A/N: Hey everyone, here is Chapter 3 of the Director's cut of MegaMan X IS with the first Maverick. Also here are some terms for newcomers of this story who are either into MegaMan X, Infinite Stratos or both. Expect more of these. Other than that, enjoy the chapter!
Terms:
Reploid: A replicate android that can think and act like humans do.
Infinite Stratos: IS for short, a exoskeleton that is only used by women with the exception of a certain male. They have been long since banned since the Phantom Virus Tragedy.
Arigato: Thank you in Japanese.
Kun: Referring to junior or senior status
San: A Japanese meaning of respect to people.
Chapter 3: First Maverick: Adjusting to Life in the Year 21XX!
Sometime after returning to Neo Tokyo, Houki sighed as she entered her new apartment with her new roommates who were X and her friends from her IS Academy days of old. Even Jerry and Sophie agreed to visit them every now and then whenever they're not really busy, but she can also feel like there was an underlying feeling of hatred towards her and her friends, but she couldn't really understand why. However, she decided not to think about that for now until Jerry is ready to tell them.
For right now, Houki is admiring the apartment that Dr. Cain had arranged for them to live in as their new home while adjusting to their new life in the future. It was a stylish penthouse that resembles the penthouse from Disney's Jessie, but with a more futuristic appearance and is like a fusion of Cody O'Neil's mansion from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fast Forward. Even the apartment that Jerry and Sophie are living in is just as amazing as it resembles Clank's penthouse from Ratchet and Clank 2. She even recalled the day how she and her friends received their new home.
Flashback, one day ago
Upon returning to Dr. Cain's lab, they've explained their situation to him and their reasons for bringing them to see him. But Dr. Cain seems to already knows about the situation and has already planned ahead for such an occupation.
"No need to explain anything to me, I already understand the situation." Dr. Cain told them with a warm smile at X, his assistants and the IS girls. "I'm glad that everything worked out in the end and that you've all returned safely." He turns to Jerry who, while was finally able to recover from Houki's kick, was still in slight pain. "Well, maybe not in one piece, but better that than in a hospital bed, I suppose. Now with everyone back, I'm assuming that there's the matter of the girls' living situation."
"Yes, if we're going to enjoy our new lives in 21XX, then we're going to need a place to stay." Cecilia nods with a sigh. "My parents died a long time ago before I was put into cryosleep and I don't know any rich relatives who can gives us a place to live. I'm sure they might've passed away during the time we were in suspended animation."
"Same here, I don't know any relieves that could take us in, either." Ling said with a worried nod. "My parents did own a restaurant before and everyone before they were divorced and I had to move back to China. I'm probably sure that it closed down while I was into cryosleep."
"I did have an aunt that I used to see every now and then, but I'm sure that she was one of the victims of the Phantom Virus." Houki said as she looked down in sadness. "I'd usually see her during times whenever festival season starts and I'd help at the shrine. But I doubt that it'll still be standing after the virus outbreak."
"I don't really have a home to call my own as I was trained to be a soldier." Laura said stoically but sadly. "As far as I can say, the IS Academy was my home for the longest time when I first enrolled there, but after learning that the ISes were banned and our school's in ruins, I don't have anywhere else to go."
"Um… My parents died a long time ago before I was put into cryosleep. I don't really know if I have any relatives that are alive today. So basically, I'm an orphan…" Charlotte looked down rather shamefully. X looked at her in concern after learning about her family. Just before she and her friends were awaken, he asked Dr. Cain, Jerry and Sophie to find any information on Charlotte's family and from what they've learned only disgusted them. As it turns out, Charlotte's father was a cruel and sinister businessman whose company was on the verge of bankruptcy and need to come up with a plan to save it from going under. So he sent his own daughter to attend the IS Academy where she can steal data on other ISes from other countries, namely this Ichika person that she and her friends were worried about. He also knew that Charlotte and her friends were sadden by his death and hopes that he can help them overcome their grief and adapt to their new lives in 21XX.
"Well, if none of them have any place to live, where can they stay?" Jerry asked as he crossed his arms.
"Not to worry, my boy. I know just the place for them to stay." Dr. Cain answered him with a smile. "Back when I was a lad, I used to live in a penthouse with my mother. She even knew the landlord and I can ask her to let our new friends live there for as long as they like." He then chuckled to himself as he strokes his beard and remembers his childhood. "I had such a good time at that penthouse… I used to remember my mother preparing me for school and I was the brightest lad in my school, from elementary all the way to university. In fact, it was thanks to my mother that I got into robotics and eventually creating the Reploids thanks to X." He gestured to some photos of his family and friends, even his graduation from both high school and university. One person in particular caught the attention of both Jerry and Sophie.
"No way, is that Professor O'Neil?! You knew him way back in high school?" Jerry asked in shock.
"Why, yes. You can say that he was my biggest rival in terms of our grades." Dr. Cain answered him with a grin. "So much so that just about everyone else we knew thought that we were the next Dr. Light and Dr. Wily as our achievements were nearly identical. But while we did enjoy a good compilation, we've remained friends for years, even today we're still friends."
"Wow, that's so cool. Professor O'Neil always told us about how you and him were always competed with each other." Sophie smiled. "Even during science fairs is where you two really brought your A game and wanted to show off your best inventions. But while he was disappointed that he only got second place, he still had fun and was glad that he got to compete against you, Dr. Cain."
"And I can say the same for him. Alexander O'Neil really pushed me to my limit and I didn't want to lose to him." Dr. Cain agrees with a chuckle. "Of course, I can also thank him for sending me his top students to be my assistants to help me with my projects. So much like X, I have you two to thank for helping me create the Reploids."
"It was our pleasure, Dr. Cain." Jerry said with a smile.
"We're glad that we were able to help you in your project to create the Reploids." Sophie said with a smile as well.
"So you guys were the ones that created the Reploids? Then that makes you three the fathers and mother of all Reploids, huh?" Ling has stars in her eyes as she drooled at the thought of achieving such an accomplishment.
"As much as we want to take the credit, it was really X who help us in creating the Reploids. He's the true father of all Reploids, so you girls should be thanking him for such an achievement." Both Jerry and Sophie nodded in agreement with their boss.
"Yeah, if it weren't for Dr. Cain finding him, then the Reploids wouldn't have been created. They would've been stuck in limbo and Dr. Cain's dream wouldn't have been turned into a reality." Jerry chuckled heartly.
"So, in a way, finding X was really a good thing that happened. And because of him, we were able to finish the first Reploid and everything is as you see now." Sophie grinned.
"C-Come on, guys. You're giving me way too much credit. I-I was just created by my deceased creator, Dr. Thomas Light, that's all…" X said shyly as he rubbed the back of his head nervously.
