A/N: Here are new terms for this new chapter.
Terms:
Maverick: An out of control Reploid who holds no regard to human life.
Mechaniloid: A robot with sub-human intelligence to help both humans and Reploids. They can also go Maverick like Reploids.
Maverick Hunter: A Reploid or human trained to hunt down and destroy Mavericks
Maverick Virus: A mysterious virus that is turning innocent Reploids into Mavericks
Robot Master: A precursor to the Reploids, created by Dr. Thomas Light in 20XX, Reploids have replaced them.
Chapter 4: Maverick Hunters, Assemble! Part 1 of 2: Enter Commander Sigma!
The following morning, X awoken from his sleep capsule and headed straight for the living room. He was still in thought about what has happened with Raulbin, the Reploid chef at the Teppanyaki restaurant. Hearing from the other people and Reploids that Raulbin was a kind Reploid who always treated his fellow chefs, human and Reploid, with kindness and respect. But after what has happened last night, there could be a possibility that he might be destroyed for violating the First Law of Robotics and that's what scares X the most. Seeing a Reploid suddenly attacking an innocent person with such malicious intent that he nearly killed an innocent human that the same thing could happen to other Reploids.
'Why would he try to murder the head chef if he hasn't done anything wrong? Could it be a faulty glitch in his programming or something? Or maybe it's something else?' X thought to himself as he entered the living room. He sees the IS girls watching the news as Ling noticed him.
"X, take a look at what they're showing on CNN. You're really not going to believe this…" She told him wary. Confused by this, X sat down on the sofa beside the girls and watched the news with them. However, what they were showing shook him to his core.
"…And that was the third reported sighting of Reploids killing a human. The first incident was avoided at Teppanyaki thanks to the brave efforts of a Reploid and seven human children. But late last night, police have just arrested a Reploid who has gone berserk after killing a nun at a church in Brazil and just this morning, another Reploid almost killed a teenage boy at an alleyway in Sector Four of Neo Tokyo. The boy was taken to the hospital where he's currently in critical condition and his parents are speaking with the doctors about ending his life support to put him out of his misery." The last part of the report made everyone gasped in horror that the boys' parents are deciding to put their son out of his misery. While it did hurt the parents to lose their child, it was the only way for him to be at ease from his pain.
"That poor boy… He didn't deserve this…" Charlotte said while sniffling sadly.
"No, he didn't. But neither did those two Reploids or the nun…" X agrees as they continue watching the news.
"We're now speaking with one of the Federal Agents from the Neo Tokyo branch who was involved in the first incident of Reploid attacks. So Agent Krantz, what do you have to say about these Reploids suddenly attacking innocent people?" The male news reporter asked.
"As much as it pains me, I'm afraid that I have to enforce the law onto them as much as any human criminal." Ross answered him sadly "Some friends I know outside of work are also Reploids and seeing them suddenly attacking out of the blue like that is just saddening. But the evidence doesn't lie and the victims are proof that if this continues on, then more humans are in danger."
"And what do you plan to do with the Reploids that were detained for these attacks?" The male news reporter asked again.
"Since they've violated the law of robotics, they'll have to be destroyed for killing innocent people." Ross answered him seriously "As for why they're going out of control like this, I'm afraid that I'm just as in the dark as everyone is now. But know that we're doing everything in our power to make sure that more incidents like these are avoided and secure the safety of the citizens of Neo Tokyo."
"And there you have it, folks. The two Reploids in question that were detained are going to be destroyed later for violating the first law of robotics. Not only that, but we've just got word that in a press conference with the world leaders at the UN HQ are now calling these berserk Reploids Mavericks. As of right now, no one knows why some Reploids are rebelling against their human companions, but there have been words of an uprising against the humans. Dr. Cain has called for an emergency meeting which will be held at his office at 9:00 AM. This is Jacob Nolan, reporting live from CNN News. Back to you, Dana." Jacob ended his report.
"Thank you, Jacob. Now in other news…" Dana reported from the CNN anchor room as everyone were in shock at what they've witnessed.
