Ghosts of the Past

[lithic_rune]

Title: Ghosts of the Past
Rating: PG
Fandom: X and classic
Summary: A dream. A memory. An attack. X doesn't have any idea what he's gotten himself into. Sometimes you can't escape the past.

Ghosts of the Past
Chapter One: Exposure To Elements May...

Do reploids dream of electric sheep?

X wanted to laugh. The question had been posed to him once, more as a joke than anything else. He could still hear Dr. Cain's dryly amused voice as he asked it. At the time, he'd been more confused than anything else. He'd never seen an electric sheep.

Do reploids dream of electric sheep?

No, doctor. That would be too normal.

"Hey, kid! Get out of the street! Idiot, you want to get run over?"

Startled, X hopped back as the irate driver who'd yelled at him drove past.

"Stupid kids and their stupid Halloween costumes..." Anything else the man might have said was lost as he got too far away for X to hear him.

It was all so very normal, and yet...

That was the crux of the problem, the thing that led X to believe that this was all just a very strange dream. Why did he assume I'm dressed up for Halloween? Why was he driving a car so old that looks so new? Why don't I see any other reploids? And that was just the surface of the situation.

X frowned as he took another look around the cityscape of his dream. He didn't recognize anything. No familiar faces, no familiar buildings. Even the roads seemed somehow different, right down to the way they were constructed. He tried listening to the communication frequencies. It wasn't silent, but it was all wrong. No one was using the regular channels, and it was like the Maverick Hunters weren't transmitting or receiving at all. And the technology...

He shook his head. "It's a dream," he said out loud, both to reassure himself and to hear something that was familiar. "It's not supposed to make any sense." He took a breath and let it out slowly, an unconscious habit he'd picked up from Dr. Cain. He didn't remember going to sleep, but yes, this must all just be a dream.

So what was his subconscious trying to tell him?

I suppose there's only one way to find out.

-

"Trick or treat!"

X smiled as he watched a group of children scamper past him, their costumes ranging from the average to the absurd. Each one clutched a bag or a bucket that rattled with candy, evidence of many previous stops before this house. This, he had long since realized, was the reason behind the man in the car's assumption.

It really is Halloween.

"Awesome! I got candy mets!"

"What? No fair! I want some too!"

"I'll share when we get home. C'mon, let's go to the next house!"

The kids ran by him again, barely sparing a glance in his direction. As far as they were concerned, he was just like them, just another Halloween-goer in the quest for sweets. Short as he was, and as dark as it was, he could easily pass for a pre-adolescent or early teen. He wasn't even the only one dressed as a robot. Blue ones seemed to be especially popular.

"Nice costume."

X blinked and looked to his side. One of the kids sat perched on a low brick wall, blue-booted feet dangling a few inches from the ground. Blue boots, blue helmet, blue gloves - he was another of those going with the theme of robot.

"Thanks," X said awkwardly. He wasn't wearing a costume. "You, too."

The boy grinned at the compliment, blue eyes sparkling with hidden laughter. "I'm Rockman!" he announced, thumbing his chest proudly. "I'm protecting the city from evil robots. Who are you?"

"I'm X." Though X tried his best to suppress his amusement, a smile still tugged at the corner of his lips. The costume wasn't perfect, but the fact that someone would want to masquerade as him, and with such enthusiasm, was more than a little flattering. "Patrolling, huh? Aren't you supposed to have a partner?"

Rockman shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose, but there aren't enough of us. We're all keeping eyes on different parts of the city. Don't worry," he said, flashing X a thumbs up sign. "I can take care of myself."

So he doesn't have anyone to go Trick or Treating with. Despite the fact that this was a dream, that felt wrong to X. Children shouldn't be left to wander the city alone at night, even if it was in a residential neighborhood. Mavericks, accidents, predators and criminals - bad things could happen in the suburbs just as easily as anywhere else. "I don't have a partner, either," he admitted. "Maybe we could work together?" He still had no idea what direction this dream was going in. This path seemed as good as any other.

Rockman gave him a funny look. "You sure I'm not too young for you?" he asked, stepping out of character for the first time. "I thought older kids liked to do Trick or Treating with other older kids."

"Nah," X said, grinning at the thought of Axl or Zero dressing up for Halloween. Axl would probably take to the idea with enthusiasm, but Zero... Might depend on the costume. "My friends are all busy right now. To be honest, I wasn't going to go Trick or Treating at all. I was just looking around."

"I wasn't gonna go Trick or Treating, either," Rockman admitted. "See? I didn't even bring a bag." His eyes drifted to X's empty hands. The same proof showed that X hadn't been lying.

Another group of children ran by, drawing X and Rockman's attention. The free spirited chaos that exuded from them seemed to fill the air with a sense of excitement. For a moment, X was tempted by the thought of joining in. But it wouldn't be real, he thought wistfully. Maybe when I wake up and it's Halloween... He shook his head and sat down on the wall next to Rockman. "So you really were patrolling?"

Rockman's eyes followed the children a little longer, looking almost melancholy. Finally, he tore his gaze away and looked at the ground. "No. Not really. Dr. Wily's in prison right now and most of his robots are dead. I don't think Forte will try anything, but if he does, the police'll contact me."

Dr. Wily. Forte. X tilted his head curiously. The second name meant nothing to him, but Dr. Wily was a name out of history. What little was known about him was broken and fragmented, and of course X hadn't made any real effort to look for him. The bits and pieces he'd learned had been byproducts of searching records about Dr. Light. "Dr. Wily's still alive?"

That earned him another odd look. "Yeah. At least, he was yesterday. He probably still is, or it would be in the news."

"Oh." The silence that followed wasn't nearly as awkward as it might have looked to an outsider. Rockman seemed content to study X. Wrapped up in his own thoughts, X didn't notice. Huh. Dr. Wily's still alive. He must be ancient by now.

What a weird dream.

"Hey, X?"

"Hm?"

"Are you a robot?"