"Wow… You're really amazing, X-kun…" Charlotte gasped in awe as she now has a new admirer.
"Oh, I-I'm really not that amazing, am I?" X muttered in embarrassment as he looked away shyly.
"Tch, he's only good for helping an old guy and his assistants in creating these advanced robots." Laura snorted as she crossed her arms and looked away.
"On that note, I believe that it's time for all of you to get some rest." Dr. Cain said, smiling. "After all that excitement, I'm sure that you all must be really tired. I'll call the landlord and let her know about your arrival. I'll see if I can also ask for furniture to be ready by the time you arrive in the morning tomorrow. In the meantime, why don't you all rest in the spare bedrooms of my building?" He offered to them and they all accepted his offer to them.
End flashback, present day
Even after receiving a new home for them to live by Dr. Cain, there was still some doubts with Houki and her friends about adapting to their new lives in the future and what events await them in the coming days. Sighing at this thought, Houki enters her new room and was in awe at her new digs. She walked over to the window at the other side of her room and looks out at the beautiful sight of New Tokyo.
"So this is our new home in the future…" Houki said "Hard to believe that everything has changed in over the last 60 years and we're just now realizing what has happened since we've been put in suspended animation…" She looks up at the night sky and the stars. "And not only that, but all of our friends and family were all victims of the virus and we didn't get a chance to say goodbye to them… I hope that they're all in a better place now and are watching over us…" She closes the curtains and walks over to her bed, but there were still some thoughts going around in her mind. While the future is beautiful, but at the same time, it also frightens her of the change the Earth had gone through over their century long sleep. When tomorrow does come, what is she going to do? Should she get a job? Or attempt to attend a new school? She shakes her head to clear her mind of these issues and just try to get some sleep for now. She turns off the lights and climbs into her bed before closing her eyes as she slowly falls asleep peacefully.
January 28, 21XX, 6:00 AM
The sun rises over the metropolitan area of Neo Tokyo as people started their day as they normally would do. Going to work, opening stores and restaurants, meetups with their friends and families, going to school, among other things. As the sun rises higher into the sky, its rays shine down onto the penthouse and into Houki's window through the curtains. Beside her bed on a nightstand, a futuristic radio with a clock turns on its buzzer and a radio station started playing with a DJ greeting.
"Good mornin, Neo Tokyo! It's another beautiful day here in the Land of the Rising Sun and it's about time for everyone to rise and shine! I'm your host, DJ Reploid Master!" Dj Reploid Master greeted "Now for those of you just joining us, it's been a year since Reploids were first introduced to the World and it's all thanks to the genius scientist Dr. Cain. Thanks to him and his team, Reploids have since been integrated into society around the world and it doesn't show any signs of slowing down. Now to kick things off, let's start the day with some classics tunes from 2005-2015, namely Move Along by the All American Rejects!" Move Along by the All American Rejects starts playing on the radio as Houki moans a bit as she sits up from her bed and rubs her eyes while yawning. She then turns to the radio and looks at the clock with a small smile.
"So it's day two of our lives in 21XX…" Houki said to herself softly with a sad smile. "We're really in the future and everything X and the others said were true. I guess I didn't want to believe it at first, but after seeing Ichika's tombstone at his old house, then it all made sense…" She stood up from her bed and walked over to the bathroom to take a shower.
Houki enters the bathroom where she starts to undress and place her clothes into a laundry basket for to be washed later. She then unties her ponytail and lets her hair down as she enters the shower and turns on the water, making sure it's not too hot or cold. After a couple of minutes, she turns off the water and wraps a towel around her to dry off. She then brushes her teeth and gargles the water before spitting it out into the sink. After that, she changed into her casual clothes and ties her hair back into a ponytail before looking at herself in the mirror with a despondent smile.
"Heh… It's strange, really… Nothing really seems to change, even in the future…" Houki said with a small chuckle "I just wake up, take a shower and get dressed, like I always have been doing back in the IS Academy… I guess some things really don't change, no matter how much time passes. I wonder what would Ichika think of me if I remain sad for the rest of my life?" She puffs up her cheeks before slapping herself. "No, don't even think about it! Pull yourself together, Shinonono! Ichika would never want to see you sad for the rest of your life! He'd tell you that everything would work out for you and he would mean it! So you can't stay sad forever! This is your new life now and you have better shape up. So you better get your act together and stay positive!" She points at her reflection with a stern voice before calming down with a soft smile. "There, that's more like it. I feel much better now. I guess I needed a talk with myself to make sure that I don't stay sad forever. I know that's not what Ichika would want for us." She then hears someone knocking on her door. "Who is it?"
"Houki? It's me, X. Are you ready? Breakfast is ready. I made some pancakes and other breakfast stuff." X told her from behind the door.
"Breakfast?" Houki wondered as she opened her door "You can cook without any training?"
"Of course. I can also make lunch and dinner as well." X smiled with confidence "Dr. Light had given me recipes of all the world's famous chefs such as Rachel Ray, Wolfgang Puck and others. He also made sure I had the skills to make the dishes they're all known for."
"Oh, I-I see… I guess you really love your creator, huh?" Houki asked as she looked away, flustering a bit.
"To be honest with you, I don't really know him that well. I only know of him through Dr. Cain, but that's about it.' X said while rubbing the back of his head nervously "From what he told me, Dr. Light was a kind person and wanted to help make the world a better place for everyone. But I also know that he had his reasons for sealing me away as he was worried that I might go berserk in his timeline. Other than that, that's about all I know of him."
"I see… You're really lucky, X…" Houki said sourly as she looked down sadly. "You look up to your creator because he actually tried to make the world better. But for me, I always hated my sister for creating those stupid ISes in the first place. I never really liked the IS after my sister created them because they ruined my chance to win a kendo tournament and I had to move away from Ichika. But at first, I wanted to make amends with my sister and that we could start over, but now that she's gone, I can never get the chance to forgive her."
"I see… I'm sorry that you never got the chance to forgive her…" X said sadly but he reassures her with a smile by saying "But I'm sure that she knows and is happy to know that you do forgive her, so don't worry about it too much. So what do you say that we join the others in the kitchen? They're all probably waiting for us."
"Yeah, let's. We can't keep them waiting for too long." Houki nods with a smile as they headed downstairs to meet up with their friends.
Later
X and Houki arrived in the kitchen where the other IS girls were eating their breakfast at the dining table. On the table were eggs, bacon, sausages, pancakes, among other things. There were also some orange juice and syrup on the table as the rest of the girls turned to see X and Houki arriving at the table.
"Houki! There you are. You really need to try these kick-butt pancakes X made! They're so good!" Ling shouted happily as she took a bite of her pancakes and closed her eyes happily as hearts appeared around her.
