Mega Man 1. Preface

=====PREFACE=====  
  
preface - the introductory remarks of a speaker or introduction of an author, usually explaining the object and scope of what follows  
  
This is, obviously, the preface. Yeah. Well, this is likely going to be the most boring part of this story (with the possible exception of the story itself), so I suppose it would be in my best interest to get it over with quickly, before one of the readers decides to bomb my house for boring them to death. This is by no means my first attempt at a MegaMan-style (from now on MM) fanfic, but it's the first that I've actually been crazy enough to upload. So please, bear with me and my abominable writing skills.  
  
Now that I'm done insulting myself, it's time to get down to the real purpose of a preface. The fanfic I'm writing is, as you may have noticed, set in the MegaMan X (from now on MMX) era. I have assigned actual dates to the years when I bother to specify the year, since "21XX" just plain isn't going to cut it for this work. Yes, I like nitty-gritty details. So sue me.  
  
Somebody is, inevitably, going to whine about me using non-canon characters. Canon characters are characters who actually appeared in the game/show/anime/whatever that the author of a fanfic (or somebody who's referring to a modification of a series) is writing about. For example, X and Zero are canon characters. Bob The Talking Met From Mars would not be a canon character. To those of you who think I shouldn't use any non-canon characters: tough. Live with it. If you don't like the usage of original characters, maybe you should--dare I say it?--just not read stories that use them.  
  
This is going to be quite a long story. Horridly long, most likely. Updates can be expected once a week. No, I'm not going to work my rear off just to churn out a chapter a day, because I'm doing this for my own enjoyment, not a living. This is not for people who like light, 5-minute reads.  
  
Now, onto the issue of criticism. Constructive criticism is welcome. Flames and insults without reasoning are not. However, it has come to my attention that some of the people who have apparently 'skipped' the simple skill of learning the meanings of the words 'constructive' and 'criticism'. For their benefit, I have provided the definition of those two words:  
  
constructive - promoting improvement or development  
  
criticism - the art of evaluating or analyzing works of art or literature  
  
So, constructive criticism would not look like this (an example of what people who have 'skipped' learning the definitions of such simple terms often do): "omfgzz! u r dum! dat was sucks! lolololol!!!111!!!!11!one"  
  
Or, there is the occasional intelligent flamer (although some might argue that is a contradiction in terms), who looks something like this: "Ugh, that was the WORST thing I've read in a long time. If you're going to write, at least do a good job. Better yet, DON'T write at all. That was so bad I doubt you COULD write anything good."  
  
Those are both something we like to call flames. They are written by immature, self-centered people with intellects akin to those of children. They are NOT constructive criticism. This is an example of constructive criticism: "Eh, not the best thing I've ever read. For one, you spent way to long on descriptions, and quite a few of your scenes were rather cliché and unoriginal. Also, try and work a bit on grammar and spelling."  
  
That last one was an example of constructive criticism. The first two were flames, one by a moron, one by somebody who's just immature. Well, that concludes my bad attempt at humor and futile effort to prevent flames. Now, onto more of the 'good' stuff.  
  
Back on topic (there was a topic?), I might as well give a general idea as to the layout of my fanfic. In other words, how it's written. The prologue (and perhaps epilogue, if I bother to write one) is written in first- person, from the point of view of one of the characters in my fanfic, who may or may not be a canon character. Feel free to guess. If I do include an epilogue, it will become obvious then.  
  
I am a firm believer in grammar. Meaning there will be all those fancy grammatical objects that many fanfic writers choose to love out-you know, quotation marks, commas, and periods-that kind of stuff. The story itself is written in the Third Person Perfect Limited Omniscient. Big term, huh? Basically, it means it's not told from anybody's point of view in particular, talks in the past tense, can discuss events at any locations, and may occasionally portray the thoughts of some characters. The exception to this is in the prologue (and possibly epilogue), which is written in the First Person Present Limited. Don't worry, those fancy terms will become clear as you read. Assuming you want to waste your time doing so.  
  
And now, the preface is finally over. If you managed to get through that, you're probably up to the challenge of reading the fanfic itself. 


	2. Prologue

=====PROLOGUE=====  
  
How many years have passed since it all began? Indeed, what was the start of all this? Perhaps it is too late to ask that question now, for those who may know the answer are dead, or might as well be. Dead...like so many others. So much blood has been spilled... the blood of the strong, and the weak... of friends, and of foes... of gods, and of men...  
  
