It was a large crowd that stood outside the entrance to the tunnel leading to Dr. Light's old lab. Robots of all shapes and sizes milled around, making small talk or lightly sparring to kill time.
"How are we going to get them all back to MHHQ?" Shortwave wondered aloud as she and X studied the mass of artificial life forms.
X didn't have an easy answer to her question; he couldn't simply teleport himself along with the other Reploids, not to mention the dozens of Robot Masters. "I don't know," he finally admitted. "The only ones other than me who can self-teleport are Rock, Blues, and Bass. Oh, and Iris."
"And you could give them the coordinates to the Launchpad, but that's still a lot of people to move," she noted as they watched Aqua Man try to irrigate the barren ground. "Can Rock and his friends teleport others?"
He shook his head. "Rock can teleport one other, but he told me that he's never tried it with more. Rush and Treble can teleport, too, but Rock couldn't tell me if Rush could take anyone else, and Bass just gave me a dirty look when I asked. Well, tried to ask."
"That sounds like him," the redheaded Reploid giggled. "Hey, if Rock can teleport one other, shouldn't you be able to teleport more? You, know, since you're more advanced than he is?"
"I...don't know," X admitted with an awkward shrug, and she smiled at the tint to his cheeks. "I...don't really understand how it works; all I know is that I can take myself and at least one other, but I don't know what my limit is."
"Hmmm..." She pushed her lips to the side in thought, the movement drawing X's attention. "Well, could you ask Doctor Light about it?"
He looked back to the entrance to the tunnel. "I asked him, but he just smiled; I think he wants me to figure it out on my own."
Shortwave thoughtfully nibbled on her lower lip before an idea came to mind. "Maybe... Maybe you should go back first and talk with Signas; he could probably help." She giggled again. "Knowing him, he's waiting for you to show up to tell him; he probably knows already, right?"
X couldn't help but chuckle at her words. "Yeah, probably." His smile faded, and he crossed his arms as he studied the crowd. "That's a good idea, but I'm worried about leaving you here; I'm worried that some of them would give you trouble, not listen to you or something."
"Bass?" she prompted with a knowing grin.
A nod.
"Don't worry about him, mate," a voice interjected, and Iris joined them a moment later with her hand resting on the pommel of the sword at her hip. "I can handle the lads if any of 'em try to give her any lip."
"Are you sure, ma'am?" Shortwave asked anxiously. "I wouldn't want to put you out or anything."
Iris snorted, and X's brow jumped in surprise at the unexpected sound – considering the source, at least. "I thought I asked you not to call me that; you're the senior here, after all."
"S-Sorry..."
Iris sighed with a smile as she rested a hand on the navigator's shoulder. "You're a timid Sheila, aren't you?"
"I'm sorry, ma-...I mean, Iris," Shortwave stammered, and X noticed that she wouldn't – or couldn't – meet the other woman's gaze. "I'm happy that you're willing to help, but I really think that you should be in charge."
"Me?" Iris seemed surprised. "Why?"
"Well, because..." the navigator started while repeatedly knotting her fingers. "...Y-You're so...well, you're...." She finally let her hands drop along with her gaze. "You're more powerful than I am," she murmured. "And more confident."
Iris gave X a puzzled look. "Look, Shortwave; I might predate you and be better suited for combat, but you know the 'what's what' here better than I do."
"She's right," X chimed in. "Iris has been out of commission for...well, a long time. Also, you're really good at coordinating stuff, right? You had to coordinate calls when you were a receptionist, didn't you? Or am I wrong?"
The petite redhead sighed. "No, you're right. It's not the same, but I get what you mean." She grinned bashfully up at Iris. "I guess I'm just feeling intimidated even though I shouldn't, huh? "
"Can't imagine why," Iris remarked. "We're all friends here, aren't we? Besides..." She gave Shortwave a wink and a lopsided grin. "...I did some pretty stupid things toward the end of my life. Well my previous one. Anyway, I might need someone like you to keep me in line, too."
