Mega Man X didn't know what was going on. One moment he was walking down the hall to the Maverick Hunter's Headquarters, the next he's running down the hall at top speed being chased by Mavericks.

" How did they get in!?" he demanded. He quickly blasted behind him, striking Wheel Gator in the chest. He quickly turned the corner. Ahead of him, a green and orange robot was battling Flame Stag. " Chip!" X cried. The robot ducked Flame Stag's attack and followed X. X was a far more experienced Hunter ( not to mention Chip's idol) and Chip knew better than to argue. He followed X down the hall, the Mavericks close behind him.

" We're going to go protect Dr. Cain?" Chip asked. X smiled. He was fond of Chip. He was far more intelligent than the other rookies and was far more chivalrous. He would always put human life above his own and his programing. Chip was doing his very best to keep up with X, which was rather hard to do.

" Yes, we must protect Dr. Cain. You go find him. I'll distract them!" X said as he skidded to a stop. Chip gazed back at him.

" You can count on me!" Chip said as he ran as fast as he could. X watched him go, then charged up his blaster. He watched as Flame Stag dashed around the corner. Before Flame Stag could react, X blasted him full in the face. Flame Stag flew backwards, crashing into Chill Penguin. X turned and ran for the lab.

" That should have bought Chip some time...," X thought. He smiled as he heard Flame Stag and Chill Penguin curse after him. X ran down the halls helping Maverick Hunters deal with the intruders. He found Chip in the lab valiantly defending Dr. Cain. Spark Mandrill was blasting Chip and didn't notice X. X leaped up and smashed Spark Mandrill in the back of the head. Then, he flipped the Maverick out the door. X noticed that the Hunters were far outnumbered. All the Mavericks from previous battles were there. It seemed as not one Maverick was left out. " Hunters! In here! QUICK!!" he yelled. All the hunters in the area ran into the lab and X slammed the door shut. He braced the door as Zero, an experienced hunter just like X, grabbed chairs and desks and stacked them against the door. Breathing heavily, X looked at the Hunters. " Is everyone here?" he asked.

" I'm not sure..., I think we're missing a few rookies..," Zero said. Chip walked up to him.

" I know I saw Hook and Drill bite the dust! Flame Stag got to them...," he said. X nodded.

" What I want to know is how they got in here!" X said, rubbing his chin. There was silence. X listened to the pounding of the Mavericks as they tried to break through the door. He heard a crash and whirled around. Chip yelled in surprise and anger. Vile, second-in-command Maverick, stood on the windowsill, smiling wickedly at them. X leaped forward and stood no more than five feet from him. He charged his blaster up.

" No need to get all worked up," Vile hissed in his creepy voice. Every time X heard it, his temper grew short and his circuits boil.

" Oh really? I suppose you have a visitor's pass?" Chip asked. X smiled a bit. Chip really had a way with words. Vile glared at Chip, who glared right back.

" Really, X. I had expected more from a Hunter. Even a rookie," he said, cruelly.

" What would you know about Hunters?" Chip demanded, walking up to X.

" Sigma was one once," Vile said.

" WAS. He ain't any more! He couldn't handle it! Don't compare Hunters to reject never-was robots like Sigma!" Chip snapped, standing tall and defiant. The Hunters cheered in agreement as they prepared to give Vile a nasty beating. Vile stood there, staring at X. X stared calmly back at him. X thought he heard a snicker come from Vile but he wasn't sure. He noticed movement from behind Vile. Suddenly, Wire Sponge leaped up and shot one of his razor vines at Chip. Before X knew what he was doing, he leaped in front of Chip to protect him. To everyone's surprise, including Vile's, X shuddered as the vine smashed through his stomach. At that moment, chaos broke loose. The Hunters leaped at Vile and Wire Sponge. X felt the vine rip out of him. Shudders ran through his body continuously as his circuits shut down. Getting weak and dizzy, X couldn't see what was happening around him. He heard yells and blasts but he saw nothing. He struggled to his feet and forced himself to focus his eyes. He could barely make out Chip battling Vile. X felt someone touch his shoulder. He turned and saw Dr. Cain, or at least some of Dr. Cain. Zero leaped over to them and picked X up. X wanted to yell out a complaint but was too weak to. Then, he passed out.

" Give it up, Rookie! How can you expect to defeat ME?" Vile laughed as he dodged one of Chip's blasts.

" I can try!" Chip snapped as he blasted Vile through a window. Vile landed with a THUMP on the sidewalk below. Chip didn't have time to see if Vile survived. He noticed something. " The building's going to collapse!" he cried.

" Chip! Over here!" another Rookie yelled. Chip followed him and they escaped the building. They found all the other Hunters outside the building, standing about twenty five feet away. Zero was holding X in his arms as Dr. Cain examined him. Just then, the entire Maverick Hunter Headquarters came crashing down to the ground, destroying three other buildings. Zero stared, horrified.

" Well, Sir, now what do we do?" a Rookie asked.

" I haven't a clue," Zero said.

The Hunters were gathered in an abandoned building. Dr. Cain was working on X while the others stood by. Chip stared at his feet, thinking. Zero was sitting on a crate.

" What do you think we should do now?" a Rookie asked Chip. He was a white and purple reploid.

" If only I had been able to get to that murderous scumbag Wire Sponge! I'd show HIM what a big mistake he made!" Chip snarled. His eyes glowed blood red as he thought about X. NOBODY wounded HIS idol and got away with it! Kip stared at him.

" Chip, we can't go out seeking revenge! Remember that the Headquarter's destroyed!" Kip scolded.

" Well, Kip, I guess we need to look for a temporary base, until we can get the Headquarters rebuilt. How long should that take?" Chip said.

" Well, if we help..," Kip began to calculate on his fingers. He was an extremely intelligent Rookie and Chip's best friend. He would have been a rocket scientist if he wasn't a Hunter. " It should be done in about two months. That is IF we help. If we don't, four months," he said.

" Alright, two months' better than four...," Zero said as he stood up. Kip stared, horrified. He didn't know that Zero had heard. Zero walked over to him and patted him on the back. " Okay. Kip, you and about half of the Hunters will gather some metools and start construction on the building. Since you're so smart, you will create the designs. I want it flawless!" Zero said. Kip smiled, embarrassed. " The rest of you, I want you to start patrolling the city, looking for a temporary shelter. Also, if you see any Mavericks, try to destroy them without getting yourself destroyed. Be sneaky. I don't care how you kill them. We'll beat them at their own game!" The Hunters nodded in agreement. Kip lead half of the Hunters off to a construction site. Chip was about to follow Kip when Zero grabbed him.

" What..? Did I do something wrong?" Chip asked. Zero shook his head.

" No. I want you to help me. We need to move X to a safe place. I noticed that you're a pretty good Hunter. You can help me," Zero said. Chip smiled widely.

" I'd be honored!" Chip said. He followed Zero over to Dr. Cain. Gently, Zero picked X up. Dr. Cain followed. They walked up to the roof. The remaining half of the Hunters took off. A single Rookie, a large fierce looking yellow reploid, walked up to Chip. Chip grew nervous.

" So, you think you're better than us now, huh?" the yellow reploid asked.

" What are you talking about, Gig?" Chip asked, surprised.

" Zero's going to be very disappointed! He'll know he should have picked me!" the yellow reploid snapped, ignoring Chip's question. Then, he stalked off. Zero didn't hear a word of it. Chip tried his best to forget what Gig said. He ran after Zero.

Kip was having great trouble with the building of the new Headquarters. He had the plans all laid out and everyone had to agree that the new Headquarters would be superior than the last. But, they first had to clear the rubble. And when they did, they found Mavericks that had been trapped beneath the rubble. They had to fight and destroy them AND clear the rubble. Though, they finally got the rubble cleared. Then, they began repair the foundation. One Hunter, an experience veteran, approached Kip.

" Let me see the plans again," he said. Kip showed him the plans, nervously. Nodding, the Hunter commented on it's 'great design' and went back to work. Kip felt himself puff up with pride. Usually, he was a very shy and under confident reploid. Now that he had proven his worth, his confidence jumped. Smiling brightly, he began to help with the construction. All the Hunters worked vigorously and with extreme enthusiasm. They took the destruction of the Headquarters as an insult and refused to let it go unanswered.

Chip had never seen so many Mavericks in his life. It seemed as though all the Mavericks had decided to attack the little group and not the construction site of the new Headquarters. X moaned slightly as Zero leaped over a blast. Zero blasted Storm Eagle then leaped over to a different building.

" They obviously want to destroy X now before he can be fixed!" Chip exclaimed as he blasted Neon Tiger in the hindquarters. Zero, carrying X in his arms and Dr. Cain on his back, and Chip leaped over the roof tops. Roof top to roof top they jumped. Chip blasted the Mavericks that came too close to them. They raced through the city, Mavericks in hot pursuit.

" This way! Quick!" Zero yelled to Chip as he leaped to the street below. Chip followed as best as he could. As they dodged parked cars and Maverick blasts, Zero spied a great building to hide in. He wasn't being cowardly, it was just a stupid idea to try to fight with a wounded Hunter in your arms and a human scientist on your back. He had to put their safety over his ego. He signaled Chip. " That building!!" he whispered. Chip nodded.

" I'll distract them, you go to the building! I'll meet you there," Chip said. Before Zero could answer, Chip was up on the roof tops. He blasted the Mavericks, drawing them towards him. Angered, they chased him over the roof tops. Zero and Dr. Cain got in to the building. As they walked through, the floor boards creaked unhappily. Suddenly, without warning, the the floor beneath them and the floor above them collapsed. Zero, Dr. Cain, and X went crashing through the floor. The floor above them sealed up the hole. Dr. Cain screamed for Chip but they got no answer. Then, they disappeared in to the darkness.

