that preserved and carried on the ancient ways of old. The country of Mongolia was one such place. When X had arrived with Dr. Cain in the province of Bayan-Ulgii, he was nearly shell-shocked by what he had seen before him: untamed land untouched by the modern world, fertile, flowering land with deep, blue lakes and a people that still participated in the ways of their ancestors. From what Cain had told him, these humans called themselves the "Kazakhs," the largest ethnic minority of the country, and Fayan-Ulgii was where many members of the tribe were located. Despite the current age, the Kazakhs were still very much a people in tune with the ways of their ancestors, still living the lives of semi-nomadic wanderers. And when they had seen the X and the other Reploids, they were all unsure of what to make of them.

As Cain's digging team set up the site, X saw a young girl approach him from behind, dressed in a warm, fur shawl and hat, her dark hair braided in long pigtails.

"Oh, hey." X greeted, kneeling to her level. "What's up?"

"Is it true?" she asked him, though her language was old and not as prevalent as others in this part of the world. Thankfully, X understood her perfectly (another perk of having a supercomputer for a brain, he thought). "That your skin is made of iron?"

"Titanium alloy, actually." the blue Reploid answered her. He then felt her place her hand on his arm, her small fingers trailing over the smooth metal. "So…you like it?" he asked, not exactly sure of what else to say. He sort of had to get back to Cain, but this girl had no interest in letting him go until her "examination" was done."Um, well, it's been nice talking to you…?"

"Zubaira." the girl answered matter-of-factly. "And yours?"

"X."

"That's it? Your name's a letter? That's weird."

Even if he had just met this human child moments ago, X already found himself reminded of a familiar Japanese girl back in Arcadia. Is this just what kids are like now? God, listen to me, complaining like an old man.

Then the thought of his sister as an old woman came to mind, as well as how, by her logic, if she was the older sibling (which she wasn't), then she WOULD beat him out by who knew how many years. Yet he was also reminded of the surprisingly strong grip she had of his audio receptor, as well as the pressure put on the sensitive components inside.

Yeah, maybe not. X thought. Whichever one was technically older, Roll clarified who was dominant when it was necessary. At least, according to her.

"Is that a hat?" The tribal girl asked, pointing at X's head.

"Huh? Oh no, that's a helmet." The blue Reploid explained.

"Is it warm?" Zubaira questioned.

"Well, I suppose so?" X answered. Honestly, he didn't really register anything under his helmet. It was just present on him; it didn't have any sense of being too hot or cold.

"Do you have hair under there?"

"Hair?" X pondered this for a moment. "I…actually don't know." Come to think of it; he couldn't remember a time when he didn't have a helmet on, concealing his forehead and scalp from view. "Well, again, nice talking to you, but I got to-" Suddenly, he felt a pair of hands begin to try and pull the headpiece off of the Reploid. "H-Hey! What are you doing?!"

"If you got hair, then it's under here, right?" Zubaira asked. "So, let's see it."

X put his hands on that particular part of his armor, keeping the girl from lifting it off his head. She wasn't getting anywhere, his helmet secured on his head, yet that didn't mean he was okay with it being removed. "H-Hey, could you not?"

"Why? It's not like you're bald under there." Zubaira then paused for a moment. Or, are you?"

Bald? While X wasn't entirely sure of whether or not he had hair, the thought of not having any didn't sit well with him at all. And if he was bald underneath, then the last thing he wanted was for someone to see him! Especially this kid!

But neither he nor the human girl got any further, as a piercing shriek echoed throughout the area.

X and Zubaira immediately identified the sound as a combination of fear and pain. A loud impact was heard not long after, which prompted X to run towards the source of the commotion. "Stay here!" he told the girl before going off. He rushed to the scene and was taken aback by what he saw before him.

A woman was lying on the ground, grasping at her stomach and groaning. She was trembling and had a scraped knee, but it seemed the real reason for her pain was from her abdomen. Other diggers and native people were fleeing in terror from what appeared to be, to X's shock, another Reploid like himself. The Reploid's presence wasn't what shocked X, as to prove the reliability of Reploids, Dr. Cain had taken a few, including X himself, along to Bayan-Ulgii to assist with the dig. But given that the native people were still very much living a lifestyle once thought lost to time and many not being in tune with technology, their presence here was significant. But now that image of reliability had come crashing down, just as the Reploid did with valuable equipment and resources. The Reploid was very human in appearance much like X himself but was donned in yellow and black armor, his helmet very much resembling a construction hat. And it was that helmet that X realized had been dug into, deep dents in the surface.

"Delta! What do you think you're doing?!" another similar-looking Reploid shouted, running over to try and stop his fellow worker. Unfortunately, this proved to be futile as Delta slammed his fist into the other Reploid's face, sending him flying back.

"Hey! Stop!" X called out, going to Delta and taking him by the shoulders. "Delta, what's going on?" then the Reploid looked at him dead in the eye, the other Replicated Android's optics were filled with fear and some form of madness. "Delta?" the blue Reploid then felt something deep within his core. A deep, almost instinctual part of him that he didn't even know existed registered danger. A great and terrible threat somehow found its way into this Reploid.

And he didn't know why, but two words came to his mind immediately, as if he knew what this dreadful chill in his soul meant. Evil Energy…

Delta then began spasming, his digits twitching uncontrollably and head crooking to the side at random angles. "B-Bugs…" he said through clenched teeth. "Bugs…"

X raised a brow. "Bugs?"

