Chapter Twenty-Three: Many Happy Returns (?)
Max groaned at the sound of the ringtone blaring from his phone; he had recently changed it to one less intense than the video game battle theme he'd been using, but it was still pretty jarring. "Yeah…" he grunted as he rolled over to nearly slam his hand down on the phone before carefully picking it up to put it to his ear. "'Morning, this is Dave."
"Ah! Mr. Hannity; I do apologize if I have woken you."
Max perked up at the sound of the familiar voice. "Oh, hey, Commander Signas! Sorry, uh… What's up? What can I do for you?"
"Interesting that you would ask that particular question," Signas replied. "Perhaps your wife has not informed you in regards to this latest development, but Hunter Commander X has explored his creator's lab and will be returning with several guests."
Max perked up, his eyes widening at the implications behind the Reploid's statement. "Um, I'd be happy to help! When would you need me there?" He glanced at the clock. "It'll take me about a half-hour to get ready before catching the bus to-"
"If I may save you the trouble, Mr. Hannity," Signas interrupted politely, "I have already assigned Outrun to provide transportation for you. He should arrive when you are ready to depart."
Max chuckled softly; he still hadn't quite come to terms with the commander's ability to predict the actions of others. "Got it, Chief; see you in an hour, then."
"I look forward to working with you again. Signas out."
The line went dead, and Max smiled to himself at the realization that the commander likely wasn't accustomed to basic phone calls and their typical pleasantries. "Huh. Maybe I can teach him something," he chuckled as he rolled out of bed to grab his towel and head into the bathroom.
Shortwave watched with wide-eyed delight as the bluish-white beam of light streaked down from the sky and impacted the ground, quickly resolving itself into a familiar figure. "Welcome back, X!" she greeted as she hurried up to him.
"Thanks," he replied, looking down at his feet as he worked on reclaiming his bearings on the uneven terrain. "I talked to Signas as quickly as I-AH!"
His exclamation of surprise was due to his navigator throwing herself at him, her hands and side of her face coming to rest against his chest. "Sorry…" she murmured as she unconsciously nuzzled his chest armor. "I understand that it might seem silly, but…I missed you."
He looked down at her with uncomprehending eyes until, once again, he remembered her expressed feelings in regards to him, and he chuckled lightly as gave her a gentle squeeze. "Thanks, Shortwave; now that you mention it, I'm glad to be back."
She giggled before pulling away just enough to look up at him, and he could see the fiercest blush he'd ever seen on her in the admittedly short time that he'd known her. "Wh-What did Commander Signas say?"
X chuckled again as he rubbed the back of his neck. "He...basically told me to do it myself."
Her jaw dropped as her eyes widened again. "That… That doesn't sound like him. Has he ever done that to you before?"
"G'day!" a friendly voice called out, and Iris joined them a moment later. "What'd your boss reckon? Are we gonna get any shuttles or anythin' like that?"
"Unfortunately, no," X replied with a shake of his head.
"The commander basically told him to do it himself," Shortwave added as she moved to X's side and unconsciously took hold of his arm.
It was hard for the former Operator to miss the gesture, and she smirked. "Well, don't you two make a cute couple!"
Shortwave's face nearly burst into flame again as she realized what she had done, and she quickly stepped away from her warrior. "S-Sorry, X!"
"N-Not a problem!" X replied, his face almost the same color as hers as he surreptitiously rubbed his gloved hand against his arm to rid it of any lingering sensations; her touch had felt nice, after all.
"S'okay, love," Iris said in her best comforting tone as she rested a hand on the younger girl's shoulder and gave her a smile. "I know what it's like to be in love." Her eyes then lost focus as her smile faded into something more…uncertain. "Yeah…"
"You okay, Iris?" X asked, grateful for the distraction from his own discomfort.
"Eh?" X's voice jarred the composite Reploid from her thoughts. "Yeah, I'm fine," she managed, then forced a smile as she brushed her bangs to the side. "Still sorting through old memories, I guess."
"Oh, okay." X seemed satisfied with the answer, but the petite navigator at his side studied their newly-awakened friend with an analytical eye.
Commander Signas sat behind his desk in his office, going through the usual deluge of daily reports. Many of them were the same situation reports as every other day, but his constant need for data had him requesting daily reports from his staff. For the hyper-analytical Reploid, the constant intake and assimilation of information was soothing, though he understood that his subordinates thought it odd.
