Note: Hello everyone! This is yet another transitional chapter, but we'll be getting onto Spark Mandrill's stage in the next one. But first, I wanted to present some more information on the logs discussed in the last chapter, as well as Chiyo's relation to them.

Also, I plan on having Chiyo interact more with X and Zero, as her relationships with them will play into her character development in the future. Also, Zero and Roll will have a moment to reconcile and make amends, yet that also details something that'll be coming up much later in the series.

With that said, thank you for reading!

Devil in the Details

She froze, his green eyes locked onto hers. "Hello, Chiyo," X greeted her, the human remaining silent, still in shock. "Mind if I come in?"

The dark-haired girl still didn't answer, brown eyes uncertain of the Reploid standing before her. She then saw X's legs, studying the components compared to the rest of his body. "So, you found one."

X was puzzled. "Found what?"

"One of the capsules," Chiyo answered. She noticed X's expression change into one of surprise. "It was just one of the many things my dear father talked about in his notes," she told him.

"Notes?" X asked. He didn't understand.

"That's why you're here, isn't it?" the human questioned. "Don't worry about being overly friendly, just be honest about what you're here for."

"No, I had no idea about that," the blue Reploid replied. "I mean, yes, I heard Zero and Trinity mention something about it, but I didn't come here for that." he then drew closer, the human slowly migrating her way to the corner of the room, sitting atop the bedding provided for her.

"Then why are you here? It can't be because you want to see me." Chiyo said dismissively, folding her arms.

X was quiet for a moment, unsure of whether or not the girl would believe him. "Actually, that is kind of the reason," he told her. "I mean, I am curious about these notes you're talking about, but I wanted to see if you were ok."

Chiyo raised a brow, yet aside from that, she remained stone-faced. "Why wouldn't I be ok?"

You can't be ok after all of this. Was what X wished to say, yet he held his tongue, not wishing to potentially offend the young woman. "Well, just…a lot has happened, so…," X trailed off, unsure of what else to say.

Chiyo herself seemed unsure of how to respond. True, she had expected to see X sometime during her stay here, yet she didn't exactly expect him to come to her. "Well, whether I'm fine or not doesn't really matter," she responded. "So don't trouble yourself. But," she then rose up. "Regardless, you probably have no idea of how I even got here, let alone why I'm here, right?"

X wasn't entirely expecting such coldness from her, yet he nonetheless nodded. Even if he hadn't seen Chiyo much since she had been growing older, it seemed she was no longer that young girl he had met while he was still in her father's lab. "I'm not lying, you know," he told her. "I…was worried."

Chiyo bit her lip and averted her gaze for a moment. "Anyway, my dad's notes," she then unzipped the left pocket of her school vest, a single drive removed from within. "I…will say, thank you for what you did on the highway," she told X. "Even if I'm only useful to you this way, if not for you," she held the external hard drive in her left hand. "I wouldn't have been able to deliver this to you."

X eyed the device. "What's that?"

Chiyo's own brown eyes fell on the hard drive, her teeth biting down on her lower lip. "When Roll came to the house before some of Sigma's men broke in, I slipped this into my vest," she explained. "This is everything my father wrote down in his personal logs," she answered him. "It doesn't contain the actual schematics of what he built or studied, but it discusses everything in between," she said. X saw her eyes begin to bridle with anger as she stared at the device in her possession. "He talked about you, about your red friend," she then looked down at the floor. "About me."

X was left stunned, unsure of what to say at first. He silently requested permission to hold the hard drive, extending his hand out and giving the human an inquisitive look. Chiyo eyed X, then what she had delivered to the Hunters. After a few moments, she relented and handed the device to the (mostly) blue Reploid. "Where did you get this?" he questioned her. "How did you get this?" his eyes widened, comprehending just what the young woman having this meant. "You could've gotten in a lot of trouble if you were caught with this."

She was quiet for a moment. "You know," she then chuckled. It was funny that she could even find humor in it. "I'm surprised I hadn't been killed already."

"What do you mean?" X asked.