"Bugs…bugs in the brain." Delta stammered. "In my head. I feel them. They're crawling all around inside me…heh, heh heh…" the Reploid then began chuckling, though whether it was out of fear or finding some part of this humorous, X was unsure. Maybe it was both. "I can feel them. And…" Delta began to grow violent again, jerking away from X and throwing the blue Reploid to the ground. "And they hurt! They hurt!" he then fell to his knees, his fingers clutching desperately at his hard hat helmet. "I got to get them out! I got to get them out!" he then reached over for a small drill, powering it up and bringing it down on his head.

"DELTA! STOP!" another worker Reploid similar in looks to Delta ran over to try and calm his fellow digger down.

Unfortunately, the Reploid was rewarded with the drill being plunged into the chest, Delta pushing the drill down further as it began collecting sensitive cables and wires. The Reploid cried out in pain, the drill tearing into his inner wiring and soon, through his back. Delta had essentially run his fellow worker through, and it seemed that he had no intention of stopping. Another worker grabbed Delta from behind and pulled him off, forcing him to let go of the drill and subsequently the other Reploid he had pierced with the tool. The other worker's efforts were met with Delta whirling around and beating him to the ground, his fists continuously pounding into the other Reploid's body until the metal began to surrender to the force of Delta's blows.

X hoisted himself up and soon found an old bearded man by his side. "X, are you all right?" Dr. Cain asked. "What's going on out here?!" Cain and his digging team were in the middle of laying out a perimeter when they suddenly heard a woman scream from outside. Some of the Reploids with them volunteered to exit the tent to check it out, but when they didn't return, Cain volunteered to go out and see what was happening.

"I have no idea!" X told Cain. "Delta just began going crazy!"

More humans emerged from the large main tent, drawn by the commotion. They didn't entirely understand what was going on, but when the crazed Reploid turned to face them, a deep, primal fear overtook all other senes. Some froze while others tried to run, both diggers and the native people that had also gathered to the scene. Unfortunately, this sudden motion, almost like a fleeing gazelle attracting the attention of a lion, drew Delta to the fleeing humans. His wild eyes centered on Dr. Cain, and he immediately dove for the man. X grabbed the older human and rolled out of the way, Delta missing the two entirely. Unfortunately, it seemed that another took Cain's place as the Reploid's target, a high-pitched scream was heard close by.

Delta had Zabaira by the leg, the girl kicking wildly to try and escape. "You!" the Reploid shouted. "You…you've got a brain with no bugs! Give it! Give it to me!" he then seized one of her long braids, pulling and forcibly dragging the girl closer to him.

"N-No!" the tribal girl screamed, continuing to kick at the mechanical being. "Let go of me!"

"STOP!"

Delta whirled around and saw X standing in front of Cain defensively. Immediately, the Reploid's demeanor changed. Once wild but fearful, his eyes grew enraged and hate-filled as if the very presence of X filled him with some sort of unquenchable bloodlust. This temporary distraction allowed the other workers to pile onto Delta when he charged forward, seizing the opportunity to try and get him down when there was a chance. Shockingly, however, Delta still fought with all his might against the others, still trying to get at X. He soon slipped out from underneath those holding him in place and jumped forward, taking X to the ground.

"You…" Delta stammered. "You can…destroy…" he then reached over, grabbing another drill. "You can destroy…us. Me." the drill then whirred to life, spinning wildly. "Destroy…destroy…" he then lifted the drill over his head, ready to plunge into X's chest. "DESTROY YOU FIRST!"

Delta thrust the drill down, X just barely managing to catch it. The other Reploid continued to apply force and his weight down on the other Reploid, bringing the spinning tool closer and closer to X's chest cavity, right where his core rested. Cain ran over to try and stop Delta, if not just to try and buy X more time. The sight of the older man drew Delta's focus, and he took care of the older man with a swift punch to his gut. Dr. Can was sent flying back and landed in a heap on the ground, wheezing and coughing in pain.

Seeing that the human wouldn't be a problem anymore, Delta turned back to his original target. X took the opportunity and rolled to the side, Delta continuing to stab and thrust the drill in the other Reploid's direction. After a few close calls, X found his luck had run out when the drill pierced his right pectoral plate. The blue Reploid strained not to scream, yet Delta saw he had an opportunity in and began trying to dig his way to X's center, several cables and wires either being wound up or snapped in two.

This wasn't the same as when Fujiwara had set the mechaniloid on him. No, X thought; this was something different entirely. This was a matter of life or death. X found the realization hard-hitting and a shock to his systems, but he had no choice but to accept it. Only one of them was going to be walking away from this.

And X knew just who that had to be.

Delta didn't get a second to react before he found himself staring at the barrel of a buster cannon, hot light blinding him before he felt his helmet and subsequently, his entire cerebral chamber being consumed by a sudden but overpowering burning. But it was only for the briefest of seconds, for the blast from X's buster had pierced through Delta's head entirely, the Reploid soon falling to the ground. X quickly got to his feet and stared down at the twitching worker that he had just shot. After a few more small spasms, the Reploid went still, unmoving, and essentially dead.

X had to tear his green eyes away from the sight, looking back to Dr. Cain in search of some form of reassurance. But, unfortunately, he found the older human just as helpless to explain what just happened either. The humans, Cain's crew, and the native people stood in place, neither drawing closer nor moving away. Everyone was frozen in a state of bewilderment and terrible comprehension.

Note: I hope I'm not going too fast, as while I don't want this to drag, I don't want to just go through things without them leaving an impact. And I hope what I'm working up to in the next few chapters really makes one. And yes, this story and series also takes fan theories into consideration because honestly, those are so fun to work with.

Let me know if you spot any errors that I missed, and I hope to see you all later!