Zero shook his head. Slowly he opened his eyes and gasped. He was in a cavern, obviously deep in the ground. He looked over at Dr. Cain, who was sitting up and rubbing his head. He was battered and bruised but not much else.

" Do you think this is a Maverick hideout?" Dr. Cain asked. Zero shrugged. He walked over to X's body and checked him. Then, seeing that X was okay, he went to explored the cavern. Dr. Cain began to work on X. An hour later, there was a large rumble and Chip landed with a 'kerthunk' right on his rear. He flinched and smiled weakly. He stood up and gazed around. He smiled at them as he dusted himself off.

" I found you! I had lost those Mavericks. When I got into the building, I started to clear the rubble. Then, I fell through and the whole building collapsed!" Chip explained. He saw Zero and ran after him to help explore. Later, X was awake. Dr. Cain had fixed him as best as he could but even that wasn't enough. X leaned against the wall. Dr. Cain had been able to fix some of X's internal circuits but most were still badly damaged and the opening was still wide open. Dr. Cain ripped a bit of his coat and wrapped it around X, to protect X's internals. X was nowhere near out of the danger zone. He drifted in and out of consciousness.

" Come on, Chip. We'll go check on the others. Do you think you'll be safe?" Zero said, to Dr. Cain and X.

" Just because I'm wounded, I'm not any less a threat!" X whispered, not very convincing. Zero laughed. He and Chip leaped up the entrance. They blasted the rubble away so they could exit. Then, they covered the entrance. After they were sure it was safe, they made their way to the construction site of the new Headquarters.

Kip was beginning to worry about Chip and Zero. It had been a day and a half since they last saw them.

" What could they be doing?" he thought. The new Headquarters was coming along a bit faster than predicted. It had a rocky start but now construction was as smooth as ice. The other half of the Hunters had arrived and were helping. The foundation was being cemented and some Hunters were gathering materials for the frame. Kip inspected the cement and smiled at the Hunter next to him." Wait 'til those stupid Mavericks get a load of THIS!" he said.

Chip never felt so good in his life. It was a joy to actually work with a superior officer. It made him feel more than just a Rookie. With this in mind, he leaped and jumped from building to building.

" Well, Chip, we are almost at the new Headquarters construction site. Do you think your friend has done a good job?" Zero said.

" Kip will do a good job, even if it kills him!" Chip answered. Zero laughed. As they approached the new building, something inside of Chip went cold. Chip stopped and gazed around. Then, he gasped and glared. He felt his blue eyes begin to glow and his teeth grit. Zero stopped to see what was wrong. Then, he saw. On a skyscraper a few feet away was Vile and Wire Sponge. They were watching them. There was no telling how long they had been there. Zero glanced at Chip. Chip was trembling with anger, his eyes blood red. His blaster was charging up. Chip was still incredibly angry about what happened to X. Zero couldn't blame him. His hero had been hurt saving him. That was a blow Chip would never forget.

" Greetings, Zero!" Vile called. Chip all but growled. Vile and Wire Sponge leaped to the building top Zero and Chip were on. Wire Sponge took one look at Chip and knew that if a battle broke out, Chip would be at him like a dog on a bone. It was the way Chip looked at him. Obviously imagining his death.

" Hello, scumbucket," Zero answered. Vile didn't seem riled by it.

" What's the matter, Vile? Gave up on picking on the wounded like a vulture?" Chip hissed. Vile stared at him.

" You mean X?" Vile asked.

" Who'd you think I meant? Who else would you not fight in fair combat? How many OTHER reploids have you wounded then hunted like dogs? Perhaps your mother, if you HAD one? I wouldn't put it past you!" Chip snapped. Vile stared in to Chip's eyes. He saw disgust and rage but not what he wanted to see. He didn't see any fear. Vile looked back at Zero.

" Where have you been?" Vile asked, ignoring Chip.

" Why do you want to know?" Zero asked. Vile laughed. Then, he abruptly stopped and glared.

" Enough of this! Were is X? Where are you hiding him?" he snarled.

" Vulture! You're too cowardly to face him when he's well so you'll face him when he's wounded! We will never tell you!" Chip screamed. Vile whirled around, planning on dealing the smart mouth Rookie a blow across the face. Instead, HE received a punch in the stomach. Surprised, he fell backwards. Wire Sponge leaped between them, planning on defending Vile.

" Time to pay, Maverick!" Zero snapped as he pulled out his saber.

" Just for that blow, Rookie, YOU will die first!" Vile hissed as he pointed at Chip. Wire Sponge leaped at Chip. Chip accepted the challenge, pure glee shining in his red eyes. Zero fired at Vile. Vile leaped out of the way and returned a shot. Zero dodged the blast and rammed Vile, sending him flying across the building's roof. Vile leaped to his feet and shot three blasts at Zero. Zero managed to dodge two but was hit by the third.

" Damn you Vile!" Zero yelled. Chip was enjoying HIS battle. He fired two shots at Wire Sponge, one high and the other low. They both crashed in to the Maverick. Wire Sponge fell face first on to the roof. Chip leaped up. Just before Chip could land on his head and crush it, Wire Sponge leaped to his feet and dashed away. He leaped to a different building. Surprised, Wire Sponge saw Chip jumping after him. They chased each other over the roof tops. Chip blasted Wire Sponge in the back, causing him to go crashing to the ground level. Then Chip leaped down after him, a grin of pure malice and delight on his face. Zero attacked Vile even more fierce than before. They fired back and forth. Vile jerked up, unable to ignore Wire Sponge's screams of pain that echoed through the city. Suddenly, Chip appeared on the roof top Vile and Zero were fighting on. In his hand was Wire Sponge's head.

" Hey Vile! You seem to be having trouble finding good help! Seems a Rookie can defeat a Maverick Boss with great ease!" Zero mocked. Vile began to become afraid. Afraid of the Rookie that stared at him so hard. The Rookie that held Wire Sponge's head in his hand and smiled viciously. The Rookie that had death in his eye. Vile's death.

" You seem to be a bit busy. I guess we can finish this conversation another time!" Vile said. Then, he teleported away. Chip blinked, surprised. Then, he narrowed his eyes.

" COWARD!!!! VULTURE!!!!" Chip screamed on the top of his metallic lungs. " VULTURE!!!" Zero put his hand on Chip's shoulder.

" Come one, Chip. Let's go," Zero said. Chip stared at Zero, rage still burning bright in his eyes. But, as he looked at Zero, the rage slowly diminished. Chip nodded. They continued on their way to the construction site.

Chip and Zero were getting very close to the construction site. Chip smugly juggled Wire Sponge's head in his hand as he leaped over buildings. Zero stopped and stood on a building, staring. Chip stopped next to him and looked. The were at the site. The foundation was completely finished and the reploids and metools were building the frame now. The foundation had been enlarged. The building was twice as big as before.

" Chip! Zero! Where's X?" Kip cried as he waved. Zero and Chip leaped over to him. Kip seemed relieved.

" X is safe," Zero said. Kip smiled.

" Good! I was getting worried. How do you like the construction?" Kip asked.

" It's coming fast, but, we need to hurry. Mavericks could attack at any time and we need to be ready for them," Zero said. Chip nodded.

" I think Vile's probably gone home to get re-inforcements," Chip said.

" If he has, we'll be ready!" Kip said. Zero nodded.

X forced himself to his feet. His stomach still hurt and according to Dr. Cain, he was still in danger of dying. X was beginning to wish the end would come and be done with it. Every step, every move, he learned a new kind of pain. He slowly walked over to Dr. Cain, who was asleep. Smiling slowly, X turned and began to do his own exploring. As he walked around, his senses began going crazy as if he was being watched. At first X ignored it, thinking that his system was acting up. But, after a few minutes, he couldn't ignore it. He cautiously looked around, in corners and crevices. Suddenly, X felt something shoot out and trip him. Falling on his back, X gave a startled cry. Dr. Cain woke up with a start and screamed. X stared, horrified. Standing over him was a tall purple, red, and blue reploid holding a huge wooden staff. He held it threateningly, with a blunt end pressed against X's throat. The reploid's green eyes shined dangerously.

" We don't like trespassers around here! Especially Mavericks!!" he hissed. X stared, confused.

" What are you talking about? He's no Maverick!" Dr. Cain yelled. The reploid glared at him.

" He's not, eh?" he snarled, not in the least convinced. He pressed a bit harder with his staff, causing X to gag. " Who are you, Maverick? What are you called? Why have you come here?" the reploid snarled, jabbing X.

" I am a Hunter! My name is Mega Man X!" X managed to say, though the reploid's staff was pressing hard against his throat.

" Humph! You look like a Maverick to ME!" the reploid growled.

" BO!!!" a voice screamed. The reploid whirled around. X gasped. A beautiful female reploid that had blonde hair, blue eyes, and wore a pink ski-outfit ran over to them.

" MEGA MAN!!!" the blonde reploid cried as she ran up to him. X stared, blankly.

" Roll! Be careful!" Bo cautioned, clutching his staff. Roll peered at X.

" Mega Man? Don't you recognize me?" she asked. X shook his head slowly. Dr. Cain walked up to them. " How can't you remember me?" Roll demanded.

" Miss, I am afraid Mega Man X has absolutely no memory of his past. His memory only goes back to when I reactivated him when I found him in an abandoned lab!" Dr. Cain explained. Roll gasped, horrified. X peered at her.

" Am I supposed to know you?" he asked. Roll frowned slightly.

" Of course you are! I was an important person in your life!" Roll cried. Hot tears began to slide down her face. X's eyes widened.

" I really am sorry but I don't remember you at all!" X said, sadly. Roll smiled at X. She hugged him and wiped away her tears.