He had called up another report on his work tablet when he blinked and placed the device aside to reach out and press the button that controlled the doors to his office. "Please come in, Navigator," he called to the surprised figure on the other side. "And welcome back."
"Thank you, sir," Layer replied; fortunately, she had somewhat anticipated his anticipation of her arrival, so she was able to recover more quickly than she typically would. "It's good to be home again."
"Please, sit," Signas offered while gesturing to the guest chairs in front of his desk. "Based on your appearance, it would seem that you have at least partially succeeded at your mission?"
The statuesque Reploid giggled at his choice of words as she claimed one of the seats. "It was…productive, yes, sir."
Signas realized his tone and chuckled. "Apologies, Navigator; as you know, because of my nature, it takes effort to be…congenial."
"No, I understand," she replied with another giggle. She then straightened in her seat. "I'm actually here to give a report and make a request, assuming that you're willing to hear me out."
"Of course."
She took a deep breath and began to tell him of her adventure, of her trip to Cyber Dolls and her time with the technician, though she omitted the more embarrassing elements. Finally, she told him about her encounter with the young men and her subsequent rescue by Zero.
Signas allowed himself several extra nanoseconds to process the new information before replying. "I'm gladdened to hear that Technician Stanfield was willing to remove the maintenance code," he remarked. "I have heard of Reploids being taken advantage of via utilization of that and other codes."
"Yeah…" Layer murmured as her mind went back to the young men who had tried to take advantage of her, then shuddered as Signas' words reminded her of the damaged cat-eared girl who had been ahead of her in line. "Commander, is there any way we could rescue a Reploid who has been bound to a contract?"
"Rescue?"
Layer shifted uncomfortably. "When I was at Cyber Dolls, there was a girl in line ahead of me whose upper body had been badly damaged. Well, not badly badly, really, but Mr. Stanfield's reaction when I asked him about her told me that her…" Layer wanted to say 'owner' but knew that it wasn't the right term. "She apparently signed a contract with a human who has damaged her pretty badly more than once."
Signas grunted in disgust. "Yes, I've heard of the type. How sad that the freedom that we fight for is so easily taken for granted."
"Yes, sir."
The commander leaned forward to rest his forearms on his desk. "To answer your question as to whether we could remove her from a human's custody…" He seemed uncomfortable with the question. "Were another Maverick outbreak to occur, we do have the authorization to draft any Reploid that we believe could help in the fight. As we have only have the occasional attack, and the Reploid of whom you speak likely does not have combat capabilities…" He spread his hands. "I'm afraid that there's not much that we can do, at least not at this time."
Her gaze drifted downward, fixing upon her hands that rested gently in her lap "I see…"
Signas briefly regarded his subordinate before speaking. "What I can – and will – do is note this for future reference, and if the opportunity presents itself we will 'rescue' this…cat-eared Reploid…from her abuser."
The violet-haired girl brightened, if slightly. "Thank you, sir." Her eyes then lost focus. "I still don't know how Zero knew that I was in trouble, but he arrived just in time and took me to the bus station."
"Yes, you mentioned that. That would explain Hunter Commander Zero's unexpected use of the Launchpad."
"Sir?"
Signas blinked at his subordinate's apparent confusion. "He did not tell you? I have not received the full report myself yet, but I received a communication from the Launchpad regarding an unauthorized teleport by Hunter Commander Zero; apparently, he was rather…insistent that he teleport immediately. It relieves me to know that it was for a good cause, but I may still have to meet with him depending on the contents of the report."
Layer wasn't sure what to say, so she remained silent.
"In any case, I am glad to see that you have returned to us unharmed, Layer," he continued, surprising her with the informal use of her name. "In light of the circumstances, you are free to report for duty when you are ready. Now, you indicated that you have a request?"
"Yes, sir." She drew a deep breath, and… "Commander Signas: I…am requesting an exemption from field duty."
A blink. "Indeed? And why is that?"
Layer opened her mouth, prepared to give a list of reasons, but she thought back on her conversations with Max and a better idea came to mind. "Sir, I would like to be Zero's support."
Another blink. "But aren't you already Hunter Commander Zero's support? You're his Navigator, after all."
