Death and the Vibrant Architecture of Rebirth - GoldenYuusha - Rockman | Mega Man (2024)

Chapter 1: Prologue

Chapter Text

Miles beneath the hallowed city of Neo Arcadia, a lone reploid ran for his life through a forgotten labyrinth of tunnels, horrified to realize that he was the last man standing between the tyrant king X and the Resistance's last hope.

Zero's fate following the end of the Elf Wars was a myth, at best. Long decades had passed following the war's final battle against Omega, the legendary reploid disappearing shortly after Omega and Dr. Weil were exiled from Earth. After years of silence, many had assumed the worst and mourned the loss of their beloved hero, though an adamant few refused to give up hope that Zero was still out theresomewhere. Indeed, the esteemed Resistance commander Ciel had given up countless nights of sleep over the years digging up lost archives, decrypting data logs written in obscure code and mapping Neo Arcadia's ancient subterranean infrastructure to piece together the truth of what happened to Zero all those years ago.

Somewhere, deep beneath the surface, Zero lay dormant. The former maverick hunter, now a saviour of humanity, had remained hidden in stasis for decades, waiting for someone worthy- or maybe just desperate enough- to wake him. In secret, he had sealed himself away in a laboratory, where he had been forgotten by the people he vowed to protect as the world he fought so hard to build crumbled around him.

The Resistance couldn't fight X's rule alone anymore. They were no closer to freedom than they had been decades ago, when the struggle for justice began. They couldn't wait any longer. They needed Zero.

Unfortunately, so did X.

And so the lone reploid Colbor, the last soldier left alive after X had intercepted his squad in the underground ruins, was saddled with the task of finding Zero before the mad king could. Colbor could do nothing but run, guided by the voice of Ciel over his comms unit, until he found the long-forgotten laboratory where Zero was sealed. Trailing close behind was X, flanked by his sons, the generals Sage Harpuia and Hidden Phantom. The loud thudding of footsteps and the king's orders echoed through the never ending maze of corridors.

The halls of the underground research facility were decrepit, waterlogged, their walls rotting away and collapsing inwards after nearly a century of neglect. Even with Ciel's navigation in his audial, Colbor was struggling on his own. It was dark, and in his bid to outrun X, he had been running in circles, to the point where he didn't quite know where he was. The reploid stumbled through the flooded passageways, vision blurred and thoughts racing as his overclocked systems ran too fast and too hot in a sheer panic.

Colbor pivoted, almost falling in a hard turn right into another long corridor. He looked over his shoulder, paranoia gripping his soul with its bitter cold talons as X's voice became ever louder, the tyrant closing in on him quickly despite his best efforts. He held his finger firmly on the trigger of his blaster, knowing damn well he wouldn't do so much as scratch X's armour. Colbor was haunted by the memory of the menacingly adept reploid making quick work of the rest of his squad, their shots merely bouncing off of the mad king as he tore through them in a frenzy. He swallowed hard. He was getting tired, and X was getting closer now…

"Just 500 more metres and a left turn, Colbor."

Ciel's voice came as merciful relief for the Resistance soldier. Colbor could barely respond, the words thick in his throat as terror seized his frame.

"C-commander, X is hot on my trails. D-don't know if I'll make it."Despair had quickly begun to sink in, its hold on him tightening with every second that passed by. He couldn't get air into his systems fast enough to cool them, the beat of his fuel pump pounding in his head as he struggled to focus. His internal radar displayed the rapidly shrinking distance between him and X, alongside the myriad of overheating warnings crowding his HUD.

"Just try. The code to the laboratory should be 145290."

Despite his panic, Ciel was counting on him… Zero, the Resistance, the future of Neo Arcadia, they were all counting on him. He couldn't stop. He had already come this far. "Copy that. I-I'll do what I can."

"That's all I ask. Good luck, Colbor."

With that, he made a right turn, just as Ciel had told him to. The reploid suddenly found himself face-to-face with a massive, ancient door, easily dwarfed by its impressive height. Compared to the rest of the underground facility, it was remarkably pristine— its silver metal frame was unscathed, a rainbow glow of data streaking through indents etched into its expanse, reminiscent of water flowing down a river delta. Behind those grand doors, Zero slumbered, waiting… ready to be reborn into a world that needed him more than ever before.

Colbor activated the console, resting his fingers on the numpad as the ancient locking device flickered to life, its interface monitor faded and dim. X was getting closer. All he had to do was input the code…

1... 4…

As he punched in the numbers with trembling hands, an ethereal voice spoke to him, its words weaving through the wind and cutting straight through him.

Stay out of this.

Colbor jolted upright, his blaster held at the ready, but when he scanned the area, he found that he was alone. All at once, the air turned cold around him, silence befalling the lone reploid, as if X and his sons were never there, trailing him…

Getting closer. Too close.

"You!"

A buster shot ripped through Colbor's leg, sending the reploid to the ground in an instant. The Resistance soldier cried out, a burning agony racing up from the bullet wound in his ankle to the rest of his leg like a climbing vine. His HUD flashed with critical injury warnings as he lost any mobility he had in that leg.

All Colbor could do was scramble onto his back, his gaze meeting the cold, crimson glare of the Neo Arcadian king himself... Master X.

The father of all reploids stood tall over Colbor, his strong brow furrowed in a furious scowl. Colbor was frozen as fear overcame him, his body refusing to obey his commands to fight back, or even just run. It was over… X would finally be reunited withhisZero. What was there to do now?

He prayed that Zero would do the right thing, even if it meant turning against X.

"I suppose I should thank you for leading me so kindly to my dear Zero," X sneered, kneeling down before Colbor. He wrung his hand around the reploid's feeble neck, lifting him and pinning him against the laboratory door. Colbor choked and sputtered as the hand around his throat tightened, X's grip effortlessly powerful.

The king's harsh red gaze narrowed as Colbor desperately tried to grab and claw at his wrist, fruitlessly attempting to pry himself free from X's punishing grasp. "But you should know better than to take what is rightfully mine."

Brimming with anger, X threw Colbor aside, the thin reploid landing at his sons' feet with a pained grunt, the blaster flying from his hand and clattering as it skidded across the ground. Just as the Resistance soldier regained his bearings, straining to reach for it, X fired another blast from his arm cannon, catching Colbor straight in the wrist. Another shot cut through his ankle, swiftly immobilizing the reploid with unmatched precision.

"Now get out of my way," X spat, kicking Colbor's limp body aside. Colbor, paralyzed from searing pain, the mechanical tendons in his limbs torn to ribbons, could only watch as X turned towards the door to the forgotten laboratory, brushing his fingers over its grand frame. The injured soldier's vision continued to blur as he leaked more and more fuel from a ruptured line, struggling to maintain consciousness as X's words swam around him. "I've waited for this for so long…Zero…"

Harpuia cleared his throat. X nodded with an acknowledging hum, but didn't turn to address him. "Father," he began, "do you want me to dispose of him?"

The air general dipped his helm downwards to Colbor, the Resistance soldier still writhing at his feet. Harpuia pinned him under his foot, talons digging into his chest, a weak sob ripped from the reploid as more fuel gushed from his injuries. X waved him off. "Don't bother. He won't make it long on his own like this. Besides, scavengers will find a good use for his parts," X answered. "I have far more important matters to attend to."

Phantom eyed the locking console, carefully setting his hand on the numpad. "The door is still locked," the shinobi noted. "We'll require the passcode, sir."

"No need, Phantom," X assured, placing a hand on his son's shoulder and pushing him aside. "Stand back."

Harpuia and Phantom dutifully obliged, inching back. X raised his buster and charged a shot, piercing the massive door with a single powerful blast, exposing the decaying underground laboratory once the dust had settled.

Retracting the cannon back into his arm, X grabbed either side of the opening that split the door in half, gritting his teeth as he pried open an entryway with little more than his formidable brute strength. He had waited for far too long… it was time he was reunited with his partner, lost to time.

The laboratory within had long since been reclaimed by nature. Vines descended from the ceiling, while invading roots formed cracks in the walls, creating an opening for the trickles of groundwater that had slowly flooded the room. X and his children climbed through the hole seared through the door, footfalls accompanied by loudplunks as they stepped into the ankle-deep water stagnating on the floor of the room. Sensing their presence, battered fluorescent lights flickered on for the first time in an eon, bathing the old lab in faint, yellowed light.

And slumbering in the center of the deteriorating lab, cradled in a tangle of wires and cables, was Zero. The legendary reploid, awash in the warm glow of faded lights, lay dormant before X, bound to countless machines still dutifully keeping him locked in a coma and recording his feeble vital signs. X extended a hand to his side and motioned Harpuia and Phantom to stay back as he inched closer to Zero, gingerly reaching out to his partner, who he had once feared he had lost forever to war.

Now that X was footsteps away, he could see his beloved clearly. Even when he was weak and thin— worse for wear from his years in stasis— Zero was still as beautiful as he recalled. Under a coat of dust, his armour still shone a stunning red, his face so fierce and yet so soft and elegant… and that gorgeous blonde hair a mess, golden locks cascading down from his helm like fine amber silk.

X was overcome with awe. Frozen and speechless, just like the moment he had first met him centuries ago when he was a mere B-rank Hunter. He reached out to cup Zero's cheek, brushing his thumb down his face and pushing a stray lock of his hair aside. He looked so serene and pretty like this, at peace in his slumber, where the turmoils of reality couldn't trouble him anymore. X brought him closer, pressing Zero's headgem against his and grabbing a hold of his arms, his frame so comfortably warm compared to the cool air around them.

"Zero…It's really you…" X murmured, shutting his eyes and taking in his former partner's presence. Zero imparted an unmatched sense of fulfillment and wholeness that he hadn't felt for decades. He had dreamed of the day he'd finally reunite with his beloved Zero— even after years of ruling Neo Arcadia alone, X had never let go of that desperate hope.

And now… with Zero at his side, the paradise of Neo Arcadia would finally have both of their saviours to rule over them, to guide the good people of his kingdom into a new era of peace and prosperity. It was everything that X had always wanted.

X stepped back, slipping his touch down Zero's lithe arms to his hands, weaving his fingers through Zero's own. Such delicate, beautiful hands, capable of such unknowable destruction…

Bittersweet memories of their past washed over X in an instant. Memories of losing him again and again, of the Eurasia incident, of the devastation of the Elf Wars… oh, how he loved Zero, even if it would be the death of him. Zero's love was like no other, irreplaceable in the way it made X truly feel alive.

One way or another, Zero was made for him.

"Phantom," X called upon his son, the shadow general standing at attention in an instant. "Bring him out of stasis."

X didn't move from where he stood before Zero, his hands held tightly in his grip and gaze fixed upon his old partner's face. "Very well, Master X," Phantom replied with a small bow of his helm, making his way over to the laboratory's main console and brushing a thick layer of dust from its user interface. Phantom made quick work of rebooting the aged computer machinery from its own long slumber, the system humming to life with a resounding whirr of battered cooling fans.

The post-war code that the programs were written in had been retired decades ago, and the last data log that had been recorded was dated to 2216– before Phantom had even been activated. Though his curiosity was piqued, there was no time for the shinobi to analyse such ancient tech. Master X had waited long enough to be reunited with his Zero.

As Phantom executed the revival protocol, he felt a cold wind cut through him. Someone, somewhere, was watching them, and they were making it abundantly clear that they were not welcome here.

There was no going back. Harpuia and Phantom watched the computer terminal process a cascade of commands, wondering if what they were doing was right.

X took a step back, watching with rapt attention as Zero slowly woke from his century long slumber. The tangle of cables and wires detached themselves from Zero's frame with a sharp hiss, the red android snapping his eyes open with a gasp.

In a state of delirium, his body weak from years of stasis, Zero's legs buckled. He collapsed from his nest of wires, X dashing forward to catch him in his arms. Harpuia and Phantom rushed to their father's side. X had always told them of the legendary reploid Zero, and there was no shortage of artistic tributes to the heroic swordsman amongst Neo Arcadia, but to see him in the flesh, dazed and thin in X's arms…

To the brothers, Zero looked far more vulnerable than the image X painted in their minds of the hardened warrior he fell for.

"Zero…" X murmured, his voice wavering with the flood of emotion surging through him. He cupped Zero's face and reached an arm around his waist, holding him tight to his chest as if he was going to lose him again. Even the way Zero's striking eyes gazed up at him, indigo in the shadows and ice-blue in the light, filled X's soul with the warmth it had lost years ago, when he had lost his way without Zero at his side.

He'd missed the way Zero fit so perfectly in his embrace.

The world was still spinning for Zero, senses adjusting to being active again after… he didn't even know how long it had been since he sealed himself away. Everything was a blur, from the room he was in to the voices he was hearing to the reploid who was currently holding him in a very familiar embrace.

"Where…" Zero began, his vocalizer still quiet and fried as he slowly worked it back to its fullest function. "Where am I?"

"It's okay. You're safe, Zero," X replied softly. "You're with me now."

Zero narrowed his gaze, reaching a hand upwards to caress X's face with a featherlight touch. "X…is that you?"

His voice was still faint and husky, but it was all that X wanted to hear. It had been years since he'd heard that sweet, gently deep voice, and his words hung in the air long after they had been spoken. X could feel a lump forming in his throat. "Zero, i-it's me," he whispered, voice hitching, "It's me, X."

When Zero's broken vision finally focused, the red reploid closed his eyes and let out a breathy laugh as the realisation of his circ*mstances set in. "...Took you long enough."

X managed a soft chuckle, words escaping him. What was there to say? There was so much Zero needed to know. He had missed out on a lifetime of memories.

Zero groaned and stirred in X's arms. "H-how long… have I been asleep?" Zero asked, scanning the ruins of the lab with a half-lidded gaze. "X—agh, I feelterrible..."

X hushed him, pulling him closer to his chest. "You must be suffering hibernation sickness. Just rest, Zero. I'll bring you home," he promised softly. "I'll tell you everything when we get there."

On the brink of passing out once more, Zero mustered up a small, but nonetheless beautiful smile. "Thanks, X…" Zero murmured, his voice no more than a whisper as his systems began to shut down again, energy reserves critically low. "I love you."

Hearing those words from Zero was the one thing X had missed the most. "I love you too, Zero," he answered in kind, just as Zero slipped back into unconsciousness, his head falling back and eyes fluttering shut.

X could've stayed in that moment forever— Zero in his arms, finally reunited with his other half. With Zero at his side again, X felt invincible. Neo Arcadia's legendary red reploid has returned, brought back safely in the arms of the brutal reploid father. As he admired the slumbering Zero, X swore to himself he would never let Zero slip from his grasp, even if it meant burning down the world he had created.

"Father." Harpuia stepped forward, snapping X out of his thoughts. "We should get going. Fefnir just alerted me that he's detected Resistance reinforcements entering the east cistern entrance heading in our direction."

"Then they're wasting their time. I have what I've been looking for," X assured, hoisting Zero's limp, light body into his arms. "Tell your forces to withdraw from this sector. I'll see you two back at the citadel."

Before Harpuia could say anything else, X was gone in a flash of blue light, taking Zero with him.

The brothers, left alone, exchanged looks. Harpuia vented his nerves with a sharp sigh.

"This is General Harpuia. All units, withdraw from the area immediately." The air general spoke into his comms unit once the silence had become too much to bear. "Master Zero is in our possession."

Cutting off the link to his comms system, Harpuia turned to Phantom. "...I'll see you there."

Harpuia departed through the Neo Arcadian transerver. Phantom, through the noise of computers humming and the trickle of groundwater, could hear the distant sounds of Resistance soldiers.

Even now, with the ancient reploid gone from the derelict lab, Phantom couldn't shake the foreboding sensation that something was watching him. The cold, thin air sent a chill through his tall frame.

...But Master X knew what was best, both for himself and for the people of Neo Arcadia. Perhaps Phantom was just being paranoid.

With Resistance reinforcements closing in on him, Phantom joined his brother, warping away just as Faucon's unit reached Colbor's unconscious body.

Chapter 2: Chapter One

Chapter Text

When Zero awoke, he did so slowly, before the endless sensations of the waking world settled around him.

He found himself in a cold, sterile operating theatre, laying atop a cot and covered in a thick blanket. When he tried to move, a thick cable plugged into the nape of his neck held him in place.

He had no idea where he was. His vision was still nothing more than a blur, and harsh white fluorescent lights blinded him until he could hardly make out the form of his own hand as he lifted it to his face. Noises swirled around him incessantly, the high pitched buzz of machines and a constant murmur of conversations outside driving Zero mad with overstimulation. It felt like being held underwater, his sorely underused senses melding together until Zero could hardly make sense of his own thoughts anymore.

"Zero."

His name, spoken by a familiar voice at his bedside, was the first thing he managed to focus on with absolute clarity. As time went on, his sensors eventually began calibrating, though his audials still rang persistently and the lights were still overwhelming in their brightness, and he turned to face his guest. It took a moment to recognise him, especially when Zero's sensors weren't exactly in perfect working order. Especially when he looked so… different from what he remembered, though he couldn't put a finger on exactly why just yet.

How long had it really been since he and X last spoke?

"X..." Zero whispered his old partner's name, rubbing away the burning in his eyes with the heel of his palm. Even when overcome with a debilitating delirium, Zero still felt a warm flutter in his stomach at the sight of X's sweet smile, the azure warrior filled with an unparalleled happiness that shone through those large, gentle eyes. He carefully sat up with a groan, making sure not to jostle any of the wires attached to him, and gave his limbs a much needed stretch. "It's… been a while, hasn't it?"

Zero could tell X wanted to say so much, but the words were trapped under the surge of pure emotion rushing to the surface. With an elated cry, X couldn't hold back anymore, and he lunged forward, pulling Zero into a tight, loving embrace, holding him close as if he were to slip away again at any moment. "Oh,Zero!" X weeped, burying his face into the crook of his shoulder, "I've missed you so much, more than you could ever know. I never stopped looking for you, every day I spent apart from you was like a death, over and over, never getting easier, and to have you here again, I- I feel whole again, I feelalive. My dearest Zero... Thank you so much… I… I don't know how much longer I could've withstood being away from you."

In his arms, everything began coming back to Zero. The Mother Elf, born of his own flesh to cleanse the earth of the Sigma Virus, only to curse humanity with the Elf Wars. The calamitous bloodshed of Dr. Weil alongside the sick experimentation leading to Omega's creation had nearly doomed humanity, and his eventual defeat at X and Zero's hands was little retribution for the harrowing losses sustained by Reploids and humans alike. Zero remembered everything- everything until that last fateful conversation he had with X, promising he would see him again if he just waited for him. To Zero, it was only yesterday when he had left X to seal himself away in that lab, hoping his body would never be used for evil again, lest history repeated itself, but with the way X sobbed, how he held him tighter than he ever had before…

He needed to know.

"X… how long has it been?" His partner pulled away from the embrace, but Zero could still feel how his hands trembled on his shoulders.

"Decades. Almost a century," X answered softly. "Too long. I thought… I thought I lost you." He shook his head and set the thought aside. "But none of that matters anymore. You're back now. Back with me."

The answer hit Zero hard. For nearly acentury,X was alone, fighting tirelessly for justice without him, and it was obvious that he suffered for every second of it.

With his mind slowly clearing as the truth came to light, Zero realised there was so much he needed to know. What world had he woken up to after so long in stasis? Had the world ended like he thought it would, or did X do good on his promises and rebuild the world according to his fantastical utopian vision?

Now that Zero's senses had been calibrated to their fullest ability, he decided he needed to start somewhere. "What…happened, while I was gone?" was all Zero could bring himself to ask. "Where are we?"

"Come with me." X offered Zero a hand and a deflection at the same time.

Indeed, now that Zero's mind was clearing…

He supposed that over the near century he had been sealed away, change was going to be inevitable. Still, it didn't make it any less jarring to hear X speak in such a suave cadence, a nearly arrogant tone he had never used before, his words edged with an unmistakable synthesized sound. His face remained the same as Zero had remembered- olive skinned with a smattering of freckles, a square nose and strong jaw. A seam ran down the length of his faceplate from his right eye, that was new. Perhaps a scar that never got fixed properly- X always shrugged off superficial injury, insisting the Maverick Hunter medical team had more urgent matters on their hands. Two wings finnets adorned his audials, gilded with titanium white metal feathers. He was still broad shouldered, bulkier than most newer model reploids, even though it was obvious his frame had been upgraded during Zero's absence, leaner and taller than before. X was… handsome. Handsome as ever.

Zero ejected the medical cable from his systems and carefully pulled it from where it had been plugged into his nape before taking X's hand. His partner helped him to his feet, grabbing a hold of his waist to help Zero regain balance.

X gazed longingly at him with new eyes. A deep, piercing crimson gaze, rarely ever blinking. He was handsome, that was undeniable, but no matter what, his stare felt unnervingly cold. Zero had many questions, and X didn't seem too interested in answering any of them.

"How are you feeling?" X asked, tilting his head. "You think you can stand on your own?"

His grasp slipped back to his hands, where he wrapped his fist around Zero's wrist. His grip felt unusually tight, and Zero felt far too weak. The way he held him was almost painful.

Of course, X was just missing him, and Zero had just spent the better half of a century in suspension. He was just afraid he'd lose him- it wouldn't be the first time, after all. A pang of guilt settled in his chest. "I'm fine," Zero murmured, "just tired, that's all."

At the assurance, X let out a small sigh of relief. "That's good. Let's get out of here."

Zero couldn't object to that- he was freezing in the operating theatre. After making sure he could walk on his own, Zero followed X as he guided him out of the cold room and through the halls of an unfamiliar medical facility. "Sorry for waking you so suddenly," X apologised, "the circ*mstances in which we found you weren't ideal. I'm sure it's disorienting, waking up from such a long stasis so quickly. Just… take it slow. I'll be here to help if the hibernation sickness gets to you."

To Zero's surprise, a couple sleek, modern nurse-model reploids passed the two by, stopping and staring at Zero like he was an angel in their midst. He supposed he was, in a way- he was one of their 'heroes', defeating Weil all those years ago and putting an end to his tyranny. Soon, they passed through the waiting area of the small clinic, and X pushed through massive silver-white doors into a vast, elaborate hallway, where open archways let in gentle rays of the westering sun's light.

Zero froze mid-stride, overwhelmed by the glory of the world he had been reborn into. Between tall corinthian pillars, a large window revealed a shining white and gold city, an endless metropolis that spanned from horizon to horizon. Skyscrapers pierced the clouds, sunlight shimmering off their edges, and countless civilians- reploid and human alike- hurried about in the early morning rush, appearing so small and insignificant in the city center below. Inside, the walls of the colossal tower were lined with artworks of past heroes; paintings, tapestries, photographs, and elegant red carpet with golden edges spanned pristine marble floors.

Everything was nearly excessive in its perfection, all white and gold and red and polished until they practically glowed in the sunlight. Zero was enraptured, drawn to a balcony between the archways as if the city was beckoning him closer. Had X made good on his promise of a better, perfect world, where man and machine could coexist as one people? X continued on ahead as a stunned Zero took in the magnificence of it all, only stopping once he realised Zero was no longer trailing behind.

"Whatisthis place?" Zero stared in wonder at the paradise in front of him. X chuckled lowly, standing at his side and puffing out his chest pridefully.

"This is Neo Arcadia, Zero," X answered, finally offering an explanation, "the utopia we have gifted this world."

"Neo Arcadia…?" Zero parroted the name, as if it would help it sink in any easier. An idyllic, unbroken vision of paradise in the new age of machines. X nodded with a confirming hum.

"A world where man and machine have united under my leadership, free from the burden of mavericks. And here, in this Eden of my creation, is where humanity's last bastion resides," X went on, his smile triumphant. He set his hand over Zero's. "After the Elf Wars, the world was left in ruins. Almost all the land was rendered inhospitable, too irradiated and battleworn for civilisation. The people, both man and reploid- they lacked guidance,leaders. They were broken, left with no hope after the carnage Weil had unleashed unto the world. And so, after you disappeared, Zero, I became their sole hero, their champion, and I established Neo Arcadia as mankind's cradle." X turned to Zero, pride shining through his gaze. "Now, nearly a century later, I rule this sacred metropolis as their king."

Zero was still struggling to understand the scale of the city before him. Finding out that X-hisX, the unfalteringly humble Maverick Hunter, was thekingof this glorious city? It rendered Zero speechless. "...Youcreated all of this?" He stared in disbelief. X made a half laugh.

"With much help, yes," X answered, "but it was only thanks to you, Zero. Without you, I could've never defeated Weil and Omega to pave the way for my vision."

The grip around Zero's hands tightened, and X interlocked his fingers with his partner's. Zero's gaze darted to and from the illustrious city and X. Reploids passed them by,shrinking back as they approached, uttering not a single word, not even a whisper. Zero swallowed, brushing a lock of hair over his shoulder to fiddle with. "Well… this… is a lot to take in, X," Zero confessed, "waking up to an entirely new world, a hundred years after I was sealed away, when to me it's as if no time has passed at all, it's… it's going to take some getting used to." He paused, mulling over his next words. "Don't get it twisted, but I never thoughtyouof all people would become something like a king."

"I know. I never would've dreamed of this either," X replied. He leaned over the intricately sculpted balustrade, watching the city from their perch atop the upper levels of the central citadel. "But when I thought about it… who better to rule this world than I? The first reploid, their hero." He sighed, standing up straight. "Times have changed, Zero. So have I."

That was undeniable. X had changed- from his frame to his ego. X had never spoken like this, even as a lauded S-rank Hunter. Even when he had every right to be prideful, X had always been modest, so simple in his desires. Now… Zero was unsure if this reploid- tall, proud, dressed gaudily in a gold and white vest and red cape- was the same X he fell in love with. Zero ran his fingers through his hair nervously, his touch suddenly grazing cold metal around his neck.

He had been so enchanted by this new world that he didn't even realise the thick, silvery metal collar fastened to his neck. Instinctively, he pulled his hand away from X's own, wringing his fingers round the neck brace and trying his damndest to pry it off, ultimately to no avail. X set his hand on Zero's shoulder reassuringly.

"It's a gift, Zero," he promised, "so the people know you are with the Neo Arcadian government. After all, the reploid at my side, my only equal, should have something to show for it."

Zero frowned at the answer. He wasn't too convinced of the idea of a collar as a status symbol… but he decided against arguing. An attitude was the last thing X needed, Zero chided himself.

A breeze blew by, caressing Zero's frame with a gentle touch, and X took in a deep breath, letting the soft wind sweep over him, washing away all the tension in his heart. He was proud, and why wouldn't he be? Zero had never seen such a grand city; not even Abel City came close to what X had created. Zero had only seen brief glimpses of the citadel he had woken up in, and he already knew its grandeur spanned beyond his limited comprehension. X's hand found his again, and the king leaned into him, his soul finally at peace again after achingly yearning for its other half for so long.

Though Zero felt a bit uneasy about this unfamiliar world, the way X loved him unconditionally would always lend him endless comfort. X could change, but his love for him was forever.

Zero couldn't stifle the giggle and smile that arose when X pressed a kiss against his helm's fins. Despite everything, X still loved him with all he had to offer.

"The people will be excited to know you're back." X's voice was soft. "They'll be happy to know their idol is still alive. As was I…"

X nuzzled Zero's cheek, tickling him with his touch, and snaked an arm around his waist. As much as Zero welcomed X's affection, he couldn't avoid his own racing thoughts. A question had been eating away at him ever since X told him what he had done with the world in his absence; what exactly was Zero to become now? If X was telling the truth, then there were no more mavericks, at least none that were born of his own body. There wasn't a war to fight anymore. X had become a king, and the world was finally at peace. Zero was a warmachine; he would always be a warmachine, and now he wasn't sure of his place in the world, other than an idol for Neo Arcadians to worship over century old deeds.

It was something X would have to give to him in due time. Zero wasn't too sure regardless; he had never lived through any significant time of peace, and he had never been anything but a warrior. Even when the Mother Elf- born of his body- eradicated the Sigma Virus for good, his world was thrown into chaos shortly thereafter when Weil cursed his cyber-elf daughter. If X wanted him to lead a normal life at his side, Zero feared he wouldn't be able to provide him with that possibility. If there was anything Zero truly hated, it was idle hands.

"I should prepare to announce your return to the city," X said, standing up straight purposefully. "A lot of the people here aren't old enough to have lived through your time. Of course, they understand your legacy still lives on today."

Whether that was a good or bad thing remained to be seen. Zero sighed, setting his fist under his chin apprehensively. Neo Arcadia, X's newfound power… it was overwhelming, and he still couldn't quite wrap his head around it all. Still, the people seemed to revere him, and if just being among them again would make them feel happier, then Zero decided that was that. After all, his duty was to the people, and now with no war to worry about, that duty didn't entail fighting.

He wasn't too keen on having 'standing around and looking pretty' on the agenda, though.

"Master X, I-"

The shrill voice that came behind them made Zero flinch. No one had dared to speak to him nor X ever since he woke, and he sure as hell didn't hear someone sneaking up on him while lost in thought.

When he turned around, Zero found an air-officer type reploid standing before him, frozen like a deer in the headlights at the sight of the long lost hero. He was shorter than average, gaunt, with long, spindly limbs and poor, hunched over posture. He had green armour, two large, swept back wings on his helm, and wide, bright green eyes, sunken in with lack of sleep, slit pupils staring straight through Zero as if he were a ghost.

His appearance was… unnerving, to say the least. The reploid kneeled down and courteously bowed his helm in respect in Zero's direction. "Master Zero, it is an honour to finally meet you." He greeted him zealously, much to Zero's chagrin.

"Zero, this is Sage Harpuia, general of Neo Arcadia's Strong Air Battalion," X explained, sensing Zero's confusion. The skinny reploid, Harpuia, heaved himself upright, holding his hands behind his back and presenting himself formally to the blonde. "Harpuia, why don't you call your siblings here? I'm sure Zero would love to meet them all."

With a nod, Harpuia turned and whispered something into his comms system. After a moment, three flashes of light appeared before X and Zero, revealing the forms of three new reploids, two brothers and a sister, as unfamiliar to Zero as the rest of Neo Arcadia was.

"I should introduce my Guardians to you, shouldn't I?" X spoke with a proud incantation. Wrapping his arm around Zero and using his other hand to point, he listed them off one by one. He began with the largest- a huge, draconic red reploid, with skin as tan as X's, huge hands and talons, and a gentle, charming smile. "This is Fighting Fefnir, general of the Scorched Earth Squadron, our ground forces." Next, the only sister- a blue aquatic reploid, squarish and muscular, with long arms, wide hands, and flippers for feet. Large luminescent markings ran down her arms and thighs. "Fairy Leviathan, general of the Deep Sea Squadron, our navy." Then there was the last brother, tall but thin, with black and white armour, a red scarf reminiscent of X's (now absent) beam scarf, and a mask hiding cold, calculating red eyes. He shied away behind his siblings, hunched over with his gaze fixed at his feet. "And Hidden Phantom, general of the Cutting Shadow Squadron, our special ops unit… he'll warm up to you once you get to know him."

X paused, pulling Zero closer. "They are Neo Arcadia's Four Guardians. Built to protect and serve this city, and return the outside barren world to its former glory," he continued. "These reploids… they are my loyal children."

At that, Zero's eyes widened, turning to face X in disbelief. "Children?!"X shook his head and waved his hand no.

"No, it's… not like that, I didn't have them with another reploid," X assured, "I could never, you know that, Zero. They were built using my DNA as a blueprint to be the perfect specimens in their fields, with aspects of my combat prowess built upon until it has reached its fullest potential in them. I am their sole father."

Zero knew he saw something familiar in the siblings- Fefnir's handsome smile, Leviathan's square nose and jaw, Harpuia's big, inquisitive eyes, and Phantom's… shy disposition. Not that it made the discovery of X's newfound fatherhood any less shocking to Zero. "Ah," Zero managed. "It's… nice to meet you all."

"Mmhm. You'll grow familiar with my Guardians the longer you reside in the Citadel," X said, before turning to his air general. "Now, what was it you needed, Harpuia?"

As if pulled from a trance, Harpuia snapped back to attention. "Yes. You're needed in the war room, father," he replied curtly. X let out a begrudging sigh.

"Argh. Zero, I would love to stay and chat, but I've got duties to attend to," X lamented, setting a hand on the back of Zero's helm and closing the distance between them, pressing a chaste kiss on his headgem.

"I get it," Zero assured, "you must get busy around here. I'll manage on my own."

It took a moment for X to finally let Zero go. After nearly a hundred years apart, Zero could see why X struggled to leave him. Still, he had a job to do, and that job was the most important of any in Neo Arcadia. X turned to his children with a resolute stare. "You four, take Zero to his room, will you? Make him feel comfortable," X commanded. He turned to Zero with a soft smile. "Get some rest, Zero. This is your home now. I'll be back soon."