" He said you'd come back to us eventually...," she whispered.

" Who ARE you? Why don't I remember you?" X asked, almost hysterical. They knew him but he didn't know them! Why did he not know them if they knew him? Why did she cry when she learned that he didn't know her?

" I am Roll, your little sister! I don't know why you don't remember...," Roll began. She gave a startled cry when she looked at X. X had fainted.

X slowly walked down a hall with white walls, white roof, and a grey floor. It wasn't any hall he recognized but it felt very familiar. He heard voices around him.

" Mega Man! Please! Do you remember me?" a voice called. It was that girl, Roll. He looked about him but found no one. Shrugging, he continued down the endless hallway.

" Where am I going? Where am I?" he thought. " This place looks so familiar...," X whispered.

" It should...," a voice said, from right behind him. It sounded like Dr. Light. X whirled around. No one. X continued on his way, cautiously.

" Why should it?" X asked.

" You were created here. You lived here before you became what you are now," the voice whispered. X did not answer immediately. He stood there, silent. He thought the idea over and over.

" No. This is a trick. Those Mavericks are behind this. You are trying to make me believe lies!" X said.

" Mega Man, if you remembered, you would know we are not lying," the voice answered.

" Mega Man, why don't you remember us?" a voice demanded.

" Who are you?" X asked.

" I am called Proto Man. You do not remember?" the voice sounded hurt. " How could you forget, Mega Man?" the voice snapped. X had enough.

" I am Mega Man X!" X yelled.

" You are Mega Man!" the voices, in union, screamed at him.

" NO!!! I AM X!!!!!" X screamed.

X slowly regained consciousness. His eyes were still closed but at least he could think. He felt so weak. What had happened to him was blank at the moment. A few minutes later, it came back to him. He had passed out.

" I have a sister? Why did I not know this before?" he thought. He had not fainted just because of the shock of this discovery. He realized this the moment he tried to shift his weight in to a more comfortable position. Pain ran through his body like electricity. He shuddered and tried to scream in agony but the pain was so great that it silenced him. Just when he thought he was about to die, the pain stopped. X collapsed. He heard a voice, speaking to him.

" Mega Man? Mega Man? Please! Can you hear me?" it was a female voice. Roll! She sounded as if she was crying.

" Hey, man! Wake up! Open ya peepers!" X recognized that voice. It was Bo's. X strained desperately to open his eyes. They slowly opened. He saw Roll, Dr. Cain, Bo, and another reploid leaning over him. He didn't recognize that reploid. He wore red armor, a red helmet, black shades, and a yellow scarf around his neck. He peered intently at X. Along with the reploid there was a cat reploid, a dog reploid, and a bird reploid. The dog was VERY happy to see him.

" Mega Man?" he asked. X moaned.

" Don't try to move X! You'll cause yourself pain again!" Dr. Cain cautioned. X went rigid. The memory of the pain he felt would never leave him. " You over strained yourself! I told you that you were in critical condition!" Dr. Cain scolded. X managed to frown.

" Dr. Cain, is scolding me going to do anything at all to help?" X asked.

" No, but it makes me feel better!" Dr. Cain answered. He walked off somewhere. X wanted to turn to see where Dr. Cain had gone but was too afraid of causing himself that horrible pain again. So he paid attention to the strange reploid.

" I am glad you've finally come! I knew you would!" the strange reploid said, his voice full of joy.

" I've explained to him about your memory loss. Mega Man, don't you remember a THING?" Roll asked, her voice slightly pleading. X was about to answer when an imaged flashed in his mind. He gazed at the strange reploid again and was surprised.

" I... I recognize you!" he gasped. " I have seen you before!" Roll looked shocked. The strange reploid stared at him. " Your name... is... Proto Man!" X cried. " That's... all I remember...," X said, as he tried his best to think. The reploid stared.

" Yes, I am Proto Man. I am your older brother!" the reploid answered. " The dog's YOUR dog, Rush! The cat's Tango and the bird's Beat. I was hoping you'd notice that Beat doesn't look like he used to. We had him changed to look like a hawk. More streamlined..," Proto Man added, slightly sad. X stared, confused. Dr. Cain walked back up to X.

" We haven't got the parts to fix you here..," Dr. Cain said. Then, and only then, did X realize where he was. It looked like a giant lab. X's eyes opened wide. Dr. Cain noticed it. " That hole we fell in was an entrance to a secret base. This base is full of rebels! They are against the Mavericks," he explained. X faked a smile.

" Wonderful. Now, what was that you said about being unable to fix me?" X said.

" They have a variety of parts, but, I can't use them on you. They aren't the same size or style. It's like trying to put a monster truck wheel on a toy wagon. I'm sorry...," Dr. Cain said. X sighed. " We will have to wait until the Headquarter's is rebuilt," Dr. Cain said.

" We can't wait that long! Those Mavericks won't wait until it's done! They're probably regrouping right now!" X said. Dr, Cain sighed.

" Let me check up on the damage," he said. X held still, trying not to cringe, as Dr. Cain checked out his wound. " Um, Roll, you told me that you were originally a robot without feelings. What happened?" Dr. Cain asked as he worked, trying to relieve tension.

" I was remodeled. A friend of ours worked on us and upgraded all of us in to reploids. Our friend then began to work on other reploids. He died before he could finish...," Roll said. Dr. Cain nodded. He grabbed the cloth he had used as a bandage, washed it in a bucket of water near him, and wrapped X up again. Proto Man, who had been thinking to himself, spoke up.

" I just thought of something, Mega Man..," Proto Man began.

" Call me X," X said.

" Alright, X..," Proto Man said with a sigh. " Bo, Roll, and I will take some of the rebels and go help the Hunters with their Headquarter's," Bo nodded, along with Roll. Dr. Cain seemed to be thinking.

" Hold on. I'm going to create a reploid to come with you. Something tells me that there are probably some new Mavericks in the construction... we are going to need all the help we can get," Dr. Cain said. He walked off, with X watching.

" Damn it! I want to help!" X snarled.

" You haven't changed a bit, you know that?" Proto Man laughed.

" You mean I was always like this?" X asked. Proto Man and Roll nodded.

" Mind giving me a history lesson?" X asked. Just then, Dr. Cain walked back up to them.

" Roll, you had said that you had a transformation chip somewhere," Dr. Cain said.

" Transformation chip?" X asked.

" Yes. It's a chip that has the ability to turn an object from one thing in to another! I could make an incredible weapon with it!" Dr. Cain said. Roll motioned in a direction and they both took off. Proto Man watched them go.

" I have to go. I have something to do," he said, abruptly. Then, he turned and walked away. X stared after him, surprised. He looked at Bo.

" Sorry, man. I don't know a thing about your past," Bo said. X sighed and closed his eyes. It seemed like the only sensible thing he could do. In a few minutes he was fast asleep.

" You failed?" a voice asked. A figure surrounded in shadow sat high on a throne. It stared hard at Vile, who knelt before it. Around Vile, also kneeling, were the Mavericks that survived the attack on the Maverick Hunter's Headquarters. Vile was shaking as he stared at the figure. The X- Hunters shifted uncomfortably.

" Not really, sir. The Maverick Hunter's Headquarter's demolished, X is seriously wounded and probably dead by now. There's no way they can fix him. They no longer have any of the equipment they need in order to fix him. He was leaking a lot of vital fluid when I last saw him. If he isn't dead yet, he's in great pain at this very moment," Vile quickly explained. The figure stared at him, silent. None of the Mavericks spoke. Wheel Gator shivered slightly when the figure looked at him.

" Can any of you verify this? Where's Wire Sponge?" the figure asked. Wheel Gator cleared his throat.

" X was greatly damaged, Master. Zero had to carry him because he passed out. Wire Sponge wasn't careful and was killed by a Rookie..," Wheel Gator stuttered. The Mavericks nodded in agreement.

" Is that all you have to say?" the figure said, threateningly. Vile cringed.

" No, Master. The new Mavericks are almost complete. Out of the seven, five are operational!" Storm Eagle cut in, quickly.

" That is good news," the figure said. Suddenly, the door flew open.

" Sir, you will not believe what I just found!" Dr. Doppler said as he ran into the room. The figure stared at him. " I can track X by his fluid I managed to get from Wire Sponge's vine! I am getting a signal at this very moment!" Dr. Doppler explained, very excited. The Mavericks sighed quietly with relief. Now that X could be found, their master would not get mad at them.

" Very good Doppler! When all of the new Mavericks are operational, send them out! X, I believe, SHOULDN'T be any trouble...," the figure said as he eyed Vile. Vile squirmed. He knew what his master meant. If Vile was wrong about X's condition, his life would end. In a painful way. Vile held his breath, crossed his fingers behind his back, and prayed.

X ran through the hall, the very same hall he had been in before. He was being chased by an unseen enemy. Panting heavily, X peered back. To his surprise, there stood a short old man with a gray mustache and hair. He stood there, smiling evilly. X stopped running.

" Who are you?" X demanded. The old man stared.

" You do not recognize me? Your greatest foe from the past? I am so glad I made such a lasting impression!" The old man said, slightly annoyed.

" Sorry to disappoint you! Now, who are you?" X snapped.

" Think, Mega Man," the man said.

" My NAME is Mega Man X!" X snapped.

" Is it? Are you sure? How can you be positive? Could it be that the name you have gone by for so long is nothing more than a lie? That all this time, you have been something that really doesn't exist?" the old man asked.

" YOU are the one who doesn't exist!" X hissed.

" Oh but I do! You see, I know my REAL name! You used to, too. I am Dr. Wily! Does the name ring a bell?" the old man laughed.

" Dr. Wily?" X whispered, unsure of the name. Suddenly voices around him began to chant the name.

