As he walked through the darkened, bizarrely silent halls of Point Oasis, X couldn't help but notice how claustrophobic he felt despite the wider-open spaces compared to the seaside installation he worked at.

His careful march was halted by a grisly sight: it was yet another deceased worker, clearly missing at least an arm and with a deep slash to the chest. He almost wished that the red jewel on his forehead didn't function as a lamp of sorts…

Then again, the imagination could often paint far worse pictures than reality itself.

It was scenes like this that were part of the reason that he'd retired briefly from the organization all those years ago…

As he kept going, his mind couldn't help itself drifting over to what his protege would've made of this scene.

He'd probably have been scarred for the rest of his life…if he wasn't already.

If he could get to the bottom of all this and find his brother… Well, at the very least, he owed him that much.

A noise broke X from his thoughts.

Clop, Clop. Clop, Clop.

Footsteps, though with an odd, slow gait to them.

His communicator rang, but he rushed to silence it. Now was NOT the time.

Knowing that he was being pursued, he switched to evasive tactics. Hiding just behind a doorframe to a lounge area, he got a good look at the one doing the chasing.

The orange chassis was a dead giveaway: one of Oasis's workers.

He didn't need a direct look in his eyes to spot the lack of…humanity in them, in a manner of speaking. A careful side glance allowed him to notice a haunting red glow coming from where his eyes should've been.

He said nothing as he continued to shamble forward like a zombie. The sight reminded him of that strange survival-horror game that Axl loved so much, just with less…decay.

He was armed with a knife, no doubt specially designed to tear through reploid systems, and he wasn't alone.

More slowly brought up the rear, armed with a variety of close and long-range weapons.

His comms went off again, but he muffled the sound as best he could this time, opting to slip inside a locker in the room.

"This is X, do you copy?"

"A-Affirmative," the shaky voice of Palette finally came through. She sounded as if she was bordering on having a panic attack. It was unsurprising considering that she had to watch a good majority of her own comrades kill each other.

After carefully working to get her calm enough to continue, she said what she was going to.

"You're being hunted. our coworkers-, I mean, the enemy is converging on your location!"

"Yeah, I got the idea. A few are lurking around as I speak. Where are you?"

"Storage Room, Northwest Wing."

The worry pecking at the back of his mind didn't ebb away as he learned this. He was focused on the voices he hadn't heard from. "You don't happen to know where Signas or Layer are, do you?"

"If only I did. Be careful, X. Something's very, very wrong…"

-000-

Making his way due northwest, he tried occasionally to establish communication with the two missing others, to no avail. What he did find, however, were plenty more of these seemingly possessed workers.

With all his heart, he wished that they would've just thrown down their weapons and given up, but his body knew the difference between idealism and reality.

Dodging spear strikes from a pair, he froze them in place using Crystal Hunter before charging the weapon to speed on by.

He more often than not wouldn't get that lucky, though.

He would instead wind up doing things like burning alive some knife wielders that jumped at him or electrocuting some drones and their controllers that surrounded him.

No matter how many times Axl raved about how cool his weapons were, he'd never, ever find it "cool" to use them on others, even Mavericks.

He'd accept it out of necessity, but no more.

Eventually, he found the room, or more accurately, closet in question.

"Palette…"

He suddenly found a blaster trained on him - one that Axl had given her at one point.

He slowly lowered his Buster and raised his hands, and the frightened Navigator got the memo, her yellow-green armor dull against the glow of his forehead light.

"Er, uh, X! Man, am I glad to see you…"

"Likewise," he let a small smile of relief slip through before lowering his hands and getting back to business. "Now, beyond what you've told me, do you have any idea what's going on here?"

She shook her head. "After everyone suddenly turned into murdering psychopaths, Layer and I wound up fighting them off…"

The veteran Hunter's look at her as she spoke conveyed what he knew deep down: that there was more than just "fighting off" that was done there.

There were casualties.

There would be time to mourn later. He urged her to continue.

"…but then we got separated, and I lost contact with her not long afterward."

"You weren't able to find out where she went?"

"Sorry, X…"

"You did your best," he praised meaningfully.

