Post by Jadax on Jun 11, 2007 2:59:20 GMT -5
Revised Hunters
By Joe Reed (monkey)
Sigma’s eyes flared to life and he knew that he was once again alive, Lord of the Mavericks, but something didn’t seem right. He sat up. His body seemed much more fluid and humanoid than before, which means that the body was constructed specifically for him, not a random passer-by that he infected in his viral stage.
He clenched and unclenched his white fists, his body was so real, his Reploid muscles even rippled as he made movement. He noted that his new form greatly resembled his first, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, if the realism of his design dictated advanced technology as he assumed it did. He smirked as he thought of revenge to X and Zero, and of course, of killing all humans. Luckily for the bald Maverick that he could not recall his last humiliation during his temporary insanity during the Nightmare Epidemic.
“You’re awake, good,” rasped a voice that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere all at once, “Then I will explain my latest plan to you.”
“I’ve been alive for five minutes and you already have a new scheme, I guess that’s what happens when you live for over a hundred years, right Doctor?” Sigma asked conversationally in his deep voice.
“Silence fool,” the raspy voice reprimanded harshly, “I’ve noticed one thing at the heart of the failure of every plan I’ve ever had,” the voice began. “My fatal failure lies not within my plans, but within the one who executes them, you, Sigma, are a failure. Which can only be expected from a creation of Cain Labs, an emulation of the original sentient robot.”
“Lord, I can defeat X and Zero this time, you have given me a new body, like always, I can win!” Sigma pleaded, this conversation was nothing new.
“Silence!” the raspy voice cried, “In your three year absence, after obtaining a new body for myself, built a replacement, with all the personality traits of a good leader, and left out a certain, major flaw of yours; Honor,” the voice explained, “Rave! Make yourself known!”
From the shadows of the unlit room a Reploid stepped out of the darkness, and a spotlight fell on him. He had a visor over his eyes and two small teal fin-like plates protruded from his helmet. The jewels in the center of his forehead and chest were blue and he had blue trim on his armor.
“Good day Sigma, my name is Rave, and I am to replace you,” introduced the new figure, “and now I must bid thee farewell.”
Rave opened his palm and raised it high in the air, a purple aura resonating from it. As he held his hand up, a green aura began pulsing from Sigma, the green resonance began to move from Sigma to Rave, seemingly being absorbed by the Reploid. Sigma cried out in agony once before he hit the floor, unconscious.
“Now, Rave, I have a special crown in the lab, bring it here and place it upon Sigma’s head,” the raspy voice said with a sniveling laugh.
***
Corau went over the plans of the offensive in his head for the thousandth time, if he didn’t get this one right, they may just remove him from command of the 9th Unit, the Special Forces, he had to do this by the book. The 17th Unit, the Elites, led by Commander MegamanX was to create a diversion at the north gate of the warehouse, while the #0 Unit, the Stealth Force or the Shinobi Unit, led by Zero were to infiltrate the ventilation system from the rear entrance to the south and set a bomb in the main generator. His Unit was supposed to… they were supposed to…. his Unit’s demolition’s expert had prepared small, remote explosives that Corau had scouted out the previous day to set on the East, North, and West borders, careful to avoid the south and not to be seen.
“I hold in my hand the detonator, when I set it off, it’ll be X’s cue to attack,” Corau played back in a low voice, “then Zero will start down the South entrance after I issue the command for my troops on the East and West gates to advance, once inside, Zero’ll take out the central generator with one of Ziggy’s bombs, that’s when we sciddaddle out of here.”
***
X stood exactly one-hundred-and-fifty meters from the Maverick Warehouse, just out of the line of vision of the guards in the Blade Armor. ‘One more encampment after this, and that’s the end of the Maverick Epidemic, but I heard that they won’t disband the Maverick Hunters after this…’ he thought absently as he waited for the signal.
In the distance of the grassy plain he stood on, there was the sound of three explosions less than a second apart each. “17th Unit dispatch!” X cried as he held his arm straight out with his index finger pointing towards the warehouse. X’s troop charged from behind him with their busters and sabers at the ready, X ignited his boosters as he began to fall behind.