X's head jerked up. "What?" Whatever question he'd been expecting, it hadn't been that. And... robot?

Rockman grinned wryly. "Your boots," he said, gesturing vaguely at X's legs. "They sound like mine when you walk. They're obviously made of metal. Pretty thick, too, from the sound of it. Most people wouldn't wanna wear something so heavy for a costume."

X blinked down at his feet, a flicker of surprise on his face. Of all the ways to be given away... Not that he'd been trying to pass himself off as human, but he hadn't exactly been announcing his true nature, either. This kid's pretty observant. He frowned then, glancing at Rockman's feet. The words he'd just spoken echoed in X's head. 'They sound like mine when you walk.'

"So, are you?"

Now it was X's turn to study the other. "Are you?" he countered.

The smaller boy gave a rueful chuckle instead of answering directly. "Neither of us is wearing a costume, are we? Guess I'm not the only one who thought I could blend in tonight." Without further preamble, he hopped down off the wall and turned to face X. "So, what do you want to do? Did you still want to hang out with me?"

X considered the question for a moment, then shrugged. "Sure. I really didn't have any plans." Besides. Rockman was... interesting.

"Neither did I," Rockman said. "But I bet Papa would like to meet you. Come on!" He held out his hand, eyes once again sparkling with excitement. "I'll show you where we live."

It was hard to argue in the face of such enthusiasm. X smiled as he took Rockman's hand.

The world disappeared around them.

-

Wham!

X collided painfully with the dirt, the world swimming around him as he tried to fight off his disorientation. What-?

"Time's up, X!" a scratchy voice cackled out gleefully. "Oh, don't look at me with such alarm. I'm only going to clean your clock!"

"X, get a hold of yourself!"

Zero. The world seemed to right itself. Zero. Clockwork Coyote. That's right. He hit me with that attack. With a groan, X picked himself up off the ground. The soft, shifting sand made it difficult to stand. Slowly, the memories of the past few hours started coming back. The hunt for this particular Maverick, their fight through the base, then the trap. Clockwork Coyote had been waiting for them, and the moment they'd shown up, he'd launched his attack.

Clockwork Coyote snickered. "Having a hard time there, X? Maybe still haunted by ghosts of the past? It wouldn't be surprising."

"What did you do to me?" X demanded through gritted teeth. He forced himself to focus on his surroundings. Sand and transparisteel. They were inside a giant hourglass, the same one Coyote had dropped on them at the start of this whole mess. Standing on the outside, Zero pounded his fist against the glass in frustration. It didn't even crack.

A broad smile spread across the vaguely canine reploid's face. "An illusion," he said smugly. "A prison of your own mind's making, and while you're stuck in it, that leaves me all the time in the world to turn you to scrap!" He lifted his buster again, its silvery chrome finish glinting ominously. "How about another demonstration?"

"How about not?" another voice growled from behind the Maverick.

Clockwork Coyote whirled around in surprise.

X's jaw dropped.

Rockman stood there with a look of grim determination, buster trained and unwavering. "I don't know what's going on," he said, "but if you think you're going to hurt X, think again!"

Coyote immediately snapped out of his shock. "Sand Storm!" he barked.

X cried out and shielded his eyes against the sudden blast of sand that battered his face and body. The world around him vanished, swallowed up by the stinging sand.

"X! Look out!"

Knowing better than to question Zero's command, X threw himself to one side. He had no idea what his partner had seen, or whatever he might have just dodged, but the fact that he wasn't hit by anything was good enough for him. Inwardly, his mind raced. He didn't dare fire blindly into the storm for fear of hitting Rockman. If he called out to the little blue bot, that would tell Clockwork Coyote exactly where he was. That left him on the defensive, at least until the storm died out.

"You think you can hide from me in my own storm?" The Maverick's voice, derisive and mocking, seemed to come from everywhere at once. "How quickly you forget. I don't need to see you to attack you, X! You or your friend!"

Even if he had seen it coming, he never would have been able to dodge.

Zero's voice chased after him into oblivion. "X!"

-

"X!"

X started, blinking rapidly at the wide, blue eyes that were mere inches from his face. Rockman pulled back, releasing a loud sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. Are you okay?"

X opened his mouth to respond, but the reflex response died before a single syllable escaped. Something was... off. He didn't know how to put it better than that. "I... don't know. Did something just happen?" Above them, the stars glinted innocently. Where were they?

Rockman bit his lip. "I'm not sure. I mean, we're here, so the teleport must've worked, but for a minute there I thought..." He trailed off, then shook his head and repeated, "I'm not sure."

X looked around to get his bearings, trying to remember where Rockman had been taking them. Home. His mind sluggishly supplied him with the answer. We were going to his home. To meet his father. There was only one building in the immediate vicinity, a conventional house with a domed structure visible behind it. Something about it seemed vaguely familiar, but for the life of him, X couldn't figure out why.

"Let's go talk to Papa," Rockman said. "Maybe he can tell us what happened. He can take a look at us, too, and make sure we're all right. I don't like how you were spaced out."

Troubled as he was by the events of the last few minutes, X wasn't sure he liked the idea of letting a stranger look at him. Given the problems he was having with his thought processes and memory, he strongly suspected that he'd have to allow Rockman's father access to his mental circuitry in order to scan for the cause. Such access was not something that he granted lightly. I'll see what he has to say when he scans Rockman.

The walk to Rockman's house was short, the security barriers at the edges of the property offering no protest. Rockman must have already transmitted the proper codes before they got there. If he hadn't been feeling so tense and uncertain, X could have almost enjoyed the beautiful scenery. The lawn was lush and green and plenty of trees dotted the hill they were located on.

"Papa, I'm home!" Rockman called out as he opened the door. He didn't seem alarmed when there was no answer, merely gesturing for X to follow him inside. "He's probably in the lab. He's got a project he's been working on."