And for what cause? For what did the people fight for during those horrendous years? Honor? Love? Vengeance? Power? ...Friendship? Values, immaterial, based solely on perspective. One man's treasure is another man's trash. All that blood spilled for goals that are no longer remembered, that nobody cares for any longer.  
  
And looking down as I am upon the armies of the dead and the damned, I can't help but wonder and contemplate. How many people actually realize that each of those faceless dead was once as alive as they, once loved and cared for, feared and hated, honored and despised. And then another question comes to me: Why do I still live? What right have I to live, when so many others, many greater beings than I, have perished? Is it fate? Has fate once more played one of its cruel jokes upon me, like so many times before? Fate... the fate that sent so many to their death, that plunged our little mudball into chaos.  
  
The war has gone on for an eternity, and then even more, and throughout it all only death and despair have been constants. Hope was torn away from those who tried to hold on, and those who try to keep hold only suffered more when it was lost...  
  
Yet I remember a time before the war, before the death. A time when hope and kindness still had meaning, when people still believed that somebody who come to save them... yet where is that savior now? Indeed, who was that savior? Do people even know? Do people even remember...us? And for how long will they? We will fade into history... history will fade into legend... legend into myth... and myth, into nothing...  
  
However, I still remember. Yes, I remember it all. Not from the beginning, perhaps, but I do remember... the past. The truth. I still have the memories...  
  
Of a monster who tried to devour the world... Sigma  
  
Of a knight so blinded by his own good that he could not see evil... Arcadius  
  
Of a scientist whose genius was his own undoing... Gate  
  
Of a mercenary who learned too late that there were things more valuable than power... Dynamo  
  
Of a demon who sought to become a god... Tenma  
  
Of an angel who would be at home in hell... Seraphim  
  
Of a fool, who didn't realize that even if a pawn gains power, it's still just a playing piece... Shurilan  
  
And of the tragic legacies, fighting a battle started by beings long dead... X...Zero  
  
Thinking now of them, of how many lie dead, I wonder once more. Perhaps death, not fate, is my foe. Death... the sweet, serene, eternal rest that has so long eluded me. I have looked death in the eye many times, and I am no longer afraid. Is it this lack of fear which death senses? Does it wait till I fear it once more to claim me? If so, it shall wait eternally. He who has nothing left to live for has no reason to fear death....... 


	3. Chapter 1: A New Beginning

=====Chapter 1: A New Beginning=====  
  
Dateline: May 13, 2147 Tokyo City Ruins  
  
X grunted as he lifted up the chunk of scrap metal and tossed it aside. He paused a few moments to rest and looked around at the other Reploids doing similar work. It had been five months since Gate had been defeated, and Sigma had once more been killed. Since then, things had gotten better, but only slightly. Irregular activity was at the lowest it had been in years, and Sigma hadn't even shown signs of re-appearing since he had been most recently destroyed. Although the Irregular Hunters were very low on force, they'd been able to easily stamp out the few Irregular groups that had tried to cause any organized trouble.  
  
The cities were finally being rebuilt, and the reconstruction was going at an alarmingly fast rate. The humans and Reploids, working together, had managed to repair most of the damage done to the less damaged area without having to completely rebuild their cities. However, not everything had been quite so easy...  
  
X sighed and looked around. This was the remains of Tokyo city, where Irregular Hunter Headquarters was just about the only building intact, and even that was in a state of horrid disrepair. Almost the entire city had been obliterated by attack after attack of Irregulars, and it looked like an ancient ruin, not the city that was once a metropolis. Rubble covered the streets, and buildings that once scraped the sky now sprawled across the ground. The entire city seemed to be under a perpetual miasma...but that was changing.  
  
The Hunters, along with human and Reploid volunteers, were helping to clear the streets of debris, and the city was slowly but surely being rebuilt. The few Hunters left were still strong enough to hold off the few, meager Irregular attacks, and it seemed like the world would finally enter a new age.  
  
"What's this?" Zero asked, "Is the mighty X tired?"  
  
X looked up at his smiling friend. "Nah, just taking a break." He stood up and yawned. "Well, maybe a bit tired. How's it going on your end?"  
  