***
Zero heard battle cries and gunshots and made a hand-motion signaling the five members of the Shinobi Unit he trusted most to start down the hill behind the warehouse, quickly and quietly.
They got to the foot of the hill, it was deserted, but one couldn’t be too careful, so he and his five ninjas dashed behind a wall and climbed over quickly. They found the air-duct they were looking for and clambered in quietly.
***
Corau issued the command into his comm. System and his divided Unit rushed the gates, hitting it hard from the side. There’s was a diverse attack, the best of the best from the most obscure military positions, or most dangerous. There were bomb explosions, buster shots, saber blows. Speed, strength, all around diversity.
Corau kicked the head off of a nearby Maverick and cut another clean down the center with the energy blades on his forearms. A well aimed burst of energy flew towards him, noticing the energy coming towards him, Corau performed a somersault to avoid the blast.
This battle really goes nowhere, so now, onto X’s Unit.
***
X began to glow as his buster filled up with energy drawn in from the air around him, he held out his buster arm and a great multicolored burst of flaming energy fired from it, taking the lives of several Mavericks. He felt a pang in his back, spun around and saw that he’d just taken a paralyzing blow from a very familiar Reploid piloting a not-so-familiar Ride Armor. His piercing red eye gazing into X’s soul with absolute hatred. That’s when the EMP pulse took full effect and X fell limp to the ground with a startled cry.
Corau’s half of his Unit had by that time finished with the West side Mavericks and were going to aid the 17th Unit in their battle under Corau’s special orders, despite the fact that they were strictly ordered an RTB after specific mission completion.
Corau saw X and the villainous looking helmeted Reploid in purple armor advancing on him in his silver Ride Armor. Luckily, the big oaf, or short oaf in a big machine as Corau noted, had his back turned and didn’t see the emerald Reploid approach him slowly with his orange elbow blades flaring in the night sky.
Corau ignited his boosters along with a well timed jump and flew onto the back of the Ride Armor and brought a downward swipe onto the head of faceless Reploid yelling, “the bigger they are…!”
Unfortunately, the vile creature lifted the arm of his ride armor and smashed Corau, there was a thud as he limply hit the firm, grassy earth.
The Maverick growled, “Reinforcements? How many more are there?” he demanded X in a deep, low voice.
“Zero’s here, with his Unit, you can’t take us Vile,” X replied contemptuously.
“I’m touched to know that you remember me,” joked Vile, “and now I must be going.”
No sooner had he finished that statement than he teleported away, leaving his ride armor behind.
Corau struggled up, “uncomely fellow,” he said as he wiped some Reploid blood from his mouth, “you owe him money?”
“No, that’s Vile, I’m sure you’ve heard about him, although it was before your time, somebody obviously revived him… again, and chances are, all he wants is revenge on me and Zero,” X explained.
“Oh, that makes sense, but does he need to compensate with such a big toy?” Corau remarked.
He and X both started laughing, but then there were the sounds of explosions from within the warehouse, “that’s our cue to leave,” said X as he eased to his feet, looking around at all the dead, Maverick and Hunter alike. He cringed inwardly, but then reassured himself that it was all necessary to save the future of the Earth.
“Yep,” Corau agreed, slowly coming to a stand with a groan and stretching a little bit, he was still nursing the small, oily cut on his lip.
And with that the two, and the remaining numbers of their respective Units became blurs before reverting to a particle state and flying through the sky as beams of light.
***
Unfortunately, that option was closed to the #0s, they were inside the warehouse, and the signal to Maverick Hunter Headquarters Main Branch of the United States was jammed.
“Run now!” Zero barked, “it doesn’t matter what way as long as you get out!”
“Commander, I’m going with you!” a female voice called, they were mere seconds away from the imminent explosion.
“No time Lorelei, and I’ve gotta wait for the rest of you to leave,” Zero pleaded.
“I don’t care, I’m going!” Lorelei adamantly stated.
“Oh God! Women! COME ON LET’S GO!” he conceded.
And with that the two began running. Before they were even out of the room the main geneator exploded in fiery fury. The shockwave almost knocked Lorelei over, but she used her beam scythe to steady herself and they continued to run.