Zero swallowed and nodded. With that assurance, X stepped back and warped away, leaving Zero with only his children for company. He drew a circle in the ground with the toe of his boot.

"...Hey," Zero deadpanned. The four Guardians looked at each other expectedly, waiting to see which of them would speak first. Eventually, Fefnir stepped forward, taking Zero by the arm.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Zero!" Fefnir exclaimed, heaving him into the grand hall from where he stood on the balcony. "Come on, move, let's show him around already!"

It wasn't like Zero had much of a say when Fefnir was practically dragging him inside. The rest of the siblings trailed along, Harpuia in the lead, Leviathan happily joining Zero's side with Fefnir, and Phantom in tow.

"Dad's told us a lot about you, you know," Leviathan piped up, looking down at Zero with an admiring glint in her eyes. Zero hummed.

"Is that so…?" Zero asked, a little rhetorically. Fefnir nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah, like, how you were the best warrior he ever knew. You could take on whole squadrons of mavericks,bang,"Fefnir snapped his fingers, "wiped out."

It sounded a bit hyperbolic. Zero slipped a lock of hair behind his back bashfully. "Of course X would say something like that…"

"Well, it's true!" Leviathan insisted, "you and dad saved the world, what, fifty times? If there's anyone who could rival Master X, it's you!"

"Exactly!" Fefnir added, the huge reploid folding his arms staunchly. "And between you and me, Zero," he leaned down to whisper, though his voice was hardly soft, "X always mentioned it, but you're prettier in real life."

Zero gave him a look. Leviathan groaned and rolled her eyes. "Get a grip, Fefnir. He just woke up." she chided, before shooting Zero a smarmy grin, jostling him with an elbow. "He's right though."

"Could you twostopit?!" Harpuia stopped in his tracks and snapped at the two, whipping his head over his shoulder. "Have someself-respectaround Master Zero."

Fefnir and Leviathan stopped, silenced again as they let Harpuia's reprimand settle in the air. After a short lull, Harpuia huffed and continued on like nothing had happened. Zero let out a soft, exasperated exhale and followed along.

The blonde scanned the four with a discerning look. Though he had only known them for a brief period, it was easy to discern that though the Guardians inherited everything that made X great, these virtues were accompanied by his greatest flaws. He walked at Harpuia's side, the air general a natural leader thanks to his genetics, but stricken with a staunch sense of loyalty and authoritarianism. Still talking amongst each other behind them was Fefnir, passionate to a fault, and Leviathan, friendly but overly familiar. Then there was Phantom…

The ninja model reploid hadn't spoken a word, not even a greeting. It reminded him of X, before Sigma's siege on Abel City, when he was too unsure of himself for his own good.

"Harpuia..." Zero started, turning to him for more meaningful conversation. "X was talking to me about the city. Is it… is this really all that's left?"

"Of mankind?"

"Of all of us," Zero elaborated.

"I'm afraid so, Master Zero," Harpuia solemnly answered. "Master X established Neo Arcadia as a refuge for those displaced during the Elf Wars. It was just that at the time— we didn't know the true extent of the damage the war had on the planet." He paused briefly. "From here, we protect what's left of us, and strive to return the outside land to a habitable form. It's no small feat, I assure you." His expression darkened. "It's an endless desert out there. No crops grow, nothing lives out there but feral mechaniloids, it never rains. It's different within the confines of the city. My siblings and I carefully control the climate in Neo Arcadia," he added with a touch of pride.

Through vast stretches of hallways and stairwells and high speed elevators, Zero, surrounded by his entourage of Neo Arcadia's Guardians, eventually found himself before a grand, royal hall. Well armed guards toting regal spears stood along a plush red carpet trimmed with gold, spanning the length of the room from the arching doorway to the foot of a throne set atop a dais. The golden backrest of the throne created the shape of an X, carefully framing whoever would be seated at its center. Overlooking the hall, above the massive gilded throne, were a pair of tall, magnificent stained glass windows. They depicted striking portraits of Zero and X, the two heroes of Neo Arcadia rendered in divine fashion. The sunlight beaming through the windows was painted with the intense hues of their armour, splashing the hall in beautiful shades of azure and crimson.

The extravagant splendour of such a sight left Zero at a loss for words. All he could muster was a semi-amused huff.

"What's so funny?" Fefnir asked. Zero gave a half shrug.

"I don't know. Just… X was never into this sort of thing," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. Harpuia narrowed his gaze.

"It's what the saviour deserves," he insisted, "...and what you deserve, Master Zero."

Zero wasn't sure if that title would ever sit right with him. Flustered, he decided to head off, leaving the throne room in his wake. Besides, hewasstill tired. The tour could wait for some other time— all he wanted to do was lay down and sleep.

In silence, Zero followed Harpuia down a labyrinth of corridors, past spectacular dining halls, vibrant verandas overlooking the city and well dressed reploid workers rushing past, catching fleeting glimpses of their saviour. There was something about being revered so highly, worthy enough to be rendered like an idol in stained glass, that felt wrong. He never considered himself a hero. In fact, most of the atrocities that plagued humanity's course in the recent centuries were a direct result of his existence.

"What am I, now there's no more wars to fight?" Zero murmured. Harpuia co*cked his head.

"The second king of Neo Arcadia, ruling at Master X's side," Harpuia answered matter-a-factly. "When you're ready, of course."

Zero wasn't certain he'deverbe ready for such an insurmountable task. He already struggled to escape the circ*mstances of his creation as a warmachine, and now being asked to be a ruler of such an impressive city? It sounded like Harpuia was asking the impossible of him. It didn't feel coincidental to think that X could only create a time of peace while Zero was hidden away in stasis.

Before long, Harpuia stopped him in front of an innocuous door, hidden away from the main halls of the citadel behind a number of locked doors, only accessible with the DNA signature of a select few.

"Well, here we are." Harpuia opened the door for Zero. He peeked inside, finding a spacious, yet spartan room. There was a large bed, big enough for two, with a gossamer silk canopy draped over its frame. A dresser with a mirror was pushed against the wall. There was a television mounted on the wall and an ottoman beneath it. To the side, a small hallway led to a bathroom with a closet. Then there was the massive window and a balcony, overlooking the expanse of his lover's creation.

A single sealed E-can stood on the nightstand. "This is my room?"

"...Whose else would it be?" Harpuia co*cked his head. Zero shrugged.

"I don't know," he replied. "I thought… maybe… X and I would share a room, considering…"

The words were lost in his throat.

"Nothing's stopping you," Harpuia said after a moment of silence. "It's just courtesy for you to have a room of your own for one reason or another."

"Yeah, like if dad snores or something," Fefnir quipped. Zero ignored him.

"Right. Appreciate the sentiment, I suppose," Zero acknowledged, walking into the room and taking a closer look at his new surroundings before he took a seat on the side of the bed with a sigh. For once, Phantom stepped forward, in front of his siblings.

"Master Zero." His name was the first thing Zero heard come out of his mouth. His voice was deep, but somewhat hoarse, probably from speaking too quietly. "I'll have you on the Neo Arcadia comms system by the end of the day. I'll send you a map of the citadel too. If you ever need help, please call."

Phantom stared at him. It was hard to decipher what he was feeling with the mask. Zero pressed his lips together. "...Okay."

"Your DNA signature isn't registered in the citadel's system yet. I'll get on it as soon as possible," Phantom continued.

"Uh-huh," Zero affirmed.

"You won't be able to get through the residential sector's doors for a while. Are you okay with staying in this room for the time being? X will come back to you soon and let you out." The shinobi went on.

"I'll live," Zero assured. "I'm just gonna get some sleep."

"Okay." Phantom stepped back. Zero nodded slowly.

"Okay…" Zero replied in kind.

The five reploids stood in silence for a moment. Always one to break the silence, Fefnir clapped his hands together.

"Great! That should do it!" Fefnir concluded, pivoting around on his heel towards the exit. "I think we should let the big man sleep, fellas."

Harpuia cast him a glare, but Fefnir didn't seem to care. "As Fefnir so eloquently put it…" Harpuia grumbled, "I'm honoured to be in your presence, Master Zero, but we will let you get some rest. As Phantom said, if you ever need our help, give us a call. We can't guarantee we won't be busy, but one of us will get back to you."

"And if not us, I'm sure dad would," Leviathan brought up. X being called dad still sounded sooddto Zero's audials. He had to wonder, what would that makehimto the Guardians? "And like, if you wanna bother us just 'cause you're bored, go nuts!"

Phantom looked less than thrilled at the idea. "I'll… be in the library most of the time," Phantom said. Zero made a mental note to not botherhim. "In the 136A data sector-"

"He knows! He knows where it is," Leviathan waved her brother off, "I mean, he doesn't right now, but when you send him the map he will."

Zero inspected his fingers absentmindedly. "Yeah."

"Anyway, you sit tight, okay? If you need something to eat or whatever, just call," Leviathan reiterated. Zero co*cked a brow.

"I have an E-can. It's right here." He gestured to the nightstand.

"Oh, right, totally. I forgot I put that there." Leviathan flicked the side of her helm with her finger. "I swear, I'm not this stupid, it's just like, you know, words come out of my mouth faster than I think sometimes."

"Huh. Sounds like X when you get him going," Zero noted. He really wanted to sleep at that point. The bed was comfier than anything the Maverick Huntersevergave him the privilege of owning. Leviathan nodded.

"Yep! Genetics. I think," she agreed, "plus like, we're kind of overwhelmed by the… the… you know… weight…"

She clenched her eyes shut and snapped her fingers a couple times. Harpuia rolled his eyes.

"We're overwhelmed by the magnitude of the situation," Harpuia finished. Leviathan pointed a finger.

"Yes! That's the word, maybe. Or maybe I was thinking of something else." She rubbed her chin and looked aside.

"...I see. I'm overwhelmed too," Zero admitted.

"It's to be expected. A century is a long time," Harpuia assured. "We'll leave you to it. Farewell, Master Zero. Get some good rest."

Zero shuffled in his spot. "Thanks, Harpuia."

Phantom and Harpuia made good on the promise and made their ways outside, Fefnir and Leviathan trailing behind them.

"We'll come back soon if you wanna hang out, Zero!" Fefnir exclaimed as he walked through the door. "See you later, Blondie!"

The door shut, the voices of the guardians slowly disappearing into the distance behind the walls of his room, and Zero was left to his own devices for the first time since he woke up.

He really wanted to get some sleep. His head was pounding, and he still felt sore and dazed from stasis. Yet the moment the Guardians' constant talking had ceased, a cascade of thoughts flooded his processor, all crashing into him at once. Zero hunched over and put his head in his hands, wringing his hair through his fingers.

A century had passed… a century, which to him felt like only a single night had passed.

The only familiar face he saw was X. He knew no one around him, but everyone knew whohewas, and what they knew of him was probably lightyears from the truth. Especially if X was the one in control of that very truth.

He rubbed his eyes and got up. Zero checked the door, but found it locked. He tried unlocking it with a scan of his finger, but his DNA went unrecognised. Sighing, he threw his head back and walked off dejectedly. Phantom hadn't lied— he was locked up for now.

Snatching the E-can off the nightstand, Zero collapsed onto the side of the bed again, this time looking out the window at the utopia of X's creation. His vision, finally in physical form. He pulled on the tab of his drink, cracking it open with a snap and bringing it to his lips. Sigma was gone, Weil and Omega banished. They had everything they could've ever wanted in life. He and X had always fought for peace, and now that they had it...

Zero couldn't help but feel ill at ease. Harpuia's answer from before didn't comfort him. What was he now?

He tugged at the neckbrace again, finding it to be just as sturdy as it was when he tried pulling it off before. He looked over his shoulder at the locked door, then turned his gaze to his feet.

And instinctively, he patted the outside of his thigh, feeling for his holsters, looking for his saber, his blaster, anything. He found nothing. No equipment appeared in his HUD, either.

With a sigh, Zero laid down, arm and E-can hanging off the side of the mattress. As much as it hurt him to admit, being locked away, disarmed, unsure of his future… It reminded him of being admitted to that research facility all those years ago, where he was isolated and contained for research, all in a bid to develop the Mother Elf.

Of course, it reminded him of worse, too… like inpatient. He shivered. The neckbrace was about as strong as patient identification bands.

He had to stop thinking about it. He could already smell the sterile air of a laboratory coming back to him. Zero felt around for a remote, finding one in a nightstand drawer and turning on the television, flicking through channels with a blank stare.

Whatever he was now, he wasn't sure if he wanted it. Was this what X wanted?

No longer able to ward off his own fatigue, Zero's anxious thoughts finally relented as he succumbed to sleep, lulled by the droning of the television and the soft bed enveloping him.

"Zeeeeero."

The voice of X stirred Zero from his sleep. Again.

Zero rolled onto his back, groaning, and rubbed his face with the back of his hand. "...You're always waking me up too early, babe," Zero lamented. X let out a sweet laugh at his turmoil.

"And you're always sleeping in." X dropped himself on the side of Zero's bed, jostling the lighter reploid as the mattress buckled under his far greater weight. Zero opened one eye to glare at X.

"Some things never change…" Zero grumbled, hiding his face away in the inside of his elbow. "Like you being annoying in the morning."

"Come on, sweetheart. Let's see some skin, get up." X set his hand on his shoulder and shoved him around, earning him a groan, and Zero turned his back to him.

"I'm tired," Zero moaned.

"I know. But I've finished the preparations to announce your return to Neo Arcadia," X said, "so get up."

Zero looked over his shoulder with a frown. "Already?"

"Yes."

With that, Zero sat against the headboard, rubbing his eyes of sleep. "How long did I sleep?"

X chuckled. "Long enough," he answered snidely, "but if you're wondering, it's been a day."

"sh*t." Zero threw the covers off his legs and slid off the bed. "Like, do we have to gorightnow?"

"I'd like you to." X got to his feet and crossed his arms. Zero licked his fingers and patted down his hair.

"How do I look?" Zero asked. X grinned.

"Lovely. Beautiful," he replied with a cheeky smirk. Zero pouted at him incredulously.

"You're lying." He slipped off his helmet and ran his fingers through his locks in the absence of a comb.

"I am. You look like sh*t," X admitted. Zero harrumphed and clipped his helmet back into place.

"Thanks," Zero mumbled. X unfolded his arms and offered Zero a hand, the red reploid taking it graciously. "If they have a problem with it, they can f*ck themselves. It's not like I've been asleep for a century or anything."

"You can have a shower afterwards," X assured as they walked out the door and through the numerous hallways that hid the residential sector from the rest of the tower. "Phantom's got you in the system, by the way, so you can explore the citadel if you want."

"Oh, goodie." Zero checked his saved frequencies, finding X and his children, listed alongside the old contact frequencies of Maverick Hunters… Alia, Layer, Signas… Axl. It looked like they were long since abandoned. There was a map of the citadel and its many floors in his databanks, too. "Your kids are… they're…"

"Esoteric?" X concluded. He scanned himself into the trans server room, guarded by a mass-produced soldier that was a striking mirror image of X, aside from the lack of a face. He gave Zero a slow once-over with the single red optic at the center of his helm. "I know. They'll settle down in time. They're excited to meet you. I can't say Ididn'ttalk about you often..."

A soldier by the main trans server stood upright at their entrance, offering a salute to his king. The old operator stole a tired glance at the two heroes before returning to her work.

"Take us to the city hall podium," X commanded. The operator nodded languidly, setting her pen and tablet aside to enter a set of coordinates.

"Go ahead." She pointed to the trans server platform. X stepped up onto it, helping Zero up and pulling him close with an arm around his waist.

"Look presentable, dear. The world is watching," X advised. Zero frowned, not comforted in the slightest, as the operator entered the teleportation command on her console. The trans server warped him from the citadel, and in the next second, he and X appeared before the Neo Arcadian people in a flash of light, standing atop an open air terrace raised high above the city center.

Hundreds… no,thousandsof humans and reploids alike stood and watched, their crowds stretching as far as Zero's eyes could see. They gazed up at him in disbelief, as if they were watching a spectre walk among them. Massive display monitors built into the bases of towers projected a live feed of the podium, of the Four Guardians who stood dutifully at X's side, ready to protect him with their life, of the countless, faceless soldiers wielding assault blasters held tight to their chests, and of he and X, standing before their city.

Zero was never exactly shy, nor was he exceedingly humble like X was (or used to be), but feeling the stares of so many bearing down on him began to make him feel nauseous, his nerves getting to him. He shuffled closer to X, feeling for his hand and grabbing a hold of it.

From the ground, the sheer scale of Neo Arcadia's towering skyscrapers became much more apparent to Zero, their spires reaching far into the heavens. At he and X's appearance, the noisy crowd came to a hush, the eerie lull persisting as X made his way to the podium.

"Citizens of Neo Arcadia," came X's resounding voice, booming over dozens of speakers. His words over the microphone rattled Zero's very core. "This year marks nearly a century since the Machine Wars came to a close, and the beginning of an era of endless peace on prosperity for mankind." X paused for respite. "And nearly a century since your hero, and my dear friend and partner, Zero, disappeared."

Just how long that centuryreallyfelt was never going to be easy for Zero to understand.

"But I have called you good people here for an announcement long in the making. I know many of you had long given up hope at the prospect of Zero's return, but I knew he was still out there, waiting for me as my vision of Neo Arcadia came to be," X continued. "I've worked tirelessly to uncover the truth of my dear Zero's fate… a reploid of his caliber couldn't have met such a quiet death so easily." He turned to Zero, gripping his hand tighter. "And when I found out I was right to have never given up on him,well…well, I was beyond words. I'm sure you will all be as happy as I was to know Zero is still with us. I am pleased to announce the return of Neo Arcadia's greatest warrior, Master Zero, who from here on out shall rule at my side as your king!"

Joyous fanfare erupted from the endless crowds as X lifted their intertwined hands up towards the heavens, drawing in the admiration of the people. Zero's breath caught in his throat. He didn't at all have a say inthat, but with the way the city reacted… it seems that maybe they needed his presence for one reason or another.

X cast a loving gaze towards Zero, the azure hero's heart full with pride and accomplishment.

It made Zero smile, but apprehension still lingered in the back of his mind. The longer he met X's gaze, the more he found himself missing X's gentle hazel eyes.

Now, it was the piercing crimson glare of a proud king that burned through him.

Chapter 3: Chapter Two

Chapter Text

"Somebody, help! I need a medic over here!"

A piercing scream broke through the stillness of the Resistance Base, shocking Commander Ciel from her racing thoughts as she nervously milled about the command center.

Faucon came tearing down the halls, shoving passer-bys to the side and barreling into the busy war room with his unit following close behind, carrying a gravely injured Colbor with an arm slung around his back.

The small, meek soldier was covered head to toe in his own blood, his arms and legs paralysed by vicious blaster strikes that tore his limbs to shreds. Had it not been for the subtle rise and fall of Colbor's chest as he circulated air through his systems, Ciel would've thought he was dead.

"C-Colbor?!"Ciel cried out, dread filling her soul as she rushed over to the two shaken reploids. She anxiously scanned the room, finding Cerveau in the crowd and urgently beckoning him over with a swift wave of the hand. "Oi, Cerveau! Get over here, we have a survivor!" She called out, before turning back to Faucon with a despaired frown. "Faucon, is he… did anyone else make it?"

The combat reploid slowly closed his eyes and dipped his helm, shaking his head. "He was the only one still alive when we got there," Faucon answered, his gruff voice still wavering with shock. "I had no other choice, I-I had to use a cyber elf to stabilise him. But..." He grit his teeth and choked back a sob. "I'm sorry, Commander Ciel. W-we couldn't stop X. He was already gone when we reached the lab."

Even though Ciel had already come to that conclusion when Faucon found the laboratory empty, hearing it in person… Ciel wanted to fall to her knees and cry. Zero was their last hope- she had toiled endlessly to uncover the legendary warrior's resting place, only for the tyrant king X to steal him away from the Resistance. She let out a trembling breath, wiping away the tears that began welling up in the corners of her eyes as the dismal reality set in. She didn't know if she was furious or saddened by the revelation. If anything, she felt hopeless.

Arriving at her side, Cerveau hurriedly collected Colbor from Faucon's arms, though the grizzled soldier let his touch linger on Colbor's frail body before letting him go.

"I-it's no use…" Colbor rasped, his strained voice barely audible and hoarse with exhaustion. His eyes were half-lidded and glazed over, his ghostly stare fixed to the floor, the poor reploid too weak to lift his head and meet Ciel's gaze. "It's all over. X has Zero. I tried… tried to stop him."

Colbor choked on his words, letting out a visceral cough as Faucon hushed him, trying his hardest to soothe the gravely injured soldier despite his own trauma. Though Ciel had come to terms with the horrors of X's regime long ago, sights such as these still weighed on her heavily. Watching good reploids suffer was never going to get any easier for the young leader. She was going to carry that weight for the rest of her days, evenifshe managed to bring the people of Neo Arcadia to freedom… though, even that was becoming more and more of a pipedream with every passing day.

"Just rest, soldier, I'll get you to the medbay and we'll have you back in working order in no time," Cerveau assured Colbor, gently hoicking him into his arms as he drifted in and out of consciousness. "Faucon, come with me. I'll need your help."

The reploid engineer didn't waste time heading off towards the medbay, rushing through the swathes of resistance reploids who stepped aside to make a path for him, before disappearing into the hallway. Faucon stared blankly at the door Cerveau had departed through before his gaze dropped to the ground, the soldier letting out a broken sigh as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

Usually, Ciel had something to raise her soldier's spirits in times of failure, but at that moment, there was nothing she could really say to alleviate the unfortunate reality of what had happened. Not only had the Resistance lost an entire unit bar their captain to X's unstoppable wrath, but they had lost Zero too. She couldn't help but wonder if she could've done anything differently; maybe she should've sent in another team alongside Colbor's unit, or maybe she should've encrypted her operation plans more thoroughly… but the hard truth was certain- nothing was changing the past, and Ciel just had to adjust.

"I don't know what to do..." Faucon lamented, pulling off his green beret and holding it to his chest. "X is going to fill Zero's head with lies. He'll… he'll just become another Neo Arcadian toy."

Ciel didn't have an answer for him. She didn't know quite what to do either. She just shrugged- it was the only thing she could offer, really. "I'll… think of something," Ciel muttered after a moment of heavy silence. What else was there to be said? Failures always hurt, especially when lives were lost, but their potential path to freedom was on the line this time, and it was gone in an instant. She patted Faucon on the shoulder reassuringly. "All we can do is hope Zero will choose to do the right thing."

"Commander Ciel, the only thing we have everdoneis hope. I'mtiredof hoping! I just… want this to be over," Faucon snapped. He vented out his nerves with a long exhale, swept his gray-black hair back and fitted his beret back onto his head. "I'm sorry. I'm going to see Colbor."

Before Ciel could bid him farewell, Faucon had already left, following Cerveau's path towards the medbay. She supposed he was right- hopes and wishes weren't going to do anything, but realistically, what else could they do? Ciel pulled up a chair and sat at the war room's control panel, setting her chin in her hands.

"For what it's worth, I'm sure Zero will see straight through X's bullsh*t."

A confident voice cut through the cacophony of the busy war room, and Ciel startled at the sound. She turned in her chair, finding a cloaked reploid leaning against the wall, arms crossed and eyes hidden under the shade of his helm's brim.

"You really think so?" Ciel wondered. "Axl, you know better than anyone else how close X and Zero were." She looked aside solemnly. "But… Zero's woken up to a completely new world. He has no choice but to turn to X."

The infamous copybot harrumphed, thrusting his chin up incredulously. "And IknowZerobetter than anyone else.And I know Zero will do what's right." Axl's expression darkened. "Even if it labels him as a Maverick."

Ciel mulled over Axl's words, pressing the knuckle of a closed fist against her mouth. "...Look, I hope you're right…" Ciel conceded, "but I'm just… just trying to be realistic here. I doubt X is going to let Zero know the truth about Neo Arcadia. Even if he did… who's to say Zero is going to disagree with what he's doing? Maverick Hunters were made to believe a maverick is a maverick, no matter the circ*mstances."

Axl's brow furrowed. "Zero may have been the greatest maverick hunter there was, but evenheknows when enough is enough!" he argued, inching forward with a clenched fist. "Anyone who isn't blinded by nationalism knows what X is doing to us reploids is senseless persecution!"

Though Ciel always tried to be optimistic, she was struggling to believe Axl. The cyborg commander cast her gaze to the war room monitors, watching Resistance data logs update as Cerveau recorded the names of the reploids lost on their latest disastrous operation.

"Zero wouldn't be blinded by nationalism, Axl," came another voice, deep and husky, from afar. Ciel caught the silhouette of a colossal reploid in her periphery as he entered the war room, the dim lights illuminating a towering green frame as he emerged from the dark hallways. "He has no reason to care about Neo Arcadia. If anything, it'll be his love for X that clouds his judgement."

Axl breathed out hard through his nose before letting out a frustrated growl from the bottom of his throat, and he whipped around to face the tall combat reploid. "Don't be ridiculous! If Zero knew the reploid X has become he would be disgusted," he refuted, "he could never love a murderer, even if it was X. The reploid Zero fell in love with isdead, Craft. He's been dead fordecades."

"I know," the war reploid- Craft- replied coolly, "but love is blinding, sometimes. You know that. I know you loved X like a father, once."

The painful reminder made Axl seethe, but he knew deep down that his rage was born of his heartbreak over X's deeds. "I can't believe Zero could ever bring himself to love such a monster," Axl contended, "I know Zero won't let him get away with this. I just do. If anyone can equal X in power, it's him."

Only partially listening at that point, Ciel was starting to think that Axl's unwavering resolve in Zero's sense of justice was sounding more and more like denial the longer he went on. He had already been betrayed by X, who by all accounts, regarded Axl as a cherished son- to be betrayed by Zero too… Ciel didn't want to think too hard about it. She was already broken over the entire situation.

"Maybe…he can help X," Ciel suggested, though she didn't sound too convinced of her own words. Axl grit his teeth.

"And what wouldthatdo? X has already killed off hundreds of thousands of reploids and trapped another million in f*cking filth and squalour. All in the name of peace for humanity. Besides, what's he gonna do? Denounce his army? To what end? What use would it be for me to condemn my right hand!?" Axl went on, his voice beginning to quiver with fury. "There's nothing that can be done to fix X. If we couldn't change him, how could Zero? X- Zero won't fix him, it'sXthat's going to break Zero. Just… he has to die. I can't let him hurt Zero like I know he will."

Biting back harsher words, Axl wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. Craft sighed, letting his shoulders relax. "I'm sorry, Axl. There's not much we can do besides believe in Zero right now," Craft sighed. "I'm going out for a smoke. I should… go tell Neige about this."

Axl had nothing more to say to him, and neither did Ciel. After a tense moment, Craft farewelled the two with a hum and a nod, leaving once more into the residential halls to find the human journalist. Left to their own devices, Axl joined Ciel at her side, leaning on the command console and letting his head slump in despair.

"Sorry for shouting," Axl mumbled, rubbing his brow in exhaustion. "I know you hate it when I yell."

Ciel shrugged, her glassy stare fixed on the monitor. "It's fine. Shout all you want, I don't care anymore," she assured. Axl shook his head.

"I should've gone with Colbor," Axl reminisced, "I could've held X off. Maybe then… Zero wouldn't be with him."

"He would've killed you, Axl," Ciel said, leaning back with a sigh.

"...So?" Axl replied. "I'm gonna die anyway as long as X has it out for me. The fact that I've made it this long is a miracle in and of itself."

Ciel clenched her eyes shut and looked away. "Axl. Don't say that…"

"Ciel, I've been alive for two centuries. My time is coming." Axl heaved himself upright, turning to leave. "I just want my death to mean something."

There wasn't anything else to say, and Axl dismissed himself, stalking off into the halls. Ciel sat alone, absentmindedly swiveling side to side in her chair, unsure of what to do now that Zero had been taken. She didn't know what to believe. Maybe Axl was right, and Zero would do the right thing, or perhaps Zero would side with the love of his life and wipe the Resistance off the face of the Earth.

All she could do was continue fighting Neo Arcadia, whether or not they had Zero on their side.

It shouldn't have surprised Zero that the citadel was big, but now that he was really taking the time to explore it… it wasimpossiblybig.

A few days had passed since Zero had risen from his century long slumber. It was taking a while for him to acclimate to the waking world again- he was still fading in and out of consciousness most of the time, and he was spending the better parts of his days sleeping. At least now he finally had the energy to stay awake formostof the day's waking hours.

Alone, Zero wandered through the citadel, making the most of his solitary afternoon by meandering through the many hallways of the citadel, where endless corridors led to spiralling staircases, and huge doors led into infinitely spacious luxurious ballrooms and spectacular dining halls and comfortable living spaces, the warm rays of the afternoon sun beating down on it all through arched windows and clerestory archways high above the floor. The more Zero explored the couple hundred floors of the skyscraper, the more the vast labyrinth of grand proportions unravelled before him. Everywhere he looked, he saw nothing but perfection, from hand woven red rugs lining the dining halls, to the pure white silk tablecloths thrown over ballroom tables, edges embroidered with the most subtle floral patterns, to the frescoes of events from the Maverick Wars adorning a dome ceiling, upheld and framed by gilded pendentives and spandrels richly decorated with carved patera and other relief sculpture.

If Zero had to be honest with himself, it was all so much that he was simply letting the experience flow over him. X's palace was like nothing he had ever seen- the architecture was straight out of a fairy tale, with everything from the smallest carved sculpture to the tallest marble pillar so fantastical and exorbitant. Despite spending nearly a week in the citadel, Zero still couldn't fathom its mere existence. If this was just thecitadel,Zero couldn't begin to dream of how grand the rest of Neo Arcadia was.

On the other hand, Zero was so surprised that X was into all of this; the murals, the stained glass windows, the golden throne for the king he had become. X, thesameX who purchased about three things every year, and one was usually a secondhand pair of civilian clothes.

X had changed, Zero just had to keep telling himself. Of course he had changed! Not only had it been a century, but he wasalsothe king of the only civilisation left on the planet.

Yes, maybe he had changed, but he was still the same X that Zero was hopelessly in love with.

Zero wandered along a long colonnade, reminiscing on his dear X. He was nowhere to be found, and last time they had spoken- about three hours ago- he had told Zero that he had some government business to attend to in the war room.

In fact, Zero found that X didn't stick around much. Then again, Zero shouldn't complain- he had a city to rule. Of course he would be busy. Besides, X more than made it up to him the previous night… Zero felt his cheeks warm, and he fiddled with his hair bashfully. Ifthatwas anything to go by, X still loved him as much as he always did.

He brushed the thought aside. It was neither the time nor the place. Besides, after exploring so much of the citadel, his stomach was beginning to growl.

There were a couple of servant reploids milling about- some carting trolleys chock full of dishes on silver platters, some rushing through the halls with arms full of datapads. Whenever he passed them by, they shrank away and maintained a strict pledge of silence. They addressed him like royalty… and he supposed he was, in a way. He brushed his fingertips over his neck brace.

Regardless, he had no idea where the dining hall was, and the silence was getting to him.

"Hey, you!" Zero called over a small cleaning reploid in the midst of mopping the floor, walking over to confront the service bot. "Hey. How are you doing?"

The reploid stared at him with wide eyes, frozen in place, offering him no response. "…Alright then." Zero co*cked a brow, setting his hands on his hips and leaning back. "Well, do you know where I can get something to eat around here? I'm kind of hungry."

The cleaner looked around sheepishly, before he pointed upwards, then signed '172'with raised fingers. Zero tipped his head to the side. "Level 172?"

He got a vigorous nod as a response. He went on to sign 'A23'.

"Ah. Room A23 on level 172?" Zero reiterated. The cleaning reploid nodded before hurriedly returning to his work. Zero huffed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "You.. don't talk much, do you? What's your name, kid?"

He looked at him with a nervous stare and shook his head. He set his mop back into a bucket and used both of his hands.

'Look, you can't talk to me,' he signed with quick movements of the hands, 'I'll get in trouble. I don't have a vocalizer. It was taken out.'

It took a moment for Zero to realise what he was saying. "You… they took it out…?"

"Hey! Get back to work over there!" a guard reploid cut Zero off, making the cleaner jolt and snap back to work almost instantaneously, turning away from Zero as if their exchange had never happened. "Master Zero. Good afternoon, my lord," he continued smoothly, giving him a salute.

Zero stared blankly at him before offering a meek wave in response. "Afternoon…"

The guard smiled before wandering off, rifle held firmly in hand. The cleaner refused to look him in the eye.

So much for trying to socialise.

There was no point in lingering, and Zero left the cleaner to his task. He shuddered, feeling a deep, tense discomfort simmering under his skin after the exchange. Why on Earth wouldanyreploid need to be muted? Did X know about this? Did Xcommandit? He wrapped his arms around himself and bit back the sickness in his stomach that was threatening to rise into his throat.

