38Note: I am sorry. I am so, so, so, so, SO sorry. I haven't updated this thing in a year. A YEAR. And truthfully...it was because I actually felt that it was bad. Well, let me explain. I did this thing to improve on the very first fanfiction that I wrote on this site, of which I look on now and declare it as what it is, a massive piece of crap. Maybe it was that fact that it came from something that told of such inexperience and amateur writing and...basically everything else, I found myself sort of doubting as to whether or not I could even do this. On my other stories, while I have severe doubts on all of my stuff, it seemed that this one in particular hid me hard the most. Yet in a sense, as I came to think about it more, I think it might be something I should do. Mainly because this thing and I have unfinished business. Yes, it might be based off something I'm far from proud of, yet in a way, I want to see if I have grown from since then. Hopefully so as I began the first version of this freaking thing all the way back in the 5th grade. Another factor, as ridiculous as it is, was the chapter length...back when this was a problem. I used to keep myself at a far lesser length than before because I was fearful that people would be too overloaded with info in one sitting; yet ultimately, that's been thrown out the window months ago, so that issue is defunct now.
Thank you so much for your understanding, and hopefully this delivers a good enough apology for you all that have been awaiting this.
Also, a side note, oddly enough, I actually got a request from someone years back when the first version of this thing was up on using this scenario in a crossover with Transformers. I thought it sounded great and as I love both Mega Man (X especially) and Transformers (though ridiculous, G1 is special to me) and I am still greatly honored that the person wanted to do it but...on the original work? Really, even now, though it never happened, I'm super grateful, but that thing...let's just say that now, while not perfect by any means, the previous version's never going to be seen again.
Chapter 14: Disaster in the South Pole! A Capsule Hidden Away?!
Mega Man © of Capcom
If it wasn't for his vibrant hues of azure and cyan, the blue Reploid was nearly unable to even be seen trudging through the raging, violent winds that blasted throughout the entire area, several stinging flakes and chilled clusters of frozen moisture being helplessly carried in their journey. Indeed, X observed, to his dismay and chagrin, for a place that was supposedly on the opposite end of what was generally considered the 'warmer' direction, the South Pole was proving to be not much kinder than that of its Northern counterpart. Perhaps even more ruthless, given with how even with his enhanced sight and optics, the most he could clearly see was the hand in front of his face, and even that was clouded in part by the unforgiving blizzard that raged on around him. Even with his desensitized receptors so the below freezing temperatures wouldn't hinder him as much, nature seemed to compromise this with making sure that each and every step he took translated to trudging through five to six feet of snow.
It was due to these very things that X wished to get this task over and done with as soon as possible, the packed snow far from making such a thing possible at the moment. He was partially ashamed of such a thing, perhaps even fully ashamed. If he had said it aloud, it certainly wouldn't look good on him, yet if he was forced to be completely honest and candid, his efforts would've been better spent in gathering up how much they could of what used to be their HQ, their home, and perhaps working to get the surrounding city back to how it used to be before any of this madness took place. Perhaps even before his kind had become so mass-produced and commercialized.
Even in the time that had passed, nothing much had been accomplished to try and get things back together. Mavericks and Hunter recruitment were one thing, which was another issue entirely to him. He simply wished for any and all damage that had been done to essentially be undone, as fanciful and outright childishly pathetic as it was (he was more than aware it truly was pathetic, if not impossible). Still, they were trying with what they had. With the absence of a designated Commander of the Maverick Hunters (even if it was just the him, Zero, and Storm Eagle for a while at first), the question hung in the air as to whom would rise to the occasion, let alone if there should be a Commander at all. Cain, of course, was essentially assumed to be the head of everything, given that they wouldn't have the means, let alone the ability to have the second, smaller communications center had he not built it in secret, yet when it came to actually being able to do anything about any sort of Maverick activity, it was obvious that the only place he'd be staying is there. Though, ultimately, he declined the position, instead suggesting that another would be more fit to take it.
The bird's eyes were on him at that moment, he remembered well, focusing intently on the blue machine akin to the very bird of prey he was based on...and he couldn't have been more thankful when his gaze shifted to Zero.
Zero was somewhat taken aback at first, yet with encouragement from the others (X especially), the longhaired Reploid had taken the position. And frankly, thought he perhaps wasn't the most experienced source to take note from, the blue Hunter felt that his friend was absolutely perfect for the position. As soon as he came into the position of Commander, he immediately went to work in rounding up how many other survivors there were, as well as recruiting those who were willing to join them. And so far, over the next few months, no such thing similar to what happened in Abel City had occurred again, several attempts to sabotage reconstruction and terroristic threats quickly being stopped before too much damage could be done.
Everything actually seemed to be going in a positive direction again, even with the area still in a ruined state; there was actually something that could be done about it. Of course, in retrospect, X should've maybe known better. Such a quiet, still time where the most extreme act consisting of bombs being placed on bridges should've been an indication that something was being planned. Even more a reason that Zero was a far better choice than he, as he suspected such a thing from the beginning, and lo and behold, just when they were getting themselves back on their feet...they got a call.
An alert that the Commander...no...an alert that Sigma called.
Until the main communications center was rebuilt, the far smaller copy was all that could be used; yet despite its far smaller scale, the image that presented itself on the screen was more than distinguishable. At first, X, Zero, and the elderly Cain were taken aback by what was before them, the stillness nearly deceiving them into believing it was little more than a still frame. Nothing save for pure, ivory snow and a clear, blue sky seemed to be seen, yet as the image began to move to the side, revealing that it was indeed footage, where said footage was being taken from could be seen, bringing a collective sense of confusion to the three observers.
'Isn't that the South Pole missile base?' X remembered asking. 'I thought that was abandoned some time ago.' it had been; yes, yet the reason as to why didn't exit his mouth. Even after all this time and his shared reservations towards Sigma, small traces of denial still seemed to hold control over him.
The footage then began displaying what appeared to be a small settlement not far from the mountains the base was stationed upon. Far from anything grand, the settlement in itself being that of a human scientific base, certainly housing a few of the only human inhabitants in the South Pole in these months. Technology may have grown quite a bit since the twenty-first century began, and even more in the twenty-second, yet in areas such as the Arctic, the natural world and its forces still reigned supreme. The still, serene quiet of the area, however, was all but lost in a fleeting moment, the footage beginning to thrash and shake violently, the device capturing it phasing in and out, yet in the brief spans between visibility and static, the two Reploids and single human could clearly see that a massive, incoming collection of snow was heading directly for the base, the sound of sirens piercing the freezing air and while it was few, small specks of what must've been both humans and other Reploids alike were seen running in a desperate attempt to flee.
A last interjection of static followed, the results of that attempt, as well as the fate of those still inside revealed: if it weren't for the image of the base being captured beforehand, X and perhaps Zero and Cain as well would've believed that they were looking at no more than a valley of thick, white snow.
"More shall follow." the darkened figure that appeared afterward promised, his low baritone being one of the few things they identified him with, as most of his exterior had been hidden away by a thick cloak of shadow. "And there will be several to follow those. However, it is only fair that I present you defectors with a least a fighting chance. I suggest that you put this at the top of whatever your current agenda is."
And thus, here he was. Trudging through the thick, packed on powder of white with only a hope and a prayer that a tremor wouldn't occur whilst he was struggling through this place.
"Agenda..." X scoffed, the term nearly close to coming out like a snarl. "What does he even think he's talking about?!" Agenda...there was no such thing! No grand plan, no nothing! None of that yet! The only thing that came close to any sort of 'agenda' was the reconstruction of Abel City and the HQ that HE had nearly destroyed entirely, that particular incident having since been dubbed 'The Day of Sigma'. A very day was now named after him...one would've thought he had done more than enough already!