Deeper and deeper they went into the house. X glanced about curiously, taking in all the details. It seemed that everywhere he looked, there was some tool or machine that he'd never seen. He could guess the purposes of some, but others were simply beyond him. Everything was neatly in place, and the freshly vacuumed carpet testified to someone's hard work. X's eyes lingered on the pictures on the wall. Rockman was there, and another robot with different colors but similar make. There was also a little blond girl. "Your family?"

Noticing where X's attention was directed, Rockman nodded and grinned. "Yeah. That's my sister Roll, and that's Blues. Roll's out running errands right now, and Blues..." He shrugged, a distant look in his eyes. "You never know when you'll see Blues. He doesn't really live here."

X sensed that there was a lot that Rockman wasn't saying, but it wasn't his place to pry, so he let the topic drop. Instead, he asked a question that had been bothering him since the earlier masquerade had dropped. "Rockman isn't your real name, is it?"

The question caught Rockman off guard and he stopped in his tracks to face X. "What? Of course it is. Well, my family usually calls me Rock, but-" Then realization dawned. "You thought I was just pretending?"

Now utterly confused and somewhat embarrassed, X rubbed the back of his neck. "It's just... you don't look at all like him." How could he come out and say that he was Rockman X?

Rockman stared at X like he was crazy. A door behind him opened. Rock opened his mouth to say something.

And X found himself face to face with a ghost from his past.

Chapter Two
Do Not Disconnect

If X had had a human heart, it would have stopped beating. A ghost. A dream. A memory. The rationalizations crowded into his head, but none of them felt right. None of them could possibly explain this. "Dr. Light..."

Dr. Light drew in a sharp breath. His face had paled about ten shades and his eyes were as wide as X's. "You... How can this be possible?"

"Papa?" Rockman looked back and forth between the two of them, brows furrowed in confusion. "You know him?"

X shook his head slowly, not at any specific thing, but in denial of the whole situation. "This is a dream," he said out loud. "This isn't real. You can't be..." But despite his protests, he couldn't help but soak in the features of his creator. He'd never seen Dr. Light in person, always as a hologram. It was surreal seeing him like this, seeing him so real.

Rockman frowned and opened his mouth-

-

X, snap out of it!

-

X staggered, feeling as though he'd been hit.

X!

"X!"

For a bizarre moment, Rockman's and Zero's voices seemed to merge, layering over each other in a blend of soprano/tenor. Then someone's arm was on him, holding him upright, and there was only Rock and Dr. Light. X stared dazedly into the worried face of his creator. The world drifted out of focus.

"X, what is it? What's wrong?"

He feels... real...

A small, gloved hand cautiously touched his other arm. "X?"

But that's impossible.

"He's not responding. Rock, help me move him. We need to get him into my lab."

He's dead.

There were hands on him. Someone was carrying him. He struggled to find something to focus on. Why did everything feel so muzzy and wrong? It didn't help that the world was tilting crazily. "What...?"

"There. Let's get him on that table. Don't worry, X. Everything's going to be all right."

The sense of motion stilled as he was eased up onto a cold, flat surface. X closed his eyes, grateful for that small relief. If only he could cut off all his senses, to reduce the flow of data to give him space to think, but he didn't know how to do that short of falling asleep. He didn't want to sleep. That kind of shutdown would be too complete.

He barely noticed when his helmet was pulled off his head.

There was a soft intake of breath somewhere near his ear. "Papa, he looks like-"

Gentle fingers pushed back his hair, seeking out a panel that no one should have known was there. No one except Dr. Cain, a few high ranking medics, and... his creator. "Yes. There is a definite family resemblance. Although, it's strange..." Dr. Light mused out loud as he began connecting cables and wires. "I had considered making him blond."

Stunned silence followed this proclamation.

"Oh, come now," the old scientist said with amusement. "Your sister is blond, too. It's a perfectly good hair color."

"That's not- I didn't-" Rockman paused to take a deep breath, then burst out incredulously, "You mean you made him? And you never told me? Papa, why-"

"No," Dr. Light cut him off. "I haven't made him yet. And therein lies the problem."

One more cable snapped into place, and suddenly X could think again. Diagnostic programs ran in the back of his head, programs that felt familiar but he knew had not been initiated by his systems. Another computer. He cracked his eyes open and followed the cables back to their source, an impressive looking machine that easily dominated the room. Information flew across the screen in programmer's green.

"Oh good. You're awake." X's attention immediately switched back to Dr. Light, who smiled at him kindly. "How are you feeling, X?"

With a frown, X pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Better," he admitted. "What did you do?"

"As of yet, I haven't done anything except hook you up to my computer." He glanced at the computer screen, taking in the results of the diagnoses. He pursed his lips at what he saw. "Something is tying up a significant portion of your resources. It's interfering with your ability to think and process information. You're compensating for it now by pulling processing power from my computer, but if I were to disconnect you, I suspect you'd quickly fall back into your earlier near-comatose state."

X furrowed his brows in confusion as he did a quick internal review. "I'm not running any extra programs. I'm not detecting the resource drain, either."

"Could it be a ghost program?" Rockman asked. "Or a virus? Something that could hide the fact that it's there?"

"A ghost program, perhaps, but certainly not a virus. I designed X to be immune to any and all viral attacks."

I designed X. Those three words were all it took to bring their minds sharply back to the topic they'd been avoiding.

It was Rockman who broached the subject first. "I don't understand," he said slowly. "If you haven't built X, how can he be here?"

Dr. Light stroked his full, white beard. "That's a good question. X, do you have an answer?"

X shook his head. He didn't even have a guess. "I thought it was a dream." An illusion. A prison of your own mind's making. The words drifted out of nowhere, not attached to any particular memory. X hesitated, then dismissed them as irrelevant. "I'm still not convinced it isn't."

"How do we prove it isn't a dream?"

