Note: A Tv Tropes page? A Tv Tropes page?! OMG! Wow, I don't know what to say! Thank you! Thank you so much! I'm so thankful even if I just started this story (technically, as we haven't gotten to the "game" content yet)! Thank you all so much! I hope that what I have else planned will please you just as much as what I've got now!

I know I said that I would take a hiatus, but I felt that, given it's only a couple of chapters, I should fully introduce our favorite Red Maverick properly, and then I can take a break. After all, a time-skip will cut to the game's setting we're more familiar with (with some Maverick Hunter X thrown in there.)

Also, just a heads up, if anyone finds stories on this account that are on others (such as Ao3, for example), it IS me. I just wanted to brand myself as something different, but over time, I wanted to reinvent myself here, so I chose another username (it used to be SailorSaiyan93 here). But if you happen to see something like my Trials of Mana story on a differently named Ao3 account, rest assured, it's still me. If anyone knows how to do it, I'd like to link my separate Ao3 accounts via pseudonyms (or, as the site calls them, pseuds.)

Here's another chapter and one step closer to the meat of this story!

Escape!

He's real. X thought, unaware of how the cracked parts of his red crystal were being sealed up. I'm not crazy. He's actually real. Currently, the blue Reploid was situated atop an operating table in the medbay of Hunter HQ, a handful of Reploid nurse units tending to his wounds.

"Fortunately, he didn't rough you up too badly." one of the nurse units said, looking over X's cracked outer shell. The nurse was "dressed" in green and white armor with a "skirt" and no leg coverings. Atop her blonde head rested a nurse's cap with a red medical cross in the center. "Compared to that of Gamma's unit."

"Shh!" another one of the nurse units hissed, the nurse tending to X, shutting her mouth.

X had been told to keep still during the operation several times, yet he couldn't help but ask questions. "How is Sigma?" he asked. He suspected that he might not receive an answer, but knowing the condition of the Hunter leader made his processor go crazy with worry. The other Reploid could've perished long ago for all he knew, and he wouldn't even know it.

The nurse units looked at each other, then to the head of the medical wing. He was a larger Reploid with the same color scheme as the nurses, but unlike them, he possessed a brown beard-like section on his jaw, giving him a mature appearance that commanded respect. Well, at least here in this part of the HQ. "The Commander is stable." the taller Reploid, dubbed "Lifesaver", answered X. "But he's still in critical condition. So he's still being monitored."

"For how long?" X asked, rising from the operating table, only to be pushed down on his back.

"As long as we deem necessary." Lifesaver answered. "Speaking of, I should see if there's any change in the Commander's condition." he was about to leave when he suddenly heard the door to this particular room of the medbay swing open.

"Miss, you still need to have your shoulder joint repaired!" a male nurse Reploid said, his "patient" stubbornly continuing forward.

"Let me see him! Just once!" Roll pleaded. "I just need to know if he's ok!"

"He's fine!" the nurse assured the blonde. "See? He's being repaired as we speak!"

X took a moment to look at his sister, noticing how the conductor was still stuck in her damaged shoulder. Seeing as she didn't have the piece of equipment in her joint before, the blue Reploid couldn't help but wonder where she had gotten it. Let alone if she put it in herself. But unfortunately, he got no time to question this further as Roll rushed to his side, looking all over his blue form. "Are you alright?" she asked him.

"Y-Yeah. Sure." X answered. While he knew that she would definitely come to check up on him, the Reploid couldn't help but feel embarrassed. Sisterly "instincts" aside (at least, that's what Roll called them), X didn't exactly care to be seen as a child. Something of which Roll's doting didn't really help with.

"Oh, that fiend did a number on you, didn't he? How dare Red Maverick (or whoever he was) do this to her sibling! What had she done besides throwing a rock at him? It didn't matter because X was put in danger.

"Miss, I'm sorry, but no visiting during operations." the male nurse told Roll.

"Yes, right. I apologize," Roll told the nurse. "Excuse me." she was then escorted out of the room, though not before giving one last look of concern to X. I mean it. I am sorry.

The Streets of Arcadia

The armored vehicle drove through the less populated sections of Arcadia, keeping out of both traffic and away from any significant numbers of civilians. But, despite the vehicle's exterior appearance, the real threat was what was contained inside.

"How is he?" one of the group of Hunters sitting in the back asked. His eyes fell on the still, restrained form of the Red Maverick, the wrists and ankles bound by restraining cuffs.