"It was hell to get it," Chiyo replied. "And, I'll admit, I had to do some shady stuff in order to make sure it was hidden," she then paused. "I did question whether or not it was worth the danger, given what's in those logs."

X still didn't entirely understand. "And just what is in these logs of your father's?"

"Your friends still haven't gone through them all yet, and I only caught the most recent ones," Chiyo explained. "But if it's true, then this whole thing isn't something Sigma just did at the spur of a moment," her eyes grew serious. "He and dad have been planning this for years."

Streets of Abel City

"Firefly, what's your situation?" Zero asked over the com-link, the green-armored biker a short distance away, scouting out the area.

From his current position, Firefly looked out, past the edges of the destroyed buildings and structures of the once vibrant metropolis, now clothed in complete darkness as opposed to the ocean of lights it once possessed at night. In his free time, one of his favorite activities was to ride down the winding highways and overpasses that led to various parts of the island and the mainland, watching the city from afar. And, when she was available, he'd take Ai along for the ride, the red-armored, blonde Navigator holding onto his waist as he sped along, her ponytail dancing in the wind. Now all of it was gone in a single day. And even more, he and everyone else had been left to pick up the pieces.

But now wasn't the time for any reminiscing, he had a job to do. "From what I'm seeing, there does look like something going on at the suspected area," Firefly answered his Commander. "There's some form of activity taking place, although I don't know whether or not it's in our favor."

Indeed, from far away, the biker spotted the Power Plant miles away from Abel City shine in the darkness of the night, as if it were revealing itself for the Hunters to see. From Zero's current position, another one of his men, a standard Hunter Unit built specifically for the organization. "Sir, should we make a move?" he questioned the long-haired red Reploid. "It seems that the reports regarding the Power Plant are true."

"Clearly," Zero agreed. "We're on our way, Firefly," he told the biker. "Trinity, we're going to head in. It looks like this issue can't wait."

To Firefly's disappointment, Ai was being looked over again by the medics, so the pink-haired Navigator had to be the one to guide them. Nevertheless, Trinity answered her new Commander. "All right, I'll try to get as many details as I can," she replied. "Our Sky Spys can only go so far, so I'll try to get a scope of the perimeter before you go in. In the meantime, I'll try to see where the mechaniloids patrolling the streets are coming from."

"Great, we'll see you there," Zero told Trinity.

"And keep an eye out for any humans. They're not staying down in the shelters and are wandering the city." Trinity reported. "There's been a small group that's been going on regular excursions at night, and it seems that they're on the move again." She said to her Commander.

"And how does that relate to our current situation?" Zero asked, genuinely curious.

"We can't be sure, but they were last seen heading in the direction of the Power Plant," Trinity answered. "Although, what they're doing exactly is still unknown."

Zero was quiet, folding his arms over his chest. Humans, he thought. Great.

"I'll try and keep an eye on them, as well as keep you updated. In the meantime, go to the area of interest as quickly as you are able."

"Will do," Zero said before ending the call. "All right, move out!"

"Yes, sir!" the other Hunters answered, following their leader through the streets, even if he was a good deal faster than them.

Zero wouldn't dare say it aloud, yet he hoped that he could perhaps keep X out of this one. And, while duty dictated his actions, he prayed he wouldn't have to deal with any humans out and about.

Underground HQ

"Roll mentioned it to you, right?" Chiyo questioned X. "That you can use the weaponry of other machines?"

X nodded. "I…had assumed it was because I'm, well, technically related to Mega Man," he replied. "But also because Dr. Light thought the world needed someone else like Mega Man for later on," he told the human, uncertain. "At least, that's what I gathered from what he had told me." Still, even if the Blue Bomber wasn't here and he was, X still found it difficult to accept a role that, from what Roll had told him, Rock accepted with ease.

"Wait, what?" Chiyo asked. "What did he tell you?" She then realized how ridiculous she sounded. "What did the message on the capsule say?"

"Well," X said. "It wasn't as if the message sounded completely pre-recorded."

"What do you…?" She immediately dismissed the notion that Dr. Light's image, let alone the Doctor himself, could speak through what must've been an ancient device. Holograms had no sentience, they were just illusions created by light and color. "No," she murmured. "Impossible."