"That's true, but…" Layer's eyes lost focus, her fingers knotting repeatedly as she tried to find the best way to phrase her incomplete thoughts. Finally, she realized that the best way to explain it would be to 'come clean'. "Commander, I want to be a support to Zero in his personal life as well as his professional life." She flushed molten and lubricant pooled in her eyes but she pressed on. "I've been told that my feelings for him have never been the secret I thought they were, but I don't care anymore; I want to be like Alia is toward her hus-…toward Mr. Hannity and be there for him as much as I can." She abruptly straightened, and in spite of her blush and the state of her eyes she fixed her gaze on her boss. "I want to be his support. Sir."
Signas' eyebrows jumped; while the svelte Reploid's attraction to the Maverick Hunter was no real secret to anyone who knew her, to hear her openly declare her intentions toward him was new. "You understand that you are asking me to effect a personnel change based on your own personal feelings."
Her gaze dropped to the still-knotting fingers in her lap. "I… I do, sir."
He regarded his squirming subordinate for a moment longer. "Very well, Navigator; submit your request in writing and I will give it serious consideration."
Layer's eyes widened, and her face nearly lit up. "You will? Th-Thank you, Commander!"
"Please understand," Signas started with a lift of his hand, "that at this point I cannot guarantee anything other than what I have promised: A careful and thoughtful consideration of your request. I strongly urge you to give a fair amount of time and thought to your request, as it could have far-reaching consequences for Maverick Hunter Headquarters."
"Yes, sir," she replied while wiping her eyes with the backs of her hands. "I'm just thankful that you're willing to even consider it."
"Yes, well…" Signas was clearly uncomfortable with the show of emotion, though he could understand it to a degree. "Submit your request, and we will 'go from there', as the humans say. Did you need anything else, Navigator?"
She quickly regained her composure at the usage of her title. "No, sir; that was it."
"Then this meeting is adjourned," he declared while rising to his feet. "And…welcome home, Layer."
She quickly leaped to her feet to salute, though she couldn't suppress a smile. "Thank you, sir."
X made his way back down the abandoned tunnels toward the ruins of his creator's lab. He walked more slowly than the first time, as he was distracted by his thoughts: Continuing thoughts of Dr. Light and of the Robot Masters from a time long gone and of Shortwave, the last of which had become even more of a distraction since starting the journey to find Dr. Light's lab.
He reentered the chamber that had housed dozens of Robot Masters and was surprised to find his creator's hologram, seemingly waiting for him. "Welcome back, X."
"Thank you, Father," X replied, though he couldn't meet his creator's gaze.
"Have you returned to ask me about your teleportation abilities again?" Dr. Light asked with a knowing yet kind smile.
X glanced down in shame before finally meeting his creator's gaze. "I'm sorry to ask again, but I'm worried. It'd be one thing if it was me and another Reploid, but I'm afraid."
"Afraid of what?"
X gestured back toward the doorway through which he had entered. "There are all of your creations waiting for me up there and trusting that I can get them home safely, but I'm afraid that if I try this without knowing what I'm doing, I could…" His breath caught in his throat as he thought of the implications. "I'm really sorry, Father, but I need to know that I can get them safely to Headquarters; if I messed it up and destroyed them because of my…of my…"
"Ignorance?"
"Yeah," X said while raising a gloved hand to catch a tear that had formed. "As far as I'm concerned, they're infinitely more valuable than I am; I mean, they're from a past that has been lost, so to lose them would be…" He trailed off, unable to finish his thought.
The hologram smiled at his greatest creation. "X, I can't tell you how proud I am of you; you're willing to admit a weakness for the sake of others. And you're right; the loss of my and Albert's creations would be a loss of our history." He reached out and laid a hand on X's shoulder, though the contact could not be felt. "You can do this, X, but you will need to focus. Look at every one of your ancestors and imagine them teleporting with you; once you have done that, you will be able to take all of them with you."
"But-"
"Please trust me, X," Dr. Light said as he removed his hand from X's shoulder. "Do as I have told you and all will be well."
X looked into the kind face of his creator and felt ashamed; hadn't Dr. Light given him all kinds of upgrades and abilities over the years, technology that had allowed him to even defy the laws of physics? "I'm sorry, Father; I didn't mean to doubt you or anything."
"You care deeply for others, X," the hologram replied. "And I have taken no offense; you do not wish to experiment with the lives of others, and that is to be commended. Again, I am very proud of you, X."
X chuckled awkwardly as he caught another tear with his gloved hand. "Thank you, Father. Just hearing your words…? I think-no!" He fisted his hands and looked to his creator with an expression of determination. "I know I can do this!" He quickly bowed before turning to dash out of the room with a confidence he'd never felt before.