"He hasn't moved an inch since the Commander laid that blow on him." one of the Hunters stationed at the wheel answered. "Let's just hope it stays that way."

None of the other Reploids in the back disagreed with that. The Red Maverick had been detained, but first, he was to be taken to be repaired. However, away from the main HQ, seeing as there was clearly something wrong with him. No one wanted to risk any further infections if this Maverick was indeed the source of this "virus."

Still, because the "culprit" was now right in front of them, some of the Hunters were beginning to have their doubts. "Surely this can't be the guy, " one said.

"Guy? I thought he was a woman at first." another Hunter joked, eyes on the Maverick's prominent blonde ponytail. "Is it true, though? So this guy managed to take out Gamma?"

"That's what Glenn and Ray said." another Hunter answered. "Gamma and the rest of his men went in, but that Maverick's the only one that came out." he then glowered down at the unconscious Reploid's restrained form. "That's enough to get him scrapped, I say."

"Don't say that!" another Hunter spoke up. "You know what that means, right?"

"Hell yeah, I do! And I say he deserves it!" the other Hunter protested, pointing at the Red Maverick. "For all the months he's sent us on a wild goose chase?! Not to mention that dozens of Reploids were infected with this virus because of him!" he then gritted his teeth. "And if you're saying what happened to Gamma didn't matter-"

"No, that's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

The Hunter wanted to counter his fellow Reploid's words but found he couldn't conjure one that'd do any good. So he went silent, looking away from the rest of his comrades. True, this Maverick deserved punishment, especially if he was indeed responsible for all he was accused of. Still, there were a great many elements that didn't add up. Unfortunately, nothing in this whole case added up.

Maybe it was what some of the others were saying. Perhaps it was all just a glitch that could occur in their systems. Maybe, this "virus" wasn't a virus at all. Or maybe, it never even existed.

The armored vehicle continued on its way, the destination being that of Dr. Fujiwara's lab. Suddenly, one of the Hunters saw something. Of course, it was just for a passing moment, so he assumed he could've been mistaken. But his dismissal soon proved to be detrimental. A twitch of a finger soon turned into the entire hand, and soon, the movement spread throughout the Red Maverick's whole form.

Then, before anyone could speak up or say anything, let alone react, the Maverick's icy blue eyes opened.

Hunter HQ

X stood back on his feet, finally free to get up off the operating table. "There," Lifesaver said, looking the repaired X over for areas the staff might've missed. "That should do it." the taller Reploid then called one of the nurses over his audio link. "All right, NOW she can come in."

As soon as Lifesaver spoke those words, X heard the door to the room opening. Roll entered the room, her shoulder completely mended. "Finally," the blonde Reploid sighed in relief. "I told them repeatedly that I wasn't the one in need of repairs." X greeted her with a small smile. Even if her presence meant he'd have to deal with her mothering, at least she was fixed up. And as if to demonstrate, Roll looked the blue Reploid all over, doing her own inspection alongside Lifesaver's. "You did a good job," she told the larger medic. "Thank you."

X gave Lifesaver a look as if to please excuse her. The medic had never seen this blonde Reploid before outside of today, but she certainly made her presence known. "Yes, well, you're very welcome, miss. Are you with him?" he asked her.

"Why, yes," she told him. "I'm his sister. Older sister." she clarified. "Is he ready to be discharged?" she questioned.

"There's no further damage, and his systems have been cleared." Lifesaver alerted Roll. "So yes, he's free to go."

"Great. Thank you." with that, both X and Roll exited the room and medbay, eventually arriving in the more significant main center of the headquarters. "Are you sure you're all right?" she asked X, her teal eyes going over him yet again.

"I'm fine. Really." X assured her. He then gestured to her shoulder. "I've been meaning to ask, but how did that converter get there?"

Roll looked over at where the converter previously was. "Oh, that." she bit her lip. "Well, that Maverick actually performed some surgery on me, I guess you could say." she admitted.

X was shocked to hear this. True, he suspected that the converter had to have come from somewhere, but this? "He fixed you?" he asked.

She nodded, just as confused as her sibling. "Yes. That's the odd thing." Roll said. He was a complete savage when it came to Sigma and X, but he treated me as if I were glass. She looked X over again for any scrapes, just in case.

"So, he didn't hurt you? At all?" X inquired. True, he had only heard so much from Lifesaver and the other medics, but now that Roll was back with him, he could finally get answers from the source. "But he still did all of that to Sigma?"