His racing mind moved on to taking stock of their current situation.

They were out of leads regarding their other two comrades. What could they do now?

That was when both their communicators crackled to life. They were overjoyed to hear Layer…for about a second.

Then they heard the terror in her normally stoic and composed voice.

"Mess…Hall. Southwestern Wing."

It sounded as if she was being held hostage…

"Hold on. I'm coming!"

When the call ended, he started to tell the girl to find another place to hide, when she shook her head.

"Nope. I'm coming with you, too. We need to go and find Layer and Signas!"

X was hesitant. "Are you sure you don't want to just go and hide someplace else? Part of the reason I was here was to save you, among others, after all. I'd rather not…"

"You know," she started, a smirk lighting her features for a moment, "It's true what they say about you. You really are an old softie…"

"I prefer to think of it as 'exercising due caution'…"

The Navigator examined her gun, ensuring it worked properly. "Either way, I'm still coming. We were trained to fight ourselves in case of an emergency, and it's not like you wouldn't need the help…"

A remark about people always underestimating him almost made it out of X's mouth when both of their comms sprang to life with the sound of an unknown voice.

"I'd listen to her if I were you…"

"Huh?" X tried to contact any Base he was familiar with, but to no avail, as had been the case since he came here.

They were apparently isolated, so who could be contacting them?

"Who is this? Respond!"

"You'll learn soon enough, Mega Man X."

The Blue Bomber's tone became hurried. "How…"

"…do I know your true designation? Let's just say that I've done my research… But that's not important right now. Don't you have a comrade to save? Or rather two, if he doesn't find you first, that is…"

"I'm not interested in riddles," X growled in a tone slightly more reminiscent of his old partner than him. "Where are you?"

"Why would I want to spoil that little surprise? Know, though, that I'm close by keeping an eye on this little rescue mission of yours."

Palette cued in on something as the other two were talking and now made her thoughts known. "Wait a minute! Until who finds us?"

The caller let the silence speak for him.

The female reploid's metaphorical stomach dropped. "Signas… You have him, don't you?"

The voice chuckled, clearly enjoying every moment of this. "He merely had a change of heart, Navigator. He saw things my way, and now he faithfully serves the winning side. You'll see him soon enough. Better hurry, X… Girl…"

A tinge of annoyance broke through the girl's terror. "It's Palette…"

A scoff. "It's irrelevant. Now get going."

They wasted no time as soon as the figure signed off.

-000-

From there, more and more enemies would pop up as they headed southwest. The arrangement of them wasn't just deliberate, however, as X would find out the hard way.

With ever-increasing frequency, the blue-green reploid would find herself aimed at, cut off and surrounded.

Try as she might, X would eventually have to jump in and save her. This cycle would repeat again and again, and it wouldn't take long for the blue Hunter to realize their captor's game.

He wanted them both off balance… In fear.

X managed to remain stone-faced (if only outwardly). Palette, on the other hand…

She knew even there that this would stay with her for the rest of her functioning life, if nothing else, in her dreams.

At one point, as they closed in on their destination, perhaps to keep herself talking instead of going insane, she spoke.

"Couldn't be me, X…"

"Hm? What is it?" Surprisingly (or maybe not, considering who it was), despite everything, he managed to evoke a soft, caring tone.

"I couldn't do what you guys do. I mean, just look at me!"

It was then that X noticed her trembling. The smile that she had on was haunted, and her lab coat was stained with more than a few oil stains…

He'd been getting a similar line of thinking several times at this point, from her, Sapphira, and even Cody.

What could he say? He did this because he had to. It was his coding that provided the basis for all Reploids. No him, no Reploids, no Mavericks. None of this happens.

All of this was his responsibility, and as he learned during the Red Alert Incident, there was no escaping it. Zero couldn't handle all the major cases alone.

He had become far too important to leave.

But she…she had a choice.

He envied that.

"I can't blame you," was what he finally settled on.

"Getting warmer, X?" The Maverick's voice drove him out of his thoughts. "Hurry it up. Wouldn't want to miss all the fun." Layer's voice in the background seemed muffled, as if she'd been gagged.