As he watched his son depart, the hologram of Dr. Light smiled to himself. "I believe in you, son."
The young Reploid sat on a small boulder near the entrance to the cave, the heels of her boots making a rhythmic top-top-top as she absently swung her legs. Her warrior had entered the tunnel over an hour prior, and despite her insistence he had refused to let her accompany him, wanting to the problem on his own. To the best of her ability she understood why he wanted to go alone, but it still frustrated her to no end that she couldn't be there to support him during his current 'trial'.
A lone, blue-clad figure emerged from the mouth of the cave, and her eyes brightened as she hopped down from the oversized rock to stand before him. "Welcome back, X!"
"Thank you," he replied, sounding oddly tired, odd in that the progenitor of all Reploids couldn't fatigue. "Is everyone still here?"
"Um, yeah," she said, her face becoming a mask of concern in response to his subdued state. "Are… Are you okay?"
He gave her a smile, but something about it seemed…different. "I'm much better, thanks. Could you get everyone with self-teleportation abilities and bring them here?"
"Right away," she replied with a touch to his arm before hurrying away.
Several minutes later, Rock, Rush, Blues, and Iris stood before him. "I'm going to give you the coordinates to Maverick Hunter Headquarters," he told them. "I've already called ahead to let them know that you'll be arriving shortly."
"Question," Iris said with a raised hand. "You reckon they won't...you know, come after me the second they lay eyes on me? Sure, it's been a long time, but..." she trailed off, unable to finish her thought.
"I've already told Commander Signas about you," X replied. "He'll make sure that you're safe. Besides, we'll be right behind you."
"We?"
X shifted his gaze to his older brother and smiled. "Yes, Nii-san; after the four of you teleport, I'll teleport myself along with Shortwave and everyone else to Headquarters. Can you take Nee-san with you?"
Rock blinked at the unfamiliar usage of the title but nodded. "Yeah, I can do that."
X nodded in response before closing his eyes, and the others received a set of coordinates; next to him, Shortwave examined him with a concerned expression. "Douglas will be waiting for you on the other side; go ahead and teleport whenever you're ready."
"I'll go on ahead," Blues immediately declared and dissolved into a reddish-white beam of light before soaring into the sky.
Rock smiled with a shake of his head, presumably at his older brother's behavior. "And there he goes again…"
"I can take a couple with me, if it helps," Iris offered. "I can only take three others, but still…?"
X briefly considered her suggestion before nodding. "That would help, thanks."
"I'll snag the handsomest gents and take off, love," she said with a wink and an impish grin before making her way into the crowd of artificial life forms.
"We'll go with her," Rock said as Rush moved to his side. "I need to find Roll, anyway." He then matched actions to words and followed the composite Reploid, his canine companion following him close behind.
That left just X and Shortwave "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked. "I don't mean to nag, but you sound a lot…I dunno, different than before."
"I'm okay," he replied, then crossed his arms as his brow furrowed. "To be honest, I'm really nervous about this, but Dr. Light told me that I can do this, so I'm going to trust him, and…well, do it."
The petite navigator wasn't sure what to say, so she simply wrapped her arms around one of his and carefully leaned against him.
They watched the group mill around for a couple of minutes before Rock and the others emerged again. "We're ready to go," Rock announced, while Roll nodded excitedly and Rush panted while wagging his tail.
"And I'll be takin' this big fella here with me," Iris added while patting Auto on his massive back; with him were Eddie and Beat.
"We'll head away from the group before we teleport," Rock told X. "I'd hate for someone else to get caught in my field."
"Or part of someone else," Iris quipped, then ducked with a grin at the dirty look Roll gave her.
"All right; see you at Headquarters," X replied. He and Shortwave then watched as Rock and the others broke away from the larger group, stopping a short distance away. Then, like Blues before them, the group became several beams of light and shot into the sky.
X sighed with satisfaction, confident in the knowledge that his brother and sister would be in good hands. "Well, time for us to go." He turned his attention to the remaining Robot Masters and called, "Could everyone gather around, please?"
Several of the nearer robots responded, but many of them were too far away to hear him.
He grimaced at his lack of progress before a gentle touch to his arm drew his attention to his navigator. "X, could I try?" she requested. "I think I could call all of them."
He opened his mouth to rebut but caught himself as he remembered her capabilities and gave her an awkward grin. "Sure, go ahead."