At the end of the base they jumped out of an open window, little did they know they were lucky enough to come upon one of the two only windows in the Warehouse, as they fell to the ground flames burst out of the window. The two landed on their feet and tumbled through the grass for a little bit.
“That was fun,” Lorelei commented.
“You’re as bad as Corau,” Zero said with a hint of distaste in his voice.
“Well he IS my boyfriend,” Lorelei said with a smirk.
“Stop that, you look just like him,” Zero chided
“Corau! You disobeyed orders again!” Signas practically screamed as Corau stood with his hands clasped behind his back and his reckless grin plastered on his face.
“Yeah, well, if I hadn’t, X would be dead right now,” Corau replied smugly.
“That’s beside the point!” Signas exclaimed, “you never follow orders! You always do whatever it is that you want to do!”
“Why, I’m surprised you hadn’t noticed before,” Corau said with a tone of mock shock in his voice.
“That’s another thing! You have no conception of how to address your superiors, I am the General of Maverick Hunter Branch USA and you are the Commander of the 9th Unit!” he cried.
Corau gasped, “Why, so I am!”
“That’s it!!!” Sigma yelled, “from this point forward, you are no longer in command of the 9th Unit.”
“Jack ass,” Corau said simply.
“And for that remark, you are stripped from the combat roster until further notice,” Signas said with challenging calm.
“You can’t be serious!” Corau exclaimed.
“Quite serious, would you like to argue?” Signas replied in a voice that implied that Corau should not argue.
Corau started to say something, but stopped and hung his head, “no Sir,” his contempt was audible.
“Good, you are dismissed.”
***
“So, how’d it go?” Lorelei asked as Corau stormed out of Signas’ office, he simply grunted in response. “That bad huh?”
“That damned jack ass took away my command of the 9th Unit AND took me off the combat roster, can you believe that?!” Corau cried as he threw his hands in the air.
“Ouch. Well, look at it this way, that’s sort of like a paid vacation,” Lorelei offered. Corau grunted again. “I am SO gonna tear Signas a new one,” she muttered at her boyfriend’s bad humor.
They walked along to Corau’s quarters, Corau moving at a speed that was fast even for them, and decidedly angry, while Lorelei struggled to keep up without running.
Corau pressed his palm against a scanner by his door and pressed a series of six buttons, and his door slid open. Lorelei grabbed his arm as he walked in and pulled him out. She kissed him on the cheek. Corau’s expression softened, and a hint of his grin returned as he walked into his room and closed the door.
“Now to give Sigans a piece of my mind,” she stated adamantly as she stormed off to the General’s office.
Lorelei barged into the room, which gave the General quite the shock. She crashed her palms down on his mahogany desk and leveled her eyes with his.
“Why were you so harsh on Corau?” she demanded in an icy voice.
“Because he’s a loose cannon, and he was a jack ass when we spoke earlier,” Signas explained coolly with his index fingers pressed together.
“You didn’t need to be such a jerk about it,” she countered.
“I’ll deal with insubordinates any way I see fit, and if you’d like to challenge that you’ll end up like the green one,” he said, starting to lose his calm.
Lorelei Peanut Buttered her eyebrow challengingly.
“Have it your way, you are no longer able to participate in active duty until further notice, you are dismissed.”
Lorelei wordlessly stormed out of his office and slammed the large doors behind her, cracking the wooden frames.
***
X and Zero lounged around in X’s room. X was lying in the regeneration capsule with his arms behind his head and his eyes closed, while Zero leaned back in a chair with his legs up on the table. X yawned.
“X, we’re still waiting for that fated day,” Zero said prophetically to his long time ally and friend.
“What’re you talking about Zero?” X replied, opening his eyes.
“The day when we have to fight,” Zero explained.
“That’s crazy, we already fought three times already.”
“Yes, but both of us survived those fights, the future of the world rests on when we finally meet for the last time,” Zero said with a forlorn look.
“Zero, I told you before and I’ll tell you again, it doesn’t matter if you are Maverick, what’s important is that you can control it, and don’t even seem to have the regular Maverick urges.”
“But… X… the dreams,” Zero stammered.