Still, if that 'day' of his was any indication, the azure Reploid perhaps was the true foolish one. He had done so much already after all, what reason would there be for him to stop now? He had actually been able to begin to believe that his buster would mainly be used to clear out debris for a good while longer. Of course, over the last few months, that wasn't the only use it had. In fact, in this harsh, unforgiving terrain, the one he had used his weapon against in training was actually not only willing, but adamant that she go with him here.
'You trained me for how long now?' truly, he hadn't kept track. 'And I now have the means to actually do something about this. You promised me that you'd prepare me for what was to come.'
Yes, he had promised her that he would train her, their sessions simple and not incredibly frequent. Yet as time went on, Roll, his self-assigned student (something the Hunter himself found incredibly perplexing, as someone like Zero or Eagle would've been far better suited for her), began to become more and more insistent. He didn't understand it, she asked, then demanded for him to get her to 'his level', to have her 'rise' to some sort of position or height she seemed nearly starved for.
She certainly made her wishes known that he was to 'educate' her as he would any other, yet if she was referring to the possibility that he wasn't putting forth his full power due to her former status as a non-combat machine, she couldn't have been more mistaken then. His 'holding back' had little if anything to do with her prior function, let alone herself at all.
If he had a say in it, X wouldn't be teaching anyone anything at all, let alone even have a weapon on his person to begin with.
'Though I WOULD be so lucky…' he silently mused, the density of the packed, continually falling snow of the towering mountain he had been deposited at doing little to bring forth any sense of being able to reflect of anything positive, let alone feel that anything was even getting accomplished.
So now, not only he, but Roll was here too, though the two were, for the time being, separated to hopefully locate the source of where source of the quakes and the resulting avalanches were coming from, and in turn, begin formulating a method on how to stop them. It was the essential goal of the mission, both he and she knew that, yet ultimately, X found himself regretting that he allowed the ponytailed Reploid to be all by herself, consent or not-
HOP, HOP, HOP.
Even if the snow nearly reached up to his knee, the small chill that methodically crawled up X's spine wasn't due to the bitter cold. Despite the noise not being enormously loud, it was still more than an indication that he was not alone. And that this unseen party was beginning to approach him, obviously far better at navigating its way through this expansive tundra.
HOP, HOP, HOP.
Whilst he couldn't exactly be described as fearful, that nonetheless didn't translate to X wishing to stay and find said intruder and pick a fight. If anything, the fact that something or someone was approaching him, without the knowledge of whether or not they would be friend or foe, made him more eager to get through the area as quickly as possible. Besides, using his weapon on what was quickly making his way to him was both a waste of energy as well as an unnecessary display of power. Yet ahead, even amidst the thick, continuous haze of ivory pellets, X's squinting, emerald eyes spotted something that seemed to immediately answer his prayers.
The Abandoned Missile Base...no different than it had been during the transmission.
What connection it held with the incoming avalanches, he didn't know, let alone if there was any connection at all. Nevertheless, at the moment, X only saw it as a shelter from the unforgiving weather, some place he would be able to momentarily recline and gathering his bearings. That said, even if he was eager to get there, it certainly wasn't a space that would only be able to fit just one.
Abel City
At the very least, he didn't have to worry about traveling via the main highway. Granted, that probably would've made the trip smoother in some areas, yet with the now gaping holes situated in the road and several other portions completely taken out, Zero could only hope that he could dash and jump fast enough. He couldn't help but lower his brow in both frustration and dissatisfaction. Unbecoming, perhaps, as the clean up crews were doing the best they could with all that had been destroyed, and whatever hadn't, either steadily deconstructed or revitalized. Still though, through the climbing, trudging, and outright walking through the hollow, dilapidated ruins of what used to be a booming sector of downtown only cemented further how much damage had truly been done.
"All the same..." Zero outwardly spoke, no one around to respond. "It won't GET any better until the one who caused this is taken down." he paused for a moment, leaping off a small ledge, it taking mere moments to recover from the impact. "Along with everyone else in with him."
Said ledge was part of a fallen building, an orchestra of broken glass crunching underneath his heel meeting the Reploid's audio units as he continued along, more and more of what had managed to survive the aftermath of Sigma's assault offering some comfort, along with the drive and perhaps a small bit of bloodlust to see his former Commander brought to account for this.
It was then, however, that aside from the crunching debris and cracking of stones and glass giving underneath his weight, Zero became aware of the sudden sensation that he was currently not alone. Gripping the hilt of his saber, the longhaired Hunter spun around; ready to draw at the ready as the figure he suspected was here was coming forth-
"You might have an A rank..." that voice...Zero's grip lessened, his hand steadily moving away form his unsheathed weapon. "Yet going without any backup isn't exactly recommended."
From the shadow cast by the large piece of structure emerged his unexpected company, keeping his massive wings tucked inward to allow for better movement.
"Eagle." Zero greeted the metallic bird of prey, the violet and indigo Hunter nodding in response and making his way towards the longhaired, solitary Reploid. "What are you doing here?"
"Hm?" Storm Eagle quirked his head. "I take it you're displeased with me being here-"
"No, it's not that." the red Reploid assured. "I just wasn't expecting that you'd be back so soon. I thought that you and your cavalry were still back at the airport."
An odd statement to be made, his cavalry, the 7th Air Cavalry of the Maverick Hunters and patrollers of the skies, were currently doing rounds at an airport of all things. Odd and perhaps humorous as it was, it was the truth. Whilst a good majority of Abel City's population managed to escape and had been evacuated out of the area, for some, a city or two away wasn't good enough. They wished to depart from the very country. And as such in situations such as what had occurred, such masses leaving all at once weren't exactly known for being well organized and calm. Not to mention that with the already high risk present and air travel being heavily discouraged, nothing seemed to change these individuals' minds, so Storm Eagle and his crew were present at the airport's request to make sure all passengers had boarded without incident and that their route was free of potential danger.
"The crowd is down to just a handful now." the cavalry's leader answered, hence the reason he was away. "There are some still there just in case, yet a majority of us have come back." it was then that his gaze turned to resemble that of a disappointed parent, said disappointment being eased with a slight coyness, as if he knew that it was just typical behavior. "And when I heard that our new Commander had up and gone out by himself, well, that simply won't do."
"It's far from anything I couldn't handle." Zero defended, though the larger bird seemed to not buy it. "Honestly, it's fine. And I'm NOT alone." he paused for a moment, having to climb over a fallen piece of road before speaking again. "The new navigators are being given one of their first trials by me being out here."
"And what exactly are you out here for?" Eagle inquired.
"Apparently, some of the newer guys reported that there've been some strange activity around this sector." Zero explained. "Some renegade Mechaniloids have been seen transporting large containers in late hours of the night."
"Containers?" the bird pried further. "As in, energy?"
"What it is, they don't know." the red Hunter clarified. "And apparently, they don't like being interrupted because they say that it wasted no time charging straight towards them."
"And so, you're out here to investigate and take care of the matter, if need be." Eagle concluded, Zero in turn, responding with a small smirk, if not to just display he knew what he was doing.
"That's basically what I signed up for."