Shortwave giggled at her words. "Okay, Iris; I'll do my best."
***
Paul absently scratched the side of his head with his stylus as he studied his computer screen; someone had sent a message to Maverick Hunter Headquarters that was either a threat or simply filled with poor grammar. Maybe a recipe? "What am I supposed to do with this...?"
He heard the main doors open, and as he looked up to greet Maverick Hunter Headquarters' newest visitor his jaw dropped.
The figure before him was tall, dark, and very feminine. Long, purple hair fell to the small of her back, though two locks cascaded over each of her shoulders to rest upon a dark-colored jacket and white blouse that covered her ample bosom. The outfit tapered delightfully inward at the waist before flaring out again into a skirt that lightly hugged her slender hips before ending at the knees, revealing shapely calves, and black leather flats covered her dainty feet. "Navigator Layer, reporting in," she said while brushing a stray lock of hair from emerald-colored eyes.
It took several seconds for the stunned receptionist to recover. "O-Of course, N-Navigator!" Paul squawked before regaining his professional demeanor and forcing his eyes back down to his monitor. "Welcome back, Navigator Layer," he finally greeted. "Y-Yeah, I've checked you...er, back in; should I inform Commander Signas of your arrival?"
"Yes, please," she replied while brushing another errant lock of hair, which drew his gaze again. She noticed the shift of his attention, and with a slight tilt of her head she asked, "Is there anything else?"
He blinked and shook his head to re-center himself. "No! No, you're cleared for entry."
"Thank you, Paul," she replied with a tender smile. "It's good to be home again...even though I really wasn't gone for long. Have a good day."
As she made her way past the reception desk to the lifts, Paul couldn't help but watch the gentle sway of her hips before grunting in annoyance. "Mind your manners, soldier," he admonished as he turned his attention back to his duties. Before he succeeded, however, his eyes briefly lost focus as he thought of the beauty that had stood before him. "But man, she's even prettier than before..."
***
Layer leaned back against the wall of the elevator just after the doors closed and sighed heavily. "This is gonna take some getting used to..."
The receptionist hadn't been the only man to react positively to her new appearance; during her trip home from the clothier, she couldn't help but notice the attention she was getting, from both men and women, much to her surprise. Of course, she was used to men looking at her, but mainly from the neck down, her chest in particular. With her new outfit, however, she noticed that women had started to follow her with their eyes; not only that, she also noticed that people were starting to look at her face as well, not just her chest. "Maybe it's the change to my hairstyle...?" she mused as she touched her bangs, which no longer obscured her eyes. She then giggled. "Maybe Mr. Hurt was right; maybe I do have pretty eyes?" She reflected on her interaction with the receptionist. "He was looking at my face, wasn't he?"
She reached out to press the button to go to the Command Level, but paused. Instead, she pressed a different button, and as the elevator came to a stop Layer smiled absently at the sight of the familiar hallway that led to her quarters. In spite of all the stress she had endured during her time away, visiting Cyber Dolls and dealing with the rough men, her time at the hotel had given her a chance to work through most of her thoughts and feelings before heading back home.
She felt a sense of peace as she entered her quarters, and she looked around as though seeing her living space with new eyes. Finally, she took a deep breath and put the bags containing her new clothes down before heading over to her terminal; there was someone she wanted to see but thought it polite to call ahead first.
It took only a moment for the communication to connect, and an excited Alia appeared on the monitor. "Layer!" Alia squealed. "You're home already? Wow, you look different!"
"I got home just a few minutes ago," Layer replied, smiling at the friendly face on the screen. "And thank you; I know that it's not much, but I do feel better."
"What did you end up doing?"
Layer giggled. "Could I come over? I wanted to call ahead and make sure that you there, but also to make sure that I wouldn't be interrupting anything."
From her expression, Alia understood the intended subtext. "Thank you. David's supposed to be here later, so we have plenty of time. Come on over!"