Dr. Light smiled at Rockman's question. "We don't." Seeing the startled look on the young robot's face, he laughed. "The very nature of dreams makes it nearly impossible to prove or disprove them while they are occurring. The normal tricks for humans will not work for a robot - or an android, as the case may be. Any sensations they feel can be rationalized as a misfired signal or a recycled memory. Pinching X will not prove that he is awake."

"However," he continued, "in this case, it isn't necessary to prove that we aren't dreams. All X needs to do is assume that this is real until proven otherwise. If it isn't, the situation will be resolved soon enough."

X nodded thoughtfully. That made sense. And if all of this was real, however impossible it might seem, then he shouldn't waste time with his head in the sand. They needed to figure out what had happened. But...

He looked at Dr. Light and Rockman. Did he dare let himself believe?

Which reminded him. His gaze focused firmly on the small blue robot, who peered inquisitively back at him. "Who," he began awkwardly. "Who exactly are you?"

The other two exchanged glances. "I told you," the boy said. "I'm Rockman."

"Rock is the second sentient robot I created," Dr. Light added. He rested his hand on the boy's shoulder with obvious pride. "He is one of my greatest achievements, and I consider him like a son."

Something squeezed inside X's chest. Like a son. It was the first real clue he had for how Dr. Light personally viewed his creations. Am I...?

"Which makes me your older brother!" That simple declaration was made with a grin that threatened to split Rockman's face. "Isn't that right?"

Older brother.

"Of course, Rock." Dr. Light's voice was tinged with amusement.

I have... an older brother. And Dr. Light is our father.

He suddenly didn't want to believe it was a dream.

He blinked-

-

-and there was pain. Sand and pain and alarms screaming in his head for attention. X gasped at the sudden onslaught of sensation, curling up on his side - when had he fallen?

"This is the end for you, X." Clockwork Coyote loomed over him, wicked claws gleaming in the golden light. "Your time's run out."

With a groan, X struggled to get to his feet. The task was more difficult than he would have thought. He felt as though he'd been mauled. "I'm getting... really sick... of your puns," he said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, are you back with us now?" the Maverick asked with feigned surprise. "Well, better late than never, eh?"

"What-" X coughed. "What are you-?" He looked down at himself. Oh. He had been mauled. Fluids dripped from dozens of gaping wounds, and the crushed and crumpled areas of his body showed clearly where he'd been hit. When had all this happened?

What's wrong with X?

X froze. Rockman?

But there was no one there. Only him and Clockwork Coyote and...

Where was Zero?

I don't know. He isn't injured, but his internal diagnostics insist he is. And... none of these readings make any sense.

Dr. Light's voice was interrupted by Coyote's fist to his face. X fell back, his head cracking hard against the wall of glass. Momentarily stunned, it was all he could do not to slide back down to the ground.

"Did you enjoy your trip down memory lane?" Coyote asked. He bared his teeth in a malevolent grin. "Would you like me to send you back there one last time?" He morphed his arm into a buster, which he pointed at the wounded Hunter. "Or would you like to die in the present?"

There! I've located the ghost program! It's-

What? What is it?

X forced himself to ignore the voices. Now was not the time to be distracted. Shoving himself away from the wall, he launched himself to one side and activated his dash boots. "Neither," he said as he formed his own buster. "I have always and will always fight for the future!"

This is bad, Rock. Really bad. X isn't supposed to be here at all.

He peppered the air with plasma, aiming not so much for Coyote as he did for the Maverick's buster. This time he remembered. This time he knew exactly what that debilitating attack did, and he couldn't afford to be hit with it again.

Well, yeah, we already figured that out. What-?

No. I mean he isn't supposed to be here now.

"The future is filled with death, X!" The animaloid reploid jumped out of the way of X's attack, then cursed as X shifted his aim to follow him. "My death, your death, the deaths of all the reploids you kill! What kind of a future is that?"

If I'm right, that ghost program is what brought X here to begin with. It's trying to abort now, but the computer isn't letting it. If it were any smaller, I think it would have been pulled along with him. As it is, my computer is now anchoring X in the past.

X grimly quashed the feelings of guilt Coyote's words stirred. "A better future than the one the Mavericks offer."

Clockwork Coyote was on the defensive now. X decided to take a risk and started charging his buster. His opponent didn't seem to have any long range attacks besides the Sand Storm and the illusion or manipulation of time. The first one he could deal with. It was the second one he had to watch out for. Whatever it is, whether or not it's real or my imagination, he's still able to attack me while I'm in the past. His aching and bleeding body was testament to that.

I don't dare disconnect him. If those damage reports are anything to go by, he's fighting for his life. Any loss of resources could be devastating.

"Sand Storm!"

Sand whirled up into the air.

But not before X fired his buster. Coyote's howl of pain reached his ears despite the rushing wind, but X didn't take the time to savor the minor victory. He kicked on his dash boots again, speeding across the room to the last place he'd seen his enemy. If he moved fast, he just might have a chance. He ignored the pain as sand dug into his circuits.

So what can we do to help?

"Think again, X!"

Wham! It was like colliding with a wall of rock. Or a really tall, really solidly built Maverick. Quick as lightning, Coyote's arms caught him in a crushing grip. "I told you," he said. "I don't need to see you to be able to attack. I can find anything that moves in my sand!"

I think...

X gasped as Clockwork Coyote began to squeeze.

I have an idea.

"And now you die!"

Razor sharp claws tore into him, and this time he was fully aware as it happened.

-

Screaming.

Someone was screaming, and it sounded like X. Alarm shot through his systems, but he couldn't act on it. He was still stuck. Come on, he growled silently. Hurry up!

Slowly, too slowly, the world resolved around him. There was sand everywhere. Why does this feel familiar? He didn't ponder the question long, because his eyes immediately latched onto the bloody scene before him.

Rockman let out a strangled yell of horror. "X!" His buster was up in less time than it took to utter the syllable, and without thinking he fired off a shot. "Let him go!" he shouted angrily.