“You worry too much, ever since the Nightmare incident all Reploids have been dreaming,” X said with a wave of his hand.
“X, the old man in the dreams, he says that I was created only to kill you, what if that’s true?” Zero asked.
“It’s not true, it’s only a dream,” X stated stubbornly.
“X, both of us were built before the other Reploids, neither of us can be properly analyzed, and neither of us knows the true reason we were built,” Zero began, “doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
“I don’t understand anything either Zero,” X admitted, “but for now, we’re friends, can’t we just assume that’s worth something?”
“X, we may have free will, but we’re robots anyways, if we have any underlying programming that we don’t know about, when it surfaces, we won’t be in control of our actions, friendship won’t mean anything.”
“Zero… don’t worry so much.”
“Alright X, whatever you say,” Zero conceded with a sigh, “I’m gonna go out tonight, I’m taking Corau, unlike you, he’s not opposed to leaving the base after curfew.”
“Do you have to tell me when you’re going to knowingly break rules?” X asked with a groan.
Zero smirked, “yes actually, I do.”
Corau stooped over a table with a half-empty mug of high octane in his right hand giggling madly, while Zero sat looking at him with a look of absolute astonishment. How could he drink so much?
“Uhm… why you getting’ so drunk?” Zero asked as if this was normal for him to see.
“’Cause Signas is a jerk!” Corau said, barely able to form the words.
Zero’s expression suddenly became amused, “riiiiight,” he said as he eyed his full mug of regular octane.
“You gonna drink that?” Corau asked, “and how long have you had a double Zero?” Corau asked.
“No, you take it,” Zero offered Corau with a sigh, “and there’s not two of me, you’re drunk.”
“No, seriously, the other you’s black,” Corau said before he passed out and started to snore loudly.
“What? Black? The only time my armor’s been black is when Dr.Light made that armor for me, that and the clone that the Mavericks made,” Zero mused as he looked around for a Reploid that looked similar to him, but found nothing, nor did he sense the Maverick Virus in this room. Was there more to this idiot than met the eye?
“A round of drinks on me, to celebrate my new job!” a voice cried, it was very familiar. Suddenly it hit Zero and he leapt over his table to where the voice came from, knocking over the table, and Corau, in the process.
“Where’cha goin’?” Corau asked stupidly before falling back to sleep on the dirty, sticky, floor.
Zero tackled a very tall and lanky Reploid in black and white armor with long, silver hair. “Dynamo, I hereby place you under arrest!” Zero proclaimed as his saber flashed to life and held it in a way that if Dynamo moved at all, he’d die. “Your felonies include grand theft… umm…colony, mass destruction of the atmosphere and landscape of the planet Earth, associating with Mavericks, and interference in Hunter affairs,” he listed.
“Whoa man! Lighten up!” Dynamo pleaded, “I just came here for a drink is all, can’t a guy celebrate new work?”
Zero turned off his saber, “You don’t’ seem dangerous right now, but you’re still coming back to the base with me, turn around and allow me to cuff you,” he explained to his captive.
“Of course, whatever you say, by the way, you may wanna be on the look out for Ravers, they’re everywhere these days,” Dynamo said casually as he turned around.
“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?” Zero asked as he searched for his plasma-cuffs.
“Exactly what I said,” Dynamo said with a shrug, “well, it’s been fun, but I’ve gotta be going,” he said as way of goodbye and activated his bootlegged teleportation system and disappeared into the sky.
“Damn him!” Zero cried, “never trust a mercenary,” he chided himself as he stormed back to where Corau was.
He slung the drunken Hunter to his back and walked out the door of the bar, back to the base. ‘What did he mean by “Ravers”, why would the Hunters concern themselves with unlawful dance parties? That’s an issue for the human police… And more importantly, how’m I supposed to sneak into the base with a drunk on my shoulders?’ Zero thought as he trudged his way back to the base.
“I should report this to Alia, maybe she can turn up some results,” he said out loud as he trudged along.
“Evil,” Corau muttered in his sleep and swallowed the synthetic saliva that had been gathering in one corner of his mouth.