"As well as these omelets! It's like I've died and gone to heaven!" Cecilia agrees with a happy coo as she ate her omelets.
"I wouldn't go that far, Cecilia. But you're not wrong." Charlotte giggled at her friend as she ate her sausage. "This breakfast is really good. Thank you so much for this amazing breakfast, X-kun." She grabbed the syrup and poured it on her pancakes.
"Eh… It's alright, I guess." Laura shrugs as she ate her egg pouch stoically.
"Well, looks like everyone is enjoying your cooking, X." Houki smiled as she turned to her new guardian. "You sure weren't kidding when you said that your creator gave you the recipes of the world's greatest chefs. I can definitely imagine them creating meals like these." She joins her friends at the table and takes a seat.
"Yeah, I'm sure they would." X smiled as well as he takes all the finished plates to wash them
10 minutes later
"Ahh… X's super-duper pancakes were so delicious! That really hit the spot!" Ling smiled while rubbing her stomach.
"Indeed, that was very nice. The best breakfast I had in a long time." Cecilia agrees white cleaning herself with a napkin.
"Certainly does beat cafeteria food, not gonna lie." Houki smiled.
"Eh… it was alright. Nothing too special." Laura shrugged.
"I thought that the breakfast was really good. Thank you so much, X-kun." Charlotte smiles.
"You're all very welcome. I'm glad that you all enjoyed the breakfast." X smiled back as he finished washing all the plates. "So now that everyone is up and about, what do you ladies want to do next? Since this is your second day in the future." The IS girls all thought about what to do for their second day.
"I'm not sure… What can we do for today?" Houki wonders as she scratched her chin in thought "We can't stay inside the house all day, but what is there to do in Neo Tokyo? We've been in suspended animation for so long that we have no idea what has changed over the years." Her friends all nodded in agreement as X thinks about what to do until they hear a ringing sound.
"Huh? What's that ringing sound? Is someone calling us?" Ling asked in confusion.
"That must be Jerry and Sophie. They must be calling us to check up on us and see if we've got any plans for today." X answered her as he walks over to a device and actives it which projects a screen on the wall with Sophie on the other end while wearing a bathrobe and brushing her hair. "Hello? Sophie?"
"Hey, guys. Nice to see that you're all awake." Sophie greeted with a smile as she puts her hairbrush on the desk. "So how was your first night in the penthouse that Dr. Cain gave you? Any problems with your rooms or anything of the sort?"
"No problems at all. It was actually really nice to sleep in a bed again." Houki answered her with a smile. "I guess that after being in cryosleep for so long and waking up in a hospital has kinda made us forget what it's like sleeping on a bed again. It felt so relaxing and familiar at the same time." Her friends all nodded in agreement as X smiles at them.
"That's good, I'm glad that you were all able to get a good night's sleep. I'll let Dr. Cain know that you're all liking your new home so far." Sophie smiled as everyone else all nods.
"So other than checking up on us, is there another reason for calling us?" Cecilia asked.
"Actually, yeah. You could say that. I was wondering what were your plans for today." Sophie answered her as she continued. "I know a lot has changed since the last 66 years, but I'm sure that some things are still the same as you remembered. So I was wondering if you'd like a tour of Neo Tokyo?"
"A tour of Neo Tokyo? Are you sure about that?" Ling asked with a gasp. "I'm not sure if we're going to get used to all the new things that has happened over the course of our cryosleep since the incident. We're still adjusting to everything in the penthouse that Dr. Cain is letting us live in."
"I know, but think of this as your first step into adjusting to the future." Sophie told her with a smile "And I know it's a lot to take in since a lot has changed in the last couple years or so, but it's still better than sulking around the house and doing nothing."
"I guess you do have a good point, we still don't know what the city has to offer if we don't get out of the house every now and then." Laura agrees with a nod. "So, it's probably for the best that we head out into the city and see for ourselves how much has changed since the Phantom Virus outbreak. Plus, I believe that we're going to need some new clothes other than the ones that Dr. Cain managed to save for us." Her friends all thought about it for a minute and realized that she was right.
"I agree with them, we're gonna have to go outside and see what our new home has to offer." Charlotte egress with a smile and nod. "I understand that we're all still coping with everything that happened yesterday, but we can't sit around the house all the time. That's not what Ichika would want from us." Her friends all realized that she was right and that Ichika wouldn't want to see them just sit around and mopping.
"Yeah, you're right, Charlotte. We really shouldn't be sitting around here and mopping about what could've been." Houki agrees, smiling softly. "True that everyone and everything we knew is gone, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't let all that make us so sad. We may miss our friends and families, but we're still together and I'm sure that everyone is watching us. Including Ichika as he'd want us to keep on living for them."
"Yeah." Ling nods with a soft grin.
"I concur." Cecilia nods, smiling softly.
"As am I." Laura nods with a soft small smile.
"And you can count on us to help you girls every step of the way." X nods which made the IS girls blush, but he doesn't understand why. "We can help you in adjusting to the future and I'm sure that you'll get the hang of it soon enough." The IS girls all looked at X as an image of Ichika appears for a brief moment before returning back to X, seeing the similarities between them.
"Perfect, then we'll meet up with you guys in Shibuya later." Sophie said with a grin. "We can show you what has changed since you were all in suspended animation and what has stayed the same. Also, we can have dinner later tonight at 6:00 p.m. sharp. It's our way of welcoming you guys back to the world." The IS girls all nodded until there was a crash just offscreen.
"What was that?! Did something crashed in your penthouse?" Cecilia asked with a gasp.
"Hang on, that was probably Jerry. He said that he was going to make breakfast, but I was afraid that this would happen." Sophie answered her with a sigh. "I told him not to overdo it, but he just can't seem to help himself. We'll meet up with you guys later, so see you then."
"Ok, bye." X nods as Sophie ends the call.
"Those two sure are quite the pair. They're acting like a married couple and Sophie is the one wearing the pants here." Ling said with a sweat drop. "And it looks like that Jerry acts like a little kid and she has to make sure he doesn't go overboard with whatever he's doing."
"Yeah, I kinda noticed that when I was first introduced to them. Believe me, they're like two peas in a pod." X agrees with a laugh. "Well, I think we better get ready and meet up with them later. So let's clean everything up and head out for your first tour of Neo Tokyo." The IS girls all nodded as they picked up all the plates and placed them in the sink to wash them before heading out to meet with their friends and take a tour of Neo Tokyo.
Later
After receiving a call from Sophie, X and the IS girls arrived in Shibuya to meet with their friends Jerry and Sophie for a tour around Neo Tokyo. X's group were waiting right by the only location that remains the same, even after all these years; the statue of Hachiko that still stands, even after the city has changed around it.