" Dr. Wily.....,"

" Dr. Wily.....,"

" X! Wake up!" someone yelled. X was rudely awaken as he felt someone slap his face over and over. Except, he didn't mind it that much. At least he wasn't dreaming any more. X groggily opened his eyes. Bo stood over him.

" X! It's time to meet the new reploid!" Bo said, smiling. X snorted.

" My replacement?" X asked.

" If you wish to think of me as it," a voice said. The voice was full of sarcasm. X stared at the reploid. It was light gray and white. What caught X's eye was the brown wolf tail and ears the reploid possessed. The reploid stared at him, confidently, with his shining green eyes.

" Who are YOU?" X asked, surprised.

" I am Met. NOT after those stupid Metools, mind you. It's short for Metamorphosis. Which is something I can do!" the reploid said. He leaped in the air and, with a bright flash, transformed into a huge wolf. He was very lifelike. It was impossible to tell that he was really a reploid. " You see? Am I not wonderful?" Met asked, not in the least bit humble.

" How.... who...?" X began.

" Dr. Cain built me, DUH! Did you forget everything when you were in 'lala land'?" Met said.

" Actually, I was remembering stuff...," X whispered. Met's ears pricked up. He remained silent. Dr. Cain walked in. Roll was with him.

" I see you are introduced! Again! You knew Met way back when, X...," Roll said. X jerked. " Met's old body was destroyed. Dr. Cain built him a new one! I only hope...," Roll added. She appeared to want to say more but she didn't. Met smiled widely.

" We need to head for the Headquarters. Bo, will you stay here with X? I don't think it's a good idea to drag a wounded Hunter around the streets. Especially when there are Mavericks hunting for him..," Dr. Cain said.

" I'm moving X to the Guest Section. This whole base is under a huge cavern that lies beneath the city. The cavern is pretty big. The base occupies this section," Bo said as he pointed at a map on the wall. " The Guest Section is over here. We have a special projector that makes a wall appear between the base and the Guest Section. In case the base is attacked, they won't find the Guest Section and vise versa," Bo added as he pointed at the opposite side of the cavern. " It's far from the actual base, so it's quiet and peaceful, and there's an underground river a little ways down! The river flows down the cavern. Then the cavern opens up. Concealing the entrance is a waterfall in the forest outside of the city. It's absolutely gorgeous! He'll be able to rest up very well!" Bo said. He walked over and picked up X.

" What do you think you are DOING?" X demanded. " I can walk! I am not a child! PUT ME DOWN!!!" X screamed as Bo carried him. Roll laughed as she heard X scream insults and threats at Bo. Then, she turned to Dr. Cain.

" I just thought of something. Where's Proto Man?" she asked.

" YEOW!!!" Proto Man cried as he was shot in the rear. Behind him, a squad of fifteen Hunters chased after him. Leading them was Zero.

" Maverick scum! What have you done to X?" Zero yelled as he shot at Proto Man. Proto Man leaped and dodged the blasts, cursing.

" You stupid old mule! I am not a Maverick!" Proto Man snapped.

" I think you are!" Zero snapped. Proto Man leaped down to the street below. He hid behind a car and waited. Zero and his squad looked around for him. Proto Man quietly slid down a manhole that was under the car. He then ran down the sewer. Suddenly, the street above him collapsed and there stood Zero, smiling. " Got you!" he hissed.

" Oh yeah? Well, get THIS!" Proto Man yelled as he blasted Zero in the face. Zero flew backwards. Proto Man continued to run down the sewer. He heard the Hunters right behind him. He jumped up another manhole, and ran on the street. He jerked to a stop. Before him was Dr. Cain, Roll, and the new reploid Met. Zero burst up the manhole behind Proto Man. Proto Man ran and hid behind Dr. Cain, who was completely surprised.

" What's going on?" Dr. Cain asked.

" That freaky Hunter's trying to kill me!" Proto Man said as he pointed at Zero. Zero crouched.

" Don't worry, Dr. Cain, we have that Maverick surrounded!" Zero said. The squad made a circle around Dr. Cain and Proto Man. " Release the hostage, Maverick! There's no escape!" Zero yelled at Proto Man. Proto Man stared, stupefied and frightened. All the Hunters aimed at him. Met growled.

" He's gone Maverick! Can I kill him?" Met hissed as he pointed at Zero.

" What are you talking about? He's no Maverick!" Dr. Cain scolded Met. " And Proto Man is no Maverick either!" Dr. Cain yelled at Zero. Roll stepped forward.

" He's my brother! What do you think you are doing?" she yelled at Zero. Dr. Cain began to walk towards Zero. Proto Man scurried behind him, watching Zero.

" Put your cannon up! NOW!" Dr. Cain said.

" Not until he releases you!" Zero said.

" He's not a Maverick!" Dr. Cain said.

" He wouldn't listen to me!" Proto Man said as he glared at Zero. Zero pointed his blaster at Proto Man's head. Met suddenly leaped up, in wolf form, and knocked Zero down.

" The doctor said to put the cannon up! I suggest you do it!" Met growled, his wolf fangs glistening. Zero obeyed. Then, Met let him up.

" What has gotten into you?" Dr. Cain demanded. Zero brushed himself off.

" We caught that Maverick...," Zero began.

" He is not a Maverick!" Roll snapped.

" He claimed to be X's brother!" Zero yelled. The Hunters around him muttered in agreement.

" So? It's true! I'm X's sister!" Roll snapped, hands on her hips.

" It's true!" Dr. Cain assured them. Zero stared, surprised. The Hunters gasped, then stared at each other, sheepishly.

" He was telling the truth?" Zero asked as he pointed at Proto Man. Proto Man glared coldly.

" YES!!" Proto Man snapped.

" Well, he should have said so," Zero snapped.

" I DID!!" Proto Man screamed. " But you refused to listen! You just blasted at me!" Zero remained silent. Proto Man continued fuming for about ten minutes. He told Zero exactly what he thought of him. Finally, Zero had enough. He began telling Proto Man what HE thought of HIM. This led to more fuming. Met, unwilling to be left out, instantly broke in and told both of them what HE thought of THEM. Met completely blew Zero and Proto Man away. When it seemed that Met had run out, he came back with a fresh batch of insults. Finally, he stopped.

" Did he run out?" Roll whispered.

" I didn't. I just thought that THEY were more important," Met said as he pointed at a roof top. Everyone gazed up. There, on the roof top, were Mavericks. Flame Mammoth, Toxic Sea Horse, Chill Penguin, and Spark Mandrill to name a few. Vile was also there.

" Zero! So nice to run in to you! Perhaps you are ready to tell where X is now? Or do we have to kill you?" Vile said.

" Go sit on a tack you horrible facsimile of a famous purple dinosaur!" Proto Man snapped. Vile motioned to Flame Mammoth, who leaped to the ground, causing an earthquake when he landed.

" Whoa! No hope in Weight Watchers!" Met exclaimed. Flame Mammoth trumpeted loudly. " Am I supposed to be frightened?" Met asked. " You couldn't even frighten a grandma! THIS is how you do it!" Met snapped. Suddenly, he tilted his head back and howled a hideous howl. The buildings shook violently. All the reploids, Maverick and Hunter alike, fell backwards yelling in pain. Dr. Cain shuttered. Windows cracked and walls collapsed. Finally, Met stopped. He smiled viciously at Flame Mammoth. " Care to try again?" Met asked, sweetly. Flame Mammoth stepped backwards. " You ain't goin' anywhere!" Met snapped as he leaped at Flame Mammoth. Flame Mammoth turned and ran as fast as he could, which wasn't very fast considering that he was a huge reploid elephant. Met easily caught him. Zero leaped up the building, followed by the squad of Hunters. Proto Man remained with Dr. Cain and Roll, to protect them. The Hunters blasted the Mavericks. Zero fought with Vile.

" Did you not say we would finish this later? Well, seems 'later' was sooner than you thought!" Zero snapped as he shot at Vile. Vile jumped and returned fire. Bubble Crab leaped up and grabbed Zero, who turned and began to fight with him. Vile jumped to the streets below, planning on killing Dr. Cain.

" Move, you run down worthless piece of hardware!" Vile hissed when Proto Man aimed at him.

" WORTHLESS? I am hardly THAT..," Proto Man laughed as he blasted Vile. Vile flew backwards, surprised. He landed roughly, after being bashed painfully against a building. Proto Man smiled as he stood before Dr. Cain. " You shouldn't be so quick to taunt your ELDERS, Maverick," Proto Man scoffed. Vile forced himself to his feet, watching Proto Man intently.

" You seem proud of being old!" Vile said as he slowly circled Proto Man.

" I am! Old means EXPERIENCED," Proto Man hissed as he aimed at Vile's head. Proto Man suddenly whirled and blasted a Maverick, Chill Penguin, who had been trying to sneak up on Dr. Cain. Chill Penguin fell down, destroyed. Proto Man then quickly did a back flip and bashed Vile across the face with his cannon. Vile crashed backwards into a car. " I am too experienced to fall for THAT!!!" Proto Man taunted. Vile painfully stood up. He forced a laugh.

" Perhaps you are right about that. But, old can also mean run down!" Vile snarled. He charged Proto Man, who stood his ground.

X's eyes jerked open. He knew he had heard something. He hadn't been sleeping, only thinking. But, his thinking had stopped the moment he had heard the sound. The sound of foot steps. X forced himself to his feet, ignoring the gnawing pain in his stomach. He gazed about the small room he was in. It had a bed, dresser with a mirror, and a few other luxuries. X slowly walked to the door to his room. Outside, he found nothing. He heard the sound of the underground river as it made it's way to the outside world. The sound was rather soothing to X. X looked about him, still a bit unnerved. His small room was quite a ways from the base, in a far corner of the cavern, so it was very quiet.