Indeed, such duties lay on his shoulders now, whether he fully grasped them or not (though if one were to ask, he would immediately swear he knew what he was doing). This portion of Abel City was the hardest to have been hit, very little of it remaining upright, let alone salvageable. Not much of a surprise, as the missiles that rendered the city to such a state were not but a few miles away, this being one of the first points where they landed. Though if there was to be any sort of positivity in the situation, at the very least, the city's power plant had been preserved rather well, the structure lucky enough to survive a good majority of the damage done to the areas surrounding it. Though this turn of events that at first, seemed to go in their favor, had steadily begun to make Zero ponder whether or not its survival was necessarily a good thing. This wasn't to say that the city (the functioning areas) would be better off without electricity, far from it, the very HQ (or what was left working) needing it more than ever now. Yet, while it wasn't in any distinct pattern, the two rookies that had told him of strange things going on here were not the first reports he had heard.
Though with that, as both he and Eagle continued to navigate through the toppled buildings and structures of what used to be a pristine working and living area, the longhaired Reploid found his thoughts comparing their journey with another. Though his was not through fallen city, but through snow. It was ultimately a useless thing to ask, he not even meaning to speak it aloud, yet still, before he knew it, the words tumbled from his mouth.
"You think he's all right up there?"
"Hm?" It took a moment for Storm Eagle to realize he was being spoken to, mainly due to the words coming from Zero of all Reploids. Yet as the words processed through his mainframe, it didn't take long for him to deduce whom he was referring to. "Ah. So, you ARE worried."
"No, of course not." the blonde retorted. After all, need he remind the bird that he was now the Commander and thus, HIS Commander as well?! "X will be fine! Even with some of his...setbacks. He'll be fine." doubt was beginning to creep into his voice. "I'm just wondering if sending Cain's assistant up there with him was a good idea."
"Roll."
"What?"
"Cain's assistant." Eagle clarified. "Her name is Roll."
The robotic swordsman was somewhat puzzled at the larger bird's interjection. Of course he knew her name, yet the fact that Eagle seemed to be adamant in having him address her as such was somewhat off-putting. Then again, such respect was expected when addressing his own cavalry, yet last time he checked, she was in no such position.
"Well, whatever she's called, she still should've stayed here." Zero stated, his stance more than clear and poignant. "Why she was so adamant in going is beyond me."
"I can agree with you on that." Eagle actually agreed with him.
Indeed, while he wasn't completely against her involvement, she actually taking to being upgraded to a weaponized machine better than he expected, the fact still stood that despite her dedication to her sessions with X over the past months, it was just that. Roll had only undergone the procedure and training for that amount of time. Yes, the period to get acquainted to the plasma generators and canons inserted into her main structure would take little time, at least compared to how it would've been if she were human, yet the time wasn't so much the problem as were...other factors. Factors that she, despite this drive she held (though he suspected it was more than a little personalized despite any following protests), would ultimately have to discover herself.
"You didn't have to."
The larger bird realized he was being spoken to, directing his attention to the red Reploid. "Pardon?"
It wasn't something that he should've even brought up; besides, the decision had already been made, so there was no more to say about it. Still though, Zero found himself continuing to speak. "Staying here with us." 'Barely anyone else seemed to.'
"You're curious as to why I didn't join up with Sigma." dare he say, Zero found himself actually shocked at that. How did he- "Stone faced and as closed off as you can be at times, that doesn't translate to you not feeling anything at all." Eagle lightly chuckled. 'As desirable as that would be, sometimes...' "Though, why are you curious?"
Despite him owing much to the blue Hunter, Zero wasn't exactly keen on mimicking some of his friend's said behaviors. "Well, I suppose there's not really a reason." he confessed. Now he was sounding EXACTLY like him. "So many of the higher ranking members took off along with how many others that managed to not get themselves killed."
It wasn't as if it made it much better, yet if Zero had to be honest, putting it into perspective, some of the Reploids amongst the Hunters leaving for Sigma's supposed 'promise' was somewhat understandable. Not right by any means, no, and they would fall the same way to his saber when he got ahold of them, yet still, some of the lower ranking members or those that felt they had gotten the short end of the stick would probably latch onto some of the crap his former Commander was spouting out as some sort of glorious proclamation of the future. Yet if that were the case, then why hasn't X up and gone? No, he knew better than that, actually feeling ashamed he had made such a comparison. Yet still, there was some truth to it: X, despite being part of the Hunters, let alone around longer than he had been in general (at least, he believed so, most of his memory banks unable to date back to certain periods of time), was still stuck at the rank of B. But oddly enough, those at his rank and even lower were the ones that mostly composed of the bodies that littered the halls before they were carted away. Yet their leaders...
"Indeed." Eagle replied, far from caring for the particular fact Zero brought up, true as it was. "If I had to answer, I suppose it was due to our pledge to serve and protect not ending even when our former Commander declared that we were not longer bound to it." To a degree, it was true. Even before the Maverick defection, a Reploid in itself was never 'bound' to anything, really.
"So why did you stay at all?" Zero continued to question. As much respect as he had for Eagle, that didn't necessarily translate to him caring for these vague, supposedly inspirational speeches. Just get to the point and be done with it, he thought.
This seemed to dawn on the taller, winged Hunter, he in turn delivering his reasons. "Freedom of choice doesn't necessarily mean freedom from consequence."
The red swordsman waited for a moment or two, both continuing to move forward through the ruins when it became apparent that this was the answer he had asked for. Whether it was a satisfactory one or not, apparently Eagle was set on saying no more. And frankly, Zero didn't have much a problem with that. It wasn't like they were out here for idle conversation anyway. Though, if he was going to go with that for an answer, surely he must've known that consequence didn't only follow 'bad' actions. Everything had some sort of consequence, however minor or major. Even now, as grateful as Zero was for Eagle's loyalty to them, and he supposed now, him as 'Commander', his being here wouldn't allow freedom from consequence.
No, he shook his head. He wasn't going to head down that road of thinking. It would come, it was inevitable now, and yet such thinking was not allowed for too long in his mind. It couldn't be. Focus was needed, both here in what used to be downtown, and to a degree, on the happenings in the South Pole. Though he hadn't discussed it with anyone, Zero suspected that if he were to inquire one such as Eagle about it, both of them could come to an agreement that as of now, there were no 'small issues'. Any and every potential sighting or strange activity warranted investigation. Better it be nothing, as time wasting as it would be, than something and left unchecked. And while he couldn't be for absolute certain, let alone scrounge up any proof, he couldn't help but suspect that this too held some sort of connection with Maverick activity, and in turn, with Sigma himself.
'Maybe...no.' Zero dismissed the thought that came to him. 'It'd be near impossible.' indeed, it very likely was, yet from the looks of it when their oh so dear former Commander contacted them...if they could maybe trace where he was contacting them from...
The possibilities of how to execute what Zero was pondering were brought to a grinding halt, appropriately enough, by the very sound of grinding itself. Or more appropriately, the sound of grinding, revolving wheels, the source of whom they belonged to drawing ever and ever closer in their direction from the east. Both he and Eagle needed no word from the other, the two making themselves scarce and taking shelter behind a particularly large piece of broken off highway that had fallen from above, the bird still having to slightly accommodate for his wing size to truly keep hidden however. The source of the sound had reached them, the speed of whatever had them going at a relatively moderate pace: not overly quick, yet definitely not just out for a ride around town. It was going somewhere in a hurry, yet with caution in mind that it might perhaps be noticed. As it went out of their vicinity, Zero and Eagle moved from their hiding place, whatever it was that had passed gone, yet from the still present sound of wheels heading east, they immediately made their way in its direction. If they were lucky, Zero would be able to catch up with whatever it was on foot. If not, well, all the more fortunate that Storm Eagle was present for the task.
And as the two began their journey in tailing the seemingly lone form of life in this desolate portion of Abel City, it dawned on them that, whether it was just a simple observation or a point of worry brought up by their already heightened senses, the mysterious vehicle or machine seemed to be going in the direction of the city's very power plant.