Roll grimaced. "I saw him do it," she answered. "I saw him love every moment of it too." She crossed her arms. "Someone like that has no place in society, let alone among humans." She sighed. "I STILL can't believe no one told me that he was the one that broke into Dr. Fujiwara's house! And with Chiyo being alone too!" she then looked down. "I should've never left her alone, let alone leave Arcadia at all." she then turned to X. "I'm sorry about all this. I didn't mean for Sigma to end up in this state, least of all get you involved."

"Hey, I'm fine," X told her. "If anything, I'm the one who should be sorry. After all, the trap we set up was my idea." he now was the one looking his sibling over. If that Maverick put Sigma in that state, he could've surely torn her to pieces. So X thought, knowing the conditions of his sister's body. So why? Why is she even standing here right now? X then remembered how the Maverick's eyes bore into his. And why did he look at me in such a way?

"ATTENTION, ALL HUNTER PERSONALE!" Ai's voice suddenly boomed from over the intercom. "THIS IS URGENT! THE MAVERICK TAKEN INTO CUSTODY HAS ESCAPED!" all of the Reploids in the central area froze upon hearing this news. "ALL HUNTERS AVAILABLE, ASSEMBLE! ATTENTION, ALL HUNTER PERSONALE!" the operator repeated her speech, the Hunters present in the center immediately making their way to the briefing room.

X looked at Roll, the blonde knowing they'd be separated again. She touched his shoulder but knew she couldn't keep him. Even if he had just gotten out of intensive care, her brother would potentially be needed.

Streets of Arcadia

Just where the hell was he?

As he tore through the metal linking the cuffs on his wrists and ankles, the Red Maverick was finally relieved to have more range of motion. Nevertheless, he knew he couldn't revel in his freedom just yet. No, freedom was outside this city's walls, away from those currently pursuing him. But why? What had he done? As far as he knew, he had awakened in a laboratory out in the middle of nowhere. And then, he was driven away in restraints to who knew where.

Probably to somewhere he would be locked up and confined, or even more, killed. But no, he wouldn't let that happen. Even if he had been on this Earth before this moment, he felt as if he were just seeing the world for the first time! And like hell he would just allow these machines to take him! No, he had to escape. He had to get out of here! But where could he go?!

He didn't know what direction to go in, where he was, anything! He was left with nothing! Nothing. Nothing. That word meant something to him, ironically enough. In fact, the long-haired Maverick found that perhaps "nothing" could lead him to finding out just what was going on.

And perhaps, even if it was a fleeting hope, some clue as to who he even was.

Later

"All right, given that the Commander is currently out of commission, I'll be in charge of this mission!" Chill Penguin said (or rather, squawked). "Our objective is to keep this Red Maverick from exiting the city walls at all costs! Is that understood?!"

"Yes, sir!" The small collection of troops answered, X among them.

"Then let's get going! Move, move, move!" The penguin-based Reploid took a handful of Hunters with him into the alleyways to the right while X and the rest went to the left.

"Pfft! Like anyone can take him seriously with a voice like that!" one of the Hunters said when Penguin was out of range.

"And you see the way he waddles? How does he even get around without falling over?" another one added. "Does he really thinks he's going to lead his own unit someday?"

"As if that'll ever happen. And even if it does, he'll still be laughed at."

X felt he had to speak up. "If you guys are done talking about Penguin, we've got work to do here."

One of the Hunters that had been making fun of the bird Reploid scoffed. "Aw, what? Afraid I'll hurt his feelings? It's not my fault the stupid bird can't take a joke."

"All right, all right! That's enough!" The appointed leader of the small squad said. "We have a wanted fugitive on the run, and we need to catch him before he can cause any more damage!" Everyone quieted down. "The more time we waste here means the greater possibility of lives being at stake. So, let's go!"

The group split up, going down the narrow spaces between the towering, white structures. Everyone kept their optics peeled for any sign of the criminal, which, given the general color palette (or lack thereof) of the city-state, he would be easy to spot.

At least, that's what X assumed. Then, suddenly, his audio receptor began beeping, the blue Reploid answering the call. "See anything on your end?" the group leader asked.

