Past Prologue

Zero stood tall, strong, and fierce. The combination was carried by an air of grace, though the darkened lab cast an underworldly drape over him, where the only the emerald orbs of his breastplate and slivers of his brilliant red armor shone through. Like a tiger under a jungle canopy, he was as menacing as he was marvelous.

“Even though you told me, X, I just couldn’t believe it,” Dr. Cain said. “But I have no choice but to trust my eyes!”

The Reploid pointed his expression downward, not knowing how to respond to the doctor’s piercing stare. He knew right away that he did not feel as easy with the doctor as he had with X.

“I just can’t explain it,” the doctor said, shaking his head.

“That’s alright for now.” X, who had been standing beside Dr. Cain, approached Zero. While gesturing toward the doctor, he then said, “Zero, I’d like for you to meet Dr. Cain. He’s a brilliant and kind human, and it was his idea that may have helped save your life.”

Zero scanned the doctor for a moment, deciding whether or not to believe that such a frail fleshling would be capable of coming to his rescue. He then nodded to the doctor and said, “I’m grateful, I think.” Zero then furrowed his brow and brought a hand to rest on his head. He added, “But I have no memories, nor can I figure anything out. Will you tell me who you are, and what my directives are?”

Dr. Cain said nothing, for he had not prepared for this outcome. X had not anticipated his recovery, either, and both he and the doctor expected one another to come up with something plausible. X could feel Zero grow irritated at the lack of response, so he quickly said, “You’re at the Maverick Hunter Headquarters, and you were wounded in action. So we brought you here to treat you.”

Zero quirked a brow, pausing to process the information. He asked, “What’s ‘Maverick Hunters’?”

“We’re a worldwide organization dedicated to protecting humans from Reploids who go mad. Mavericks are what they are called,” X explained.

“Reploids?” Zero asked.

“Robots who can think for themselves, like yourself, and like X here,” Dr. Cain said. X smiled while Zero nodded.

“Am I a Hunter?” Zero guessed.

X’s face fell instantly. For the first time since he could remember, X did not want to tell the truth. He did not want to tell Zero that no, he was not a Hunter. X did not want to tell him that he was built to destroy, and that was responsible for the deaths of many of his comrades. He could not tell Zero that been brought here not for forgiveness, but only to satisfy the perverse curiosity of his commander. X did not want to reveal how many times he had considered euthanizing him. Above all, he could not tell Zero that he was once a Maverick, and therefore a sworn enemy.

Without hesitation, X said, “Yes. You are a great Hunter.”

Dr. Cain looked to X with barely disguised shock. He was not sure what he had been expecting, save for X to fudge the truth a bit at least until Sigma could intervene. This, however, was an altogether different hole that X was digging for himself, but to which the doctor was obligated to commit to as well.

Meanwhile, Zero smiled, seeming to be pleased with the idea. He said, “You must be a Hunter, then, too?”

X nodded and said, “That’s right.”

“Are you in charge? Is that why you are the only Hunter here?”

X smirked and shook his head. “Far from it. Our commander is a Reploid by the name of Sigma.”

“Sigma…” Zero repeated.

“Speaking of,” Dr. Cain interrupted. “When were we going to notify him of this development?”

X sighed and said, “Anytime, I guess.” He thought about his fib about Zero being a Hunter and quickly added, “I’ll tell him now myself.”

X’s aura grew stormy, forgetting to utter a goodbye as he stepped out of the room. Left to themselves, Dr. Cain eyed Zero as if he were still trying to figure out a way to melt the ice between them. He could sense Zero’s distrust—a natural reaction to waking up without any memories to help make sense of reality. Keeping this in mind made things delicate. The doctor would think to say something, then stop. Finally, he said, “I’m very glad you pulled though. I’m not sure how X would have handled it otherwise.”

“What happened to me?” Zero asked.

Dr. Cain paused, mentally mustering the ability to be honest without betraying X. He said, “After your accident, you were brought here with critical damage. You were violent and incoherent, and not anything like the way you are now. There were months of operations, but it was mostly time spent hoping your system would repair what I could not understand.”

“What you could not understand?” Zero repeated. “You didn’t build me?”

Dr. Cain smiled. “The person who created you is quite possibly a genius of geniuses. I fear it would take an extra lifetime for me to fully learn what makes you work.”

“Who did create me? Why didn’t you ask them?”

“Zero.” Dr. Cain paused for a beat. “As far as I know, no one on this planet knows who made you.”

Zero’s face started with surprise, then swiftly changed to disbelief, to disheartened, then to troubled. Combined, it was apparent that the revelation was a jolt to Zero’s newborn consciousness. Up until then, Zero had logically assumed that he could recover what he wanted to know by asking the right questions of the right people. Now he was faced with an error in his strategy. There existed the possibility that there were things about him that no one could tell, and that fact froze his heart beyond words.

Zero’s silence made the doctor uneasy, so he said, “Don’t worry. There is at least one other Reploid whose origins are just as unknown.”

“Who?” Zero asked, looking up sharply.

Dr. Cain smiled and said, “You’ve already met him.”

Zero blinked before saying, “X?”

The doctor nodded. “He has struggled, as I am sure you will, with being different and with having no clear recollection of your past or purpose. Your advantage, however, is that you won’t have to struggle alone, like he has.”

“Really…” Zero trailed off. His heart thawed. He was relieved that there was someone with a similar problem out there, and one so close by. Yet another feeling warmed him, that of a concern welling up from his initial impression of the blue Hunter. Zero knew he had been immediately fond of such a gentle creature, even if there was much he did not know.

Dr. Cain’s face fell suddenly. Zero noticed, and was confused when the doctor pinned him again with a serious, almost angry gaze. The doctor said, “Even though I have been there for X since he can remember, and although an entire race was been born because of him, X is more lonely than I could possibly understand.”

Zero nodded somberly. He wondered what pain X suffered, and tried to imagine a greater magnitude compared to his own current distress. Suddenly, Zero tensed; he was struck with an urge to protect X.

The doctor continued with pointed frankness: “But you understand. If you don’t now, then you will. That is why I must ask—no, implore you to remain with us, and to be the friend X desperately needs.”

Zero had asked for his directive earlier, but he quickly deduced that this particular order would be nothing but straightforward. He furrowed his brow and asked, “Were we not friends before?”

Dr. Cain chuckled. Smiling, he said, “Since you met, you’ve been almost inseparable.” Seeing Zero nod, he added, “And now, you owe X your life, and for many reasons. I don’t see you having much trouble with my request.”

Zero smiled softly before replying, “I understand.” He understood, and believed the doctor’s every word. There was still much that he was unsure about, but he was happy now to have a purpose to serve until he could piece himself back together.

Satisfied, Dr. Cain moved on from the subject and said, “Truly, having two of the most remarkable creations of mankind my laboratory at once has been quite a humbling experience for me. Which isn’t to say that I’m just a quack. As a matter of fact, I hold many prestigious awards in robotics as well as molecular biology…”

As Dr. Cain continued proudly listing his accomplishments, Zero smiled. He was able to appreciate why this fleshling held X’s favor, and was glad to give the doctor the same benefit of his.