South Pole
She knew that it was far from becoming of her, questioning and evidently growing frustrated with someone that was technically considered her superior (not to mention one that was far higher ranked than she), yet suffice to say...she wasn't exactly prepared for the snowy onslaught that currently befell her.
"Are you POSITIVE that these are the correct coordinates?!" X's voice shouted, nearly echoing through her audio units. It wasn't kind to her hearing, yet the communication in this environment, Roll discovered, was far from the most audible.
"For the third time, yes!" she hollered back, her own voice rising to rival the howling winds. "You are where you're supposed to be!"
"Okay!" X replied, though he sounded just as uncertain as she did. "Just wait there! I'll come to you!"
As the barely connected link between them died, Roll found her arms wrapping around herself amidst the frigid cold, her ponytail flapping and dancing wildly in the unforgiving blizzard. She had expected the conditions to be a little difficult, well, maybe more than a little, yet that was the very reasons she wanted to come. She didn't come out here with the expectation of sunshine and roses, contrary to what Zero had thought.
Though that in itself wasn't the problem. No, that came when she and X had arrived here.
'I could do that.' she remembered speaking proudly back at the HQ, insisting left and right that such a task would be no problem for her to undertake. 'I could scout out the area and look for potential clues that'll point to whatever the source of these avalanches might be.' her exact words, no, those being mainly thinly veiled pleas that sounded like proclamations of bravery.
And indeed, she had believed she could. She might've not have entirely known what she was getting herself into, yet she was, in no way, a liar. She made that clear back before the two of them had even been sent out here…
When she had first arrived…
'Wait...you want me to go around walking out there? By myself?'
'If we didn't, then neither me or X, or really anyone else would consider letting you go. That's not a problem with you, is it?'
When he told her that...oh, it was both infuriating yet fascinating. She could practically FEEL a seething heat course its way through her wiring. 'No! Of course not!' she declared, as if she were actually concerned about his approval. It wasn't as if Dr. Cain himself was watching or anything...at least, she wasn't aware. 'I...I'm merely just concerned for X's safety! Besides, even if mandatory, I don't know how far I'll be having to go in conditions like that.'
'I'll give you that one." The red Reploid replied. 'I told him to keep his eyes peeled for you, and being that you two are in the same general area, I'd imagine that one of you will eventually catch up with the other.' Indeed, while he held no doubt in what he was telling her, he wouldn't lie in saying that he had far more faith held in her blue 'teacher' than her herself. 'Something like this would be better fitting coming from him, but just because you got yourself weapons now, you're still far from Hunter material yet. Keep your eyes and ears and basically anything else you got peeled and ready to react.' Though he was still talking, Roll's memory bank began acting out of her control, the words he was speaking…well, they weren't exactly like them, yet she couldn't deny the great amount of similarities to what the aforementioned Hunter of blue had spoken to her just before both of them were deposited to this freezing end of the Earth by one of the few copters in their possession.
'Don't shoot to kill. It never just takes one shot, and even though your energy recharges, too much usage at once can still put a good amount of strain on your system. Just shoot to warn or make your presence known. Nothing big and nothing lethal, just to let them know you're there and ready if they mean you any harm, though that's only if you can't hide from them.' Yet there was one detail of his lecture that she knew would belong to him and him alone, Zero, even if they were only at 'acquaintance' level, would possibly never encourage her to do. 'If that doesn't deter them though, if there's nothing that keeps them from coming…run.'
Present Time
A Distance Away
'Run...' it wasn't something he had intentionally meant to tell her. 'If you see something that's too much for you, just run. Where to, I don't know. Just do it.' of course, he didn't mean that, yet reviewing his words now, it only made him all the more regretful that he had allowed Roll to go off on her own.
Yet ironically enough, at the moment, rather selfishly, remembering that was certainly doing him a favor in at least dodging the thick, flat discs that were being sent his direction, spikes protruding from the sides.
'Run...' there were more than a few close calls, the most current one missing his helmeted head by just mere inches. At the very least, the tops and bottoms of the discs didn't have spiked protrusions; he having to take advantage of this absence more than a few times as there was no room to duck underneath them.
'Run...' there were more than a few close calls, the most current one missing his helmeted head by just mere inches.
At the very least, the tops and bottoms of the discs didn't have spiked protrusions; he having to take advantage of this absence more than a few times as there was no room to duck underneath them. Though he couldn't be for sure if there were any Axe Max's where she was, would she be able to take care of whatever would maybe come her way? After all, while there was a possibility that there was less activity where she was, less didn't usually translate to 'non-existent'.
With the swing of its namesake weapon, the azure colored Axe Max came to realize that its intended target had yet to be stopped by its projectiles. Even more, as the blue Hunter drew closer and closer, it had come to realize that its source of ammunition had gone out and would take a moment or two to replenish-
WHAM!
The snow had done little to aid him in this mission to get to the large structure just ahead, yet it was then that X realized he had made an error in thinking the Axe Max wouldn't be as much of a threat without its source of 'ammo'. He had assumed so, before he tried leaping over the android and nearly had his audio unit sliced off by the blade of its weapon. Instead of going forward, X was sent falling to the side, right into a large collection of snow that had just nearly been enough to completely bury him. Something of which he had realized was a blessing in disguise. Given it was affixed to only one place, the Axe Max was left with only its revolving head to try and search for the one it had struck, whom now seemed to have disappeared entirely. Whilst the possibility had to be accounted for due to it's programming (as well as its very nature as a mechanical droid), the conclusion that the single strike was enough to terminate the Maverick Hunter was far from probable. Its head shifted right to left upon its thin, silvery connection between its dome and the rest of its torso. The swiveling head would have to suffice as given its lack of anything that could function as a bipedal bottom half; the Mechaniloid was quite literally cemented there on that spot. All the more reason that X had decided it best to keep his position low to the ground…the resounding rumble also cementing his decision even more.
Crawling on his stomach like a yellow-bellied coward…indeed, it was more than pathetic. 'What sort of display is that?!' X could still hear the Commander's voice…though the former title held no meaning to him anymore. At least…he tried to not let it. 'Get up! Show them your real power for God's sake!' He was nearly tempted to do so, the eyes of a certain longhaired Hunter as well as several other, higher-ranking Reploids boring deep into his consciousness.
He was so close though…the building was only just a few more feet away. The unpredictable tremors possibly being a hindrance to his aim was a convenient excuse, yet…no. If he could at least make it in without having to unleash any fire, then even though it would do little for his self-image…it was the less costly of necessary sacrifices.
He wouldn't do it…at least not yet anyway. Though even then, it was ever rarely because he WISHED to.
A Distance Away
While it was only natural that being there were two of them, one of them would probably have to go off and do a bit of searching, Roll couldn't deny that she was beginning to wonder if that translated to simply sending her off in the middle of nowhere. Both the weather and the thick snow were hindrances to her speed, yet from the coordinates that she was given, the ponytailed Reploid would at least have thought that she would've come across SOMETHING by now!
"Where in the world could it be?" she huffed, her exhale visible amidst the near blinding snow, despite her systems only able to register a faint chill in her body at most. To come out her without the proper adjustments to her sensory input would just be foolish.
Yet what she was wishing for at the moment was at least some sort of hint of which direction she was even supposed to travel in. She was on an elevated surface, she could tell that much, though even that wasn't the most detailed clue she could use. The entire area was probably suffocated under the piles of compact snow, not to mention that she was also atop of a mountain, so in essence, the entire vicinity was an elevated area!