She smiled in gratitude before closing her eyes. A moment later, X detected a transmission from the petite Reploid and was pleasantly surprised when all of the Robot Masters looked over from what they were doing and started to make their way over to the pair.
"What did you say to them?" X asked after she opened her eyes again.
The smile she gave him caused her nose to wrinkle cutely. "I just asked them to come over here and get ready to teleport."
Her smile was infectious, causing X to smile back. "Well, thanks; I really, um…appreciate it."
"Glad I could help!" she chirped as she gazed up at him.
His smile faded as he gazed into her emerald-colored eyes, and something about her seemed different. All of a sudden, he saw himself spending time with her; going to the movie theater, playing at the park, spending quiet time together, just holding each other… He abruptly cleared his throat, an unusual behavior for a Reploid.
"Are you okay, X?"
He regarded her for a moment longer before looking to the side with a self-conscious chuckle. "I'm…not sure." For some reason, he had the odd belief that if he looked into her eyes again he wouldn't be able to stop. "But I will be."
"Okay."
Feeling a little bit of guilt, X looked around at the gathered Robot Masters and remembered what his creator had told him, so he looked at each and every one of them. As he did, he felt an odd emotion; it was similar to what he felt toward Zero and Axl, and – to a lesser degree – their navigators, and is took a moment for him to realize that it was more akin to how he felt toward Dr. Light.
They were…family.
He drew a sharp breath at the realization, and suddenly he was able to really see them, not just as fellow machines, but as family, and he…loved them.
This realization steeled his resolve, and as he looked around once again he discovered a new section of memory opening up to receive and store the information for each and every one of Dr. Light's and Dr. Wily's creations, and X somehow knew that this ability would enable him to teleport them safely.
He was still a little anxious, however, and his mind recalled his duel with Max, specifically the way his human opponent had prepared himself, so he closed his eyes and took several deep breaths; oddly enough, the normally human-specific action somehow relieved him of his remaining anxiety, and when he opened his eyes he felt a peace that he had never known before.
"You look like you're feeling better."
X looked down into Shortwave's smiling face and smiled as well. "Much, thanks. Is everyone ready?"
Her smile turned impish as took hold of his arm. "Ready."
His smile faded as he looked down at the young woman. He then pulled his arm from her grip, only to take both of her hands in his and look into her eyes as his whole body started to glow. "Then, let's go home."
Her eyes widened in surprise as her body began to glow, followed by the bodies of all the Robot Masters. Their glowing forms then abruptly merged into a single, wide beam that shot into the sky.
Signas clenched his hands repeatedly as he kept his gaze fixed on Launchpad Bay #4. It was unusual for the commander of Maverick Hunter Headquarters to act so agitated, but considering that those whom he was waiting for were nothing short of legends among Reploidkind, his atypical anxiety was understandable.
It didn't stop the young couple with him from feeling amusement at the sight, and Max and Alia exchanged awkward glances as they tried to suppress their mirth, along with a small amount of shame.
Layer stood as the last member of the 'welcoming party' and, like Signas, she was experiencing anxiety of her own, but for a different reason: She had learned that Zero's former lover had somehow been restored by X's creator and would be arriving with the Robot Masters. Understandably, this knowledge had her worried about how her relationship with Zero would progress – if it progressed at all.
"Incoming teleport," Douglas announced from behind the Launchpad console. It had been an hour since Shortwave's last transmission, one in which she had informed Signas that X would be teleporting himself along with the Robot Masters.
She had also informed him that some of Maverick Hunter Headquarters' guests would be arriving sooner. "Group: Atten-tion!" Signas barked as a figure began to materialize on the platform.
"Ohmanohman…" Max breathed; he had been on Cloud Nine since receiving the invitation from Signas, much to the amusement of his wife. "Holy-… Wow, it's Blues!"
The new arrival finished materializing and immediately began examining the unfamiliar surroundings. "So this is the future, huh?"
"Blues-sama," Signas greeted as he snapped a salute. "Welcome to Maverick Hunter Headquarters; it is an honor to have you here."
"Sure, sure…" the ancient warrior said dismissively. He stepped off of the platform and made his way over to the saluting Reploid. "So you're a robot, too?"
"To be more precise, I am a 'Reploid'," Signas corrected respectfully as he lowered his arm. "The technology that created me is based on Cain-hakase's research into X's, which delves into the very essence of artificial intelligence and robotics. Reploids are a result of Dr. Cain's groundbreaking work, designed to be highly advanced and efficient in their functions."
