Chapter 17: Dragged into the Light
A pair of young Maverick Hunters approached a steel security door. After flashing their IDs and following several other procedures, they were allowed entry into a room that was meticulously sealed away from prying eyes.
The inside of the chamber was very different from the cold, metal hallways the two hunters had passed just moments before. It matched the stylish and tasteful interior of what looked like the office of an influential individual. Massive, wooden bookcases lined both walls of the long, rectangular office. Red and golden carpets dressed the otherwise cold floors and vibrant, green plants added a relaxing touch to the chamber. A massive, ceiling-high window offered a beautiful view of the skyline of the massive city that lay beyond the glass. Before it stood an expensive, stained, oaken desk fitted with high-tech gadgets and computer systems, while still retaining a vintage feel with details such as a few pens contained within a stand.
A tall, broad-shouldered Reploid looked out over the scenery as he stood before the window, his hands folded behind his back.
"Yes?" He asked, not turning to look at the pair of hunters.
"The Revenants are here at your request, sir. Shall we let them in?"
The authoritative Reploid nodded silently and turned around to sit down in a leather armchair. A simple press of a button dimmed the lights and closed the blinds to stop the rays of the sun from illuminating the now darkened room. The two hunters saluted and left the office. A few moments later the door reopened to allow three Reploids entry.
Spectrum led the way into the chamber and stopped a few meters from the desk, his hands folding behind his back. Behind the ebony Reploid his teammates – sans the heavily injured Frostbite – entered. Onslaught's massive body barely made it through the doorway without damaging the frame and knocking over a beautiful vase that topped a small table next to the entrance. As soon as Morrigan joined her commander by his side, the door closed once more. The elegant woman straightened her cloak with slender fingers before turning her narrow, purple eyes to look at their employer.
"I'm surprised you three got here so fast. Considering your track record at failing me, I thought even punctuality had become a challenge," the stern Reploid muttered with a vicious tone. He had had time to cool down and seemed far less furious then when Spectrum had contacted him a few hours prior.
Onslaught gritted his teeth at the latest string of verbal abuse to be thrown their way. The giant, walking weapon's pride didn't necessarily hurt more than his teammates' at the constant lectures from an employer who seemed to forget who he was talking to, but he was notorious for his bad temper and inability to contain himself. The only thing holding back Onslaught from reducing the seated Reploid – together with his fancy chair and desk – to ash wasn't the fat pay check, but his commander. Despite everything, Spectrum always kept his cool and awaited what the man had planned next.
"With the successful infiltration of that northern outpost, Vile and Nana have gotten their hands on records that could tie me in with some unanswered questions in many Maverick Hunter cases. I made sure those questions vanished a long time ago, and for good reasons. This development jeopardizes all I've worked for," the Reploid leaned forward in his chair, folding his hands before him as his elbows moved to lean on the ornate desk. "However, I did not get this far by not being prepared. I have contingency plans in case my subordinates decide incompetence becomes part of the job."
Onslaught's hands had clenched into fists by now. Had he been human he would have had numerous veins throbbing on his forehead from all the rage he kept at bay. He relaxed when he felt Morrigan's hand on his. The serene female Reploid shook her head at him slowly, one corner of her mouth curling in a gentle smile to calm her giant friend down further.
"As you ordered, I had the outpost obliterated. We left a few scraps of evidence that would lead official investigators to believe Vile and Nana were behind it. I've also leaked information to the press. The evening news should be ablaze with how the incidents at East City Archives, the South City shootout, the theft of the Supra-Force Metal, and others, were all Vile's doing," Spectrum suppressed the urge to glare at his unit's primary benefactor.
"Good. This will take away whatever shred of credibility evidence coming from the both of them would have had. It'll also have every Hunter department on the planet searching for them."
"And when they're arrested, they'll disappear before ever reaching the proper authorities," Morrigan filled in the blanks quite aptly.
"With any luck, everything will proceed on schedule. If push comes to shove, my weapon is almost complete and I'll simply move its deployment up," the mysterious Reploid leaned on the palm of one of his hands.
"So the Supra-Force Metal is usable?" Onslaught's deep, gruff voice contrasted with his teammates'.
"Yes. Unlike the first fragment, this one possesses Type-G energy signals off the charts. I'm certain Gaudile had had the chance the study it long enough to at least determine that. I've already increased security in case he decides to make a move before Vile or Nana do," the Reploid turned his gaze to Morrigan. "At least you did not fail me like Dynamo had."
