Megaman - Sunday, March 05, 2000, 2:58 PM
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Research Lab <Hunter HQ>
The research section of Light Labs/Maverick Hunter HQ is naturally one of the largest in the base. It is within this suite of labs that Hunter scientists develop and construct their inventions, including the occasional new Reploid. There are strict rules kept here however, including the golden rule of not touching someone else's experiment, and casual observers are rare.

Twila Peterson pauses by the entrance of the lab, wondering if any progress, if at all, has been made in helping the current dilemma just about everyone is finding themselves within. She recalls vividly what the Repliforce XO had stated last night and hopes the so-called "Final Solution" will never have to be implemented. For some reason thoughts of the long-past WWII event regarding two Japanese Islands suffering the effects of the atomic bomb come to mind...

Sitting at a computer terminal staring blankly at the screen, X hardly notices you entering at all. Instead, he's focused on the moving patterns and shape that shift across the screen. As you draw closer, you notice that he's not looking at important graphs or charts at all...he's staring at the screen saver. Unmoving, the Maverick Hunter from the future just gazes passively, as if therein lied some hypnotic answer to his questions.

The young woman tilts her head to the side as her eyes pan about the room for any signs of activity. Finding none, she beginning to move back into the hallway to move onward. However, as she turns to leave she takes notice of X by the terminal at which he sits noting, without intention, that this is the same computer which he can normally be found at whenever he was to be within this room. Quietly, she approaches the terminal, idly pondering the screen saver in current progress that the reploid seems oblivious too by the way he seems to be focused. "You...alright, X?" she questions in concern as she observes him...not even knowing if he realizes he has company or not. But then, he's a seasoned veteran. More than likely not much passes him without him knowing.

Despite your question, X hardly moves at all. Remaining in the same position, he responds very calmly as he continues to watch the patterns shifting across the display, "I'm ok, Twila, thanks. I just have a lot to think about. As far as a I can tell, I was brought here by accident. As I spend more and more time here, I discover more and more that it's less like my past than I thought." After a slight pause, he finally leans back into his chair, but keeps his eyes on his terminal.

Twila's steps slow to a stop. She stands behind the reploid now, offering a slow blink. "And...nothing that you were to do here would change your own future," she openly muses, having an idea on what thoughts may be holding his attentions.

With a slight nod of his head, X allows a tired sigh to escape his lips. For years he's fought and fought for a better future, and all for nothing. His world is in ruins, and the society he strove to protect is all but dead now. The second chance he thought he had was just a delusion of his own mind. "What happened on my world doesn't even seem to be a real threat on yours. I met your Sigma and he's not the same here. My very presence here is ripping reality apart." Unwavering, he continues his vigilant watch of the terminal.

"Perhaps...perhaps not. People are generally the same wherever you go. Earth's history has seen it's own tyrants that have come and gone throughout the ages...just as it's seen those who rise up against them to fight for those who aren't able to defend themselves. You're world has it's own. Our world has ours. Each are different in their own ways. But it makes it no less real," Twila responds in a soft voice, trying to decide on how to properly respond. "As for your presence, it's not yours alone. And you're certainly not to blame for it. I...don't know if you were at the meeting the other night or not when the Repliforcers and the Masters sent their own representatives to decide on how this should be faced. But, whatever happened, Wily certainly didn't plan for it himself."

Swiveling his chair around, X turns until he's facing you and lifts his eyes until they meet yours, "I know, Twila. I just wish that I could've fulfilled some greater purpose while I was here. When I return to my world, nothing will have changed. And I'm afraid nothing ever will if I'm the only one who keeps on fighting." Letting his gaze drop downwards, he folds his hands together and slowly starts to swivel his chair back to face the screen.

The girl reaches out a hand, placing it on one of the arm's rests, in order to prevent him from completing the aforementioned turn. "No. I don't believe that. Nothing can have changed, except maybe you. X, you can't always change your circumstances and you can't change others around you...especially if they refuse. But, one person you can change is you." Twila keeps her hand where it is a few moments more before continuing. "Several years ago, after reploids and androids were making there way into society my father moved Mom and me to a settlement within Vermont. He was...convinced that a new race was created in order to serve as slaves, and that one day those slaves would revolt against their masters." A breath is taken in briefly and she goes on. "Basically, it was just running and hiding instead of facing what exactly was happening. Mavericks...found the settlement and not many survived. Just a handfull. My parents weren't among them." Her hand is drawn back quietly while succumbing to her recollection. "A Repliforcer saved my life. And that one act forced to rethink some of my own views. I...just met Rock a few months back. But knowing him helped quite a bit in understanding we're all in this together whether we like it or not. I'm...certain the Repliforcer never knew how his act of mercy could have changed a person."