The red-and-chrome robot's head snapped up, just in time to take the blast full across the face, and he... merely grunted in surprise. One clawed hand went to his chin and rubbed it, heedless of the trail of ichor it left behind. "Was that supposed to hurt?" he asked with amusement.

"Maybe," Rockman retorted. He refused to be alarmed by the fact that this guy wasn't even fazed by his attack. It wouldn't be the first time he'd encountered an enemy that wasn't weak to simple buster plasma. "Or maybe I just wanted to get your attention. I said let him go!"

The robot bared his teeth in a wolf-like grin. With one arm, he tightened the grip he had on the weakly-struggling X, eliciting another cry of pain as his fingers sunk deeper. He held his other hand up in obvious invitation. "Make me."

Rockman's thoughts raced. What do I know about him? Sand. He likes sand. Maybe a water-based attack? He frowned. The only water-based weapon he had right now was Water Balloon. That might work on the sand, but would it really do anything against the likes of this robot? Only one way to find out.

The colors of his armor changed from shades of blue to purple and aqua as he activated the weapon. The robot's eyebrows - or the metallic ridges that served as them - rose in surprise. "Well now. And here I thought X was the only one who did that."

Rockman couldn't help the slightly cocky smile that crossed his face. "Guess I'm just full of surprises. Water Balloon!" It wasn't usually a smart idea to announce the name of your attack. He tried not to indulge in the impulse too often. However, this was a special case. This particular weapon's name was so absurd that no one would take it seriously. He could use that to his advantage.

His first globe of water splattered harmlessly against the ground.

"That was a warning shot," he blustered, trying to sound more threatening than he actually was. Or rather, that's what he wanted this guy to think he was trying. Rockman had every confidence in his own ability. "Now let X go before I get serious!"

The robot reacted exactly as expected.

He burst out laughing.

"Kid, I don't know where you came from, but I don't have time for this. Go find someone else to play with."

The next shot took him right in the head. The robot's laughter turned to a scream of anger and pain as energy-charged water splashed across his face, soaking into every crease and crevice and onto the sensitive circuitry beneath.

Serves you right for underestimating me! Rockman thought viciously. He was already moving, dashing forward while his opponent was distracted. He had to get to X. He had to-

"You little glitch!" The dog-like robot abruptly dropped X, who had, perhaps mercifully, passed out at some point. With a roar of rage, his enemy lunged for him. "I'm going to tear you to pieces!"

"Whoa!" Rockman ducked with a yelp, instinctively turning the motion into a slide. You never, ever stood still in a fight. Not if you wanted to avoid getting hit! As it was, those razor-sharp claws passed so close to his neck that he could feel the displaced air.

He fired another globe of water, but this time the other robot spun and dodged. His water-stung eyes gleamed with a crazed, red light, and he howled as he launched himself at Rockman again. "I'm going to make you regret the day you ever laid eyes on Clockwork Coyote!"

"And I'm going to make you regret the day you ever laid hands on X!"

Busy as he was just staying alive, Rockman barely had time to be startled as another robot dropped from the ceiling. This robot wasn't anywhere near as tall as Clockwork Coyote, but what he lacked in height, he more than made up in presence. He moved in a blur of red and gold and white, and somehow he kicked off of the air itself to change the angle of his fall.

He landed right in Clockwork Coyote's path, a blazing green sword out and ready to strike.

Coyote pulled up short, obviously wary of this new arrival. "Zero," he sneered. "I figured it was only a matter of time before you found a way in. Too bad you got here so late. Together, you and X might have stood a chance. As it is, I can easily take you out with my Time Prison, same as I did with him. Tell me, Zero. How would you like to see the past?"

"Not nearly as much as I'd like you to shut the hell up," Zero shot back. "You Mavericks talk way too much."

"So eager to die?"

The taunt only earned a smirk. "Nope. Just eager to kick your ass."

From the side, Rockman caught Zero's eyes. Neither of them knew who the other was, but they had both a friend and an enemy in common. Zero gave a subtle nod.

Let's do this.

Chapter Three
Input Values Carefully

Small as he was, the little kid knew what he was doing. Zero had to give him that. It was as though they had planned the attack in advance. Water shot out of that purple buster at the same time that Zero launched himself toward their opponent, his beam saber burning with the promise of death.

Clockwork Coyote was no idiot. He didn't just stand there waiting for either attack to hit. With a snarl, he jerked to one side to avoid the water, then lashed out and caught Zero's arm in mid strike. Zero barely had time to widen his eyes - Damn, he's fast! - before he was hurled through the air as though he weighed nothing.

"Sand Storm!"

Zero screwed his eyes shut to protect them from the flying grit. Of course, there was nothing he could do about the sand that dug into his armor as he crashed into the ground. Man, I'm going to be cleaning sand out of my joints for days... He shook the thought away and rolled to his feet, trying to get his bearings despite his lost sight. Where is he?

Splash!

Somewhere a little ahead of him and to his left, water splashed noisily against the ground. The sound repeated, then again, and again. Zero made a small noise of irritation. "Don't fire blindly hoping you'll hit something, kid! You're just wasting power!"

"I'm not!" his ally called back. His voice drifting through the storm of sand. Three more wet impacts sounded from three different directions. "Don't worry, I have a plan!"

"Plan all you want. It won't do either of you any good!"

Zero reacted instantly to the proximity of Coyote's voice. He cracked his eyes open and snapped his blade up, just in time to deflect the Maverick's slashing claws. Temporarily thwarted, Coyote pulled back and vanished into the cover of his sand. Zero growled with annoyance. Damn it. I hate hit and run tactics.

"You know, any time you want to share this plan with me would be nice!" he said out loud. He briefly debated trying to find his temporary partner, but decided they were probably better off apart. Two targets were harder to hit than one, and if one of them could keep the Maverick busy, that would give the other one time to pull off stunts like... whatever it was the kid was planning.

"Just a minute!" Splash! "I'm almost done!" Sploosh splash! "Just hold him off a little- ah!" His voice cut off in a cry of pain.