" Perhaps that is what is bothering me," X thought. " I am not used to so much quiet," X looked at his stomach. He saw the bit of cloth wrapped around it. The cloth was stained with oil and X felt queasy when he looked at it. " I wonder where Bo is..," X mumbled. Then it hit him like a brick. Where WAS Bo? He had been standing outside the door only a few minutes ago. X felt his uneasiness turn to panic. " Something's wrong! I know it is!" he thought. He glanced around and began to look for Bo. His stomach was forgotten. As he walked, he felt himself shiver. Something was watching. X began to walk quickly down to the river. Whatever it was, it couldn't be friendly. If it was, it wouldn't be hiding. X grew surprised when he made it to the river without incident. X silently scolded himself for panicking. He walked to the river bank and peered in. Something looked back up at him. X practically jumped backwards, giving a startled cry. He fell backwards and gasped in pain as his stomach was jolted. He slowly peered back in to the water. Whatever was there before was gone now. X crawled away from the water. X glanced at his wound, making sure the fall didn't do any serious damage.

" What are you doing out here?" someone asked. X jumped up. He whirled around, expecting the worse. Instead of the worst, he found Bo. X sighed in relief.

" Where did you go? I was sure I heard something! I saw something looking at me from in the water!" X said as he pointed at the river. Bo looked at the water, then at him.

" Are you sure you weren't delirious?" Bo asked.

" No, I'm not sure," X admitted.

" It might be something, it might not," Bo said.

" Don't patronize me!" X snapped. Bo smiled. But the smile quickly turned to a frown. He seemed to be staring hard at something. X followed his gaze. X gave a startled cry. A few feet off was none other than Agile, smiling widely. Behind him was Serges and Violen. Both looked very smug. " Agile! Serges! Violen!" X gasped. He felt a sharp pain in his stomach. The pain was returning. Bo peered at him.

" Friends of yours?" Bo hissed. X couldn't answer because the pain was beginning to become unbearable. He gritted his teeth and backed away. " Greetings! Am I right to assume you are friends of Mega Man X?" Bo asked, calmly. The X-Hunters smiled at eachother.

" You could say that. Do you mind if we chat with our 'friend' for a minute?" Agile said. X cringed. Bo began to walk up to the X-Hunters. X tried to yell out a warning but the pain prevented it. He stared at the X-Hunters, horrified. Bo wasn't very far from them now.

" X doesn't seem very happy to see you!" Bo pointed out.

" I can't imagine why!" Violen giggled. X tried to walk over to Bo, to get him away from the X-Hunters, but stopped when the pain shot through him.

" I can," Bo said. He looked at X. " You aren't his friends!" Bo snarled. Agile frowned. " You're here to kill him!" Bo snapped. " Why else would you bring MAVERICKS?" Bo transformed his arm into a cannon and shot across the cavern. From behind a rock, a huge lion Maverick with a mane of flame leaped out of the way of the blast. Bo then whirled around and knocked Agile over with his staff. He held it, threateningly.

" Fool! You should have stayed out of this! Now you'll have to die!" Serges hissed. Bo laughed.

" Easier said than done!" he mocked. Agile, who was still on the ground, smiled up at Bo.

" I think we will find it very easy to do!" he laughed. Quickly, he tripped Bo and leaped to his feet. Agile grabbed his saber and tried to bring it down on Bo. Bo's staff met Agile's sword. Bo got to his feet, his staff still locked with Agile's sword. X crouched as Serges and Violen approached him. The lion Maverick slowly approached as well. Behind a rock, to X's surprise, Bit and Byte leaped forward. To X's even greater surprise, five other Mavericks appeared. There was a cheetah wearing neon green and black armor, twin Siamese cats wearing blue and red armor, a cobra wearing gray and black, and a weird flying unicorn wearing blue, silver, and white. X couldn't help but notice that the cheetah had a walkman and headphones and was wearing rollerblades. Another Maverick, a blue water dragon wearing light blue and gray armor, leaped out of the river.

" All this for little old me? I'm touched!" X laughed.

" Our boss wasn't sure if you were really as bad off as Vile claimed. Vile was correct! You're weak as a kitten!" the flying unicorn laughed.

" I can still blast your heads off!" X screamed.

" Ahh, X! Brave to the very end," Bit taunted.

" The very end!" Byte echoed.

" The end hasn't come yet!" X snapped.

" Yes, it has!" Serges growled as he leaped at X. Even though X was wounded, he easily evaded Serges. A fact the other Mavericks couldn't help but rub in.

" What's the matter, dude? Can't the big bad X-Hunter catch a wounded X?" the cheetah called.

" Aaaw, don't be mean! X is very tough! Even if he IS missing his stomach!" Bit laughed. Serges huffed and puffed. X quietly stood where he was, completely surrounded. There was nowhere he could go, he noted grimly. The Mavericks continued to mock Serges. Suddenly, Agile leaped in to the circle and made a grab for X. X fell backwards as he tried to evade Agile.

" IDIOTS! Let's get out of here!" Agile yelled at the Mavericks around him as he grabbed X's arm. Bo leaped up and slammed Agile in the face with his staff.

" Can't escape me THAT easily!" Bo growled. Before X could gather his thoughts, a pair of strong arms wrapped around him. One around the chest, the other his stomach. X screamed in pain as the arms squeezed. Thankfully, the arm around his stomach loosened instantly. He felt himself lift high in the air. He gazed up to see who had him. It was the flying unicorn. X wanted to struggle but when the unicorn had squeezed, it had caused X's pain to multiply. It wasn't as bad as it was earlier but it was still bad. X felt very dizzy. Suddenly, everything went black.

Zero, who had been blasting Mavericks on the roof tops, jumped down to check on Dr. Cain. He found Met, in wolf form, chewing on Flame Mammoth.

" Tastes just like chicken!" Met assured Zero. Zero gagged. Met leaped away from the body and transformed back to his reploid form. They then both ran to check on Dr. Cain. When they got to him, they found Proto Man battling Vile. Met, out of the corner of his eye, saw Spark Mandrill sneaking up on them. Met whirled around and sunk his fangs into Spark Mandrill's hand. Spark Mandrill screamed. It was a weird sight. Met, in reploid form, with his teeth sunk in Spark Mandrill's hand. Then, Met turned into a wolf and leaped at Spark Mandrill's face. His teeth sunk deep into Spark Mandrill's neck. Met's claws racked Spark Mandrill's armor as he slashed at him. Zero was too stunned at Met's brutality to do anything. He just stood there, staring. Suddenly, one of Spark Mandrill's legs flew at him. Zero leaped out of the way to avoid being hit. Met leaped away from the body and bared his teeth. In his mouth was Spark Mandrill's arm. Spark Mandrill was in pieces, scattered all over the street. Vile and Proto Man had stopped fighting and had seen Met rip up the Maverick. Proto Man shook his head grimly. He knew Met. Had known him before he had been destroyed. Vile, on the other had, stood absolutely still. He was frightened out of his wits. Met had destroyed Spark Mandrill's armor as if it was nothing more than paper. Met turned and stared at Vile. His eyes narrowed dangerously. All the Mavericks stood still, not making a sound. All of them had seen Spark Mandrill's slaughter. Met spit out Spark Mandrill's arm and slowly began to walk towards Vile. Vile was glued to his place, frozen in fear. Just when Met was close enough to leap, Storm Eagle flew down and grabbed Vile, pulling him to safety. Met hissed and snapped at Storm Eagle's feet. The Mavericks stared at Met, who growled viciously at them.

" You had a close shave, Vile! Seems you failed!" Zero laughed.

" Shows how much YOU know! This is exactly what we planned!" Vile laughed.

" I always thought when someone fought, they planned on winning. But, hey, if you WANT to lose then who am I to disagree?" Met laughed. All the Hunters giggled. Vile stared, angry.

" This was a DIVERSION!!" Vile yelled.

" Of course! I understand! You were bored and absolutely had to get out of the house! Losing and making yourself look stupid is much more fun than playing Monopoly! Great way to pass the time!" Met said. The Hunters laughed loudly.

" We were sent to delay you! At this moment, X is probably in our fortress! We found a way to track him! We sent our new Mavericks out to retrieve him while we stalled you! What do you have to say to that?" Vile yelled. The Mavericks laughed. The Hunters stared at each other. How could Met make a come-back to that?

" I'd say you are a stupid donkey to brag about it! Because, I now know of it! If X is in your fortress, then I'll just get him out!" Met said, smugly. " I'll just sneak in at night and rip your throat out! Think I can't? Take a look at your pal!" Met said as he pointed at Spark Mandrill. Or at least what was left of him. " And furthermore, I think you all are....," curse words poured out of Met's mouth. Every Maverick reared backwards as they heard him. Vile must have turned bright red under his helmet. The Hunters didn't know whether to cheer Met on or scold him for his terrible language. When Met was done, he smiled viciously and winked. " Have I made myself clear?" he asked, sweetly.

" Yes. Perfectly," Vile managed to say. " But you should know that, next time we meet, I will destroy you!" he added. Then, he and the Mavericks quickly teleported away. Met snorted.

" Talk about cheezy lines!" he said, not in the least bit upset. The Hunters gazed at him, expectantly. He turned to them. " I'm going to find their fortress," Met said. Zero and Proto Man stared at eachother. Met turned to walk off. Proto Man tried to follow. Met whirled around. " Wrong! You are needed at the Maverick Hunter's Headquarters!" Met growled.

" If X is in trouble, I want to help!" Proto Man protested. Zero walked up to him.

" I want to go too! X is a good friend of mine!" Zero said. Met stared at them.

" Fine," Met sighed. Chip, who was among the Hunters in the squad, approached.

