Zero: Maverick Hunter

by Tardispilot297

While struggling to adjust to a now peaceful life on Earth, Zero decides to take Chaud Blaze on as his student, training him in the ways of the Maverick Hunters to help him prepare for a special tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada where a special someone from Chaud's past will be competing. Meanwhile Zero is being hunted by an evil scientist bent on obtaining his power. Note: Ep.3 up!

1. Chapter 1

Episode 1: Call of the Hunter

Hey there guys, gals, and non-binary pals! Tardispilot297 here bringing you the first episode to my first ever spin-off series to Mega-Man: Robotic Hero!

Well technically it's the first to be posted. The idea of doing spin-offs has been long in the works. But I'm getting ahead of myself, for the time being I hope you enjoy reading this spin-off story which will be a little longer than the last story I did in this universe. That said, ON WITH THE STORY!

[Silicon City Junkyard, day]

The sun rises high over the metropolis known as Silicon City. I crouch down on my knees and knuckles, close my eyes, and take a deep breath. I snap my eyes open and start running, as I often do at this time of day, through the training field I had built for myself. The training field has a layout similar to what me and my former clanmates used during our warrior training. I pass the starting line and begin running across the long sheet of metal while dodging several obstacles from metal spike balls to metal saw blades.

I jump in between steel beams embedded into the ground before spin leaping through a few swinging metal spiked hoops. To be honest, I'm a little disappointed at not being able to set the swinging hoops on fire, but a true warrior must learn to make sacrifices when necessary. Plus it's apparently in accordance with the laws of "fire safety", or so I have been told.

I perform a forward somersault and land perfectly on my feet. I turn and grab a metal car bumper attached to a rope swinging at me and spin it to deflect several metal arrows fired at me. I toss the bumper away then pick up a piece of rebar with a vehicle engine tied to each end onto my back. I start running across a cable acting as a tightrope leading higher and higher into the hills of piled up junk. At the other end of the tightrope I throw the rebar away and then pick up an old earth vehicle called a "semi-truck". I run and jump up the side of the large mountain of scrap and run to the very edge. When I finally reach it, I throw the vehicle into the air and leap up to begin slicing it up with my sword. The sun shining off of my red armor and my yellow mane flowing in the wind.

"Who am I?" you may ask? Well, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Zero, Last of the Maverick Hunters, and sworn protector of The Andromeda Key. As for why I am here, I shall tell you all the story of my epic quest.

It all began on the planet of Nessus, where I was deceived into helping the evil and conniving Dr. Wily escape from his recent exile. With his guidance I came to Earth in search of a powerful relic and challenged its greatest champion, Mega-Man, to single combat. To my subtle surprise, he proved to be both an unworthy and pitiful opponent.

However, after besting him time and time again in combat, he opened my eyes to the truth of Wily's dark ambition and together, we were able to defeat Wily's giant robot and recover the Andromeda Key, hence saving not only Earth, but the entire universe. And so, Mega-Man, his companions, and I became allies and protectors of the city of Silicon. Battling any and all foes foolish enough to challenge us. The two of us, along with the young girl Roll, also became what is known as "Roommates".

Now, having found sanctuary within the house of Light, my only mission, assigned to me by my friends, is to "relax" and "enjoy Earth", which brings us back to me finishing up my morning training session. I land on my feet and check my internal systems to see how long it took me to complete the course this time. The results make me shout and raise my sword in triumph.

"Ha! A new record!"

I put my sword away and start making my way back to the hidden sanctum. Or as the very talkative Axel refers to it as "our very own Batcave". I find such a title confusing as it is neither a cave nor is it occupied by bats. I make my way inside and pause to look over at Roll's central computer. A machine capable of surveying the entire city via the "SeeSeeTeeVee" network.

For such an underdeveloped planet such as this, it is only natural that I find most of its culture to be rather somewhat difficult to comprehend. Still I have come to slowly accept parts of it as "enjoyable". Specifically the earth deserts and the abundance of grapes. And there are moments when I can hone my skills as a hunter and warrior by chasing down and defeating villains across the city with my companions. Of course lately things have been rather calm as of late. Nevertheless, I must remain vigilant and aware of any signs of enemy movement.

Much like what appears to be happening at the dwelling of house Light on one of the screens. I look closer and do my best to survey the area, which appears to be under siege by several masked assailants and their robotic minions wielding sharp weapons and tearing apart the Earthen domicile. I grip my sword and scowl at the sight of the invaders.

"You shall not be allowed to destroy house Light on this day."

I quickly leap upwards through the roof window and run towards the direction of the house at top speed, leaping from rooftops and across the sides of buildings. I soon reach the house and land onto the roof. Maintaining the element of surprise, I swiftly drop down and bury myself under the nearby foliage. I carefully move underneath along the ground closing in on one of the closer adversaries. I reach out and snatch the first robot attacker from behind, dragging them into the bushes. One of the others turns around at the sounds of distress from the robot but sees no signs of them and shrugs their shoulders. He goes to resume his assault on the domicile before he sees me glaring at him. He shoots at me with some kind of projectile weapon out of fear, but the attack merely bounces off my armor. He stares at me in surprise as I brush off the scuff left behind without breaking eye contact with him.

"Such pitiful weaponry."

I rush towards the attacker and waste little time in neutralizing him and a few more robot attackers. I use a convenient pile of rope to tie them all up and hang them upside down in front of the final assailant. Horrified at the sight, they turn and attempt to run away. However I then grab an also convenient shovel, break it into two, and throw it to the fleeing foe. As a result, they find themselves now attached to the house's wall with the shovel parts close to his sides, nearly stabbing him. This of course causes him to shriek in terror, a clear sign of them yielding in defeat. I stand tall as I look to see the house of Light still standing. I nod my head and smile.

"Fear not House of Light. For as long as I draw breath, you shall not fall."

I turn to walk away until something on the ground catches my attention. I reach down and pick up a small metal tube with a plastic lid. I open it and look inside to find what appears to be the earth food "chips". I reach in to take one out and sniff it for a moment before placing it in my mouth. In the few seconds of chewing my mouth becomes invigorated with a glorious flavor I had not yet tasted before. I make a small sound of approval and walk over to the nearby tree to enjoy the rest of my victory snack.

(POV CHANGE)

I was just about done sorting through laundry when I started hearing a loud ruckus coming from outside. I step out of the house through the backdoor and look around to see what was happening until I see all the workers hired to remodel the house tied up and hanging upside down. I stare in complete shock and then turn to see another worker pinned to the side of the house with pieces of a shovel.

"Whoa! Uhhh, Auto? Could you come out here and give me a hand please?"

Auto steps outside and gasps at the sight of the workers.

"Oh my goodness! What is going on out here?"

The pinned worker looks at me breathing heavily as Auto and I walk over to help get him down.

"What the heck kinda job is this, Dr. Lalinde?!"

Auto pulls out the pieces of shovel as we manage to help the worker off of the wall. He then walks over to untie the rest of the workers hanging upside down. Given the state they were in it takes me only a few moments to realize what had happened. I glance over at Auto who's expression tells me that he's thinking the same thing I am. The team of workers brush themselves off and the worker in charge walks up to me seething with obvious anger and confusion.

"Did you call us out here to remodel your house so you could do what?... hunt us for sport?!"

I quickly try to explain the situation so as to calm them down.

"No, no, no, no, no. I'm so sorry. I could see why it might look like that, but you see one of our kids gets a little–"

The worker shakes his head as his expression turns from angered confusion to angered shock.

"Wait a second. You're telling me that your "kid" did this?

Okay yeah after saying it out loud it does sound a bit far fetched. Fortunately Auto steps in to explain things a little better.

"Well you see he's a... very enthusiastic young man with a huge imagination. Thinks he's a warrior in point of fact. Always training, questing, fighting…"

I manage to relax a little as Auto continues explaining things to them. That is until the next set of words come out of his mouth.

"...as well as stalking, hunting, and occasionally terrorizing."

I quickly interrupt him by striking his side with my elbow causing him to let out a loud "OOF" sound. I turn back to the worker with a reassuring smile.

"I mean you know how impressionable some kids are at that age."

The worker on the other hand isn't smiling back as he raises his index finger pointing at me and Auto.