"BZZZT-oll-BZZZT-R-ll!" her audio receptor buzzed, even with the obvious interference, she could still register the identity of who was attempting to contact her. "BZZZ-Ro-BZZZT-ll! Do y-BZZT-read-"
"Do you read me?" X questioned. While he had finally reached the shelter he had seen from afar, another issue came as to whether or not his message would even get through. "Roll?!"
"Y-bbzzt-es! Yes!" a frazzled, yet still very much functioning feminine voice answered, volume mainly due to the continuous barrage of snow she was in. "I read-BZZZT-you!"
Well, it was far from a clear signal, but he WAS able to make contact with her at least.
Where he currently was at, he assumed to be the missile base itself, given both its size and how, judging from the interior, it had most certainly been abandoned for some time. And while it was certainly better than the frigid, raging storm outside, the affects of the weather were not sparing to even areas such as this. Ice clung to and lined almost every corner and crevice imaginable, X suspecting that not even more organic pests such as mice or roaches would even wish to try and live here. In fact, from the looks of it, he seemed to be the only living thing in the area, at least for now. Whether there was anything else here, he wasn't certain, yet hoped that at the least, none of them would be roused by his being here. Continuing on a small distance and surveying the area, X concluded that he was either in the main area where the missiles that were once constructed here were developed, long forgotten runways that had long since become platforms for sheets of fine ice presenting themselves form underneath his feet, along with the small echoing cracks made as he slowly treaded forward.
It was then that he decided, despite how the reception was obviously not the best, to at least see how Roll was holding up. "Are you all right?"
"Bzz-right?"
"I mean, you're not badly damaged in any way, are you?"
"N-BZZT-No! I'm in-BZZT-cent-BZZT-decent shape so fa-BZZT-far!"
"Okay, great! That's good!" so far anyway, he couldn't allow his spirits to rise too high just yet. After all, from the coordinates she had given him, she should've been around here somewhere. If not right in front of him, yet so far, he was the only one present in this barren, expansive structure. "Do you know where you are now?"
"I-Bzzt-I'm right where I last told-Bzzt! I'm try-Bzzt-find you!" Suddenly, a small, yet still noticeable stomp was heard from above, the sound evolving to a resounding, repeating echo.
Was she...X pondered for a moment. Ah...it was making sense now! She was in the same position he was, yes, but according to the coordinates she sent, she was a good few feet higher. At first, he simply thought that this meant she was up on a higher floor, yet with what he had just heard, "Could you stomp your foot?" he wanted to test something.
"Wha-BZZT-why did you-BZZT-do that?" Roll questioned, obviously puzzled.
"You're where you say you are, I know that now." X answered, his green eyes gazing upward. "But I'm lower. You're on top of me."
Outside
It wasn't the easiest to piece together, yet at the very least; Roll was able to discern that indeed, she was in the right place. But there was something about being on 'top'? Top of what? "Wait a minute..." she said to herself, until her mind brought up potential, yet rather horrifying realization. "What?! You're down there?!" she exclaimed, looking down to her boots that were buried ankle deep in snow. "Buried in all of this?!"
"N-BZZT-No, no, no! I-BZZT-in old production plant!" she hesitated, yet upon setting her foot down with a resounding crunch in the packed snow, she listened closely and indeed, there WAS a small echo coming from below. Yes, she had made her way here in order to get some higher ground, yet she didn't suspect that there was an actual structure resting underneath all of the ivory particles.
Well, one issue solved, yet now what? "Do you want me to-"
"N-BZZT-No, it's fine!" X assured. "Keep going! I'll-BZZT-ome to you!"
"Well, alright! If you're sure…X? X?!" Roll's voice began to rise in panic, the connection between them having finally reached its limit. Though once that fact was realized, she found herself mellowing down, really, in conditions such as these, it was only a matter of time.
'Oh yes, Roll. Go on and make yourself look like a fool…' she silently berated. "Will do, X sir." It was useless to say, she knew, yet the desire to maintain at least some semblance of professionalism near rivaled the raging winds that were taking her vibrant fibers for an intense ride, the green, metal bow being the only thing saving them from being flung all over. Her hair seemed to ironically resemble something of a flaming torch amidst the cold, unforgiving mountains of the Southern ends of the Earth.
HOP, HOP, HOP…
Wait…
HOP, HOP, HOP…
Something was coming. The centers of her palms sunk inward to allow the two, proportionately sized cannons to expel outward, both of Roll's hands thrust outward, fingers splayed and eyes frantically searching in all directions for whichever she would have to take a shot at first.
'Don't get too excited…' she recited her herself, even if it was doing her little good. 'You knew that this would happen. This is your chance! Your chance to finally gain what you wanted! Show him…show all of them that this wasn't a mistake! That what you've done wasn't a mistake!''
What popped out to greet her was seemingly far form needing the preparation she had scrounged up.
A tiny, violet machine shaped into the form of a small, red eyed lagomorph hopped forward towards her, its round, capsule like ears twitching up and down as if it were studying the larger Reploid in front of it akin to the manner insects made use of their antenna.
While her embarrassment was great, Roll could at least allow herself some levity in the fact that the small droid was, even as unprofessional as she would appear, no one was looking... "Oh, well aren't you a little darling?" she cooed, kneeling downward and placing a hand atop of the metal rabbit's little head. "I'd probably be tempted to take you along with me, but I'm technically doing my job being out here." she began to urge the small Reploid to hop elsewhere. "Okay. Shoo. Go get somewhere else. Somewhere with far more cover than out here."
Whether it was due to it feeling some insult on its part or perhaps even her own severe misjudgment, the rabbit responded by presenting the ponytailed, newly 'employed' Hunter with its ears...that folded downward and opened up to reveal two small, yet clearly fired up blasters stationed inside...that were aimed up at her.
"What the-" the Reploid exclaimed in surprise, backing up, yet all the while, finding a sudden fire beginning to develop. It wouldn't be the best start, no, let alone maybe even a good start at all. But, a start was a start, and this was it: her first true test. Her first true, genuine opportunity to harness what she had been granted.
The center portion of her palms retracting, a small cannon taking the place in the holes of each of them, both directed right at the far smaller head of the rabbit-like android.
HOP! HOP! HOP!
Roll whirled around her, multitudes of the small creatures soon appearing out of the snow, all of which began to follow suit in aiming their 'weapons' at their far larger, far outnumbered target.
Inside, Below
Having ascended to the second floor of the missile processing plant, X found that the ceiling was still quite a good distance up, ten or fifteen feet at the least. Nevertheless, upon reaching the highest floor and past the long frozen over belts, the azure Reploid suspected that he'd surely have far better detection as to where Roll was. Even more, given that she was able to ascend such a height due to the snow outside, it'd probably (hopefully) be little issue for her to simply-
"GAHHH!"
While it was questionable as to how he was able to hear it, yet it appeared that X severely overestimated the durability of the structure he was inside as his audio receptors clearly heard a loud, panicked shriek outside, more specifically, from above him.
"Roll?" he attempted to contact via the COM, yet what met him were cries of static interrupting what he could only assume were screams of 'they're everywhere!' and 'get off!' along with something else about 'horrid little monsters.'
X didn't have to wonder too long as the source of the panicked cries was soon delivered to him. Literally. The ceiling had apparently grown weak in the spot that Roll had placed her foot in her race against the flurry of laser shooting lagomorphs (as ridiculous as it was, not to mention embarrassing), the 'ground' giving way and sending her plummeting downward through the roof...landing right atop of her superior along with the heaps of snow that followed suit, burying them both. Of course, the befuddlement as well as frustration at having each other's limbs entangled with each other had to wait until latter as both came to realize that a plethora of bright, red eyes were peering down at them from on high.