"What is?"

"Nothing," Chiyo quickly answered, trying to draw X's attention away from what she had just mused aloud. "Anyway, you took Chill Penguin's weapon chip?" X glanced down at his buster, having manifested that weapon to inspect for himself. This was followed shortly after by a surge of guilt as he saw the human grow tense upon bringing his firearm out in the open. "Where is it now?" Chiyo asked, trying to get a hold of herself.

Had he wanted it, had anyone here wanted it, she would've been dead by now, she was certain of it. But nothing had happened yet. That hanging "yet" still remained in the back of Chiyo's mind.

"It's being examined by the Navigational staff we have available," X told Chiyo. "It's a foreign object, so it's being inspected for any potential malware or possible viruses."

"They're wasting their time," Chiyo replied. "If they read the logs, they would know this. But everything my father was a part of should be looked at with scrutiny, I guess," She turned her attention back to X. "But the weapon chip is fine to use. In fact, I think dad made it as such."

"What do you mean?" X questioned.

"Isn't it obvious?" Chiyo said, shrugging her shoulders as if what she was implying was clear as polished glass. "The good Doctor intended for you to stand by his side and help Sigma take over the world."

X was silent. "W-What?"

"He designed everyone after your abilities," the dark-haired girl continued. "Almost everyone built for the Hunters Organization, at least those that have managed to work their way up, have a weapon chip built into them," she explained. "For you to use, should you have to take care of them later on," she went silent for a few moments. "He had plans for your long-haired friend as well. That was what all those tests with weapons were about."

X grew quiet, unable to respond at first. "What do you mean?"

Chiyo let out a small breath. "Given your creator's infamy, it was only natural that my father and Dr. Cain referenced his past work for the construction of future Reploids," she said. "This in itself isn't the problem."

"Then what is?"

Chiyo bit her lip. "From what I've read, it seems dad had a particular interest in Light's other creations outside of you, specifically the initial eight Robot Masters."

Ah, yes, X had heard of them. While Roll was the one who relayed most of the details, she spoke fondly of those outside of Wily's creations. In fact, those such as Cut and Guts Man were even considered among family. Although Ice Man always gave her a peculiar look, even she was unsure of what it meant.

"And then, he looked into the robots constructed by Dr. Cossack and those that were part of the World Robot Association," Chiyo explained. "But, and while I don't know how he did it, he managed to figure out Wily's method of building things."

X felt like an idiot, but he still couldn't grasp what Chiyo was getting at. "What do you mean?"

"I'm saying that a good deal of Reploids that my dad worked on follow the same kind of function," the dark-haired human said. "Granted, they'll have to be extracted, but several Reploids, several Mavericks maybe, are built with specialized weapons and skills akin to the Robot Masters that came before them. And, should one of them fall, you would be able to use their components for yourself," she explained. "Only, back then, it was an example of Wily's lack of forethought. Now, it seems that this was all intentional."

X gazed at the floor, processing the numerous revelations being unveiled to him. "Why would Fujiwara think I would do something like that?" He questioned.

"That's just what he believed," Chiyo answered. "In his words, should any of them rebel, you would be one of his enforcers," she explained. "He said he would let you keep a little collection of all those that dared cross him."

The blue Hunter was nothing short of horrified. Dr. Fujiwara really did all of that? He planned for X to take parts of his fellow Hunters and use them for himself? The thought of it was greatly troubling. If not for Chiyo's insistence, he wouldn't have even thought of bringing Chill Penguin's chip!

"You think that's bad?" Chiyo gave a half-hearted chuckle. "Just wait until you see what he planned for your red friend," her eyes closed and she let out a sigh of stress. "He had plans for everything and everyone, including Sigma," she ran her fingers through her hair. "But, it seems Sigma decided to take the reins and go on with Independence Day without him. Although, perhaps he was always planning to be rid of dad when the time came."