"You people will be hearing from our lawyers."

He turns and walks away from us as he instructs the rest of the workers to pack up their gear and load it back into their truck. They all climb in and start to drive away looking understandably upset. I try to shout to them over the roar of the truck's engine.

"Again, I am so sorry."

The truck speeds out of sight as I let out a heavy sigh of exasperation before noticing some chips on the ground. I reach down and pick one of them up and inspect it.

"What is this–?"

"Uhh, Dr. Lalinde?"

I look over at Auto who gestures with his eyes to point out to me how the chips formed a trail across the ground. Our eyes follow it leading to a tree, where we see Zero is sitting underneath and eating several chips out of a pringles can, laughing in what I can only imagine is a tone of victory. I take a deep breath to keep myself calm and start to make my way over to him as he continues eating more chips out of the can. I stop and stand next to him looking down with my arms crossed over my chest.

"Ha Ha! Victory is mine, and never has it tasted so sweet."

He stops eating to inspect the pringles can in his hand.

"Perhaps one day, I shall come to visit this "Crisp Ranch of Pringles" and bask in all of its glory."

Zero finally notices me and lifts up the can towards me offering to share.

"Ah, Lady Doctor. Care for a bit of my victory snack?"

It takes every bit of my willpower not to yell at him right then and there. Even though I really want to. However the fact remains that I am not his mother and nor do I have any right to actually punish him for not understanding how things work here on this planet. So instead I just continue looking down at him speaking in the calmest tone that I can manage right now.

"No thanks. I'm good actually."

Zero looks at me and shrugs his shoulders as he continues to eat the chips. At the moment all I can really do is continue to watch in disappointment as I turn my attention back to the unfinished house. The house that should've been finished a whole month ago if not for the so-called "protection" from a certain red space robot. Frankly, if something is done about this situation soon, I may just end up doing something that a lot of us, Zero included, are going to regret.

(POV CHANGE)

Both Rock and I wince a bit having been watching the whole scene of what just happened from the corner of the backyard. We lean a bit, catching one last glimpse of the truck driving away.

"Oh, man. Poor guys. And that's the fourth crew these past few weeks. Still I have to say, Zero is definitely keeping in tip top shape. Do you think he's more cardio or weight-focused? Either way, He looks amazing. Makes me kinda jealous to be honest."

I chuckle a bit at Rock's attitude to the situation. Even during times like these he's still cracking jokes. Still I can't help but feel a little worried. Ever since Dr. Light informed us that Dr. Lalinde was going to move in with us, the house has been feeling a little cramped with Zero sleeping in the attic and me sleeping in Auto's room thus forcing him to sleep on the pullout couch in the living room. Hence the need to remodel and expand the house so that we both could have rooms of our own.

"Rock? Do you think the house is ever gonna get finished? I still feel pretty bad making Auto sleep on the couch while I sleep in what was once his room."

Since my arrival here on earth Auto had offered me to sleep in his room temporarily until we had made up a proper room for me to stay in. That offer had been made months ago. And while Auto continued reassuring me that it was no trouble at all, I still felt a bit bad about putting him out like this. Rock looks at me with a smile and places a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey don't worry, Roll. I'm sure everything will work itself out in no time."

I smile back at him and nod in agreement. After all, I had Mega-man and a Maverick Hunter for brothers now. How bad could things possibly get from here? We both turn around as Dr. Lalinde approaches us with Auto and calls us over to them.

"Kids, I think it's about time we need to talk about our little red samurai friend. I mean I could really appreciate some backup."

Ever since she started living with us Dr. Lalinde has been very patient and understanding with Zero's behavior as of late. But judging from the tone in her voice she was starting to run very low on said patience. Rock and I both try to offer words of encouragement to help her relax a bit.

"Hey don't worry about a thing, Mom. It's gonna be okay."

"Yeah. Zero is just having a little trouble adjusting to his new home. I mean it certainly wasn't easy for me to understand this planet at first, either when I arrived."

Dr. Lalinde looks at me with a warm and surprised smile.

"That's actually very well profound Roll."

Rock turns to me with a smile as well while lightly bumping my arm with his elbow.

"Well look at you starting to get all wise on us. You're gonna make the rest of us look bad."

I chuckle a bit while rubbing my arm.

"Well I have been watching a ton of Oprah lately. Also, I had friends and family that were patient enough to let me figure things out. We just have to do the same with Zero."

I turn back to Dr. Lalinde and reassure her.

"Just let me talk to him when the time is right."

Dr. Lalinde smiles and nods her head.

"Alright, Roll. I'll leave things up to you."

I smile back at her and nod my head as well. Auto smiles also until he lifts his head and looks up at the roof behind me and Rock.

"Quite. But in the meantime, Miss Roll, do you perhaps have a moment to ask him to get our dog off the roof?"

Rock and I turn around and see that Zero is in fact on the roof with Rush, holding a hockey stick like a spear. He also appears to be discussing something with him. Rock and I look on slightly worried. I know Zero has been trying to do his best to keep himself busy during this peaceful time, but now I wonder if the boredom is starting to get to him.

"Actually you know what Roll? I don't know about you, but I think now is probably a good time for that talk."

"Very probably, Yeah."

The two of us start walking back to the house to begin making our way up to the roof. I'm not sure what exactly I'm going to tell him, but hopefully I'll be able to help Zero finally settle into life here on earth.

(POV CHANGE)

Even after successfully defending this domicile I cannot allow myself to grow complacent with victory. To that end I have chosen to recruit the metal hound Rush to aid me in protecting this home and those who dwell within it.

"Concentrate, hound. An enemy attack can come from anywhere at any moment. So you must at all times have steely focus."

Rush has shown to be rather intelligent and capable in the past. However at this moment all he does is just stare at me, panting. I attempt to instruct him again assuming that he is in fact understanding my words.

"Steelier."

He ceases panting but continues to stare. I will try again.

"Steelier…"

Still no response.

"Steelier…"

Just more silent staring. Finally I shout.

"Steelier!"

Rush still refuses to listen, instead content with smacking his lips. I am starting to doubt whether or not I was wise in my choosing of guardians to House Light. Suddenly a loud thunk is heard behind the hound. I make ready to strike but then pause when I see my fellow comrades Mega-Man and Roll climbing up onto the roof with a ladder. Mega-Man taps his hands on his knees and makes kissing noises, getting the dog's attention. He calls him over and Rush turns and walks away to follow him back down the ladder.

Roll meanwhile stays on the roof and starts to walk over to me waving her hand and smiling at me.

"Hey there, big guy. Mind if I join you up here?"

I stare at her as she looks out at the view of the city letting out a deep sigh.

"Gosh, this place sure is beautiful, huh?"

I follow her gaze and answer her question.

"No."

Roll turns back to me sounding surprised.

"Wait, what? Seriously? You honestly don't think that Silicon City is a beautiful place to live?"

I reply to her again.

"No."

"Not even a little bit?"

I pause for a brief moment.

"No."

Roll reaches out and puts a hand on my shoulder. She gestures with her other hand for me to continue looking out at the horizon.

"Okay, but really and I mean really take a look around you and tell me honestly you don't think that this is–"

"No."

Roll lets out a loud sigh of exasperation and takes her hand off my shoulder. Frankly I find this very confusing. After all she did ask me to be honest with her.

"Okay, you know what? How about we circle back to this later."

She turns around and gestures for me to sit down next to her on the roof. I see no reason to refuse so I take a seat next to her.

"So listen, I think it's about time that we had a talk. You know, from one off-worlder to another."

I sit in silence and listen to her words.

"Look, I understand how moving to a new world can be tough. Believe me it was tough for me too at first. But trust me when I say that, this planet right here, is special. It's your home now."

I turn my head to look directly into her eyes.

"A maverick hunter has no home. I only remain here on Earth because I made a vow to you, Mega-Man, and our other companions. One that I intend to keep until my dying breath."

I turn back to look out at the sky above.

"Hey, I completely understand that. In fact it's what makes me proud to have someone like you looking out for me. Heck along with Rock you're almost like a surrogate older brother to me. But the fact is we won. Wily's gone, the Emerald Spears are history, and there's no new battle to fight. No new quests to embark on. Which means, for the first time ever, you can take a break from being a warrior. And I personally find that Earth is the perfect place to do that. So, just relax. Get comfortable. Make yourself at home here."