Neither needed to exchange any words between each other as both immediately began furiously digging themselves out of the pile of snow and once they managed to feel the ground underneath them, started sprinting forward, the clinks and clanks of winding gears and springs in a collective multitude reached their audio receptors.
The army of 'Raybots' behind them wasted no time in continuing the pattern of bounce, then shoot they had been executing on the single target, that particular target along with a newly added one running for their lives, from of all things, an army of laser wielding rabbits.
"There!" X hollered out, a ladder, whilst worn and clearly in dire need of replacement, it was a ticket out of here.
Not wasting any time, the two Reploids grabbed onto the worn piece of metal and began to hoist themselves upward, frantically kicking off any stray Raybots that had tried to latch themselves onto a reachable leg or arm, they in turn beginning to try and climb up the ladder themselves when both X and Roll themselves had made it to the higher level. The newly initiated Hunter began blasting wildly at the flurry of critters, despite the fact that it was clearly not getting them any closer out of danger.
"Hold it." X ordered, he in turn aiming his buster at the railings of the ladder, blasting at the already worn metal with pellets of concentrated plasma, the sections of the upper portions of the ladder rendered to little more than melted, twisted metal, the Raybots' passage to them in turn, completely cut off, the homicidal little herd unable to do anything more than simply watch as their far larger prey escaped off to, while freedom from their assaults, they didn't explore the areas far beyond this particular structure due to reasons they would soon come to find out for themselves…
"Well..." X began, the uncomfortableness in his tone indicating that he far from cared for that little incident either. "That was...kind of...eh..." he found he could do little more than allow a farce little chuckle to come out of his mouth, all the while allowing one hand to rub the back of his helmet.
"That was an absolute embarrassment." Roll finished for him.
"Well...I guess." X himself confessed, though seeing his company grow all the more angered, he immediately regretted his choice of words. "But I mean that it's more ridiculous to me as in we were nearly eaten alive by a bunch of rabbits! Like, it's sort of a stupid funny!"
"There's nothing funny about any of it!" she found herself, in analysis, behaving in a manner that was far from dignified behavior, let alone appropriate, yet the surging heat or whatever it was that was fueling this intensity boiling inside her was far too strong of a sensation to simply resist, her red boot stomping hard on the ice covered, aged ground. "Six months!" she continued to shout. "Nearly six entire months of training and even getting myself to an at least decent state of being taught on HOW these things work!" she then presented X with her small, 'hand cannons' resting in her palms. "After, of which, I had to practically threaten Dr. Cain that I would run off and get someone who was willing to give them to me if he wouldn't do it..." she paused, a long sigh escaping her. "Something of which I still need to compensate for."
While X was about to relay that she had practically delivered an apology to the elderly scientist for that particular incident just about every day since it happened, yet in all honesty, he himself could clearly see himself performing the same behavior.
"Not to mention I sent those little monsters right to you." she leant herself against the ice covered, chilled wall.
Though given their reliance on body heat was null and void, the low temperatures of the area matter little. In essence, she found herself, to her own surprise at such a quick transition, growing to feel that little of what she had done had been of any worth. Though she saw X evidently trying to string together something comforting to say, she far from believed his efforts would do any good...yet just as his mouth was about to open up and deliver with whatever he had possibly come up with or maybe nothing at all, Roll found her audio receptors beginning to pick up something.
"Wait a moment." Roll said, looking to the wall she had just been leaning on. "Do you hear that?" before X could even reply, she drew back closer to the wall. "There's something...there's something behind here."
X listened in closer to the wall, finding the same thing. He saw Roll beginning to try and pry some of the walling off. "Here, let me." he said, she at first believing that he was going to help her blast through, yet found him drawing his buster.
The plasma tore through the wall, a sizable hole being left in its wake and allowing both of them to step through. On the other side, hidden away from everything else, was a simple capsule.
"What..." Roll began, yet paused upon seeing X begin to, rather surprisingly, enter through the torn space, she following suit and coming to the front of the out of place and evidently rather dated device. "What is THIS?"
X didn't answer, the moment he saw it, he found himself unable to draw his focus away from it. He was aware of Roll's question, knowing she was referring more to what such a thing was doing here rather than not knowing what the object was, yet still, he found his mouth unable to produce sound. While it was quite obvious to both of them that the capsule was far from likely simply 'placed' here by the original inhabitants of the developmental plant, especially given that this area was made in the beginning of the twenty-second century. It was far from anything revolutionary or grand looking.
It held the standard structure of a capsule, upper and lower portions that stationed it to the ceiling or floor (in this case, it seemed to be both, the top just about grazing the top of the compact space). Though given the two, silvery cables that protruded outward on the upper half, of which both he and Roll assumed were there to transfer power throughout the machine, the thing, glass casing that served as the middle hadn't been as preserved as the rest of capsule's components. In fact, it was doubtful whether or not the capsule in its entirety could even serve its original function, whatever it was. Especially with the frozen moisture having nearly covered it entirely, the glass covering itself seeming to have developed a layer of ice atop of its already standardly thin layer.
And yet…
And yet, despite its age, X found himself absolutely fascinated by the capsule, if not entirely bewitched. This thing, this strange, aged device he had never seen before had him immediately under its power the moment he laid eyes on it. Moments dragged into minutes, those into hours, time itself short and fleeting, his mind and processor asking hundreds upon thousands of questions, and only a quarter of them at most able to be answered. And even then, X was not really concerned with all of that. Even with his sentiments making no sense, let alone having any concrete reason to think such, the azure Reploid found himself thinking, then believing, that they were meant to find this.
That this, whatever it was, held something for them. For him.
"So...you've come."
It was instinctive for both of them to immediately go on the defensive, eyes looking left and right for whatever or whoever had just spoke. Yet given that nothing had yet to be found, it was discovered that the voice, aged yet moderately healthy, emitted from the outdated, hidden away capsule. The upper half of the device immediately flashed, the red, disc-like piece on top emitting a bright glow before just as quickly dying down, energy surging through the silver cables and down to the portion stationed on the floor. The platform inside of the glass began to briefly flash on and off in sparse intervals, the image of some humanoid shape trying to form itself and keep itself stable being seen through the material. Yet with just a few more attempts from the machine to display its intended contents, finally, its task had been successfully fulfilled.
From inside the capsule's glass, a holographic image depicting an old man, occasional fizzing and spasms aside, materialized. His appearance was that of what was expected of a standard scientist, white lab coat and collared shirt accompanied with tie, etc., yet the most striking feature present on the image was that the man possessed a large and well groomed (perhaps even fluffy) white beard that matched what was atop of his head.
No words were spoken; there wasn't anything that could be said; yet upon exchanging glances with the other, X and Roll came to see that they shared similar conclusions, as well as questions. The capsule, upon discovering it, apparently sensed that it was being approached, and whether this was due to it simply being set to detect motion in general or at a set time, neither truly knew. Yet it were programmed as such, and in turn, really nothing more than a simple capsule, then why had the old man, or rather, his recorded image, stated that their arrival was of note? Well, Roll thought, possibly of X's arrival, not necessarily hers. Why she thought such a thing, let alone concluded it, she didn't know. Some strange urging, some sort of 'tic' alerted her to such. As well as an increasing sense of familiarity.