"Okay, here we are. At the statue of Hachiko. In the middle of Shibuya." Houki said with a smile as she looked at the statue. "It's really hard to believe that this little guy remained the same, even after everything around him changed. I guess that his loyalty to his master is still fondly remembered, even in the future."
"Yeah, he sure is. And it's also because of his loyalty that his statue remains standing in the same place, like when it was first erected." X nods, smiling as well. "Plus, it's a good place to start before the tour of Neo Tokyo. That way, we can take this slow and help you get used to all the new things that has changed over the years."
"I sure hope so, I really don't want to be left in the dark about not knowing how anything works." Cecilia said worriedly. "If we're going to be living here in the future, then we'll need to learn how everything works so that we won't be confused on how to use them. Perhaps Jerry and Sophie could help us since they've used them for practically everything.''
"Maybe Sophie, but I don't know about Jerry. It doesn't look like he wants anything to do with us." Laura said, frowning slightly in worry. "From the moment we woke up to the point when we found out what happened to Ichika, he has been showing some form of hostility towards us. While he did say that he forgave Houki for kicking him into the wall back at the house, I can't help but think that there's also an underlying grudge for us. Like he just hates us with a burning passion and we don't know why."
"Now that you mentioned it, he does look like he wants to throw us off a cliff or something." Ling agrees, worried as well. "I get that he was ticked when Houki kicked him, but she did apologize to him and he accepted it. So why is that he's got a grudge against us?" She and her friends all looked over at X. "X, you've been with them for a year, right? What do you know about his grudge against us?"
"Actually, to tell you the truth, I don't really know much about them." X answered her as he started to ponder Ling's question about Jerry's hatred toward the IS girls. "True we've been together since last year, but all I know about them is that they've been together since they were kids and have been working for Dr. Cain since they've graduated from high school. Other than that, I don't really know anything else."
"I suppose that's true; we don't know much about them ourselves as we've only just awakened 2 days ago." Charlotte agrees with a nod. "Maybe it's best that we take it slow and get to know them more before we start asking them for any personal questions. Hopefully by then, they've opened up to us and can tells us more about themselves." Everyone nodded in agreement as they've noticed Jerry and Sophie walking up to them from the other side of the crossway. "Oh, here they come now. Just on the other side of the road."
"Jerry, I told you not to take out all those pots and pans at the same time." Sophie scolded him. "You were supposed to take them out one at a time and then put them back into the cabinet when you find the pan that you're looking for. You're lucky that you only got away with some bruises, but just try to be careful next time."
"I was being careful and trying to take them out one at a time, but one of the pan's handle hits the side of the cabinet and everything else just came crashing down." Jerry whined. "It's not like I was trying to get myself hurt again, I was legitimately trying to be careful this time. I swear, it's like the universe is out to get me."
"C'mon, don't say that. I'm sure it's just one of those days." Sophie said with a smile. "Besides, you're not the kind of person who lets that get him down. You've always been the person who takes whatever life throws at you and push on. Believe me, I've seen you get back up on your feet whenever someone tells you that it's impossible." Jerry cheers up a little and turns towards his childhood friend.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. It's not like me to just take any problems sitting down." Jerry agrees with a nod. "I just need get back up and take it head on. That's how I work. Thanks, Sophie, for always being right beside me." Sophie smiles at him and winks with a cute victory sign. They both turned to see X and the IS girls waiting for them.
"Hey, guys. Sorry we're a bit late." Sophie said with a wave. "Had to patch up Jerry after his little accident, but he's alright." Jerry rolls his eyes with a small smirk at his childhood friend, but made sure that none of the IS girls saw it.
"It's alright, it did sound like a really loud crash. But we're glad that it wasn't too serious." X smiled. "So since that we're all here, shall we get started on the tour?" Everyone nodded in agreement as Charlotte takes Laura's arm.
"In that case, let's go, Laura. There's this cafe in Sector 2 of Neo Tokyo that I heard so much about." Charlotte said excitedly. "Let's head over there and see what it has to offer." She drags her friend by her arm as the others watched.
"Augh! Hey, Char! Slow down! You're going to pull my arm out!" Laura gawked as she blushed while Charlotte drags her across the street.
"Hey, Jerry. You better go with them." Sophie tells him while Jerry almost flinched, but remain calm. "They don't know their way around the city just yet, so it's best that you're with them so that they won't get lost."
"Oy, fine. I'll go with them." Jerry sighed as he follows Charlotte and Laura.
"Ok, I know that Charlotte and Laura have their iPhones, does anyone else have their phones with them?" X asked as Houki, Cecilia and Ling took out their phones and showed him. "Perfect, now we'll be in touch with each other. So Sophie, where are we going to meet up for dinner?"
"There's this place in Sector 4 called Teppanyaki. It's a restaurant where the chefs cook the food on a grill in front of the people." Sophie answered him as she explained. "It's a place that I'm sure that Houki and her friends would enjoy as their first time back in the future since their cryosleep."
"Sounds like a plan. Then we'll meet at Teppanyaki at 6'PM." X nods as everyone went their separate ways. X was with Ling and Cecilia, Sophie was with Houki and Jerry was with Charlotte and Laura.
With Laura, Charlotte and Jerry, Cyber Cafe, Sector 2, Neo Tokyo, 10:35 AM
"Hello and welcome to the Cyber Cafe. Please try and enjoy our brand new Cyber Coffee!" The female Reploid waitress greeted as the trio enters the cafe.
"Oh, that would be lovely! Thank you very much!" Charlotte giggled as the trio started down at a table by the window and a human female waitress walks up to them.
"Hello, everyone. Nice of you to join us for today. So, what can I get for you?" The waitress asked while holding a digital notepad.
"I would like to have a Cyber Coffee and a cheesecake, if you please." Charlotte told her kindly.
"I'll have a black iced tea and some creamer, please." Jerry told her as well.
"Eh, I think I'll have some herbal tea, thanks." Laura said with a bored tone.
"Ok, so that's a Cyber Coffee with a cheesecake, a black iced tea with creamer and an herbal tea." The waitress smiled as she places the orders on the notepad. "Thank you. Your orders will be ready shortly." She takes the orders to the human chef and his Reploid assistant chef. Smiling at the orders, the duo proceeds to work on the trio's orders.
"This sure is a really nice place. And is really a lot different than the cafes I've seen before." Charlotte smiled as she looked around. "But there's also a feeling of familiarity that makes us feel like that nothing has changed." Jerry raised an eyebrow while Laura nodded in agreement while waiting for their orders.
"Ja, it does have that feeling, even after everything else has changed in the last six decades." Laura agrees with a small smile. "We have a lot of catching up to do since we've been in suspended animation since the Phantom Virus incident and we've really missed everything that has happened to the world. I just hope that we can get used to everything again."