Stopping his chair, X turns his gaze back to you and gently places his hand on your cheek. "Twila, I will _always_ work to protect innocents if it means it will stop things like what happened to you. I think more than any other people I've met here, you and Roll have helped me realize things I should have known a long time ago. Maybe someday my world really will be free again, but it'll take decades to recover from the damage Kaiser has done. Sometimes I think the only way we'll ever fully fix it is if we came up with a cure to the Maverick Virus." Letting his hand drop back to his side, he pauses from his talking once more, before adding, "I'm sorry about what happened to your parents. All I ever wanted was a world where we could live peacefully, without fear that a thing like that would happen."

"Then take heart that continuing the fight may be doing much more good than you think it is. No one always understands just how their life effects so many others. You may not realize how much of a blessing you are to others around you, or ever know how your spirit is drawn upon. All you can do is...have faith that it is." That stated her hand rises once more, this time to come to a rest on his shoulder. "A world of peace was all Rock really wanted too. To simply be a normal human boy."

Twila Peterson appreciates his sympathy regarding the fate of her own loved ones, more than she expresses. It's just...his grief over his own losses pales to her own. So, she neglects comment.

Lifting up his hand, X rests it on top of yours where it lies on his shoulder, nodding his head slowly in response. "I give you my word, Twila, the last person who will ever give up fighting will be me. I've came this far, I don't plan on turning my back on anyone now, not when they need me the most. It's just...I guess I needed to hear that from someone else."

Twila Peterson allows a tiny smile to play around the corners of her mouth. "Suppose we all need that from time to time. You wouldn't be different from anyone else." His hand is given a gentle squeeze as thoughts play within her own mind. She well knows that the time X, Megaman, as well as the others have here is soon drawing to a close. The disturbances caused by their presence within this reality is, as X stated beforehand, tearing the delicate fabric woven within the temporal mindset asunder. "Remember me whenever you...look at the necklace I gave you a few weeks ago?"

Releasing your hand, X places it on his chest and grasps the necklace you gave him, "I'll always remember you Twila, even without this necklace. I'll keep it safe as a reminder of the people I met here, and of what you helped me realize." Turning his head downwards, he looks at the little pendants sitting in his palm.

A cross, a butterfly, and a flower cast with gold. Their meaning? Faith, hope and love. The designer had been inspired from a Biblical passage from the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 13, verse 13: "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." Perhaps somehow, by keeping alive one the rest will also be kept alive as well. Twila is in no way dismissing how hard it may be. The easiest would be to simply loose that and give in. But once that is done, X would be already be sentencing himself to a living death.

The young woman ponders this, and seeing that the reploid has taken the time to study the tokens, leans forward and kisses him on top of the head. After doing so she gently embraces him, somehow gathering he may be of need of a hug just about now. "You won't be forgotten either."

X is taken by surprise as Twila hugs him, something he was neither prepared for or expecting. But he returns her embrace nonetheless, because despite all that, it is appreciated, and maybe even needed. For a long time he has been alone on his world, and while there are others he has met, it's never easy for anyone to lose everyone they've ever known and loved. The chance to see everyone again, if only for a brief while, is something he will treasure.

Twila remains within the hug for a little while, perhaps sensing somehow that a part of X which is still Rock has been rather deprived during all those years in which his hopes and dreams of ever living a normal life with his family were so cruelly and senselessly shattered. All she can pray is this small amount of time which X was given to spend here may have given him some peace...true peace, if only that. Eventually she does loosen her hold on him after offering a tight squeeze. For a few moments she's silent before commenting, "I already know you and the others won't be able to remain too much longer here. Guess...I should say my goodbye now..." Before everything hits the fan. If nothing else, she knows the present calm felt won't last forever. It's more the proverbial "eye of the storm".

Gently releasing you from his embrace, X does eventually let go. Though he would love nothing more than to stay here at peace for the rest of time, he can't afford that luxury. Though they are small in number, the surviving humans are depending on him to pull through and maybe one day topple the Kaiser's iron rule over the world. And he too can sense his time here is drawing to a close. Perhaps it's better that way, this isn't his world after all, and without him his own world has no true hero left. Though it's difficult for him to say, he finally manages to force the words out of his mouth. "Sayonarra, Twila. I'll miss you. Seeing you helped remind me why I've been fighting all these years."