" May I go too, sir?" he asked. Zero peered at Met and Proto Man.

" I guess he can come, IF he can take care of himself!" Met said.

" Yes sir! I can!" Chip said. Met snorted. Gig, who was also among the group, frowned and growled to himself.

" Hunters, back to base!" Zero commanded. The squad of Hunters lead Dr. Cain and Roll on their way to the Headquarters construction site. Met watched them go.

" How do you plan on finding them?" Proto Man asked.

" I have a great sense of smell. I know X's scent by heart! I'll just follow him!" Met said. " He's too wounded to teleport so they'd have to travel by foot, water, or air to get to the fortress! I can track them down easily!" Met added with a laugh.

" Man are those Mavericks dumb!" Proto Man giggled. " It's so obvious!" Zero smiled.

" Let's go!" he said, smiling viciously. The group disappeared in to the shadows.

" Mega Man! Can you hear me?" someone called. X jumped, startled. Then, he moaned. He was in that hallway again! X looked around for whoever it was that was going to torture him THIS time. To his surprise, he found Dr. Light staring at him.

" Dr. Light?" X asked.

" Yes, Mega Man," Dr. Light said as he nodded.

" Why do you people insist on calling me that? I am Mega Man X!" X growled. Dr. Light sighed.

" I will call you that if you wish," he said.

" Thank you," X said, relieved. Dr. Light walked up to him.

" X, something is about to happen. Not immediately, but it's about to. I'm not sure what it is but I have a feeling it won't be a nice experience! X... there's a chip I need to tell you about...," Dr. Light said. X didn't seem to hear this. He regarded Dr. Light.

" Yeah yeah, later! When will this nasty experience happen?" X asked.

" I am not entirely sure. At any time," Dr. Light said.

" I'll be ready!" X said, determined. Dr. Light smiled.

" Be careful Mega Man X," he said. Then, he disappeared. X stood where he was, silent for a while. Lost in thought, he didn't see the weird figure approaching him.

" Mega Man," the figure said, scornfully. X whirled around, very angry.

" I AM MEGA MAN X!!!" he screamed at the figure, completely losing his temper. The figure jumped back, surprised. X glared at the figure. It was a reploid wearing black armor. Next to him was a huge robot dog. " Who are you?" X asked, angry. The reploid laughed.

" I am Bass! This is my dog, Treble! Well, Mega Man... X!" Bass added the X part very quickly. " I'm surprised that you don't remember us! We did, after all, steal the very upgrades intended for you and Rush!" he said. X narrowed his eyes slightly.

" Get lost. I don't feel like talking to you!" he growled. Bass smiled.

" You can't get away from me! I'm in your head!" Bass giggled. X narrowed his eyes even more. A small smile spread across his face.

" Then why don't I just blast you to itty bitty pieces?" he asked.

" Because I will just come back! I am a ghost, in a way. You can't kill me! Your mind will just recreate me!" Bass laughed. X snarled.

" I can at least have the satisfaction of seeing you blow up!" he yelled. He charged up his arm cannon and blasted Bass. Bass exploded. Treble merely looked at him. X walked away, in a huff. The hall became foggy. X found that he could no longer see where he was going. He stopped walking and gazed about. Suddenly, a sharp pain ran through his stomach. X doubled over. Everything seemed to disappear. Into blackness.

X slowly regained consciousness. His eyes were still shut. He didn't have the strength to open them. He heard voices.

" He looks pretty bad," one voice said.

" He won't last long in his condition," another said.

" Is that BAD?" another snapped.

" It is when I haven't had the chance to access his memory core!" the second voice hissed. Memory core! X felt his heart miss a beat.

" That's bad," the first voice agreed. X suddenly felt himself grow tired. He had wasted all the energy he had just waking up.

" Damn! I need to stay awake!" he thought. But, after a few minutes, the thought of sleep became very inviting. Before X could do anything about it, he was again unconscious.

" Have you found a scent yet, Met?" Zero asked as they gazed about the cavern. They had returned to the base and had found Bo, who was VERY angry.

" I should have known! I was so busy fighting that Agile guy I didn't even notice!" he growled. " I can't believe I failed him like that!"

" You didn't fail!" Proto Man cried.

" You fought bravely to defend him! What could you have done against twelve Mavericks?" Zero agreed.

" A lot more than I did!" Bo hissed.

" You'll have your turn for revenge!" Met said. They looked at him. " I found the scent! They took to the air!" Met said. The others smiled. Met stiffened up and seemed to be listening. He glanced off a bit then returned his gaze to the group.

" Let's go get them!" Bo growled, his eyes burning red. The four of them took off, Met in wolf form sniffing the way. They came to the opening. The water made the view slightly contorted, but they could see that outside was a huge forest of pines, elms, and maple trees. Met leaped, right through the waterfall, and landed on the bank of the river below. Zero, Proto man, and Bo followed him. Sniffing the air, Met immediately took off running. They dashed through the forest, Met never slowing down. He hopped up cliffs, leaped over rivers, and dashed through trees. Finally he stopped at the edge of a high cliff and peered back. He stiffened again. He thought he saw someone following. Met narrowed his eyes. Then, he dismissed it. He gave Zero, Proto Man, Chip, and Bo the chance to catch up. Zero peered down at him.

" We're heeeere!" Met sang. Proto Man glanced down and gasped, startled. Far below them, on a lower cliff, was a giant castle. One of the old kinds you read about in books about knights, wizards, and princesses. Zero noticed immediately the huge generator in the far corner of the courtyard.

" The place must be crawling with Mavericks and weapons! From the size of the generator, I'd say they have every type of machinery available! Lasers, sensors, probably even a high tech computer! All hidden in the disguise of a beat up castle!" Zero exclaimed. Bo snorted.

" I'm not backing down! No fancy Maverick trash is going to scare US away!" he growled. Zero, Chip, and Proto Man nodded in agreement. Met barked quickly, in warning. Zero, Proto Man, Chip, Met, and Bo hid instantly. Only a few seconds later, two Mavericks approached. Flame Stag and Wheel Gator.

" Isn't it pretty out here? Green trees, wild animals," Wheel Gator said. Flame Stag snorted.

" So what? Let's go! I'm missin' Price Is Right!" Flame Stag said. He and Wheel Gator headed for the castle. Zero signaled Met to follow. Met looked very rebellious. Slowly, he nodded and snuck after the Mavericks. He quietly approached the castle, sneaking along slowly. Suddenly, be bumped something and alarms when off.

" DAMN! A force field!" he thought. Zero, Proto Man, Chip, and Bo were thinking the same thing. Met dashed off. Wheel Gator turned to see him running.

" A wolf was following us! How cute!" he said. Flame Stag snorted as he turned off the alarm. Other Mavericks rushed out but he waved them off.

" It was just some stupid wild animal wandering too close!" he said, annoyed. The Mavericks sighed with relief. Then, they all entered the castle. Met walked up to Zero, Proto Man, Chip, and Bo.

" NOW how do we get in?" Zero whispered. Met smiled.

" At night, when no one can see, I tunnel in! See over there? That's loose dirt! I'll bet that force field doesn't go down in to the ground!" Met laughed. The Hunters nodded. The plan was simple and very risky but they didn't have any other choices. " I hope X is okay," Proto Man said.

X wasn't okay. He ran through that very same hallway, chased by Bass. Bass had already been destroyed five times but he kept on coming back. Finally, X resorted to running.

" Mega Man X! Why do you run from me?" Bass called, smiling. X ran faster.

" Go away! Just leave me alone!" X yelled.

" Where's the fun in that?" Bass laughed. They ran down the hall, which indeed was endless. X zipped and zagged but Bass followed him.

" You can't escape me!" Bass called. " I can if I wake up!" X screamed. " WAKE UP!!!"

X slowly regained consciousness. It was dark. At first he thought all the lights were off but he then realized his eyes were closed. He laid there, not wanting to move. Then, he felt his leg fall asleep. Not only that, but his neck was stiff and he was in a very uncomfortable position. So he shifted. BIG mistake. Pain, enormous pain, shot through him from his stomach. He tried to scream but nothing would come out. He squirmed in agony. He heard voices, but he paid no attention to them. He shuddered and desperately tried to scream. The pain silenced him like a gag. He felt strong hands grab him, hold him down. X desperately tried to make the hands let go, as if they were the cause of his pain. He heard someone yelling, calling for someone. X didn't care. He kicked and squirmed. He tried to scream again. Nothing. He heard footsteps. Whoever it was the voice had called was there. He felt the hands push him down even more forcefully. He struggled desperately. He felt something stick in to his arm. The pain intensified. Finally, X managed to scream. He screamed loudly, jerking. The hands held him, though whoever it was was having a difficult time. Suddenly, a numbing sensation began to occur. X stopped screaming and began to breathe heavily. His systems calmed down as his entire body began to go numb. He realized slowly that whoever it was had used a nullifier, a special liquid that causes a reploid to go unconscious and numb. When he wakes up, X knew he would be very calm and groggy. Another effect of the nullifier. Everything seemed to disappear. Then, to his horror and annoyance, X passed out.

" Could you dig faster?" Zero asked as he cautiously peered around. Met snorted angrily.