"That's the reason why we're taking you girls on this tour around the city. It's to help you get used to all the changes that has happened over the years." Jerry told them as he explained "Not only that, but it's also a way for you girls to get accustomed to being in the future since all the things you're used to have been abandoned or changed drastically. At least, that's what X told us while you were all still recuperating from your cryosleep."
"Oh, I see. That makes much more sense when you put it that way." Charlotte nods in understanding. "And we're glad that it's you, Sophie-san and X-kun are showing us around the city, even after the rocky start we had the other day." She smiles at him which causes him to blush and turn away from her in embarrassment.
"Yeah, well, don't think anything of it. I'm only just helping because X asked me to. Nothing else than just that." Jerry muttered sourly. "It's not like I'm helping you because I want to, X just asked us to help because he was worried about all of you. Nothing more, nothing less." He tries to act like he doesn't care, but both girls can tell that he really does deep down and just doesn't want to admit it.
"Well, alright, if you say so. We'll take your word for it." Laura nods before realizing something "But in all seriousness, what are we going to do about paying for our orders? I'm guessing that even the currency has changed in the last six decades since the incident?"
"Yeah, Neo Tokyo no longer accepts Yen. That's been discontinued after everything that has happened since the incident." Jerry answered her as he explained about Zenny. "Now the currency has been changed to Zenny and it's the same for everywhere else around the world. And speaking of which…" He digs through his pockets and takes out two credit cards and gives them to the girls. "You'll now be needing these if you're going to pay for anything you buy. They're Zenny credit cards. Dr. Cain wanted us to give them to you guys once you've settled into his old apartment." Both Charlotte and Laura accept the cards from him.
"Thank you, Jerry-san. We'll make good use of them." Charlotte smiled "And we'll also thank Dr. Cain for letting us stay in his old apartment when none of us have anywhere else to go." Laura nods in agreement as Charlotte decided to take the conversation into another direction. "By the way, Laura, what do you think of X-kun?" That made Jerry raised an eyebrow while Laura gazes out the glass window of the cafe.
"…What about him?" Laura muttered, not even paying attention to the question.
"Well… I was wondering if… you like him?" Charlotte looked away, rather shyly and timidity while Jerry realizes what was going on.
"What?! No! What exactly gave you that stupid idea?!" Laura yelled with an anger vein on her forehead. "Why would I like X all of a sudden? He's nice and all, but why would you think that I like him?" She then turns to Jerry who had a smug look on his face. "And what are you looking at?"
"Oh, I see what's going on." Jerry teased.
"See what? What are you talking about?" Laura asked, face turning bright red.
"Charlotte here has gained a crush on our friend, X. And she's wondering if you do as well, Laura." Jerry answered her with a smirk.
"Oh please, there's no way in heck that I'd ever like X." Laura snarled as she huffed "Besides, the only one I like is Ichika and he was supposed to be my wife eventually." That made Jerry gained a question mark above his head.
"Wait, what? Wife? He was going to be your wife? Wouldn't that be the other way around since you're a girl and he's a guy?" Jerry asked confusedly.
"Like I said, he was going to be my wife." Laura answered him before she lowered her head softly "But ever since the other day, we've learned that he's dead and we're the only ones left from our friends and families." Charlotte lowered her head in sadness as she also recalled that moment when they've discovered what happened to Ichika.
"I know that and it still hurts me to know what happened to him after we went to sleep…" Charlotte nodded sadly "But don't you think that X-kun is a lot like Ichika-kun? His smile, his kindness and how he was willing to help us when we had no idea what was going on?"
"I… guess you do have a point. He definitely is nice and kind like Ichika." Laura agrees with a stutter before toughing up "But he'll never replace Ichika from us. You know that, Char." She glared at her friend with a despondent frown.
"Yes, I know that… but, I like X-kun." Charlotte blushed slightly.
"Darn it, Char… Now you've got me thinking about X…" Laura stutters as she blushes as well.
'Oh boy, this is gonna get really weird, really fast.' Jerry thought to himself with a sweat drop. 'These girls are already falling for X and all because he reminds them of Ichika. Look, girls, I know that you all miss him, but don't try to make X act like him for your own benefit. He's his own Reploid and not someone you can just project your feelings on because of someone else.' He then turns to the window to look out at the city. 'I wonder how X and Sophie are doing with the other girls? I'm just hoping that it doesn't go the same route as these two.' Their orders arrived at the table and they've enjoyed them.
Sophie and Houki, Reploid Learning Institute, 12:05 AM
"Thank you for touring the Reploid Learning Institute. Please come back again." A female Reploid tour guide told Houki and Sophie with a smile.
"Don't worry, we will. And thank you for the tour." Sophie waved back as she and Houki were exiting the Institute.
Sophie had brought Houki to the Reploid Learning Institute and even arranged a tour for them as a way for Houki to see how even Reploids learn about as much as humans can. To say that Houki was amazed is an understatement as she was both in shock and awe at how the Reploids were learning about their creation. Heck, there were even some Reploid researchers tutoring them on the very same subjects.
"That was an interesting tour. I had no idea that even Reploids can learn the same way as humans can." Houki said with a smile. "They even asked you to do some lectures on some other things since you're one of the people who created them along with X, Jerry and Dr. Cain. You guys are basically celebrities to everyone."
"C'mon, we're not really that famous. We're just doing our best to make the world a better place for everyone." Sophie said with a chuckle. "Besides, I'm no different than any other girl my age. I just happen to be an assistant to a world renowned scientist." They've walked into the park of the Institute and sat down on a bench as Houki looks up at the sky with a despondent sigh.
"Still… I really can't believe that everything has changed since our century long sleep…" Houki said sadly. "Not a single person I know from my past and no one I know are no longer alive anymore. So what can I do now? And where will I go from here on out?" Sophie couldn't help but let out a sigh as she had no idea to answer her questions.
"I don't know, Houki… I really don't know…" Sophie answered as she looks up at the sky with her until someone called out to them.
"Um… hello there." A friendly voice greeted. The voice sounded female and close by. Both girls blinked in confusion and turned to face the owner of the voice.
When the girls see where the voice was coming from, they see a female Reploid standing beside them. She has blonde hair with a white hair band, pink and white armor with a breastplate that shows her impressive breasts, blue eyes and wearing a white lab coat.
"Oh, sorry. We didn't see you there. Konichiwa." Houki stood up and bowed lightly.
"Hi, there. Nice to meet you. I'm Sophie." Sophie also greeted the Reploid.
"And my name is Houki." Houki introduces herself while mentally reminding herself not to mention her last name as according to Dr. Cain, X, Jerry and Sophie, everyone in this era save for X and them, hopefully the latter two as well, resented the Shinonono name because of the Phantom Virus Tragedy.