The blue Reploid was rendered speechless. "Just…how long have you known this?" He soon regretted his question when he saw the beginning of tears in Chiyo's eyes, even if she tried to keep herself from presenting any current distress. "Oh no, I didn't mean it like that, I…"

"No, it's fine," Chiyo said, turning away from the Reploid. "Everyone here's asked me that," she answered. "But, honestly, truthfully, I…I didn't know," she told him. "I mean, when I first found those logs, I knew that they were hinting at something, but there weren't enough details to make any sort of conclusion," she then stiffened, X hearing soft sniffles as she continued to conceal her face from view. "But hey, hindsight is twenty-twenty, right?"

X tried to draw closer to her, but when he walked around to see her, the human turned away again. He was left trying to think of something to say, core heavy with guilt for making her cry. Even if she wouldn't dare openly admit it. Even now, she was trying to keep her body still and her voice barely above a whisper. He had to do something, but what?

"Well," X began. True, it would've possibly brought up some other unpleasant things, but he wanted to know. And, even more, Chiyo had to know he wanted to know. "What I'm curious about is how you got here."

Chiyo whirled around, having just dried her eyes. "What kind of question is that?" she asked. "Shouldn't you be more concerned about how I managed to get this information at all?"

"Yeah, I'll admit that's important information as well," X told her. "But that can come later. What I want to know is why you left the shelter. Isn't that dangerous?"

Chiyo looked down at the floor. "I didn't have a choice," she said. "I knew the moment I had to go down, I couldn't stay there. Not long enough for them to find out who I was," she bit her lip. "It wouldn't have taken the Reploids guiding everyone to their places long to figure it out. Even if I'm no celebrity, I don't think I need to tell you my name has some infamy now."

Unfortunately, X couldn't deny that was the truth. Still, he wondered. "But where would you go?" he questioned. "Where would you, well, you know, find food or water? How would you know where the underground HQ is?"

"I didn't," Chiyo answered. "I knew it was a death sentence if I went outside, but," she sighed. "Call it self-preservation, but, even if I knew my chances were slim outside of the shelter's safety, I would've rather taken my chances out there than a place where everyone knew me," she then paused. "Even if everyone here knows who I am." she didn't speak it aloud, yet she muttered, barely above a whisper. "At least you'd be less likely to tear me apart."

X grew quiet for a few moments, unsure of what to say. "I...I'm sorry," he said. "That you had to do that."

"There's nothing to be sorry about," Chiyo responded. "Reality doesn't care whether or not it screws you over," she said. "You don't have control over anything," she hugged herself as if she were overcome with a deathly cold chill. "Even if you're not in the body of something mechanical," she continued. "You have a body of flesh, blood, muscle, nerves, everything that makes you what you are," she stopped for a second. "And yet, you have no autonomy over yourself. You're just like everything he's made," she went silent again. "And, even if he didn't create as he created them, he doesn't see you any differently."

"Chiyo…" X said, wondering if he had once again stepped out of line with her.

"But, back to your question as to how I got here," she quickly interjected, redirecting the conversation back to its previous subject. "Well, the truth is, that's perhaps one lucky break I managed to score."

"What do you mean?" X asked.

"The truth is," Chiyo told him. "I probably shouldn't be here at all."

Days Before

She gazed up at the Gun Volt ready to fire at her, ready to end her miserable existence and leave her as little more than another casualty of Sigma's declaration on humanity. But her death never came, nor did the light or total darkness that was supposed to follow. But, ironically enough, a blinding light overtook her vision for a brief moment, the light emitting from a charged shot of concentrated plasma. A sizable hole was left in the mechaniloid, the blast tearing through its metal and inner circuitry, bringing the Gun Volt to its knees before it came crashing down.

It missed Chiyo by mere inches.

"Chiyo!" Upon hearing the voice, the girl turned to see two figures standing a short distance away, both familiar and blonde. "You're alive!"

"Roll?!" Chiyo exclaimed but was cut short by the bow-wearing Reploid embracing her.

"I'm so glad you're ok," Roll told her. "I was so worried."