" Don't get your boxies all knotted up! We're almost through! Just keep an eye out!" Met growled. Then, he returned to his digging. He made absolute certain to hit Zero with the dirt. Zero shook the dirt off of his body and glared down the hole. Then he peered around. It was a half hour after sunset. Zero, Proto Man, and Chip insisted that they couldn't wait any longer. It was dark out, making the castle and forest even more forbidding than it did in the light. Proto Man was in top of a tree, watching everything. Bo was down the cliff a bit, also on guard. Chip was with Bo. Zero tensed up at every sound. Met's head popped up, startling Zero. " We're through!" he whispered, then ducked back down in to his hole. Zero motioned to Proto Man, who motioned to Bo, who came running with Chip. They snuck up to the hole and crawled in. The hole was very deep. They crawled for a while, Met right in front of them. Bo sneezed occasionally. Met signaled for silence and pointed upward. They were right below the castle. Met had dug very close. The boards that made up the floor of the castle was the roof of the tunnel. Zero peered upward. Light came through the cracks. Someone was moving up there.

" So he was screaming?" someone said. Vile!

" Indeed. Seems that his wound was really bothering him," another answered. Dr. Doppler. Zero frowned. They were talking about X. " I'm afraid I can't put him in the machine unless I fix him," Dr. Doppler said. The mention of a machine caused Zero to wonder.

" YOU will be the one to tell the boss THAT," Vile sneered.

" If you insist!" Dr. Doppler growled.

" Why are you working for him, anyway? After you created that virus to kill Sigma?" Vile asked suddenly. Dr. Doppler laughed.

" I have my reasons! Which are none of your business! I'm off to tell the boss!" Dr. Doppler laughed. He walked off, laughing.

" Arrogant punk," Vile hissed. Bo felt Met bristle and could hear Zero hiss. He peered at the reploids. Met and Zero were barely containing their rage. Proto Man and Chip were no better off. Bo was the only one who could keep his cool. Bo motioned for them to move on. Met stared at him, viciously. Bo made and 'X' in the air. Met got the idea. He continued through the tunnel, allowing the others to get by. Later, they found themselves in the courtyard. The Hunters jumped behind the generator, which was almost against the wall. There was just enough room for them to hide. Zero turned to them.

" I don't like this 'machine' thing they're planning. I'd say it's bad news for X. We need to split up. Do we each go our own ways or in pairs?" Zero whispered.

" I can go alone. I can take care of myself! Unlike YOU...," Met snarled. Zero narrowed his eyes. The other three reploids stared at them. " After all, YOU'RE always the one gettin' killed off!" Met added, scornfully.

" Are you suggesting that I am a weakling?" Zero hissed.

" I don't have to! You already did!" Met snapped. Zero drew his saber. " Go ahead! Try me!" Met barked, his fangs glistening. There would have been one bitter brawl if Proto Man hadn't interrupted.

" We don't have time for this! We'll go our separate ways. If you find X, take him to the cliff. We'll all meet up there!" Proto Man said. Then, he zipped off. Met nodded. He too then disappeared. Bo took out his staff, winked at Zero, and disappeared. Chip quickly scaled the wall and disappeared in to the towers. Zero felt the edge of his saber and disappeared in to the darkness.

X sat in that stupid hall, not caring about anything. He was sick of the dreams, he was sick of falling asleep, he was sick of EVERYTHING. X growled to himself. Bass approached, AGAIN, and smiled.

" Tired of running?" Bass asked. No answer. " What's wrong Mega Man?" Suddenly, X whirled around, grabbed Bass by the neck, and lifted him up into the air.

" Call me that again, and I will kill you! I know you will come back but I swear your death will be the most painful, the most horrible, the most twisted death I can think of!" X hissed, sounding like a demon. Bass remained absolutely still, his eyes wide. X released him and he landed on the floor with a 'thump'. Bass stared at X. " Leave.... me.... ALONE!!" X growled. Bass skidded away. X then slumped back down on to the floor and waited. He knew he'd wake up so he waited for it. X snorted in irritation. A small red dog, Rush, walked up to him. X peered at him. Rush licked him on the face and flopped down next to him. Rush peered at X, lovingly. X patted him on the head. Then, they both sat and waited. " Ya know, I saw you. At the rebel base. Proto Man said you were my dog. My dog, Rush," X said, to the dog. Rush wagged his tail and licked X again. X smiled. " I wish I remembered....," X whispered.

X's eyes slowly opened. He was sitting in a chair, strapped down. X slowly looked down at his stomach. He would have jerked at what he saw if he hadn't been so calm ( damn nullifier). The hole! It was gone! No pain what-so-ever. From his stomach, anyway. His arm was VERY sore and he felt sluggish and very calm. X looked around him. To his absolute calmness which should have been terror, he found that he was strapped into a machine. A mind reading machine. Normally, X would have freaked. But, right then, he felt very calm and unconcerned. He didn't even care when Dr. Doppler and one of the new Mavericks walked in. It was the flying unicorn. Dr. Doppler stared at X.

" Feeling better?" he asked, casually.

" I feel calm. VERY calm," X said. Dr. Doppler nodded.

" You should. Had to use a nullifier to shut you up! It was supposed to be used on your friends but we had to use it on you!" the unicorn snapped.

" Well, is it my fault Wire Sponge trashed my stomach? Want someone to yell at, yell at Wire Sponge," X pointed out, calmly. The unicorn snorted. Dr. Doppler walked over to the controls to the machine.

" Time to see what your memories hold," Dr. Doppler said. X glanced at the doctor. " This MAY be uncomfortable....," Dr. Doppler began. He pressed buttons and threw a switch. X jerked. His eyes grew wide with pain. Even through the nullifier effects, he could feel the pain. " Here we are! Let me see....," Dr. Doppler began to scan the information as X shuddered. " I already know all this! Let's dig farther into your past! How about your creation?" Dr. Doppler began to type. X squirmed. " What is this? A password?" Dr. Doppler asked, surprised.

" Well, let's crack it! It must hide something important!" the unicorn exclaimed. Dr. Doppler began typing. Suddenly, electricity flew threw the computer and straight to X. X felt as though his head was going to explode. Images flooded in to his head. All sorts of information crammed and jammed into him. X jerked and struggled. Pain ripped through him. X was sure his body was being ripped apart. Just as he was about to scream, the electricity stopped. X stood absolutely still, his eyes wide with terror and shock. His breathing was labored and all his senses appeared to be down. Silence. The unicorn was unsure whether he should approach X or not. When he did, he found X's eyes glazed. X didn't see him. X didn't see anyone. X didn't care. X REMEMBERED.

Met snuck through the shadows, in his wolf form, sniffing here and there. He jerked up quickly. He had heard someone scream. He ran as fast as he could. Met came to a room and found X strapped into a chair. His eyes were distant. Dr. Doppler and a unicorn reploid with wings stood near-by. Met transformed in to his normal form.

" What have you done to him?" Met growled. Dr. Doppler whirled around. The unicorn crouched. " Are you DEAF? I said, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM??" Met screamed.

" His entire memory core from long ago was downloaded back in to his head!" Dr. Doppler answered. Met bristled.

" YOU did it! You forced all that information on him! You wanted to steal it! Stupid jerk! You should have known there was a security program on it that would do that! You're SUPPOSED to be a brilliant scientist!" Met hissed. Dr. Doppler looked very offended. The unicorn growled.

" You can't talk to him like that!" he yelled. He let out a high piercing whistle and the other six new Mavericks came rushing in.

" I can talk to him however I want, Horse-meat!" Met snapped.

" I have a NAME," the unicorn snorted.

" I'm sure you do! And I'm sure it's very nice name! And when I feel like it, I'll learn your name! But, at the moment, I don't care if your name is Princess Angelina Contessa Louisa Francesca Banana-fana Bo-besca the Third!!" Met growled.

" You'll learn it anyway! So you'll know who killed you! I am Stomp Unicorn!" the unicorn snapped.

" The name of which I go by is Torrent Leviathan!" the blue water dragon said, very intellectually.

" I am Pressure Cobra!" the snake reploid hissed.

" I am Blast Cheetah, dude!" the cheetah added. He was now not only wearing his walkman and headphones but also a pair of black shades.

" We are Circuit and Breaker!" the twin Siamese cats said in perfect union, their tails entwined.

" I am Firestorm Lion!" the lion growled. Met snorted. Of course, the Mavericks had introduced themselves as if they were the Power Rangers.

" I suppose you've watched your Zeo Rangers today?" Met mocked. The Mavericks flushed red. Stomp Unicorn screamed with rage and leaped at Met. Met ducked and punched Stomp Unicorn in the stomach. Stomp Unicorn rolled away, stunned. He leaped to his feet and crouched. He didn't continue to attack, though. He stood still, watching Met. Sizing him up. Met noticed that the other Mavericks were doing the same thing. Dr. Doppler was approaching X, who was still unresponsive. In Dr. Doppler's hand was a tool of some sort. Something snapped in Met. He didn't know why but, as far back as he could remember, Met had hated doctors. It didn't matter if they were trying to help him. No doctor was allowed near him. That's what caused him to do what he did next. Met bristled and growled. He slowly moved, taking care to watch the Mavericks around him. Suddenly, with a quickness no one expected, Met leaped over the Mavericks and grabbed X. He ripped X out of the chair, making certain to damage the machine. Then, he leaped out the door with X slung over his shoulder. As Met ran, he just noticed that X's stomach was fixed. Met smiled. He now knew he didn't have to take extra care not to hurt X's stomach. Met dashed up walls and through corridors. X moaned. Met skidded to a stop and ducked in to a storage room. Met set X down, who was showing signs of life. X shook his head and gazed at Met. X jerked back.

" Met!" X laughed, very pleased. Met was thoroughly surprised. " I remember, Met! Everything! Well, almost everything.... I don't remember what had happened during that last week before I was put into the capsule," X added, quietly. Met stood absolutely still, his eyes growing dark. X opened his arms, in an invitation for a hug. Met, unsure, stared at him. After a few seconds, he quickly hugged X then released him. " That wasn't so hard!" X laughed.

" I hate hugs!" Met growled.

" I know. THAT'S why I wanted one!" X giggled. Met tried hard not to smile.