The two quickly ended the conversation and Layer headed to the door, only to pause at the sight of herself in a full-length mirror next to her door. "I guess I really do look different," she realized. And not just because of her hair or outfit. "I'm a different person, now," she murmured before heading out the door.
***
X materialized on the pad that Signas had set aside for his and Shortwave's use. Considering Pallette's and Layer's individual circumstances, he wasn't surprised to find neither of them there.
At least there was someone behind the control console, though. "Welcome back, Commander!" a male technician greeted as X made his way over.
"Hey, Richard," X greeted. "I need to talk with the commander; could you see if he's free?"
"Sure thing!" The black-and-white Reploid tapped a few keys on the console, then pressed his hand against his earpiece. "Commander Signas? This is Richard at the Launchpad. I'm well, thank you. Sir, X has just returned and would like to speak with you at your earliest convenience." A pause. "Yes, sir. Right. Yes sir, I'll send him right up." He closed the connection to address X once again. "Go ahead and head up to his office, commander; he's waiting for you."
"I guess I shouldn't be too surprised," X quipped. "I guess the question should be 'How long has he known that I'd show up now?'"
"Very good, sir," Richard chuckled in agreement. "Have a great day."
"You, too," X replied with a wave before heading for the large double doors that led out of the Launchpad. As he made his way to the lift, he thought of the group waiting for him outside of Dr. Light's lab.
He thought of all of the Robot Masters and what it must be like for them, having been awakened after such a long time. As he entered the lift and pressed the button for the Command Level he realized that the shock would be greater for them than for him; while he had been sent into a form of stasis while still in his creator's lab, they had lived lives in the world at the time before being put into their pods. "I can't even imagine..." Despite his statement he tried to envision the world before, one where there was conflict but not on a global scale like he'd had to deal with since the 'Day of Sigma'. His attempt at empathy toward his fellow robots strengthened his resolve to help them acclimate to a world new to them, and he unconsciously clenched a fist.
He thought about Iris. Due to her being Zero's operator, X had had little interaction with her prior to the Repliforce War, and even then Zero was the one who had...interacted with her and her brother. While this 'resurrected' Iris wasn't the same as the one he'd known, he couldn't help but wonder how Zero would react to seeing his former love, even if in a new form. "And Layer..." he groaned while pressing a hand against the side of his head. "What'll happen when those two meet...?" He'd never really thought about the intimate lives of his teammates – even though many had suggested that he and Alia would have made a good couple. "Argh, romantic relationships are so hard to under-"
His intended statement caused him to then think of his redheaded navigator. She had made it clear how she felt about him, and even though he had asked for time to think about her feelings, he still wasn't sure what he was supposed to do about the situation.
"How do you feel about her?"
Dr. Light's question came to his mind, unbidden, and he leaned against the wall of the lift; fortunately, he still had plenty of time to consider the question before the lift reached its destination, as his thoughts regarding the Robot Masters and Iris had only taken a few seconds. "How do I feel...?" he murmured. He lightly bopped the back of his helmeted head against the wall behind him, as though the repeated impacts would help loosen any ideas. "Well, she's definitely aesthetically pleasing," he mused with a small smile as he thought of her red curls, bright eyes, and perpetually present cute smile. "And, for whatever reason-no, she made the reasons very clear," he corrected as he remembered her many words of adoration directed toward him. "She's really supportive of me, not just as 'Maverick Hunter Commander X'," he continued, emphasizing his title with an imitation of his CO's voice and manner-of-speech, "...but as just 'X'." He gave the wall of the lift one final THUMP with the back of his helmeted head. "Would I really be playing favorites if I...if I got closer to her? Do I want to get closer to her?"
He was still pondering the question as the lift reached its destination, and the doors opened to reveal the Command Level of Maverick Hunter Headquarters. To keep Shortwave and the others from waiting any longer than necessary, he jogged across the room to Signas' office, only mildly surprised that the doors opened at his approach. "Please come in, Hunter Commander," Signas greeted from behind his desk. As his subordinate quickly moved to stand at attention before him he asked, "What can I do for you? I see that navigator Shortwave is not with you; I assume that there is a reason for her absence?"