I take a moment to allow Roll's words to sink in. And she does speak the truth. At the moment there are no new foes to face nor quests to embark. In fact by finding the Andromeda Key I had at long last completed the greatest quest of my life and restored honor to my clan. For the first time in my life I find myself without a clear path laid out before me.

"Hmm... Perhaps you are right, girl. I need time to think about this new turning point in my life. Please allow me to meditate on your words of wisdom."

Roll smiles at me and stands up.

"Hey of course! Take all the time you need. I'm really glad that we had this chance to talk, Zero."

She begins to walk away back to the ladder but then stops and turns her head back towards me.

"And hey don't forget, you're not alone anymore. And me, Rock, and everyone else, we'll always have your back. No matter what."

With those final words Roll leaves the roof as I readjust my sitting posture to begin to meditate. I take in a deep breath and close my eyes. In times of uncertainty, we Maverick Hunters often meditate to aid us in opening our thoughts to the universe around us. Allowing our minds to roam freely throughout the cosmos without constraint to aid us in achieving the truths we seek. All the while the day continues onward, all the way into night with the stars of this small galaxy hanging directly overhead.

Eventually, my thoughts wander to the days of my past with my father and the rest of our clan. It was not uncommon for us to move our encampment from planet to planet. And for each new world we came upon we would begin to work at crafting exactly what we needed to… Wait… That is it! How could I have allowed myself to be so foolish? My eyes snap open with renewed purpose in the face of this new epiphany. Yes. I shall follow the girl Roll's words of wisdom. In honor of my fallen clan, I shall make myself at home.

[Light household, day.]

I manage to get up bright and early in the morning to make breakfast. A feat I didn't think I could still accomplish after all this time. To be honest, the feelings of nostalgia are a little difficult to overcome. Even now it feels like only yesterday that I was last in this kitchen making breakfast for both Thomas and Xavier. A few years ago such thoughts would've made me break down into tears, however things are different now.

Work is a lot less stressful now with Albert gone. Thomas and I are slowly but surely putting the pieces of our relationship back together. And to top it all off, I finally have a family again. Xavi- er, I mean Rock is just incredible. Him being here helps to mend the emptiness that was eating away at my heart. And I absolutely adore Roll so much. Deep down I always wanted to talk to Thomas about having another child together, particularly having a daughter. And even if we aren't blood related I still couldn't be prouder of her as a mother. As for Zero… well it's like Roll said, we just need to be patient with him and give him time to adjust to his surroundings here.

In the meantime we'll just take what comes one day at a time. I effortlessly finish making breakfast and start to call everyone down as I get ready to set the table.

"Kids, breakfast is ready!"

As I step into the dining room however, instead of the normal sight of the table and chairs, I am greeted with the sight of Zero sitting in a makeshift throne of his own design at the head of the table, forged haphazardly from various pieces of sports equipment and bicycles. Zero turns to look at me with a look of pride on his face.

"Ah, Good morning, Doctor Woman."

It takes me a few moments to recompose myself before I nervously reply back.

"Good morning, Zero."

He nods his head acknowledging my greeting. I know I just decided upon taking what comes one day at a time, but frankly this young man is really pushing the boundaries of my patience and understanding. I quickly clear my throat to ensure that what I ask next doesn't give away too much of my shock and frustration of this situation.

"I'm sorry is umm, Is that an Iron Throne at our breakfast table?"

Before he can answer Rock, Roll, and Auto enter the dining room.

"Good morning Mo– What is that?"

Upon seeing Zero's makeshift throne, Both Auto and Roll gasp while Rock just stares in shock.

"It is merely the seat of power that designates my role as family champion. If you wish to claim it, you must simply challenge me in a ritual battle of trial by combat.

Auto sheepishly chuckles nervously next to me.

"What precisely do you mean by, "trial by combat" exactly?"

Zero climbs down from his throne and turns to Auto.

"Come, automaton. I will show you."

He steps out of the dining room and leads everyone into the living room. After seeing his little throne I am a bit apprehensive about following to see what else he could've built. Nonetheless I follow everyone else into the living room where Zero stands next to a gong hanging from some rope.

"I simply heeded the girl Roll's advice and in keeping with the traditions of my clan I have made myself at home!"

I look around and see the living room transformed into some kind of a warrior fighting pit. Zero is standing on top of a makeshift skull with several makeshift spears and assorted weaponry on the walls of the room. Rock walks over and touches one of the spears with his hand.

"Uh, Wow. Um, I love what you've done with the place, Z. It's very, um, Thunderdome-esqe."

Okay, you know what that's it! I have tried to be patient but this is where I draw the line! I am hereby putting my foot down!

"Nope! No, no, no! Absolutely not! We are under no circumstances turning our living room into some kind of gladiator fighting pit."

"Warrior fighting pit."

"Whatever! And wh–"

I look to the side and notice Rush is also inside the living room, dressed in a Viking helmet.

"What is Rush doing here wearing that helmet?

Rush whines clearly uncomfortable as Roll goes over to comfort him.

"Rush has bravely volunteered for the first match by challenging his greatest foe."

Roll looks up at Zero confused.

"Greatest foe? What foe?

Zero smiles as he bangs the gong with his fist causing a gate to slowly open across the room. We all look as the gate reveals Rush's "greatest foe" is all small mailbot armed with a baseball bat covered in spikes. From the shaking of its small body and the clear fear in its eyes it is just as uncomfortable about the fight as Rush is. I turn back to Zero in absolute shock.

"Is that the postal bot?!"

The small mailbot looks at us still trembling with fear.

"Please! I don't know what's happening here. I just wanna go home."

I turn back to the mailbot putting both hands together in a gesture for forgiveness.

"I am so sorry."

I ask Auto to help them to the front door. As they leave I turn straight back to Zero, this time letting my anger and frustration show clearly on my face as I point my index finger at him.

"That is it. You get down from there right now, mister. Because you are grounded for a week!"

Zero stares at me for a moment before jumping down and standing in front of me directly.

"I have absolutely no idea what that means."

Rock clears his throat to get Zero's attention.

"Well unfortunately, I definitely do. It basically means no fighting bad guys. No leaving your room to go out on quests."

I interrupt Rock to add one more detail to his explanation.

"And most important of all, no maverick hunter-ing."

Zero turns back to me looking insulted by my words.

"How dare you. In the name of the great star warrior Duo, I swear you will regret the day that you–"

Oh I know he is not about to take that kind of tone with me!

"Excuse me?! Guess we're making it two weeks!"

"... You will regret–"

"Oh!? Okay, then. Three weeks!"

"... The day that you–"

"Four weeks?"

Rock quickly steps in and whispers into Zero's ear.

"Uh, Zero? Word of advice: do not mess with Mom when she's this mad. Trust me, it doesn't look pretty."

Zero looks between Rock and myself. Quite frankly at this point I am hoping that the little red menace just gives me a reason. Doesn't necessarily need to be a good one, heck it doesn't even need to make any sense! Instead however Zero appears to stand down and comply with my decision.

"Very well, Doctor Woman. I will then accept my "grounding"... with the honor befitting a maverick hunter."

He turns and leaves the living to head up to the attic. Now don't get the wrong idea, I didn't actually enjoy having to do that. But sometimes you have to be firm with your children, space robots or not. I take a deep breath to calm myself down and check my watch for the time. I let out an exhausted and annoyed sigh and turn to both Rock and Roll.

"Great. You're both going to be late for school."

And as if to make things worse, Auto calls for me from the dining room.

"Uh, Dr. Lalinde? We may have another issue."

I walk in to see he's holding a piece of an engine from Zero's throne.

"It would appear that master Zero built part of his throne out of… Well, the car."

The car... Of course. Why not? I place a hand over my forehead as I try to think of a solution.

"Oh, gosh. Okay, um, Thomas is out of town…"

I suddenly snap my fingers as an idea comes into form.

"Maybe Chaud can give you both a ride over."