Chiyo was quiet, her eyes then falling on the one who had terminated the Gun Volt. Zero approached the both of them, arms folded over his chest. The dark-haired girl eyed the red Hunter with confusion. "How did you even find me?" she questioned. "How did you even know to look for me?"

"Truth be told, it was Zero's idea," Roll clarified, turning for a moment to direct her gaze on the newly appointed Hunter Commander. "Although, we had initially planned to enter through one of the shelter entrances. We didn't expect to find you out here on the streets."

"It didn't take long for you to try and make a run for it."

Chiyo looked up at Zero. "Who's the say I was running away?"

"It's true, isn't it?" Chiyo went silent. "Anyway, it looks like you're not alone out here," Zero scanned the area for any other potential threats. "So, Sigma's decided to send some of his forces out to still scout this place."

It was then that Roll began to grow nervous. "Then, shouldn't we make ourselves scarce?" she asked the other blonde Reploid. "The less chance we have running into another mechaniloid, the better."

"Agreed," Zero nodded. "All right," he then turned and began to walk back the way he had come. "Bring her along," he said. "We've got to get out of here."

"Wait a minute!" Roll exclaimed, stopping Zero in his tracks. "Chiyo can't just stay at the HQ! She doesn't have any essentials!"

"We can deal with that later,' Zero responded. "For now, it's more important to get her back in one piece so she can even have a chance to make use of them."

Roll nodded, although the human's specific needs compared to her own still weighed heavily on her mind. Still, Zero was right, it wouldn't do her any good to continue being out here. "Come on," Roll urged Chiyo, pulling her along. "We have a bit of a walk to do, but it isn't too far."

"I've been running all night," Chiyo answered. "I can take a few more miles."

Regardless, her legs were weak underneath her and her steps slow and somewhat unsteady. Nevertheless, she continued to walk on her own, following Zero and Roll as the Red Hunter led them along through the darkened streets of the now-tarnished ruins of Abel City.

"Roll managed to sneak into the shelter and get some food," Chiyo told X. "But she didn't stay long. She just said they had a sick human in their care, and they couldn't be delivered to the medics present there," she then sighed. "But I haven't felt like eating much anyway."

X stood there, not entirely sure of what to say. So far, he had done nothing but bring up painful memories. Still, there was one detail that caught his attention. "Why did she have to sneak in?" Even if he knew, but wouldn't say, why Chiyo couldn't stay, he didn't understand why his sibling couldn't. If anything, he'd rather her be other there than here.

"You don't know? Really?" Chiyo asked. "Ever since the missiles hit, things have been getting tense between humans and Reploids."

"Tense?" X questioned. "Why?"

Chiyo simply stared at him, flabbergasted. "Wow, Ai was right. You ARE naive."

X flushed. So I've been told.

"It's pretty simple, actually," the girl said. "A Reploid caused part of this, and the human culprit was disposed of before everyone," she told X. "So, best direct your fears and frustrations on those that you can still hold responsible, regardless of their role in it," she continued. "It's not as if they could do anything about it, but humans have been becoming more aggressive with Reploids. They lack the physical strength, but fear and rage can drive anyone to do anything," she said. "Although, you greatly outnumber me here, so I wouldn't be a problem to deal with."

"You don't have to worry about that here," X assured her. "Nobody here even thinks of doing that to you. And no one here hates you."

"That's a lie." Chiyo quickly responded.

"No, it's not," X retorted. "And it's not just because of the Three Laws," he told her. "We…" he then paused. Truthfully, he wasn't sure of everyone's general assessment of the young woman being here. Let alone if they bore her any resentment. Still, he had to say something. "Well, I…want to help you."

"I provide some use to you now, of course you would." The girl responded.

"That's not it either," X answered.

"Then what? It can't be because…" she trailed off, the possibility of such a thing never occurring to her before. "…you actually care."

X grew uneasy at Chiyo's silence. "What if I said I did?" He asked. "Would you believe it then?"

Chiyo wasn't certain how to respond, brown eyes wide with both puzzlement and intrigue. Although, there was still a hint of resistance to accepting what the blue Reploid had just told her. This wasn't right, she thought. These machines weren't behaving as her father intended. True, some had gone along with his and Sigma's plan, but there was a surprising number who sought to restore order.