Her own thoughts and pondering, however, were put on hold as she heard crunching on the ground, realizing that X was beginning to approach the capsule, or rather, the image inside. Realizing what he was doing, X stopped himself from going any further, yet still, whatever affect the device held on him before had increased tenfold upon the image's materialization. His partner's caution, while more than understandable and to a degree, wiser than his lack thereof...he didn't know why, yet just found it to be unwarranted. It couldn't be confirmed though, not yet. If he could hear who he was. If the image stated who it was, if he just heard a name-
"You may not even remember me." the hologram began. "And to a degree, I had hoped that if you did somehow awaken, you wouldn't have to know of me. Because if you're listening to this...then it's most likely due to a new wave and breed of danger having befallen the world." the man (assumedly also scientist from the way he was dressed) relayed, a deeply rooted sense of regret seeping into his voice.
Despite this, though not going unnoticed, X found him focus being directed to a particular word used in his message thus far. Breed...it was a stretch (and if he had to be honest, it was a rather large one), yet the azure Hunter found his processor beginning to 'link'. Link, as in, linking and collecting various words and phrases that he, for reasons he held no logical explanation for, began to string together and compare.
'Breed...breed...it means something.' he thought. 'Breed, creed, race, species...group?' Group...group as in, a collective of particular individuals. A group as in-
"My name is Thomas Light."
The name...ah, THERE it was! THAT was his name! This man, this image...oh, so much was beginning to click and make sense now! At least, it seemed so. X had to momentarily stop himself before he simply allowed his mind to run wild with this realization. It...it was him. HIM. So little and so sparse were the bits and pieces of recollection he could find; yet still, there was no mistaking it. It was him.
The ponytailed Reploid with him found herself nearly put into such an enraptured awe as he, yet only just that. She still wasn't entirely in, relating the situation to having one foot in the present reality and the other knee deep in a pool of unknown, scarcely tread waters, the depth of said waters not entirely known to her. Yet even with the curiosity, the urging to maybe try and take a dip, to try and dive head first in those waters, her other foot in the here and now seemed to hold the stronger control over her decision making.
"And while I could perhaps list my supposed accomplishments in the eyes of those in this era's field of science, such things, as time surely will be if you find this, is fleeting." the man, Thomas Light's image paused for a moment, releasing a deep sigh. "You simply coming to know my name, even if you may never know me, is more than enough. It must be."
He seemed so...disheartened in saying that, X noted. So disappointed and, dare he say, outright heartbroken. And yet, to his shame, X found himself somewhat thrown into a previously undiscovered spot of self-pity fought to overtake him. It only partially succeeded, the awe still outweighing it, yet also, mainly because X didn't want to acknowledge it. Not yet, not now. He couldn't afford to.
"And while, ideally, I would hope and pray that it would not come to be, ultimately, if you're hearing this now, then you are needed."
She found herself about to understandably ask as to whether or not he was okay, somewhat disturbed by the sudden quiver of his lip, yet Roll found herself unable to speak once again. Her lips opened, yet closed just as soon, realizing that the question was something she should've perhaps been asking herself. Here he was, her mentor and to a degree (albeit somewhat shamefully), more experienced protector, yet here he was clearly receiving far deeper an impact than she. And for a man that he perhaps had little to no idea of whom he knew at all nonetheless!
'He doesn't...but...I...do? Maybe?' this echoed throughout her entire CPU, this reaction that she should've been having, even stronger than his own maybe, to the point where she would be near tears.
Yet nothing came. Or rather, it couldn't entirely get through. As if there were some unseen blockade not allowing this realization to fully work its way through, something forgotten and old trying to work its way through what she knew now. This man, this Dr. Light...it registered with her...yet not as strongly as Dr. Cain's.
Yet before either of them could delve further, let alone share anything of what they were experiencing with the other, a low hiss echoed throughout the small, hidden away space, the glass covering opening itself, the two panels it had split into overlapping one another in the back and allowing entry. Entry, X began to realize in shock. While, yes, the mysterious draw from this object was without question and Dr. Light's recording had relayed that whomever he was speaking to was 'needed', yet there was something more than that here? Something else for him?
"In this capsule," the recording explained, the image, without the protection from the outside elements, began to fizz and scramble even more now, yet the voice still rang clear. "there is an upgrade to your leg units that I have prepared for you. It shall grant you enhanced mobility and speed-" ironically fitting with how fuzzy the image was now, it started to come apart as Dr. Light was forced to pause, a loud cough exiting his throat and into a clenched fist. It seemed to be no ordinary cough either, sounding deep and rattling his entire form, a few deep breaths needed to even continue. "I'm sorry, but I must cut this off here." Light confessed, voice now having grown a little hoarse. "I'll leave you with this, however. There are other capsules such as these, each with something prepared for you and your mission. If you're hearing this, I recommend that you find them, wherever they may be. I hold no control over where, let alone if all of them will be available and intact when and if you find this one, yet I urge you to try your best to seek them out, if you can." the scientist paused yet again, the holographic image steadily becoming more and more distorted. "As useless as it is, I am deeply regretful about these turn of events, if you are indeed here. And if you are, the most I can do for you now is this." it was becoming too much now, barely able to keep itself together. "Good luck, X."
Then the image had torn itself apart, disappearing from view and the voice accompanying it going silent.
The small space, let alone the entire area was rendered silent, appropriately fitting the chilled conditions and shared sentiments between the two Reploids. Odd that when 'he' seemed to 'leave', both became aware of how deathly quiet it had become. And with said silence that came with the message's end.
Going over what the scientist, this Dr. Light, had told them (or rather, X specifically) and going over the capsule's dated and evidently aged appearance...wait, what was she doing? Though unaware of what X thought, Roll had already made the decision to not step one foot near that thing. And frankly, there was no reason for X to do the same, especially given-
"Wait, what are you doing?!" the ponytailed android cried out, immediately seizing her blue mentor by the wrist. He was actually going to do it?! He was actually going to enter that thing?!
I know him."
"What? What are you-"
"I've seen him before." X answered again, Roll beginning to feel him pull himself out of her hold. "Dr. Light. That's him! He made me!"
"And you know that how?" she questioned. "How do you-"
"I know!" X retorted, evidently becoming more and more restless, whatever draw the open capsule had beginning to outweigh her current attempts to try and get him away. "I...it's fuzzy and I don't have much more than glimpses, but it's him! I know it's him!"
What was he...ugh, this was nonsense! Absolute nonsense! True, he said his name was Dr. Light and yes, he HAD mentioned X by name, yet...yet that didn't mean he was Dr. Light! After all, X said it was just in glimpses that he had seen him, and even that was not all that clear! And who was to say that this wasn't perhaps some sort of trap? Rather bizarre that there were supposedly 'other' capsules such as this in 'various locations' that may or may not still be around! It could've been dangerous! It could've been…
'He wouldn't do that. He's your-'
This strange and out of place thought intruding in her cautious mind was short lived, as well as all other thought aside from the fact that X had broken away from her and in this newfound freedom, headed directly into the capsule. She leapt forward in one last attempt to try and remove him, yet the panels shut together again, locking him in and her out.
'I...' he didn't blame her. He was probably, no, he was being, all things considered, incredibly foolish. Yet still, 'I want to see. I NEED to see.'
And given from the sudden burst of light that emitted from the upper portion of the capsule, see he would, as well as his anxious observer.
It didn't take long from the platform X stood upon to begin lighting up as well, slight panic and a twinge of regret at being so reckless beginning to work into his senses. Yet even with that, the overall fascination and encompassing urge to be here overrode any and all concerns. These feelings in turn becoming all encompassing as his vision soon became entirely enveloped in streaming flashes of hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of multi-colored lights shot up and down, up and down, from the uppermost portion of the capsule to the bottom, seemingly shooting the streams back and forth to each other.