"You're not going to have time to do anything at all," Clockwork Coyote chortled. "After all, you know what they say. Time flies-" A metallic clang echoed as something - probably the little reploid - collided with the glass wall. "-when you're having fun!"

Throwing caution to the wind, Zero sprinted toward the source of that sound. If the kid was down, Zero was the only one left to protect him. Was it just his imagination, or was the sand storm dying out? He wasn't that close yet, but he almost thought he could see the crumpled form of his companion. Or was that X?

No, wait, it was both of them, lying barely a foot apart, and there was definitely less sand in the air. The kid groaned as he picked himself up off the ground. "Ugh. If I'd hit that any harder, people would have to call me Breakman." He laughed weakly. "I bet Blues would get a kick out of that."

Zero slid to a halt when he was close enough to get a good look at him. "How badly are you damaged?"

The boy shook his head, although whether it was in denial or to shake off the effects of the blow was difficult to tell. He wasn't noticeably dented or sparking, but that didn't mean something hadn't been jarred loose inside. "I'm fine," he said. "I've been hit harder than that. Some of Wily's inventions pack a really mean punch."

Wily?

Something in the back of Zero's mind flickered briefly at the name, but when he tried to grasp it, it slipped away. He frowned, then shook his head in irritation. Focus, Zero. Focus! There were far more important things to worry about, such as, you know, the Maverick they were currently fighting. Speaking of which... He let his eyes scan the room, trying to locate their opponent. "So. Time for a plan B?"

The kid glanced at him, then actually grinned. "Nope!" he said. "Plan A's working perfectly! Can't you see?"

Zero opened his mouth to ask what the hell the kid was talking about.

Clockwork Coyote beat him to it with a screech of outrage. "What did you do to my sand?"

Attention drawn, Zero blinked as he realized that, yes, he could see. While there was still sand in the air obscuring his vision, it was no longer enough to hide Clockwork Coyote on the other side of the room. He was also able to notice for the first time the dark, wet splotches that were scattered around the area - places where the kid had soaked the ground with water. Realization dawned and a slow grin spread across his face. "Ah. I see."

Clockwork Coyote seethed. "You think you're pretty smart, don't you."

"Either that or you're pretty dumb," the kid retorted cheerfully. "You're the one that took this long to figure out what I was doing. You should've stopped me before I got all your sand wet."

"It doesn't matter," the Maverick snapped. "I can still take you both out easily. Time-!"

Several things happened in the next moment. Zero's partner reached out and snagged his arm urgently. "Stay close to me!"

Clockwork Coyote brought his buster up, already whining with charged up energy. "Prison!"

And the kid's armor shifted, the colors melting from purple and aqua to brown and green. Zero's eyes widened.

A wave of rippling, eye-wrenching energy shot toward them.

"Astro Crush!"

The world exploded around them.

It took Zero several moments to realize that that was, literally, what was happening. The ground shook as meteors appeared out of nowhere collided, kicking up sand and leaving craters, but it was all happening around them. He, X, and the kid all seemed to be safely ensconced in an invisible bubble of protection.

"-long!"

Zero blinked as he realized that the kid was speaking, though it was difficult to hear him over all the noise. "What?"

"I said this isn't going to last long!" the other shouted. "And I don't know how much it'll actually hurt him!"

Zero nodded. "I think I can take care of the rest!" After all, he could see now.

And Clockwork Coyote was distracted.

With a grin and a nod of thanks to his companion, the blond Hunter darted out into the chaos. Weaving his way between rocks and explosions, he headed straight toward where he'd last seen his opponent. So far as he'd seen, the Maverick wasn't all that smart or imaginative, and except when he was deliberately trying to make himself difficult to locate, his movements tended to be fairly predictable. What that meant was that Clockwork Coyote should be right about...

There!

Zero's grin turned into something grim and determined as his eyes fell on the red and chrome reploid. He was distracted, his head whipping about as he tried to predict the path of the meteors and where the next explosion would be. It would be so easy to sneak up behind him. But that wouldn't be nearly as satisfying. Not after what he did to X.

Instead, he opened his mouth and shouted, "Hey, Coyote!"

The Maverick jerked around to face him.

Right in time to be impaled on Zero's saber.

"Next time," Zero growled, shoving the blade in deeper, "don't pick on someone when they can't fight back."

For a moment, the only thing Clockwork Coyote did was gape at him, as though it hadn't yet dawned on him that he was dead. Then his eyes dimmed and he toppled sideways. Zero deactivated his weapon before it could be dragged down with him.

Then, for the first time in what seemed like ages, silence reigned. Or near-silence, anyway. There was a low whine coming from the Maverick's body, indicating imminent core failure. Zero ignored it and turned to walk away.

One last explosion filled the air.

Zero didn't look back. Tch. Good riddance.

When he reached the other two reploids in the room, it was to find that the kid's armor had changed once again, this time to shades of blue. Zero's eyebrows lifted at that. But the kid spoke before he could.

"Is there somewhere we can take him?" He was kneeling by X's prone form, worry etched into every line of his face. "He needs help quickly. I could... I could probably keep him alive, if we have to travel far, but..."

Zero shook his head. "We're just a teleport away." He dropped down next to the two and scooped X up. "Put your hand on my shoulder and I'll take us there." He'd probably be chewed out for bringing an unknown element into the Hunter med bay, but he had questions and he wanted answers. Besides, he didn't think this kid was really a threat. Not to them.

He activated his communicator. -Zero to Lifesaver.-

-Yes?-

-You've got incoming.-

He didn't stick around long enough to catch the responding curses.

-

"Who is he?"

Zero glanced at the medic, then shrugged. "You know, I never did get his name." He quirked a wry smile. "We were kind of busy at the time just staying alive."

"Signas will love that," Lifesaver said dryly. "But that's for you to deal with, not me. The reason I ask is because I don't think he's a reploid."