The two had no choice but to keep moving…

-000-

The Mess Halls of all Hunter Bases, unlike those built in human installations, were closer functionally to recharging stations, as Reploids didn't need to eat per se. The large room would be lined by pods usually manned by mechanics (mainly to cut down on crowding and keep units from overheating) with tables and a few other amenities would be arranged in the center for social purposes.

This particular one was bizarrely empty, even for this time of night, its emergency lights being the only ones on…

…until the Hunter and Navigator entered.

X cringed at the blinding light he was greeted with. His vision cleared to reveal a white, gold and silver plated reploid with medium-length black hair and a golden gem at the center of his armor. He sat on one of the tables like a bored king on his throne.

"It's about time you got here. I was getting quite bored…"

"Where's Layer?!" His question was spat through gritted teeth, with him aiming his Buster straight at said reploid. He had little patience to give after everything they'd been through.

"Not that far away," the enemy offered casually before glancing disinterestedly at Palette. "You may go and search for her if you like, little girl. She might just be in one of these pods… Any one of them."

Palette shot him a dirty look, but began desperately looking through the dozens of chambers…

"As for you, X, put the Buster away. I'm here to talk. We're not going to fight. Yet."

The Maverick Hunter's green eyes narrowed. "You don't get to dictate terms here, Maverick. Not after what you've done!"

The white reploid plastered on a faux innocent look. "What I've done? Why, it couldn't have been my arm cannon and armament of death weapons shredding their way through all those innocent workers back there."

Even Palette stopped midway through her search to level her weapon at him threateningly. "Don't you dare pin this on him! He didn't give them weapons and turn them into bloodthirsty maniacs!"

"Silence, child. Don't you have a friend to search for?"

The yellow-green girl growled but continued her search.

"Kids these days, am I right, X?"

"Don't treat me like I'm your friend."

"Fair enough," the reploid relented. "After all, we haven't properly met, have we, X? I am Lucien, the new leader of reploid-kind."

X rolled his eyes at this line of thinking. "Axl was right. You Mavericks really do need to get new material."

Lucien snapped up as if in recognition before sporting a dark grin.

"Axl? Ah, yes, the prototype New-Gen. I remember him. Very well…"

"X!"

Palette was hysterical. "She's not here!"

"What?!" X dashed over to where she was, only to find her staring wide-eyed and pointing at a certain capsule.

Instead of finding her comrade, she'd find a corpse, of one of the mechanics no less.

"Find something?"

Both were shocked to find the Maverick behind them, but X quickly regained his composure. It took everything in him not to punch more than a few holes in him by way of plasma.

"You disgusting freak!"

"Oh? I can't be as 'disgusting' as you were out there, Mass Murderer X."

Hurt and guilt flashed on his face for the briefest of instants, but it was just enough to let Lucien know that he'd successfully struck a nerve. "Only because you used them as human shields!"

"Human?" He shook his head as if disappointed. "X, X, X. We're beyond such terms, you and I. Humans are so fragile. Both physically and mentally."

"Get out of the way, X."

Palette, who hadn't talked throughout this exchange had on a look that terrified X, mainly because it looked so unnatural on the usually smiling and easygoing girl.

It radiated pure hatred and a near insatiable desire for vengeance.

Lucien didn't seem particularly moved. "What, girl? Don't tell me that scarred old model junkheap was one of your friends…?"

That's when she started firing her gun, all the while screaming, "His name was Bolts, you monster!"

"Keep shooting at me. You might actually hit me at some poiny."

X stared in stunned silence as the cartographer continued her rant. "For two weeks, TWO WEEKS, he taught me the finer details of how to operate these machines. Not because he needed to or anything, but because he was a lonely old man who just wanted someone to listen to him! I was happy to oblige! He said his scars made him look distinguished!"

The cold-hearted bot dodged every one of her shots and even the gun itself as it was thrown his way. "So what? I put the broken old fool out of his misery."

Palette was swinging at him wildly, missing every punch until she suddenly…didn't.

The punch aimed for his head would instead hit his hand, which he would grab and, transforming his into an oddly familiar-looking fist, crush hers brutally in a vice-like grip.