Yeah it is alot but I have been working on it for awhile, please enjoy. (This is Ch. 1-3)
By Joe Reed (monkey)
Sigma’s eyes flared to life and he knew that he was once again alive, Lord of the Mavericks, but something didn’t seem right. He sat up. His body seemed much more fluid and humanoid than before, which means that the body was constructed specifically for him, not a random passer-by that he infected in his viral stage.
He clenched and unclenched his white fists, his body was so real, his Reploid muscles even rippled as he made movement. He noted that his new form greatly resembled his first, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, if the realism of his design dictated advanced technology as he assumed it did. He smirked as he thought of revenge to X and Zero, and of course, of killing all humans. Luckily for the bald Maverick that he could not recall his last humiliation during his temporary insanity during the Nightmare Epidemic.
“You’re awake, good,” rasped a voice that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere all at once, “Then I will explain my latest plan to you.”
“I’ve been alive for five minutes and you already have a new scheme, I guess that’s what happens when you live for over a hundred years, right Doctor?” Sigma asked conversationally in his deep voice.
“Silence fool,” the raspy voice reprimanded harshly, “I’ve noticed one thing at the heart of the failure of every plan I’ve ever had,” the voice began. “My fatal failure lies not within my plans, but within the one who executes them, you, Sigma, are a failure. Which can only be expected from a creation of Cain Labs, an emulation of the original sentient robot.”
“Lord, I can defeat X and Zero this time, you have given me a new body, like always, I can win!” Sigma pleaded, this conversation was nothing new.
“Silence!” the raspy voice cried, “In your three year absence, after obtaining a new body for myself, built a replacement, with all the personality traits of a good leader, and left out a certain, major flaw of yours; Honor,” the voice explained, “Rave! Make yourself known!”
From the shadows of the unlit room a Reploid stepped out of the darkness, and a spotlight fell on him. He had a visor over his eyes and two small teal fin-like plates protruded from his helmet. The jewels in the center of his forehead and chest were blue and he had blue trim on his armor.
“Good day Sigma, my name is Rave, and I am to replace you,” introduced the new figure, “and now I must bid thee farewell.”
Rave opened his palm and raised it high in the air, a purple aura resonating from it. As he held his hand up, a green aura began pulsing from Sigma, the green resonance began to move from Sigma to Rave, seemingly being absorbed by the Reploid. Sigma cried out in agony once before he hit the floor, unconscious.
“Now, Rave, I have a special crown in the lab, bring it here and place it upon Sigma’s head,” the raspy voice said with a sniveling laugh.
***
Corau went over the plans of the offensive in his head for the thousandth time, if he didn’t get this one right, they may just remove him from command of the 9th Unit, the Special Forces, he had to do this by the book. The 17th Unit, the Elites, led by Commander MegamanX was to create a diversion at the north gate of the warehouse, while the #0 Unit, the Stealth Force or the Shinobi Unit, led by Zero were to infiltrate the ventilation system from the rear entrance to the south and set a bomb in the main generator. His Unit was supposed to… they were supposed to…. his Unit’s demolition’s expert had prepared small, remote explosives that Corau had scouted out the previous day to set on the East, North, and West borders, careful to avoid the south and not to be seen.
“I hold in my hand the detonator, when I set it off, it’ll be X’s cue to attack,” Corau played back in a low voice, “then Zero will start down the South entrance after I issue the command for my troops on the East and West gates to advance, once inside, Zero’ll take out the central generator with one of Ziggy’s bombs, that’s when we sciddaddle out of here.”
***
X stood exactly one-hundred-and-fifty meters from the Maverick Warehouse, just out of the line of vision of the guards in the Blade Armor. ‘One more encampment after this, and that’s the end of the Maverick Epidemic, but I heard that they won’t disband the Maverick Hunters after this…’ he thought absently as he waited for the signal.
In the distance of the grassy plain he stood on, there was the sound of three explosions less than a second apart each. “17th Unit dispatch!” X cried as he held his arm straight out with his index finger pointing towards the warehouse. X’s troop charged from behind him with their busters and sabers at the ready, X ignited his boosters as he began to fall behind.