"Maverick…?" X muttered in disbelief as he crossed his arms and pondered about what has happened.
"The night when Raulbin went berserk and almost killed the head chef… Could the news be referring to him as a Maverick?" Charlotte shivered at the thought of that.
"I think so, but what I don't get is why this is happening. Dr. Cain created the Reploids to help people and make the world a better place. So how come they're starting to turn against their human friends?" Ling asked while pondering the actions of these Mavericks.
"I don't really know how or why they're doing this, but there has to be a reason why they're suddenly going berserk." Laura answered her seriously.
"X… Maybe we should call Dr. Cain to learn more about these Maverick Reploids?" Cecilia suggested, still feeling worried about this.
"Y-Yeah… I think we should." X nodded in agreement as he got up from the sofa and walked over to the holographic telephone and speed dials Dr. Cain. When Dr. Cain appeared on the holographic screen, there was also Sophie and Jerry on the other line.
"Jerry? Sophie? You guys were calling Dr. Cain as well?" X asked in surprise.
"Yeah, just now right before you called. I'm guessing that you guys also saw the news earlier?" Jerry asked with a serious frown.
"Yeah, we just did. They're now calling these berserk Reploids Mavericks and how they're rebelling against the humans." Houki answered him as she added "But what we don't know is why these Mavericks are rebelling against the humans… Could it be some kind of glitch in their programming?" She was still concerned about Raulbin's Maverick behavior last night and was wondering if there is some sort of virus that is causing them to go Maverick. That's what they've told Dr. Cain about and both he and his assistants were looking into the problem.
"We don't know ourselves, but we're still trying to figure out what's causing them to go berserk." Sophie answered her as she continued "We've been working all night trying to find out what happened to Raulbin, but nothing seems to be coming up with why he suddenly attacked. It was almost like some kind of outside source compelled him to attack the head chef last night. Almost like a virus…"
"A virus? What kind of virus and why did it make these Reploids turn against the humans?" Cecilia asked in shock.
"Of that we're not sure just yet, but we'll find out what's causing them to act in such a violent manner." Dr. Cain answered her with a serious frown "In the meantime, to counter these Mavericks, a special army of Reploids and humans are formed to protect the humans and Reploids unaffected by this mysterious virus."
"Special army of Reploids and humans?" Laura muttered in confusion as she and her friends all looked at Dr. Cain with raised concerns.
"Yes. They're called the Maverick Hunters, a group of Reploids and humans sworn to protect their human and Reploid friends from the Mavericks. And, quite frankly, I want you, X and Houki's group to join them." Dr. Cain announced.
"Huh?" Ling rose up from her seat.
"Us?" Charlotte gasped.
"Joining the Maverick Hunters?" Cecilia asked in surprise.
"You can't be serious about this, Dr. Cain. Are you sure that they should join the Maverick Hunters?" Jerry asked in shock.
"Yes, I'm positive. The Maverick Hunters need all the help they can get and these children are right for the job." Dr. Cain answered him. "And not only that, but you two should also join the Maverick Hunters as their personal support team."
"Wait, us? You want us to join as well?" Sophie gasped in shock.
"Yes, there's no better people to be their personal support team than you two." Dr. Cain answered as he continued. "I'm positive that all of you working together will be a great team and who knows, perhaps you'll all get to know each other more than before."
"…Will fighting be involved?" X asked, having a bad feeling about this.
"I'm afraid so, X… I believe I told you this before, but Dr. Light created you for peaceful measures, but long ago, your predecessor, MegaMan fought the evil Dr. Wily back in 20XX to protect both humans and robots. But now, Dr. Light wants you to preserve the peace in 21XX to continue your old form's legacy. I know it'll be difficult for you, but please, do it for the humans and Reploids." Dr. Cain smiled softly before hanging up.
X sighed despondently and lowered his head." I really hoped that it didn't have to come to this…" He muttered.
"You don't like fighting, X?" Cecilia asked while looking at him with a depressed frown.