"Nice to meet both of you. My name is Alia." The blonde haired Reploid known as Alia greeted back with a smile. She turned to Sophie. "Hold on, you wouldn't be the same Sophie who is an assistant to Dr. Cain? The creator of the Reploids?"
"Guilty as charged. But yeah, that's me, one of the assistants to Dr. Cain." Sophie answered her with a grin.
"Oh my gosh! It's so good to meet you in person!" Alia beamed as she shook her hand. "I saw you giving a lecture to one of the classes, but I couldn't really tell if that was you since it was kinda crowded. But seeing you in person, I can definitely see that it was you all along."
"Like I said, Sophie. You really are like celebrities to everyone." Houki said with a smile.
'Yeah, I guess that's true. But again, I'm not really that special." Sophie said while rubbing the back of her head nervously.
"I know, you're just like any other girl our age." Houki remembered what she said before "So Alia, what do you do here at the Institute?"
"Oh, I'm a Reploid researcher. My job is to make sure that all the Reploids are in working order and make some adjustments if needed." Alia answered her as she added "In a way, Reploids can be scientists in the same vein as the humans."
"I see, that does make sense when you put it like that." Houki nodded with a smile "As for me, I had just awoken from cryosleep a few days ago after X, Jerry and Sophie found me and my friends in Old Tokyo. So I'm still new to this whole Reploid thing."
"Wait, X?! Did you say X?!" Alia gasped in shock as she covered her mouth "You mean the same Reploid that Dr. Cain used a template for us Reploids?" Both girls nodded at her question. "Are you kidding? He's a living legend. I'd love to meet him in person and learn more about his creator, Dr. Light, and what kinds of functions he has." She then turns to Houki. "Oh yeah, you said that you and your friends were all found cryogenically frozen in Old Tokyo, right?" Houki nods at her. "Wow, that must mean that you guys are living relics then."
"Y-Yeah, I guess we are, in a way…" Houki chuckled nervously as she sweat dropped "Hey, Alia, I gotta ask you. Do… Do you like X?"
"Huh? W-What made you think that?" Alia blinked while blushing slightly "I-I wouldn't say that I like him per say, but I would love to meet him though."
"O-Ok, I see. Um, one more question, Alia…" Houki looks at the ground slightly.
"Yes, what is it?" Alia asked in concern as she sat down on the left side of Houki.
'And here comes the big moment…' Sophie thought to herself sadly.
"Do… Do you hate Tabane Shinonono for the Phantom Virus Tragedy and the creation of the ISes like everyone else does?" Houki asked, waiting for the moment when Alia answers her.
"No, of course not." Alia closed her eyes and smiled.
"W-What?" Houki's eyes turned to white dotted.
"Come again?" Sophie asked, confused as well.
"To be honest with both of you, I believe that Tabane Shinonono is a genius for creating the ISes in the first place." Alia answered her as she explained "But in all seriousness, I really wished that she could've made them so that men can use them and the political power wouldn't have been shifted back in 2035. Other than that, I really enjoyed her creations from the past."
"Okay, go back for a minute. You're saying that you don't hate Tabane Shinonono or their family name?" Sophie asked, dumbfounded by this.
"What? Were you expecting me to come out and say that I despise her?" Alia questioned her as she reassured Houki. "Not everyone resents the Shinonono name in this era. True, there's a good amount of people who despise them, but there are also the same amount who praises the Shinonono family for their genius as well."
"I see… That's good to hear…" Houki smiled slightly as she lowered her head 'So there are people who don't hate my family… Tabane… I really wish that I could turn back time and apologize to you for ruining my chances of becoming a Kendo Champion…"
Alia looks at her built-in watch on her arm. "Uh-oh! Look at the time! I need to check up with my colleague. He's a very talented Reploid researcher. Will I even see you two again?"
Houki was surprised to see that this Reploid was being nice to her. "Yeah, of course. We'll try to visit you here whenever we have time. Right, Sophie?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, sure. Count on it." Sophie answered her with a stutter.
"Great. I'll be seeing you two then. And I hope that you find your purpose here in 21XX, Houki." Alia waved goodbye to her new friends as headed back to the Institute.
"Yeah, same to you…" Houki waved back slowly with a small smile. She decided to explore more of Neo Tokyo, her second decision was a museum of robotics. Sophie followed behind, but was still in deep though about what Alia told them and was even having some conflicting thoughts.
X, Ling and Cecilia, JC Penny, 3:00 PM
X was sitting on a bench, waiting for Ling and Cecilia who were in changing rooms trying on some clothes they've picked out. Eventually, Cecilia was the first to come out of the changing room to show off one of the outfits she picked. Which was a fashionable blue dress with purple silk gloves and ruby red slippers. It also showed a good amount of her cleavage and had an opening that showed off her slender left leg.
"Well, X? What do you think? How do I look?" Cecilia asked while doing a sexy pose.
"Oh… er… uh… I-It looks good on you…" X stuttered while blushing slightly while looking away.
"Hey, X! Check this out!" Both X and Cecilia turned to face Ling as she came out of the changing room while wearing a standard school uniform, only it was brown. "Whaddya think? Does a schoolgirl catch your interest?"
"W-Wait, w-what?! N-No, it's not that… I just-" X face faulted as he facepalms with one hand.
"Oh, you poor thing. You never really had a girlfriend in your life before Dr. Light sealed you away?" Cecilia looked at him with worry.
"No, it's not really that. Dr. Light just had to make sure that I was ready for this century, that's all." X told them as he looks back and forth at them with a nervous glance.
"Well, don't you worry, X. You can count on me to help you with that." Ling snickered playfully "Whenever you're ready, I can be your girlfriend to help you overcome your fears."
"I… uh…" Was all X could say.
"What on earth are you talking about?!" Cecilia growled as she stomped over to Ling and looked at her straight in the eyes. "Don't think that you're going to get ahead of me this time! He'll be choosing me to be his girlfriend! After all, he's taking care of me after my 66-year-old sleep."
"No way! I'm not letting you get the best of me! He's mine and you know it, blondie!" Ling blew a raspberry at her, causing Cecilia to shake her fist at her.
"Girls, girls. Calm down. There's no need to fight." X sighed in exhaustion.
The day continued on as normal as X, Jerry and Sophie were showing the IS girls around their new home and they seem to be getting used to it so far. Jerry's group had went to a Street Fighter arcade to play some games, Sophie and Houki were seeing all of the exhibits of the museum of robotics that shows different eras of robots, and even X's group were checking out a Barnes N Nobles where even though people are using their phones and tablets, some still even read books as to see what the bygone age of literature was like.
Cecilia was separate from X and Ling to check out one of the bookshelves to see what was in stock. She reaches each of the titles until she finds one that caught her eye and pulled it off the shelf.