I had only met Chaud very briefly after Rock and his friends defeated Xander Payne and saved the city last month. From what I recall he was a… somewhat reliable man who drove a news van. It's not exactly ideal but unfortunately beggars can't be choosers right now. I take out my phone and call Chaud's number. I get a dial tone for a few seconds before I start to hear his voice on the other line. Unfortunately it turns out to be his voicemail.

"Hey, wassup? This is Chaud! The Blaze Man! Doodley-Doo! I can't come to the phone right now. As I'm currently in training for the biggest competition of my entire life. So do me a favor and wish me luck! After the beep. Beep!"

I hang up the phone and look at it confused. Just what exactly could that man be doing that's so important?

[Silicon City, Bowling Alley, midday.]

Alright, Man. You got this. You have been training for weeks for this exact moment. You will achieve absolute greatness right now because you are an excellent bowler. But more importantly, you have a heart of gold and a blazing spirit. Little pun intended. You help the elderly cross the street. You leave positive reviews on Doordash, even when the delivery and exactness of the order is kinda "meh". You are gorgeous, yet you are approachable to hot women. You even helped save the entire city from terrorists led by a psycho in an Iron Man suit. After which you spent a whole three days in the hospital after getting shot in the shoulder. But most of all, you are an excellent–

"You're gonna choke, loser!"

At the sudden scream behind me on my right, I end up slipping and lose my grip on the bowling ball in my hand which causes it to go flying behind me and crash into a vending machine in the back. I turn to glare at the source of said scream. That source being none other than Yai Ayanokoji, the bowler on the other team in this qualifying match for the tournament. Don't let the little red dress and gold pigtails fool you. She may look like a sweet little girl on the outside, but on the inside she is just pure unadulterated evil.

Nevertheless, she is still technically a child so I can't just go and tell her off like I'd usually do in these kinds of situations. Unfortunately all I can do is just swallow my anger and pride and try to reason with her like a proper adult. No matter how much I don't want to do that.

"Okay. Yai, I have asked, nay, begged you over a hundred times, please don't belittle me in the middle of my backswing."

She stands there with that arrogant smirk of hers as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"Perhaps I wouldn't be belittling you if you weren't such an absolute failure of a bowler."

Okay now this kid's pushing it.

"Yeah well, perhaps I wouldn't be such an absolute failure of a bowler if you weren't belittling me!"

I suddenly feel a tug on my shoulder as I get spun around and come face to face with my bowling partner and teammate Baryl. Me and Baryl go back a bit when I was just a rookie cameraman and he was a freelance hunter for hire who agreed to an interview for a story about modern day bounty hunting.. Okay granted he's still technically doing that but the point is he and I shared a bond and slowly became best friends and bowling teammates. And right now he was about to help me get out of this rut so we can win this thing.

"Listen Chaud, You need to get your head in the game. Right now the team needs you."

See what I mean? Absolute bro who knows exactly what I need to hear.

"You just need to roll one strike, and we are in the tournament."

I nod my head at him. I won't let you down my guy.

"But don't do it for me."

I shake my head. Of course not, you never think about yourself.

"Don't even do it for the team. Do it for yourself."

Holy crap, this guy could earn a huge living in motivational speaking.

"Chaud, this is a moment that ancient Japanese samurai would refer to as Ichi-go ichi-e."

Ichi-oh…. Wait what now?

"Once in a Lifetime"

Oh dang. That is deep.

"The one defining moment in your life where you rise into the heavens like the soaring eagle and shout, I am Chaud Blaze, and I am an invincible hunter."

I repeat those words back in a gentle whisper.

"I am Chaud Blaze, and I am an invincible hunter."

"Exactly! And like the eagle you will swoop down and destroy that little girl!"

Heck ye- Wait, say what now? Baryl spins me back around to look at Yai again.

"Crush her resolve! Defeat her so badly, not even her own parents would acknowledge her continuing existence."

Whoa! Okay maybe he's taking this just a little bit too far here.

"Uh, no offense there Baryl, but don't you think that might be a bit much?"

"Are you kidding? It's barely enough. Just remember you got this, Chaud. And by got this I mean make that little rugrat eat every last word that dares come out of her mouth."

He gives me one last encouraging arm squeeze before sitting back down on the bench. Wow. It's been so long since we've seen each other that I almost completely forgot how intense Baryl can get during a game. I mean sure I wanna win, but I mean look at her. She's about what, seven or eight years old? She may be a little mean but she's still just a kid. Do I really have the gumption to just beat her and crush her childhood dreams for my own personal glory?

"Hey, Old guy! Are you just gonna keep standing there like a creep or are you gonna choke so we can get this over with?"

….On second thought, Baryl's right. Let's crush this little brat. I pick up a new ball and get into my stance. I let out a sigh and loosen the shoulders. Okay, Chaud. This is it. You got this. I take a few steps forward and swing my arm. I release the ball and roll it down the lane. It moves toward the pins. This is it. It's dead center. The ball hits the pins. Easy strike baby! Or so I think until I notice all but one of the pins drop signifying a spare.

I grab hold of my head in utter disbelief. I just can't believe it. Yai and her teammate cheer in victory behind me. No. No, there's still a chance it can go down. Just wait. Wait. Wait. it's still wobbling. It's still…. My heart stops at the exact same time the pin does. And just like that it's over. We lost. I failed. I turn around towards Baryl hanging his head. God, as if I don't feel bad enough. I didn't just let the team down, I let my best friend down.

"Sorry, Baryl. I failed you."

Baryl stands up and puts on his camo coat.

"No Chaud. You didn't fail me, you failed yourself."

Man, this guy is just something else.

"I know, and listen I promise that I will up my game for the next tournament. So that next time I will be a–"

"A hunter?"

A brief pause follows before I manage to answer.

"Yeah, man. I promise you."

Baryl shakes his head and looks at me.

"I'm sorry Chaud, but I don't think your heart is in it."

He walks up and places a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't beat yourself up about it. Not everybody has the heart to be a true hunter. Especially when they get beat by little kids."

Okay, ouch. A bit harsh but I think I see what he's saying here.

"Well to be fair, I'm pretty sure that she has the soul of a very ancient… demon or whatever."

"The point is to achieve victory this team requires the most dedicated of hunters and you, Chaud Blaze, are no hunter."

"Wait, what are you saying?"

"I'm sorry Chaud, you're off the team."

Wait, what?! No, no ,no he can't mean that.

"Come on, Baryl. Please, I will work at it! I will become the greatest hunter that you have ever seen!"

"That's just it, Chaud. I already have one."

"What? Who?"

Baryl turns and looks over at Yai. I'm sorry WHAT!?

"I'm sorry WHAT!?"

"Well let's face facts, she's relentless and a cold-blooded predator on the lanes."

I can't believe this is happening right now.

"Dude! She's like 5 years old! I bet her hands aren't even big enough to properly hold a ball let alone roll one!"

"There's also the fact that her parents are wealthy and are renting a decked out RV so as to get to the finals in Las Vegas like pros."

"Okay well I'll admit that does sound freakin awesome, but why are you doing this?"

Baryl turns back to me and looks me in the eyes.

"Two reasons. One, What I said earlier about you not being a hunter. And two, because I actually offered my bowling services to her folks in the event that we lost."

"Wait, are you serious?"

"First rule of bounty hunting my friend: Always have a contingency plan. Though if it's any consolation I still had the utmost faith that you'd win it for us, but mostly for yourself."

Dang, now I don't know whether to be mad or be thankful.

"Well, is there any chance that they can hire me too? I could be like an alternate."

"Sorry pal, I don't do team jobs. I'm strictly a solo act."

Okay I guess that's fair.

"Now, if you please, I'm gonna need you to turn in your bowling shirt."

I look at him with a sigh.

"Really?"

"Sorry man, Bowling regulations for team dismissals. And you know that I'm a stickler for the rules."

Yeah, he really is. I proceed to unbutton my team bowling shirt and hand it over to Baryl. He then hands it over to Yai who accepts it with that damn dirty grin of hers. Baryl turns back to me one last time.

"Take care, Chaud. And if you ever need someone to take care of a special job for you, you know my number."

I nod to him as he turns and walks away. Yai takes one more look at me.

"And just so you know, I'm actually eight years old. So long loser."