"Then something has changed," she quietly points out. Twila's features soften as she returns his gaze. Studying them once can see that her eyes glaze over. She gently brushes the back of her hand against his cheek and turns towards the entrance halfway. She then states, "I'll miss you too, Rock." calling him by his real name...and not that which he was given when he became who he now is. God go with you." And with that she takes a step back towards the door, offering a smile.

Roll walks into the research lab, her hands in the pockets of her lab coat as she looks around for a specific person. Blizzard Buffalo follows close behind her, carrying Tango over his broad shoulder. She smiles, spotting X and Twila, though neither are the person she was initially looking for.

Blizzard Buffalo towers ominously above Roll, his size and girth casting a maw of a shadow upon her lithe and simple frame. The two contrast each other in every way imaginable, and he follows closely behind his Salvation, reaching a mighty hand to stroke the kitten across his frame.

It's then that the others are noticed by the doorway. She's left wondering idly how much was seen or noticed by them...any of them. Roll...she doesn't mind. But the Maverick? The sight of them causes Twila to bite her lip and take a step back. Ever since this "truce" started she's been personally threatened three times by the so-called allies already. Needless to say, she doesn't hold much like or trust for the Masters or Mavericks.
Twila Peterson gets out a, "Hi, Roll."

Roll appears to be getting along quite well the rather large Maverick behind her. "Hi!" she replies to Twila with a smile. "I was just looking for daddy, but I guess he's not here either." She pauses, seeing how it is Twila is talking to, and smiles again. "Rock!" Judging by the warmth in her voice, she'd be hugging him right now if she had been close enough.

With no small bit of effort, X returns Twila's smile back to her, for a very brief period of time, lest someone else see him. It's never easy for X to see Mavericks walking about the Hunter HQ so freely, and Blizzard Buffalo is no exception. Seeing him with his _sister_ just enrages him immensely, but he bottles it inside, not wishing to upset Roll. It's obvious, even to him, that he means no harm. Standing up from his chair, he approaches his sister and bends down onto one knee in front of her, "Roll. I wish I could stay here with you forever, but I think my time here is limited. Megaman and I are just visitors on your world, really. And soon we'll have to leave before these tremors get even worse and rip reality apart." Pausing, he gives the petite android a hug before releasing her, "Be good, Roll, and always stay as sweet and happy as you are now."

Roll doesn't let her brother get away so easily with such a brief hug, especially after hearing what he says. Not letting go, she turns that petite hug into a much larger one as she keeps her arms around X, hugging him tightly. "Oh Rock," she murmurs to him, suddenly saddened as the thought of him leaving her is brought up once again. "I know you have to go, but...but..." she lets out her breath in a soft sigh before continuing, "I really wish you didn't have to. I wish you could stay too." Squeezing lightly, she finally allows him to release her. Looking down at her futuristic brother's face, she smiles lightly, memorizing the face of X, noting the slight differences from Rock, and even Megaman. "Just promise me you'll take care of yourself too, and stay safe."

Twila Peterson stands by and watches the two quietly with a softened smile as the Hunter bids his sister his own farewell so as to not leave anything unsaid whenever the time comes for him to return to his world. This is done regardless that there's a Maverick standing not that far away. She does her best to ignore it, sicne she highly doubts he would attempt anything within the base...least how it is right now. But she's still quite a bit uneasy. Sigma himself had treatened her within this base already.

Vile is, currently, behind one of the walls. No one knows the sewers better then him, and he has used the subteranean caverns to slip into the heart of the Hunter HQ. His crimson optic cuts through the darkness as he silently works. He has interfaced with the back of one of the many wall-bound computers and is currently using that interface to hack into the lab mainframe. He slips past the automated defenses and doesn't dawdle, time is limited. He systematically locates and deletes any information that concerns sending the Kaiser back to his time.. except for one file. No matter how many times he hacks at it with the proverbial virtual ax, it remains locked and password protected. His time to avoid detection quickly runs to a matter of seconds, and he quietly slips back into his body. He needs someone with that password, anyone. He quietly peaks into the lab through a vent. His single eye focuses on the one person who is certain to be in possession of said password: Roll. "Sister of Rock, I knew leaving you alive would prove to be advantageous for me. You, my dear, will help me destroy existence."