"You should not have wasted your money on a lazy soldier, sir," the intangible mercenary's voice was as calm as ever.
"Quite. Now than. Your orders are simple. You are to remain here and organize the defenses of the tower. Deploy as many Mechaniloids as you see fit. I had them developed to act as your cannon fodder for a reason."
"You're expectin' problems?" Onslaught inquired, having figured they'd just found a way to fix things.
"Even a contingency plan needs a back-up, my simple-minded friend. I'm merely playing everything safe. My deceased colleague gambled big, and you all know how that ended for him."
"I'll tend to your personal guard. Onslaught, you deal with the external patrols and automatic turrets. Morrigan, you will handle the facility's internal security," Spectrum's orders were swift; his eyes looking at each of his teammates in turn.
"As you wish, commander," Morrigan bowed her head respectfully.
"Can do, boss," Onslaught added bluntly.
"Good. That'll be all for now. With any luck this'll all be over soon," the tall Reploid waved his hand at the three mercenaries before turning his chair around. Spectrum and his two subordinates saluted before leaving the office and returning to the cold steel halls of the base. Just then, the blinds reopened and the lights flicked back to life.
Onslaught's massive white fist slammed into one of the walls, forcing the thick plating to buckle slightly. "Damn that arrogant bastard! Frostbite's in the repair bay because of his blasted errands!"
Morrigan crossed her arms beneath her chest. "Calm yourself, Onslaught. Like he said, it will all be over soon enough. You can have your revenge on Vile for what he's done. And prove to the world that you're the only real war machine."
"Bah! I guess you're right," The giant Reploid was at least twice as tall as Spectrum, who was by no means a short warrior. "I'm gonna go check up on Frostbite, he should have regained consciousness by now."
"Do not forget your duties. See to the external defenses," Spectrum added before allowing the walking cannon to take his leave. He then turned to look at the only remaining Revenant in the empty hallway. "For once he's right. This was a mistake from the beginning."
"We needed the money. And such a high stakes operation would put us on the market forever. As mercenaries we thrive on chaos and that is exactly what this traitor will cause, whether he succeeds or fails," Morrigan leaned closer to her commander.
"I know. But I cannot help but think the risks outweigh the zenny; and the publicity," the sword-wielder remained stern.
Morrigan's hand reached up to cup his cheek, the same half smile as before gracing her lips. "As always we trust your judgment, commander. And as always, I will follow you to the ends of the Earth."
No more words needed to be spoken as Spectrum's arms wrapped around the nimbler Reploid's frame, his lips capturing hers in a tender kiss.
"Hello, Bob. I'm standing a few dozen meters from the security checkpoint hunters have set up around the outpost. Maverick Hunter HQ won't allow us anywhere near the installation. Official members of the organization have yet to comment on the situation," a tall man with soft brown hair and deep blue eyes spoke calmly into his microphone as he stood amid the mighty peaks of the northern mountains. He wore a thick coat to protect himself from the cold that reigned despite the bright afternoon sky. The camera operator that was filming the reporter made sure to catch what he could of the smoking ruins that used to be a Hunter outpost.
"So far the remains of only 6 of the Hunters stationed here have been retrieved. Though at this point we are only guessing. As you can see behind me, Maverick Hunters patrol the perimeter to keep us away from the remains."
An off-screen voice originating from the news studio could then be heard. "Do they have any idea at all who might've attacked the installation and caused such wanton destruction?"
"The Hunters seem to suspect that convicted war criminal and mercenary Vile is behind it. They believe he has received outside aid from a young Giga City official called Nana. Both Reploids have also been associated with the fighting in East and South City, as well as other recent incidents. What the renegade Reploid had hoped to gain from this attack is unknown and Hunters will most likely soon be dispatched worldwide to finally bring Vile in to answer for his crimes."
"Thank you, Jack. In other news-"
The view screen was switched off by the white hand of a black and red colored Reploid. "I thought he said no Hunter official had commented on the incident? How does he know all that?" Axl asked as he set the remote down on a small table in front of the television.
The much deeper voice of a tall, red, blonde-haired Reploid answered from the comfort of a long, brown couch. "Maverick Hunter HQ's been leaking like a sieve for years now. It's not surprising someone on the inside decided to strike another profit with news involving a big name like Vile."