"No, nothing yet," X admitted. For somebody that'd be easy to spot, he's rather good at hiding. X's green eyes scanned the alleyways, searching for anything, even if it was just the slightest glimpse. Just then, he did spot something. "Hold on," X said. "There's something nearby." The blue Reploid drew out his buster and slowly crept around the corners, drawing closer and closer to the noise he had heard. He peered around the corner, startled at the sound of a trashcan being toppled over. He saw blonde strands of hair as the Maverick ran off. If he's going down that way, I can cut him off at the end! With this in mind, X raced after the noise source until he reached a dead-end in the alleyway.

He drew out his buster, awaiting the Maverick to emerge from the darkness…only to be greeted by a cat. The cat, ironically enough, had yellow fur, making X feel even more like a fool. The "hair" had been its tail.

"GAH!"

"Kyle!"

X and the feline were drawn to the sound of a struggle, the cat making itself scarce while X ran towards the source. It's coming from above! X realized the battle was taking place on the rooftops. Finding a ladder, X began climbing, hoping to reach the others before it was too late.

The Red Maverick had seized one of the Hunters and thrown him a reasonable distance away; the Reploid sent plummeting off of the roof. The fall wasn't lethal, yet everyone knew that the long-haired Maverick was capable of much worse.

"You bastard!" another Hunter shouted, shooting a plasma blast from his pistol. The Red Maverick ducked underneath the shot and rushed up to the Hunter, delivering a swift knee to his gut. Despite not possessing lungs or the need to breathe, the Hunter felt his vents release a large amount of air force itself out of him. He was knocked off his feet by a kick to the head, the Hunter sent to the ground, and his weapon crushed underneath the Maverick's boot.

The few other Hunters dove towards the Maverick yet were taken out one by one. Some were punched or kicked while others were tossed into their comrades, knocking several down at once. Soon, only the Red Maverick was standing.

"Freeze!" The Red Maverick turned to see a familiar blue Reploid aiming his buster at him. "Hands up where I can see them!"

The two machines stared each other in the eye, green intensely locked onto blue. The two stood there, motionless, neither making any move on the other. Then, the Maverick ran off, leaping from one rooftop to another.

"Hey! Wait!" X shouted, giving chase.

Damn it, why couldn't they just leave him alone?! At this rate, he'd be caught for sure! No, the Red Maverick told himself. He couldn't be caught; he REFUSED to be caught. So whatever these guys were planning to do to him, it wouldn't happen. He would see to that! They'd never take him alive!

If only he could get rid of that blasted blue machine off his tail! He dashed forward, leaping as far as possible (but not as far as to miss a landing) to escape his pursuer. But this only seemed to encourage the other Reploid to keep going after him. Whatever, the Red Maverick thought. He could go from there as long as he made it out of the city's borders. All that mattered was that he escaped.

He couldn't afford to let himself be caught.

He felt someone tackle him from behind, sending him to the ground. He looked to see that the blue Reploid had finally caught up with him and was holding onto his legs to keep him from moving. The Maverick went to work trying to dislodge the other machine from him, from shoving to sending fists in his direction. The latter tactic proved successful as X was sent flying back from the punch's force. The Red Maverick rose to his feet, eager to continue until he reached the city's borders-

SCREECH!

Suddenly, both machines were drawn to the scene below, looking on at what was happening, their focus completely off one another.

Pregnant. Her mother was pregnant. Fumiko walked down the street with her father as they returned from the hospital. Initially, her mother had gone in for abdominal cramps and nausea in the early morning, yet when the results of the tests came back, there was no denying it. Her mother was going to have a baby. And she was going to be a big sister.

However, her mother remained in the hospital as there were some concerns given how taxing Fumiko's pregnancy was, so her father would come by to pick her up later. For now, however, the Japanese girl was to be taken home. As her father said, she still had quite a bit of homework to do.

But given what was coming their way, she might not even get the chance to see her new sibling.

A loud screech of tires was heard and the sound of metal crashing into each other. Two vehicles had collided and sent another forward from the impact: right in Fumiko's direction. Her father raced to try and save his child, yet they had a good few feet separating them. He would never reach her in time. The girl froze in terror as the vehicle was sent helplessly towards her; she fell to the ground and curled up into a ball in a last-ditch effort to protect herself.

She was mere moments from being crushed. Only to realize she wouldn't feel her tiny body being squashed. Instead, just in front of her stood a tall, red Reploid with long, flowing blonde hair, his body in front of the incoming vehicle. With a swift punch, the car came to an immediate halt from the force it felt, the hood caving in and several inner components damaged.

