Squad Leader & Nurse
On the topic of that reploid hospital au I thought about some days ago - Iris and Colonel (Simply renamed to "Cole" until I get the lore fully sorted out)
So, their first impressions. Iris is pretty straightforward, she's a nurse at the hospital. Cole works under an organisation that takes away reploids in late stages of the Maverick Virus as the leader of a squad, organising the extraction of the target.
Their story though? Ohh, that went off the deep end. To summarise: Iris hates the way mavericks are treated (The system is very alienating and cruel, to put it simply), but whenever she brings it up to anyone, including her own brother, she's met with dismissal, apathy and a generalised belief that it's for the greater good. Then, Iris herself gets infected, forcing those close to her to see just how messed up the system is.
Cole specifically was hit HARD by this, going so far as to break Iris out of the main facility they take mavericks to and even working for Sigma when he's promised a cure for Iris in return. Cole destroys the organisation he worked for, spreads the virus (+ gets infected himself at some point), and is eventually stopped when Sigma sends him to destroy the main hospital and kidnap Zero.
Funnily enough? They have a better ending than canon, but this was a recent change too. Originally, it went like in canon with Zero killing both of them as a form of mercy. And while that makes it very compliant with canon ("WHAT AM I FIGHTING FOR" and yet you keep fighting the same battles every time. Hypocrite) I felt that was too against the message of their story.
Instead, Zero takes it upon himself to take care of both of them - as patients - as the first step against the old system. The Maverick Virus isn't fully fleshed out yet but it is not the weird "rebellion and evil disease" it basically is in canon. Iris and Colonel will have complications stemming from the disease, but thanks to Zero's care they get to live normal (within what would be possible with the virus) and happy lives whereas the old system would consider them a lost cause. Somewhat akin to living with a chronic disease and disabilities.
They won't be the same as they were pre-infection, whatever damage the virus did can't just be undone, but Iris is an innocent reploid and Cole was a blinded pawn in an oppressive system, they deserve a better end other than "dead so Mr. Main Guy has a borderline flat character arc".