The recreation room Zero and Axl were in was one of many such rooms in Central City HQ. Both Hunters were off duty and they'd decided to watch the news channel. The room was comfortably furnished, with several view screens adorning the walls as well as a pool table and more modern entertainment devices. The door opened and both Hunters turned to look at the blue Reploid that entered.
"Did you two see that broadcast?" X inquired as the door slid shut behind him.
Zero nodded silently while Axl propped himself up on the nearby table, folding his hands and resting his arms on his legs. "Yeah, we just saw it. Do you really think Nana would help someone like Vile? After all we'd been through on Giga City, I'd think she'd be the very last person who'd ever associate herself with Mavericks. Especially completely insane ones like Vile," Axl's eyes were unable to hide a hint of sadness.
"I don't know. We've been betrayed before," X pondered, with 'Shadow' being a name that popped up after being reminded of Giga City. "But Nana? I don't buy it," he hoped friendship wasn't clouding his judgment.
Zero leaned back on the couch. "Analysis of the Central City prison facility's security records clearly indicate they were hacked by someone using routines known mostly by Giga City employees. Even though analysts weren't able to decode the scrambled ID of whoever broke into the security grid, they were able to piece it together enough so it matched Nana's suspiciously well. I don't like the idea either, but I'd say that's pretty conclusive that Nana aided Vile in escaping that prison. And like you said, X; we've been betrayed before."
"Vile could be forcing her somehow. Who knows who he's working with now?" X reasoned. "We looked into the Reploid he was fighting personally. It was a Revenant by the name of Spectrum. If he's up against mercenaries of that caliber than who knows what trouble he's gotten himself into," his arms crossed while a frown revealed his worry.
"Maybe, but I gotta agree with Zero. This is all way too much of a coincidence to not mean something," Axl interjected.
"And besides. Forced or not, she's aiding a convicted criminal, she's to be brought in on those charges no matter what. So it doesn't change what the next course of action should be." Zero narrowed his eyes as he looked up at X.
The blue Hunter sighed and nodded slowly. "If anyone should track them down and bring them in, it should be us. I'll put in a request to revoke our R and see if we can get ourselves on one of the search teams."
"I'll ask Alia, Layer and Palette if they have the spare time to help us out. I'd rather entrust this to them than to rookie operators," Zero rose up and started making his way out of the room.
"Something's fishy about this whole business. I'm right in thinking we're gonna have to be really careful from this point on, aren't I?" Axl asked, mostly rhetorically.
X gave the youngest addition to the SA-class Hunters an affirmative nod. "That fight in the jail, that incident at the archives and the theft of the Supra-Force Metal. This attack on an outpost, the press leaks and now Nana's involvement. Nothing about it adds up and I have a feeling we might be chasing the wrong people."
"Snap out of it X. We're talking about Vile here. He's the worst kind of Maverick. If anyone's responsible for all of these things, it's him. Before we start pointing at our fellow Hunters, let's bring the bastard in and lock him up once and for all. Besides, I'm sick of chasing his shoulder cannon all over the planet all the time," Zero was beginning to lose his temper. Vile had always been a touchy subject and any possibility that the renegade was not the cause of these troubles wasn't just highly unlikely for the seasoned Hunter, but downright impossible.
X and Axl were instantly silenced by Zero's words and did not speak again until the crimson Reploid had left the room.
"Let's go Axl, time to get to work."
Vile had been sitting in the small maintenance room of the apartment he and Nana had been using as their staging grounds for an hour now. Massimo had left after making sure he was no longer needed. His name had been publicly associated with Vile since the incident at the research facility. This meant Hunters would be on the look-out for him and he needed to go into hiding. He left a number for Nana to use should she need his help again before leaving.
The renegade leaned forward, his eyes cast down, staring at the floor between his booted feet. He didn't know how much time had passed as he'd done nothing but ruminate. Even though what he had seen on that screen had been random and incomplete, it had all sounded so familiar to him. He felt a painful burn behind his eyes, visions plaguing him in rapid flashes. He could see the face of the terrified scientist, the pod closing, the massive explosion, and then nothing but darkness.
He gripped the side of his head as he almost felt it split open. The pain was getting worse the longer the mystery remained. It was as if his body was falling apart the longer it was subjected to incoherent fragments from his past. His mind was slipping; he was going insane.