"Huh," Blues grunted as he looked up at the towering Reploid. "They sure make us bigger than they used to. Anyway, the redhead said that I'd be getting a room; where is it?"
Signas glanced over at the other members of the welcoming committee; while Layer stood in mute and wide-eyed shock, the Hannitys appeared to be trying to keep their composure, with Alia's hand covering a definite smile while Max's mouth was contorted in a way that Signas had never seen before. "Of…course, Blues-sama. First things first, however: Navigator Layer here will scan you for – and remove, if necessary – any lingering traces of the Roboenza virus, after which Mr. and Mrs. Hannity will check you in to add you to our roster, then one of our junior Hunters will escort you to your room."
"Whatever," Blues replied as he crossed his arms. "Just get it over with, all right?"
Signas exchanged a glance with the violet-haired Reploid next to him before gesturing. "Navigator, if you would, please?"
Layer nodded before stepping in front of the red-and-gray robot to slowly wave a tablet-like device at him. "He's clean, Commander."
Blues snorted at the diagnosis, causing Max to have to hide yet another silly grin, much to his wife's continued amusement.
It was hard for the ancient warrior to miss the mild outburst, and he directed his attention to the dark-haired man. "What's so funny?"
"Sorry, sir," Max replied while forcing his expression to something more serious. "No disrespect intended; I've just never heard a Rep-er, robot talk like that before."
Blues regarded him for a moment longer before reaching out to clap him on the shoulder; his eyes then briefly widened in surprise at what he sensed beneath the other man's skin. "Don't worry about it; I was…unusual for my time, too."
"I appreciate that, sir."
Blues gave him a funny look but allowed himself to be checked in before following one of the junior Hunters out the door.
The Launchpad doors were just closing behind the red-and-grey warrior when Douglas called out from behind the console: "Incoming teleports."
"Multiple?" Signas queried.
"Yessir," the engineering Reploid confirmed. "Three incoming beams, seven units detected."
"Could this be X's teleport?" Alia wondered aloud.
Any further conversation was interrupted by several individuals materializing on the platform. "Holy shit!" Max cried, losing all composure as he gripped his head in his hands. "It's… It's… It's MegaMan!"
"David!" Alia exclaimed, shocked by her husband's language yet giggling at his outburst. "Try to calm down, please!"
The unknowing target of Max's outburst blinked several times as he took in his new surroundings. With him stood a blonde-haired girl just slightly shorter than him, along with a four-legged robot with a clearly canine face.
There were three other robots on the platform as well, and from the historical records Signas immediately recognized Auto, Beat, and Eddie. Behind the trio he could see… He blinked in surprise at his own visceral response but managed to keep a professional demeanor as Iris stood on the platform while the others descended. "Welcome to Maverick Hunter Headquarters," he greeted as he snapped a salute.
"Thank you, sir," the former Blue Bomber replied as he walked hand-in-hand with his sister up to the towering Reploid. "Are you…Commander Signas? X told me so much about you after he-"
"Auto-sensei!" Douglas cried as he darted from behind the console to hurry up to the ancient robot. "It's such an honor to meet you! I mean, I've read all about you, but to see you in person…!"
"Ah, y-yes…" Auto stammered, understandably surprised by the abrupt display of admiration. "Pleasure to meet you, too."
Rock and Roll smiled at the exchange before Rock returned his attention to the towering Reploid. "Like I was asking: Are you Commander Signas? X told us so much about you after he woke us up."
"I am," Signas replied, still locked in a salute. "And it is an honor to have you here, Rock-sama, Roll-sama."
"S-Sama…?" Roll giggled behind a hand. "I've never been called that before."
"Your names are venerated among all of Reploidkind," Signas said as he tried to drop his salute; for him, being in the presence of a legend was like being in Dr. Light's presence. "I hope that you are not offended."
"I'm not," Rock replied. "To be honest, though, I'd feel better if you just called me 'Rock'; that's what Dr. Light named me, after all."
"Same here," Roll added. "Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Signas, but I've always just been 'Roll', so…" she trailed off with a giggle and an attractive blush.
"As you wish," Signas replied as he continued to struggle with his arm.
"Do you need some help there, Boss?" Max asked while trying to hold back laughter yet again.
The Commander of Maverick Hunter Headquarters grunted in exasperation before finally managing to force his arm to his side. "I believe that I have things under control, Mr. Hannity, but thank you."