It said so in Dr. Light's notes that, should X want to use his abilities against the humans, no force on Earth could stop him. And Zero's behavior was always an indication of a violent streak, something her father indulged in whenever he could. She had been relying on that to make judgments for herself, wary of the machines surrounding her. So why then? Why weren't they turning her away?

Better yet, why did they even care? Why did X care?

Suddenly, an alarm sounded off, the alert clear and summoned everyone to the main hub of the underground HQ. "Sorry, "X told Chiyo apologetically. "I'll get back to you on that. But I meant what I said," he then turned to open the door. "There is someone who cares. And it's not about the Three Laws."

The door opened and he was about to exit.

"Wait!" Chiyo called out, gaining X's attention. "Chill Penguin's chip," she said. "Take it with you."

X grew discomforted by the suggestion. "But…"

"Ai told me you almost always get into trouble, so you will probably need it."

X was silent for a few moments, contemplating the human's words. "I'll…consider it." He told her at last.

With that, he left the young woman alone, the dark-haired girl sitting down on her temporary bed, X's words sinking into her mind, whether she liked it or not.

Later

Outside of Abel City

The cylindrical, towering building stood proudly before them, the generators and chargers situated outside of the entrance flashing and lighting up the whole area, momentarily blinding the group of Hunters that stood before it.

"Well," Firefly said, his Commander and the rest of his squad having caught up to him. "This is the place."

Zero gazed upward at the structure, several bright lights flashing outward from within. While the Power Plant was situated outside of the city, both for space and in case of a direct attack on the metropolis. There was a small plant located in the city, yet it was destroyed during the missile strike, thus, everyone left, humans and Reploids alike, were left to depend on the generators in both the HQ and the shelters. However, Zero thought, if they could somehow occupy this place, then they would have access to a direct source of electricity. It'd certainly save them from living on borrowed time with the backup sources they had to rely on.

The only question was how to take care of the problem inside so they could harness it.

"Well, Commander?" one of the other Hunters asked Zero. "Should we head in?"

Zero gazed at the entrance, which was shut and locked. He could make quick work of it, yet neither he nor his men knew of the dangers that lay within. But just before he could release a charged shot at the door blocking their way, he heard a familiar voice. One he had not wished to hear.

"Zero!"

"X?" Zero turned to see a blue and white-armored Reploid make his way towards the long-haired Hunter and his team, traveling at a much quicker pace than previously witnessed. Still, that changed nothing. "What are you doing here, I told you I was taking care of this."

"No, I'm not here for that," X told his friend. Or rather, Commander. "I mean, I'm not here for that, Sir."

Despite the current situation, Zero found humor in how X addressed him. Honestly, he wasn't sure about X calling him that. "Then what is it?" he questioned.

"Our Sky Spies caught wind that a band of humans has migrated towards the western edge of the city," X answered. "What they're searching for, no one knows, yet we're trying to track them down and get them back to the shelter before something happens."

Indeed, Zero thought. He didn't need a reminder of the dangers that lurked in the streets at night now. "Still, that doesn't explain why you're here," he said. "If the humans are in the city, then what brought you out here?"

"There are humans scattered all across the city, and some of them have tried to leave the city before, so I was sent to scout out the borders. But…" X shifted his eyes. "Well, the truth is," he then brought out a small chip colored a light blue and yellow. "I was wanting to give you this."

"What is this?" the blonde Hunter questioned.

"I think it's something you could use better than me." X simply answered, holding the chip out for Zero to take.

Yet the red Reploid didn't reach and claim it for himself.

Before X could question why, both he, as well as the other Hunters, Zero included, received an alert from HQ. "This is Trinity, do you read me?" the pink-haired Navigator asked over the com-link.

"Loud and clear," Zero answered. "What is it?"

"Unfortunately, I've got some bad news." Trinity began, her voice was concerned and uneasy.

"What's wrong?" X asked.

