Zero shook his head. Slowly he opened his eyes and gasped. He was in a cavern, obviously deep in the ground. He looked over at Dr. Cain, who was sitting up and rubbing his head. He was battered and bruised but not much else.

" Do you think this is a Maverick hideout?" Dr. Cain asked. Zero shrugged. He walked over to X's body and checked him. Then, seeing that X was okay, he went to explored the cavern. Dr. Cain began to work on X. An hour later, there was a large rumble and Chip landed with a 'kerthunk' right on his rear. He flinched and smiled weakly. He stood up and gazed around. He smiled at them as he dusted himself off.

" I found you! I had lost those Mavericks. When I got into the building, I started to clear the rubble. Then, I fell through and the whole building collapsed!" Chip explained. He saw Zero and ran after him to help explore. Later, X was awake. Dr. Cain had fixed him as best as he could but even that wasn't enough. X leaned against the wall. Dr. Cain had been able to fix some of X's internal circuits but most were still badly damaged and the opening was still wide open. Dr. Cain ripped a bit of his coat and wrapped it around X, to protect X's internals. X was nowhere near out of the danger zone. He drifted in and out of consciousness.

" Come on, Chip. We'll go check on the others. Do you think you'll be safe?" Zero said, to Dr. Cain and X.

" Just because I'm wounded, I'm not any less a threat!" X whispered, not very convincing. Zero laughed. He and Chip leaped up the entrance. They blasted the rubble away so they could exit. Then, they covered the entrance. After they were sure it was safe, they made their way to the construction site of the new Headquarters.

Kip was beginning to worry about Chip and Zero. It had been a day and a half since they last saw them.

" What could they be doing?" he thought. The new Headquarters was coming along a bit faster than predicted. It had a rocky start but now construction was as smooth as ice. The other half of the Hunters had arrived and were helping. The foundation was being cemented and some Hunters were gathering materials for the frame. Kip inspected the cement and smiled at the Hunter next to him." Wait 'til those stupid Mavericks get a load of THIS!" he said.

Chip never felt so good in his life. It was a joy to actually work with a superior officer. It made him feel more than just a Rookie. With this in mind, he leaped and jumped from building to building.

" Well, Chip, we are almost at the new Headquarters construction site. Do you think your friend has done a good job?" Zero said.

" Kip will do a good job, even if it kills him!" Chip answered. Zero laughed. As they approached the new building, something inside of Chip went cold. Chip stopped and gazed around. Then, he gasped and glared. He felt his blue eyes begin to glow and his teeth grit. Zero stopped to see what was wrong. Then, he saw. On a skyscraper a few feet away was Vile and Wire Sponge. They were watching them. There was no telling how long they had been there. Zero glanced at Chip. Chip was trembling with anger, his eyes blood red. His blaster was charging up. Chip was still incredibly angry about what happened to X. Zero couldn't blame him. His hero had been hurt saving him. That was a blow Chip would never forget.

" Greetings, Zero!" Vile called. Chip all but growled. Vile and Wire Sponge leaped to the building top Zero and Chip were on. Wire Sponge took one look at Chip and knew that if a battle broke out, Chip would be at him like a dog on a bone. It was the way Chip looked at him. Obviously imagining his death.

" Hello, scumbucket," Zero answered. Vile didn't seem riled by it.

" What's the matter, Vile? Gave up on picking on the wounded like a vulture?" Chip hissed. Vile stared at him.

" You mean X?" Vile asked.

" Who'd you think I meant? Who else would you not fight in fair combat? How many OTHER reploids have you wounded then hunted like dogs? Perhaps your mother, if you HAD one? I wouldn't put it past you!" Chip snapped. Vile stared in to Chip's eyes. He saw disgust and rage but not what he wanted to see. He didn't see any fear. Vile looked back at Zero.

" Where have you been?" Vile asked, ignoring Chip.

" Why do you want to know?" Zero asked. Vile laughed. Then, he abruptly stopped and glared.

" Enough of this! Were is X? Where are you hiding him?" he snarled.

" Vulture! You're too cowardly to face him when he's well so you'll face him when he's wounded! We will never tell you!" Chip screamed. Vile whirled around, planning on dealing the smart mouth Rookie a blow across the face. Instead, HE received a punch in the stomach. Surprised, he fell backwards. Wire Sponge leaped between them, planning on defending Vile.

" Time to pay, Maverick!" Zero snapped as he pulled out his saber.

" Just for that blow, Rookie, YOU will die first!" Vile hissed as he pointed at Chip. Wire Sponge leaped at Chip. Chip accepted the challenge, pure glee shining in his red eyes. Zero fired at Vile. Vile leaped out of the way and returned a shot. Zero dodged the blast and rammed Vile, sending him flying across the building's roof. Vile leaped to his feet and shot three blasts at Zero. Zero managed to dodge two but was hit by the third.

" Damn you Vile!" Zero yelled. Chip was enjoying HIS battle. He fired two shots at Wire Sponge, one high and the other low. They both crashed in to the Maverick. Wire Sponge fell face first on to the roof. Chip leaped up. Just before Chip could land on his head and crush it, Wire Sponge leaped to his feet and dashed away. He leaped to a different building. Surprised, Wire Sponge saw Chip jumping after him. They chased each other over the roof tops. Chip blasted Wire Sponge in the back, causing him to go crashing to the ground level. Then Chip leaped down after him, a grin of pure malice and delight on his face. Zero attacked Vile even more fierce than before. They fired back and forth. Vile jerked up, unable to ignore Wire Sponge's screams of pain that echoed through the city. Suddenly, Chip appeared on the roof top Vile and Zero were fighting on. In his hand was Wire Sponge's head.

" Hey Vile! You seem to be having trouble finding good help! Seems a Rookie can defeat a Maverick Boss with great ease!" Zero mocked. Vile began to become afraid. Afraid of the Rookie that stared at him so hard. The Rookie that held Wire Sponge's head in his hand and smiled viciously. The Rookie that had death in his eye. Vile's death.

" You seem to be a bit busy. I guess we can finish this conversation another time!" Vile said. Then, he teleported away. Chip blinked, surprised. Then, he narrowed his eyes.

" COWARD!!!! VULTURE!!!!" Chip screamed on the top of his metallic lungs. " VULTURE!!!" Zero put his hand on Chip's shoulder.

" Come one, Chip. Let's go," Zero said. Chip stared at Zero, rage still burning bright in his eyes. But, as he looked at Zero, the rage slowly diminished. Chip nodded. They continued on their way to