"Shall I scan then now, sir?" Layer offered in an effort to draw attention away from her boss' situation.
"Erm, yes, if you would, please." As Rock, Roll, and Rush made their way over to the waiting navigator he took a deep breath and directed a stern gaze to the teleport platform, where a lone figure still stood, fidgeting awkwardly. "Operator."
"C-Commander," Iris acknowledged with a salute. "P-Permission to d-debark, sir?"
He blinked at her unexpected demeanor; though he hadn't had any particular expectations when it came to the traitorous Reploid, to see her so…passive…gave him pause. "Permission granted," he replied as he returned her salute. "Welcome to Maverick Hunter Headquarters." He noticed that she didn't move but continued to hold her salute, and he realized that she was likely trying to keep to military protocol, so he dropped his own and she immediately lowered her arm and began to descend from the platform. "Forgive my caution, but-"
"I understand, Commander," she politely interrupted as she stopped before him. "I don't blame you one bit for being suspicious. I'll just do my best to earn your trust."
"I appreciate that," Signas replied. "To be frank; were it not for the fact that Light-hakase himself restored you, I would not allow you one step into my headquarters."
"I understand, Commander," she repeated. She then snapped another salute. "Requesting permission to submit myself for processing, sir."
"Granted." As she turned to head over to the purple-haired navigator he stopped her with a touch to her shoulder, smiling down when she looked up at him. "And welcome to Maverick Hunter Headquarters…Iris."
Her smile caused the skin around her eyes to crinkle. "Thank you, Commander Signas. It's good to be here."
"Incoming teleports," Douglas announced, drawing Signas' attention from the former Maverick, and when he looked over he was surprised to find Auto behind the console alongside HQ's engineer. "Looks like X is bringing the rest of them home."
Signas had barely spoken his acknowledgment before the whole room lit up with a glow so intense that nearly everyone had to shield their eyes. When the glow faded, Max's voice was, unsurprisingly, the first to be heard. "Oh my god…"
Dozens upon dozens of robots all stood on the platform; tall robots, short robots, wide robots, skinny robots…
"Welcome to Maverick Hunter Headquarters," Signas greeted yet again while snapping yet another salute. "I am Signas, commander of Maverick Hunter Headquarters, and it is an honor to have you all here." He managed to drop his salute more easily that he had before. "I apologize for the imposition, but if you could all line up, we will have you processed and in your rooms as quickly as possible." He looked over at his violet-haired subordinate. "Navigator Layer, I would like you and the Hannitys to take charge from here; I believe that I would only be in the way at this point, though I will remain here in case my assistance is required."
Layer blinked up at him in surprise but quickly recovered. "U-Understood, Commander."
After confirming that Auto had been processed and while keeping an eye on the line of Robot Masters, Signas watched as the ancient mechanic conversed excitedly with his own engineer, and he allowed himself a slight smile at the sight.
As expected, it took a long time, but the Robot Masters were eventually all processed and taken to their assigned rooms to settle into their new home. "That's the last of them, Boss," Max announced as he finished a recount of the list. "'Course, now that I think of it, where are…" he trailed off as he looked back to the Launchpad platform. "N-Never mind."
"What is it…?" Alia asked as she followed his gaze, only to giggle at what she saw. "Oh, my…"
"Is everything all right?" Having had his back to the platform, Signas couldn't see what the others were. Once he saw, however, he sighed with a smile. "Ah. I see."
A pair of figures remained on the platform, facing each other, holding hands and gazing intently into each other's eyes. In spite of all of the hustle and bustle that had just occurred around them, X and Shortwave apparently hadn't moved an inch the whole time. It was as though the rest of the world had ceased to exist to the couple.
The small group watched the couple for a minute longer before Max spoke: "Let's, uh…give them some alone time, huh?"
Signas looked down at his human ally and gave a brief nod before leading the group from the room, the door quietly sliding shut behind them.
A small brown rabbit hopped across the mostly-barren terrain, searching for the sparse clumps of grass that struggled to grow from the rugged – almost rocky – soil. Chunks of metal of various sizes dotted the ruined landscape, remnants of the Eurasia that civilization had yet to reclaim and recycle.
Two figures approached the entrance to the nearby cave, one a humanoid wearing armor that looked much like the head of a cobra, the other a purple, four-legged canine looking more like a wolf than a dog.
Bass raised his hand to his eyes and squinted into the distance. "What the hell….?" he grumbled with a shake of his head. "Where is everybody?"