"Of course, I hate fighting. I just can't stand wars and bloodshed. Just even thinking about it makes me uncomfortable." X sighed before toughing up a little bit. "But if Dr. Cain said that it's to protect the humans and Reploids unaffected by this virus, then we don't have a choice. Let's head to where the Maverick Hunters are being stationed at."
"Right." The IS girls all nodded in response.
"We'll meet you guys there as well." Jerry acknowledged as he ended the call.
Charlotte's POV
"And so, after everything Dr. Cain has told us, we've joined the Maverick Hunters. Upon arriving, we were ranked Class B because the eight of us were involved in the incident at Teppanyaki and resolved it last night. Each Hunter class is ranked C, B, A, and S with the last one being the highest. We had to receive a ten-day training session to prepare ourselves for battling Mavericks. And while both Jerry and Sophie weren't going to be on the battlefield as the rest of us, they've still received training in case they were needed to defend themselves. But how can five normal girls like us fight berserk robots without ISes? Perhaps we should try talking to Dr. Cain about it."
Normal POV, ten days later…
After completing their ten-day training, Jerry and the girls were all wearing the same uniforms that consists of brown shirts, blue ties and the Maverick Hunters logo on their shirts. The only differences between them is that Jerry was wearing white pants while the girls wore white skirts. X arrives and walks over to them as his human friends turned to face him, the former eager to see them.
"Nice to see that all of you passed your training. I'll admit, I was a little worried seeing all of you going through the training, but you all managed to make it out alright." X said with a smile. "So how are you all feeling? I take it that the training was difficult for you?"
"You don't know the half of it, X... Those were some rough ten days of training." Ling answered him with a sigh. "Reminds me of when Chifuyu-sensei would make us do some intense training for hours until we're exhausted. I still remember that time we did for an entire week when we were fighting over Ichika again."
"That training did have some nostalgic memories from our time at the IS Academy, but I can say that Chifuyu-sensei's training was much harder." Cecilia said with a smile. "Still, it was necessary for us to be prepared for whatever Maverick that might try to attack us, so it's better safe than sorry. We don't want a repeat of what happened to Raulbin the other night."
"Then it's a good thing that you're all part of my X-Squad. I hope you don't mind being in my unit." X said, sighing despondently as he doesn't want to put his human friends in any danger.
"Not at all, X. We don't mind being in your unit." Houki smiled slightly "We're used to fighting in battles against Phantom Task way back when. So, we know how to handle ourselves in a fight."
"Same with us. We've taken some martial arts back when we were kids." Sophie agrees with a grin. "I used to take aikido and kung-fu and Jerry took mixed martial arts and kickboxing. So we can hold our own in a fight."
"I see…" X nodded thoroughly before realizing something important and he turns to the IS girls. "But even if you guys can handle yourselves in a fight, how will you fight without your ISes? I'm sure it'll be difficult to fight without them since they've been banned from the face of the Earth."
"He does have a point. How are we going to fight without our ISes?" Laura agrees with X. "Even if we're used to fighting, we're still going up against rouge robots that are much more powerful than us humans. What can we do to even the playing field for us?" Just as everyone was thinking about what to do, Dr. Cain walks up to them.
"That won't be a problem, Laura. I believe that I have a solution for that." Dr. Cain smiled at them "Just before you girls were awakened from your suspended animation, my assistants and I have been working on a special project for you girls. I believe that this'll even up the odds for you ladies in your battle against the Mavericks. However, they're still in the final stages of competition, so they'll be ready in a few more hours. In the meantime, there's someone I want you to meet. He'll be your commanding officer of the entire Maverick Hunter army." He turns around to gesture someone to come it and the figure nods.
X and the gang all got a good look at the new Reploid that towers before them. He was tall with a bald head and a red gem on his forehead, had green armor with spiked kneecaps and blue eyes. The Reploid then saluted at X and the gang.