Zero was in charge of the duty that suited him most: security. He had his work cut out for him, seeing as he had only twenty-six Hunters who were up to it; the rest were too badly in need of repairs, and there weren't enough resources to get them up to combat condition.  
  
"Surprisingly well. In fact, there hasn't been any real attacked for almost three weeks now. Oh, sure, we chase off the occasional Irregular, but other than that, it's been easier than I can ever remember."  
  
X grinned. "Maybe you could help us, then? We're rather low on help, y'know," he gestured towards the streets which, while now navigable if one didn't object to some fairly strenuous climbing, were still crowded with debris and rubble.  
  
"Ah, no thanks," Zero said carefully, "I mean, we do need to keep up security and all."  
  
X laughed for a bit, then sighed regretfully. "Sad, isn't it?" he asked.  
  
"What?" Zero blinked a few times; X's mood had recently alternated between bouts of joy and depression, although Zero hadn't been around most of the time to realize how frequent or drastic those mood swings were.  
  
"This used to be one of the world's great cities, one of the economic and political centers of the entire world. For a while it even had the highest population on the planet. But now... well, just look at it. The entire thing is in ruins, and the only things inhabiting it are us, the clean-up crews, and a few thousand refugees. In less than a century it went from metropolis to ghost town...Zero, is it our fault? I mean, aren't we at least partly to blame for all the trouble that's been caused?"  
  
"Nah," Zero said, lightly hitting X on the shoulder, "You just think too much. Without us Hunters, the Irregulars would still be running around blowing stuff up."  
  
"Well, I guess you're right," X said. He grinned slyly "Y'know, it looks like you're not busy with defense right now, and we do need extra help."  
  
"Oh my, would you just look at the time," Zero feigned an expression of regret. "I'd absolutely love to stay around and help you, but I'm back on duty about now."  
  
The two shared a laugh at that.  
  
---------------  
  
The sun was setting over the ruins of Tokyo, and the work had stopped for the most part; humans were resting, while Reploids were recharging their energy supplies. It was under that setting sun that the shifts for the security team changed; due to how few there were, each team had to work in twelve-hour shifts.  
  
X was drifting around the area outside the city's perimeter where the now almost permanent-seeming camp had been set up. Countless tents were sprawled across the area, varying in size, color, and state of maintenance. Some of them housed refugees, other volunteer workers, although those two terms often applied to the same people. It was almost a makeshift town that had been set up, with a cleared-out area in the center of the encampment serving as a sort of common ground. They had managed to set up some lamp posts--although they actually housed fluorescent lights, not lamps--at various areas in the campsite, so the darkness didn't cause too much of a problem.  
  
Aside from the main collection of tents, there was also the meager Irregular Hunter encampment, located about fifty feet from the rest of the camp. It was made of assorted salvaged things from the Hunter Base, including lean-tos, emergency shelters, and the like. It lacked defensive capability, but had enough computers, radios, and communications equipment to keep the populace of the Tokyo area relatively up-to-date on modern events. Most of the time said events were depressing or dull; primarily reports on the state of the world. X didn't spend much time listening to it.  
  
Nor was he listening to it now. Instead he was sitting on one of the 'couches' in the Hunter encampment; which was a normal couch in all respects except that it was made from metal and lacked all form of cushioning. The normal ones in the actual Hunter Headquarters were of at least moderate quality, but the ones currently in use had been emergency supplies.  
  
Zero walked into the small room which X inhabited. "Hey, got some news." His voice sounded absolutely depressed.  
  
X groaned. "What is it now?" He was really not in the mood for any more bad news.  
  
"Read it," Zero said, tossing him a folded up piece of paper.  
  
X sighed and unfolded it, then got down to reading it, bracing himself for some suitably depressing report. The message written on the paper read:  
  
  
  
"To X and Zero,  
  
Heya! It's me, Alia! How're you two doing? I'm just writing to tell you that me, Signas, and Douglas have finished delivering our report to the UWN, and they've agreed to send aid with rebuilding the city and Headquarters! Isn't that great? It was pretty hard to convince them to give us any extra help, but it turns out that Signas had some connections and was able to pull some strings. Anyways, we'll be back in about two weeks. Try and stay alive until we all get back, OK?  
  
-Alia  
  
P.S. Oh, and I've got a bit of a surprise for you when we get back. It'll be a real shocker!"  
  