" Let's go," he barked. He and X slowly snuck out of the storage room and ran. They ran as fast as they could, dodging lasers and missiles. Halfway down the hall, who should they run in to but Proto Man.

" Met! X! You're better!" Proto Man cried. He ran and hugged X. X smiled.

" Yeah, big bro! I'm better!" X said. Proto Man smiled even wider. Met growled.

" Save the pleasantries! Somebody's coming! Quick! Hide!" Met whispered. X, Proto Man, and Met ducked down a hall and waited. They stood still, silent. A shadow appeared. It grew bigger and bigger as the person approached. X began to charge up a blast. Just as the person rounded the corner, X leaped out. He stopped instantly and stared.

" X?" a voice asked.

" Zero!" X cried. Zero ran up to him. Met and Proto Man ran out into the open.

" You're okay!" Zero said. He examined X and whistled. " Well what do you know!" Zero said.

" Let's get out of here!" X said.

" Where's Chip?" Proto Man asked.

That was a very good question. Chip hadn't run into a single Maverick. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He didn't want to be dragged into a fight, but, it bugged him that perhaps the Mavericks didn't think him worth the trouble. After a while, though, an uneasy feeling crept into him. As he turned a corner, he could swear he heard footsteps. He continued to walk, listening. Yes, there were footsteps. Chip ran down the hall. Whoever was following him also began running. Then, idea struck Chip. He broke into a sprint, running at top speed until he arrived at a large room. Then, Chip whirled around.

" Ah-ha!!! HUH???" Chip practically fell backwards. He stared, awed and surprised. " YOU!!???"

" Yes, me," a voice hissed. Before Chip was none other than Gig.

" What are you doing here, Gig? Zero said to head back to HQ!" Chip exclaimed. Gig smirked.

" Who? Oh! You mean my 'commander', am I right?" Gig giggled. Chip peered at him. " How STUPID you are! Do you really think I'd take orders from a HUNTER?" he snapped. Chip jerked back. From behind Gig, Bit and Byte appeared. They all smiled widely. Chip charged his blaster up.

" Have you gone Maverick!?" Chip demanded.

" Absolutely! Just like YOU will!!" Gig hissed. Chip stared in horror.

" But.... but... WHY?!" Chip cried. Gig laughed.

" Finally realized how pitiful humans are! You are a fool to follow X and Zero! They are blind to the truth. Just as I was. But, I was shown the truth! Humans are weak and pathetic. They make slaves of reploids. No more! The humans and all who stand by them shall learn of pain and misery. And we'll start with YOU!" Gig growled. The Mavericks attacked. Chip leaped out of the way. He dodged well, firing when he could. Chip crouched and stared at Gig. A feeling of betrayal and of bitterness burned deep in him. He had always thought Gig was a jerk but he NEVER thought Gig would ever be a Maverick. The look he gave Gig was of pure hatred. Gig smiled, enjoying the look. Gig shot at Chip, who leaped and ducked out of the way. He back flipped and then shot at Gig. Gig barely managed to dodge the blast.

" You are indeed a good Hunter, aren't you?" Bit asked. Chip snarled. " Well, you're not good enough!" Bit and Byte leaped from different directions. Chip barely leaped out in time. He back flipped a few feet and prepared to return fire.

" Not so fast," a familiar voice hissed. From behind Chip, a blast shot out. It struck Chip point-blank right in the back. Chip screamed in pain as he felt his systems go hay-wire. He collapsed to the ground. He heard someone walk up to him. Chip tried to force himself up. He coughed up a bit of vital fluid. A heavy foot came down on his back, pushing him to the ground.

" You never cease to amaze me, Rookie. You stand up to me twice and destroy Wire Sponge! I'm impressed!" a voice said. It was Vile. Chip narrowed his eyes.

" Vulture," he managed to spit out. Vile laughed.

" Mind telling us how you got in?" Vile asked as he tilted Chip's head upwards. In Chip's eyes, he saw hatred and pain but again he didn't see what he wanted to see. There was no fear.

" Go glue your rear to a chair!" Chip snapped, weakly. Vile let Chip's head fall back to the ground. Chip felt his systems shut down. He began to lose consciousness. A final thought crossed his mind. " Damn, I really failed you this time, huh X?"

Bo was running through the halls. He had picked a bad way to go, because he had run into Mavericks non-stop. He killed most of them but, he had not found the one he wanted. He wanted AGILE. He ran and ducked, hoping he'd run into Agile among the other Mavericks. He dashed into a room and found himself in the control room. He glanced around him.

" Well well! If it isn't my good friend from the cavern!" someone said from behind him. Bo whirled around. There was Agile, Serges, and Violen. Bo grabbed his staff. He glared at Agile.

" Long time no see, Maverick! I suppose you've been well?" Bo said, calmly.

" Quite well," Agile answered.

" Good, because you'll need all your trashy skills and sneaky tricks to even TRY to defeat me!" Bo growled. He leaped at Agile and knocked him across the room. Serges and Violen leaped at Bo, planning on overpowering him. Bo leaped out of the way and slammed his staff into Serges' head, knocking it clean off. Serges' body dropped to the ground, lifeless. Violen yelled in rage and punched wildly at Bo. By pure luck alone, Bo was able to get out of the way of the mammoth's punch. Bo jumped and hopped to avoid another punch and a kick. He swung his staff, striking Violen in the chest. Agile leaped up and tried to sink his sword into Bo's back. Bo back flipped over Agile and smashed his staff down on Agile's exposed head. Agile screamed in pain and dropped his sword.

" You'll pay for that!" Agile yelled. He picked up his sword and swung it at Bo. Agile barely missed Bo, who leaped out of the way and brought his staff down again on Agile's head. Bo laughed at Agile, amused. Agile screeched in rage and began to swing wildly. Bo blocked a swing with his staff and kicked Agile in the face. He then leaped back a bit and crouched, prepared to attack again. Agile seemed to be gathering his thoughts. He held his sword in front of him and stared hard at Bo. Bo stood still, watching Agile. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, Blast Cheetah leaped from the shadows at Bo. Bo barely dodged the slashing claws of the reploid cat. Blast Cheetah whirled around and roared. He quickly struck Bo across the face, before Bo could even tell if an attack was coming. It was quite obvious that Blast Cheetah was even faster than Overdrive Ostrich. Agile smiled viciously. Bo clutched his staff, unsure of what to do. He cautiously watched Blast Cheetah and Agile.

" Whoa, dude, neat stick!" Blast Cheetah said. Bo narrowed his eyes.

" It's a STAFF," Bo said.

" Looks like a big stick to me!" Blast Cheetah snorted. Bo narrowed his eyes, dangerously.

" It's a staff," he said quietly. Blast Cheetah tilted his head and peered at Bo.

" Are you sure?" he asked. Bo slammed his staff on Blast Cheetah's head.

" YES!!!!" Bo screamed. Blast Cheetah fell backwards, completely stunned. Agile leaped up and swung at Bo. Bo dodged and slammed his staff through Agile's chest. Agile gasped. He stumbled and fell down, lifeless. Blast Cheetah took one look at the bodies of the X-Hunters and frowned.

" Uh oh....," he said. Bo leaped at him. Blast Cheetah quickly dodged and ran out the door. Bo chased after him. Blast Cheetah zipped and zagged. When he thought he had lost Bo, he ran right in to X and the others. Blast skidded to a stop and stared, dumbfounded. They stared right back at him, surprised. Bo suddenly leaped up and slammed Blast Cheetah across the face. Blast Cheetah fell to the ground, then jerked to his feet and leaped over X. He ran ( or skated) as fast as he could. Bo's attack had brought the other Hunters to their senses. They immediately chased after Blast Cheetah. Blast Cheetah tried his best to get away. He was completely surprised that they could keep up with them. In fact, only one was able to. It was the one with the wolf tail and wolf ears. Blaze Cheetah noted this with great respect. The others were breathing hard, unable to keep up with the grueling pace Blast Cheetah had set. They were following Met, who yelled out encouragements to them and threats of painful death to Blast Cheetah. He turned into wolf form and streaked after Blast Cheetah. Blast Cheetah called out for assistance but no one seemed to hear. Then, Blast Cheetah knew where they had gone. He quickly ducked down a hall and made a mad dash for a huge door. He knocked harshly against it.

" Password?" a voice asked. It was Tunnel Rhino.

" Open up, dude! The Hunters are right behind me!" Blast Cheetah yelled.

" That's not the password...," Tunnel Rhino said.

" Open up or I'll tear the door down and let them get you as well!" Blast Cheetah screamed, his temper gone. The door unlocked and opened wide. Blast Cheetah leaped in and slammed the door, his tail barely missing Met's teeth. Blast Cheetah leaned against the door and breathed a sigh of relief. He gazed around at the Mavericks around him. He was in his master's throne room. There was Tunnel Rhino and Neon Tiger, guards of the throne room of their master. Dr. Doppler was right behind them. Their master, still covered in shadow, sat high on his throne. They stared at him.

" Who are the Hunters?" Neon Tiger asked.

" Zero, X, that dude Vile fought when you were making a diversion, that dude we had to fight when we went for X, and that new reploid that tore Spark Mandrill to pieces," Blast Cheetah said.

" What is his name?" the master asked.

" They call him 'Met', sir," Blast Cheetah said. The Hunters began banging on the door. The master stared at Blast Cheetah.

" Met? Met is still alive after all these years?" the master whispered.

" You know him?" Dr. Doppler gasped.

" Indeed, I do. I should think he remembers me as well," their master said. " No matter. Let the Hunters come. We have a little surprise," he said as he snapped his fingers. Vile appeared. Following him was Bit, Byte, and Gig. In Byte's arms was the unmoving form of Chip.