***
Zero heard battle cries and gunshots and made a hand-motion signaling the five members of the Shinobi Unit he trusted most to start down the hill behind the warehouse, quickly and quietly.
They got to the foot of the hill, it was deserted, but one couldn’t be too careful, so he and his five ninjas dashed behind a wall and climbed over quickly. They found the air-duct they were looking for and clambered in quietly.
***
Corau issued the command into his comm. System and his divided Unit rushed the gates, hitting it hard from the side. There’s was a diverse attack, the best of the best from the most obscure military positions, or most dangerous. There were bomb explosions, buster shots, saber blows. Speed, strength, all around diversity.
Corau kicked the head off of a nearby Maverick and cut another clean down the center with the energy blades on his forearms. A well aimed burst of energy flew towards him, noticing the energy coming towards him, Corau performed a somersault to avoid the blast.
This battle really goes nowhere, so now, onto X’s Unit.
***
X began to glow as his buster filled up with energy drawn in from the air around him, he held out his buster arm and a great multicolored burst of flaming energy fired from it, taking the lives of several Mavericks. He felt a pang in his back, spun around and saw that he’d just taken a paralyzing blow from a very familiar Reploid piloting a not-so-familiar Ride Armor. His piercing red eye gazing into X’s soul with absolute hatred. That’s when the EMP pulse took full effect and X fell limp to the ground with a startled cry.
Corau’s half of his Unit had by that time finished with the West side Mavericks and were going to aid the 17th Unit in their battle under Corau’s special orders, despite the fact that they were strictly ordered an RTB after specific mission completion.
Corau saw X and the villainous looking helmeted Reploid in purple armor advancing on him in his silver Ride Armor. Luckily, the big oaf, or short oaf in a big machine as Corau noted, had his back turned and didn’t see the emerald Reploid approach him slowly with his orange elbow blades flaring in the night sky.
Corau ignited his boosters along with a well timed jump and flew onto the back of the Ride Armor and brought a downward swipe onto the head of faceless Reploid yelling, “the bigger they are…!”
Unfortunately, the vile creature lifted the arm of his ride armor and smashed Corau, there was a thud as he limply hit the firm, grassy earth.
The Maverick growled, “Reinforcements? How many more are there?” he demanded X in a deep, low voice.
“Zero’s here, with his Unit, you can’t take us Vile,” X replied contemptuously.
“I’m touched to know that you remember me,” joked Vile, “and now I must be going.”
No sooner had he finished that statement than he teleported away, leaving his ride armor behind.
Corau struggled up, “uncomely fellow,” he said as he wiped some Reploid blood from his mouth, “you owe him money?”
“No, that’s Vile, I’m sure you’ve heard about him, although it was before your time, somebody obviously revived him… again, and chances are, all he wants is revenge on me and Zero,” X explained.
“Oh, that makes sense, but does he need to compensate with such a big toy?” Corau remarked.
He and X both started laughing, but then there were the sounds of explosions from within the warehouse, “that’s our cue to leave,” said X as he eased to his feet, looking around at all the dead, Maverick and Hunter alike. He cringed inwardly, but then reassured himself that it was all necessary to save the future of the Earth.
“Yep,” Corau agreed, slowly coming to a stand with a groan and stretching a little bit, he was still nursing the small, oily cut on his lip.
And with that the two, and the remaining numbers of their respective Units became blurs before reverting to a particle state and flying through the sky as beams of light.
***
Unfortunately, that option was closed to the #0s, they were inside the warehouse, and the signal to Maverick Hunter Headquarters Main Branch of the United States was jammed.
“Run now!” Zero barked, “it doesn’t matter what way as long as you get out!”
“Commander, I’m going with you!” a female voice called, they were mere seconds away from the imminent explosion.
“No time Lorelei, and I’ve gotta wait for the rest of you to leave,” Zero pleaded.
“I don’t care, I’m going!” Lorelei adamantly stated.
“Oh God! Women! COME ON LET’S GO!” he conceded.
And with that the two began running. Before they were even out of the room the main geneator exploded in fiery fury. The shockwave almost knocked Lorelei over, but she used her beam scythe to steady herself and they continued to run.