That caught Zero's attention, so much so that he stopped facing the window in Lifesaver's office, stopped looking out at the still-unconscious X, and turned to stare at the medic instead. "What? What do you mean he's not a reploid?"

Lifesaver met the stare levelly. "I mean simply that. When we scanned him to see if he needed repairs, nothing we found made any sense. Some of the technology used in him is positively ancient, while the rest is on an order of brilliance the same as X's. There are similarities in his design, but too much is different. I don't believe that he was based off of X."

Which was, of course, prerequisite for being a replicate android. Zero nodded, understanding where Lifesaver was coming from now. "So, if he's not a reploid, what does that make him?"

"I don't know." Lifesaver joined him at the window, looking out into the room beyond. The med lab was a scene of organized chaos as medics rushed around tending to patients. X himself was left pretty much alone. His injuries had already been taken care of. Now they were just waiting for him to wake up. "His creator is probably the only one that has a word for what he or she made. To us, he is simply an original."

Zero pursed his lips, then frowned at the white and green medic. "You know, he probably knows a lot more about who and what he is than I do. Have you tried asking him?"

"I did, and he won't say. He says he needs to speak to X first."

Zero's frown deepened. There was something about all this that bothered him, something about the kid and X and the fight they'd been in earlier. He just couldn't put his finger on it. "I think I need to speak with him myself. Where is he?"

"He didn't need repairs, so he had no business being in the med lab," Lifesaver said. "Given the fact that he helped both you and X, I opted not to confine him to a holding cell. Until you or Signas had time to deal with him, I put him in the care of a Hunter who had nothing better to do, someone whose very nature encourages people to talk."

A slow feeling of dread crept into Zero's systems. Why did he have a feeling he knew exactly what was coming? "Who?"

Lifesaver smirked.

-

"I'm Axl! Who're you?"

Rockman sighed and rubbed his forehead, resisting the urge to groan out loud. "I told you. I'm not going to tell you until I talk to X. What part of that don't you understand?"

"The part where you're not telling me what to call you," Axl said cheerfully. He laced his fingers behind his head and kept walking, seeming not at all put off by how uncooperative his charge was being. "So either you tell me, or I pick a name for you. What's it gonna be?" When Rockman hesitated, Axl's green eyes glinted with mischief. "Seriously, you might not like the name I choose."

Rockman snorted softly. After all the names he'd been called by Wily and his robots, he didn't think anything this guy came up with could really irritate him. "Just so long as it's not 'blueberry.'"

"Well, what do you know!" Axl exclaimed. "That's exactly the name I was thinking! Hello, Blueberry. It's nice to meet you!"

This time, Rockman did groan. He'd really walked right into that one. "Okay, okay. I give in. My name is... My name is Rock." He still didn't think it was a good idea to tell these people who he was. Not until after he'd talked to X. X might not have recognized him, but he'd definitely heard the name Rockman, so he must still be famous even in this time. Famous and apparently looking somewhat different.

Hopefully, no one would connect plain old "Rock" with the famous Rockman.

Axl grinned with triumph. "See? That wasn't so hard. So, Rock. What'd you do that got Lifesaver so pissed?"

Rockman eyed his companion with a look of bemusement. "Uh... Weren't you the one he was yelling at?"

"Well, yeah," the taller boy admitted. "But he was obviously already annoyed when I came in. You can't pin all the blame on me. So spill. Tell me what happened."

This wasn't anything like the way Lifesaver had tried to interrogate him. In fact, Rockman wondered if Axl was even in on what was going on, or if he was exactly what he seemed, a hapless bystander who'd been roped into guarding an unauthorized visitor. Their walk certainly seemed aimless enough. For lack of any evidence one way or another, Rockman shrugged and decided to go along with it. "I did the same thing I did with you. I wouldn't tell him anything."

Axl nodded as though that explained everything. "Yeah, that'd do it. Lifesaver doesn't like when people don't cooperate with him." He turned his head and tossed Rockman a grin. "In case you couldn't tell, he has a few control issues."

"I think I gathered that," Rockman said wryly. You'd have to be blind and deaf not to figure that out.

"I don't suppose you're willing to tell me what happened to X." At Rockman's wary look, Axl snorted and dropped his hands to his sides. "Come on, I'm not stupid. You showed up at the same time that X and Zero got back from their mission. You're not authorized to be here, but here you are, and the only way that could have happened is if someone with a lot of rank warped you in himself. The number of high ranking Hunters who've come back recently stands at two, and one of them was unconscious. It doesn't take a whole lot to put the pieces together."

Again, Rockman hesitated, but this time it was for different reasons. "I'm not sure how much I should tell you. I don't know how this place operates. It might be classified."

For a moment, Axl seemed inclined to argue. But only for a moment. With a scowl and grumble, he nodded, conceding the point. "I'm just worried," he said. "X is my friend."

That was something that Rockman could understand. "He'll be okay," he said, feeling sympathetic. "He just got a little beat up." Okay, so maybe that was an understatement, but Axl didn't need to know that. There wasn't anything he could do, so worrying wouldn't help. Besides, while a sense of urgency had definitely been present in the med lab, the medics hadn't seemed overly alarmed. Almost like... "Does this happen often?"

Axl blinked. "Are you kidding?" he said incredulously. "We're talking about X here. You do know who X is, don't you?"

"Er..." Yes, as a matter of fact, he did, but obviously not in the way Axl was thinking. Rockman floundered a little, not sure how much to admit. "Sort of? I mean, I'd never met him before all this." That was true enough, if a bit misleading.

Axl continued to look at him strangely for a moment before he nodded, the expression clearing. "Yeah, I guess it is hard to separate fact from rumor. Hah! It's hard even if you work with the Hunters!"

For what seemed like the hundredth time since he'd come here, Rockman had to refrain from asking what the Hunters did. Apparently it was supposed to be common knowledge. If he asked, people would want to know why he didn't know, and he was dodging enough questions as it is.

They turned a corner.