"Zero!There you are!"

Zero startled as Fefnir and Leviathan came stomping down the halls, the heavy footsteps of the two large reploids reverberating through the colonnade. Zero supposed he should thank them for arriving when they did; the two always had something to say, even if it wasn't always the most meaningful of conversations, and maybe it would take his mind off the horror of what he had discovered.

"Oh. Leviathan, Fefnir. What's up?" Zero greeted, crossing his arms in an attempt to compose himself. Fefnir shrugged.

"Oh, not much, just takin' a break from work," Fefnir answered. "Never thought I'd seeyouawake at this hour, little miss Sleeping Beauty."

Leviathan elbowed him in the side, earning her a grunt from the pit of his throat. "Anyway, how are you holding up? You look better than you did yesterday," Leviathan interjected as Fefnir nursed his stomach. "I mean, you always look good, just even gooder-er. I mean it in a nice way! Seriously."

Zero couldn't help but laugh. The siblings were at least the mostagreeableof the Guardians. "I'm fine. And thanks, Leviathan," he answered succinctly. "Was just on the way to get something to eat, actually."

The two reploids looked at each other with a knowing smile, then back at Zero. "Hey, wanna come with us to dinner then? Me and Levi are 'bout to eat too,'' Fefnir suggested. "You don'tlooklike you're all too busy, hm?"

"Huh? Oh. Well, no. I'm just looking around the citadel-eguh?!"

Before he could finish, Fefnir had already grabbed a hold of Zero's hand and yanked him over, marching him towards the elevator. "Cool! Come on, let's not waste time, I'mstaaarving."

Leviathan rolled her eyes. "You're always starving," she prodded. Fefnir stuck his chin out at her.

"Uh huh! A big guy like me needs a lot of sustenance!" Fefnir retaliated, though it was obviously all in good humour. "Dude, I could eat an entire month's worth of food right now. What do you think they have on the menu today?"

They reached the elevator doors and Leviathan punched in the up key. "Well, it's Tuesday, so it's either curry or pasta," Leviathan answered. She pressed the up key a few more times impatiently. "I hope it's curry. I've been craving lamb curry all week, you know. Ugh. NowI'mhungry."

The elevator doors slid open with a ding, and the three entered, joining a single reploid soldier within. Fefnir pushed in the elevator button for their destination- floor 172- and waited for the door to close.

The walls of the elevator were built from thick glass, supported by brass scaffolding and tracery. Zero pressed a hand against the glass, watching intently as the city sped by as a blur from the comfort of the high speed elevator. No matter how many times he had seen it, the view of the white and gold city of Neo Arcadia, bathed in the intense light of the late afternoon sun, was still so spectacular to Zero.

And it was all X's doing…

"You know, I think they're doing tiramisu for dessert," Leviathan pondered aloud. Fefnir leaned in, intrigued.

"For real? Don't get my hopes up," Fefnir raised an eyebrow.

"Forrealreal!" Leviathan assured, grinning. "Andit's Chef Gallo! The best reploid in the dessert business, mind you."

"Fefnir, Leviathan." Zero snapped the two out of their dinner related fantasies. "Where's X right now?"

There was a rare quiet between them. It didn't last long, of course. "Dad?" Fefnir co*cked his head, before shrugging. "Harpuia probably has him hostage in a meeting right now. Why'd you ask?"

They swiftly reached their destination, the elevator opening up to level 172 with a ding, and the three promptly stepped out to make their way to the dining hall. "Oh, I was just… wondering," Zero half-admitted. "He's busy these days, isn't he?"

Fefnir made an uncertain noise. "Hm, I guess. But Harpuia doesn't help," he answered. "That birdbrain is all work all the time. Like, newsflash, Harps, Dad doesn't need to hear about all theminutiaeof your friggin' humidity restoration program, let the guy have dinner with us for once!"

Zero looked aside awkwardly. "Right, uh-huh."

"You know, Harpuia's actually the oldest." Leviathan pranced up ahead eagerly, turning and walking backwards to face Zero. "And Fefnir's the youngest."

"Only by four days!" Fefnir added with great zeal.

After some brisk walking fuelled by their collective hunger, the three finally reached the main dining hall. Zero was led by the two Guardians into a massive, dimly lit room, where dark wooden panels and classical red wallpaper and carpentry decorated every inch of the hall. In the middle of it all stood a long dining table, a red and gold tablecloth spanning the impressive length of it. Upon the tabletop was a fine display of silverware and candles, along with a couple vases holding colourful bouquets of flowers. Fefnir pulled up a chair from the dining table and flipped it around, sitting with his front flush against the backrest, and Leviathan joined him on an ottoman that was pushed against a wall. Zero sighed, pulling out a dining chair and taking a seat in front of the siblings, crossing his legs at the ankles.

"So…" Zero began, "when's dinner, exactly?"

Fefnir and Leviathan looked at each other, expecting an answer which neither of them knew. "Uh, usually 20 minutes after whenever we annoy the maître d'. Who is…" Fefnir paused to scan the room, "...not here right now. So I guess we'll have to pass the time." The draconic reploid folded his arms over the backrest and set his chin over them. "Whatcha thinking? Wanna play a game? 20 questions?"

Zero gave Fefnir a discerning glare. At least time with him was never boring. "You and your siblings…" he began, crossing his arms over his chest. "X said he was your sole father. Are you…clonesof him?"

The sudden interrogation caught Fefnir off guard, his eyes widening a bit. His usual smirk returned shortly after. "Us? Hm, I mean, semantics. Technically no," Fefnir pondered. "I guess we're imperfect clones. Then again, our creators never sought out to make a perfect copy of X when they made us. They just wanted his DNA to make the perfect reploids in a specific combat discipline, you know? We exist so Neo Arcadia could have an extra layer of protection. I mean, they implemented all the genetic changes on purpose as if we all had different moms passing on that other set of chromosomes. So… no, we're not clones."

Zero wasn't sure if he understood what Fefnir was trying to say, but it was a good enough answer for him. In fact, now that he could interrogate the guardians one-on-one, he reckoned there was a lot he needed to know.

"What happened to the Dark Elf?" Zero continued to prod. Leviathan pursed her lips.

"Okay, this is gonna make us sound…sobad…" She shuffled awkwardly, clearing her throat. "…But we have no idea. The good news is she hasn't been causing any trouble for us, and we haven't recorded her presence in, like… 50 years. So I wouldn't worry too much."

That wasn't all too reassuring. "Oh. I see…" Zero clasped his hands together. "Then… What about mavericks? X told me this was a city of peace."

"Well, there's always gonna be a few bad apples out there," Leviathan said, "but there are no, like,Sigmamavericks. Or Dark Elf mavericks. Or…youmavericks, no offence-"

"None taken."

"But yeah. It's mostly just… you know, petty criminals and political mavericks," Leviathan went on. "There's a couple extremists cropping up here and there looking to disturb the peace, hoping to incite a human-reploid civil war, lately. Nothing we can't handle."

Zero frowned, not feeling all too confident in the assertion. "Then…then let me help! I'm an S-rank Maverick Hunter, remember?!" Zero exclaimed. "Give me my weapons and let me fight for you."

The siblings cast a look towards each other, then burst into chuckles. Fefnir shook his head incredulously, much to Zero's dismay. "Oh, no, no, we have it covered, Blondie," Fefnir assured. "A tiny terrorist militia is no match for our grand army.Youjust sit back and relax."

It didn't make sense to Zero. Everyone regarded him as a war hero, a saviour… but now he was being held back from battle? "But… what… whatcanI do?" Zero asked, desperation creeping into his voice.

"Nothing!" Leviathan answered.

"I can't just… sit here," Zero refuted, "I'm a warmachine. Ilivefor a fight. I can't just… be X's lap warmer for the rest of my life."

Fefnir grimaced. "Eghh, when you say it like that it sounds bad," he grumbled, itching the back of his helm. "But really, Zero. You just… kind of have to get used to peacetime for once. Just relax, live your life with Dad. Have a vacation from all the war stuff."

Zero frowned. His entirelifehad been consumed by 'war stuff' up until that point. Letting that all go? It was a lot harder than justrelaxing. "But… then, what do I do?"

"Aht!It's my turn for a question," he interrupted. Zero glared at him with an open mouth, taken aback by his audacity. "So… you think you're ever gonna get married to Dad?"

That rendered Zero speechless. He struggled to find the words to respond, every answer slipping from his mind as soon as he thought of one. "I, uh… well…" Zero stammered, leaning back and slumping in his chair. "I… don't know? If he proposes I'll probably say yes."

"Probably?"

A fourth voice came as a shock to all three reploids, making them jolt upright in their seats. There in the huge doorway stood X, the azure king leaning against the wall with folded arms. Zero felt his cheeks warm, and he got up from his chair to greet his long time partner.

"Oh, whatever, you know what I mean," Zero huffed, a smile tugging at his lips as he rolled his eyes. X just laughed under his breath, kicking himself off the doorway and walking into Zero's arms, wrapping his arms around his waist. In return, Zero threw his arms around his broad shoulders, meeting his loving vermillion gaze with his own. "Hey, X."

"Sorry that I'm late," X apologised, "Harpuia had me tied up in a meeting."

"Called it," Fefnir added from afar. X gave him a fleeting, chiding glare before returning his attention to Zero.

"It'sfine, I keep telling you. I'll live," Zero said, inching his face closer to X's until their noses brushed against one another. "But… you better make it up to me, hey?"

X snickered, shooting him a smirk and a co*cked brow. "Mmhm, it'd be mypleasure," he replied, before he leaned in and caught Zero's lips in a deep kiss, pulling him closer into the tight embrace and drawing a pleased, muffled moan from the red reploid. Fefnir and Leviathan looked away awkwardly, and Fefnir coughed loudly and melodramatically.

"Ahem. PDA, dad," Fefnir complained. It made X part lips with Zero to glare at his draconic son.

"Shush, you. You should begladyou have parents who love each other!" he reprimanded. Zero just chuckled, suddenly feeling all giddy and flushed from the kiss, as if he were a young Maverick Hunter again on his first date with X. "Anyway, how are you? Finding the citadel well?"

"Oh, you have no idea. This place is f*cking crazy," Zero answered. "And you need to shave, by the way."

At the comment, X felt his chin. "Pshaw, it's just alittlefuzz, it's no big deal," he replied. "Besides, you think it makes me look all gruff and handsome and mature, don't you?"

"I donot," Zero argued playfully, coyly pushing him back. "It is not atallyour style. Sweet little boy, you are."

"Oh, you sodolove it, Zero," X remained adamant, "you like it when it tickles your-"

"Dad!" Fefnir and Leviathan cried out in unison, burying whatever X was going to say in their voices. X frowned.

"What?!" X yelled back. Fefnir shook his head.

"I donotwant to hear aboutthatpart of my dad's life!" Fefnir shouted. X just rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Fine. Then run along now, kids. The adults are talking," X conceded. Fefnir gasped in mock offence.

"We're like, 60, you know," Leviathan reminded. X narrowed his gaze.

"And we're pushing 300. Go." X gestured his head towards the door. Fefnir sighed, rubbing his stomach solemnly.

"But I was just gonna have dinner…" he lamented, getting up and sliding his chair back into the table.

"It's five, dinner's in an hour," X reminded him. "If you're hungry, go find some snacks in your rooms. I'm sure you have them. Don't you have some reports you could be working on right now, anyway?"

Fefnir and Leviathan begrudgingly passed the two, not at all happy to be kicked out. "Yeah, yeah, I'll leave you twolovebirdsalone," Fefnir waved him off dismissively. X stared at them as they departed, making sure they were truly out of sight and mind before he pulled Zero aside, taking a seat on the ottoman and hauling Zero onto his lap.

"Heh.Kids, am I right?" X laughed. Zero snickered, slipping his arm around X's back and gently pressing their helms together. "If I'm honest with you, being a dad is by far the hardest thing I think I've ever done."

Zero nodded, setting his free hand on X's chest. "Even after saving the world a few dozen times?"

"Oh,definitely,even after saving the world a few dozen times," X reaffirmed, lowering his voice. Zero raised a brow.

"Hey. It suits you," Zero noted, "you were always better with kids thanIever was."

"Mmhm. Shame I didn't have them with you," he whispered, pressing a kiss on Zero's lips. "You know… we could always make a start-"

"-Put a lid on it," Zero shoved him, rolling his eyes. X gave him a sly grin. "Keep that sort of talk to yourself 'til we head to bed."

"Awh, can't I dote onmyhandsome Zero in my own palace?" X continued to prod. Zero put a palm over X's mouth before he could kiss him again.

"First of all, I'm notanyone'sZero, second of all, the maître d' is right there."

X peeked over Zero's shoulder to find the waiter reploid staring back at him. X cleared his throat, and slipped Zero off his lap and against his side instead.

"Right, right." He settled, leaning back against the wall. "So, you like what I've done with the place? It's nice, isn't it?"

'Nice' seemed like a little bit of an understatement, looking around. "Oh, it's, uh… it's like nothing I've ever seen before," Zero replied. "Really… this place is perfect. I still feel like I'm dreaming... or maybe I'm dead, and this is heaven."

"Just a heaven on Earth, sweetheart," X quipped. He turned to run his fingers across the dark wooden panels lining the walls, the subtle and beautiful grain still visible under a coat of dark lacquer. "This? Authentic Honduran mahogany. It's a hard asset to acquire in this climate. The marble, too- flown in straight from the Apuan Alps."

X's eyes glimmered with pride. Zero laughed awkwardly, slumping his shoulders. "Ah, I… X, I never thought you'd be into this sort of… hm, aesthetic." Really, it felt a bit wasteful to indulge in it in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

"Yeah, well, me neither. But you know, I'm theking,babe,so why not?" X answered. Zero leaned back- that was certainly not like X, not one bit.

Argh, he's changed because it's been acentury, get used to it!Zero chided himself. "Huh. I… guess," Zero brushed a lock of hair over his shoulder, shuffling closer to X. "Ugh.Sorry for the attitude. Everything's just so different now, and it's weird for me. I'm trying to get used to it, but… I don't know. I don't know how to feel about this yet."

"I know, darling," X consoled, giving him a kiss on his headgem and pulling him closer. Zero rested his helm on his shoulder and sighed, relaxing into his embrace. "Take your time."

"But with you…" Zero murmured, shutting his eyes.I feel so safe and… normal, somehow, he thought.

X took his hand. "Mmhm," he hummed, his grip tightening, "I've missed this. Being with you. Even when I had everything I could've ever wanted in the world, it's only you that completes me, Zero."

Zero felt a blush rise to his cheeks, his heart warming at the sentiment. "Oh,X…" Zero murmured through breathy chuckles, "You know, feeling your arms around me, it kind of reminds me of the old days, when we were still young and stupid."

X nodded slowly, letting the silence linger in the air for a little while longer.

"X… don't you… miss it?" Zero asked. X straightened his posture at the question.

"Miss what?"

Zero co*cked his head to the side in an unsure manner. "The old days. Being a Maverick Hunter," Zero continued.

"Of course not," X laughed, as if the answer should have been obvious to Zero. "Why would I? The world's finally at peace now. Justice has been served to the viral maverick scourge that plagued humanity. You and I, we can betogethernow! There's nothing standing in our way anymore."

X made it all seem so simple. Zero always knew that life was far more complex than that. "You sure?"

"Why would I lie to you?" X asked. Zero sighed. He could think of a few reasons, but he didn't want to worry himself over the little voice in the back of his head reminding him that even the best of reploids could turn. "Zero, as long as I rule this city, I'll make sure nothing gets in the way of us being together."

The gaze X was casting him was filled with love, yes, but there was… something else edging his words. "Thanks, X," Zero replied, letting himself relax again and chalking his nerves up to paranoia. "I love you."

Zero could feel X's smile against his head. "I love you too," he returned the sentiment, caressing the back of his hand with his thumb. "Now, why don't we head back to my room to get a little more privacy?"

He side-eyed the waiter, who pretended he was not just staring. Zero mustered a soft smile. "Heh, sure." X got to his feet, letting Zero grab onto his arm to help him up. "You lead the way."

X shot him a look over his shoulder, before huffing a laugh and setting off. Zero would've followed, had his gaze not caught that of the waiter. Another service reploid… his mind drifted back to that muted cleaner, his voice stolen from him. Suddenly, the dirty feeling under his skin made itself known again. Maybe X knew.

"X?" Zero called, holding out a hand to make him stop. "Wait, I need to ask you something."

X stopped, turning and co*cking his head. "What is it?"

Then the words were stuck in his throat. X looked happy, confident for once in his life… Zero didn't want to ruin it so soon by bringing up that kind of stuff. He didn't distrust X, but he was afraid X would misconstrue his honest concerns as ill-intended suspicion.

"Uh, I was just gonna ask about dinner," Zero lied, making his way over to X's side and walking hand in hand with him to the elevator. "If we were heading to our room so early."

The laugh he got in response eased Zero's nerves. X didn't seem like he suspected a thing. Zero had to wonder to himself… why the hell was he so scared just then? It was just X.

"Oh,Zero," he chuckled, "you really think I can't get room service? What are you feeling tonight, anyway? We can haveanything you want."

"Anything, huh?" Zero decided to play along. Maybe it would cleanse his mind and help him forget it had ever happened. Besides, he should behappyto have all that X was giving him. "How about that seafood fettuccine you always used to order at that Italian joint on 56th Street?"

"You read my mind," X replied, "and I'll get us a nice bottle of Sauvignon blanc to go with it."

They reached the elevator, standing together as they waited for it to reach their level. Zero let out a sharp exhale, leaning his head on X's shoulder.

"Hey, X…" Zero started. X looked at him with an inquisitorial hum.

"What is it?"

"Did you… call us the Guardians' parents, just then?"

The ding of the elevator doors opening cut X off before he could respond.

Zero woke up alone in X's bed the next morning.

It wasn't anything new for Zero- X was always far more of a morning person than Zero ever was, always the punctual one who was never late to a meeting, no matter how early it was scheduled, and he wasn't going to wait for Zero to haul his ass out of bed.

It shouldn't have come as a surprise to Zero that X's living quarters were about as luxurious as the rest of the citadel. He had his own spacious bedroom, a study, and a small living room, all ivory white and gold like the rest of Neo Arcadia. The only thing that was different was just how sparse it was. He had all the furniture one would expect- a dresser, nightstands, a huge bed, and a couch, television and a small dining table in his living room, but that was about it.

The X he used to know would have dirty clothes strewn all over his floor, ring stains of coffee mugs on his desk, files full of reports shoved in whatever could fit them. Now, his room felt abandoned, besides the tousled sheets where they had slept together that night.

The intense morning sun shone through the windows, making Zero groan and turn away, rubbing his tired eyes. He opened one eye to peek at the alarm clock set on the nightstand. It was already nine- he had to get up whether he liked it or not, lest he ruin his sleep schedule even more.

With a moan, Zero kicked his legs off the side of the bed and stretched, running a hand through the tangles in his hair. The light of the early sun painted the room in hues of yellow, warming Zero with its gentle heat.

Zero got to his feet, slipped on his vest, and tucked his helmet under his arm, trudging over to the bathroom and washing his face in the sink before grabbing a towel and drying himself off. As he snapped his helmet back on his head, he gave the bathroom a brief scan. It was all very spartan, which Zero didn't really mind, but X was never the one to maintain such an… empty room.

He wandered into the living room, giving it a good lookover. Now that Zero was really inspecting the rooms, X's living quarters seemed as though they were barely lived in… Really, when Zero thought about it, X didn't look like he slept all that well, either, with those dark circles under crimson eyes that barely blinked. Must've been the stress of ruling the last utopia on Earth.

In the living room, there was a large shelf filled with books from both past and present. He spotted biographies and war stories from centuries ago, with just a few fiction novels interspersed between them. On that same shelf, X had a few picture frames on display. Zero picked one up, finding a picture of himself and X taken back in their Maverick Hunter days. He remembered that time well- they had gone on a holiday, camping in the mountains, and X had snagged the biggest bass he'd ever seen on a fishing trip. Zero didn't even like fishing; he just liked to see X enjoying himself. Seeing the photograph now, a young X holding up a massive fish next to an equally young Zero, brought a smile to Zero's face.

He placed it back on the shelf. Among the picture frames, there was only one that had been knocked over, lying face down on the shelf. Zero furrowed his brow- X must've knocked it over without realising.

Zero reached over to fix it, slipping it off the shelf and setting it back on its stand. He almost thought nothing of it, turning to leave, but when he caught the photo in the corner of his eye he stopped, slowly turning back around.

The glass of the picture frame was shattered, but underneath, the photograph was still clear as day. He and X, standing proud with one hand on either one of Axl's shoulders. Zero collected the picture frame, cradling it gently in his hands.

He didn't remember X telling him what became of Axl. Maybe he had died during his slumber, or went AWOL never to be seen again… or maybe, considering how the glass was broken, as if someone had slammed the frame facedown in anger, there was something X was keeping from him.

Or maybe X was just being clumsy. He always underestimated his own strength… but just in case, Zero set the photograph face down, just as he found it.

Shying away from the thought, Zero emerged from X's living quarters, supposing he may as well pass the time while X was away. He found the elevators nearby and punched in the down button before stepping back, leaning on a pillar as he waited for it to reach the upper levels of the citadel.

He had only been there for a week or so, but Zero was beginning to feel claustrophobic, despite how massive the citadel was. After a moment of absentminded waiting, the elevator opened with a ding, and he entered the empty cab and pressed the ground floor button. The doors closed, and Zero stood at the window, watching the city pass by through the glass walls.

Zero wanted some fresh air. He wanted to meet the people he supposedly ruled over. He wanted to see the true extent of the paradise X had created. He couldn't remain in the citadel forever.

The elevator reached the ground floor, slowly coming to a stop and opening up into a vast foyer.

There waiting for him, standing in the center of the hallway, was Hidden Phantom, looming tall over Zero with his hands held firmly behind his back.

"Phantom?" Zero asked, co*cking his head in a silent request for an explanation.

"Zero," Phantom greeted, approaching him slowly like a panther stalking his prey. Zero heard the elevator doors close behind him and begin ascending to the upper floors, rendering that escape option moot. "Where are you going?"

"...Out?" Zero replied, feeling somewhat offended Phantom would even ask that question. He wasn't ateenager- he didn't have to explain himself. "Why do you care? I'll be back in like, half an hour-"

Zero was passing Phantom by when the stealth reploid grabbed a hold of his hand and pulled him back hard, making the red reploid yelp. "I'm afraid I can't let you leave the citadel, Master Zero," Phantom explained, restraining him with one hand around his wrist. Zero growled, humiliated and frustrated to be held back like a child.

"What?!Why not?!" Zero snarled. Phantom remained emotionless as ever, even when Zero started to throw kicks at his legs. "Don't I rule this city with X?! I can leave when I want to, can't I?"

"You can't," Phantom reiterated calmly, "X's orders."

Zero froze up at the answer, gripped by disbelief. "What?"

"Master X has ordered us to-"

"No, I knowthat," Zero interrupted, "just… why?"

"That answer lies with X, I'm afraid," Phantom admitted. "I'm just following father's orders."

"Whatever! Just let me go!" Zero snapped, trying his best to pry himself from Phantom's grip, but he found himself unable to muster up the strength to make him budge even an inch. How could he be so weak? His energy reserves were at 96%. He had no reason to struggle against a skinny stealth build, unless stasis had rendered himthatweak. Was everyone else just that much stronger after a century of reploid evolution?

If he couldn't escape with physical force, he supposed the next best thing was weaseling out of his grip. Making himself as thin as possible, he managed to slip free of the shinobi's grip, rushing off to the massive entrance to the citadel. Well-dressed reploids and humans alike passed through vast glass doors, casting looks of amazement his way.

And just as Zero reached the door, a massive reploid came speeding down from the sky, landing with a crash that made the doors and windows quake. X.

Adorned in his ultimate armour- or what Zero could only assume was his ultimate armour- he rose from where he landed, standing tall and proud amongst the people, who scattered at his arrival. All white and gold, save for the hints of blue of his helmet, with bladed white wings emerging from his back. The way his armour shimmered in the sunlight made him look almost ethereal, like an angel had fallen from heaven and landed right in front of him.

Zero would have been amazed, had it not been for the reploid blood and viscera that was almost entirely covering his otherwise pristine armour. It was still fresh, wet and viscous, dripping from every inch of him.

When X caught Zero's eye, he shot him a loving smile. Zero never considered himself squeamish, not one bit, but seeing X likethat-he could've been sick right then and there. X pushed through the glass doors to greet his beloved, holding out his arms and folding his wings against his back.

"Zero!" he called out. Zero swallowed nervously, inching back as X approached. "Good morning!"

"I- what… X?" Zero stuttered, shrinking back when X stood before him. "X, whathappenedto you?"

X tipped his head aside, before looking down and realising what Zero was talking about. "Oh, this." He wiped his hand down the smear of blood that splattered his chest. "Don't worry. None of it's mine."

Zero stared. "You didn't answer my question," he countered. "I thought you said this was a paradise. There aren't any viral mavericks anymore, right?"

That was answered with a laugh and a shrug. "Thisisa paradise, but there are reploids- extremists- who still wantmore. They want wealth and power. They want what they think they deserve and not what they've been given," X explained, clenching a fist. "There are still mavericks, only these ones are driven by their vices, not a simple virus. That's just how people are, sometimes. Trouble always finds a way, and you have to do things you'd rather not in order to keep the peace. You taught me that, Zero."

He set a filthy hand on Zero's shoulder, making Zero take a sharp breath as he dirtied his ebony skin with blood- still warm. "Don't worry, Zero. My forces are working hard to crush these maverick terrorists, just as we did before as Maverick Hunters."

For the first time in eons, the suppressed memory of Iris came to Zero's mind. Watching her die… it was the first time he had ever questioned what he considered justice. What made a maverick anymore? There wasn't a maverick virus, and if Leviathan was to be trusted, there was no Dark Elf either. It was only X and his government who determined who was and wasn't a maverick. Zero never doubted X's moral compass before, but it was different now. X had power beyond anything Zero could comprehend.

Despite his partner's unease, X leaned in to press a soft, swift kiss onto the bridge of Zero's nose, cupping his cheek and drawing a streak of fuel over his skin. "I should go shower. I'm leaving a trail like this."

Without giving Zero time to think of a response, X had already walked off, skipping the elevators and taking off into flight in the stairwell.

"Master Zero-" Phantom came to Zero's side, "I'm sorry, but you still can't-"

"Fine!Fine, just shut up about it," Zero snapped back, turning away from the exit and finding his way back to the elevator, wrapping his arms around his stomach, faceplates pale as a ghost. Phantom hurried over, pacing besides Zero.

Zero impatiently bashed the up key on the elevator, wanting to get away from everyone as soon as possible. "S-sorry, Zero," Phantom apologised. "I didn't mean to… upset you."

When Phantom spoke likethat, he tugged on Zero's heartstrings. Zero sighed, entering the elevator and pressing the key for the floor for his own room. "No, it's fine. I'm just… finding my footing here."

The doors closed on Phantom, and Zero was left to himself in the elevator. He sighed, wiping the blood from his cheek, before looking out towards the city of Neo Arcadia through the windows.

Neo Arcadia was a paradise. He was reunited with X. He was a hero, an inspiration to the people. He had everything he ever could've wanted in life. So why was he so scared?

He felt dirty, both inside and out. It felt like there were bugs crawling underneath his skin, his stomach churning as he looked at the blood that collected on his fingers.

The doors opened to his floor, and Zero escaped into his own room, needing a shower more than anything else.

"X!"

Axl stumbled out through the doors of the Giga City Maverick Hunter headquarters, reaching a hand out towards the blue android, who was in the midst of boarding a transport jet accompanied by Massimo and Signas.

"Axl?" X called back, leaping off the step up to the jet's passenger bay and slowly making his way over to the young copybot. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with Zero?"

Still out of breath from rushing to the ground floor so quickly, Axl caught his breath before he explained himself. "Please, let me come with you!"

Shutting his eyes, X bowed his head and sighed in exasperation. "Look, Axl, this is a dangerous mission. I can't risk your safety on this one, alright?" he explained, placing a hand on Axl's shoulder. "I'll be back soon. All in one piece. Promise."

Axl shook his head in denial. "Please, X, haven't I proven myself already?" Axl pleaded. "I mean, after we defeated Sigma and Lumine? Whatever this is, it's nothing to me!"

"Axl." X remained firm. "I know you want to be strong, and I know you want to do what I do and be a hero. But you have responsibilities, okay?" He prodded Axl in the chest with his finger. "You have to stay here and defend this facility while Zero is undergoing the Mother Elf Project, alright? I'm counting on you to be there for Zero while I'm gone. This research could end the Maverick War, you know."

"But… but I could be doing so much more out there, with you!" Axl remained adamant. "Please!"

From the passenger jet, Signas emerged, calling out to X. "Commander! Make it snappy, we're scheduled to take off in five minutes!"

X looked over his shoulder at him, giving him a thumbs up. He stepped away from Axl. "I need you to stay here and take care of Zero, okay?"

He began to run off towards the jet. Axl sped off, chasing after him. "Please! X, let me help!" he cried out. "I just… I want to be with you for this one time! I want to be like you, X!"

"Then stay here with Zero." X made himself clear. "I'll be back in no time."

With that, X jumped onto the jet's hanger, signing to close the fuselage doors. Axl didn't stop his pursuit.

"Wait!" Axl yelled, waving his hands. "Please! Dad!"

The doors shut on him. X let out a gasp, his hands shooting up to rest over his heart.

"...Dad?"

X didn't have much time to dwell on it, immediately caught up in the chaos of the mission debrief, but Axl's words hung heavy in the air long after the jet had taken off, leaving Axl and Zero behind in Giga City.

Chapter 4: Chapter Three

Chapter Text

"This isbullsh*t!"

Axl shot upwards, slamming a fist on the boardroom's round table.

Deep beneath the Earth's surface in the Resistance bunker, Commander Ciel and her most trusted soldiers watched a live broadcast of X parading Zero before the Neo Arcadian people. The force of Axl's fist coming down rattled the room, knocking over empty glasses and making his fellow board members startle, though Ciel remained still as she watched the broadcast with unfaltering attention.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing, this-" Axl clenched his fists until they shook as he grasped for words, so caught up with his own fury. "This is f*cking bullsh*t! f*ckingbullsh*t!"

Before he could punch a hole through the television, Craft grabbed a hold of him and wrestled him back.

"I know, I know- just calm down," Craft assured through Axl's outburst, the low rumble of his voice soothing as he lifted him off the ground to mitigate collateral damage. "I know it's bullsh*t, Axl."

"How am I supposed to calm down?! Look athim!Look at Zero! That f*cking bastard has him in a collar! I'm gonna f*cking rip hishead off!" Axl continued to yell and thrash, though he hardly made an impact on the much larger reploid's grip on him. The other Resistance members slowly inched away from the enraged copybot, gingerly sitting back down while Craft struggled to incapacitate Axl. "f*ck! I should've gone with Colbor, I should've stopped X!f*cking bullsh*t!"

"I know. I hate it as much as you do, Axl, but have someperspectivehere," Craft insisted. "What do you think we can do about it right now? Realistically."

Axl was beginning to tire, feeling the hopelessness of it all sinking back in in lieu of unbridled anger. He sighed, putting a halt to his outrage and letting himself relax, at which Craft set him back down on the ground. "I… I don't know," Axl admitted. Ciel chewed the back of her pen anxiously.

"None of us do," the cyborg added, swivelling around in her chair to face Axl. "As much as I hate it, it's out of our hands now. We just have to focus on other endeavours for the time being."

Developing novel energy sources for a solution to the ongoing energy crisis was on top of her agenda, for one. Unfortunately, Ciel knew very well that killing X and abolishing the regime of Neo Arcadia was on top of Axl's. Defeated, Axl collapsed back down on his chair, its backrest buckling with the reploid's weight.

"I just… can't stomach it," Axl went on, slouching over. "X… X is a monster. He's-he's a murderer! A dictator! H-how can Zero bring himself to be okay with that?!"

Craft offered a reassuring hand on Axl's shoulder. Cerveau tucked his chair back in and crossed his arms. "Zero probably doesn't know what X is doing to his own people at this point," the techie reasoned. "He's just woken up after a hundred years from an off-grid hibernation. Honestly, he doesn't even really know where he is. We just have to be patient. It's far too early to say anything."

A red-headed human woman leaning on the far wall merely huffed a laugh at such an optimistic statement. "As if X will ever let Zero know the truth," Neige snapped in a low, snide voice. "There's no doubt in my mind he'll control what Zero does and doesn't know. Who else can Zero believe, anyway?"