The resulting scream forced X into immediate action, lunging for the villain.

He responded by holding her hostage, setting her up as a barrier between the two.

"I wouldn't make any sudden moves. I'm sure you'd hate for any harm to come to her…"

The girl began kicking wildly in a bid to escape, which her captor paid no attention to.

"Now then, just for fun…" He altered his grip to keep hold of Palette but showed off his transformed appendage. "Does this hand look familiar to you?"

He wouldn't forget that hand anytime soon. The one of the kid who tried to kill him for traumatizing his brother.

Zack.

On instinct, he raised his aim again, with his comrade's resulting scream being the only thing making him put it back down again.

"What have you done to him?!" He snarled.

"You'll find out soon enough. Wouldn't want to spoil the surprise, now, would we?"

X glared, but knew he was at this maniac's mercy…for the moment.

"What happens now?"

"Simple," the smile on Lucien's face looked disturbingly unbothered. "You'll let me go, so that I don't use this fist to knock the brat's head clear off her shoulders. Or maybe these claws to rip her to pieces."

His eyes snapped to attention as X made subtle movements to take off.

"I wouldn't do that. Do you want to test me and give me a chance to demonstrate what else is up my sleeve?"

"Coward."

"I would rather call myself a 'strategist'. Anyway, as a reward for the entertainment you provided me, I'll be leaving you with your long-lost Navigator…"

He added the last part with a snakelike grin. "…but be warned, she might be a bit more…hostile than you remember her."

He warped away, dropping Palette. The poor girl was barely able to get her bearings and scoot back towards X before they had company warp in.

Layer, but with something dangerously wrong. Aesthetically, nothing, from her purple, princess-like haircut, to her slender, lengthy figure, to her light brown complexion (a shade or so darker than London's) was out of place. The only differences that could be seen were her eyes being turned red from their usual green and her rapier being out…in an attacking position.

"Layer? Layer! Don't you recognize us?" The girl continued backing away in terror, completely forgetting about her gun.

"Maverick…"

The brainwashed Navigator's one word chilled the others' blood. The blonde narrowly ducked a swipe from her former friend's sword, sending her on her feet and scrambling back.

"Get out of the way," X ordered. Palette knew there was no arguing with that tone. Hoping against hope that this wouldn't end the way she feared it might, she quickly left the room.

After the two were alone, X got set and ready.

"Sorry, Layer. I don't take any joy in this…"

-000-

The fact that the ensuing fight was mercifully short didn't make it any less unsettling.

X had never personally sparred with Layer or any of the other Navigators, though her technique brought to mind a certain someone…

It had been a very open secret that she'd often sneak off to watch Zero perform katas using his swords, train the recruits, or even spar with X (that last one being how he formally met her).

Needless to say, a shoddier version of the fighting style he knew so well wasn't really going to give the Azure Hunter that much trouble.

No, the main issue was keeping damage non-lethal in the heat of battle. He was having a hard enough time accepting what he had to do outside, and he wasn't about to add a friend to the red on his ledger.

Quickly settling on disarming her, he dodged her slashes and shot the weapon out of her hand using a non-charged shot, followed by using the momentum from a subsequent dash to ram into her and put her on the ground and plant her with a well-aimed punch to the side of the head to knock her out.

With a sigh of dismay, he called out to his shaken companion "It's done."

Palette walked back in silently. She afforded herself a sad look at her friend since the start of her employment at the main Base. "She's…"

"Unconscious, but alive."

Seemingly having to force herself away from the image, she informed X, "I…I managed to link up with Alia. The interference that was pretty much locking us in here in more ways than one is gone now."

"Are things…quiet out there?"

She nodded. "We need to head to the nearest teleporter."

Gently picking up Layer, X let the Navigator lead the way.

-TBC-

Really wanted to do a Resident Evil sendup here, and this was the perfect opportunity. I also got to show off a little bit of how terrifying our antagonist can be when he's calling the shots.

On your way out the door, be sure to ask questions, comment, review and show your support in any way available if you liked what you've read here. Also, keep tabs on this story and profile for more. Goodbye until next time!