Vile had always had a bad temper and had always been a loose cannon, but more than once, he had now felt rage flaring up from within him for no reason. He could no longer simply sit around and play things safe, he felt his time was short. This traitor was directly involved with everything in his past. If he found this man, he could beat the answers out of him, and perhaps finally be rid of these visions. But another worry crossed his mind as he realized that finally knowing the answers could also mean he no longer had a reason to function. Learning the truth might be his undoing.
"Dammit," Vile muttered. He shook his head and his hand descended to rest atop the arm of the chair he'd been sitting in.
Nana had been working as fast as she could to decrypt and sift through all the information her partner had brought back with him. The downside of the safe transmissions they used was that it wasn't simple, even for her, to make the received files understandable once more. But, after an hour's worth of work behind her favorite keyboard, she had succeeded in compiling all the information and records Vile had retrieved from Frostbite's computer.
She realized immediately that no matter what the records entailed, Vile's reaction wouldn't be a controlled, calm one. So, to understand it all better in advance, she decided to read through the files herself first.
The records revealed more than she had expected, but the pink-haired operator feared the response it would garner from the purple Reploid in the other room. Once she had finished processing what she had read, she quickly transferred the files to a small data pad and rose up from her seat. The cream- and black-framed Reploid walked over to the door opening that lead to the maintenance room, and peeked inside.
She spotted the helmeted Reploid that had reluctantly agreed to work together with her. It seemed like an eternity had passed since that fateful meeting. The operator took a deep breath and stepped into the room. Immediately the T-shaped visor of Vile's helmet tilted up to meet her gaze.
"I've finished decrypting the files. I hope you don't mind, but I read through them first. Just in case I had to look up any clarifications or cross-reference additional info," Nana explained as she reached out, the data pad held by her white fingers. Vile took the device and only grunted in reply before activating it and skimming over the various files contained within the records.
The first file was a recorded audio conversation between two Maverick Hunter officers. It was standard procedure for all communication across Hunter channels to be recorded and stored locally, as well as in all Hunter archives. Hunter channels were considered the most secure possible and to protect the privacy of higher-ups, the recordings were never really reviewed by staff. The traitor probably had the staff directly under him on his payroll so they would not dream of reviewing them anyway.
The traitor had also most likely pulled as many strings as possible to get these conversations erased afterwards, but did not have the influence to get them removed from the archives. Such a request would've been considered quite suspicious, more so than removing them from local archives. Looking back, the traitorous hunter probably wished he had been more thorough.
Vile pressed the play button and the conversation began to play back.
"Yes, major? I trust you bring me good news?" The first voice was deep, but eloquent and sophisticated. It was clearly that of a superior speaking to a subordinate.
"Good evening, colonel. The operation was a complete success. The staged terrorist bombing in PolyTech's parking lot was more than enough to draw the attention of the facility's security and had even drawn a crowd. Our agent had successfully infiltrated the company over the past few weeks and was able to gain access to the experimental Copy Chip. Stealing it in the confusion was fairly simple," the other voice was deep as well but more gruff and less refined.
"I see, excellent. I am glad I left this part of our plan up to you. We can't have another failure like we did years ago. How have the compatibility experiments gone? Have you found a Reploid in our service capable of using the Copy Chip?"
"Yes we have, though there was only one."
"Only one?"
"Indeed. The chip is far more unstable than we first believed. Normally only New Generation Reploids are capable of using Copy Chips, and even then only the ones that were installed in their frames upon construction. This experimental device is the first step in finding a way of using this technology on older generation Reploids. But it clearly still has a long way to go."
"I see. So who is this ideal candidate of yours than?"
"You, sir."
"Me?"
"After we had exhausted all other possible candidates, I ordered the scientists to run the test on my DNA soul, and yours as well. You are the only one capable of being installed with this chip, and using it properly."
"Or so the results say. How correct are they?"
"Do we have a choice? The results were conclusive, but the experimental nature of the entire procedure means there are plenty of risks attached.
"You are correct. So it seems I must get involved with our plans on Giga City personally. Have you found a suitable Reploid to impersonate?" A short pause ensued as the second voice likely began reviewing some information he had received from his agents.
"Yes. A bounty hunter named Spider. He works alone so he can easily be singled out. He's active almost exclusively on Giga City but no one really knows much about him, other than a few random contacts. In other words it is easy for you to improvise on him as you proceed."
"Good. Deal with him and make sure to extract as much data as possible. The more we know, the less I need to improvise, and the more we reduce the risks involved with this for my personal safety."
"Yes, colonel."