"Greetings, X and X-Squad. I am Commander Sigma, leader of the Maverick Hunters." The Reploid known as Sigma introduced himself "Dr. Cain has made me as a Reploid who is completely immune to the Maverick Virus. As of right now, you will all be taking orders from me. I do hope that we can get along." He smiled kindly at his new recruits.
"Whoa! That is just so cool!" Ling gasped in awe as she inspected Sigma with every detail with a squeal. "You really outdid yourself this time, Dr. Cain! Plus, he's even immune to that Maverick Virus or whatever it's called!"
"Please, no praise is necessary. I was just simply built for the very purpose of countering the Maverick Virus." Sigma chuckled slightly before walking up to X, still showing his kind smile. X took a half step back, feeling a bit nervous at the sight of this new seemingly perfect Reploid. "I see… So, I take it that you're the one that us Reploids were made. I'm looking forward to seeing what you've got, X. But here's a word of advice when facing a Maverick: Don't hesitate to pulling the trigger, X. If you show any signs of hesitation, there will be more casualties. Be sure to remember that. In any case, I'll be heading to the meeting room if you need me." He gave them another salute before departing for the meeting room.
"I'll admit, Sigma is very interesting…" Cecilia muttered in envy. "But don't any of you think that he's a little too perfect to be completely immune to some computer virus?"
"Not to worry, Sigma is equipped with a program that is 100% immune to computer viruses, especially the Maverick Virus. Plus, his weapon of choice is a saber that I've dubbed the Sigma Saber. Think of it as similar to the lightsabers you've seen in the Star Wars films." Dr. Cain stroked his beard with a grin.
"A little too on the nose, don't you think, Boss?" Jerry asked with a sweat drop.
"Perhaps, but it's more paying tribute to the films that many people loved for years." Dr. Cain smiled before clearing his throat. "In any case, meet me at the research lab in about 3 hours. I've got a special surprise waiting for you girls. 3 hours is also the time when your first mission starts, so you'll be ready by then." Dr. Cain told them as he left for the research lab.
"Commander Sigma does seem a little scary, but he's also really nice too. I feel like we can trust him in helping us stopping Reploids from going berserk." Charlotte whispered in awe. Houki however, felt an uneasy feeling about their new commander.
'Sigma may seem too perfect, but there's something off about him… I just hope that Dr. Cain is right about him being completely immune to the Maverick Virus…' Houki thought to herself as she and her friends all headed for Dr. Cain's lab.
3 hours later
Upon arriving at Dr. Cain's lab, the IS girls and his assistants were being shown a row of different colored advanced suits that resembles the one Chifuyu wore during the World Purge incident. Except each of them have initials of the first letter of their names. The white one with an H is Houki's, the blue one with the Ce is Cecilia's, the orange one with just a C is Charlotte's, the pink one with the L is Ling's and last but not least, the black one with the La is Laura's. The girls were all amazed at suits as it reminds them of their ISes that were similar to the suits.
"Holy cow…" Laura gasped in amazement.
"So cool!" Ling shouted in excitement.
"Amazing…" Cecilia gasped.
"Incredible…" Charlotte said in awe.
"You made these, Dr. Cain? For us?" Houki asked.
"I wouldn't say that it was just me, but X and my assistants did help out in creating them." Dr. Cain answered her with a grin "So I take it that you girls like them? Right after I discovered X and before the three of them found you girls in cryosleep, I did some research on your timeline and learned about an incident involving a virtual reality program called the World Purge, am I correct?" The IS girls all shuddered at that, remembering how the program made them live out their fantasies with Ichika, but also with embarrassing and tempting results. They all nodded slowly. "During my research, I noticed that the legendary IS pilot, Chifuyu used a special kind of armor that gave her the strength of ten women and singlehandedly defeated one of the terrorists of the Phantom Task organization. So, in light of discovering the armor, I created these RepArmor for each of you. Think of it as a tribute to your late teacher."
"RepArmor?" Charlotte drooled at the impressive armor she and her friends are seeing before them.