She does a little spin as she struts away laughing like a 90's anime villain. See? I knew she looked eight. Still doesn't make the ridicule sting any less though. Man, this sucks. First I blow the biggest opportunity of my life, and then my best friend up and leaves me for a nearly bald headed little gremlin. I bet you there isn't one person in the whole entire world more depressed than me right about now.

[Light household, attic, midday]

I highly doubt that there is one single creature on this planet more in a state of depression than I at this very moment. As I continue to lay on the floor looking up at the round window above me, All I can do now is contemplate my current circumstances and bear with it as best I can in absolute silence.

"Uhh, Hey there, big guy. How's it goin?"

Or at least that was the original plan up until a few microseconds ago. I look up to see both Roll and Mega-Man standing above me looking down on me. Roll has a look of regret and shame upon her face. As she very well should and is lucky that is all she has on her face.

"You doing okay there, Zero?"

I let out an annoyed sigh.

"Leave me be, both of you. Especially you, Girl. I followed your advice, and now here I lay exiled on the floor of dishonorment, with nothing else left to me but to plan out my vengeance, particularly against you."

Roll backs away a bit. Be it in fear or understanding I have no way to tell. However my attention is soon pulled away by the voice of the Mega-Man butting into the conversation and taking a seat next to where I lay.

"Whoa, easy there, big fella."

He looks at Roll with a strange expression and mouths something to her. I am unclear what it is but she turns and leaves the both of us alone in the attic.

"Okay. So, Let me tell you something, being grounded isn't actually all that bad. Heck, I lived almost alone in this house for 5 whole years. I'm sure that you can survive at least a week or two in an attic."

He stands up and goes over to a pile of boxes stacked nearby and muddles through them.

"Plus check out all the cool choices you have to go through. Like… Books, video games, even some old music records to listen and jam to."

Mega-Man lists off each individual item as he pulls them from each box.

"You see what I'm getting at here, right?"

I really don't. However I am in no mood to argue or speak at the moment.

"Look, just take this time to relax for a change. And before you can even say "Hiyah!" You'll be back out there going full warrior mode in no time at all."

Somehow I highly doubt that. Mega-Man turns away from me and starts to head for the stairs leading back down into the house.

"Anyway, good we had this talk. See ya at dinner, buddy."

Mega-Man steps down the stairs and out of my line of sight. I let out a heavy sigh. A being such as Mega-Man could not possibly understand the turmoil that I find myself in. I had been raised since birth to be a strong and noble Maverick Hunter. Trained in all forms of lethal combat to be the deadliest warrior in the universe. One does not simply "Relax" or "Take a break" from such a life. And yet here I sit, unable to act on my primal instincts as a hunter and warrior. Never have I felt so lost. I get to my feet and look up at the sky through the window. In dire times when a hunter feels lost, they may offer prayers to the ancestors of the past for guidance.

And that is precisely what I plan to do now. So I beseech you honorable hunters of the past. Tell me what it is that I must do. Please, bestow upon me your ancient wisdom. The moments turn into seconds which then become minutes. Still I feel neither guidance nor wisdom. I fear that the ancient ancestors cannot hear my prayers. I now feel even more lost. I turn away from the window to return to my wallowing in dejectment.

Suddenly a light flashes behind me. I stop moving and turn my gaze back around to see a being as tall as a mountain with a massive left fist to match. He is adored in white, blue and red armor with three spikes on his right shoulder. In his chest houses four cores brimming with power. It takes me but a brief moment to recognize the person in front of me as he reaches down to pick up one of the books from a box left open.

He is none other than the great star warrior Duo. Vanquisher of evil and above all one of my greatest mentors. For eons has he taken on the task of training the finest warriors from across the galaxy. I dared not to hope that our paths may cross again in my lifetime. He examines the book in his right hand with great interest.

"This "Tolstoy" must've been a great and wise warrior to have truly understood the truths of war and peace."

I stand before him completely awestruck before I finally manage to find the strength to speak.

"Master Duo!"

He turns away from the book to look at me with a smile.

"It is good to see you again, young Zero. Come let us embrace as brothers in arms"

He extends his arms prompting me to run towards him without hesitation. Just as we are about to embrace however I somehow lose my footing and fall straight through Duo landing face first into the bag chair of beans behind him. I stand back up to recenter myself and turn back to my old master in confusion. He turns around looking rather ashamed for some reason.

"Forgive me. I failed to recall that I am not indeed physical in your presence."

I suddenly assume the worst of what meaning his words hold.

"Master, are you saying that you are…"

Duo looks up at me from the floor, raising both his hands.

"No no, I have not yet passed on to the great battlefield in the sky. This is merely an astral projection to send to hunters most in dire need of my guidance."

I quickly drop down to one knee before him.

"Indeed, Master Duo. I have fulfilled my clan's quest and found the Andromeda Key."

"Well done young hunter. You make your ancestors proud. However, in what way does this trouble you so?"

I lift my head up to look back at him.

"Well it's just, I have spent my entire life in pursuit of this great and noble quest. Now that it is done, what is to become of me?"

Duo smiles at me with a small chuckle. He then places a hand on my shoulder.

"Zero, my former apprentice. Your great and noble quest is far from over. As the last of the Maverick Hunters, the legacy of your people now rests in your hands."

A truly great responsibility. One I shall not allow myself to forsake.

"What must I do, Master?"

"The time has come for you to seek out an apprentice of your own. To guide them in the ways of the Maverick Hunters. Teach them our customs. Aid them in understanding our traditions. And in time, your clan will come to grow once more."

Of course. Once again I curse myself for being so neglectful of the ways of my clan. Besides training oneself a Maverick Hunter is also tasked with training the next generation of hunters. This is what I must do now. This is my new quest! The only question now is, where will I find such an apprentice to teach? Then suddenly I recall my current task. As a sworn protector of the Andromeda Key I vowed to remain here on earth. With this knowledge I feel I cannot honor my teacher's wishes. I bow my head respectfully to him.

"I accept the task that has been set before me, Master Duo. However, I swore an oath to remain on this planet to protect the Andromeda Key. Therefore I am unable to leave and seek out an apprentice at this moment. I beg your forgiveness."

Instead of sounding disappointed, Duo's tone is more accepting and compassionate.

"There is nothing to forgive. For you see the perfect candidate for your apprentice currently resides here on earth."

My head snaps back up with my eyes wide open in surprise.

"Who? Who is worthy of such a title?"

Duo reaches over to the side and picks up a thin book referred to as a "magazeen". He lifts it up to show me the image on the cover.

"This is the one you must train."

I look closely at the cover which reads "Local cameraman to take part in weekend bachelor auction". The image of the man striking a pose while holding the camera is somehow familiar. Finally my eyes widen at the realization that I do in fact recognise this man. But surely there must be a mistake!?

"Chaud Blaze? I know this human. He is merely a village jester. He is no Maverick Hunter!"

"One could say the same of you when our paths first crossed."

Master's words ring true. Unlike others born into my clan I was the smallest and weakest of them all. Most saw me as a burden at first. It was only by the wills of my father and Master Duo who both saw my true potential that I eventually became the warrior I am today.

"He may not appear to have the makings of a maverick hunter, but I sense in him the same fire that blazes inside you as well. Even now he seeks to take part in a 'Tournament of Champions' in a far away land known only as…. Las Vegas, Nevada."

A Tournament of Champions? Perhaps I have indeed underestimated this Chaud Blaze! Such an aptly named contest could only be filled with glory befitting of a true warrior. Very well then, I shall indeed train him as a Maverick Hunter.

"I shall do as you say Master Duo. On my honor as a Maverick Hunter I will train him."

Duo begins to glow bright as he floats slowly into the air.

"Go now, Zero! The destiny of the Maverick Hunters is in your hands!"

He vanishes into a flash of light leaving me alone once again in the attic. Now I have a clear purpose for me to accomplish. I promise you Master, for as long as I draw breath, I will not fail you!

[Chaud's apartment, afternoon]

I step in front of the mirror with newfound determination. This is it you no good wimp! It's time to go all out! Baryl wants a true hunter? Then by god he's gonna get one! I put on my workout shirt and sweatpants. I place my lucky headband over my forehead. And I hit play on my epic workout mix.