"I can't believe it! They still have this book series, even after it was disconnected so long ago?!" Cecilia gasps in shock. "I thought that they were sold out since the author decided to discontinue it after he gained writer's block. It seems that someone had this one just lying around and decided to give it out to the public. Looks like that today is my lucky day." She opens the book and starts reading it.
Unknown to her, another person was walking towards her while also reading a book with a familiar animatronic bear on the cover. The moment the person turns a corner, he bumped into Cecilia and both fell backwards and dropping their books onto the floor. Cecilia regains her composure and turns to the person who bumped into her.
"Hey, watch where you're going, mister! You should know better than to knock over a lady like me!" Cecilia shouted.
"Speak for yourself, you were blocking the aisle! If you were a little closer to the shelf or find a place to sit down, then I wouldn't have bumped into you!" The boy shouted back at her.
When Cecilia got a better look at him, he was about her age with shoulder length brown hair, emerald green eyes covered by his glasses and was wearing what seems to be a school uniform. Both her and him were staring at each other for what seems like an eternity, like they were lost in each other's eyes until the boy gets a message on his phone and checks it.
"Oh shoot! My uncle is calling me! I need to get going now!" The boy shouted frantically as he stood up "Sorry for running into you, but I really need to get going!" He puts his book back onto the shelf and runs towards the entrance where a limousine was waiting for him and he enters when an older gentleman opens the door for him just before driving off.
Cecilia was still on the floor, looking at where the boy was going and had a sudden burst of feelings welling up inside her. Her heart was beating faster, she felt her cheeks blushing brightly and even had hearts in her eyes. She eventually meets up with X and Ling, but both were wondering what was going on with Cecilia before heading for the restaurant for their dinner.
Teppanyaki, 6:05
The time for their dinner has arrived as they all arrived at the Teppanyaki restaurant. Since X was a Reploid, he didn't need to wear any clothes, but his human friends do as Jerry was wearing a dark blue buttoned shirt and pants, his hair was the same but now more refined, Sophie was wearing a green long sleeved shirt that shows her midriff, black pants with brown boots and her hair was tied in a braided ponytail and draped over her shoulder, and the IS girls all wore their casual clothes.
"Hello and welcome to Teppanyaki. Are you the X party of 8?" The host asked.
"Yes, that's us. We're the X party." X answered as the host checks the list.
"Ah yes, here you are. And there's even a special request by Dr. Cain whom made the reservation." The host said as everyone had question marks above their heads.
"Wait, Dr. Cain made a special reservation for us?" Ling asked in confusion.
"Yes, that he did. Now then, I'll show you to your table." The host answered her as he leads them to their table.
The host leads the group to a private room where several chairs are lined up against the table with a hibachi grill for the chef to cook the food for them. Everyone took their seats around the table as the host hands them menus and turns on the hibachi grill.
"Your server will be with you shortly. Have a nice dinner." The host bowed before taking his leave.
"I have to say, Dr. Cain sure spared no expense on reserving this private room for us." Houki said with a smile. "He's really making sure that we're right at home after being asleep for so long. We should give him our gratitude when we're done."
"Yeah, it's the least we can do for him when he gave us a place to stay." Ling agrees with a smile as well.
"But what can we do to show him our gratitude? Should we do something special for him?" Charlotte wonders "And maybe something for X-kun, Sophie-san and Jerry-san as well since they've been showing us around the city."
"I don't think that he wants you guys to do anything for him. He just wants you to feel welcomed back after all that has happened over the last 60 years." X answered her with a smile which made Char and the other IS girls blush. "He knew that you'll be a little worried about everything since waking up, so he just wants to make sure you all feel right at home like before."
"Plus, we can still hang out to help you in whatever way we can. So, you don't really need to owe him anything." Sophie agrees, smiling as well.
"I guess you're right, but we don't want to feel ungrateful for what you guys and Dr. Cain as done for us so far." Houki said with a bow of gratitude. "It wouldn't feel right for us to take advantage of your generosity and not repay you all for helping us. It's the least we can do for all you've done for us."
"Like I said, you don't need to owe us anything. We're just happy to help you and your friends recuperate after everything that has happened over the years." X smiled. "So don't worry about paying us back for helping you guys, we're just glad to help you in anyway we can." Sophie nods in agreement while Jerry just gave them a simple nod. The IS girls all looked at each other before looking back at the trio before nodding in agreement as well.
"If you say that we don't owe you anything for helping us, then we'll take your word for it, X." Houki said, smiling. "We just didn't want to look like we're taking advantage of your generosity towards us, but we'll trust you on your words. But we still want to repay you for everything you've done for us." Her friends all nodded in agreement until there was a loud crash followed by screaming coming from outside of the private room.
"What the heck was that?! What was that loud crash? And is there someone screaming?" Cecilia gasped in shock.
"I don't know, but something's going on. We better see what's happening and see if we can help in any way we can." X said with a frown as he and his friends existed the private room and ran towards all the commotion.
As they got to the location, they saw something that shocked them to their very core. A chef Reploid with a look of malice on his face holding an human chef at knife point.
"What's going on here?!" Sophie asked another chef Reploid.
"It's Raulbin! He's gone out of control!" the chef Reploid stammered. "We don't know what's gotten into him and now he's gonna kill one of our fellow chefs!"
"W-What?!" X gasped in shock.
"If he does that, he'll violate the first rule of Robotics!" Jerry gritted his teeth. The IS girls looked at their new friends in confusion.
"First rule of Robotics?" Laura asked in confusion.
"Allow me to explain." Sophie cleared her throat but make it brief. "The first rule of Robotics which is still in effect today is that a robot or Reploid in this case must never ever harm a human. But right now, we need to do something about the hostage situation."
"Right!" X nodded as he motioned the IS girls to help try to reason with Raulbin. Houki noticed a knife on the table and picked it up just in case things went south. "Raulbin, please! Let the human go!" X pleaded with him.
"Be quiet, Reploid slave to those stupid humans!" Raulbin snarled as he gets ready to kill the chef who gulped in fear. "We Reploids are nothing but slaves to those ungrateful humans and now it is time for us to start an uprising!"
"Guess reasoning with him is out of the question…" Houki frowned as she threw the knife at Raulbin's hand, injuring him, causing him to scream in pain as he dropped his knife and the human chef ran to safety.
Snarling, Raulbin picked up his knife and shouted "Why you!" He charged at Houki and the IS girls, but X got out his buster which is called the X-Buster and fired it at Raulbin's chest, causing him to scream in pain as he fell down, deactivated.
"That was scary…" Jerry grimaced. "If we haven't acted sooner, then there would be causalities…" Sophie nodded in agreement. X lowered his head sadly.
"X?" Ling asked in concern.