"Yes. When you put these on, they'll give you the strength and abilities of your IS days, but we also made sure that each armor caters to each of you and your abilities." Dr. Cain explained to them "For Houki, your RepArmor is an advancement of your old IS, dual katanas. Cecilia's RepArmor is equipped with a assault rifle and sniper rifle, both for short and long range combat Ling, advanced brass knuckles. Charlotte's weapon is a heavy spear from days of old, but much lighter and advanced. And last but not least, Laura's armor uses a huge claymore. They can also allow you girls to breathe underwater and even in outer space. They're yours to use whenever you want."
"Arigato, Dr. Cain." Houki bowed lightly "We'll be sure to use them to their full potential and make you proud." Her friends all nodded in agreement.
"I know you and your friends will, Houki. Just make sure that you're all careful while out there fighting the Mavericks." Dr. Cain said with a smile.
"We will, Dr. Cain." The IS girls all said with confidence that they won't let X, Dr. Cain, Jerry and Sophie down and honoring their late teacher, Chifuyu.
"Well, isn't that just cute. It's so sappy, it makes me all warm and fuzzy inside." A cocky and harsh voice mocked as everyone turned around to see a purple Reploid that resembles Boba Fett from Star Wars, only with a cannon mounted on his shoulder. He walked up the IS girls with an unfriendly attitude and gestures. "So, you five living fossils are from the IS era, eh? Not really all that impressive, if you ask me."
"No one did, you Boba Fett wannabe! Just who do you think you are?!" Cecilia growled as Ling and Charlotte held her back from doing anything dramatic.
"Relax, blondie, it was just a joke." The Reploid chuckled playfully.
"It was an offensive joke…" Houki glared at the new Reploid, already not liking him.
"Well, sor-ry. Geez, some people are just so sensitive these days." The Reploid said mockily.
"Vile… What did I say about respecting your comrades while serving the Maverick Hunters?" Dr. Cain sighed in aggravation while rubbing his temples.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sorry, Doc. I'll try to remember that for next time." Vile apologized as he placed his hand on his hip "Anyway, the name's Vile, I'm an A Rank Maverick Hunter." He then turns to Jerry and Sophie, but both were just as annoyed with him as Dr. Cain, though he just shrugged it off like nothing. "Hey, Sophie, babe. Nice to see you again. Still working with the Doc and the kid? How about you ditch the third wheel and hang out with me after the mission? Have a night of the town, what do ya say?"
"Sorry, Vile. But I'm afraid that I have to decline your invitation." Sophie answered him with a frown as she crossed her arms and glared at Vile. "I made it a point to myself as to not date anyone with too much time and attitude on their hands. That includes self-absorb Reploids like you who doesn't care about what happens to innocent people."
"Fine, babe. You don't know what you're missing." Vile said with a shrug "But if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me." Sophie just rolls her eyes as he turns back to the IS girls. "So what about you ladies? How about sticking with me instead of that old bot, X? You'll be much more fine with me, I can definitely guarantee that."
"Hey, don't you dare speak ill of X like that! He's going to be an amazing Maverick Hunter! Even more so than you, just you wait and see!" Charlotte puffed her cheeks in anger.
"Yeah, sure he will! When robo-pigs fly! I'll believe that when I see it!" Vile laughed like a comedian as he slapped his knee. The IS girls all glared at him with hatred for talking down to their guardian and even brushing off Jerry while flirting with Sophie. Vile then cleared his throat. "Anyway, I'll be heading back to the briefing room at HQ. Cya, Doc." He saluted and headed straight for the meeting room.
"Well, that certainly was a not-so-friendly introduction. Leave it to Vile to just ruin the mood for the kicks." Jerry said with an angry sigh. "I think we probably went a little bit too much with his personality that it made him gain an ego. Think we should work that out of him?"
"Let him enjoy his ego while he can. It'll be that much more satisfying when he falls, as most like him had before." Sophie answered him with a frown "Believe me, I've seen a lot of people with big egos like him that ended up falling so hard that it hurts. He'll get his comeuppance soon enough." Jerry nodded as they both turned to see the IS girls still angry at Vile's comments to their friends.