The first song that comes on is The Warrior by Scandal. Perfect! I lay back and get ready to start pumping iron. I place both hands on the metal bar. You got this Blaze! YOU SO GOT THIS! I lift up the bar….which then immediately falls back down almost crushing my windpipe. I DON'T GOT THIS! I DON'T GOT THIS! I struggle to lift the bar back up, kicking my legs wildly. Oh man, I don't wanna go out like this. I've never even gotten a chance to kiss a hot girl!

I start to slowly lose consciousness as I struggle to breath. Oh dear god in the sky, please lend me your strength! Just when I think I'm about to die I feel the bar become lighter as it lifts off my throat. Holy crap, did that actually work!? If so, I really gotta start going to church more often.

"Chaud Blaze, This is not the time to be laying on your back like a tengarian turtle."

I turn my head to look up at none other than Zero looking back down at me while holding the bar with one hand. Ohhh. Okay yeah no that makes way more sense. He tosses the bar to the side as if it were a stick of bamboo.

"I have come to you on a matter of great importance."

I quickly sit back up and turn around on the bench.

"Wait, hold up. How did you even get in here?"

"A true maverick hunter can penetrate any stronghold regardless of its walls."

I slightly glance over to the next room.

"You climbed in through the open sliding door on the balcony didn't you?"

A long and slightly awkward silence passes between us.

"As a matter of fact I did."

I nod my head silently. Least he's honest. Zero steps around the bench so as to address me from the front.

"I understand that you seek to take part in the upcoming Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas, Nevada are you not?"

How did he hear about that? You know what doesn't matter.

"I mean yeah. I sure do."

"Excellent. I will take you there myself. For this tournament is my destiny."

Huh. Never would have pegged the space robot for a bowling fan. Though not like it means anything right now.

"Yeah, you could say it was mine, too. That is until I lost my spot on the team."

Zero looks at me with surprising curiosity.

"How so? Were you defeated by your greatest foe in single combat?"

"Actually I was brutally put down by an 8-year-old girl named Yai."

Zero looks at me a little confused. You know what? Best to just roll with what he said.

"So I guess you could say that I was in fact bested by my greatest foe in single combat."

"I see. And now you do not wish to reclaim your lost honor?"

"What? No, I-I very much do. I so wish to reclaim my lost honor. So much so that it hurts. It's just that…"

I let out a heavy sigh.

"Man, Baryl was right. I'm not… strong or tough. I don't have what it takes to be a "hunter"."

Zero looks at me with determination written all over his face.

"Well I choose to believe otherwise. That is why I am here. You are to become my apprentice and learn the ways of the Maverick Hunters. To learn all forms of lethal combat from across the galaxy. And to show you the true power of my strength."

Holy crap seriously!? Zero wants to train me!? That sounds completely insa– Wait a second. If I in fact do get to learn from Zero, I can use that to challenge that little brat Yai in a rematch, crush her, and earn my spot on the team back.

"You really think I can do that?"

"I do. If you allow me to accompany you on this quest to Las Vegas, I will shape you into a true hunter! As my master Duo taught me."

Duo? Guy must've had more than one teacher.

"Together, we shall both claim our destiny. Chaud Blaze, do you accept the title of my apprentice?"

Heck yeah I do! Wait a second. Is it really okay for him to just take off like this? I mean isn't he supposed to help protect the city or whatever?

"Aren't you supposed to be sworn to protect the city or whatever?"

"Yes. However at this moment I must answer to a much higher calling."

Zero picks up the weight bar again and easily bends it like a pool noodle. You know what? That's fair.

"Okay, that makes sense to me. Let's do this thing!"

Zero and I turn to leave the apartment until he tosses me the bent bar which forces me down to the floor. Yep, still too heavy. Zero looks down at me confused.

"Chaud Blaze, are you not coming as well?"

"Yeah, no. I am. Just gimme a second to catch my breath. I've been working out a lot today."

Zero nods his head and walks again to the door. He's coming back to help me up right? Right? After an hour or so we both pile into the news van and drive off onto the highway to vegas. As of right now, the hunter training road trip has officially begun! Not gonna lie I feel super pumped up for this. I look over at Zero sitting in the passenger seat next to me. Albeit he looks a little cramped. Guess that armor doesn't just come off.

"Soooo, Z. Can I call you Z?"

"No."

"Okay. How about Z-Man?'

"No."

"ZZ Top."

"No."

"Sub-Zero."

"No."

"Okay, how about this? Knock Knock."

Zero turns to me confused.

"Knock Knock, Now you say who's there."

"Who's there?

"Zeddie Prince Jr."

I laugh at my own clever wordplay. Zero on the other hand looks less than amused.

"Please be silent."

I quiet down my laughter and refocus on driving the van. Unfortunately I've never been one to keep my mouth shut during a long drive. Hopefully he doesn't change his mind about training me and just straight up kills me.

"So anywho, Why don't you tell me a bit about yourself. Now I know that you're from space and that you're really strong and that you've saved the world at least twice and yadda, yadda, yadda. But what's say we get to know each other a bit more? Like for example, you got any hobbies?"

"Honor."

I can't tell if he's being serious or not.

"Yeah, well that's actually more like a general principle than an actual hobby."

"Victory."

Okay he's not kidding. Maybe I should rephrase the question.

"What do you like to do for fun?"

He turns to me with a dark looking smile.

"Vengeance."

Wow. Got really dark all of a sudden.

"Okay, cool. You know I was thinking more like reading, or bird watching, or even listening to music."

The last thing I mention seems to get a reaction from Zero.

"Ah, yes. I believe that the Mega-Man spoke to me of this earth music. Tell me, what exactly is it?"

Oh man. You are putting me on the spot here, my guy.

"Well, I— I can't just tell you what it is. I have to umm…"

I look down at the van's disc player.

"You know what? I'll just put on one of my classic mixes to show you what I mean."

I put the CD into the player.

"Everybody at the news station loves these actually. I send out copies every other Tuesday,"

The first song to start playing is Hit Me With Your Best Shot by ADONA.

"Aha! Now here's a good one."

I start singing along to the lyrics as Zero just stares between me and the radio. I think he's easing into it. We get to the song title bit and I crank up the volume a little bit.

Hit me with your best shot! Why don't you hit me with your best shot?

Hit me with your best shot Fire awa–

The song abruptly ends with Zero smashing the radio with his fist. I jump in my seat with a loud YELP. I look at the radio in complete shock at what just happened. Zero just sits in his spot with a smile.

"I have fulfilled the female voice's request."

I turn to look at him and then back to watching the road. Note to self: Don't play music for Zero. Got it. Well I can tell already that this is gonna be a very long road trip.

[Bastion HQ, afternoon]

The computer screen starts beeping as the energy signature from one of the so-called heroes starts to move further away from Silicon City. The sight of which begins to put a smile on my face.

"Well now. It would seem that we have ourselves a runner."

The tall, slim woman, with orange hair tied in big fluffy bunches at the side of her head and a spiky fringe at the front, standing next to me dressed in the same black suit as me grins as well. My fellow agent and cohort, Agent Madd. This is what we've both been waiting for. The door behind us opens up allowing one of our fellow agents to enter the room and address me directly.

"Agent Zap. We have a problem. I'm afraid we have a "Code Red". It appears Zero has left the confines of Silicon City. We need to inform General Knight immediately."

I turn to the agent, still maintaining my calm smile.

"Not to worry, Agent Higsby. I've been well aware from the exact moment he crossed the city limits, and rest assured that I have complete control of the situation."

I take the small device Higsby is holding and begin inputting the code sequence to get things started. To his surprise and confusion all of the screens in front of us go dark having lost their signals to the satellite network.

"Umm, sir. You appear to have shut down our SAT surveillance network. There'll be no way for anyone in HQ to track Zero now."

"Oh I wouldn't necessarily say that."

I continue putting another code sequence as Madd moves slowly towards the other end of the console. She lightly presses the underside opening a small compartment containing a small gun-like device inside.

"I for one should have no trouble whatsoever tracking him with this little device."

Higsby looks at me even more confused until he turns towards Madd who starts typing on the small keypad on the side of the gun as it starts charging up. I will always be thankful to Dr. Light for sharing with Bastion the schematics for his portal gun technology. Makes what comes next so much easier. Madd aims the gun behind Higsby and fires a shot opening a large portal. Higsby looks at the portal behind him and then turns back to me.