Axl knew it to be true- X would do everything in his power to manipulate the truth. It didn't make it hurt any less, and Axl put his head in his hands. "Yeah, I know. I just… hate not knowing what to do."

"So do I," Craft consoled. "But if we give it time, we might be able to do something about it. We just gotta take the chance when it comes up."

"Yeah,might," Axl lamented, wiping his hand over his eyes. "I can't just sit around and wait for an opportunity to come up. I can't waste time like that and let more people die. I have to tell him- Zero. I need to tell him everything. The sooner he knows what X has become, the sooner he can escape and do what needs to be done."

Ciel fiddled with her pen, folding her legs on the table. "Axl, be honest," she began, "how do you think you'd be able to pull that off? I'd wager a guess that Zero will be confined to the inner Neo Arcadia sector. You and I both know that place is crawling with guards that shoot on sight."

"I'll figure it out," Axl huffed.

"You won't make it within three miles of the citadel." Ciel frowned. "Especially alone."

The copybot shrugged it off. "Maybe that's a risk I'm willing to take," Axl murmured. "I just don't want Zero to get hurt."

With a sigh, Ciel set her feet back on the floor and leaned forward on the roundtable. "Me neither. None of us do," she reminded, "but this is out of ourcontrol."

Though he could deny it for as long as he wanted, Axl knew that Ciel was right. There wasn't much he could do about it that wouldn't end with him dead. All he could do was watch X and Zero united once again on the news broadcast, heart twisting at the thought of being betrayed by the two reploids he once considered loving found-fathers.

Axl refused to give up on the hope that Zero would choose the path of justice over his love for X, even if the chance was slim. It still wasn't too late forhimto change, at least.

Clearing her throat, Ciel garnered the attention of her fellow Resistance figureheads, letting the solemn mood lift for a moment. "Well, I know there isn't much I can say to bolster your spirits right now," she admitted, "but we have to move on from this. It sucks and I know that, but… that's just how things go sometimes. We should focus our attention on the other things on our plate anyway. Those Neo Arcadian satellite weapon schematics- does that ring a bell for any of you? Or are we losing sight of the bigger picture here?"

She eyed Neige and Craft. A short, ugly silence followed, and Ciel leaned back in her chair, sighing. "Well, if there's nothing else to say, you're all dismissed." She waved them off. "Go wind down for the night."

The board members uncomfortably exchanged uncertain looks, no one wanting to be the first person to take the liberty to leave. Axl finally sighed and stood, departing the boardroom without a word. Cerveau followed, with Craft and Neige lagging behind. The journalist gave Ciel a small but reassuring smile as a parting gesture and disappeared through sliding doors, leaving Ciel by her lonesome in the meeting room.

With the Neo Arcadian broadcast still running in the background, Ciel let out a long exhale, running her hand through her fringe to soothe her nerves. With little else to do, she grabbed her tablet and went about chipping away at the daily grind of paperwork. Still, Axl's despair would continue to loom over her, even after she lost herself in the endless stream of battle plans and field reports and patrolling schedules.

She drummed her tablet pen against her temple. What was there to do, besides believe in Zero?

Ciel wasn't sure what elsecouldbe done about it at that point. She didn't know Zero like Axl did- she hadn't even lived through his era- but somehow, she still found it in her heart to believe in him.

Zero felt a little humiliated to admit it, but he couldn't bring himself to share X's bed that night.

Alone, he wandered the citadel halls, mulling over his thoughts. He had no reason to be so apprehensive, he scolded himself; X was doing what he and Zero always did, exterminating mavericks and keeping the peace. They got dirty, they got violent, and they did things they would rather avoid, but they got the job done as Maverick Hunters. Not only that, but X had gifted him so much for little in return. He had power, he had status, he had a beautiful paradise of a kingdom under his command. Most of all, he had X. He should've been happy.

But despite it all, Zero couldn't get the memory of a blood-soaked X out of his mind. No matter how much he bathed, he couldn't wash the image from his thoughts. A chill crept up his spine as he replayed the words X had said to him that morning.

It washimwho taught X that all mavericks had to be eradicated, no questions asked. Zero supposed he wasn't wrong. Still, the burden of responsibility weighed heavy on his psyche. They had been wrong before. Iris came to mind.

Zero groaned and shook his head.I'm overthinking it.X is just doing what must be done. Peace through justice. It's nothing new.

Nothing new, but the reploid X had become undoubtedly was. Proud, nearly arrogant, and overly assured of his convictions... it was a far cry from the person Zero fell in love with.

But I do still love him. I should be happy! X finally has some confidence in himself.

Surely he was just working himself up over nothing. Maybe it was hibernation sickness messing with his processor. It had been too long, after all- his mind was still fragile, more so than it already was. He just needed to find his bearings in the new world X had created.

Through massive arching glass doors, the hallway opened up into a large balcony, with floors carved from white granite and a large pool overlooking the edge. A glass panel replaced the outward wall of the pool, providing an underwater window of Neo Arcadia's skyline, the city's lights twinkling and flickering against the midnight sky. To his periphery were small, neatly kept gardens, rare greenery in the desert world. Petite round bushes, bearing pristine white flowers, grew atop neatly trimmed lawns. Zero sighed, taking the opportunity for a moment of relaxation.

He stepped forward to the pool's edge, dipping the toe of his boot into the turquoise water's surface. Finding it perfectly warm, he sat down and let his legs hang over the edge, submerging them in the water. It was just what Zero needed, the pleasant flow of warm water caressing his body, washing away the tension simmering in his soul.

Even with the comfort of the pool and the gentle rustling of the garden in the soft breeze, Zero couldn't escape his thoughts for long. Even when he closed his eyes, all he could see was X, dripping with the blood of reploids he was supposedly serving as their king.

Zero balled his hands into fists at his sides. Why was he so afraid? No matter how much he tried to hammer it into his own mind that X was just doing what they always did when he had eradicated those mavericks, Zero was not comforted. The sheer amount of blood coating his pristine white armour implied only the deaths of whoever had opposed him. X hardly ever resorted to killing; it was an outcome that only happened when his hand was forced and all other options had been extinguished.

Maybe he just caught him at a bad time. Maybe it was a threat that required deadly force. It wasn't all that uncommon for S-rank Hunters such as X and Zero to be called on for highly dangerous missions that could only be resolved by lethal means.

Maybe Zero was just afraid of change... X had unequivocally changed. He reminded himself that he was no stranger- this was the reploid he loved, and his fear was unwarranted. X would never want to hurt him. He had nothing to be afraid of.

"Zero!"

"Eeagh?!"

Zero, too caught up in his own inner turmoil, didn't notice the blue blur approaching him from beneath the water. Breaching the pool's surface with an enthused cry was none other than Leviathan, who promptly shocked Zero into falling into the water with an unceremonious splash.

"Oops," Leviathan chided herself, though a laugh slipped past her lips before she could help it. Zero reached for the pool's ledge and scrambled onto dry land, every inch of him now drenched from his brief unplanned swim. "Hi Zero. Sorry for scaring you."

Zero just pouted at her, wrapping his hands around his hair and wringing out the water. "Where the f*ck did you come from?" Zero asked, slipping the stray wet locks of hair that fell over his face out the way. Leviathan just giggled coyly.

"From the water," she answered unhelpfully. Zero maintained his frown. "Okay, okay. There's an underwater tunnel system of ducts that connects the main bodies of water in this building to the inner city water system. Lets me be anywhere at any time. Pretty cool, right?"

The drenched reploid slowly closed his eyes and breathed out a long exhale. "Sure."

"It's so convenient. I hate walking around the citadel. It's way too big. Plus, you know, flippers for feet," she rambled on. "Anyway, how are you? Relaxing? The pools are the best place you could choose.Oneof the best places. There's a spa and massage parlour too, you know. Floor 43, can't miss it. Plus a hot spring on floor 62. You should totally go there sometime with me and Fefs. Get a little TLC, spoil yourself! You're the king, after all-" Leviathan paused abruptly and gave him a discerning look. "Are you okay, Zero?"

The question caught Zero off guard. "Why do you ask?"

Leviathan made an unsure noise. "You look all forlorn and brooding," she answered, "is it 'cause I got you wet? Sorry-"

"No, no, it's fine," Zero assured, though Leviathan seemed unconvinced. Even though he had only known Leviathan for a week or two, he felt weirdly safe around her, like he could tell her anything. It wasn't like she ever hidherthoughts from him. "I should have a shower, anyway."

Leviathan sighed before leaning her back against the pool's edge. "Phew. In the clear," she mumbled to herself. "So… what's up?"

Was he that easy to read? Zero took a moment to figure out what to tell her, before offering a small shrug, slumping over with a breath. "I don't know," he admitted, "ever since I woke up everything's been so weird to me. Isn't all of this weird to any of you?"

"Weird?" Leviathan co*cked a brow. Zero straightened himself and reached out his arms, gesturing to the world around him.

"This?! This isweird!" Zero elaborated, desperation edging into his voice. "I went to sleep with the world in tatters and now I've woken up a century later and everything's perfect and I have everything I've ever wanted and X is nothing like what he used to be! I just don't knowwhatto think. I don't know if I can make things work like this."

He put his head in his hands and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Maybe I'm just overreacting," Zero conceded, shoulders falling. "Leviathan… What's X reallylike?Because I don't know what I should think about him. At least, I don't know what to think of the reploid he'sactinglike right now."

Leviathan frowned, looking down at the pool's bottom. "Dad's… well, he's… I don't know what to say," she half answered. "He's the best of us! He's loyal, kind, generous… he's by far the strongest reploid alive. He's everything we strive to be!"

The pep in her speech quickly returned as she went on. Zero smiled and managed a soft laugh at her vigorous enthusiasm. "That sounds like my X."

"Oh yeah," she agreed, "he's so cool. You know, one day, I wanna be just like him."

At that, Zero seized up, taking a sharp breath. Wanting to be just like him… that was what Axl used to say.

Did Leviathan know anything about what became of him? Maybe Zero shouldn't risk letting Leviathan in on that suspicion on the chance that she'd let X know. Whatever happened to Axl, Zero wasn't sure if X was going to be too keen on talking about it, considering the shattered picture frame he discovered yesterday morning.

"Zero?" Leviathan piped up. Her voice ripped Zero from his musings.

"Huh?"

"Are you still there?" she asked. "You totally zoned out just then."

Zero blinked at her before grinning sheepishly. "Just thinking about what you said," he assured, somewhat dishonestly.

Leviathan co*cked her head, leaning in to whisper. "Zero, is Dad… giving you trouble, or something?"

"No! No… it's not like that," Zero lied. "He's just… different now. He's still X, and I love him, but… I don't know. I don't know if I can get used to the idea ofKing X."

"Oh…" Leviathan shrunk back down. "I… I've never known anything besides King X. But you know, I get what you mean. He can be scary, sometimes."

Zero knew very well how intimidating a mad X could be. Luckily, he never found himself at the receiving end of his fury. "I… shouldn't be afraid of him though," Zero lamented, "it'sX…I shouldknowhe'd never do anything to hurt me."

"But youareafraid of him, is what you're saying," Leviathan extrapolated. "Are… you scared he'll hurt you?"

Zero didn't know how to answer. Reminiscing on the vision of a blood soaked X, the photograph of Axl shattered to pieces, that muted workerbot, the orders he gave Phantom… he couldn't deny his own fear. On the other hand, what would Leviathan do if he admitted that?

"No." He decided to keep the truth a secret from her. He wasn't sure who he could trust with his thoughts in Neo Arcadia. The truth was always longer than a lie, regardless. "No, I'm just… confused.Ugh, forget I said anything, I'll get over it." He wrapped an arm around himself, comforting his fraught nerves. "Thanks for letting me talk about it, Leviathan."

The smile returned to her face. Zero found himself smiling too, her optimism infectious. "No problem, Zero," Leviathan said with a playful wink. "You can talk to me about anything you want, I won't judge. Your secrets are safe with me."

She pretended to zip her mouth shut, locked it, and threw away the key. Zero huffed a laugh. "I'll have to see about that…" he mumbled amusedly. With the sombre mood alleviated, Leviathan casually leaned back against the pool's edge, throwing her head back.

"So, you'll havenoidea what just happened to me today…" she began. Zero made himself comfortable, resting on his palms as he anticipated a long story from the aquatic reploid. "I was just doing routine checks on the water purification facilities when this mechaniloid came out of absolutely nowhere and went friggin' crazy! I reckon it got in from the Outside Lands. The sun's so strong out there it fries the mechaniloids' processors and makes them go nuts. I have no idea how it got in. So weird. Harpuia's probably gonna make me write a five thousand word report on it. Anyway, I had to put it out of its misery, poor thing, so I…"

Zero was only partially listening the longer she rambled on. Even if it wasn't particularly interesting to him, he still cherished the company and the sound of someone's voice, someone who was truly happy to talk to him about whatever came to mind. Zero liked Leviathan. Fefnir too, when he came to think about it, but he was still pensive about letting them know of the true extent of his suspicions.

Or maybe he really was just overthinking things. X wouldn't hurt him- hecouldn't, not if he had a say in the matter.

But if he did, Zero knew he couldn't fight back. With no weapons and a weakened frame from hibernation, he knew that X had total control over his body. Now that he had no one else from his past to turn to, X had total control of his beliefs, too.

He wasn't sure how to feel about that. Maybe he just shouldn't think anything at all, and heed Fefnir and Leviathan's advice.

Just don't do anything. In the end, things will work out without you.

X trudged through the remains of a Neo Arcadian military base, reduced to rubble by an unexpected Resistance strike.

The embers still smoldered, smoke filling the air as the Neo Arcadian Defence Force arrived at the scene, X and his men finding that it was far too late to do anything of use.

In the haze of smoke and dust, X could see Resistance soldiers fleeing, disappearing in a flash of light as they warped away. It was no use making chase, as much as X hated to admit. The most they could do was lick their wounds now.

The devastation didn't matter that much in the long run. The soldiers had pledged to give up their lives to defend Neo Arcadia. They could be replaced, and so could the destroyed military base.

Not that it helped quell the fury burning in X's heart. The Resistance had been nothing more than vermin, a mere inconvenience to him, and yet they had the audacity to resort to barbaric guerilla warfare tactics. If it was his attention they were after, then they had gotten it.

X vowed he'd make them regret having ever earned it.

A single Resistance soldier lagged behind his fellow comrades as they warped away to safety, crawling along the ground feebly with weak arms. Shrapnel had caught him in the legs, rendering escape from X and his men a fruitless endeavour.

X marched over to the soldier with slow, methodical steps, looming over him with his hands held behind his back, his massive wingspan blocking out the reddened sun and plunging the soldier into the darkness of his shadow.

The small reploid whipped around onto his back to face X, blaster still held firmly in his shaking hand, eyes wide and lip quivering. The young soldier wanted to scream in terror, but lacked the power to even do that. X just furrowed his brow and growled.

"Hmph. You Resistance soldiers cower like stupidanimals," he snarled, red glare darkening. "It's sad to see my own kind acting no better than the humans that came before us. You can't let peace persevere, can you? Reploid, human, it's no matter. Always pining for war. It's only thathumansare easier to pacify."

"Y-you…" The reploid soldier managed a few strained words, despite the agony that seized his frame. "Youbastard!"

X didn't bother moving when the Resistance soldier took aim and fired his blaster squarely at his chest, the movement so swift it was nothing more than a blur. The blaster bolt struck his armour in a flash, not even leaving a burn mark in its wake. It failed to make X do as much as flinch.

"You've got some bravery, maverick. It's almost commendable," he praised mockingly. Before the soldier could scramble away, X slammed his foot down hard upon the reploid's chest, making him gasp and arch as the wind was handily knocked out of him. "I'll put you out of your misery. Consider it mercy."

With that, X drove his foot down, crushing his inner workings under his boot until it came out the other side. A swift, if violent, execution.

He stepped over his body and kicked it away, shaking off the blood and grime that collected on his foot. Aztec Falcon and Harpuia soon landed at his side, ready to report on the aerial assessment of the situation.

The ever loyal Harpuia addressed his father with a salute. "Master X, sir," he greeted. X gave him a nod.

"At ease, Harpuia," X commanded. "How bad is it?"

Harpuia dipped his helm and shook his head. "Bad, I'm afraid," he answered, "they looted the base before bombing it. There's absolutely nothing here that can be recovered. It's all been destroyed. We haven't been able to quantify a death toll yet, but things are looking grim."

"Hm. Then we'll have no choice but to clear the area and rebuild," X mused, rubbing his chin. He came to a resolution, and commanded the two air reploids away with a pointed finger. "Go. Look for survivors. Eradicate any remaining Resistance soldiers."

"Yes, sir!" Harpuia and Aztec Falcon affirmed in unison before departing into the sky. X was left alone once more, watching the silhouettes of his forces scouring the destruction, searching for survivors through the smoke.

He wouldn't remain alone for long. From the curtains of smog still billowing from the burning wreckage, a Neo Arcadian soldier emerged to face X, his face twisted in a frown, defiant and bold.

X knew that emerald glimmer in his eyes.

"Don't try playing games with me, kid," he reprimanded. "I know it's you."

The soldier huffed. "Of course you do."

His body was overcome by a flurry of rectangular refracted light as his true form was revealed. In his place, the newgen Axl stood to confront the reploid he once called father.

"Axl." X spat his name like it was poison in his mouth. "I could kill you right now if I wanted."

Axl tipped his head to the side in subtle agreement. "I know. I'm an enemy of the state. All rebels must die. Even me," he snapped, "but you're not going to. Are you?"

Always so co*cky. "I'm disappointed in you, child," X chided, pacing around him. Axl never broke eye contact with him. "You should be ashamed of this violence. Hundreds of reploids are dead because of you."

Axl's frown deepened. "And thousands more are dead at your hands." An overwhelming anger burned in his gaze. "As if you even cared for the lives of these soldiers."

X stopped, shaking his head. "The offer still stands, Axl," X reminded, standing in front of him. "You can still come back. You, me, and Zero. Just like the old days, when we were Maverick Hunters." He clenched his fist. "We were so powerful. Nothing could stand in our way. Not Lumine, not Sigma. Not even Weil. We could bring justice and peace to this world together. Isn't that what you want, Axl? To bring justice to the world? To be back with us?"

His lips twitched into a smirk. "Think about it. All this needless fighting could end. You could rule Neo Arcadia with Zero and I. The world could be yours."

Axl spat at the notion, face turned up in disgust. "Forget it, X. I know you're putting lies in Zero's head. You'll never let him learn the truth of what you've done, will you?"

"Zero isn't as foolish as you." X's gaze was cold, unforgiving. "He knows what I'm doing is right. He was the one who taught me rebels like you must die."

"Isthisreally what he wants?" Axl gestured out towards the destruction. "You're manipulating him. Turning your own partner into a mindless toy to show off to scared reploids and complacent humans. It isn't love, X. It's disgusting." His piercing gaze narrowed.

"Have you always been this way?" Axl sneered, revulsion thick in his voice.

X bared his teeth, seething at the accusation. He readied his buster, shot already charging, and aimed directly at the center of Axl's chest. A powerful laser suddenly blasted him from the side, throwing him to the ground.

A huge Resistance soldier rushed to Axl's aid. X glared at the combat reploid from where he kneeled on the ground, view obscured by injury warnings blaring on his HUD. "Axl!You idiot, let's get out of here!"

The former Neo Arcadian commander, Craft, collected Axl and warped both of them away before X could get to his feet. He fired a useless shot into thin air as they vanished.

X stared at where they once stood before he got to his knees and gripped the side where Craft had blasted him, hissing through gritted teeth.

"Dad!" Fefnir came barreling through the dust and smoke to X's side, leaning down to support him. "Are you alright?"

X shoved him off. "I'm fine," he insisted, before he reached into cyberspace and made quick, mindless use of a nurse type cyber-elf to heal his wounds. "Don't worry about me. Go help look for survivors."

At first, Fefnir was hesitant to leave. When X flicked his head towards the remains of the base, he caught the hint. "Alright, Dad."

His son parted ways with him, rushing over to lend his formidable strength to the search and rescue operation. X just sighed, standing up tall and brushing the dust off his shoulder.

Axl was a fool, and X was angered to no end. Had he failed to raise that boy right? Maybe he was too soft on him. MaybeZerowas too soft on him, never letting him push Axl to his limits, never letting Axl know what justice really was; not mindless vigilantism, but the organised and systematic punishment of evil. Axl was giving him little other choice. Axl, just like every other maverick who threatened his kingdom, had to be brought to justice and an end, no matter the memories they shared together.

It didn't matter. Even if he killed Axl, he had other sons. More importantly, he had Zero. That was all that mattered.

He just couldn't lose him.

Zero had to get out.

Despite failing the last time he tried, he was already on the way to the ground floor. They couldn't hold him in forever, not if he had anything to say about it.

The citadel was huge, so massive that it made Zero feel sickeningly insignificant with the way its marble and gold archways towered over him, closing in on him like the maw of a beast. He couldn't stand it much longer, with little company besides the mute servants, X's children, and X himself, though he tended to be busy most of the day, leaving Zero to fend for himself. He just needed to leave, get some fresh air, and see the world beyond the Neo Arcadian spire.

Most of all, he needed to shake off the feeling of being imprisoned by his own partner.

As the elevator descended from the upper floors where X and Zero's rooms resided, he watched the city rush by with a hand placed over the glass window. The people of Neo Arcadia hurried around below, looking so small from where Zero stood atop the tower.

He wondered if perhaps, among the crowds, his old Maverick Hunter comrades milled about. He was still in the dark as to what their fates had been. Their comms frequencies still lingered in his databanks, though they remained long disused- unsurprising, considering a century had passed- but still, their memories hovered over Zero, taunting him with the fact that X had neglected to mention anything about them.

The Maverick Hunters, they were theirfriends!When things weren't going well for X and Zero, they could always turn to them for support. They were his teachers, and then they were his students. There was a time when they were his entire world.

Now it felt like X wanted Zero's world to begin and end with him. Zero loved X, but he was more than just a thing X could own.

Reploid workers and human businessmen came and went from the elevator as it passed by the countless floors. Zero worked the bridge of his nose between his fingers in exasperation. He was just being dramatic. He went over that with Leviathan the other day.

X was busy. He probably just didn't have the time to explain everything that happened during his one hundred year stasis. Maybe whatever happened wasn't something X was too keen on discussing. After all, there were plenty of truths X hadn't revealed to Zero for one reason or another, and there was much Zero refused to divulge to X in kind.

The elevator reached the ground floor, and he left for the foyer alongside a human journalist who seemed preoccupied with his notes. He scanned the entrance as he made his way towards the glass door, finding only visitors, reploid workers, and a few soldiers standing around on guard duty, pacing up and down the halls and watching over the people with stern gazes. Zero swallowed his nerves down, looking over his shoulder as he approached the citadel's massive glass doors for a second time.

Of course, Zero's luck meant that he would immediately bump into Harpuia, who had his nose buried in a clipboard. IfPhantomobeyed X's orders without a second thought, then he could only anticipate howHarpuiawould react…

"Master Zero," Harpuia greeted him with a questioning tone. Zero prepared himself for yet another interrogation by the Guardians. "Where are you going in such a rush?"

Zero rolled his eyes.This again.

"Outside. Isn't it obvious?" Zero answered huffily. Harpuia tucked his clipboard under his arm.

"I can't let that happen. Master X wouldn't approve-"

"Yes, I know," Zero groaned, walking around Harpuia. "I don't knowwhyhe cares. I've been stuck inside for nearly a month. I need a walk. I don't give a sh*t what X says."

"Ow. That stings, sweetheart."

As Zero passed through the glass doors, he jolted at the sound of X's voice. From the sky, X landed gracefully before Zero, cladded in pristine white and gold armour.

Swallowing nervously as X approached with a slow foreboding gait, Zero timidly backed away from his partner, making himself small in his vast shadow.

"Oh, X, I-" he stumbled over his words as X cornered him against the door, fear flickering in his eyes. "I didn't mean it."

X just snickered. It was always a cute sound to Zero's audials, butnow?It just felt patronizing. "I was joking," he assured, though Zero had no confidence in the assertion. "What's going on here? Giving my son a hard time?"

Harpuia harrumphed, pivoting and leaving X and Zero alone to sort themselves out. Zero laughed awkwardly, feeling increasingly vulnerable without Harpuia backing him up.

"I just wanted to go out for a bit," Zero admitted, "but everyone goes crazy everytime I try. Seriously, it's getting really humiliating, X."

"Ah, is that so? That's good," X mused. Zero gawked.

"Good?!" Zero yelled, the fear in his eyes suddenly drowned by a fury that came over him. "What do you mean,good?!"

"I told them to keep an eye on you, in case you sneak out like that," X divulged. "Good, in that they're doing what I asked them to. Sometimes wrangling four kids to do as you say is impossible."

Zero couldn't believe what X was saying, how casually he was ignoring Zero's concerns, tone as calm as if they were discussing something as mundane as the weather. Sure, he knew that Phantom and Harpuia were following X's orders- they had said it themselves- but hearing it from X himself? Ithurt, Zero's chest tightening as he was torn between outrage and betrayal. Did X not care about what he felt anymore?

"Are you insane?!" Zero snapped. "You seriously want to keep me locked up? What do you think I'll do, run away? To where? You think I'mthatstupid? I don't have anywhere to go even if Iwantedto run!"

X remained unphased by Zero's anger. "Calm down." He set a hand on Zero's shoulder. If anything, it just made him more irate. "I'm not being cruel. I'm beingcareful.I don't want you running around unsupervised."

Zero gasped, blood boiling at the implication that he needed to be monitored as if he were a misbehaving child. "Is that what you think of me now?" Zero shoved X's hand off him, lips pulled back in a snarl. "Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I can trust you!" X insisted. "Look, Zero. I couldn't live with myself knowing you could get hurt out there."

"I can handle myself," Zero's voice was low, his expression dark.

"That's what you always used to say," X sighed. He wrapped a huge wing around Zero and began guiding him away from the door and towards the courtyard, away from the tower. "Zero, things are different now. These mavericks are from a new generation of reploids, and you're still recovering from stasis. I just… want to keep you safe."

The solemn look X was giving him imparted an unspoken 'I don't want to lose you again'. Zero's anger slowly fizzled with the pleading expression, and he allowed X to reach for his hand, guiding him through the tower's entrance.

"Why don't I make it up to you?" X offered. "You can come on a walk with me. Just the two of us."

Zero's mood lifted at that. After being tormented by ceaseless paranoid thoughts, he supposed he could use a little time alone with his partner. "I'd like that," Zero accepted, tightening his grip on X's hand. "Sorry for getting pissy. My head's just been all over the place lately."

X snuggled up to his side, the two walking like they were joined at the hip. "I understand," he murmured. The citadel entrance opened up into a massive courtyard, where gardens lined pale stone pathways, massive trees arching over the walkway and offering the relief of shade from the beating sun. Hedges bearing flowers lined the tall, solid fence wall enclosing the court. The garden enraptured Zero in its opulence and lush verdure, the scene reminding him of when he and X visited Dr. Cain's courtyard gardens. It was odd, knowing it was so long ago now, but if the similarities were anything to go by, it was clear X had built it in that image. "I probably should've told you I ordered my Guardians to keep you inside. At least until you've gotten used to life around here."

They circled a large round fountain, shimmering blue water spouting from a stone sculpture and sparkling in the sunlight. Visitors came and went, from haughty businessmen to a group of schoolchildren- both human and reploid- scurrying behind their teacher like ducklings. Zero's spirits lightened somewhat, his expression softening. Seeing man and machine coexisting in that manner was new to him, yet wonderfully reassuring. "You really should've," Zero grumbled, still upset over the whole ordeal. "You always think too hard on the little things and-"

"-Not enough on the big things, yes, I know. You always said that too…" X acknowledged, "I've just been… busy, with the rebels causing a ruckus. I didn't have the time to tell you."

The two left the courtyard, passing by gates manned by two tired soldiers who let them through without a second thought. The citadel, built atop a hill, opened up to a massive sprawling city, ivory and gold, with highways and elevated high speed railroad lines weaving through huge skyscrapers like rivers through mountains. Zero froze to take it all in. Neo Arcadia was far more magnificent than any city he had lived in previously, nearly overwhelming in its perfection. The air was crisp and clean, not a speck of grime coating the streets despite the swathes of busy Neo Arcadia denizens she harboured.

With a huff, Zero pulled himself out of his daze and caught up with X. "You had a chance last night," Zero continued their conversation. X shrugged, a little amused with himself.

"Slipped my mind, I guess," X contended. "I'm sorry, Zero. I didn't want to risk you getting hurt out here. I just need the peace of mind to know you're out here with me, not by yourself."

The possibility thatanyoneZero walked by in X's paradise, paved in white stone and marble, had the capacity or drive to even lay a finger on him was slim to none. Humans and reploids mostly went about their day- working, playing, some turning to stare and whisper at their kings… X was always a bit clingy, but paranoid and controlling? That was a new development.

"Well, I can't say I'm not offended," Zero grumbled, rubbing his chin. The two followed the main footpath down a busy street, the red warbot slowing his pace to take in the view.

"Iknow," X sighed, "but I promise you, it's not that I'm trying to be a jerk to you."

"Well then maybe you shouldn't act like a jerk," Zero dismissed the claim, crossing his arms and looking away. By wrapping his massive wing around him and blocking his view of the city, X corralled his gaze back towards him.

"Zero, just- think about howIfeel," X pleaded. "You've been gone for a hundred years. Ahundredyears, Zero.I can't… take chances on your safety anymore. I just want you to be here, withme."

The street, lined with exorbitant cafes and boutique clothing stores, eventually lead into the main city square- a large, open circular plaza with a tall, massive fountain in its center, cast in bronze atop a green granite base, where a sculpture of X and Zero stood tall above the ground, sunlight glowing off their sculpted forms as they looked over the Neo Arcadian city square with watchful eyes.

Zero suddenly felt acutely self-aware. Whatever he was going to say to X, to rip him apart for restricting his freedoms, was quickly swept from his mind as he stared down the artwork that stood as the centerpiece of the entire city.

His place in the world he had woken up in was very slowly beginning to dawn on him. Had he not defeated Weil and Omega with X, humanity and reploidkind alike may have been wiped out completely, the world reduced to a barren, inhabitable wasteland. He was not just a hero, but a saviour, who rescued his people from certain demise. He was their idol, worshipped like a Messiah, whether he liked it or not.

All around him were the denizens of Neo Arcadia, and it felt like a million stares were bearing down at him all at once. He hid himself into X's side, seeking reprieve from the crushing pressure.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" X asked, wrapping an arm around Zero's shoulder, not taking notice of his uncertainty. "We created this. You and I. This is our legacy, and ours alone."

Zero took in a deep breath, feeling his nerves thick in his throat. It felt reductive for X to say that. Perhaps he and X were the ones to defeat Weil and Omega to end the Elf Wars, but it would've been impossible without the help of their friends and comrades, the same friends X had neglected to mention even once throughout Zero's stay. Did X not care about his old life, his old friends? Zero wasn't sure what that would mean for him. Maverick Hunter X saw him as a mentor, an invaluable companion, a best friend and beloved partner, butKingX…

It felt as if he saw Zero as just another thing he ruled over, like all the beautiful sculptures and artworks scattered across Neo Arcadia. Something to own and enjoy, and little else.

In the shadows of the plaza were countless reploid soldiers and police bots wielding rifles and batons, patrolling the streets of Neo Arcadia diligently alongside combat grade canine mechaniloids, giving every robot they passed a discerning glare that made them instantly shrink back and cower. Drones flew overhead, keeping a close eye on every inch of the inner city- small enough to be subtle, but noticeable enough to scare the citizens into their best behaviour. Police bikes drove past periodically, always with somewhere to be, though Zero wasn't quite sure what their mission was when crime seemed to be nonexistent. Despite everything X said about Neo Arcadia and the peacetime it founded, its military presence was inescapable, shrouding the utopia city with an intense aura of intimidation.

"A paradise like nothing this Earth has ever seen before, and it's all ours," X whispered into Zero's audial. "Nothing will stand in our way anymore."

There was no reason for Zero to be afraid of X. That was what he kept trying to drill through his skull, repeating it over and over and over in the desperate hope that it would soothe the fear and paranoia that crawled up his throat, choking his words and poisoning his thoughts. X would never hurt him.

Still, in the spur of the moment, he wanted to break free from X's grip and run until he escaped into the Outside Lands, to the territories where X's reign didn't reach. The thing that terrified Zero the most, though, was that if he tried to act on that impulse, he wouldn't get as far as the outskirts of the central business district before getting captured and returned to X. He couldn't fight back, with no weapons and middling strength. He was well and truly trapped, and X could make him do whateverhewanted regardless of whatZerowanted.