"I really don't like that Vile… He's nothing but a big jerk!" Laura snapped as she slammed her fist on the table, causing it to collapse from the impact. Her friends all nodded in agreement as X arrived at the lab.
"Hey, guys. I came to get you for our first mission." X said before noticing the IS girls were completely ticked off. "What's wrong? Did something happen here?"
"No. It's nothing, X. I had just given your squad the RepArmors to help them prepare themselves for their first day as Maverick Hunters." Dr. Cain chuckled nervously before clearing his throat "Anyway, it's about time you and your squad return to Hunter HQ. You'll be brief on your first mission by Sigma. He'll be waiting for you in the briefing room."
"Roger." X and the IS girls saluted as they headed for the briefing room while Jerry and Sophie stayed behind.
"Hmm? What is it, you two? Shouldn't you also join them for the briefing as well?" Dr. Cain asked.
"Not yet, we still want to discuss with you about something important." Jerry answered "We'll join them soon enough, but we need to talk to you about something in private." Sophie nodded in agreement as Dr. Cain glances at his assistants.
"I see. So what is it that you two want to discuss with me?" Dr. Cain asked as his assistants began explaining.
Dr. Cain's POV
"As my assistants explain to me about a secret project while also voicing their concerns about Sigma, the X-Squad's first mission with the Vile Corps was to deal with a group of Mavericks stationed in Afghanistan. Ever since Afghanistan's terrorists organizations have been wiped out by 2035, the world was ushered into a world of peace until 21XX. Iran has stopped their pursuit for nuclear power and made peaceful negotiations with the rest of the world. So much so that all their weapons and nuclear tests were destroyed and no one could use them ever again. But now, in 21XX, the Mavericks have taken control of a town in Afghanistan and are using it to restart a nuclear war. From my lab, I observed Houki's group using the RepArmors to prevent them and I was pleased with the results."
Scenes show the IS girls using the power of their RepArmors to defeat the Mavericks and prevented another nuclear attack. Even destroying all their plans for attacks on different countries and preventing another 9/11 incident or something even worse than that.
"However, as this goes on, X was still having trouble dealing with the Mavericks and was even hesitant to pull the trigger as Sigma told him, but something happened. Houki and Charlotte were encouraging X to help make a world where there are no Mavericks and both Reploids and humans can live together in peace. They also told him that's the world they and their friends want to live in and would help him make that a reality. Their words were enough to motivate X a little and he's willing to help fulfill his friends' promises and was able to find the strength to push forward and apprehend the Mavericks."
The next scene shows X and the IS girls escorting the Mavericks they've arrested to an air carrier where each of them were sent in each row and restrained to make sure none of them escaped. The aircraft then takes off and returns to Hunter HQ with a payload of prisoners.
"I have to say, X is lucky to have comrades that he awoke from cryosleep and fill him with determination that he'll take good care of them. However, what concerns me is that my assistants don't seem to be that willing to make any eye contact with Houki and her friends, especially Jerry who seems to have a deep hatred for them. Sophie seems more indifferent about them, but I can still see a sense of resentment towards them for a different reason."
The scene shows them returning from Dr. Cain's lab and taking their places as the support for the X-Squad, but even though they act like they're helping the IS girls, they're really not making any attempts to even speak with them after returning from Afghanistan.
"On top of that, their concerns of Sigma being too perfect also has me worried about what could happen to him. Still, even with those concerns, Commander Sigma has stated that X will be a good Maverick Hunter one day. Commander Sigma is also so resourceful and helpful that there nothing seems to stop him… but the next day, I was horribly wrong…"
Normal POV
Ling was in the locker room to get ready for another day of Maverick Hunter business. She changed out of her casual clothes and into her Maverick Hunter uniform as she was beaming about something.