Roll picks up his hand in both her own, smiling softly as she looks at him. "I know," she adds softly, "that you can do anything, Rock, and I know that when you leave me...it will be to save your time from its evils."

Embracing his sister in a tight hug, X nods his head in a mixture of sadness and regret. After all he's gone through, his sister is still one of the most important people in his life. "I will, Roll. But more importantly, you take care of _your_ self. Ever since I . . . " Faltering, his words drop off into silence. Composing himself, he continues, "Ever since I lost my sister on my world, nothing was ever the same. Seeing you again has given me hope." Faith, Hope, and Love. A certain person only just reminded him of these things. If Twila is Faith, then his sister most certainly is Hope. "I don't want this world to turn out like mine, and I don't want you in danger."

Roll smiles at X's words, reaching down to tousel his hair lightly, as she used to a long time ago. Grinning lightly, she replies to him, "There's always hope, Rock. You just have to know where to look for it." Leaning closer, she hugs him again. "So," she asks in a more normal tone of voice with a hint of mischief, "Want to go for some ice cream or something now?"

Chuckling lightly, X stands up and nods his head, tapping the futuristic Maverick Hunter emblem on his chest, which causes his armor to melt away, revealing his formal uniform. "Sure, Roll. It's been over a decade since I had ice cream with you, I think it's about time I relived that experience." Glancing briefly at Blizzard Buffalo, he gives the Maverick a respectful nod. He's already met Sigma, and the Maverick leader has earned his respect enough for him not to have killed him where he stood. It seems the Mavericks of this world differ slightly from those of his own. Placing a hand onto Roll's shoulder, he smiles again, glad to enjoy this moment before he's forced to go back to his dark world.

Roll beams happily at X. "Great!" she replies. "We can go to the Rec Room and eat there. Turning slightly to look behind her over her shoulder, she says to Twila, Blizzard Buffalo, "You can all come too, if you guys aren't busy."

Twila Peterson smiles towards the two siblings before glancing around the lab once more before turning back towards them. "Not busy. But, you sure?" she asks semi-awkwardly, wondering if they wouldn't rather spend some time alone..unknowingly thinking along the Maverick's wavelength.
Twila Peterson offers, "Besides, I can work on a project and let you know if Dr. Light comes in if you like."

Roll nods, a little disappointed that no one else is coming, except for Blizzard Buffalo. At least, it looks like he is. "Did you want to stay here, or come with Rock and I?" she asks the Maverick politely, wondering if someone so accustomed to the cold would even like ice cream very much.

Twila Peterson stands aside as the brother and sister start to head out, deciding it best she declines Roll's offer for now. She may just have to have some ice cream later with Rick, however. She then heads herself over towards the terminal X was previously at, and starts up a program...which is really a project one of the others had given her to work on. She's normally work on it within the medbay. But... *ahem* Sigma is there.

Roll smiles, shaking her head slowly at Cossack. "Nothing's wrong," she replies, "X and I were just going to go get some ice cream to eat, and talk for a while."

Twila Peterson chuckles lightly, then offers to X and Roll, "Take care you too."

Turning around, X waves to Twila and then just respectfully bows to everyone else before offering his sister his hand. "Shall we be off?" He offers to her. Gently lifting Roll up, he places her legs over his shoulders around his neck, simply because he's tall enough to carry her and it just feels like the right thing to do. It's probably his last time with his sister, after all.

Twila Peterson offers X a mock salute as he leaves with his sister and then giggles Roll's placed on his shoulders. She can't help it. The sight brings a smile to her face.

Roll giggles as well, feeling herself lifted up onto her brother's shoulders. "Okay then, let's go!" she replies as she hangs on to her brother closely, not having had anyone give her a ride like this in a while now.
Blizzard Buffalo snorts a lurid mist of frost from his muzzle as he taps a few keys upon his wrist-mounted transmission unit, sending a relay of transmissions, and glancing upwards, catching the leering eye of Anteater-Boy.

Letting a smile grace his features again, X holds onto Roll securely so as not to let her fall, stepping out of the research lab together with her, "Alrighty, we're off to get ice cream." As he wanders off, his voice can be heard echoing down the hall, carrying on conversation that he has been denied for years. As it fades in the distance, you even hear intermittent laughter, and though it'll end for him all too soon, it's better that he had this chance to begin with, even if it was so brief.