"X…" Zero finally broke his silence with his lover's name, "this… this is…"

"Incredible?"

"A lot… to process," Zero corrected, nervously tucking a strand of his hair under his helmet. "I… don't know what to think."

X's smile faltered, and he breathed out some tension, gaze flickering away. "I see. Well, I should probably start heading back. I need to report on a maverick incident that happened the other day." X swiftly changed the subject. Zero co*cked his helm at him.

"So soon?" The disappointment was clear in his tone. "...I have to come back with you, don't I?"

X nodded, his hand straying down to the small of Zero's back, turning him around and away from the city square. "Yes," X confirmed. "It's… it's for your own good, Zero. This is a new world for you. I just want to be there with you to guide you through it."

As they walked back to the citadel, Zero was quiet, his stomach twisted into knots.As if you'd let me choose otherwise, X.

X squeezed his hand, earning his attention once more. "But I should spend more time with you," he lamented, "I've been neglecting you lately."

"X, it'sfine," Zero waved off his concern, eyes still roving around the city as he refused to meet X's gaze. "I know you havesomany more responsibilities now. Don't work yourself up over me."

It failed to convince X. "But it'snotfine, Zero. I can tell when something's bothering you. I've been leaving you alone in this world when it should bemeshowing it to you." X looked to his feet and groaned in frustration. "I promise, Zero, I'll always be here for you. How about dinner tonight?"

In a bid to lighten the mood, Zero gave X a coy look. "Is that a date?"

It made X chuckle. This time, Zero welcomed the laugh, for it sounded truly genuine. "Sure." X's mouth pulled up in a grin. "I guess it's a date."

Zero playfully nudged X with his side, drawing more hearty laughter from the usually uptight reploid. It eased his nerves to see him smile, calming some of the racing thoughts that had been haunting him since he woke up.

He knew they would return eventually, but for the time being, he enjoyed being with X. Maybe he was all he really needed.

True to his word, X took Zero out that night.

The sun was setting on Neo Arcadia as X and Zero stood hand in hand in a high speed elevator, ascending one of the city's many spires, as opulent and extravagant as Zero had expected from X's domain. The elevator was all windows, save for the sparse metal scaffold that held it all together, offering a clear view of the city as the elevator passed through the clouds and into the heavens. From such a height, the lights of the city below were but a blur, and the earliest stars above glittered against a darkening sky as they began to appear.

"Hope you're not afraid of heights all of a sudden," X whispered into Zero's audial. "The Sky Needle's observatory is well above the two hundredth floor."

He stuck out his chest, proud of the architectural feat that stood tall in the middle of his kingdom. Zero just rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You know, we never used to go to places like this when we were Maverick Hunters," Zero reminded him, hoping to humble him. "Remember when your idea for a date was a movie and some snacks?"

"Mmhm. Well, isn't it nice that we can afford to treat ourselves to such luxury?" X sneakily wrapped an arm around Zero's lithe waist. "Besides, I always wanted to give you more. Now that I can… well, Zero, I'd give you the world, but it wouldn't be enough."

He pressed a kiss into the fin of Zero's helm, making the red warbot flush, unable to stifle a giggle at X's saccharine affection. "You're such a sap, it's unbearable," Zero chided sweetly, bumping him away with his hip before he could shower him with any more loving kisses, lest Zero's cheeks turn as red as his armour. "You know I don't need much to be pleased anyway."

"But you deserve it," X contended. "After everything you've been through, you could use a little pampering."

It sounded awfully optimistic. How would X know that Zero was really done going through the paces?

He stopped himself before he could wander down that path. He supposed he needed to accept that nice things were happening to him and there was no malicious intent or ulterior motive behind it. X was the type to be unconditionally good and generous, even to a warmachine like Zero.Especiallyto a warmachine like Zero.

After a scenic trip up the Sky Needle, the elevator opened up into the observatory, a circular deck with glass windows all along the walls that gave a 360 degree view of the city. Within the observatory was a bar and restaurant, modern and sleek in its design and dimly and intimately lit, the pale pink and orange of the sunset bathing the observatory in the vivid colours of an eastering sun.

Inside were various well dressed, haughty looking Neo Arcadians, both human and reploid, laughing and mingling over dinner and drinks, bantering over the football match being aired on the television. Zero snickered as X walked him into the restaurant, arm interlocked with his own. Of course what finally united man and machine was good food, alcohol, and sports.

A waiter quickly attended the two, the young, dashing reploid starstruck in the presence of legends, and sat them at a private booth right up against the window, offering them the best view of the city from the observation deck. X was speaking to the waiter bot, who handed them two menus, though Zero wasn't paying them too much mind. He was entranced by the view from so high in the clouds, watching the distant lights of the city flicker and the first stars twinkling in the sky.

The waiter poured them a glass of a deep red merlot and departed. X leaned forward, crossing his arms on the table, watching Zero dotingly as the warbot admired the city.

"Liking the view?" Zero hummed thoughtlessly and nodded, keeping his gaze steady on the city view. From such a height, the sheer breadth of X's kingdom was clear to Zero, the city of Neo Arcadia stretching as far as the horizon. "Even I still find it breathtaking."

He reached over to brush Zero's hand with his fingertips, his touch light as he entwined their fingers. Zero loved X's touch- always so gentle, but just firm enough to hint at the unfathomable strength he could muster. When Zero turned back to X, he quickly realised X wasn't talking about the city at all.

Zero turned away with a blush and a bashful laugh, hiding his face behind loose strands of his fringe. "You're such a sentimental idiot," Zero playfully prodded. X's sweet smile just widened.

"And you love it," X teased, taking great pride in the way he made Zero blush and chuckle. He took his wine glass and held it up to toast Zero. "Cheers?"

Deciding to play along, Zero held his own glass up. "Cheers."

They clinked their glasses together, and X held his drink under his chin. "A toast to our future," he said, swirling his glass before taking a sip. Zero eyed his drink before following suit, downing a sip of the dry, yet soft full-bodied red.

Grabbing a hold of the menu, Zero flicked through the choices available. "I hope you know this is still all so crazy to me," he reminded X, reading through the entrées. "I used to only ever drink sh*t out of a tank. Can't blame me for not being used to this sort of luxury."

X peeked over from behind the pages of the menu. "Oh, trust me, I felt the same at first," X assured, "but I found myself enjoying the lifestyle after a while. I mean, after all the hells we've been through… don't you suppose we're owed this?"

Zero set the menu down and shot X a quizzical look. Since when did X feel as though he wasowedanything?"Hm."

"So, what are you craving?" X flicked through the pages. "Don't worry about the prices, honey. It's all covered."

If Zero had to be honest with himself, he wasn't all that hungry. "...Still deciding." He mindlessly skimmed the pages without really processing the words printed in front of him, worry nagging at his thoughts. X leaned back into the soft booth lounge and hummed an affirmative.

"Take your time. I'm having the lamb shoulder if you wanna try," X said, looking out to the city. Zero cast his own eyes towards the view, finding it far more enthralling than the prospect of eating anything.

They sat in a soothing silence, Zero letting X grab a hold of his hand once again, the blue emperor rubbing soft circles into the back of his hand as his beloved looked out into the distance. The sun was starting to disappear behind the horizon, lights flickering on behind the windows of apartment blocks as dusk befell the city. Zero took a sip of his wine. Neo Arcadia seemed so endless.

"X," Zero asked for his attention, leaning in with a soft voice. "What's beyond the walls of the city, anyway?"

X made a face. "Why do you care?"

Zero shrugged a shoulder. "Just curious."

"Well, it's exactly what you think it is. There's nothing out there. Just vast, uninhabitable desert." He paused to drink. "My Guardians are working to reclaim the land, but that maverick rebellion is keeping them occupied at the moment. Tch. Irritating."

X's disdain was palpable in his tone. "Would you… ever think to show me the Outside Lands?" Zero prodded. His partner just huffed an incredulous laugh.

"What's the point? There's nothing to see out there." X dismissed the thought. "You're better off staying here, where it's safe."

Pouting, Zero set his chin in his hands as he gazed out to the city. Of course X still erred on the side of caution after all these years. He always preferred the safer option for others, and now was no different… probably. X wouldn't lie to him.

"Something bothering you?" X gently worked Zero's hand in his grip. Zero swallowed and shook his head.

"Nothing I haven't already told you." Zero tried to steer the conversation away from his anxieties. "Just feeling… I don't know."

X snickered. "You were never too good with talking about your feelings."

That earned him a glare, and X backed off submissively. "Sorry-"

"It'sfine, X. You're right, anyway." Zero waived his concerns. "Just feeling lost, 's all."

With a hum, X co*cked his head and furrowed his brow, seeking elaboration.

"It's just that… everyone I know is gone besides you, X," Zero explained, breaking away from X's gaze. "It's… it's scary, X. I don't know how else to describe it."

"Oh, Zero…" X's voice dwindled to a whisper as he leaned in. "Maybe all we need is each other."

Zero snapped back to face X. Zero loved X… but he loved his friends, too. More than that, he thought of himself asmorethan just X's partner. He let out a wavering breath, squeezing X's hand. Perhaps it was better to open up now rather than later.

"You know, X, I've been meaning to ask you something," Zero began. "What…happenedto everyone?"

X tightened his jaw. "What do you mean? Who'severyone?"

"Oh, don't be obtuse with me now," Zero scolded, hoping some force could snap X out of his newfound self importance. "I meanour friends.Alia, Signas, Massimo- the Maverick Hunters, X! You haven't said awordabout them this entire time, and you know what? I'm starting to get a little worried about you. For god's sake, what happened toAxl?"

"Don't you f*cking dare evensayhis name!" X yelled back, the mere mention of the copybot triggering X's fury in an instant. Zero flinched back, pulling his hand away from X's grip in fear. As soon as his episode began, however, X snapped out of it, sighing and wiping his face with his palm.

"Goddamnit. I'm so sorry, Zero," X apologised, eaten up by shame as a crushing guilt weighed him down. "I shouldn't have yelled. I'm sorry. I really am."

Zero wasn't exactly raring to let it go anytime soon, but in fear of inciting X's anger anymore, he refrained from reprimanding him. "X… what happened to Axl?"

The memory of the shattered picture frame came to Zero's mind. Maybe he was making a mistake, asking X about him. X pinched the bridge of his nose as he steeled himself for an explanation.

"He betrayed us, alright?" X finally answered, exasperated with Zero's questioning. "He went rogue,maverick, whatever you wanna call it these days. He turned his back on Neo Arcadia and joined that pathetic little Resistance and now he's coordinating terrorist strikes on our city andmycitizens and ruining this peace I've worked sogoddamnhard to create, while he just sat back on his ass and criticised everything I ever did! He's killing ourpeoplebecause, I don't know,spite?!Because he wants to make me, hisfather,angry?!" He paused to breathe, trying to settle himself before his anger flared in full force again. "You know, I thought we raised him right. But I suppose things aren't so simple, are they? Sothere. That's what happened to Axl. He's our little backstabbing, bastard, disgrace of a son."

The silence that followed hung heavy in the air. Zero didn't know what to say. Obviously, he was upset, angry and disappointed that Axl would turn on X, and in a way, on him. On the other hand, though? Axl was their closest friend, someone they treated as their own kin. Zero didn't want to believe Axl could harbour such animosity towards his fathers, to the point of turning his back on an entire civilisation.

He didn't want to believe it. His throat tightened, stomach churning at the thought.

"Did… did you at least try talking to him?" Zero finally managed, though he knew the answer was obvious. "You could convince him to come back. N-now that I'm awake again, maybe he'll want to see me."

X laughed, offended Zero would think otherwise. "You think I haven't tried?" X snipped. "You know that kid. Stubborn as a mule. Nothing gets through to him." He sighed and crossed his arms, dipping his helm. "Stubborn, just like his old man. Even though he doesn't have my genes, guess I rubbed off on him anyway…"

It wasn't like Axl wasn't a wild card- he was always a little rebel- but he wastheirlittle rebel. X didn't always see eye to eye with Axl, but it was clear to Zero that he cared for him. X hid behind his glass, taking a swig and polishing off his drink before Zero could count to five.

"Ugh. I shouldn't be rambling about the politics of my city. This is supposed to be a date," X berated himself. "I know I said this was paradise, but… so was Eden once. I'm not going to let the people of my city fall victim to senseless violence- I didn't as a Maverick Hunter, and I will not as king."

He waved over a waiter for a refill of his wine glass. Zero blinked at him, frowning. X didn't tend to drink so much. "Is there much I can do to help?"

Zero was sure he was going to get the same response he got from the Guardians when he asked. "Stay out of it." X denied the offer immediately, a little too firmly for Zero's liking. "There's still a lot you don't know. I'd rather you not get hurt doing something reckless, right now."

He was looking away as he took comfort in his drink. Zero supposed there wasn't much he could do as a newcomer to Neo Arcadia, and even less he could do when he was about as effective in a fight as the next helpless civilian. That didn't keep him from wishing, though.

Zero occupied himself with trying to figure out what he wanted to eat. Despite everything, he couldn't stop reminiscing on Axl's young, aspiring face in his head. That fiery, passionate young reploid, who once looked up to them as heroes and fathers, who wanted nothing more than to be just like X, had turned on them. Was Axl disappointed in him? He wasn't sure who he wanted to side with. He loved X and trusted his ideals, but it hurt knowing that he was letting Axl down. Axl was always a vigilante- fighting for justice, even before he joined the Maverick Hunters. Maybe he was fighting for a reason. X was still keeping things from him.

He missed everyone. Whenever X went on about the paradise he had gifted the world, Zero found himself missing the X he used to know.

"Ahem. What exactly are you two doing?"

X made himself known as he walked into the Maverick Hunter HQ's main training hall, finding Zero accompanied by Axl, who was wearing a strange virtual reality headset and swinging wildly into thin air as the older red hunter took notes. At the realisation X was among them, Axl slipped the headset off and let out an ecstatic cry.

"X!" Axl called out, barreling over to run into X's arms. X had no other choice than to reciprocate the hug- otherwise, he would've been thrown to the ground. "You're finally back!"

It had been a while. X had been called out to a covert mission to infiltrate a maverick uprising in Giga City's underground, and it had been mostly radio silence from his end for the better part of a month. He got it under control eventually, and it thrilled X to know he could return safe and sound to the comfort of his family. Zero sauntered over, stealing X's attention away from the young copybot with just the way hewalkedso elegantly.

"Welcome home, X," Zero crooned, cupping his cheek to pull him into a kiss. Axl stepped back to give them some semblance of privacy. "Signas let me know you did well out there. I'm proud of you."

Even now, when X was far higher in rank than Zero, his praise still made him giddy and flustered, and he could feel the colour rising to his cheeks. "Aw, thanks, Zed," X mumbled, scratching the back of his head. "Nothing I couldn't handle. Those punks just needed some sense knocked into them."

He punched his palm as he said that. Zero snickered, pushing the stray locks of X's black-brown hair back behind his helmet with a light touch. "Sounds exciting." Zero grinned. "Too bad I'm stuck here until the Elf Project's done with me. You'll have to tell me all about it tonight."

Zero paused, squinting at X. "You need a shave. Keep that up and you'll start looking like Dr. Light."

"Yes, sir," X conceded playfully. He turned back to Axl, who still held on to the peculiar headset. X co*cked his head at it. "Now, now. What were you two doing just then?"

Axl glanced at the headset, then turned back to X. "Ah, we were testing out this new training doohickey," the newgen explained. "See, the other day, Signas tested all of our combat capabilities so he could update his strategies or whatever. You'll be happy to know I scored the highest out of everyone in my rank at firearm proficiency."

There was a 'but…' that was left unsaid lingering after his sentence. Zero chuckled at Axl's self confidence, setting a hand on his shoulder.

"His hand-to-hand combat skills need a little work," Zero filled in. Axl grumbled, Zero effortlessly raining on his parade. "But the doctors told me they'd prefer if I didn't overexert myself, so I've been keeping watch. We were just using this new simulation thing so Axl's training can feel a little more immersive while I'm out of commission."

The way Zero's activity was so heavily restricted weighed down on X, but he tried to convince himself that it was for the greater good, and when Zero was done with the project, things would go back to normal- or as normal as it ever got around Maverick Hunter HQ.

A thought came to Zero, and he snapped his fingers. "Hey, X, I don't suppose you're doing anything this afternoon, are you?" Zero asked. X leaned back and crossed his arms, knowing what was coming next, but he still played along.

"No, I suppose I'm not," X confirmed. Zero smirked.

"Then why don't you help Axl train? You're good with fisticuffs," Zero proposed. Axl seemed to be on board with the idea, looking up at X with pleading, bubbly green eyes. X rolled his eyes and nodded, much to Axl's delight, and they stepped onto the training mat, Axl surrendering the VR headset to Zero's possession. Zero kept a watchful eye from the side, leaning on a wall as Axl and X squared up, pacing around each other with raised fists.

"Alright, why don't you give me a taste of what I'm working with here?" X goaded him. "Hit me. As hard as you can."

That was what Axl needed to hear. He pulled back a fist and threw a strike directly at X, but the blue hunter had already moved out the way. Axl harrumphed, stancing up one again to slug another punch that met nothing but air as X evaded him again. As soon as Axl could register the movement, X had swept his ankles and knocked him back onto the mat.

"Try to be a little more subtle with your intentions," X advised. "I can see your punches coming from a mile away."

Axl breathed out hard as he got back to his feet. He tried to throw a punch, then another, and another after that, but nothing connected, X managing to either dodge or effortlessly block the onslaught.

"Use your whole body when you strike, Axl," X suggested, all the while avoiding every jab, punch and kick Axl threw at him. "If you punch with just your arm, you're only gonna use as much force as your arm can muster. If you use your whole body, you can put all that momentum into the strike."

Axl tried again, heeding X's advice, putting his entire body behind his punches. He was getting there, but he was still awkward and stilted in his fighting. Zero looked on closely and wrote down a couple notes.

"Getting good," X praised, "but you want to be punching more likethis."

Before Axl could process what he was saying, X had thrown a powerful, heavy punch square into the copybot's chest. Axl gasped in agony, the wind knocked out of him in a mere second as he collapsed onto the mat. He curled up into himself, the pain making him feel sick as he tried desperately to recalibrate his scrambled systems.

At the sound of the collision, Zero dropped everything and rushed to Axl's side, kneeling down to cradle the boy. Axl gasped for air, the sound of the young reploid heaving sending a shiver down Zero's spine.

"O-ow…" Axl choked out. His air intake system felt like it had been crushed with one simple punch. "T-that really h-hurt, X…"

He was sobbing, clutching his chest. Zero held him closer and hushed him. X stood over the two, seemingly unphased. "See, now you're prepared for the real thing."

Axl felt nauseous, an unbearable pain burning through his entire body. He was sobbing, heaving, and he knew he must look pathetic, but he couldn't help it. He knew X was strong, butthatstrong?

"Ow..." Axl weeped. His eyes were getting watery now. "D-dad… w-why did y-you do that?"

"You need to be prepared for everything, Axl!" X exclaimed. "Anyone can hurt you anytime. You have to learn to anticipate this-"

"X!" Zero shut him up quickly. "That's enough. You really hurt him, you know."

They glared at each other for a moment that felt like an eternity. "He needs to be pushed," X refuted. "I don't want him acting like the reploid I used to be. I was pathetic back then."

"This is pushing him too far!" Zero shouted, his voice beginning to quiver. The warbot scooped Axl up into his arms as he got to his feet. "What's wrong with you?"

That made X back off. Zero fixed him with a cold, furious glare, letting his actions sink in before Zero stomped off with the kid limp in his arms, still wheezing and huffing in pain. The doors slid shut, leaving X by his lonesome in the silence of the empty training hall.

He looked down at his hands, opening and closing his fists. He let out a sigh, falling back onto the training mat and looking up at the ceiling.

What was wrong with him?

Chapter 5: Chapter Four

Chapter Text

In the depths of Neo Arcadia's outer circle, king X prowled the streets, leaving a path of destruction in his wake.

What was once miles upon miles of decrepit, dirty reploid slums, stricken with poverty and misery, had been reduced to smoldering rubble by X and his forces. Truly, its denizens should've been grateful. In its place, X envisioned grandiose ivory towers that glistened and astonished like the rest of his hallowed city, where humans could enjoy lives of peace and comfort, safe from the harsh realities of the hostile outside world.

A far cry from what used to reside there. Sad, filthy, suffering reploids, living like sardines in crude shacks cobbled together with crumbling concrete walls and rusting corrugated metal roofs. Good land was hard to come by. X couldn't afford to give up such a quickly diminishing resource to their kind- not when the fragile, subservient humans under X's rule needed it more.

Many reploids in the outer circle slums left willingly, relocated elsewhere to the appointed reploid residential sectors. Many had to be forced out at gunpoint, acquiescing under the pressure of Neo Arcadia's overwhelming military might.

Then there were the last few who remained, who stood defiant in the way of X's great vision. The reploids who shot back and stood their ground.

Reploids who fiercely opposed what was for humanity's betterment. Mavericks.

If there was anything X had learned from his cherished days under Zero's mentorship, it was that mavericks must perish without hesitation.

X marched through empty streets that once weaved through the slums with a single goal in mind. Find the last remaining mavericks in the region and exterminate the threat.

The other rebels hardly put up a fight. X's bloodsoaked angelic white armour proved that much. They were but civilian models who couldn't do as they were told. They had no place in X's utopian vision. The last of them managed to escape X's initial attack, but they couldn't run forever. Even if they did, there was nowhere to hide in Neo Arcadia.

X picked up speed and took off, flying overhead and close to the ground, scanning for any remaining rebels. He was closing in on them fast.

Mavericks were so predictable. X knew them well. They were just as he thought they would be- cornered, cowering in the face of justice, desperately trying to escape down a manhole into the labyrinthian underground cisterns.

Their leader, a grizzled, older figure, rushed to stand in front of his pack of mavericks when X landed before them. From the shadows where he stood, all they could see was a pair of glowing red eyes.

"Stop." X commanded them with a resounding voice that struck fear into the hearts of villainous reploids. The mavericks hid behind their leader, who shielded them with outstretched arms. "Submit peacefully."

The mavericks remained silent, shivering and pathetic. They were civilian models- young, hardly adults, barely old enough to properly wield a blaster. How such weak and useless reploids could dare defy him confounded X, but he didn't dwell on it. They were mavericks, regardless of their build. Their leader didn't back down, even when X approached him, his beam axe unsheathed from his buster.

"Hey! You get away from them, you monster!" the leader screamed, stepping forward in defiance to stand between X and his targets.

He lacked the metallic edge to his words…

"...a human," X noted. He retracted his axe back into his buster and replaced his cannon with a hand. "Why do you protect these mavericks? Move and you won't be hurt."

"Over my dead body!" the man yelled. The mavericks behind him shrunk back further, too afraid to even run while X was distracted. "Look at them! They're… they're kids, X! They're not mavericks, they're scared! Surely you can see that!"

"Then they should do as we tell them. They can relocate immediately or be retired," X responded, his underlying fury seeping through his otherwise cold and calculating tone. "Really. I don't want to fight you. Please, step aside."

"This was their home first! They had a right to live here!"

"Neo Arcadia's human settlement program requires this land be seized," X explained. "Look, I gave them plenty of chances, but they didn't listen. Now, they may either surrender peacefully or remain mavericks and face suitable punishment. Go. Choose."

"Go f*ck yourself, X!"

The human leader pulled a blaster from a holster in his belt and shot a bolt point blank at X's head, striking him in the side of his face.

X snarled, stumbling back and gripping his face, feeling at the mark it left running down his cheek from his eye. He quickly recovered, with half his vision clouded by his own blood dripping down his face, and growled, shaking with a barely contained rage.

"You…" X growled, stalking towards the man. "You rotten son of a bitch!"

Before the man could run, X threw a powerful punch into the man's face, easily breaking his nose and crushing his eye socket, before he grabbed the sides of his head and held him still, glaring straight through him with a burning gaze. The maverick leader fruitlessly tried to scratch and pry at X's wrists, but his strength was middling compared to his assailant.

"You ungrateful rat! I have given you everything! I've given you nothing but endless prosperity and peace and you are all still wrought with avarice and greed! I'll kill you- I'll killallyou mavericks before you dare lay further waste to my life's work!"

The reploids scrambled away as their leader struggled in X's grip. X was too blinded by anger to realize or even care.

"H-human-" the man struggled to speak as X's grip on his head tightened. "I am n-no maverick! I am… I am a man…!"

"Shut up. What does it matter if you're man or machine!? You're all the same. You all stand in the way of peace- my vision!"

The man was kicking at X's torso to no avail. It felt like X was going to crush his skull with just his hands.

"You- you said you'd protect us!"

X's frown deepened, lips pulled back in a snarl. "I serve Neo Arcadia's mission. Mavericks must perish without hesitation."

With no one watching, X didn't let the maverick leader speak another word. He snapped the man's skull to the side, breaking the human's fragile neck with a gruesome crack. He swiftly went limp in X's grip, the life disappearing from his once fiery stare.

He was dead in an instant. X was heaving through grit teeth, whole body quaking, seeing red with an unfathomable rage coursing through his systems. He felt no disgust or anger at himself for what he had done. The dead man in his hands was a maverick, no different to the treacherous reploids who opposed him.

He wouldn't stop until the world was free from the scourge of mavericks. That was his vision; a world of peace under his rightful rule. He didn't care how many reploids or men he had to kill to achieve his righteous goals. It was X's duty to bring evil to justice, and he'd see through to it.

It was Zero who had taught him ruthlessness. If only he was there to see how far he had come. He'd be smiling.

"D-dad?!"

Through the quiet ambience of tranquil destruction, the soft crackling of embers burning and the sounds of his military marching in the distance, an all too familiar voice tore X away from his thoughts.

Axl had caught up with him. The copybot was shaking, pale in the face, wide emerald eyes darting to and from X's face and the dead man in his hands.

"...Axl."

The realisation was beginning to set in for Axl. He closed his eyes and vehemently shook his head in denial, backing away from his father.

"...Dad…" his voice was but a whisper, and his words quivered as emotions got the better of him. "…Why? I thought…"

He trailed off. X found it best to remain quiet. It was obvious that Axl would never understand his reasoning. He was soft- weak. Like he was, once.

Axl cast his gaze to the ground and let a tear fall down his cheek. He couldn't stand to look X in the eye for another second, too overcome by fear, disgust and betrayal. They didn't exchange another word. After a painful silence, Axl turned and ran off, warping away.

Deep down, X was sure Axl was never going to forgive him.

It wasn't his fault that Axl couldn't see the ends that justified the means. This was what they always did. They exterminated mavericks. X would continue to do so, whether it be man or machine.

This was his vision. Axl was just blind to it.

It was still early in the morning when X woke up. Outside, the rising sun was just barely scraping the edge of the horizon.

He sat up in his bed, blinking his eyes awake. Armourless and helmetless, vulnerable. To his side was Zero, for once, laying similarly bare on his stomach, limbs splayed out, his long, golden hair a mess. X sighed, slouching over to rub his face with his hands.

Even with Zero back, it still felt like he slept alone.

Not wanting to disturb him, X quietly shuffled to sit on the side of his bed, looking out the window to the city he ruled. He was exhausted from a poor night's sleep, but that was nothing new to him. Decades had passed, and he failed to remember the last time he managed to sleep through a night.

At these times, he would usually go find something to occupy himself until the morning broke. There was always little to do, with most of the citadel's denizens asleep besides the nightguards. Had X woken up alone, he might've gone out to wander the empty streets of Neo Arcadia, to enjoy the stillness of the tender hours of the morning before the chaos of rush hour set in.

He wasn't alone, though. He didn't have any particular place to be, either. There wasn't a Resistance emergency at hand. X didn't have an excuse to leave Zero alone in his bed this time.

Through the silence, he picked up on Zero stirring and mumbling. X cast a glance over his shoulder. The red android's back was facing him now, and he was curled into himself. Even in sleep, Zero was restless. It seemed like he would never be at peace, no matter what X did for him.

At times, it was hard to not feel frustrated. X wondered if there wasanythinghe could do for him. He had given him the entire world, and yet, he could tell Zero was still hurting.

Zero was getting louder and more coherent the longer X was awake. Zero tended to sleeptalk, with his sleeping hours tormented by vivid dreams and nightmares of his past.

Disturbed at first, X suddenly felt the ache of pity in his heart. He sounded deathly afraid as he whimpered and cried to no one, pleading for someone or something to let go and to stay away from him. X had the thought to wake him up from his nightmare, his hand hovering over his sleeping body, but at the last second, he decided against it. Perhaps waking Zero in the throes of a nightmare wasn't the wisest idea. He wasn't sure if Zero would be able to tell where the dream ended and reality began if he tried.

The night terrors usually resolved themselves with Zero waking on his own accord. Still, X couldn't stand hearing Zero suffer. He slipped off the side of the bed and stalked off into the bathroom.

He stood at the sink, splashing his face with cold water to wake himself up a bit, drying himself off with a hand towel.

When X caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, he paused. It was barely bright enough to make out his reflection staring back at him.

Gripping the sides of the basin, X leaned forward and took a look at himself in the mirror. It was something he rarely did anymore. He didn't like looking in mirrors all that much. Everytime he did, it felt like a stranger was looking back at him. His eyes looked too wild. It looked all too real.

He narrowed his gaze and ran his hands through his dusty blonde hair. X wasn't sure when his hair went this colour. There were rarely moments where he felt comfortable taking off his helmet- moments where he could be something other than the ruler of Neo Arcadia.

Nothing felt right. He scratched his chin, feeling the scruff growing in. Zero hated when he grew out his facial hair. He always said it felt uncanny that Dr. Light would think to give him such a useless, distinctly human trait. It wasn't like he liked it all too much either.

Sighing, X shut his eyes, tilting his head to the floor. Was this how Zero felt? He didn't fit into his own skin.

In the quiet of morning, he took the time to reminisce on the last month of his life. He should've been happy to have Zero at his side again. He should've felt whole. He had everything he ever could've wanted- the world under his watchful eye, loyal children, and his beloved Zero at his side.

Yet, it felt like nothing had truly changed. It felt like he would lose Zero again if his hold on him so much as briefly faltered. His grip on the sink tightened. Zero would never understand how much it hurt to lose him over and over again. He could be so single minded at times.

He couldn't afford to lose Zero ever again. He was his other half, the sun to his moon. The prospect of losing him haunted X every second he had him back.

It had already happened once. He lost Axl. The young reploid X and Zero helped raise like he was their own flesh and blood turned on him so quickly the second he came to realise X's true, virtuous ambitions. X hoped Zero wouldn't be so selfish and naïve as the copybot, but who was to say anymore. It felt like the world had its back turned on him sometimes.

Breathing out hard through his nose, X looked himself straight in the eye, challenging the reploid staring back at him. He couldn't let Zero go this time. He didn't care what it would take, how tight he would have to hold his hand. Maybe until it hurts.

X scowled at his reflection, his breathing quickly growing unsteady with a brewing rage. He wanted to take his revenge on the weak, pathetic android he once was for letting Zero go when they had the whole world at their fingertips. They had a kingdom at their command, and yet Zero wanted nothing to do with it. X couldn't understand it. Zero was a hero, a paragon of unwavering justice. He was everything to X, and he wanted so badly to go back to being a lowly nobody.

He grit his teeth in a snarl. He was too weak to own Zero before. He wasn't so pathetic anymore. He waspowerful. Zero had to see that, whether he liked it or not.

Feeling his anger quickly coming to a head, X growled and threw a punch at the wall next to the mirror, shattering the tile upon impact.

He took a deep breath, counted to ten, and let it go. When he pulled his hand away, pieces of cracked wall came off with it and clattered onto the ground.

"...X?"

The sound of Zero's voice, feathery and rasp, brought him back to his senses. X emerged from the darkness of the bathroom to find Zero sitting up in their bed, his arms wrapped around his own chest.

He looked rattled. His icy blue eyes were wide and flickered to and fro, and his breaths, deep and laboured, quivered on the exhale. X rushed over to Zero's side on the bed, collecting Zero in a tight embrace. The blonde was quick to accept the gesture, and slotted himself in X's arms, pressing his cheek against his bare, scar-ridden chest.

Fitting perfectly in each other's embrace, a moment of quiet passed before either of them spoke.

"...Had a bad dream?" X guessed. Zero nodded with a soft hum, the way X rubbed his hand up and down his back offering a gentle solace from his painful memories.

"I had that nightmare again… about when Eurasia fell." He swallowed his nerves. "I'm afraid, X," Zero admitted under his breath. X pulled him closer to his chest, setting his chin over Zero's head. "I'm scared… I'm going to hurt you again."

X pressed his lips against the top of his head and hushed him, rocking him in his arms. "It's okay, Zero… I'm here now. We'll be okay. I promise."