"Umm, what exactly is going on here?"

I look at him with a warm smile.

"Thank you so much for your hard work, Agent Higsby. You are dismissed."

Higsby turns back to Madd who now has a sadistic smile on her face as she kicks Higsby screaming straight through the portal. She steps toward it and looks through laughing loudly.

"Have a good time at Olympus Mons! I hear the weather is beautiful this time of year my man. Be sure to send me a postcard."

Madd blows a kiss and continues laughing as the portal finally closes. She turns to me as I glare at her visibly unamused. She stops laughing and just stares back at me for a moment.

"What?"

"When I said to send him to a far off place to get rid of him, I don't recall implying that in lightyears."

Madd looks at me and scoffs.

"At least he's gone isn't he?"

"I'm just saying, there is such a thing as too much."

"Yeah, whatever. Are we doing this or what?"

I roll my eyes while turning back to the console. Ugh, americans. Always so difficult to work with. Despite that, we have work to do. I place the tracker device down and get ready to make the call. The dial tone lasts for about a minute or two before the recipient on the other end answers. Albeit in a rather grizzly tone of voice.

"What? You better have a good reason for disturbing my work."

"Well as it just so happens, we have ourselves quite the unique opportunity. You see, one of the "special robots" has left Silicon City. They're now moving cross country as we speak."

There's a brief silence before they speak again.

"Which one?"

"I believe it's the one known as Zero."

They let out an "Ah" on the other end. And from the way in which they said it I can already tell that he is quite interested.

"The Muscle. His abilities are quite exceptional. However, without the rest of his little "team", he's vulnerable. I've been scouring the globe for these energy slivers he leaves behind. They are in fact the very key to everything that I am building."

Oh great. Another one of his "Underworld kingpin with a power complex" speeches.

"Yes. Well frankly you can build yourself an evil theme park for all I care. That is as long as you agree to meet our price. We'll be sure to bring you the robot in precisely 24 hours."

"Mind yourself, Agent Zap. You'll be needing much more than common arrogance to bring this robot down. I'll be sending you special equipment to help even the odds."

I let out a small scoff and chuckle a little bit.

"With the greatest respect, That hardly seems necessary."

"I disagree. Make no mistake. Anyone who chooses to willingly go up against Zero…Had better be ready… for the fight of their lives."

Madd and myself exchange brief looks. To be completely honest I'm entitled to agree with our special client. After all, who really knows what a space robot like Zero is truly capable of.

[Chaud's Van, early evening]

I'm gonna be completely honest here. I did not see this coming. I take another glance as Zero continues to chomp down on the cluster of grapes in his hands. I mean who would've thought that robots needed to eat? Or maybe it's just that way with space robots. Either way grapes are definitely an interesting choice for a road trip snack. I'm just glad he agreed to stay in the van so nobody would freak out when I went into Stater Bros to buy them for him.

Though I gotta say I am a little curious about when the whole "Hunter Training" is supposed to begin. Because we've been on the road for a couple hours now and so far I have yet to learn how to even punch. I wait a few seconds before I just come out and ask him directly.

"Hey so, when exactly does the training session start? You know, Like, is there some kind of "Maverick Hunter Handbook" for me to skim through or a training video of some kind to give me a bit of a visual to work with?"

Zero finishes eating his grapes and gulps down the remainder before he answers my question.

"As the great Duo once said, "One cannot train for battle without first knowing their battleground"."

Hmm. "Knowing your battleground" huh? I look forward and catch a glimpse of a billboard advertising a local bowling alley I know about 1 mile from now at the next exit. Well if I'm gonna use what Zero teaches me to beat Yai, I might as well take em for a test drive.

"So you wanna see my battleground. Well then prepare to have your space mind blown … Zeddie Prince Jr."

I chuckle a bit while glancing over to him. Zero just looks back at me still not amused by my wordplay. It's cool though, I'm sure he'll warm up to it eventually. Before long we arrive at the local bowling alley and park a little ways at the far corner of the parking lot. I lend Zero my old cap, extra pair of sweatpants, and jacket along with my pair of shades to help him keep a low profile. I grab my bowling bag and we proceed to walk on over to the entrance.

"Here we are, Z. This is my battleground."

We take a look around the interior of the bowling alley which still has a bit of a techno-space jam theme going on. I can only imagine how utterly amazed Zero must be right about now.

"I do not understand. This does not look like a place of battle. It is more like a playground for adult morons."

I tense up a bit as a passerby looks over at us and then continues walking. Hoo boy, I have definitely got my work cut out for this one.

"Okay, granted, the adventures you usually go on might be a bit more… high octane. But believe me when I say that there have been many battles both won and lost between these exact lanes."

I wave my arm across the alley to give my words more impact.

"Besides, bowling is actually a very beautiful game. C'mon let me show ya."

I lead Zero to one of the open lanes and demonstrate how the game is played. I get into position, clear my thoughts, take a few steps forward, and let her fly. The ball rolls dead center towards the pins as I mime a bow and arrow with my arms and release the arrow once the ball hits the pins knocking them all down with a perfect strike. I walk away playing an invisible violin for the fallen pins. This carries on for about half an hour until we break for a bite to eat from the food counter. We sit ourselves down at a table and get ready to chow down. I start to finally notice that Zero has been strangely quiet for a little bit.

"Hey, you good?"

Instead of an answer Zero uses his fist to smash the napkin dispenser on the table startling me. At first I'm worried that I somehow made him mad, but then I notice the large smile on his face along with a loud laugh coming from his mouth.

"Ha! That was glorious! You smashed those pins without any mercy."

Oh. I guess he actually enjoyed it.

"See? Didn't I tell ya?"

"Yes. I feel as though that I am beginning to truly understand your interest in this game."

"Yeah, well, there's also another reason I love bowling so much. And it's kinda a big reason."

I'm a bit hesitant to share this fact with someone else. Even Sakurai does know this fact about me. However from the look Zero is giving me across the table right now I highly doubt he's just gonna let me drop it at this point. So I take a deep breath, gulp down a bit of my cherry coke, and get ready to lay it out for him.

"You see, the thing is my dad taught me how to bowl. In fact he taught me everything I know about the game. Like how to get the perfect spin on my shot. How to nail 7-10 splits. And most importantly which batch of buffalo wings would end up giving me indigestion thus filling me with nothing but regret the next morning."

Zero just sits quietly while listening to my story.

"He was like the best bowler I knew."

It isn't until a brief pause that Zero finally asks me a question.

"And what happened to him? Your father."

Oh boy here we go. This is where things get rough.

"Walmart."

God it still hurts saying it out loud.

"Is that the name of the warrior who slew him in battle? A truly formidable name indeed."

"It's actually the name of a discount department store."

Zero looks at me confused again.

"One minute, we were in the men's department looking for warm-ups. Next, he was gone."

I try my best not to get too sad to the point that I start to tear up.

"He abandoned me. He abandoned my family. But, sometimes, when I'm between those lanes, it feels almost like we're together again. Just playing my all-time favorite game with my dad."

Zero takes off the shades and looks at me with understanding in his gaze.

"So this bowling is the thing that makes you feel at home on this planet?"

Never really thought about it that way but yeah that sounds about right.

"Yeah, I guess it is."

Suddenly a loud air horn starts blazing as the music starts to pick up. In all this emotional drama talk I almost completely forgot about what happens here.

"Oh, sweet! Looks like we made it here just in time!"

I finish off the rest of my food and then practically shoot out of my seat leaving behind a more confused Zero. I double back and gesture for him to follow with my mouth still full. Zero follows me out to the lanes just as the lights flash on with disco balls shining and the music playing Celebration by Kool & The Gang playing over the speakers. Zero just stands there in complete awe.

"Glorious. It glows with the power of a collapsing star."

"Actually I think it's glowing with the power from the RadioShack next door."

I reach down and pull my ball out of my bag. I offer it to Zero for him to hold. He takes it with one hand looking over it with curiosity.

'Go ahead. Feel its power course through your metal hands."

I start to instruct him on how to play the game.

