Maverick

The Reploid/Human Stigma

Axl tapped the toe of his new boots on the concrete of the sidewalk. They weren't bad at all, but he was still getting used to them.

"Stop doing that." Alia told him, swatting at his shoulder. "That's some of Mrs Bonne's finest work right there, don't break them already!"

"I'm not breaking them." Axl told her. "I'm breaking them in. Besides, I didn't ask for the woman to give me a whole outfit. I look like a retarded Pfft."

"Even retarded Reploids are useful." Alia retorted. "Besides, Mrs Bonne knows what she's doing- she was built with this powerful insight on hardware and stuff, and her husband makes it all for her."

"Whoa, wait- hold the phone!" Axl suddenly said. "You're tellin' me that Mrs Oldie is a Reploid?!"

Alia nodded.

"And Mr Bonne is a rather infamous mechanic who took over 20 years to perfect what he does."

"A Reploid married a human?!" Axl then blurted. "What are they, mental? Who on earth would do that?! It's like... like..."

Before Axl could say any more, Alia slapped his across the face.

"I'll have you know that Mrs Bonne is very dedicated to her husband, and vice versa." Alia told Axl darkly. "Mrs Bonne gave up everything to be with Mr Bonne- without him she wouldn't be able to run the black market with the iron fist she has. Hell, she'd still be a sex bot if Mr Bonne didn't take pity on her and reprogram her to decide her own destiny."

Axl looked at Alia with mixed emotions now.

"I... I didn't know..."

"No. You didn't." Alia said, looking at him that made Axl feel even worse. "But it makes me want to ask you a question; if such relations between Reploids and humans were illegal, who would be at fault- the Reploid who determined her fate with her given free will, or the human who created and renewed her purpose?"

Axl purposely held his tongue as he looked at Alia with a rather determined look. Above them, there was an explosion at a nearby building that made both of them look up. From the rubble, something red fell from the sky. Instantly, Alia ran to where the red figure was going to fall- surprised, Axl followed behind her. Axl started to pick up enough speed that his boots started to ignite at the sole.

"Alia!" Axl proclaimed as the boots lifted him up off the ground. Alia stopped for a moment to look and was instantly swept off her feet from the force Axl had from coming up to her with the now unhidden ability of his new boots.

"If I say anything harsh about the Bonnes again, feel free to kill me." Axl said merrily. Alia laughed in response.

. . .

"How does it feel Zero, to know that your friend could be marrried to a human right now?" Sigma sneered as he aimed a blow toward Zero that the Reploid barely dodged. Sigma snickered. "Imagine what would happen when others find out about such a relationship- star crossed lovers, how juicy! But wait, imagine what I would do when I find him..."

"X wouldn't be that single minded." Zero hissed in pain.

"Oh?" Sigma asked. "How is Iris nowadays?"

"Leave her out of this."

"I heard that her brother Colonel isn't doing so well. Couldn't remember who she was last week, isn't that right?"

Zero sneered as he tried to hit Sigma, but the taller Reploid simply stepped out of the way.

"It disappoints me that you're this weak." Sigma told Zero. "Dr Cain thought your potential was a lot more powerful than this, X's much more so- but he's not here right now, so I only have you to play with..."

Zero sneered at Sigma as the tall Reploid raised his beam saber to cast a finishing blow, but was stopped by an energy pellet that hit him in the side.

"Who?!" Sigma screamed with anger as he looked around for where the shot came from.

"Bull's-eye!" a young voice said from down the road. Zero and Sigma turned to see two kids- one was a boy dressed in full Reploid Police Force suit, the other was a young woman that was dressed in a standard Navigator uniform for the female variety. The one who had shot Sigma was the boy, who was flaunting with his luck shot as if it had been a one hit kill. Sigma turned to look at Zero.

"So you have a few friends, I see?" Sigma chuckled darkly. "Well, let's show them how the world really works... shall we?"

"You can't do that, they're just kids!" Zero shouted.

"Alia, find a way to help the Reploid, I'll get the Maverick." the boy told the young woman. She nodded, prepared to do battle if she needed to to get to Zero. Seeing them decide this made Sigma give a sinister laugh.

"But if the kiddies want to play Zero, who am I to disagree?"