Zero was grinning when X looked up from the paper. "Fooled you, huh?"  
  
X laughed. "I... I don't believe you! You had me thinking that it was more bad news!"  
  
Zero chuckled, "That was sort of the plan. Personally, I'm glad that we'll be getting them back. It just hasn't been like normal without those three around. So," he said, almost as an afterthought, "how's work going?"  
  
"Slowly," X grumbled, "It seems that whenever we clear one street or building out, there's another one right next to it"  
  
"That would be because there is. Besides, look at it this way: at least we're not fighting off Irregulars again. Or are the buildings too ferocious for you to handle?"  
  
"Ha. Ha. Very funny, Zero. Now if you'll excuse me, I want to get some rest. Tomorrow's just going to be more of the same."  
  
"Yep. Well, I'll be seeing you," and with that, Zero turned and left.  
  
========================================  
  
And so chapter 1 comes to a close. Yay. This is just sort of an afterword or something similar. Basically, it's where I explain junk that may not have been clear in the story. Obviously, this story takes place after the incidents in MMX6. The ending of said game that is used for this story is the one in which Zero talks about "X's mercy". Don't bother trying to argue with me about that. It won't change anything.  
  
Well, chapter 1 was pretty uneventful. It was, obviously, nothing more than an introduction and served little purpose other than setting the stage. Chapter 2 is going to be more of the same, unfortunately, but there will be more plot development. So, what's Alia's big secret? Well, I think I'll just be evil and make you read chapter 2 to find out. Muwahaha! 


	4. Chapter 2: Return of the Scientist

=====Chapter 2: Return of the Scientist=====  
  
Dateline: May 28, 2147 -- UWN Private Passenger Jet  
  
Alia yawned and stretched, awakening from her recharge sequence--or, in more human terms, 'sleep'. She glanced over to the clock on the plane's wall, not bothering to check her internal chronometer; the bright red numbers read 3:47.  
  
"You're awake," came a voice from the couch across from her.  
  
Alia looked over at the other passenger in the lounge-like room of the plane. "Yeah. You still here?"  
  
A nod. "There isn't much interesting to do on this plane; I prefer a laboratory myself, and the computers here don't have uplinks to any information networks... if there are any functioning. Douglas--that's his name, right?--is off looking at the engine. Signas, I think he's in the cockpit."  
  
"Correction," said a voice from the doorway, "I WAS looking at the engine." Douglas strolled into the room and sat down on one of the unoccupied couches--a normal couch to never hope to support a mechanical Reploid, but these weren't precisely normal couches. Although they appeared normal to the naked eye, they were actually very strong and heavily reinforced on the inside. The cushioning was so that humans using the couches would feel comfortable. "Quite frankly, I'm surprised this thing is actually flying. That engine looks like it's about to fall apart."  
  
Alia frowned a bit; she'd been looking forwards to having an extended talk with the plane's fourth passenger in private. She reminded herself that Douglas hadn't planned on his entrance being inconvenient, and tried to hide her disappointment. "You know," she said, "I think I saw a repair kit somewhere near the back of the plane when we got on. You might be able to fix up the engine with that."  
  
Douglas reacted almost exactly as Alia predicted; he couldn't resist the idea of fixing a machine. "Really?" he asked, "I think I'll go see about that. Thanks for the tip!" He rose from the couch, the foam-like cushions gradually re-shaping themselves as the massive weight was removed from them.  
  
"So..." said Alia, once Douglas had left.  
  
"So," responded the Reploid across from her.  
  
The room was filled for a few moments with an awkward silence, which was broken as the door to the cockpit swung open, heralding Signas' entry. "The pilot says we should be arriving within the hour."  
  
"Good," murmured the fourth passenger. "It will be interesting to meet X and Zero under better terms..."  
  
---------------  
  
Dateline: May 28, 2147 -- Tokyo City Ruins, 4:53 PM  
  
X leaned against a nearby mostly-intact building, surveying the state of repairs around him. This was the last section of the city to actually be cleared of rubble; after that, the rebuilding could begin in earnest. Fortunately, Alia would be arriving any day now, and according to her letter there would also be help from the UWN with rebuilding. The overall morale of both Hunters and Refugees had been steadily rising since it was announced that help would be arriving, and the miasma of depression that had plagued them all was slowly but surely lifting.  
  