"A large gathering of renegade mechaniloids are heading in the western direction of the city," Trinity reported. "All heading in the same direction as the humans that were last seen traveling together."

X grew silent, his core growing cold. "How many?" he questioned.

"I would say around fifteen or twenty," Trinity answered the blue Hunter. "Whether they're acting on orders of Sigma is unknown, yet given they've presented aggression to the humans that have encountered them, I believe it's safe to assume that they won't hesitate to take out anyone unlucky enough to get in their way."

Everyone was rendered silent, unsure of what to say. This was indeed a problem. There weren't many that were sent out to search for the group of humans, and the mechaniloids far outnumbered them at the moment. What could they do?

It was then that X looked towards the sealed entrance of the Power Plant, then to Zero. He was debating on whether or not he should even ask this, yet, all things considered, he might've not had a choice but to do so.

"May I make a suggestion, Commander?" X questioned Zero, bracing himself for the red Hunter's response.

"Proceed." Zero answered.

X took a moment to prepare. "Maybe…I should take over from here."

Zero was rendered silent by what the blue Hunter had just said. "Wait, you what?" he asked. "As in, you want to take care of whatever's going on in there?" he gestured to the Power Plant, X nodding in response. "Why?"

"It…" X began but found himself unable to fully articulate what he wanted to say. True, he hadn't forgotten it, but still found accepting what Chiyo had said difficult. "Look, Trinity said that there's a large number of mechaniloids that are on the way to inevitably encountering humans, right?" he asked. "And how many of you are high-ranking Hunters that would have no problem taking them out?"

"X, it's out of the question," Zero told him. "You're better off performing that job."

"There are still so few of us, and you guys are some of the best," X argued. "And right now, the Hunters that have been sent out need as much help as they can get, not to mention firepower," he gestured to Zero's buster. "Please, let me do this," he asked. "Don't worry, I can take care of it."

Just what has gotten into him, Zero wondered. Still, he contemplated X's words. Indeed, if there were that many mechaniloids in the streets of Abel City, then they would need to be taken out as soon as possible. Still, he needed to know more information. "Where were they reported last going?" he asked X.

"In the western area of the city," X told Zero. "It's actually the southwest, not too far from here," he relayed to the squad. "Firefly and the rest of you could get there in no time."

Zero was silent for a moment, pondering all that he had heard. Indeed, X could tell that he was hesitant, but, after a short period of quiet, he finally relented. "All right," he told the blue Hunter. "We'll take care of the mechaniloids. You look into what's going on in the Power Plant."

X nodded. "Yes, Sir."

Then, Zero turned and blasted the door open, his shot tearing through the metal of the door and allowing X passage inside. "Oh, and that chip?" Zero told him.

"Yeah, it's yours," X said, pushing it in Zero's direction.

"No," the red Hunter told him. "You keep it."

X was puzzled. "What?"

"According to Fujiwara's notes, it belongs to you, doesn't it?" Zero questioned. "Or, at least it does now."

X gazed at the chip in his hand. "But…" he began to protest.

"There's no one else that can use it," Zero told him. "No one like you," he then began to make his way from the area. "We'll meet up later," he told X. "All right, move out!"

"Yes, Sir!" Firefly and the other Hunters answered, the green biker riding forward, Zero then speeding along and surprisingly catching up with him.

X was now left alone, the Power Plant before him, along with a darkened, blown-open door, beckoning him to come into the darkness. He looked at the chip in his possession again. "I hope I don't have to use this," he said quietly. "But…if I could maybe convince this one, then maybe we can prevent one less casualty."

Note: There IS a reason X wanted to go in instead of Zero, and it will be addressed in the next chapter, as it has something to do with what Chiyo told him. So, forgive me if X's insistence to take over seems out of character, but there is a reason behind it.

Also, the next few chapters will be more based on Iwamoto's manga with a little bit of the translated light novel. The novel in itself doesn't cover the stages themselves and only covers the boss fights. This isn't a point against it, yet it was an interesting direction that seems to have bled into this story.

With that said, thank you for reading! Alert me of any inconsistencies/errors I might've missed, and I hope to hear from you soon!