At the end of the base they jumped out of an open window, little did they know they were lucky enough to come upon one of the two only windows in the Warehouse, as they fell to the ground flames burst out of the window. The two landed on their feet and tumbled through the grass for a little bit.
“That was fun,” Lorelei commented.
“You’re as bad as Corau,” Zero said with a hint of distaste in his voice.
“Well he IS my boyfriend,” Lorelei said with a smirk.
“Stop that, you look just like him,” Zero chided
“Corau! You disobeyed orders again!” Signas practically screamed as Corau stood with his hands clasped behind his back and his reckless grin plastered on his face.
“Yeah, well, if I hadn’t, X would be dead right now,” Corau replied smugly.
“That’s beside the point!” Signas exclaimed, “you never follow orders! You always do whatever it is that you want to do!”
“Why, I’m surprised you hadn’t noticed before,” Corau said with a tone of mock shock in his voice.
“That’s another thing! You have no conception of how to address your superiors, I am the General of Maverick Hunter Branch USA and you are the Commander of the 9th Unit!” he cried.
Corau gasped, “Why, so I am!”
“That’s it!!!” Sigma yelled, “from this point forward, you are no longer in command of the 9th Unit.”
“Jack ass,” Corau said simply.
“And for that remark, you are stripped from the combat roster until further notice,” Signas said with challenging calm.
“You can’t be serious!” Corau exclaimed.
“Quite serious, would you like to argue?” Signas replied in a voice that implied that Corau should not argue.
Corau started to say something, but stopped and hung his head, “no Sir,” his contempt was audible.
“Good, you are dismissed.”
***
“So, how’d it go?” Lorelei asked as Corau stormed out of Signas’ office, he simply grunted in response. “That bad huh?”
“That damned jack ass took away my command of the 9th Unit AND took me off the combat roster, can you believe that?!” Corau cried as he threw his hands in the air.
“Ouch. Well, look at it this way, that’s sort of like a paid vacation,” Lorelei offered. Corau grunted again. “I am SO gonna tear Signas a new one,” she muttered at her boyfriend’s bad humor.
They walked along to Corau’s quarters, Corau moving at a speed that was fast even for them, and decidedly angry, while Lorelei struggled to keep up without running.
Corau pressed his palm against a scanner by his door and pressed a series of six buttons, and his door slid open. Lorelei grabbed his arm as he walked in and pulled him out. She kissed him on the cheek. Corau’s expression softened, and a hint of his grin returned as he walked into his room and closed the door.
“Now to give Sigans a piece of my mind,” she stated adamantly as she stormed off to the General’s office.
Lorelei barged into the room, which gave the General quite the shock. She crashed her palms down on his mahogany desk and leveled her eyes with his.
“Why were you so harsh on Corau?” she demanded in an icy voice.
“Because he’s a loose cannon, and he was a jack ass when we spoke earlier,” Signas explained coolly with his index fingers pressed together.
“You didn’t need to be such a jerk about it,” she countered.
“I’ll deal with insubordinates any way I see fit, and if you’d like to challenge that you’ll end up like the green one,” he said, starting to lose his calm.
Lorelei Peanut Buttered her eyebrow challengingly.
“Have it your way, you are no longer able to participate in active duty until further notice, you are dismissed.”
Lorelei wordlessly stormed out of his office and slammed the large doors behind her, cracking the wooden frames.
***
X and Zero lounged around in X’s room. X was lying in the regeneration capsule with his arms behind his head and his eyes closed, while Zero leaned back in a chair with his legs up on the table. X yawned.
“X, we’re still waiting for that fated day,” Zero said prophetically to his long time ally and friend.
“What’re you talking about Zero?” X replied, opening his eyes.
“The day when we have to fight,” Zero explained.
“That’s crazy, we already fought three times already.”
“Yes, but both of us survived those fights, the future of the world rests on when we finally meet for the last time,” Zero said with a forlorn look.
“Zero, I told you before and I’ll tell you again, it doesn’t matter if you are Maverick, what’s important is that you can control it, and don’t even seem to have the regular Maverick urges.”
“But… X… the dreams,” Zero stammered.