X's musings were rudely interrupted by a yell of "Hey, X!" X turned around to see his friend Zero dashing towards him.  
  
"So," X said when Zero arrived, "What's the occasion? Or have you finally decided to help us with rebuilding your city."  
  
"You wish," Zero chuckled. "Look up there!" he pointed upwards in a generally northeastern direction. Surely enough, there was a grayish dot in the sky, quickly getting larger.  
  
"Is that...?" X left the question hanging.  
  
"I'd be willing to bet that it is," Zero said. "Looks like they're finally going to be here."  
  
The two stood there, watching and waiting; the plane had apparently been mostly unnoticed, since there was no throng gathering to watch it. The two proved to be very fortuitously positioned, as the plane slowly came to a standstill above the ground not fifty feet away.  
  
"Must be one of those fancy new hoverjet things," Zero murmured as he ran off to meet the plane.  
  
Signas was the first to exit the plane when it landed on the ground and the exit hatch opened. X and Zero crisply saluted, and Signas returned their salute, accompanied with a grin.  
  
"Good to have you back, sir," X said, a wide smile running across his face.  
  
"Good to BE back," Signas added, walking down the ramp, briefly shaking hands with the two as he arrived on the ground.  
  
"So, where are the others?" asked Zero.  
  
"They'll be here in a--ah, there's Douglas right now!" And sure enough, Douglas was in the process of disembarking, muttering something about a 'stupid engine' and 'low-quality tools'.  
  
He looked up from his grumblings to see the three Reploids waiting for him. "Ah! There you are! We would've been here quicker if that darned engine actually WORKED! I'm surprised we didn't blow up in mid-flight."  
  
"Well hello to you too," X said with a slight chuckle.  
  
And finally, Alia disembarked. "Hi X! Hi Zero!" she called, running down the ramp to meet them and exchange cordial handshakes with each.  
  
"So," X said, "Where's that big surprise you promised us?"  
  
"Oh yeah," Alia said. "I believe you've all met," she gestured towards the entrance hatch of the plane.  
  
Zero nearly choked. "Gate?!"  
  
---------------  
  
"So," Zero said, "You're back from the dead," his hand instinctively drifted to the hilt of his beam saber.  
  
"Please," Gate said, his voice calm, "I'm unarmed, and I assure you that I am in full possession of my faculties, unlike last time we met."  
  
"Wait a minute," X said, looking questioningly at Alia, "I thought you said he was damaged beyond repair?"  
  
"Well," said Alia, "It actually looks like I was wrong about that. He had a backup to all his programming that was more or less undamaged."  
  
"Indeed," murmured Gate, walking down off the ramp. "Don't worry," he added, noting the hostile looks he was receiving from his former adversaries, "As I said, I'm unarmed, and considerably less insane. It seems that the virus was purged from my systems when you defeated me."  
  
"Whatever," muttered Zero, "but if it you try some stupid stunt like your Nightmare again..." he left the threat hanging ominously.  
  
Gate chuckled lightly, "Don't worry, don't worry. I'm a pacifist now, and I'd like to remind you that I had no control over my actions while the virus had control of my systems... you should know all about that, Zero."  
  
Zero's eyes narrow for a moment; he then turned and walked off without a word.  
  
"That was uncalled for," X said, glaring at Gate.  
  
Gate shrugged, "Perhaps, perhaps not. However, it is foolish to accuse others of crimes which you are not innocent of."  
  
X grunted, and then turned to follow his friend Zero. Douglas cleared his throat nervously. "Well, um, I'll just go check out the gadgets around here, or something...Coming, Signas?" His commander nodded, and the two also headed off.  
  
"Y'know," Alia said, frowning, "You should really be more polite. I mean, they DID save you afterwards."  
  
Gate nodded. "You have a point..."  
  
Alia nodded. "Okay, so just try and get along with them... for me?"  
  
Gate looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "An odd request...but alright. For your sake, I'll try to stay out of trouble."  
  
========================================  
  
And now, chapter 2 is over. Yeah. Over, as in, finished, as in, not still going on, as in, you'll have to wait until chapter 3 for anything more. Ph33r.  
  
Well, that's all I've got to say for now...  
  
So, this is the Met of Mega, signing out. 


End file.

Mega Man, Adventure