"You've done well, major Typhus. Soon we'll have all we need. Patience has turned out to be key after all."
"Thank you, colonel, I will proceed with the fourth stage of our plan. Good evening," The voices of both men ebbed away as the transmission was severed.
Vile looked up at Nana. "Who were those two?" He asked, not understanding yet what this had to do with him.
"The second voice was Colonel Redips. I'd recognize his anywhere. On Giga City he made sure X, Zero and Axl stayed on track by impersonating the Reploid known as Spider. We'd always believed he was New Generation as he was able to transform into other Reploids. But apparently it was his lackey that had organized the theft of a Copy Chip that gave him that ability. After he was unable to steal the Supra-Force Metal he required in sufficient amounts, he decided to take matters into his own hands and revealed his true colors."
She had been listening to the audio conversation as well, not leaving Vile alone. She took a deep breath as she recounted what happened next. "That's when he killed Chief R," Nana bit her lower lip as she was reminded of the loss of a man who had been like a father to her.
"What about the first voice?" Vile asked, showing no sympathy for the operator whatsoever.
"Major Typhus… Now Colonel Typhus," she was now forced to admit a mistake she had made before this had all begun. "I think after Redips died, someone from Central City was promoted to colonel of the East Branch, of which Redips was head. That left a post in Central City open for Typhus to weasel his way into. I'm guessing he's continuing what Redips had started," Nana moved over to some of the shelves that were securely fastened to one of the walls in the maintenance room. Her eyes looked at some of the tools that lay scattered across the shelves, trying to avoid Vile's gaze.
The renegade had noticed her nervous behavior however. "You know something else about this second traitor, don't you? He's behind all this, I gather that much. But what else is it about him?"
"I… When I found those files – that transmission from Engineering from Central Tower on Giga City that notified Redips that the defenses were temporarily down – I contacted Maverick Hunter HQ. And got Typhus on the line," the operator turned around, but her eyes were cast down.
"You did what?!"
"Considering he would have to make sure no proof emerges from Giga City that might tie him to the events there, Typhus probably made sure that any communication between Giga City and Maverick Hunter Central Command went through him. That way he was always informed of any possible complications," Nana continued, feeling horrible about her mistake.
"I can't believe how stupid you were?! You don't call the person you're accusing, I don't care how big the Maverick Hunter organization is! There was only a one-in-thousand chance the traitor would be the one picking up the phone, but ya beat the odds! Because of you the Revenants have always been one step ahead of us; have always known who to hunt down. One-by-one our leads have been disappearing before our eyes, starting with Spectrum trying to beat you to the Archives in East City! All because you decided to give our enemy a friendly, neighborhood warning?!" Vile was furious and had risen from his spot on the bed. His grip on the data pad had tightened to the point where the device almost gave way.
"I'm sorry, but I didn't know what else to do! The only friends I had ever known were X, Zero and the others who'd helped Giga City. And only the Hunters would know how to help me. I acted before I had thought things through," Nana's gaze suddenly steeled as she once again showed her uncanny resolve. "What's done is done, we know who's behind this and who to take down now, that's all that matters."
The pink-haired operator had clenched her fists as her blue eyes gazed defiantly at the dangerous Reploid before her. Slowly, Vile began calming down until he uttered a soft growl of frustration, and sat back down on the bed. He had much more to read. After all, he couldn't care less what had happened to this 'R'.
The next file caught Vile's attention far more than that audio conversation he'd just heard. It was about a Reploid rampaging through Central City some 80-odd years ago. The report had been written up by some unimportant Hunter sergeant but the pictures alone sent shivers up the renegade's spine. A purple Reploid, armed with a shoulder cannon could be seen destroying civilian vehicles, homes and Mechaniloids in downtown Central City on each and every photo. Some of the documentation were short recordings that ended abruptly as the Reploid turned to face whoever was taping the scene.
"That's... me?" Vile inquired, addressing himself more than the operator.
"Not quite. Read it," Nana urged, now sitting down next to him. Her eyes focused on the helmet that hid her companion's face completely, provided he even had a face underneath it to begin with.
The Maverick was confused. He didn't know how it could be possible that he was rampaging through Central City like that so many years ago, he didn't even have any memories that went back that far. Unless…
Before Vile's mind continued down this path, he decided to read the report first and draw his conclusions later.
February 9, 21XX,
On-Site Report (ID=94-R-456384237),
Central City District 9-A3, hunter sergeant Burkon (ID=BUR-042587),
"Hunter Unit 4, 7 and 9 collaboration.