"Whew! Another day, another Maverick butt kicking. And I'm sure glad I haven't lost my touch." Ling grinned. "I was worried that being asleep for the last 60 years would've made me rusty and that we had to do some serious retraining to get back into shape, but I'm glad that we didn't." She was about to use her RepArmor's change clothes feature until she started reflecting on today. "I guess X still doesn't want to fight more battles against the Mavericks as they are still innocent Reploids being infected by a virus and he believes that it's not their fault for acting like that. But I'm sure that we can help him overcome them. I mean after all; he is our guardian and someone we can always depend on. But maybe he could be something more than just a guardian. Hee hee!"
"Huang Lingyin. Good morning." Sigma greeted as he entered the Maverick Hunter locker room.
"Hmm? Oh, yes, Commander Sigma? Did you need something?" Ling turned to face her commanding officer.
"Yes, actually. I do need you for a special escort mission with me." Sigma told her while crossing his arms.
"A special mission? What kind of mission?" Ling blinked in confusion while placing a hand on her hip.
"…You may find this as a shock, but we might have found the source of the Maverick Virus." Sigma told her as he glances up at the ceiling.
"Wait, you're serious?! You found the source of the Maverick Virus?!" Ling gawked as she added "So if we destroyed the source of the Maverick Virus, then it'll stop the Mavericks dead in their tracks?!"
"In theory, yes, but we don't know for sure if it will or not. Unfortunately, there has been some complications in discovering this source." Sigma frowned "We've dispatched Alpha Squad find the location of the source and discovered it just outside of Western Old Tokyo. However, we lost all contact with them and we've been trying to reach them up until a few hours ago. There's been reports saying they were destroyed by a Maverick of unknown origin who is believed to be also spreading the Maverick Virus. And that's not all, both Beta and Delta Squads met the same fate as Alpha Squad. In total, 45 Reploids were killed trying to destroy the source of the virus."
"Yeouch… That must've been a horrible experience for them…" Ling shivered at the thought of that. "Do they… know what kind of Maverick it is? What it looks like or where is it located at?"
"I can't really say for certain. All we do know is that the Maverick's color is red and the area he was last seen in was an old lab of sorts." Sigma informed "There's even a rumor about the lab that it once belonged to the evil Dr. Albert W. Wily of 20XX and it's been spectacled that he was working on a secret project there. No one knows that the lab's true propose is or why this red Maverick is prowling through it. So will you be so kind as to escort me to the site?" He then offered to her.
"Hmm… Let me think about it for a minute…" Ling placed her pinky on her chin. 'If I were to take down that Maverick who is spreading the Maverick Virus, I can be a hero! It's just like Ichika-san would like it… And maybe X would praise me…' She started to blush at the thought of X giving her more attention than her friends.
"Uh…" Sigma raised an eyebrow as he looked at Ling with confusion in his green eyes. "Ling, are you alright? My sensors are detecting that your temperature is rising rapidly. Do you have a fever or something else? I can ask someone else to take your place if you're not feeling well."
"Oh, no, it's nothing! I'm perfectly healthy!" Ling laughed. "I'll happily accept your request of escorting you to that site of the red Maverick."
"Good. That's what I wanted to hear." Sigma smiled softly "Meet me at hanger bay whenever you're ready to go. Oh, and don't tell anyone else about this. It's a top secret issue that Dr. Cain gave the information to me. He wants this dealt with on the DL, so no one else should know about this just yet."
"Roger that! My lips are sealed!" Ling saluted while smiling in confidence 'Look out, Red Maverick! Just you wait, your Maverick Virus spreading days are numbered!'
Meanwhile
At the site where the Red Maverick is reported to be in, a sinister chuckle was heard in the darkness before bursting into a diabolical laughter that echoed throughout the lab. A second later, red eyes were seen glowing in the darkness followed by another glowing object just above the eyes.
…A W?
To be continued…
Next time: Maverick Hunters, Assemble!: Part 2 of 2: His name is Zero!
A/N: How do you guys like that? Next up, the Red Maverick is known as Zero and we meet the Neo Emerald Spears along with a character from Command Mission who is reworked into the MegaMan X canon as well as the mysterious and sinister Mister X of the X Foundation. So see you there! And Merry Christmas!