"Get into a proper stance, Aim at the pins down the lane, and then…"

Without even moving his body Zero tosses the ball straight at the pins causing them to shatter like glass when the ball hits them. I stand there in complete shock and awe at what I just witnessed.

"Holy crap, man! Oh we definitely need to get you to Vegas! I mean, Wow!"

Baryl is absolutely going to lose his mind when he sees this. Zero turns back to me acting as if what he did is no big deal.

"This show of strength is nothing an apprentice such as you cannot achieve in time."

"Hold up, you think I could actually do that?"

Zero nods his head placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I have every confidence in you, my apprentice."

I am just speechless here now. I really don't know what to say.

"Thanks man. I really appreciate you believing in me. You know most people tend to see me as kind of a joke."

"I do not make jokes, Chaud Blaze. I make warriors."

I smile and nod my head at him. We may have gotten a little bit off on the wrong foot when we first met, but I'm starting to feel like we're really bonding at this moment. A moment that abruptly ends when a bright light starts to form in the middle of the lane in front of us. The light gets bigger until two figures seem to step out of it and onto the lane. The light vanishes behind them allowing me to get a good look at them.

One is a man with blonde hair and blonde eyebrows in a black suit carrying a very large sci-fi looking rifle while the other is a relatively attractive woman with orange hair also wearing a black suit with two long metal arms colored jet black and large metal hands with four fingers on each of them. They both take a few steps forward with the woman lifting up her large hands and turning them into fists. Zero glares at the two of them while I'm trying to figure out what the heck is happening right now.

"What manner of sorcery is this?"

"Uh, sorry you guys. This lane is actually reserved."

The woman puts on a big smile on her face and laughs as she slams her metal fists together a few times.

"What's up, big boy?"

Zero scowls back at her with his own fists raised ready for a fight.

"Wait, are you guys like from space too? Or…"

The woman glances over at the man with the rifle.

"Who's this idiot supposed to be?"

"Does it really matter?"

"Fair enough."

The man raises the rifle and starts blasting yellow electric bolts at us. Zero pushes me out of the way as parts of the alley behind us get destroyed. People start screaming and running to get to safety. Meanwhile all I can do is crawl along the floor behind some bowling balls for cover as Zero stands back up to face the evil version of Men in Black. The man with the rifle stops firing and lowers the gun.

"Now don't try anything, Maverick Hunter. You and your power are coming with us."

Zero ditches the disguise and takes out his laser sword.

"You foolish humans think you can take my power!?"

Zero charges at the two of them with the woman laughing and charging forward as well. Zero leaps into the air to perform a downward slash while the woman raises up her arms getting ready to swing them forward. Zero's sword comes down on top of her and a blast of energy erupts on impact with the palms of her metal hands. The light fades and instead of being sliced in two, The woman's hands are actually holding the sword in a prayer motion. Zero glares at the woman while she just grins and snickers at him.

"Buddy, do I seriously look like I need YOUR power?"

Zero appears to struggle to get his sword free from her grasp. Suddenly the man goes up to her looking confused.

"I'm sorry, what are you on about? Obviously we need his power. It's the whole reason we're here in the first place. To capture him, take his power, and then sell it for a very large sum of money."

The woman stops snickering and lets out an annoyed groan.

"Yeah, I know that, Zap. I was trying to have a cool bad guy moment until you walked up and–"

The woman gets interrupted by Zero using his buster cannon to shoot at her feet and send her flying down the lane and crashing into some pins. Zero swings his sword looking unimpressed until he barely evades getting shot by Zap's rifle.

"Tell me Zero, Can you handle 100 thousand volts?"

He continues shooting at Zero who manages to duck and dodge each shot as he runs straight towards him and slices the top part of his gun off with his sword. Zap scowls at him and swings the damaged gun at Zero like an improvised club. The two clash with each other across the lanes until Zap knocks Zero's sword out of his hands and then quickly thrusts the sparking end of his gun acting like a taser as it makes contact with Zero's chest electrifying him. Zero groans in pain as he struggles to stay standing. I try to think of a way to help him, but what can I do? The only two things I'm good at are using a camera and… Bowling! I quickly grab two balls and roll them over to Zero as I call out his name to get his attention.

Zero crouches down and goes into a roll to grab the two balls with both hands. He stands back up and immediately throws both at Zap in quick succession. One to knock the gun out of his hands and the other to hit him in the chest sending him flying to the next three lanes. Yes! It actually worked! I continue to celebrate until I hear Zap growl loudly while pulling out two pistols and firing one of them at the ground to send him spinning in the air and firing more electro blasts at Zero. He dodges the first shot and gets his sword back to block the next few shots but then gets pushed back a little.

He then quickly jumps into the air performing a somersault right over Zap, who continues firing at him. Zero lands a few feet behind him when suddenly the woman comes charging from behind and slams her fist into the ground unleashing a burst of energy that sends Zero up into the air. As he comes back down she swings her other fist punching him down the next lane. Zero stabs his sword into the floor to slow himself down and land on his feet. The woman just laughs slamming her fists together again.

"C'mon, Zero! You're about as much fun as my last ex-boyfriend."

Zero charges at her while Zap starts firing at him again. Zero slides along the lane positioning himself between them causing Zap's shots to almost hit the woman using her fists as shields. However Zero still has to use his sword to block the rest. He tries to get closer to Zap but the constant barrage of shots keeps him at a distance. Zero then tries to strike at the woman but ends up getting uppercutted in the face sending him flying back. The woman stretches one of her arms to grab his leg in midair and pulls him back to get slam bounced hard off the floor.

Zero backs off still blocking shots from Zap while the woman just continues sneering at him. Zero shouts at me over the loud noise of the fight.

"Chaud Blaze! Do something!"

Do something? What does he think that two bowling ball move was? I know I said this was a battlefield but that was meant as a metaphor! Zero angles his sword and manages to deflect one shot back at Zap knocking him to the floor. He turns to the woman who swings her fist and knocks his sword away. She brings down both her fists to try and smash Zero who manages to catch both of them in his hands.

They both yell and groan during their contest of strength. That is until Zero makes one quick tug with both hands and effectively yanks the metal fists away from her like a pair of gloves before delivering a heavy kick to her stomach and sending her crashing into an arcade game. He tosses the fists away as he walks towards the woman picking up his sword along the way.

"Pitiful fools! Did you truly think that you could abduct me?"

The woman tries to get up groaning in pain. Zap manages to sit up and takes another gun off his belt.

"I am not some lowly earth machine to be trifled with!"

Zap fiddles with it for a few seconds and then aims it in Zero's direction firing a shot which hits the floor at Zero's feet.

"For I am a Maverick– Whoa!"

The shot expands into a mini portal that causes Zero to fall through the floor. Zap walks over to the woman as the portal closes. The woman stands back up clutching at her stomach.

"Right, we got him. Jobs done. Now let's crack on."

The woman groans in pain as she walks alongside him.

"Awesome. Though just to be clear, you didn't save me back there. I chose to sacrifice myself, which created a strategic distraction, which resulted in a tactical diversion, which…"

The woman stops talking as Zap just stares at her in disbelief.

"Okay, fine. We'll call it a team effort."

The woman walks away while Zap just stands there raising his arms in the air and scoffs. When the two finally leave I poke my head out of my little hiding place. Oh no. This is so not good. They got Zero. And it feels like it's all my fault. Probably due to the fact that Zero asked for my help and I ended up doing nothing but hide like a scaredy cat. I gotta do something. I gotta get help. I gotta… I spot wedged under a table one of the woman's metal fists laying on the floor. The second one lays not too far away next to some knocked over chairs. She must've left them behind when they left. And then just like that, I end up getting the most incredibly dumb idea I've ever had in my entire life.

BOOM! And there you have it folks! This was incredibly fun to write. Hope you all enjoyed reading and are looking forward to what happens next!

And now a special reply to a review I received last month.

Nonny Mouse: I took your advice and you were right. At least for the first talk. The second time I always felt it fit Rock better. Anyway thanks a lot.

Also see if you can spot the easter eggs spread out across this chapter. I'll be laying out a few more as the story continues. Get at least some of them and you'll get an honorable mention at the beginning of the next chapter.

And so folks until next time, this is Tardispilot297 saying… ALLONSY!