"Yes, sir," X replied with a salute. "She's still back outside Doctor Light's lab...with several of Doctor Light's and Doctor Wily's robot masters."
Signas' eyebrows jumped at the revelation. "After all these years?"
X briefly explained about their journey to Dr. Light's lab, their encounter with the ancient mechanic Auto, and finally, "...he took us to a huge room lined with pods like the one I was found in," he said. "Not only that..." X had to unexpectedly press a fist against his mouth in an effort to contain an emotion he'd never experienced before. "...Rock and Roll were there."
Signas shot to his feet. "Rock?! Are you referring to Light-hakase's first-no, second attempt at creating a self-aware robot?"
"That's the one, sir," X replied, having managed to regain control of his emotions regarding his older brother. "Roll is there, too. Rush, too."
"The canine-!" Signas had rarely been stunned so severely, and he had to reclaim his seat before he fell into it. "You said Doctor Wily's robot masters are there as well?"
"Yes, sir, along with Bass and Treble."
Signas chuckled lightly as he pinched the bridge of his nose; a strictly human gesture that Reploids had no need for, but one that seemed appropriate given the situation. "I cannot be surprised any more. Just tell me, X; how many people will you be bringing here?"
"Including Shortwave and Rock and Roll...?" X took a moment to run the numbers. "About one hundred, but I may have missed a couple."
"We can accommodate that many," Signas said, having regained his composure, "but how do you intend to get them here?"
"That's what I came to talk to you about, sir," X replied. "I was hoping we could use a transport or two, but the lab's so far away. I know that Rock, Blues, Bass, and Iris can self-teleport, but they could only teleport one-"
"Wait..." Signas interrupted with a lift of his hand and a rare expression of shock. "Did you say 'Iris'?
X sighed. "Yes, sir."
"As in 'Iris' from the Repliforce War?" he pressed.
"Sort of," X replied, though he shifted uncomfortably. "Doctor Light found her and Colonel...well, Colonel's core, I guess...and, uh, made them the way they were supposed to be in the first place."
Signas' eyes lost focus – a first for the normally-grounded Reploid – and his jaw worked briefly before he spoke again. "I take back what I said previously about being surprised. In any case, I would normally be wary of bringing one as dangerous as Iris into Maverick Hunter Headquarters, but seeing as Light-hakase was the one who restored her..." He blinked. "Very well, Hunter Commander; I can authorize use of our transports for this, but why couldn't you just teleport them here yourself?"
"I-" X's words caught in his throat. "I... I think that would be more than I could handle, sir."
"Did you confer with Light-hakase regarding this issue?"
"Yes, sir, but all he did was smile."
"Smile..." Signas mused as he stroked his chin. He then rose to his feet. "Hunter Commander X: I will not be granting you use of our transports. You are to return to Doctor Light's lab and commence transporting them here yourself. Meet with Douglas at the Launchpad; he will be assisting you for the remainder of this mission."
"Sir...?"
"Dismissed, Hunter Commander."
X stared at his commanding officer with an expression of disbelief before abruptly saluting. "Y-Yes, sir."
Signas' expression remained stern as his subordinate left the office. As the doors closed, however, he sat back down and a smile graced his face. "X, you are more amazing than you give yourself credit for."
***
Alia pressed the button to open the door to her quarters, and she gasped as her eyes widened at the sight before her. "Oh, you look fantastic! Come in, come in!"
"Thank you," Layer replied with a tint to her cheeks as she entered her friend's quarters. "This new 'me' is taking some getting used to."
They took seats on Alia's sofa, who promptly squealed with her eyes squeezed shut as she shook her fists and feet. "Ooooh, I really want to ask how things went, but we should wait until Pallette can join us!"