"Why did it have to come to this…?" X muttered sadly.
Once Raulbin was subdued and his hostage was freed, several police officers arrived on the scene after one of the employees called 911 when the attacks happened. Some policemen blocked off the sight for safety of the people from entering the area while making sure the people inside were safe and sound. Several people and Reploids were gathering around the scene and even a news report van drives up to the restaurant.
As many people were escorted out of the restaurant to paramedics to treat them for any injuries, a white SUV drives up to the crime scene. The engine is turned off as two people stepped out of the vehicle. One passenger's side was a young man with light tan skin, shoulder length reddish brown hair, brown eyes and wearing a brown trench coat over a white dress shirt and blue pants. On the driver's side was a young woman about the same age as the man with black hair tied in a ponytail, one of her bangs is covering her left eye with a white streak, blue eyes, light lipstick on her lips, a light skin tone and wearing a green trench coat over a black skirt and blue shirt. Both people walked towards the Policemen and showed their badges where the Policemen saluted.
"Agent Stern. Agent Krantz. A pleasure to have you both here." A policeman said as he saluted.
"Yes, as we are. So what seems to be the problem here, Officer Jeff?" Agent Krantz asked.
"We've got a call that a Reploid named Raulbin was acting hostile and was even holding one of the human chefs hostage at knife point." Officer Jeff answered him.
"I see. Were there any casualties from any of the victims inside the restaurant?" Agent Stern asked.
"Only Raulbin himself. One of the patrons was able to get the chef out of harm's way while the other was able to deactivate him. I believe they're still inside the restaurant being questioned by the other officers." Officer Jeff answered.
"Very well. We'll head inside and see for ourselves. Have your fellow officers keep the area secured, we don't want anyone getting hurt under our watch." Agent Krantz ordered.
"Yessir!" The officers all saluted and spread out to make sure no one entered the crime scene.
"So Glynda, feeling the same kind of disgust towards machines like your grandfather? I know he had some issues with the Robot Masters back then, but what about you?" Agent Krantz asked in concern.
"Believe me, Ross, I know my grandfather was a real stick in the mud when it came to machines, but I'm not like him." Glynda answered him with a smile "Grandpa Gil may have had his reasons for distrusting machines, but his heart is in the right place. So while I don't share his viewpoints about machines making everything easier for us or how they can be a threat, I'm more than willing to trust them as well as humans. Your grandma taught me that before we enrolled at the academy."
"Yeah, you're right. Grandma Rosie was more laidback and trusting than your grandfather, but she still did value their friendship." Ross agrees with a smile "They may have retired from police work, but we're here to pick up where they left off. So you ready?"
"Born ready. Let's go." Glynda nodded as they've walked towards the restaurant as two police Reploids saluted them and moved aside to let them enter.
Later
Upon entering the restaurant, Ross and Glynda saw two Reploid Police officers hauling the deactivated body of Raulbin while others were still questioning the victims and witnesses of the incident. The Agents reached the location of the attack as the policemen all stood up and saluted at the Agents while X and the gang looked towards them. Jerry and Sophie recognized the agents as did they, but everyone else were confused.
"Ross Krantz? Glynda Stern? What are you two doing here?" Both Jerry and Sophie gasped in shock.
"Huh, fancy meeting you guys here. We weren't expecting to see you two after a few years. Not since we went our separate ways in High school." Ross smiled at their old friends.
"Yeah, it sure has been a while since High school. So you guys are now police officers?" Sophie asked as she placed her hand on her hip.
"Federal agents, exactly. We've managed to score high marks in our training that we've been made to federal agents." Glynda answered him with a smile before looking at X and the IS girls. "So I take it that everyone here are your new friends?"
"You can say that. X is someone we've know for a year while the others we've known less than a week." Jerry answered her.
"X? You mean the same X that's been going around the news as the father of Reploids?" Glynda asked with a gasp.
"Yes, that's me. I know that both Jerry and Sophie had already said your names, but can you please tell us who you are?" X asked politely.
"Certainly, we'll be glad to. My name is Federal Agent Ross Krantz. A pleasure to meet all of you." Ross saluted.
"And I'm his partner, Federal Agent Glynda D. Stern. The best team of Neo Tokyo." Glynda saluted.
"We're the only team here in Neo Tokyo, Glynda." Ross joked.
"You know what I mean." Glynda said with a sigh. "So what about the rest of your friends? Mind telling us who they are."
"Oh right, I was about to introduce them." X said as he began clearing his throat "These are our friends Houki Shinonono, Cecilia Alcott, Huang Lingyin, Charlotte Dunois and Laura Bodewig. We've been showing them around Neo Tokyo after they've been asleep for the past 60 years." That made both agents raise an eyebrow at X's explanation and turned towards the IS girls.
"Wait, 60 years? Are you saying that these girls are…" Ross was about to ask.
"Yeah, we're from the time when the Phantom Virus Tragedy took place." Houki answered him sadly.
"And X said that your name is Shinonono… Does that mean you're related to…" Glynda was about to ask with wide eyes.
"Yeah, Tabane Shinonono. She's my sister and the creator of the IS." Houki lowered her head.
"I see… so that's why your name sounded so familiar." Ross said in astomshment. "In any case, it seems that no one has been seriously injured and the only casualty is Raulbin himself. Why don't you all head home and get some rest? We'll finish up here and let you know what comes up."
"Okay, we'll leave you two to your work. Thank you for everything." X bowed as both agents saluted before speaking with the other policemen.
"Well, so much for our dinner. We were about to enjoy our first night together and this had to happen." Ling sighed "Why did that Raulbin guy just suddenly went crazy and almost killed the other chef with a knife? What could've happened to him that made him lash out like that?"
"I don't know, but that was really scary. His face looked like it had so much…hatred…" Charlotte answered with a shiver "And he even said that Reploids were slaves to humans and even wanted to start a revolution to free the other Reploids. I hope that this doesn't happen to other Reploids as well…"
"…" X just stayed silent as he watches the crime scene.
"X...? Is something wrong?" Houki looked at him with a worried expression, the rest of the IS girls and Dr. Cain's assistants noticed his serious expressions and couldn't help but feel concerned about him.
"…We better head back to the lab and tell Dr. Cain about this. He needs to hear what just happened tonight."
To be continued…
Next chapter: Maverick Hunters, Assemble! Part 1 of 2: Enter Commander Sigma!
A/N: Next up, the Maverick Hunters are formed and we meet Vile and Commander Sigma as well as a mysterious red Maverick in the second part. Plus, in the second part, we meet the Neo Emerald Spears which is luckily not like the Emerald Spears u read about in the Archie comics and the sinister and mysterious Mister X of the X Foundation. So we'll see you then! And Happy Thanksgiving!