"...I don't know how you can even stand to look at me," Zero murmured, "when I'm destined to kill you."

"... Zero, you're so much more than that," X assured. "That's why I love you. The way you always endure and overcome… no one else does it as effortlessly as you. You once told me we would always have to keep fighting against our destinies." He kissed his head. "You're my hero. You always have been."

Zero shrunk into himself in shame, hiding away in X's arms. "I don't get you. I've done nothing but hurt you… everything terrible that's ever happened to you is my fault. The maverick virus, the Nightmares, the Elf Wars…" his voice broke with a choked sob. "That's why I sealed myself away. As long as I lived the cycle would continue. You'd suffer. I'd hurt you over and over again."

"Please… that's not true, Zero," X denied, "there's nothing you can do that will make me stop loving you. The only thing that can hurt me is being away from you."

A tense silence fell upon the pair, with Zero having nothing to say in response. Maybe it was for the better- Zero had a tendency to self-destruct with his own words. X just continued caressing Zero's back, chasing away the self-loathing and panic that so often afflicted his beloved partner.

"You deserve better than damaged goods…"

"My world is nothing without you, Zero."

Zero closed his eyes. "Why do you even like me?"

"You were meant for me," X answered. "Sleep. I'll hold you. I'll be here. Now and forever."

From then on, Zero didn't speak. His breathing grew steady again, and he eventually went still in X's embrace. X sighed, feeling relieved that Zero had calmed down enough to fall asleep again. He slid down the bed frame onto his back, holding Zero's head close to his chest.

When X closed his eyes, he couldn't bring himself to do the same.

To be truthful, X was afraid of Zero. He was afraid of what would happen if he let him go.

Wide awake, he balled his fists against Zero's hair. He wasn't weak. He wasn't pathetic, not anymore. He was weak when he let Axl leave, and now that he mentioned it, he was weak when Eurasia fell.

Now, he was powerful. More than Zero ever could've anticipated in the past. Hedeservedto have Zero. It was his predestined right to have him, just like he was predestined to be asaint!Perhaps Zero's fate was of a cruel descent into darkness, but not his. If anything, he had to endure an endless fight to achieve his vision of prosperity.

He was powerful, now that he had Zero all to himself.

That afternoon, Fefnir had demanded Zero hang out with him. With nothing else to do, Zero begrudgingly accepted.

He supposed he could've used the downtime. He needed a distraction from the events of that morning. Ever since he woke up from that nightmare, a bitter dread had latched onto him and never let go.

The distant memory was still so vivid and real, Zero could still feel the warm blood on his hands. The power coursing through his systems, how freeing it felt, like a weight had been lifted from his soul. There he was, facing down a heartbroken young X who had to quickly come to terms with the fact that the love of his life was always meant to destroy him. Experiencing the agony of death… Zero couldn't live with himself.

It was unbearable. Zero couldn't bring himself to even look at X for that entire morning. It was a blessing that X was swiftly called away early in the day to attend to his many duties.

He was afraid of himself. Afraid of what he'd do, because it felt sogoodto be in control. It felt fulfilling to give into his inherit nature, to reject the person X had made him out to be and reveal his true, most honest self.

Such freedom, as violent as it was, was a rare commodity for Zero in Neo Arcadia. Was X giving him much choice? The only way he could be free was turning on X.

He wasn't sure what he wanted anymore. He loved X, maybe too much, but he knew that one day, he would have to choose between the man he lived for and liberation. As long as he kept living for X, he supposed that he was still following the path his creator carved out for him, one way or another. Was he cursed to forever be shackled to his original purpose?

He was made for X, and as long as he kept following X to the end of the world…

Zero sighed and leaned on the glass elevator walls as it rapidly ascended to the 136th floor. He needed to hear Fefnir and Leviathan rattle on about whatever came to their minds. More importantly, he needed to stop falling victim to his own constant mental self destruction.

It was an unexpectedly tough ask when he had all the time in the world. Self reflection could be such a fickle beast.

The elevator reached his destination floor with a chime. Fefnir had invited him to a private room in the citadel. Had it not been for Leviathan's very specific directions, Zero probably would've gotten lost, even with a map. The two kept it very hush hush, but Zero didn't mind too much. Zero kind of wanted to distance himself from X for the time being, at least until his mind cleansed itself of its chaos, and if it meant walking in on a weird surprise the two had planned for him, so be it. Besides, Fefnir and Leviathan were the most agreeable of the guardians. Harpuia was a sycophantic hardass, and Phantom generally preferred solitude to Zero's company.

He reached Fefnir's proposed hangout spot after a brisk walk through a colonnade on the outside face of the tower, letting himself inside with the passcode Fefnir graciously provided.

It gave way to a beautiful open air lounge that overlooked the city, offering a magnificent view of the setting sun over the city. There was a pool closer to the edge of the room and verandah that led to a conservatory to his left and a closed roof seating area to his right. The patio was decorated with masterfully woven rugs, couches, pillows and beanbags facing a television. String lights ran across its wooden walls of the seating area, casting a dim, intimate glow over the room. Zero could smell burning incense wafting by in the breeze.

It all felt so peaceful and homely. It was cozy in a way that the rest of the citadel could never come close to being. The peace and quiet would be short lived, however, for Fefnir and Leviathan were sitting at the patio and eagerly waving Zero over.

"Blondie!" Fefnir called, cheery as always, "we'd thought you'd never come! Come here, have something to drink!"

He scooted to the side of the couch and patted the cushion to beckon him to take a seat. Zero made his way over and collapsed onto the sofa, sinking into soft, plush pillows. Leviathan sat on a beanbag nearby, and fished through an esky to grab an E-tank for Zero.

"Hey, Zero." Leviathan tossed the red android a cold can. "You're kinda late."

Zero harrumphed as he cracked the can open and took a swig, feeling instantly refreshed. "I know. Got lost coming here."

"Well, glad you made it, man." Fefnir leaned back and casually splayed himself out on the couch, gesturing out to the patio and greater atrium. "So, how are you liking my bachelor pad?"

There was a larger room connected to the patio's seating area that housed table tennis set ups and shelves decorated proudly with impressive stacks of sports memorabilia. Zero couldn't lie, despite the overt jockish style of it all, it was a welcome respite from the obscene lavishness of the citadel. "You've got a nice set up here," Zero answered, much to Fefnir's delight. The draconic reploid beamed with pride.

"Hah! That's what I thought." Fefnir flashed a toothy grin. "At leastyouguys appreciate good interior design when you see it."

Zero made a half-hearted chuckle, before turning to the television the two were previously so engrossed in. Whatever channel they were watching was currently broadcasting a game of football.

That lost him. He didn't know a lick about sports. He didn't have time for frivolous interests as a Maverick Hunter. "...You called me over to watch… a football game?" Zero uncomfortably scratched the back of his neck.

Fefnir and Leviathan turned to glare at him, acting mock-offended at the bold statement. "Uh?! You meanthelegendary pastime that dates back centuries!?" Fefnir gestured to the television. Zero shrugged.

"Ehm. Yes."

"...Well, yeah, we did. But, I mean, we thought you could do with some downtime. You don't have to watch, you can just hang out," Fefnir finally replied. Leviathan crossed her arms and sunk back into the beanbag.

"Haw,please. This is good TV," she grumbled. "It's Rangers and Oilers. They're always a good matchup."

Zero furrowed his brow. "...Huh?"

Leviathan opened her mouth to chide Zero for his cluelessness, but bit her tongue. "Right. You were asleep for a hundred years."

Even if he hadn't been, Zero was sure those names would've still meant nothing to him. Then again, Fefnirwasright. He needed some downtime. He so badly needed a distraction from himself. He tipped his head down and breathed out a deep sigh. "Alright. I'll bite," Zero conceded, taking a sip. "How does this all work?"

Fefnir and Leviathan grinned mischievously.

"Well-"

"First off-"

Zero held up his hands and silenced them. "One at a time."

It wasn't like he really cared, but he needed something trivial to occupy his thoughts. Fefnir slouched over and began rattling on. Something about field positions, throwing and catching, a line of scrimmage… why did they even still play organized sports in a hellish, post-apocalyptic world?

Zero was zoning out when Fefnir and Leviathan began arguing.

"Are you kidding? He doesn't need to know about the nuances of what a safety is, doofus."

"Well, what else am I gonna tell him when it happens?"

"It hardlyeverhappens, Fefnir."

"It sodoes."

Zero was swapping his gaze between the two. Even with their incessant chatter, his thoughts still found a way to drift back to X. It was inevitable- Fefnir and Leviathan were his kin, afterall. Fefnir had those big, expressive eyes that saw good in everything, and Leviathan had that handsome, squarish nose and jaw and a propensity to be far too open with her emotions.

"You're confusing him!"

"Well puntingisconfusing!"

"Okay. I still don't get it." Zero shut them up quickly. "But… I should thank you guys for inviting me over."

The two stared blankly at him before their smiles quickly returned. "Hey, it's no problem. It's the least we could do," Leviathan assured. "We think you're cool, Zero."

Fefnir nodded vigorously in agreement. Zero felt a blush coming on, flustered by all the praise. "Jeez. You two…" he scratched his cheek. "I'm happy you thought of me. To tell you the truth, I, uh…" he struggled to find words that didn't make him sound pathetic. "I didn't get much sleep last night. I'm just… ugh."

He rubbed his tired, heavy eyes. Fefnir frowned. "Stressed out?"

"I guess." Zero wiped his face down with his palm. "Nothing you haven't heard before."

Leviathan's shoulders dropped. "...Zero, you know, if there's anything you need to tell us, we'll listen."

She turned to Fefnir for confirmation, and he nodded dutifully.

"You guys… you're too nice." Zero let out a nervous laugh. "It's… heh, you know. I don't get to pour my heart out to a lot of people-"

"-It's about dad, isn't it?"

Leviathan was brutally succinct. Zero winced. "Yeah. It's about him…" Zero confirmed. He looked aside, rubbing his neck. "It's stupid. I feel so pathetic."

Leviathan shook her head. "It's not stupid…"

"That's-," Zero growled and bit his words back. "That's not the point- or- ugh, I don't know anymore. I don't know how I feel. About X. About myself. X is the only one I can turn to now. If it weren't for him, I'd be nothing in this world. I don't… It doesn't sit right with me."

Fefnir looked down at his feet forlornly. "Oh… Dad- X, he's… well, he's a good leader," Fefnir muttered, worrying his fingers. "But I can tell he's tense… I mean, with the Resistance on our tails."

There was more that Fefnir wanted to say, Zero figured, but he kept it to himself. Perhaps in fear of the repercussions, or rather in denial of his father's flaws.

"Zero, I'll be the first to admit… Dad- he… his patience's been wearing out thin with the Resistance," Leviathan disclosed, "he's… how would you say? A lot more forceful now. He used to be much kinder."

Leviathan kept it at that. Zero had to wonder what had changed, exactly? The Guardians were made long after he had sealed himself away all those years ago, yet they remembered a time when X was still himself. What had caused him to snap so suddenly? It couldn't have been the Resistance. From what Zero could gather, they were a recent movement in Neo Arcadia.

The Resistance… Zero's mind drifted back to the thought of Axl.

As much as Zero wanted to remain loyal to X, he was undeniably torn, now that he knew of Axl's position on the matter. Axl must've hated him, watching him stand by X's side. It hurt, knowing that he couldn't do much about it- X wasn't ever going to let him meddle with their conflict anytime soon.

Was there anyone else? Zero looked up to face the two again. "Can I ask you guys something?"

Fefnir and Leviathan perked up at the request. "'Course."

"What happened to the old Maverick Hunters?"

Fefnir and Leviathan glanced at each other. After a harsh lull, Fefnir shrugged. "The Maverick Hunter Force was dissolved into the Neo Arcadian military-"

"No. I mean our friends. You know, Alia, Signas…" Zero trailed off. His words hung heavy over the two reploids, their high spirits visibly faltering.

"I… don't… I'm not sure they're still with us." Leviathan's voice was barely audible. She looked aside. "X said it didn't concern us."

Zero's brows rose above the brim of his helm. He looked to Fefnir for an explanation.

"...When they were active, we were deployed on terraforming operations in the Outside Lands," Fefnir said. He looked out towards the city, presumably towards the border wall of Neo Arcadia. "You'd be better off looking for answers in the archives. Phantom might not want you meddling with his logs though." He swallowed his nerves. "Man, I'm sorry, wish we knew more, but this is literally all we can tell you, Zero..."

Their answers were less than satisfactory, and Zero sunk further into the couch. There was something haunting about X neglecting to let even hischildrenin on the truth of the matter, but at that point, should he even be surprised? X controlled everything in Neo Arcadia, especially the truth.

Something was clear though, X was rejecting the old world he once treasured. Not only defenestrating former friends and trusted colleagues, but erasing them from the minds of his people- not stopping at even his own blood. Despite having X at his side, with no conflict standing in their way in X's utopia, Zero had never felt more alone. All he had was X, and he had difficulty accepting that.

Zero was sure he was never going to stop loving X- even if it would hurt him, and even if he didn't evenwantto love X, but it left him ill at ease to feel substantiated in his fear. His original question still stood; what exactly was he now? He was no Maverick Hunter, and hardly a ruler despite what X said. He was worthless without him. It hurt. It hurt to be afraid of X, but Zero couldn't describe it as anything else. He was afraid of what he'd do to him if he stepped out of line, and the prospect of knowing he could do nothing about it. Would X take advantage of the fact that Zero had no one else but him?

It felt insane to even consider such a notion, knowing it wasX- the android who was notoriously empathetic and oftentimes far too soft on people, but he was no longer himself. He held onto him far too tight for comfort, all in the name of safety.

Though Zero would never admit it, he knew that it was obvious that he was getting increasingly upset over everything. He curled over and held his head in his hands.

"...Are you alright?" Leviathan prodded. Zero gave a sigh as his initial response. "I'm… sorry. F-for what it's worth, they could be alive as civilians… it's just that we're not really the people who keep track of that stuff."

Zero shook his head. "It's not that… I've lost friends before."

"What's wrong?" Fefnir asked with a co*cked head. Zero felt his throat tighten.

"Promise you won't tell X."

Fefnir and Leviathan nodded slowly. Zero nearly choked on his next words.

"I hate all this. I'm scared of X, I'm not gonna deny it anymore because I am!" Zero admitted, "I don't know if the X I'm in love with is the same X ruling Neo Arcadia. I'm supposed to be Earth's overseer but no one tells me f*cking anything! I feel crazy… I don't knowwhatgame X is playing but I don't want any part of it, and you know what? I don't think I have a choice in the matter anyway. Is this weird for any of you? What happened to him?"

There was nothing Fefnir and Leviathan could say that would comfort him. They were far out of their depth in a situation like this.

A deafening silence passed over them. Fefnir eventually gave in to the discomfort. "I just hope things with Dad will go back to normal once the Resistance is dealt with…" he muttered, and Leviathan nodded in agreement. Zero couldn't help but think that they were being overly optimistic, but he supposed he'd cling onto what little valuable hope he could.

'12 seconds 'til the end of the quarter, McArthur falls back, fires, got a man wide open- and it's caught, Eric Bramhall! Bramhall walks it in for the touchdown! McArthur makes it look easy from 60 yards deep to even out the score 20-20 to close out the quarter. We'll be back after these state sponsored messages.'

It was odd, but when he was distanced from X like this, it felt as though a weight had been lifted from his weary shoulders. Deep in the recesses of his heart, he knew he would forever love X- he wouldn't be so affected if he didn't, but he had to admit- they needed time apart for both their sakes.

The days had become monotonous for Zero. He once found comfort in the safe predictability of routine as a Maverick Hunter, but the vicious, futile cycle he had spiralled into was anything but safe.

He would wake up in the morning after a pitiful night's sleep, trying to find ways to occupy himself in a bid to distract himself from his habit of catastrophizing every little thing and failing, trying to escape the omnipresent X while feeling sickeningly guilty for doing so. He'd pass out in the afternoon, wake up feeling worse than he did when he fell asleep, then make an attempt to open up to X with what he was feeling, and every time he would fail, X's very presence threatening him into silence. Rinse, repeat, every day, never ending.

It was impossible to find peace in his life. As long as he was afraid, he was at war- with himself, with X. He didn't know how to fix it- this was an issue that couldn't be solved with brute force, but it was the only thing Zero ever resorted to… it was why he was such a valuable Maverick Hunter.

Now, he no longer even possessed his innate capacity for destruction- the most fundamental instinct his creator had programmed into him. He was weak, X was strong.

That afternoon was different. The citadel, lit with the red glow of the bleeding sun, stirred with hordes of Neo Arcadian soldiers rushing from one end of the building to the next- so busy they no longer stopped to address him.

Sage Harpuia marched dutifully through the corridors, gracefully ordering countless men to and fro like it was second nature. The small reploid was a born leader, like his father before him.

In fact, just the sight of Harpuia commanding his forces reminded Zero of X's days as a Maverick Hunter commander. The memory stung.

"Harpuia, sir! The 604th fleet has just arrived at the brig. They will be escorting the mavericks to their cells when you give the word."

"Good. We've been sorely overdue for a win… give me a second to notify Master X."

The soldier speaking to Harpuia gave him a firm salute before rushing off. Zero hid away behind a pillar, watching the commotion from within the shadows and trying to piece together the situation from what fragments of conversation he could catch. Something was happening between Neo Arcadia and the Resistance. With little information to go by, Zero felt his heart drop in his chest, fearing the worst. He hated being left in the dark.

Despite what X said, the Resistance, whoever or whatever they were, didn'tsoundlike mavericks.Axldidn't side with mavericks. It was why he deserted Red Alert all those years ago. With the way the soldiers so flippantly boasted about wiping them out, they sounded more like a civilian militia, with ranks bolstered by non-combatants who could barely point a blaster straight. Zero had to wonder what they were revolting against. A lust for power and wealth seemed too convenient an explanation.

"Captain T-51! Your unit is needed at the brig, we have a high risk prisoner in our possession!" Harpuia pointed a high ranking reploid soldier in a general direction before turning to another unit crowded around him. "You! I need your team to accompany the medical unit to Airbase 024. Well? Don't stick around, get moving!"

The two units departed with a hearty salute. For as much as X touted Neo Arcadia enjoyed a prosperous peacetime, it sure looked like Harpuia was commanding an army trapped in the throes war.

All too suddenly, the commotion came to a chilling halt at the whirring of engines and a landing that sent shockwaves through the citadel, and Zero swiftly turned and hid behind a wall. At that point, Zero knew that harrowing sound was the harbinger of X's arrival.

He folded his wings back against his shoulders and held his hands behind his back as he entered through from a balcony landing pad, staring down his cowering subordinates. None of them moved so much as an inch as X sauntered his way inside, coming to a stop before the emerald Guardian.

Harpuia was quick to stand to attention. His shrill voice broke the silence. "Master X, sir!"

"At ease, son," X commanded. Harpuia relaxed his stiff posture. "Enlighten me. How's the defence effort going?"

"It's proceeding well, you'll be happy to know," Harpuia answered. "The rebels have dealt serious damage to Airbase 024 but it's nothing that can't be rebuilt. I'd figure it should be back in operation by November. No deaths have been recorded so far. There were only fifteen injuries that have been reported to me…" he squinted down at his datapad. "Only three of which are serious. Fefnir should be arriving at the scene now with rescue team reinforcements."

Zero tried to make himself small against the wall, obscuring himself in the shadows. He could feel the beat of his oil pump racing in his head. He wasn't sure why he was hiding in the first place, but his basal processing unit was insisting he wasn't safe in X's midst.

"Oh, I'll spare you the details for now… I'm sure you want to know how the transwarp scrambler field test went," Harpuia noted. Zero felt a chill quake through his core at X's low snicker.

"Haw, you know me. Always been curious," X quipped snidely.

"Mmhm. The long and short of it all is that it seems promising, but it just needs some refinement before we can rely on it with the utmost confidence in future battle plans. It functioned just long enough to capture a few rebels before they could escape. As is, it's too unstable for long term use on the field."

X rubbed his chin. "Hm… I'll get Phantom to keep chipping away at it." The azure reploid co*cked a brow, leaning in to speak in a low, mocking voice. "Now… a little birdie told me that we have an interesting set of Resistance prisoners in our midst. Lay it on me, kid."

Tempted by the pursuit of knowledge, Zero peeked out from behind the wall, sharpening his audials in a bid to scavenge up all the information he could. X couldn't leave him in the dark forever…

"...Indeed. You'll be pleased to know that we have successfully arrested that rebel turncoat Axl and a human journalist suspected of being allied with the resistance. They are awaiting relocation into the brig under strict surveillance, sir. We are waiting for your permission before we carry on operations."

Zero's eyes widened, bitter horror seizing him with a cold grip. They hadAxl.

"Axl?" X's attention was piqued. Zero took in a sharp breath, balled fists shaking at his sides. With the way X's eyes roved, Zero could tell he was thinking things over. "How can you be so sure? You know those rebels have newgens in their ranks."

"Phantom made sure. His DNA markers check out. The AFLP results are unique to his genome chip."

X narrowed his gaze, tightening his jaw. There was a pause as he contemplated Harpuia's words. Zero tried to steady himself, taking in deep, long breaths and clenching his eyes shut, but there was nothing he could do to help himself anymore.

"Good... good!Finally!" X was sickeningly elated, breaking into a deep laugh. "Finally… that stupid kid has eluded me forfartoo long. Here I was, thinking I'd never catch him. How stupid of me to believe that, knowing I have your brains on my side!" He gave Harpuia a firm pat on the shoulder, the small, gangly reploid's knees buckling gently under the force. "You have my word. Take him to the brig, I'll make sure to pay him avisitwhile he's awaiting trial."

Harpuia nodded slowly before calling out to the silent crowd gathered around the two. "Captain E337! I need your forces on tight surveillance duty until Axl can be trialled. Let the units at the brig know, will you?"

After the reploid captain affirmed himself and marched off, Harpuia turned back to his father, features twisted into a proud sneer. "Anything else, Master X?"

He gave it a thought. "No. You've done well, Harpuia." X looked over to his forces, his unwavering air of authority making even the most sharpened of soldiers look like frightened children. "In fact, you'vealldone well. You've done this city proud, bringing peace to our world. Now go, see to it."

A chorus ofyes sir'swas offered as an answer by the hom*ogenous crowd, before they scattered once more, the chokehold X's voice had on the room finally lifting. Zero couldn't handle it anymore. He turned his heel and ran, his mind awash with worse case scenarios.

Was Axl going to live another day like this?

He had to save him, but how? He was useless, he was weak, he was pathetic. He wanted to cry but could only manage pathetic dry heaves. He was a stupid warmachine who couldn't even fight anymore.

Zero wished X had never woken him up. When he turned a corner, a familiar grip had wrapped itself around his wrist and violently yanked him backwards.

"And where areyougoing in such a rush?"

There was no running from the king of Neo Arcadia. Zero was pulled haphazardly into X's embrace, his wide hand at the small of his back. Zero swallowed, hoping he didn't look as panicked as he felt inside in X's grip.

"-I, I'm-"

The distant sound of military reploids shouting orders drowned out his voice. X grimaced sheepishly.

"Yeesh, sorry for the commotion back there. You know how it is sometimes." X brought him closer to his chest. "Hey, it's nothing serious."

Zero wanted to push him away, but he could barely make him budge in his current state. What was the point? He knew he was lying. Zero witnessed him showing his true colours only in his absence.

"I'm off to bed. What do you say? Wanna come with?" He held Zero's hand at his lips, pressing a featherlight kiss against his knuckles.

He acted like Zero had a choice. Even if he refused, Zero knew X would never hear it. It was better he stayed on his good side for now if he had any chance of getting to Axl before he did. Setting his pride aside, he played his part.

"Hmph. Alright," Zero resigned, loosening his taut frame. "You could start by letting me go, casanova."

"Oh, you hurt me!" he whined in faux offence, but he did as told, letting Zero go. The red warbot breathed out a small sigh of relief. "Still haven't lost your bite after all these years…"

X made his way to his living quarters, beckoning Zero to follow him with a flick of his head. Zero steeled himself, smothering his instincts that were screaming at him to run, and followed in his footsteps. "But you like that about me, don't you?"

"You have no idea."

Together, they passed through the many gated doors that hid X's living quarters away from the rest of the citadel. When they got to X's room, the blue reploid didn't wait another second before he took Zero's hand and guided him to his bedroom, where the dim, intimate lamp light cast them in an orange glow.

"I've always loved your edge, that sting… your ferocity… I love everything about you."

X's voice was low, his red gaze glinting with a voracious hunger as he eyed Zero up and down like a lion sizing up its prey. When Zero backed up, he inched into the bedframe, getting unceremoniously knocked backwards into the mattress. Zero didn't have a chance to get up before X was all over him, pouncing and looming over him with his hands pinning his wrists to the bed. Zero's sharp breath caught in his throat.

How could he act so brazen? He wasn't hurting for Axl like he was. If anything, he was triumphant… he was the victor in their war of ideals.

And now here he was, taking his prize. Zero shut his eyes, trying to dissociate from what X was doing, but escape was a futile effort. X had pulled off his helmet before he was burying his face in the crook of Zero's neck, hungrily pressing kisses against every inch of flesh he could. Zero felt sick- the same hands that were rolling up his vest and caressing his bare chest would have Axl's blood on them if he didn't act soon.

"I've missed you so much… I was lost without you."

Zero set his hand on X's chest, but he didn't notice. He couldn't do this.

"I love you… love you, Zero… only you."

He shook his head with grit teeth as X's lips trailed south. What was once a sweet gesture now felt crushingly oppressive. Zero had to find Axl. He had to do something. He had to save him from whatever punishment X had in mind for him.

"I love you…"

"X-"

"There isn't a man alive who loves you like I do."

"N-no-"

"Do you love me too?"

"-Stop it!"

X jolted upwards. He looked confused, sad,angry. There were so many things he was saying, but he wasn't talking. Zero scrambled off the bed, holding his hands against his chest and backing off, timid and afraid like a cornered animal.

"...Zero?"

From the look in X's eyes, Zero knew thatheknew. He opened his mouth to speak, but any excuse he could think of felt inadequate. He looked at his feet. Why must he be here in the first place? To forever be trapped by his ties to X?

"I'm sorry. It's… not your fault," Zero lied. "I can't. Not tonight. I-"

"Fine." X's voice was soft, but his expression was too firm for Zero's liking. He breathed out hard through his nose, staring straight through Zero with an unfamiliar glare. He said nothing more after that, and neither did Zero.

After an eternity of tension, X broke away from Zero's gaze, sitting down on the bed and looking at his hands, clasped between his knees.

Zero steeled his resolve and backed out the room, slowly at first, before he broke out into a full sprint, escaping X's loving subjugation into the citadel hallways. Even then, he still felt his hands wrapped around his throat.

Axl was probably being taken to the brig right now- wherever that was. He had to find out somehow. Someone would tell him- he'd make them if not. He shouldered past a reploid commando, through the crowd of faceless soldiers. He could break Axl out, they could pretend it was an accident, and Axl could hide with his copy ability.

He could dream, he could hope, but there was one thing Zero had come to know- there was nowhere in this world to hide. There was a darkness lingering in Neo Arcadia, and a sinister dusk lived within X.

That night, Zero slept alone. It wasn't enough. No physical distance could compare to the thousands of miles between them.

Chapter 6: Chapter Five

Chapter Text

"X!"

With an earth-shattering roar, Axl slammed the boardroom door open, the former Maverick Hunters of the Neo Arcadian council snapping to attention at his sudden entrance. Standing at the head of the round table was Master X himself, standing tall and unfaltering, with his hands clasped behind his back. His chilling, unrepentant gaze was damning as he stared down the furious copybot.

"Axl. So you decided to show up." X's voice remained cool despite the suffocating tense atmosphere that smothered the room upon Axl's arrival. "Alia was convinced you bailed on us. Take a seat. There's a lot we have to discuss today, what with the maverick scourge plaguing the outer circle-"

"Oh, eat sh*t, X!"

Signas stared with wide eyes at the scene, the former commander looking back and forth towards X and Axl. In a subtle show of offence, X narrowed his gaze, crossing his arms at his chest.

"H-hang on, what's going on?" Douglas spoke what everyone was thinking. Axl's emerald glare was ablaze with hatred, the copybot slamming his fists down on the round table and sending a flinch jolting through his comrades. The council members inched back in their chairs, shrinking back in a bid to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

"What, haven't you told them?" Axl screamed, sticking his chin up towards X. "Are you too much of a puss* to admit what you've done?"

X tightened his jaw in a scowl. "What are you talking about?"

"Jesus, f*ck off with that bullsh*t, will you?! Don't play dumb with me, because I've had it up to here with you," Axl snapped. He looked around to the council members, addressing them with a denunciatory glare. "Well? What has X been telling you people?!"

No one on the council spoke a word for an agonizing moment, Axl's flaring anger intimidating his colleagues into silence. Alia swallowed down her nerves and squared her shoulders.

"A maverick threat had been detected in the outer circle and has since been dealt with," she reported with a pragmatic cadence, trying to keep a level head for her friends' sakes as tensions boiled over between X and Axl. "We should… be able to progress with the human settlement program shortly."

Axl scoffed. "I see. I get it. X, why don'tyoutell them what you did out there?" his tone was ugly in how accusatory it was. Marino pulled Cinnamon to her side, the angelic reploid hiding her face in her hands.

"There's nothing to say," X insisted. Axl growled his frustration, incensed.

"How audacious of you! Really, you have the balls to lie to us after all we've been through? I saw it, I saw what happened with my own two eyes." Axl leaned in. "Tell them what you did orIwill."

"Don't speak to me like that. I exterminated the maverick threat with lethal force. So what? They know that already," X remained firm in the face of Axl's heated adversity. "Peace through justice. The Maverick Hunter way."

His enunciation slowed to a condescending crawl. Axl breathed out hard, letting his internals cool before they overheated. Signas looked to X with a palpable concern. His hands were shaking over so slightly as he clutched them at his chest.

"W-what is he talking about, X?" Signas asked, a waver in his voice. X sighed, scrunching his nose and shutting his eyes, turning away.

"Axl? What… What did he do?" Alia pleaded, anxiety thick in her quiet, strained words.

Axl co*cked his head to the side, provoking X further. X didn't give into the instigation, casting an unempathetic look back at his found son.

"Then tell them." X was speaking through grit teeth. "I can't stop you."

"Coward…" Axl stood upright and resolute.

"...Axl, please," Signas murmured, helpless to prevent him from self-destructing with this fight. Axl set aside the bond he had cultivated with his father over centuries with a raised fist.

"You've gone maverick, X!" Axl shouted, his temper listing. "You murdered a human in cold blood!"

There was a silence as the Neo Arcadian council paused to process his words- but even an eternity wouldn't be enough for any of them to accept that notion. Alia shook her head, torn up by the devastating revelation that began to set in.

"...Tell us it's not true," Alia eked out. "X?"

X's eyes darted back and forth as his council turned to him with abject horror. That human… was just another maverick. Another obstacle X had to eliminate if he were to see his glorious mission to the end.

"I saw you kill him, X! I saw you snap his neck like his life meantnothingto you," Axl continued. "Why? Why did you do it?!"

"Becausehewas amaverick!"

It was rare that X ever raised his voice, but when he did, it moved mountains. His council recoiled at his sudden erupting wrath.

"That man was a maverick, just like every other pitiful, vile reploid I killed out there! What, does thatbotheryou? We've been doing this for years."

X was pacing back and forth like a predator psyching up its kill.

"Why does it matter to you that he was a human? What's the difference between our species anymore? He was in the way of my vision, he couldn't accept this new world. He stood in the way of righteous justice for the maverick vermin he sought to protect. He hadnoplace in Neo Arcadia! If I let him live, he would just infect more innocent denizens with his maverick agenda. I'm this world's king, I will not let corrupt men like him ravage my life's work- I will not let another goddamn ungrateful maverick lay ruin to my f*cking legacy! If he wanted to be a maverick, he will die like one."

He stopped at the other head of the table, facing Axl down from his end. His voice dwindled from an outraged roar to a soft, bitter whisper. "There's something Zero taught me, Axl. There's something he taught you once, too. Mavericks… mavericks must perish without hesitation."

Axl was silent as he went through a thousand conflicting emotions at once- he was appalled, disgusted, disappointed. The sickness he felt in his soul at X's beliefs wasn't something he could describe with something as limiting as words.

"I hate you."

Axl asserting that much wasn't something X was unfamiliar with. This time, however, he knew he meant it with every fibre of his being.

"I did what I had to do. He valued the lives of mavericks over the lives of humans. And I'll do it again and again until this world knows peace!"

"You're a monster and you know it. You let this sh*t get to your head. What's wrong with you?!"