“You worry too much, ever since the Nightmare incident all Reploids have been dreaming,” X said with a wave of his hand.
“X, the old man in the dreams, he says that I was created only to kill you, what if that’s true?” Zero asked.
“It’s not true, it’s only a dream,” X stated stubbornly.
“X, both of us were built before the other Reploids, neither of us can be properly analyzed, and neither of us knows the true reason we were built,” Zero began, “doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
“I don’t understand anything either Zero,” X admitted, “but for now, we’re friends, can’t we just assume that’s worth something?”
“X, we may have free will, but we’re robots anyways, if we have any underlying programming that we don’t know about, when it surfaces, we won’t be in control of our actions, friendship won’t mean anything.”
“Zero… don’t worry so much.”
“Alright X, whatever you say,” Zero conceded with a sigh, “I’m gonna go out tonight, I’m taking Corau, unlike you, he’s not opposed to leaving the base after curfew.”
“Do you have to tell me when you’re going to knowingly break rules?” X asked with a groan.
Zero smirked, “yes actually, I do.”
Corau stooped over a table with a half-empty mug of high octane in his right hand giggling madly, while Zero sat looking at him with a look of absolute astonishment. How could he drink so much?
“Uhm… why you getting’ so drunk?” Zero asked as if this was normal for him to see.
“’Cause Signas is a jerk!” Corau said, barely able to form the words.
Zero’s expression suddenly became amused, “riiiiight,” he said as he eyed his full mug of regular octane.
“You gonna drink that?” Corau asked, “and how long have you had a double Zero?” Corau asked.
“No, you take it,” Zero offered Corau with a sigh, “and there’s not two of me, you’re drunk.”
“No, seriously, the other you’s black,” Corau said before he passed out and started to snore loudly.
“What? Black? The only time my armor’s been black is when Dr.Light made that armor for me, that and the clone that the Mavericks made,” Zero mused as he looked around for a Reploid that looked similar to him, but found nothing, nor did he sense the Maverick Virus in this room. Was there more to this idiot than met the eye?
“A round of drinks on me, to celebrate my new job!” a voice cried, it was very familiar. Suddenly it hit Zero and he leapt over his table to where the voice came from, knocking over the table, and Corau, in the process.
“Where’cha goin’?” Corau asked stupidly before falling back to sleep on the dirty, sticky, floor.
Zero tackled a very tall and lanky Reploid in black and white armor with long, silver hair. “Dynamo, I hereby place you under arrest!” Zero proclaimed as his saber flashed to life and held it in a way that if Dynamo moved at all, he’d die. “Your felonies include grand theft… umm…colony, mass destruction of the atmosphere and landscape of the planet Earth, associating with Mavericks, and interference in Hunter affairs,” he listed.
“Whoa man! Lighten up!” Dynamo pleaded, “I just came here for a drink is all, can’t a guy celebrate new work?”
Zero turned off his saber, “You don’t’ seem dangerous right now, but you’re still coming back to the base with me, turn around and allow me to cuff you,” he explained to his captive.
“Of course, whatever you say, by the way, you may wanna be on the look out for Ravers, they’re everywhere these days,” Dynamo said casually as he turned around.
“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?” Zero asked as he searched for his plasma-cuffs.
“Exactly what I said,” Dynamo said with a shrug, “well, it’s been fun, but I’ve gotta be going,” he said as way of goodbye and activated his bootlegged teleportation system and disappeared into the sky.
“Damn him!” Zero cried, “never trust a mercenary,” he chided himself as he stormed back to where Corau was.
He slung the drunken Hunter to his back and walked out the door of the bar, back to the base. ‘What did he mean by “Ravers”, why would the Hunters concern themselves with unlawful dance parties? That’s an issue for the human police… And more importantly, how’m I supposed to sneak into the base with a drunk on my shoulders?’ Zero thought as he trudged his way back to the base.
“I should report this to Alia, maybe she can turn up some results,” he said out loud as he trudged along.
“Evil,” Corau muttered in his sleep and swallowed the synthetic saliva that had been gathering in one corner of his mouth.
Yeah it is alot but I have been working on it for awhile, please enjoy. (This is Ch. 1-3)