"You're right," Layer replied with a giggle at her friend's antics. "I should've waited until...tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah, tomorrow," Alia replied, still staring excitedly at the change in her colleague. "Gosh, being able to see your eyes is going to take some getting used to. But can you tell me where you plan on going from here? Have you seen Zero yet?"
"Not yet, no," Layer said with a shake of her head. "Like I said earlier, I just got back. I want to get settled in again before...you know, meeting everyone again."
"Well, I'm so happy for you," Alia gushed. "I understand you want to hold off on the details, but... Did you find what you were looking for?"
"Sort of," Layer admitted while briefly casting her gaze to the side. "It's...going to take some time for me to, um...sort out everything I learned and experienced, though."
"I can imagine." Alia studied her friend a moment longer before throwing her arms around her. "Oh, welcome home, Layer."
The tall Reploid tensed up for a moment before awkwardly returning the gesture. Once her arms were around her friend, however, she settled into the embrace. "Thank you, Alia. I...do have a question, though."
Alia released her friend, only to hold her at arm's length. "Of course; what is it?"
Alia's expression turned to one of mild shock as her friend's face nearly burst into flame with the intensity of her blush. "How..." Layer started, then swallowed. "How do I become a good wife?"
***
X was still puzzling over Signas' orders as the doors to the Launchpad slid open; the hyper-analytical Reploid had always given X and the other Hunter Commanders whatever they needed for a mission, so for Signas to basically say 'do it yourself' was...unusual.
"Ah, there you are!" Douglas called as X entered the room containing the pad that had been set aside for his use. "The boss told me to show you how I'll be helping you out."
"Uh, thanks," X replied as he followed the engineer to the console that controlled the teleport pad. "Hey, how have Axl and Pallette been doing?"
"Great!" Douglas replied almost immediately and with a broad smile. "I kinda expected this, but they've been spending a lot of time in the shared memory. Of course, I don't know what they're saying to each other, but..." He shrugged a shoulder. "None of my business, in any case."
"That's good..." X mused. Remembering something that the engineering Reploid had said prior to the pair's incarceration he asked, "And how have you been doing?"
Douglas glanced over at his friend. "Me? I'm fine. I take it you're asking because I said I'd be online the whole time?"
"That's right."
"I'm fine," he repeated. "I've plugged in a couple of times while watching them, of course, but..." He sent the warrior another smile as he stepped behind the console. "I'm good, but thanks for asking. Now, I'll bet you're wondering how the Launchpad's gonna receive so many Reploids...well, Reploids and robots."
That specific thought hadn't crossed his mind, but X understood that the engineer was just setting the stage for whatever it was he wanted to show him. "I wasn't, but now that you mention it..."
"Fair enough," Douglas chuckled. "Anyway, you probably didn't know that the landing pad could do this." He pushed a button, and X jumped back in surprise as the floor in the center of the room began to shift. The existing disc split into petals and spread out, while new sections of floor rose up to fill in the gaps. Once the process had completed, X stared wide-eyed at a landing pad twice its original size. "This was originally intended for mass evacuations," he explained as the final sections locked into place. "That should be enough for all of you," Douglas concluded while trying to suppress a smile at the expression on the warrior's face. "Shouldn't it?"
X gaped a moment longer before shaking his head to clear it. "Y-Yeah, I think so. Thanks, Douglas."
"My pleasure!" The engineering Reploid reached out and clapped him on the shoulder. "Listen, you can still have anyone who can teleport others help you out, but this should be big enough for everyone."
"Got it. Thanks again, Douglas."
"Happy to help!" Douglas beamed. "Now, get out there and bring 'em home."
***
A/N: X's statement about 'missing a couple' is a reference to the two Robot Masters (Oil Man and Time Man) added in the Mega Man 1 remake 'Mega Man: Powered Up'. Incidentally, the number includes all Robot Masters, Rock, Roll, Blues, Bass, and their animal-like companions. Hopefully I accounted for them all. ^_^;
Another A/N: Still open to assistance with Iris' Australian manner-of-speech.