"There'snothingwrong with me!" X slammed his fist on the table, cracks rippling from the impact like a spider's web. Cinnamon whimpered and clenched her eyes tight shut, wishing she could disappear where she stood.

"I wish Zero was here-"

"-You keep Zero's name out of your mouth." Axl knew he had hit a pressure point. He didn't care anymore. If it meant the other former Hunters could bear witness to X's true colours…

"You don't even feel guilty, do you?" Axl remained incendiary.

"Why should I?"

"You're nothing like Zero. At least he f*cking cared, X." There was a broken lilt in Axl's vocaliser. "God… I wish it was him who lived instead ofyou."

"You think I don't feel the same way every day of my life?!" X was starting to grow wild with anger. "I wish he was with us but he isn't. Don't youdareuse his name like that ever again, boy."

"I loved him too, X!" Axl denied his demands, "he was always there for me, even when you refused to accept me. Even when you hated me! At least he actually loved me. You… you're just cruel."

"I've heard enough from you."

"Good. I'm done, X."

Axl reached for the brace around his neck and unfastened it, throwing it to the ground. X straightened upwards, glaring incredulously at the copybot, the council members whispering nervously amongst themselves.

"...So you've turned on me?" X figured, his face drawing taut.

"I can't do this anymore. I will not serve your madness," Axl announced.

X paused to let his anger settle, shutting his eyes, burning air releasing from his cooling vents with a hiss. "Then you are an enemy to the state. A maverick."

"I don't care," Axl brushed aside the label. "Maverick… What meaning does that word have anymore? Because to me, it looks like you'll call anyone who doesn't submit to your rule a maverick."

Axl turned to leave, parting ways with his father one last time. Signas and Alia jumped up to chase after him, but X gestured for them to sit back down. When Axl looked over his shoulder, meeting X's gaze in the shadows of the boardroom, X's scowl deepened.

"Run, Axl. Run away," X commanded, "this city will be your enemy." His crimson glare darkened.

"Run, because when we meet again, I won't hesitate to kill you."

Axl knew this was an inevitability. He was prepared for this outcome, because there was no point in hoping for any other.

In shackles and chains, a newgen-restraining bolt clasped around his wrists, he was led from a helicarrier in the dark of the night alongside his fellow captured Resistance brethren. Rain was pouring down as soldiers with electrified batons herded their captives into the brig's assembly point like they were livestock rounded up for the slaughter, where they stood shoulder to shoulder in the cramped cell as they awaited processing by the reploid officer behind the plexiglass.

Resistance soldiers lined up for their turn to be tagged- a steel band branded with a prisoner number and barcode buckled around their ankle, before they were guided to their cells. They knew there was no point in running, they would be shot on sight. It was either they die a gruesome death here, or enjoy a swift, clean execution at their trial.

Axl looked to Neige at his side. She was a hardened, tough woman, her frown unwavering even in the face of Neo Arcadian military bots, her delicate skin covered in cuts and bruises. Fierce, but in the midst of so many reploids, she looked awfully fragile. She was pulled by her arm to stand in front of the officer behind the plexiglass, her details quickly recorded by the firm-faced administrator.

Despite being so vulnerable- a mere human woman, the Neo Arcadian military manhandled her like they did every other reploid. It didn't matter whether a maverick was a human or reploid any more, the government treated them all the same, as subhuman. That much was clear to Axl.

"Axl…" Neige whispered, pulling him out of his reverie. "Please… stay safe."

If Axl had to be honest, he knew he couldn't make any promises. "I'll try. Just don't get your hopes up, Neige."

An officer prodded him in the side with his baton. "Shut it."

"I don't know if I'll make it out of this one alive," Axl continued anyway. "I think… It's the end of the road for me."

"Axl!"

The administrator waved her away, having finished documenting her identity. Neige was dragged away by merciless soldiers, her thrashes doing little to falter their grip. Axl watched on, knowing it was likely the last time they would ever speak again.

"Goodbye, Neige."

He could still hear her shrieks through the gates that shut off the assembly point from the rest of the brig. He was next in line, shoved forward before the administrator by an obviously frustrated soldier.

The administrator addressed him with an unfeeling glance, before his attention was absorbed by his monitor as he entered Axl's details into the prison logs. A baton was held to his throat, ready to taze him if he dared act out, as another reploid secured his prisoner ID band around his ankle.

"Well, well, where have I seen this sorry sight before?"

Axl couldn't bite back the growl of contempt at the sardonic voice. He looked over his shoulder to find X on the other side of the assembly point's barred walls.

"X…" Axl hissed his name, lunging forward towards X. "What are you doing here? You've come to patronize me one last time before you kill me?"

"I'm not going to kill you. Not yet. I come with a proposition," X corrected. Behind Axl, a large, former construction-build was being processed while he had a moment with Neo Arcadia's king. "I'm giving you one last chance to return to the Neo Arcadian council-"

"No. You've dug your grave with me already, now lay in it!" Axl was quick to refuse him. X just snickered, as if he expected that response all along.

"Why do you have to be so stubborn…" X lamented, shaking his head. "Think about it! We could have it all. We could beinvincibletogether."

"Never," Axl was unconvinced, as always. "You're a monster, X. What wouldZerothink if he knew of all the evil you've done?"

"Evil…pah, you make it sound so sinister," X said. "I'm doing what is best for the people. Zero can see that… it's a shame you can't do the same."

"You really believe that?"

"Every word of it."

Axl huffed a laugh, because if he wasn't laughing, he'd be crying. "You're delusional… using Zero like that. Some man you are."

"Oh, Axl…" he rolled his eyes and harrumphed. "Always one to stir the pot. Troublemaker." His glare grew steely-eyed, his gaze gleaming with a predatory glow. "You were like a son to me once… it'll hurt to see you go."

"I'm sure it will,dad."

The construction reploid was growing rowdy as he was led from the assembly point to his jail cell.

"You know damn well you gave me little choice. Get him out of my sight."

He beckoned the guards to take him away with a flick of the helm. Axl didn't break eye contact with him for a second as he was dragged away, boring into him with a damning glare and imparting a vivid reminder of his past and present sins, before he disappeared behind the gates into the halls of the brig. In the corridor, the construction Resistance reploid was starting to get aggressive, refusing to be led into the brig in shackles, striking and thrashing at his captives like an animal in water.

X studied the scene with sick intrigue. To his side, a reploid of cold disposition, cloaked in ivory white and glistening gold, stepped forward.

"Master X, sir…"

X cast a fleeting glance at Hellbat Schlitt, the Mutos Reploid addressing him with the empty magenta stare that all the Gentle Judges possessed. The guards called in reinforcements as the lumbering reploid broke through his shackles, driven by an unyielding will to live.

"I want you to expedite Axl's trial," X commanded, still observing the maverick as he powered through electrocution by countless batons, throwing Neo Arcadian soldiers aside like they were nothing but fleas. "We begin session at sundown tomorrow. Let Kelverian know."

The captain of the 51st unit shoved aside prisoners and comrades alike to reach the unruly rebel, a massive blaster slung over his shoulder. He kneeled down and steeled himself, charging a plasma bolt aimed straight at the Resistance bot's head.

"Clear the area!"

Soldiers scattered away at the captain's word. For a second, the maverick thought he had a chance to escape as his assailants sprinted away in a flash.

Hellbat winced, turning away with eyes clenched shut and audio receptors set to mute when the captain fired. X remained steadfast and unflinching, watching the contents of the rebel's helm splatter on the wall.

By the second he had fallen, soldiers were already crowding around him and dragging him away, a trail of oil, cables and shrapnel left in his wake. The administrator called the next Resistance prisoner over, confident the situation had been resolved. When Hellbat felt as though the gruelling, uncivilised violence had passed, he opened his eyes and readjusted his audials.

The sight of an execution had elicited something within X, stoking the embers of his lust for vengeance. "Go. I don't want to drag this on any longer than I need to." He turned his back on the brig, on Axl, making his way back to the transerver room. "I want him dead by the end of the day."

By the break of morning, Zero was already up, rushing through the halls of the citadel, pressing forward through the busy morning crowd.

His entire being was seized by panic. Panic, because he knew that if he didn't act fast, Axl would be dead.

In his heart of hearts, he knew that there was little he could do to stop what was already set in stone. He didn't even know where the brig was, nor did he know how to get to it. Even if he did, he was sure X had set precautions in place to prevent Zero from meddling with matters as egregious as these. It wasn't like Zero had the strength left in him to resist X's citadel guards.

For Zero's entire life- before he was even conceived, when his creator was creating him as a vessel for his wretched vision- he was used to solving issues with brute force. It was how he was built, a warmachine, set on the path of destruction as he sought out victory. When such violent animal machinations failed to prove useful, he could always turn to X's logical mind. Yet, now he had neither his strength, nor did he have X. At least, not as who he remembered him as. It seemed hopeless.

Still, even if he couldn't save him, he at least wanted toseehim one last time. He cursed himself for abandoning Axl with X all those years ago… if only he had to foresight to see what X would become.

Indeed, without Zero, he had fallen… he had fallen far. Zero couldn't help but wonder if he was predisposed to this sort of deterioration. Human-likes weren't meant to persist for centuries. The original humans could only live so long until their cells fell victim to senescence. Trying to circumvent that set limit gave rise to selfish, malignant growth. A cruel ailment- cancer.

There was a similar darkness inside X. Zero wished he could've realised that fact when it had first manifested before it could metastasise in his absence. There was a point where there was little one could do to reverse such an egregious pathological infiltration, and Zero feared X's morals had long since descended past that terminal threshold.

Zero didn'twantto believe X would execute Axl. He couldn't! Axl meant so much to him. They shared too much history together- they had fought countless battles, both on and off the field. It was Axl who had mended their broken relationship after the Nightmare Incident.

Now X was throwing it all away, simply because Axl had challenged his absolute power. He couldn't even begin to fathom how deep their conflict had grown over the century he had been in stasis. To think the ever virtuous and kind android that X was would be so cruel as to order an execution like this. Even as Maverick Hunters, X resolved to only use lethal force when absolutely necessary, when every other option had been exhausted.

He saw the good in everyone, even mavericks that were obviously far too gone to be rehabilitated. Zero shut his eyes and steeled his resolve. He couldn't lose Axl like he had lost Iris all those years ago… yet, in a way, Zero was sure X would've preferred not having to share him with anyone else. Not Iris, not the Maverick Hunters. Not even their own son.

"-Careful!"

A resonant voice cut through the cacophony of the busy citadel crowd. Before Zero knew it, he found himself flush against the chest of a colossal white and gold reploid.

The reploid had caught Zero before he had the chance to crash into him. After regaining his composure, Zero stepped back and away from the gigantic stranger, scanning him up and down.

He was like nothing Zero had ever seen before. Tall, bulky, square and powerful… but somehow, completely benign. When he analysed him, his combat systems found him to possess a negligible potential threat. He was a special build. Someone important, unlike the muted servants and f*ckless soldiers that littered the citadel.

"Master Zero? Are you alright?" he kneeled down somewhat to align himself with Zero's eyelevel. His cadence was slow, but his words lingered long after he had spoken. "I ought to be more careful, walking around here without looking-"

"-Yes, yes, I'm fine." He didn't have time for small talk… not unless this reploid had something he wanted to know. "...Who are you?"

The lumbering reploid paused, staring blankly at Zero, before coming to a realisation. "...Ah, shoot. We haven't met yet, have we?"

"...Er, no?"

He smiled warmly, but his eyes seemed vacant. "Well, I suppose I should stop being so rude and introduce myself, yes? My name is Tretisa Kelverian." He offered a hand for Zero to take. Zero allowed it, earning a brief, yet firm handshake from Kelverian. "I am the Chief Judge of the Neo Arcadian' State Supreme Court. It's a pleasure to meet you, Master Zero… I'd hazard a guess you haven't met the other judges… we'll have to find the time to arrange a proper introduction! I'm sure they're raring to meet you."

...Chief Judge? If Axl were to be trialled, it was Kelverian who was to preside over the court.

"You're here to prosecute Axl, aren't you?"

The softened expression gracing his squarish face was quickly dropped, guilt invading his features in lieu of it. "I'm afraid so…" he confirmed. He looked to the floor and let out a heavy sigh. "You and Axl… you two must have been close."

Describing it as such did their love a disservice. "More than that…" He covered his chest with crossed arms, as if it would protect his vulnerable heart from his own emotions. "X and I, we loved him like he was our own. He… he was the son we could never have."

The look Kelvarian was suddenly casting him looked shockingly sympathetic. Sympathy-thatwas hard to come by in the citadel.

"I understand… I'm sorry, Zero."

Kelvarian was unsure what to do with himself, aware that he wasn't on good enough terms with Zero to offer physical comfort. The best he could do was provide spoken consolation.

"I know how it feels, to see your children in peril," he disclosed. With how his resonant tenor faltered, Zero figured he was telling the truth. "It is my duty to be as honest and compassionate a judge can be. That will remain true until my dying day. It's just… Master X has the final say in matters such as these. We can sway him, yes, but he is the ultimate arbiter. I maysuggestfair punishment. Hedecides." He looked downwards, forlorn. "Considering the bridges X has burned with Axl, I… I can't promise you his safety."

Zero's eyes widened. He was programmed with a propensity to strategize using the worst case scenario as a baseline. As long as X had Axl in his custody, he was as good as dead.

"He's not going to make it…" Zero concluded. "I can't let that happen."

"Zero, what I can promise you is that I will ensure it will be as fair a trial as circ*mstances as extreme as these will allow," Kelvarian assured. "I can't say X will do the same."

"And he has the final say…"

"It has come to this in recent years, unfortunately. With the sorts of matters so deeply personal to X, well… my hands are tied."

Zero didn't want to hear it, but it was the truth. He swallowed, feeling his vocaliser strain with sorrowful desperation. "I have to do something."

His sorrows effortlessly tugged on Kelvarian's tender heartstrings. "I'll do what I can."

An incoming message came flashing on Zero's HUD. A list of coordinates. Directions. A floor and cell number, and an identification code.

"X won't want you there," Kelverian advised, "but I do. Be careful, Zero."

Zero gasped, unsure of how to express his gratitude at such a profound gesture of kindness from a stranger. He managed a rare smile. "Thank you, Kelverian."

"It's nothing…" he set a huge hand on Zero's shoulder. "Just- if anything, tell your son you love him. I ought to get going, X has me on a tight schedule…"

With that, they parted ways, Kelvarian lumbering through the busy crowd and disappearing into the hallways. Zero was quick to follow the directions Kelvarian had sent to his internal depository, turning on his heel and rushing for the guarded military transerver rooms.

Axl was living on borrowed time. The least he could do was speak with him one last time.

It was far from Zero's proudest moment.

Babbling in a panic to an unassuming, nameless guard at the gates to the transerver room, begging to be let past with a sob story for the ages. He wasn't sure how much of it was just a show to garner pity from the reploid guard and how much of it was genuine desperation.

The thing was, as humiliating as it was for Zero to regress to using his emotions to manipulate the people around him into doing his bidding, it actually worked.

"Please, I don't have much time left. I won't be long, I-"

"I'm sorry. Only authorised personnel are allowed entry past this point-"

"I am yourking!Am I not authorised personnel? Please… my son- he needs me. He'll be dead soon! I just- just need to see him one last time before that happens. Let me in, just this once…"

"Master X will have my head…"

"X doesn't have to know. I need this, I haven't spoken to Axl for a century… I need him- he needsme."

"...Master Zero, sir…"

"Just one time, it's all I ask of you…"

"X- he'll have me castigated for disobedience… Everyone knows what happens to soldiers who don't follow orders around here."

"I won't let that happen."

"..."

Why did he have to beg in his own citadel? Did he not possess a right to freedom of movement to his own home, regardless of X insisting they were equals?

The door to the transerver room opened, the polite, obviously green reploid at the guardpost looking aside to avoid Zero's anguish-stricken gaze. Zero let out a light sigh, offering a small, appreciative smile.

"Thank you."

"Just go before they see me."

Zero didn't need to be told twice. He made haste, rushing to the transerver command console and punching in the warp coordinates Kelvarian gave him. If he was in his right of mind, he might've been more suspicious concerning the legitimacy of the information he had, but he had no time for such reservations.

Upon stepping on the teleport pad, Zero was gone in a flash, reappearing in a different, but similarly monotonous, brass toned transerver hub. A young soldier standing guard at the door startled at the sudden arrival, jolting upright at attention with his rifle gripped firmly in hand.

"Master Zero?"

Zero had no time for this. He pushed him aside and soldiered on into the brig's entry hall. The guard trailed close behind.

"Master Zero! Th-this isn't a safe place for you to be-"

When he reached to grab the red android, Zero whipped around and slapped his hand away.

"Don't f*cking touch me!"

He hoped it didn't come out sounding as woeful as he felt internally. Regardless of how Zero's voice quivered on the delivery, the guard clammed up, holding his rifle tightly to his chest and making an electrical squeak.

"A-apologies, Master Zero!" He visibly swallowed through his nerves. "…It's just that this is a maximum security facility. There are A-class threat mavericks detained in this sector-"

"You think I don't know that? Who do you think I am?"

Zero knew well that he couldn't win any battles in his current state. He was sure he probably wasn't very popular among Neo Arcadian mavericks either. The reploid shrunk back further with his metaphorical tail between his legs.

"O-of course, I apologise, sir, I shouldn't have been so disrespectful. I'll be better, s-sir."

"Well, you can start by doing me a favour. I need to get to cell A07 on level 13. You wouldn't happen to know where that is, would you?"

It took a moment for the request to compute in the guard's head. He perked up at the realisation. "Ah- y-yes, um…" he looked around to establish his bearings. "Elevator's up ahead past the lobby, straight ahead from here, can't miss it. The A block should be a left turn from where you get out of the lift."

He gestured vague directions with his hands. Zero gave a forced smile, patting the guard on the shoulder.

"Thanks. 'Least you're good for something. Get back to your post."

The guard didn't seem to register the backhanded remark. He just gave a dutiful salute. "Yes, sir, of course, sir!"

With that out of the way, Zero made quick work to find the elevator and ascend to his destination. Even in such a frenzy, the most briefest of assays made things clear- the conditions of the brig were incompatible with life.

Unlike the polished, marble and gold confines of the citadel, the brig was a concrete labyrinth of endless corridors. He could hear the distant anguished screams of prisoners uselessly begging for freedom. There were cracks in the walls, murky water dripping from fissures splitting the ceilings, and impact craters with old stains that alluded to past, violent conflicts. The elevator opened with a ding, and Zero rushed past a soldier on his way to Axl's cell. He didn't turn back to see the guard abandon his post to alert his superiors.

It was a brief trip. The cell labeled A07 sat in solitude at the end of a corridor behind a locked door. It didn't take Zero long to elucidate the passcode to let himself in, with how the paint on the number keys wore down in a particular pattern.

The gates opened up to a small room, no bigger than the cramped bedrooms at the old Maverick Hunter residential sectors, enclosed with thick, impenetrable bars. A flickering overhead lamp was all there was to illuminate the cell.

Hidden in the shadows, hunched over on the cold, hard floor of the decrepit cell, Axl sat in isolation. He didn't bother moving when Zero entered.

"Axl!"

That made him shift ever so slightly. A pair of gleaming green eyes in the darkness stared back at him.

"...Zero? Is that you?"

His shackles clashed together as he got to his feet. Axl was uncharacteristically slow as he emerged from the shadows, weighed down by his restraints. Zero rushed to meet him up at the gate to his cell, gripping the sturdy bars with a palpable desperation.

"Axl…"

The copybot looked older now.Mucholder. His features were hardened and sharp, his face covered in new scars. His once clear, ever spry voice was strained and husky.

The way he stared back at him with a glassy, tired stare, it hurt Zero. It hurt him more than anything he had endured on the battlefield. He lookedtired. No longer did he have that youthful fire burning in his soul. It had long since been extinguished by the deeds of his father. Zero knew that empty feeling well. After Iris' death, he had lost so much of his bite… he was sure Axl was much the same.

No matter what, he was stillhisAxl.

"I was losing hope you'd come visit, you know." Axl gripped the bars with shackled hands. "I… I missed you, dad."

Just those words was enough to make Zero choke up and break down. He pressed his forehead into the bars. Axl did the same, their helmet gems pressed against one another's.

"I'm sorry, Axl…" Zero's voice was taut. "I never would've thought it would end up like this. Ineverwould've left had I known X would be this way."

"I-it's okay, dad… it's not your fault," Axl assured. He took in a quivering breath and wiped the tears forming at his eyes, venting out a sigh. "What happened has happened. I still love you."

"But, I… I failed you, Axl. I left you with thismonster," Zero insisted. He couldn't cry like Axl and the other reploids could, but he shivered and panicked and sobbed like a distressed animal. "And now- now I'm scared. I'm scared of what X is going to do to you."

The reminder crushed Axl's dwindling spirits. He stepped away, his half-lidded, melancholy gaze fixed to the floor. Zero came to the acute realisation he had said the wrong thing. "What, you already know how this is going to end?" He crossed his arms and exhaled sharply. "Then… I'm glad we could talk one last time before I die."

"No! No..." Zero rattled the bars. "I won't let that happen! I…" his grip faltered, and he shrunk back down, resigning to futility. "X… X can't do this. You're- you're ourson. He can't…"

Axl shook his head and snickered, the hollow laughs an obvious cover for his deep-seated hopelessness. "Zero… I thought you'd be better than this. Smarter too. I really did think you would've come to terms with the nature of the X's leadership by now. I sacrificed everything to get to you, but maybe I'm too late. Maybe X has already put too many lies in your head." Axl looked Zero dead in the eye. Zero was taken aback by just how cold a glare the copybot managed to muster, his brow furrowed and lips drawn in a damning frown. "X wouldn't hesitate to kill me. At least,thisX wouldn't."

Zero inched back, slowly shaking his head as disbelief and denial filled his weary heart. "No… he wouldn't… he can't do this," He chanted his denial mindlessly, as if it was going to change anything. "He couldn't. X is-"

"-I'll tell you the truth, Zero. X… X is a cruel, ruthless, bloodthirsty maniac who will deemanymanorreploid who so much asthinksto cross him a maverick that deserves to die. He'd kill me a million times over if it meant ensuring his control over his 'oh soperfectworld'. That perfect world, upheld by a prison population of millions, upheld by fear, for even the smallest transgressions will have you executed as a maverick, upheld by reploid slaves who work until they collapse, and you know what happens to useless reploids? They die, Zero. Thrown into recycling facilities and churned into raw materials like their lives meant nothing. Reploids, humans, they're just property to X,things!Why do you think X would need a brig like this, a military of this magnitude, if his world is so perfect? He's lying to you. It's so obvious, it's almost funny! Has it not clicked for you yet, or are you too blinded by your love for him?" He took a moment to settle and breathe. "It was hard for me to accept it too, back then. He was my hero… I-I wanted to be just like him. He isn't the same anymore. Something happened. He lost his way. I refused to follow him down that path, and he couldn't accept that."

Zero couldn't respond, not for a long time. Instead, they stood at opposite sides of prison bars, letting the truth sink in. What was there for Zero to say? What was there evenleftfor Zero to do? He wanted to deny it, but denial wasn't getting him anywhere. Denial wasn't going to save Axl from X's wrath, but he couldn't do much of anything else. Evil ran deep in Neo Arcadia's very foundation, and he didn't have the strength needed to change it. Ever since his awakening in Neo Arcadia, his keen instinct for destruction at any cost had vanished. He was left feeling hopeless, and most of all,useless. He sank to the floor with his head pressed into the bars.

"This isn't you, Zero. You're not X'spet, but you're gonnabethat if you keep letting him do this to you. The view from X's ivory tower is beautiful. But stray further from the citadel, and you will see this world for what it really is. X lost sight of serving the people. He only cares about power. X will doom us all to extinction if he isn't stopped."

Zero quivered on the ground, his skin crawling. "I let this happen…" he murmured. "How has he become this way?"

"Maybe- maybe he's always been this way."

It was hard for Axl to admit, and even harder for Zero to accept.

"N-no… this isn't him! He was… he wasn't like the rest. He couldn't- he was good, he was pure, he wasdifferent!"

"Dad, I don't know what happened to him either, but the X you loved is dead. When he kills me tonight, you'll know he's too far gone to be saved. This is the real X!"

"Enough! Axl..." Zero got to his feet. "I won't let you die. You mean too much to me." He leaned in. "Listen, I'll find a way to break you out. It can be an accident, and you can hide with your Copy Chip-"

"Don't try saving me, Zero. I'm not lost. It was always gonna end like this. 'Sides, I've run long enough. There's no hiding in Neo Arcadia. I bet X's got a thousand eyes watching us right now. Whatever you wanna do, it's no use. I'm dead by nightfall."

To hear Axl speak so flippantly of his own mortality broke Zero's faltering will. They let the silence between them speak for itself. If what Axl said was true, and X was an indiscriminate, senseless monster, he needed to be stopped before he could hurt anyone else. Yet, Zero wanted so badly for it all to be a lie. He didn't want to believe it. He didn't know what was true anymore. If it was true, what could Zero even do about it? He couldn't even come close to overpowering X when he wanted to have sex with him last night.Fightinghim? It was a death sentence. All other options seemed worthless. X was a stubborn man who was staunchly set in his ways.

Zero sighed. The reality was setting in, and it was hard to keep it together.

"Axl… do you know?" Zero muttered out through utter despondency, "What happened to everyone? Our friends, the old guard."

Axl couldn't help but laugh at X's predictability. It was so like Master X to keep that a secret from even Zero. "Really? What do you think? Take a guess."

Zero wasn't laughing. Nor was he answering Axl. He didn't want to say what was obvious, as if it would make it any less true. Axl rolled his head to the side.

"Jesus…they're dead, Zero! Why, you think X would let them live, knowing they threatened his rule? He killed them.Allof them- he killed them with his own hands and erased them from the memories of Neo Arcadia's denizens. Now I'm next. It's inevitable."

Zero's eyes widened. His mouth was open to speak, but the words failed to escape his vocaliser. Mere words weren't sufficient to express his turmoil, regardless. He shut his eyes slowly, shaking his head. He felt melancholy, fury, and shock coursing through his systems all at once, and he wasn't sure what to do to help himself. He knew what Axl was saying was true, but he couldn't bear to think it over. He felt ill just knowing that the man he loved had such little qualms with killing those he cherished, just because they stood in his way. He was forced to do that once. Iris' demise still haunted him.

He whined a pathetic sob. He could only ask one thing;

"...W-why?"

Axl was angry, but Zero's misery was infectious. He dried his eyes with the heel of his palm and breathed in with a quivering breath. "Because… because he could. So he did. And now he has absolute power."

Absolute power corrupts. Zero was familiar with the saying, because X touted it so often. Zero was a little more pessimistic. He knew absolute power revealed the evil man's true nature.

"This can't… that's not true. It can't be."

"Proof's in the data logs. Floor 87, room L31, authorised files sector 3NL."

The facts were written in stone. There was no use in deluding himself anymore. "Why didn't… X tell me?"

"Because then you'd start to question him. Then you wouldn't be happy being his obedient little pet."

Zero would've been offended at theideahe was nothing more than a thing X owned, but he couldn't argue the fact. His leaving hours were restricted. He was supervised constantly. He was paraded around as a pretty face for Neo Arcadia's populace to gawk at and admire and locked away again when his use had expired for the day. He brushed his fingers over his neck brace solemnly. X loved him still, but it was obvious, even to someone as blinded by love as Zero- X no longer saw him as an equal. He was a prisoner in this relationship, and X had all the power.

"You know… the Resistance, we searched for you for years. X, he only revived you because he couldn't bear to think of anyone else but him having you. And… and I think he knows that you're the only man alive who could stand toe-to-toe with him. He's afraid of you. Of your power."

Zero remained silent. There was nothing for him to say. It was Axl's time to speak- he spoke ugly truths Zero didn't want to hear but needed to know.

"Zero… I'm sorry for being angry. But you'd be angry too, if you've seen what I've seen and know what I know now."

"Axl, it's alright.This-this is my fault. You deserve to be mad. Had I just stayed-"

"It isnotyour fault, dad! I missed you too. Wealldid. X let himself become this way." He tightened his expression. "Look. Listen, loss changed all of us, okay?! It's just that X was obsessed with it. He was a slave to it. He let it change him into an animal!"

It failed to sway Zero. Axl stepped forward, reaching his fingers as far as he could through the bars with his wrists tied, digits grazing Zero's face.

"It's not you… I love you. It's this world I can't accept. And I don't know if I'm strong enough to change it like you could-"

"-Stop. Axl… you already have." Zero slipped his arms between the bars to cup Axl's cheeks, pulling him close, pressing a kiss on the bridge of his nose, in the centre of his X-shaped scar. "I don't know how I'm going to fix things. But I'll find a way. I won't let you go quietly."

Axl smiled. His features were a glowing respite in the darkness of the prison cell. "I know you will. I believe in you."

X couldn't keep him obedient. He wasn't an animal for him to be tamed. He would challenge the world, just as Axl did, for he would never be able to rest easy, knowing he had failed his dear son.

They both knew there was nothing they could do now to stop the inevitable death Axl was to be subject to, and there was little Zero could do to make it up to him. Nothing carried as much value as a life- but if Axl's defiance could live on in his actions, Zero would feel at ease, knowing Axl would be proud of him. It only took one match to light a fire. If he had to, he would burn this whole world down.

"I love you," Zero murmured.

"I love you too, dad. I wish things turned out differently..."

Zero's touch, made to be savage and destructive, was nurturing incarnate, as soft as a prayer. Axl wanted to drift off in the safety of his father's embrace and stay there forever, and Zero was much the same.

"Master Zero!"

The two androids jolted away from each other as soldiers burst into Axl's cell. Zero shook his head, turning around to face them and backing away into the bars. If he had his way, he would've phased through the bars to be in the cell with Axl.

"N-no!" Zero begged to deaf audials. "Not yet-!"

"-This is no place for someone of your nobility, Master Zero! Master X was looking all over for you!"

A guard grabbed at his arms and manhandled him away. Zero thrashed and screamed, but his assailant's grip was unwavering. The guard's colleague struck Axl with the butt of his rifle, knocking him back away from the bars.

"And you,maverick,should know better than to liaise with Neo Arcadian officials!" The guard reprimanded the copybot, coaxing him back with the threat of his weapon.

Zero clawed at his attacker's arms, but it did little to stop him. He could only shriek and cry as he was dragged away from Axl, outstretching a hand fruitlessly, pleading to hold him one last time as he disappeared behind sliding doors.

It was over.

"-AXL!"

Floor 87, room L31, authorised files sector 3NL.

The day was drawing closer to its close. Zero was painfully aware of each passing second. Time was precious, and running out fast. By the time night fell on Neo Arcadia, a father would be burying his son.

Zero had to be on high alert after being humiliatingly dragged back to the citadel. X, who much to Zero's relief, either didn't know he met Axl during his absence or simply didn't care, chewed him out for endangering himself and left it at that. Despite that, Zero could barely look X in the eyes after what Axl had revealed to him. He coped by tuning out his audio sensors and dissociating himself from his circ*mstances, letting his body be a machine whose sole purpose was to get from one situation to the next. In fact, he only just managed to weasel his way out of a lunch with X and the Gentle Judges, saying he was feeling ill.

It wasn't exactly a lie on Zero's part, either. He couldn't stomach being in X's midst, knowing what he knew now. Now, he was on a mission to discover all the wretched truths his beloved was hiding from him.

Zero had to take care to avoid the guards. They were to report any incriminating behaviour to X or his guardians, and he was certain that making a mad dash to the data banks would rouse their suspicions. It was difficult for the former berserker- stealth was never his forte, being the type to always charge headfirst into a fight, but he managed, eventually finding himself in the doorway to a massive athenaeum, where towering shelves of data logs radiated out from a main console directory in the center of the circular room.

It was dark, save for the stark blue glow of active datapads and guiding screens denoting specific sectors. There were a couple archivists and curators milling about, rearranging logs and keeping general order, all under the watchful eye of administrative supervisors. When Zero got to the directory console, he could feel all eyes honing down on him.

Zero swallowed nervously when he caught the gaze of an archivist, the short, owl model reploid watching his every move with wide eyes, before returning to her task after getting an audial-full from her overseer. The warbot hoped that they hadn't caught wind of X's orders to report Zero's activity back to him. Even if they hadn't, it was clear he was not supposed to be here, judging by the looks on their faces, but they didn't question him.

The directory opened into holographic screens when Zero set his hand on the console, offering an index of sectors and general information on the files held within.

The authorised files sectors were locked behind a DNA scan and a manual passcode. Thankfully, his genome was accepted- he'd have to thank Phantom for thinking of him when he registered his DNA details into the government systems. The passcode was another beast altogether.

...Unless X was as predictable as he remembered him being.