He should've been panicking now with the temporary blindness caused by the colorful, quickly moving lights, yet in all honesty, X found that he was placed in nothing short of absolute peace. Not the smartest of sensations to latch onto, especially given how coincidental even finding this device was, let alone the fact that apparently, more of these were hidden around in areas unknown. Even more, there was little information on how this particular capsule even got here in the first place. Yet the questions asked, like all else, seemed to melt away in this small pocket of light. Light and...warmth. Yes, X began to notice that, despite the frigid temperatures outside, it was oddly, comfortably warm in here, his conditioning to the temperature set for this mission seeming to not matter either as this warmth seemed to break through his own settings and affect him. In fact, if he didn't know any better, it very well felt as if the warmth was seeping in through his outer titanium shell and into his very inner workings.
It was right. Whatever this was, sense and reason weren't able to stand against this sensation. Somehow, in some way, where X was, what he was experiencing, it was right. Right and...good. All parts of him, both known and those that maybe he was just discovering were being touched by this warmth, and it was good.
It was just a few moments, little more than seconds at most since he had entered, yet, despite his shame in thinking and wishing such, X found himself not wanting to leave. Roll was outside, outside of the glass and outside of the overwhelming sensations he was experiencing...yet a portion of him didn't want to open it for her to enter as well. It was so right, so good, and it was made for him. For him to enter...to enter and receive something to help him in this mission.
Ah, yes. The mission...the mission that, while important, wasn't something that he necessarily was enthusiastic about. Finding the source of the avalanches, yes, he could do that. He was more than on board with that. No, that wasn't the problem...not at all.
Then just as reality had begun to dawn on him once again, X's audio units heard the capsule's panels opening, the machine's work having finished and with one last, lingering glow, the red top of the capsule went out, dying like the recording it had previously relayed. X also found himself, rather cruelly assaulted by the environment's natural temperature, his settings taking a moment to adjust to where the cold was little more than an ever present, yet still semi-mild sting. At least Roll didn't seem to be...oh God, Roll! Looking forward, she seemed to be all right, nothing else having changed (though it wouldn't, X reminded himself, short time span and all despite how contrary it felt), yet her eyes...they seemed to be wide and staring at something lower.
It didn't take him long to realize that this something was his legs.
From the enlarged calf to the portion that made up his foot, a silvery sheen had replaced what was once blue colored metal, making a striking contrast with the rest of him, yet upon further study, X found himself quite receptive to it. 'Enhanced speed and mobility...that's what he said. Is this it?' Two rounded discs rested on the ankles and the majority of his feet were still blue, yet for the later, the toes of each piece were coated in a silver lining, coming up in the middle. The same pattern followed for the legs, only it was a contrasting gold, it coming up the calf halfway. Shifting his newly decorated legs slightly, there seemed to be no hindrances to his movement, so he stepped off of the capsule's platform, allowing the panels to close once again for a final time.
She didn't whether she should question his condition or give in to the anger at such a reckless decision, Roll finding that both were fighting for the position of being first. While the nicer option was to go with the former order, "Forgive me, if this is somewhat harsh..." yet ultimately, it seemed the opposite was what she was compelled to go with. "...but where's your head?! What were you thinking, simply waltzing right in there?!"
It wasn't as if he was dismissing her. Far from it. With what was now seemingly stuck to, let alone a part of him now, X realized how foolhardy his actions must've seemed to her. Even so, the small, lingering portions of euphoria that was previously experienced seemed to dull his perception. Her concern was warranted, yes, yet he couldn't understand as to why she seemed so frantic, so angry. Surely there had been at least enough proof, details notwithstanding, that Dr. Light had made the capsule and made it with the intention for it to be found.
"You could've been..." what was she doing? She wasn't even speaking coherently now. "You could've been...vaporized, or...or something worse."
Something was wrong, her head fell forward against his chest, arms grabbing his shoulders for support. "Roll?" he questioned, yet received no answer. Now he was the one beginning to grow concerned. "Roll? Roll!"
X was speaking, she was aware, yet what he was saying exactly was all but lost to her. Something...something was coming up, her vision was being invaded. The small space and the defunct capsule, along with X, faded out entirely, the black cloak that had overtaken her sense of sight slowly fading as soon as it arrived, however, revealing...him. The man in the hologram. Dr. Light. Yes, there was no mistaking it, it was him! Yet, what was he doing? He was apparently stationed in a small, sparsely lit room, back turned, and working rather feverishly on something obscured by his form. Was this a basement, perhaps? His basement?
'Doctor?' wait, that voice...was that her speaking?
He hurried over and from the looks of it, oddly enough; she had been quite a bit shorter than he. Almost the size of an adolescent girl. Yet she was never that short...right? He began speaking to her, yes, yet his speech was muddled and muffled, unable to be made out. Though from the frantic look on his face, it seemed like she wasn't expected to be down here, nor was she exactly wanted. Something was down here that he wasn't wishing to be seen, at least not yet. Even so, for some odd reason, she found that this, fetching this man that she had just seen...it was something she was familiar with. She was meant to do this. Yet at this time, whenever it was, now apparently wasn't a good time. There was something on the back table. A...humanoid form. A form of blue?
"Roll?! Roll!" she was brought back to reality, finding herself being shaken and roused out of this strange state by another form of blue. X had been shaking her by the shoulders, her own hands having slipped from his, yet it was barely noticeable due to how softly he was doing it, as if he was afraid to go all the way in fear of potentially doing more damage. "Oh, thank God. You're still here."
"Wh-what?" she began to speak, yet found herself releasing a pained moan, her temples seeming to now vibrate like mad. "Ow…"
"What's wrong?" X questioned. "What is it? Are you-"
"Yes, yes. I'm fine." Roll answered, her hand massaging the now sore spot on her forehead. "I…" she was about to speak, yet, though unintentionally, her eyes found themselves focusing on the inactive capsule. His capsule. "We should be getting a move on, right?"
"What? Are you sure?" the azure (and partially silver) Reploid asked. "I mean, if you don't think you can go on any further, you can always stay here while-"
"No!" she covered her mouth as soon as the exclamation left her. "No. It's fine. I'M fine."
She never said it, at least not directly, yet X found her gaze to be signaling desperation, pleading with him to let her do this.
Such desperation and adamancy, he admitted, he didn't entirely understand. Yet even so...it probably wouldn't be the safest to let her stay here alone.
For now, such things, guilt aside, would probably have to wait until later. At least until this issue was resolved. Still, he found it odd, especially given that she had this strange little episode right after they had found the now non-functioning capsule. After they...or rather, he had come into contact with what it bestowed, as well as seeing 'him'. Maybe perhaps, that was what triggered it, yet then that brought up why. He didn't know what the future held exactly, and while he had his hopes, X ultimately knew they were far too ideally for them to even be partially feasible for their reality now. Yet still, one thought persisted. There were other capsules, supposedly, and each, if this one was to be judged, held at least something from Dr. Light himself. And while he wasn't sure as to what he would be doing, let alone Roll, maybe there was something...more to them than just a simple recording and some sort of alteration. Maybe, even if it was fanciful, and assuming such a thing was possible...maybe he, and to a degree, Roll reacted in such a way, was because they had come into contact with him.
Not just an excerpt from some recording, but him directly, in some way or another.
Note: Okay, here's hoping that this is enough to ward off some of the anger. Indeed guys, I am truly sorry about the wait. It really is great to hear that there is interest in this and I hope to please you with future installments. If anything, this is something to maybe show how I've grown since I first began long ago. Thank you all!