This morning at 0800 an unidentified Reploid appeared in Central City District 6-B5. The Reploid was completely berserk and out-of-control and began destroying public property. Local law enforcement was called to the scene because the Reploid was at first believed to be a Maverick Mechaniloid. The Reploid was armed with enough firepower to take down an entire detachment of officers.
By then, local law enforcement had completely lost control of the situation and had also determined that the perpetrator was indeed a Reploid of unknown design and origin. He was armed with an unknown type of shoulder cannon, unidentified rocket launchers, fragmentation grenades, a flamethrower and other weapons we have yet to determine.
As per regulation, Maverick Hunters were called to the scene. Unit 3 was dispatched and cornered the rampaging Reploid in District 8-G4, after having chased it through several districts of the city. The unit quickly called for backup before being wiped out. Units 4, 7 and 9 were subsequently dispatched, with back-up from several Repliforce armored divisions. Despite further casualties, the perpetrator was finally put down. A Repliforce tank almost completely destroyed the unidentified Reploid and we have yet to retrieve substantial remains.
The total number of casualties is yet unknown, as is the cost of damage to the city. All members of Unit 3 were killed in action and both Units 4 and 9 suffered casualties. Rescue efforts are currently underway and we are awaiting further orders to investigate this incident.
End of On-Site Report.
"So those four designations I saw in one of the files -?"
Nana nodded slowly before finishing his sentence for him. "Four 'Viles', so to speak. I think you could say they're your brothers."
"Brothers? How can that be?" The renegade inquired, looking at the pink-haired Reploid that sat next to him.
"There are plenty of reports in there that discuss a certain project that was funded by the Maverick Hunters. I pieced everything together before I gave you the pad," Nana leaned to the side slightly to press a button on the device. A file she had composed herself appeared on the small screen.
"We still lack a lot of the details but apparently a certain branch of the Maverick Hunters had begun researching a whole list of scientists specializing in weapons development and integrated Reploid design. The list was huge but they narrowed it down to just one man. This scientist was charged with designing a new Reploid. From what I can tell, this deisgn had to be completely oriented towards combat. Fighting and destruction were to be it's only goal. After three years of research and who knows how much money spent, the scientist was able to produce four identical Reploids that – as far as he claimed – fit the requirements to a 't'."
"V-001, 2, 3 and 4," the renegade added, as he had been reading the document while listening to the young Reploid.
"Exactly. Vile, Your father created you under the direct orders of Colonel Redips," Nana stated, her eyes staring at the former Hunter with sadness. She could not imagine how it felt to have such news revealed to oneself. Every Reploid was created in a factory somewhere. They were indeed designed with a certain goal in mind. But that goal never overshadowed the fact that a Reploid was – for all itnents and purposes – a person. While individuals such as Sigma would contradict this, Reploids had all the rights and freedoms of a human being. But Vile had been designed and created for the sole purpose of being a weapon, whose trigger was to be pulled at Redips' leisure.
A link at the end of the file Nana had composed led to another audio recording between Redips and Typhus. It was dated around the time of the explosion in Central City, the explosion that always haunted Vile's dreams.
His thumb pressed the triangular play button, the renegade not yet reacting to the news he had been given.
"Major. I hope you've rectified your earlier mistake," Redips' voice was the first to be heard. An obvious hint of annoyance and frustration was palpable in his voice and he had clearly been stressed over 'recent' affairs.
"Yes I have. After dealing with any external loose ends quite permanently I dispatched two loyal Hunter units to Ramonov's laboratory. However, those hunters took the order to 'remove all evidence at all costs', a bit too seriously," Typhus spoke cautiously, clearly fearful of his superior's reaction to the news.
"What do you mean? Did they succeed or did they not?"
"They did. The staff, Ramonov, the lab and the V models were all destroyed and all evidence at the scene was removed. However it was Ramonov himself that did most of that for us."
"What happened, Typhus?" The annoyance in Redips' voice seemed to grow with every passing syllable.
"The Hunters disposed of the staff, but when they cornered Ramonov, he was able to disable the failsafe on an energy source within his lab. The explosion wiped out the entire lab, and taking our units down with him."
"So you're telling me that after I ordered to deal with a possible security leak, quietly, you decided it was a good idea to blow up a lab – sky-high – in the middle of Central City?!" Redips shouted, the sound of a fist slamming into a desk clearly heard over the transmission.