"The hell do you think you're doing?!" The driver shouted, emerging from his damaged method of transport.

The Red Maverick looked at Fumiko, who shuddered under his gaze. Suddenly, everyone saw the band of Hunters approaching, aiming their weapons right at the long-haired machine. X remained on the rooftop in case he needed to make a move from above.

"Step away from the human child." One of the Hunters ordered the Maverick, who was looking back at Fumiko.

The young girl stepped back before running to her father, the terrified child in tears. X watched as the Hunters stepped in, ready to apprehend the fugitive.

And to his shock, this time, the Red Maverick didn't fight back.

The Next Day

Detention Center

So much for not getting caught.

The Red Maverick leaned against the wall, bored out of his mind. Granted, he was technically in prison, so he should've perhaps expected that. Still, that far from meant he wanted to be here. He cursed himself. He was so close, so close to freedom! If that human girl hadn't gotten in the way, then he'd surely be out of this place by now!

Of course, that would've also meant she would've possibly been killed.

He hadn't thought about her until now, her frightened eyes staring at him until she saw an opportunity to run away. She was afraid of him. They all were. Why that was, the Maverick was unsure, yet everyone seemed to be extremely cautious in dealing with him. Especially that one blue Reploid. The Maverick had no idea who that was, yet he struck a chord of familiarity.

Those green eyes. That blue sheen. And a careful but determined demeanour. He was no stranger, the Red Maverick had seen him before. But he didn't even know the other Reploid's name. Just who were they? And even more for the Red Maverick, just who was he?

Just then, he heard the sound of his cell being unlocked. The door was slid open, a couple of Reploid guards. "C'mon," one of them said roughly. "Somebody's wanting to ask you a few questions."

What that meant exactly, the Maverick had no idea. Nevertheless, he went with them, planning just how he would escape from this place. He needed to get a good layout first to spot any potential shortcuts and areas to hide if need be. As for dealing with anyone who would stop him, he wouldn't have any problem with that.

The Maverick was led to a small room with windows on all sides so he could be observed. A familiar, blue Reploid was inside; the long-haired machine puzzled as to just what he was doing here. One of the guards opened the door and let him inside, shutting it and leaving the two inside with each other.

The Red Maverick locked eyes with X, who was beginning to wonder if this was a good idea. "Uh, hello." X greeted, the other Reploid not answering back. "So, I suppose you're wondering what all this is." he began, still not receiving an answer back. "Well, the truth is, I'm here to escort you to Dr. Fujiwara's laboratory for analysis," X explained. "But given the circumstances, I'm afraid we'll have to take precautionary measures if you don't comply."

This didn't seem to phase the Maverick at all. If anything, it seemed to make him glower at the shorter Reploid.

X reminded himself that he couldn't afford to be intimidated despite his gaze. What he had seen last night was still playing in his head, along with the several questions it had raised. Yet he told himself that he couldn't be careless. Not after being informed of what this guy was capable of. "Of course, I wanted to ask you a few questions before that."

This seemed to get a response from the Red Maverick, even if he still didn't speak.

"I suppose it's obvious, but what's your name?" X asked.

Name. The Red Maverick pondered this. Name. He searched through his systems, the small chamber going silent. Then, to X's surprise, he finally received an answer. "I don't have a name."

"What?" X asked. The Maverick's voice was deep and calm, contrasting his "fiery" appearance.

"A name," he said. "I don't have one."

X was quiet for a moment, pondering where to go from here. "Everyone has a name. Or, in our case, at least some sort of identification," he said. "Do you really have nothing?"

The Maverick shook his head. "Absolutely nothing."

"Well, this won't do. We have to call you something." X said. "My name's X. Technically Mega Man X, but I'm more partial to X myself."

The Red Maverick didn't understand the point in being brought here, let alone seeing this X. Nevertheless, he supposed that he would have to find something for everyone else to call him. But what? He couldn't remember anything, and his systems told him nothing. No name, no serial number, nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Absolute zero.

X then saw the Maverick's eyes light up as if a realization had just dawned on him. And then, X received his answer. "Zero."

"Pardon?" X asked.

"My name." the Red Maverick said. "My name is Zero."

Note: At least I can refer to him by name now and have it make sense. We'll see more of Zero in the next chapter as well (seeing as Fujiwara and Cain are going to be taking a look at him), but for now, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Again, thank you so much for the Tv Tropes page, and I hope to see you all in the future!