"It happens more often than a lot of people think," Axl said, answering the question seriously now. "But not as often as the worst rumors say. We're Hunters. We get hurt. It's a fact of life. But we also watch each other's backs. If we need help, it's there for us. I can't count the number of times X and Zero have saved my life." With a cocky grin he added, "Not that I don't save their butts, too. X and Zero wouldn't know what to do without me!"

"We'd throw a party," a voice behind them said dryly. "To celebrate our return to sanity. What stories are you telling him, Axl?"

Although Rockman was startled by Zero's sudden appearance, Axl just turned his head and grinned at him. "Nothing," he said in a voice too sweet to be believed. "Right, Rock? C'mon, back me up on this one."

"Uhh..." Now how was he supposed to respond to that?

With a simple roll of his eyes, Zero solved the problem for him. "Whatever he told you, don't believe a word of it, kid. Half the time when Axl speaks, the only thing coming out is hot air."

"Hey!"

Rockman had to stifle a giggle. Something about these two... It reminded him a little of himself and Blues. Axl caught the look on his face and shot him a scowl, obviously feeling betrayed. Rockman just grinned. He'd never declared himself to be on the redhead's side.

"So, Rock, is it?" Zero held out his hand to the young robot. "I never did get to thank you for your help with that Maverick. I don't think things would have turned out nearly so well without you."

Rockman accepted the hand and shook it. "You're welcome. And I'm glad you were there, too. I'm not sure if I could have beat him on my own."

"You know, I still don't know what happened," Axl cut in, sounding very annoyed. "Lifesaver just said he was too busy to answer questions and Rock didn't know if it was classified. It's not, is it? Not if you're bringing it up out here in the hall?"

From the amused look on Zero's face, Rockman half-expected the blond Hunter to refuse to tell Axl anything just to rile him up. In the end, though, he shook his head. "Just a standard mission, Axl. X and I responded to a report of Maverick activity, but got separated by the Maverick in question. The bastard had a few tricks up his sleeve and used them to beat up X. That's when Rock showed up." He suddenly frowned, giving Rock a hard look. "How did you get in there anyway? That place was sealed until I cut a hole in the roof."

Rockman grimaced. Darn it, why did the conversation always have to come back to this? "I can't tell you," he said lamely, avoiding Zero's eyes. "Not until after I talk to X."

Zero pursed his lips, clearly not pleased with Rockman's answer. Axl just stood there looking frustrated and confused.

Surprisingly, it was Axl who spoke first. "Why X?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest. "You said you'd never met him before."

"I..." Rockman scuffed his foot on the ground. "It's personal." Taking a deep breath, he finally looked back up. "Look, I know it doesn't make sense, but can't you just drop it for now? Please?"

Axl opened his mouth to say something, but Zero stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Answer one question first," he said. "It's something I think I already know the answer to, so you won't be revealing anything I haven't already guessed, but I want it confirmed. Then we'll leave you alone until after you talk to X."

Rockman hesitated, then nodded once. One question. He could probably deal with that. "Okay."

For a moment, Zero didn't say anything. Instead, he gestured toward a nearby room, then led the way inside. It wasn't until after privacy was assured that he spoke again. "In the fight with Clockwork Coyote, you used two weapons that made the color of your armor different from what it is now."

Rockman noticed with a sinking feeling the way Axl's head jerked up in surprise. Clockwork Coyote had been surprised, too, and Zero was taking an interest. Was something like that really so uncommon? But it was a fact that he couldn't refute, so reluctantly he nodded.

That was all the cue Zero needed to get straight to the point. His eyes drilled into Rockman as he asked his one question. "Are you related to Rockman X?"

Chapter Four
Back Up And Delete

Rockman stared at him. "Rockman... X?"

Zero's eyes narrowed and he made a sound of impatience. "Yes, X. You do remember X, don't you? Green eyes, blue armor, about so tall." He gestured with one hand to indicate X's height. "You recently helped me save his life. Surely you haven't forgotten."

No, he hadn't forgotten. It was just... Rockman X? Who decided to name him that? It couldn't have been Dr. Light. Even when he'd built Rock from Blues' schematics, creating a nearly identical twin, he'd still given him a unique name. He knew that he and X were different people. Had someone mistaken X for him? Although, this did explain why X hadn't thought he looked like Rockman...

Zero cleared his throat.

Oh. Right. He still had a question to answer. Rockman suddenly found it very hard not to fidget. Could he lie and get away with it? The thought sat uncomfortably with him. So did the idea of backing out after he'd already given his word. So what could he say?

"I'm already pretty certain what the answer is," Zero reminded him. "Do you want me to give you my point by point reasoning?"

"I would," Axl muttered. "Seriously, Zero, what the hell is going on?"

Zero ignored him in favor of watching Rock.

There really was no getting out of this. Rockman sighed, feeling very tired. "Yes," he said. "Yes, I'm related to X. No, I don't want to talk about it. I'm not sure I understand it all myself. Now, is there anything we can do while we wait for X that isn't going to feel awkward?"

From Axl's poleaxed expression and his squawked "what?", it was pretty easy to guess the answer to that. Zero, on the other hand, didn't look nearly so surprised. He just quirked a grin and shook his head at his fellow Hunter.

"No more questions, Axl. That was the deal."

Axl boggled at him. "But Zero-!"

The blond Hunter slung an arm around his shoulder, effectively cutting him off, and cheerfully started for the door. "Come on. I think I know what we all can do until X wakes up."

Relieved that he wasn't going to be questioned further, Rockman followed after them. Still, he couldn't help but frown. Promise or no promise, it just seemed a little too easy how quickly Zero had let the issue drop. How much did he already know? How did he know? Or was there something else that Rockman was missing?

Then he spotted the gleam in Zero's eyes and all those thoughts flew out of his head. Suddenly, it occurred to him that he had something much more immediate to worry about.

What does he have planned?

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"I thought as much. Besides, you seem... familiar." -Zero