"I improvised, sir. The other Hunters have no idea what caused the explosion. I've already begun circulating false reports and over the course of a few years, those present will begin to disappear. Nothing will be retrieved from the site except scrap. The problem has been dealt with. Just not in the most delicate of ways," Typhus spoke quickly, hoping to finish his justification before his superior officer lost his cool further.
Redips could be heard uttering a sigh to calm his nerves. "Good. That's what counts, I suppose."
"It's a pity. Ramonov's creations were exactly what we needed. Reploids without individuality. Reploids that had all our processing power, but with a Mechaniloid's pre-programmed zealotry," Typhus mused.
"He was a fool to think he could tamper with our design parameters. It's his tampering that led to one of the V units escaping and ravaging an entire District of Central City. I'm surprised he didn't attempt to flee before we came to make sure he did not risk exposure a second time."
"Where would he have gone? I am merely surprised he did not use his creations to fight off our Hunters."
"He respected those units. Why else would he break the parameters? He wasn't about to use them as weapons and he wasn't going to let us use them as such either," Redips grumbled in frustration. "Either way, it no longer matters. We will have to look elsewhere. We'll lay low for now, bide our time and wait and see before risking another project. Redips out."
And with that, the second conversation came to an end.
"Ramonov," Vile repeated the name. It didn't sound familiar, but as the sight of the scientist's face flashed before his eyes again, it just seemed to match. "So he is the man who created me?"
"I think he tried to protect you. The memories you have are those of when he tried to hide you, before those hunters reached him. You know what followed next," Nana explained.
"What are those 'parameters' they were talking about? And if I'm supposed to be little more than a Mechaniloid, why can I even speak?"
"I don't know, Vile. That information's not in the records," Nana genuinely regretted not having an answer for him.
Vile's attention then returned to the pad. Only one more file remained that seemed of interest. The file was a short document on Ramonov himself. Vile opened it and began to read through it. Next to a list on Ramonov's background and accomplishments was a mugshot of the scientist. He had very scruffy, grey and messy synthetic hair with a pair of blood red eyes. His face was thin and worn out from a life of stress and impossible deadlines. The look of anxiety and panic that Vile had always seen when the scientist bent over the capsule he occupied in his visions wasn't there. Instead it was simply the photo of your average, distracted researcher.
Ramonov was created over seven decades ago. He lingered in the background of the scientific world – despite his talents – due to his young age. He specialized in Reploid design and often researched efficient new energy sources. Together with his assistant – a young female Reploid – he wrote several papers on Dr. Cain's theory of Reploid Human Emotion Integration and is credited as being one of the scientists whose research makes it possible to use Force-Metal the way Reploids do.
The report claimed that Ramonov was killed after an accident when working on experimental technology in his laboratory in Central City. No remains were found as the facility had been completely destroyed. His symbolic grave can be found in Central City Reploid Cemetery. That last part was clearly one of the cover-ups Typhus had set in place to hide his and Redips' activities.
"Vile?" The renegade had been staring at the photo of the man for a couple of minutes now; not moving and not speaking. "Vile? Are you okay?" Nana repeated. The sudden sight of Vile's hand crushing the datapad caused her to yelp in surprise.
"Those bastards! I'll kill them all!" Vile yelled furiously as he rose up and threw the remains of the datapad across the room. Blinded by rage he rushed for the nearest piece of furniture. It was heavy cabinet containing all sorts of repair and maintenance tools. The renegade punched it hard, his fist penetrating the metal. Lightning coursed through his body violently, the crackling electricity focusing around his hands. As if the furniture was made from nothing more than cardboard, he lifted it over his head and tossed it towards the repair pod that rested against the opposite wall. The impact destroyed the device and released dangerous sparks. The lights in the room short-circuited, leaving only the crackling debris as a source of illumination.
"Vile, stop it!" Nana shouted, backing away to one of the walls in the room, her eyes filled with fear at the sight of the powerful Reploid losing his mind to rage. She understood now, why that other V unit had been rampaging through Central City. If that unit's AI had been more primitive, the slightest stimulus would've set it off, causing it to lose all rationality, just like Vile had now. She had never seen deep-seated anger like that and gasped for air as the renegade charged her.
His hand gripping her throat and red eyes flashed ominously as he lifted her off the ground, keeping her pinned to a wall.
"Stop what?! I'm doing what I'm supposed to! I'm gonna demolish this entire fucking city! And when I'm done here, I'm gonna to pay Typhus a visit and make sure he goes down just like Redips did. I'm gonna to take his precious Supra-Force Metal and cram it down his throat!"
"Vile, please, don't do this! You're not like the others. I know you want a better life than you've had up until now! The man who created you wanted more for you, that's why he defied Redips and Typhus. And he paid for it with his life! Don't make his sacrifice in vain by getting yourself killed in some mad charge," Nana pleaded, her voice barely a whisper as her throat was being squeezed. Her soft blue eyes were filled with tears out of fear, but also out of compassion.
Vile's stare was unrelenting. The eerie red eyes dimmed slightly as the renegade seemed to ponder her words. Slowly, Nana felt the grip on her neck lessen until she slipped from his grasp and collapsed on the floor.
The operator rubbed her neck, coughing and wincing at the pain coursing through her body.
Vile backed away from her, looking around him at the way he had trashed the entire room.
"You always tried to be something more than a weapon. Even though what you did was wrong, how you killed the Mavericks you hunted, but you still tried to not be another lackey for Sigma to order around. You tried to change the world so it would be a place for Reploids to live on equal footing with humans. Even though I don't agree with your methods, or with the goal you had set out, at least you had one! If you let rage consume you like this and if you decide to cause the destruction you see in this room to the world, then you'll become the war machine Typhus wanted you to be," Nana looked up at Vile from where she lay, not standing up yet. Her pink hair was a mess and she had difficulty speaking.
The purple Reploid turned his gaze back to the operator, his clenched fists relaxed and the electric sheath that had enveloped his body dissipated. "You're wrong, Nana. My entire life I've been used. First by the Maverick Hunters, then by Sigma, then by Doppler and then by Lumine. I tried to justify it with some 'goal'. Whether it was 'changing the world', or revenge on X and the Hunters."
Vile sighed slightly. "Ya see something in me that's just not there."
Nana listened closely and she began to fear that her words weren't going to get through to the thick-headed Maverick.
"War, death, violence and destruction is all I've ever been good at and all I've ever loved to do. And now that I know I was created for that sole purpose, I also know that it's all I'll ever amount to. I don't have a choice," Vile's voice didn't contain any sadness or distress at that revelation. Instead, he seemed to chuckle to himself behind that black visor of his.
"But I don't see it as a cruel fate. I'm gonna to do just what's expected of me. I'm gonna have my revenge on Typhus, X, and everyone else who gets in my way. No one but me is going to pull my trigger from now on!" With that said, Vile turned around and left the room, heading for a cabinet near Nana's computer.
The young operator rose and quickly followed the renegade. "What are you going to do?" She asked, still panicking and unsure as to what was happening. Why was the stubborn Reploid doing this? Why did he insist on playing right into Typhus' hand? Was it arrogance? Or was he deterministically locked in the belief that he was nothing but a weapon? "At least wait until I've shown this evidence to X, Zero and Axl. I'm sure they'd believe us and I'm sure they'd get support from Hunter HQ to detain Typhus."
"X? X?! Don't mention that name within earshot of me! I can deal with my own problems! And once I'm done with Typhus, I'll deal with the rest of those bastards," Vile replied, not reacting well to Nana's suggestion at all. If anything, it had infuriated him further.
"Please, think this through. This is suicidal! Typhus clearly has loyalists within the Hunters. His base of operations is going to be a stronghold! You're going to storm it all alone?!"
Vile grabbed an energy rifle from the cabinet and swung the strap of the weapon over his shoulder. He then attached two smaller firearms to his belt as well as making sure his installed weaponry was all fully loaded and charged. Packing more heat than ever before, Vile looked at Nana over his shoulder.
"I'm going to show all of them what happens when ya piss me off," he ignored any further pleas from his former partner and approached the transfer room's control terminal. After entering a few coordinates, he was able to get a fix on the transfer point in Central City closest to Typhus' tower. The colonel was in charge of that structure and probably had each and every hunter stationed there eating out of the palm of his hand.
Nana sat down in her chair as she saw Vile vanish in a beam of purple light, a look of defeat upon her face. From the corner of her eyes she could see the communications channel she had already begun to set up to contact X on one of her view screens. She knew how much Vile would hate her for this, but she couldn't let him throw his life away. Her hand reached out for a small blue button.
She wasn't going to sit idly by. Not again.