18-09-20-32

Maybe to the new generation, the significance of that date was unclear. Zero and X were perhaps the last living human-likes from that time period. It troubled Zero to think about. Regardless, it worked, and he was granted access to a catalogue of datalogs, filed under different sector indexes. He searched for index 3NL.

Inside, there were files dating back to 2321 AD. Execution logs, attributed to April. Zero breathed in sharp.

He closed out of the directory and dashed off, guided by the object identifier code associated with the logs. They were hidden behind locked doors, which were no hassle when his DNA markers were registered in the system.

Inside, he pushed aside a hapless archivist and grabbed the rolling library ladder until he reached his destination. He climbed up the shelf, swiped the datapad off the bookcase and slid back down. He had what he was looking for.

Axl had spoken the truth. On the 25th of April, 2321, Master X had the Neo Arcadian council removed from power and executed for treason.

The list of names was long, winded- painful. There were familiar names. Some, not so familiar. It didn't matter.

Signas, Alia, Douglas, Layer, Palette, Marino, Massimo- all retired for mutiny. Cinnamon reported missing on the same day. Soon, Axl would join them. All of a sudden, the room felt cold. His mouth felt dry, his hands trembling with the datapad still in hand. It felt like a dream, but he could recognise real, waking fear.

He pulled up Alia's file. Her image was just as Zero remembered her as- blonde, fair skinned, with a sharp, stern look about her. She was listed as a Neo Arcadian governor before her removal from parliament and subsequent death. Signas too- the large, but always gentle operations commander looking as he did in Zero's memories.

How could X be so…

So…

His internal dictionary littered off a list of fitting descriptors; ruthless, cruel, heartless. Most damning of all- he was… inhuman.

He was an animal- killing off every threat to his dominance, driven by nothing more than selfish intentions. The only threat to his precedence over the realm he permitted was Zero.

Was it because he loved him? X loved his friends, his son, too. He loved until it was a flaw- that was how X was. Zero couldn't stand him at times.

Maybe it was just the sex that captured him. Maybe X wanted to keep justonething from his past. Was that all that Zero was now?

A thing?

A thing owned by a manic animal. Did X even like the sex anymore? Or was it just about possession? Confinement? Where did love end, and ownership begin? Or were primacy and humanity fighting for the same territory?

It wasn't lost on Zero that he could meet the same fate as the old guard. If the cost of keeping him outweighed his use to X, he would be disposed of too. All his efforts… a waste. It could happen to him too.

His fate may be not death, but complacency. Giving up his body to X might keep him alive for now- but was he really nothing more than that? A tool that enabled X's venereal desires, his vices from an otherworldly, bygone time when they were nothing but feral beasts?

The rushing stream of consciousness was overwhelming Zero's processor as it flowed on by. He dropped the datapad, the tablet falling with an empty clink. If X didn't kill him, he would be under his control until either he or X died. If he joined the Resistance like Axl did, X would no doubt raise hell trying to take him back. He couldn't run- he had nowhere and no one to turn to. X was the only person he was going to have left, whether he liked it or not.

The only thing left to do was turn on X, and tear this world asunder, starting with him. As unthinkably evil as X had become, Zero's stomach twisted in knots at the very notion. X was the one who taught him love, compassion, humanity- things he was not programmed with initially, but things X knew he was capable of feeling, even when everyone else dismissed him as a stupid, barely sapient warmachine, a thing that was good for nothing else but combat.

X was not that man anymore.

"Zero? Oi!"

Zero startled, his thoughts instantly dispersing as he came to his senses. Hidden Phantom was standing in the doorway, the archivist having summoned him for help. For the first time, the soft-spoken shinobi was standing upright, not hunched over. The databank was his sanctum, and it granted him rare confidence.

"Heyheyhey! HEY!Please, do not meddle with confidential data logs without an authorised administrator!" Phantom berated, stomping over hastily. At his full height, he towered over the other reploids around him. "This is not a public library, these areclassifiedgovernment documents!"

The barbs Phantom threw went through one audial and out the next. Instead of heeding his remarks, Zero grit his teeth, steeled himself, and ran past Phantom, shoving him aside with a stiff arm as he did.

Before Phantom could express his indignation, Zero was already gone. The shinobi creased his brow behind his mask and pouted, bemused by the scene he had just witnessed. He turned his attention to the datapad left on the floor, plucking it off the ground and dusting it off.

He would've thoughtlessly slotted it back in its rightful spot, had he not caught a glimpse of the tablet's display.

The reason for Zero's distress was clear to Phantom now. He held the tablet close to his chest, sighed, and slotted it back on the shelf.

Soon, his eldest brother would too be only remembered in an execution log.

A storm was rolling in from over the horizon.

The sun was getting low in the sky, casting its blood red light over Neo Arcadia. Zero was starting to get hysterical. Axl said he'd be dead by the time night fell. He was running out of time. Moreso, he was running out of hope he could even doanythingabout it.

Surely, compliance was what X wanted from him. And yet, it was what Axl demanded of him too. It felt like they were both trying to make a point to Zero, and Axl's life was the basis of their rhetoric. Zero wanted to grab the sides of his head and squeeze and squeeze until…

Zero gripped the horns of his helm and pulled his head back, groaning in frustration. Suicide wouldn't fix anything. If he died, Axl's life would be lost to the wind, and the world would forget he had ever existed. And that was ignoring what X would do to the world if Zero ended things forever.

Anyway.Self loathing had to be set aside for another time…

No one was of any help in the citadel. He had traversed through the labyrinthian tower, searching for anyone who evenlookedto have any significant amount of influence. He tried to seek out Kelverian, but he had only found two of the lesser judges, Blazing Flizard and Cubit Foxtar. Despite being his subordinates, they were of little help, telling Zero that Kelverian was in a private meeting with X. The guards knew nothing of legal procedures- they were just military reploids who promptly returned to gossiping over their various escapades after Zero left.

No one would permit him entry to the brig. X's orders. Instead, he resigned himself to his bedroom. It was the only place Zero had left under his control. Lost, unmoored, and yet, still fettered to his confines.

He sat on the side of his bed, slouched over and he stared out the window helplessly, watching the city from where he perched atop X's ivory tower. Society continued to thrive, even in the face of apocalyptic circ*mstances, ignorant, or perhaps uncaring, to the violence that propped up X's control over the world, of his animalistic, carnal vices.

Or maybe, society possessed no power over violence or sex. Maybe society existed to uphold primal instincts.

As machine as they were, reploids were nothing more than novel animals, and Zero was not immune to stooping to that level. If he had his saber, or even his buster, he could stand to save Axl from his fate. Violence was always his go-to answer, back when tacticals governed his every action.

Of course, that would mean turning X's grand army against him. X still exercised control. Even if he didn't kill Zero for his insurrection, the alternate options he had to deal with him seemed even worse. Zero was still unsure whether he'd be happier dying, or continuing to live as a prisoner to X's wiles. Perhaps it would be more worthwhile to break X down from the inside out, using his body, using sex, as a weapon.

Zero rolled onto his back and sagged in defeat. These sorts of thoughts, they were unbecoming. Was this really what he was spiralling into? Was he destined to follow in X's stead, becoming a thoughtless beast?

He clenched his eyes tight shut, scrunching up his nose, bared his fangs. No. This wasn't him, at least not anymore.

Zero rolled off his bed and shook off his fatigue, heading for the exit, storming into the citadel. Of course every animal was born with a natural propensity for violence and sex, but it was what human-likes did with those instincts that made them different from the rest- for better or for worse.

He woke up an animal. His body was a tool, a machine he relished in during his fighting days. X was what tamed him, made him human. Things were different now- no one else would tame his body but him.

Did Zero trust himself to change?

Two reploid soldiers stood leaning against a marble column, lazily guarding the elevator. They had their rifles slotted away in holsters, not held tight in their arms- for once.

"You know, Azik was telling me about that underground place down in South Sector A3, the one with the neon light flamingo. They brought in a new girl."

"'Course he'd know, that creep. Reploid or human?"

"Reploid, you blockhead. You think there are any human courtesans left? That's dirty work."

"Courtesan's a very nice way to put it. You seen her?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm on patrol duty there with Azik every second Tuesday. Most beautiful woman you'll see in your life."

"You'd say that."

"I'm being for real this time! She's got this look about her, these fierce blue eyes, her skin's like… like milk. She's got the most gorgeous flaxen blonde hair, too, like down to herbutt.I saw her outside once, when Azik went in to ask for a time slot, she wore the most fiery red armour. When she stands in the sun, it's like… looking into a flame."

Zero breathed in deep. He tucked a tress of flaxen blonde hair under the brow of his helm and looked down at himself, at the way the sunlight glistened on his red armour… like looking into a flame. Was this how X thought of him? His body was betraying him.

"And when she works, she… it transcended just the physical- Itcapturesyou. It's like oblivion."

"Don't tell me you paid for her time-"

"God, no! No way. I'm notstupid, prostitution is illegal. Azik did. I'm just repeating what he said."

The smarmy soldier smirked and leaned in.

"I'm just saying… if you ain't averse to bending the rules, I heard she bites."

Zero saw red. He lunged forward and grabbed the reploid by the collar.

"You!" He barked.

"Eeek! M-Master Zero!" the soldier had shrunk into himself, co*ckiness ablating in an instant. "I-I swear, I didn't- I was just saying- it was Lieutenant Azik, from the 38th patrol unit-"

"I don't care. Where's X?"

It took a couple moments for the request to click, the soldier's thought processes too mangled by shock.

"Ggh! Level 267, in the high court! He's trying that maverick commander- Ithink!"

Zero froze. He let the soldier go. Was he too late already? How would he even spare Axl's life? He didn't exactly have a plan. His tactical algorithms relied on him having a weapon on hand.

"Thank you," Zero said, punching in the key for the elevator. It opened swiftly, and Zero left the crude soldiers behind.

The high speed elevator ascended like a speeding bullet, but even then, it wasn't fast enough. Nothing could be. The outside world passed by in a blur of crimson and indigo. Zero could feel himself getting lost in the shocks of colour.

The doors opened with a ding, and Zero was nearly tripping over himself in his frenzied rush. This floor didn't have winding corridors like so much of the citadel. There was only a single hallway spanning from the elevator to massive glass doors that opened up to a loge.

Zero sprinted up the hall and slammed open the doors. X was there already, standing tall and proud, his back turned on the red warmachine.

The azure king looked over his shoulder with large eyes, surprised to see Zero at first, before his shock dissolved in lieu of a pleased grin. The loge overlooked a large, circular court, where the lesser Gentle Judges stood atop adjacent balconies, and Tretista Kelverian sat at the head of the court behind the judge's bench. Guardians hovered around the edges of the court, keeping guard with watchful eyes.

Standing in the middle of it all, shackled and chained from head to toe, was Axl. He was covered in his own blood, obviously having put up a fight as if it would do anything else but delay the inevitable. Zero rushed to the balcony's balustrade and caught Axl's damning gaze, burning like an emerald inferno.

"Axl!"

X set a hand on Zero's shoulder and stepped forward, standing triumphant at his partner's side.

"Zero! Well, I didn't expect you to join us today," he cooed, slipping his grip from Zero's shoulder to take his hand. "Glad you could make it, dear."

Zero flinched back, stealing his hand back from X's grasp. "X, you can't do this. This- this isn't you!"

The gentle smile on X's face dropped, brow furrowing in an unimpressed frown.

Not even angry, not even offended.Unimpressed. He scoffed.

"Oh? Zero, this is justice!" He countered. "I'm doing what's right for Neo Arcadia as its leader. This isexactlywho I am."

Zero recoiled, stricken by the assertment. X didn'tcare. He didn't care that Axl was once their ally, friend,son, and he didn't care for Zero's vehement opposition.

Kelverian struck the gavel to bring order to the court. The crowd quietened to a heavy silence, and without their chatter to fill Zero's mind, he could feel the cold grip of fear creeping up and taking hold.

Axl is glaring up from where he stood below. The only sound that filled the lull were the high pitched clashes of his chains as he squared his shoulders and stuck his chest out in staggering defiance. He fixed an incensed glare in X and Zero's direction, disappointment plain to see in his expression. Zero couldn't blame him. He was disappointed in himself for letting his love for X blind him for this long.

Zero could see now. It was just far too late to save Axl from him.

"The Neo Arcadian Military Tribunal is now in session," Kelverian announced. "The accused stands present before the court today."

Another reploid, a small, childlike model, clad in white and gold at Kelverians side, cleared his throat and spoke, reading off a tablet. "The Neo Arcadian State - against - Former Neo Arcadian Commandant of the Marine Corps and Parliament Member'Axl'-build model /XY/, original identification code unknown."

"I shall now read the judgement of the Neo Arcadian Military Tribunal," Kelverian began. "This tribunal was established in virtue of and to implement the Abel Declaration of 2114, and the Neo Arcadia Declaration of 2259. The Abel Declaration was jointly released by the President of Abel City, the Prime Minister of Gigantis and the President of the National Government of the Republic of Laguz, and reads as follows…hem, the several vassal nations, present and future, have agreed upon future military operations against the Maverick threat to restrain and punish dissident reploids for their aggression. These nations covet no gain for…"

Zero had heard this spiel far too many times during his 200 year stint as a Maverick Hunter, and he was certain X had too. Axl's frown deepened.

"X, please-"

X cast a silencing gaze towards Zero. "Not now, Zero."

"Don't do this, X. You have to reconsider!"

"...Why should I?"

His voice was laced with disdain, simple words leaving a vacuum in its wake.

Kelverain looked up from his tablet, catching a glimpse of the quietly bickering rulers, before returning his attention to the proceedings at hand.

"...On the 14th of September, 2378, an indictment was previously served and lodged with the tribunal. The indictment charges the accused with fifty eight counts of Crimes of Terrorism, Crimes against Peace and Crimes against Humanity between the periods of November 23rd, 2355 and August 28th, 2378. They will be surmised as follows-

"In Count 1, the accused is charged with conspiring as leader, organiser, instigator and accomplice to planning, preparation, initiation, and waging of wars of aggression for the purpose of military, political and economic domination of Neo Arcadia and its adjacent territories. In Count 2, the accused is charged with conspiring with terrorist militia to have the Resistance and Rebellion militia movements mutually assist each other to secure complete domination of Neo Arcadia and its adjacent territories. Count 3 to 9 charges the accused with the mass murder of disarmed soldiers and civilians at Fortitude Harbour- Count 3, Stormweaver Tower- Count 4, Frontline Ice Base- Count 5..."

As Kelverian listed off indictments, Zero could feel himself detaching from the reality of the situation. Even if it was in the name of justice for those wronged by X's rule, Axl's actions were undoubtedly unacceptable, and in the eyes of the Neo Arcadian tribunal, punishable by any means necessary. What could Zero say to stop the inevitable? Playing the devil's advocate was a fruitless endeavour under X's iron rule.

"Count 12 charges the accused with conspiring to cause serious interference with, disruption to, and destruction of critical public infrastructure with intentions to influence the Neo Arcadian government by intimidation to advance an ideological cause…"

"X, you can't do this-"

"Be quiet."

"Count 14 charges the accused with initiating unlawful hostilities against Neo Arcadian military establishments in breach of the Sigma Convention III, relative to the opening of intra-reploid hostilities…"

Zero pulled at X's arm. "What's wrong with you? You can't do this to him, X."

"He did this tohimself," he snapped back, his biting tone making Zero wince. "What do you think I'm going to gain by sparing his life? He's a maverick, Zero."

"Is that all you think of him? Just a maverick?"

"Count 15 charges the accused with providing training connected to terrorist acts…"

"Quiet!You havenojurisdiction in this matter. Do you understand?"

"How could you say that?" Zero's voice broke with desperation. "This is Axl. This is ourson!Have you forgotten what he meant to us?"

X narrowed his gaze with a slight disgust. "Don't tell me you're asking me to sympathise with a terrorist."

"How can you expect me not to?" Zero swallowed his anger before he could raise his voice. "Why are you doing this? You love him! I know you do!"

"Are you trying to sabotage this trial? Because if you are, I will not tolerate your hysterics." X lowered his helm, his hollow stare starkly obdurate. "Behave, or I'll be forced to remove you from this proceeding."

The accusation made Zero's temper flare, composure dissolving under the pressure. "What happened to you?! This isn't you! This isn'tlikeyou!"

"Count 21 to 32 cha- oh?" Kelverian interrupted himself sharply, realising that all eyes had turned to Neo Arcadia's rulers. He lightly tapped the gavel. "I apologise, Masters. I must call for order during this proceeding. If you happen to have an issue with how this trial is progressing, I request you say now before I resume reading the tribunal's judgement."

Zero's roving eyes snapped to and from X and Axl. The copybot remained silent, watching X's every move with an acrimonious frown. X crossed his arms.

"I apologise for the disruption," X expressed, though Zero picked up the iota of cynicism in his stiff tone. "My partner is confused, that's all."

Being misrepresented so egregiously caught Zero flat-footed. "I'm not-"

"Let me reiterate why we are here today for you,Master Zero," X spoke with an acidic cadence. He stood before the tribunal at the balcony's edge, addressing the court with an oppressive and formidable aura. "The accused who stands before us today is an old friend of mine, someone I once thought of as family. To the tribunal, he might be nothing more than a former Neo Arcadian governor. Regardless, he has turned on our glorious city, making a name for himself as a figurehead in the Resistance extremist movement. You've heard the Chief Judge- his crimes are too numerous to comprehend- terrorism, mass murder, conspiracy, crimes against peace, crimes against humanity!

"Axl, you were once so loyal to this city- tome, and now you've let yourself become amongst the most vile of maverick extremists! Tell me, do you know how many innocent lives you have claimed in your horrific attacks on Neo Arcadia's people? Because you'll have to forgive Zero for being ignorant to your terrorist behaviour!"

"Objection, your honour; argumentative," Flizard raised cooly.

Kelverian nodded. "Objection sustained-"

After an unbroken silence from the copybot, Axl spoke up, lunging forward provocatively. "X, Thereareno innocent lives in Neo Arcadia!" He scowled. "Every complacent, sycophantic bastard here has blood on their hands and theyknow it!"

X gritted his teeth as his anger threatened to bubble over. "This is aparadise! And yet, you desire more than what you have been gifted. You have let greed and spite ruin you! Axl, you threaten the peace that we have worked so hard to achieve. The future that you and I workedsohard for."

"How dare you call it paradise when you've built atop the bodies of innocents who questioned you, of rebels like me?! Your path to 'peace' was paved with the blood of a who saw through your fascist bullsh*t-!"

A single ringing bang of the gavel silenced the court.

"Order," Kelverian demanded curtly. A soldier at Axl's side threatened him into compliance with his rifle pressed into his back.

X did not cease his attack in spite of Kelverian's call for order. "And you suppose you are any better, then?" He asked, "seeking to overthrow me by killing innocents- murdering unarmed soldiers and civilians? This government was established to implement and uphold the Abel Declaration by any means necessary to prevent aggression such as yours from running rampant. By your violent opposition to this decision, you are by definition, amaverick!" There was a darkness in X's gaze that Zero had never witnessed before, so slight, and yet enough to terrify the red warbot. "And mavericks… must perish without hesitation."

Such an absolute statement made Zero's bristle. That sort of automatic black-and-white thinking- it wasn't X at all. He was stunned- this went infinitely deeper than he could ever have anticipated. There was no changing the inevitable sentencing.

Zero wanted to run away and escape having to watch Axl's fate be decided- but his legs failed to obey him. Even if they had, such an act of cowardice would haunt Zero to his deathbed.

Grabbing onto X, Zero chanted his pleas. "X, please, at least spare his life-!"

With a frustrated groan, X shouldered Zero off, nearly throwing him to the ground. It only took a meager sliver of his strength, but it took the red warbot off guard as to just how powerful he had become.

"Stop it," X admonished, "Do you really think you're gonna change my mind being a nuisance? Did you honestly expect that by coming here and asking, I'm just gonna give up my work- my views- foronemaverick? You think I'm just going to submit to your whims peacefully? Don't be so selfish. Not everything can be about us! Axl is a threat to humanity,end of!"

He faced the tribunal. "Kelverian, let Zero know of Axl's transgressions, will you?"

The Chief Judge startled at the sudden addressal. "Very well, Master X. I will now resume reading the judgement of the Neo Arcadian Military Tribunal. Count 21 to 32 charges the accused with conspiracy to commit largescale murder of disarmed soldiers. Count 33 to 36 charges the accused with conspiracy to commit largescale murder of civilians…"

Zero couldn't deny that Axl was a maverick. He was dangerous. He was a violent rebel. He conspired to wage war. War was an inherently evil thing, its effects not confined to the belligerent individuals, but with wide scale ramifications for innocent lives.

But… he was Axl.

He always fought for the right thing- all his destruction, all his violence, was to return freedom and choice to the people of Neo Arcadia.

Zero dipped his head as conflict swept through him. All he could do was withstand the agonising wait as the indictment was read, his consciousness retreating.

"Count 43 charges the accused with organising the attacks on Phoenix Airport between August and October of 2368…"

"Count 48 charges the accused with organising a covert weapon smuggling operation with intentions to arm terrorist movements…"

"Count 53 charges the accused with organising the bombings of Neo Arcadia's Southern Marine Corps' residential compounds…"

"Count 58 charges the accused with initiating the destruction of public infrastructure with intentions to illegally smuggle human-likes from the country."

Kelverian held his head high as he concluded reading the indictment. Zero kept running his tacticals as the trial progressed, only to come to a roadblock every time. He didn't have the physical fortitude to act on his strategies like he used to.

"The Tribunal will now proceed to render its verdict for the accused. The defendant, Axl - has been found guilty under fifty one counts by the Tribunal. There is no evidence he took active part in counts 13, 23, 27, 29, 34, 35 and 51. In the course of the hearing of this evidence, it has been proven beyond a doubt that Axl is a highly dangerous criminal and terrorist. The defendant has pleaded guilty in a previous hearing."

X spoke again. "And would the defendant seek to deny his guilt at this moment?" he asked- more so provoked, "Have you no defence, no alibis you would like to offer?"

Though he was unwilling to submit to X and his lackeys, Axl embraced his maverickism with pride. "No," he answered, "I have no defence. Why would I?! I don't want to be pardoned by someone as evil asyou!You know what you're doing is wrong, X. Everyone knows it. It's just that I had the balls to do something about it. Your wanton goals only serve yourself!" He quivered with barely contained rage, looking around at the Tribunal. "Are all of you even aware of your own thoughts? Or are you as vacuously unaware as a f*cking insect?!"

Kelverian's stern disposition visibly wavered. He looked aside, lost in thought. There were mumbles amongst the crowd. Sensing the growing unease, X filled the air with his voice.

"Guilty… what say you good people?"

The Tribunal exchanged pensive looks and murmurs. The Judges provided their answers to the child-like, hareish reploid, who relayed them to Kelverian.

Kelverian steeled his resolve before answering. "The Neo Arcadia Central Council shares the views of the majority judgement. As Chief Judge, I generally share the views of the majority. I have provided a brief statement of my reasons, and some of the general factors that have influenced my decisions. These documents will be available to all it may concern."

"All of you, all so f*cking spineless!" Axl snapped, thrashing in his restraints. "How about sacrificing something for the betterment of the people? For a goal that's bigger than you are? Isn't that why you are a part of this Tribunal?!X!You know better than anyone else that you will never find peace in your pursuit of mammon like power and status!" The copybot was pulled back by his chains. "Zero!Do you understand the situation? We are trying to make a new world, free from X's ideas of archaic dominion! We don't care about the sacrifices we have to make, because in the end, they will be vindicated! We will live in a better world, one worthy ofpride!"

X shook his head and harrumphed. "Such a shameful waste of energy. Kelverian?"

Axl spat and writhed violently. His breath growing shallow and laboured, the pump of blood rushing through him in his panic throbbing in his head, Zero inched back, his gaze never once leaving Axl's furious eyes. "Zero!This isn't you! This isn'tX!" he screamed, "you are not a pawn! You are not a pet! You are not an animal to be kept! None of us are just animals! We arepeople!Capable of love and joy and pride and compassion and invention! Zero!"

Zero felt something inside him snap. "No-!"

"The Neo Arcadian Military Tribunal will now pronounce the sentence on the accused convicted on this indictment-"

"Zero!Tear this world asunder!"

"In the name of the true sovereign Lord X, accused 'Axl', on the Counts of the Indictment on which you have been convicted, the Neo Arcadian Military Tribunal sentences you to execution by firing squad."

"ZERO!"

"NO!"

Letting free an anguished cry, Zero bolted forward to scale the balustrade and descend to Axl's level, but before he could fall from the loge, X had grabbed his wrist and dragged him back onto the balcony, wrapping his arm around Zero and pulling him into an unyielding, oppressive grasp.

"Zero! You…" X bit back his ire. "Don't interfere!"

Zero didn't care that it was X anymore. He kicked and clawed and wailed, but X's unforgiving grip failed to give. "X, you can't do this!"

"Axl is a maverick, and must be punished accordingly!"

"He is ourson!"

"Then it's such a shame he turned out this way. I'm beyond caring at this point. He has caused enough trouble for us! I have no problem ending his trash liferight here."

Zero's mouth hung open in anticipation of a response that he couldn't muster. There was nothing he could say that would make anything X was speaking make sense, with what Zero used to know of him. He was speaking in birdsong. "X…"

A tall, sharp white and gold reploid called over a squad of soldiers brandishing rifles, the reploids marching and gathering in single file before Axl. The tall Judge kicked Axl's legs in, sending him to his knees.

"Stop! X,stop him!"

The riflemen steadied their balance and took aim. Axl held his head high, remaining militant until the end.

"Give the word, Master X," the tall reploid said. Zero screamed pleas for mercy despairingly.

"Don't! No! Don'tdo this!"

X remained obstinate. "When ready, Mantisk."

The mythic executioner- Mantisk, faced his riflemen. "Fire at my command."

In his last moments, Axl offered a slight smile in Zero's direction.

"Fire!"

"AXL!"

A volley of bullets pierced through Axl's back and out through his chest, sending his blood splattering on the floor.

With their shots lined up perfectly with the copybot's power generator, he was dead within seconds. The subtle glow of a reploid's eyes disappeared from his emerald green glare.

After his legs gave out, he lifelessly fell to the ground, blood pooling from his wounds. Zero was catatonic.

His world was nothing but shades of red.

"The Tribunal is hereby adjourned. You are all dismissed."

Zero was still a prisoner to his vacant shock as members of the Tribunal began to shuffle off, many visibly sickened and moved by the violent execution.

There was a fracture in Zero's mind. Like Iris- the feeling of loss, of guilt- the harrowing fissure that never healed.

X let him go from his grip. Zero leaped over the railing to kneel before Axl's lifeless body.

There was no pulse, no sign of life. Zero was waiting for Axl to do so much as twitch, but it never happened. He lay there, motionless, unanswering.

"N-no…"

Axl died with his jaws clenched in a snarl, damning the world even in death.

Blood was still seeping from his warm body. Zero collected Axl in his arms and cradled him, embracing him as gently as a mother would her newborn child.

Zero rocked back and forth, weeping inconsolably into the crook of Axl's neck.

"Axl…"

He was expecting an answer that would never come.

"Axl… I'm sorry. T-this is all my fault…"

His voice broke and quivered through sobs.

Axl…

All semblance of equanimity crumbled. Zero threw his head back and keened, wailing his grief into the sky.

With no strength, no weapons, no allies and no power, all he could do was scream his sorrows as he lamented over his son's dead body.

From behind, X had jumped down from his perch to join Zero's side. He kept ample distance from the red warbot and their lifeless son.

"Why do you weep for him?"

… A fissure.

Zero's world was red.

"He is a maverick. He always has been." X was hardly comforting. "Lupus pilum mutat, non mentem,Zero. The wolf changes its fur but not its nature."

"Because he was ourson, X!"

X flinched back at the sudden snap.

"Why?!Why have you become this way? I thought you weredifferent!" Zero didn't pull his punches. "Why?! You- you f*ckingmurderer!"

The azure reploid's shoulders dropped, defeated. "Zero…"

"Was everything we were- was it all a lie?!"

"No-"

"Our family- it meantnothingto you!"

"Enough!"

X's bellowing roar lingered in the air. In the far flung horizon, thunder cracked in the distance.

"I do not dominate indiscriminately. Not in this life. We human-likes are careful, in that way. It's the natural order of things to be so… vacuous." He looked to the storm on the horizon. "But sometimes, old dominion must re-emerge, because there are stubborn dissidents who refuse to accept order. It is our duty to resist entropy."

He stepped forward. X eyed down Axl's corpse- still bleeding.

"To accept and uphold order… you taught me that, Zero. Our principles must surpass emotions- our animal bonds!"

…

There were cracks, splitting the world into pieces.

X's world.

Zero would tear it asunder.

"Get away from me," Zero whispered. X frowned.

"What?"

"I saidget away from me!"

X backed away, incredulous. "You're not thinking like yourself."

"I hate you!"

That gave X pause. He shut his mouth and looked away from Zero's charged glare. He ruffled uncomfortably.

"...Alright."

He swallowed hard, turning away with his gaze fixed to the floor, and departed, leaving Zero alone with their dead son. He didn't even grieve for a second.

The distant storm was getting closer as the sun disappeared behind the city skyline. Zero sat vigil by Axl's side, even as a pattering of raindrops began to fall.

Zero's head spun, processor swimming with regrets. He wondered endlessly what he could've done differently. He should've escaped X's possession when he could- then maybe, Axl wouldn't have had to sacrifice his life to impart his message to him.

He had to make it out. He had to find the will to change like Axl had, and sever his ties with X. He had to change as Axl did, and as X did.

Zero was not a hollow warmachine. Before the advent of humanity, survival was governed by the individuals who possessed the most will. Society was shaped by those same people- Zero knew that. The doctors of centuries past who led humanity into a new age of machines, Sigma, Dr. Weil… X.

People who had the grit and wherewithal to supplant and override animal expectations of immediate gratifications and extol the distant future- the distant ideal. Axl didn't need his body- he was no mere man of lesser purposes, he could stand on his principles.

Even then… it didn't make Zero's grief any less real.

Little had changed. Everyone Zero once loved was gone- including X.

Chapter 7: Chapter Six

Chapter Text

There would be no peace for Zero, even in sleep. Whenever he closed his eyes, all he could see was Axl.

His final words played over and over in Zero's head until it wore out. The vision of his jaw, clenched in a scowl, condemning the world X had created even in death…

A fissure, splitting his world into pieces. Where did he go so wrong?

He sat curled over in a bathtub, armourless and helmetless, naked and entirely vulnerable, submerged in lukewarm water. His world was red, and he couldn't wash himself of the shade no matter how hard he tried. It was torture. Every waking moment he spent living in that citadel was agony.

There was no one left for him in Neo Arcadia. He wasn't sure he could ever bear to look X in the eye again. Zero felt empty. Hollow. Vacuous, his conscience vacating his body in a bid to cope with his grief.

Axl's ideal loomed over him. If he was going to have Axl's message live on, he had to find the resolve to escape X's dominion. He had to find the will to change without X's influence, for society was shaped by those who possessed the will to exalt the distant ideal. Something had to change.

But… he wasn't himself. How could he change when he didn't know what he was to begin with? Not a warmachine, not anymore- his body was frail, his reflexes like resin instead of a rapid, and yet, not fully a person either, not in the eyes of those around him. He was little more than a pet. A piece of art to balk at.

Even in his darkest hour, he had a responsibility, an imperative- he had to uphold the distant future ideal, the strongest will, not only for Axl, not only for himself, but for the people like him. The unsatisfied minority, every man who couldn't stand to live under X's dominion. If he could change the world, even by just 1%, that was an initiative he was obliged to take.

Change… Zero grabbed handfuls of golden hair and rocked forward.

Fractures that never healed- set in stone forever. What was he fighting for?

…

'Commander Zero. This is Lieutenant Wander. You have a visitor at gate 20-C2. She says she's from, er, the RIAOT? I'm here with Meander.'

The visitor came as a surprise to Zero. He really didn't have time to entertain unanticipated guests, nor did he have the desire to really do so. His schedule was busy as is, now that he was amongst the most important people in the Hunters. Socialisation with complete strangers? On any other day, it'd be off the table. Liaising with the public- that was X's duty. Most of Abel City's denizens knew that trying to contact Zero was a fruitless endeavour, and they didn't bother.

To that, Zero wouldn't complain. That was what the Hunter's PR division was for.

For some reason however, this time, he found himself compelled to investigate. He was already on his way to the entrance of the western wing.

Maybe it was the fact that the Repliforce had only recently come to fruition. Dr. Cain had demanded Zero behave during this moment in time, when tensions were high and political relations were fragile. If she was from the RIAOT, maybe offering her his time would reflect well on the Hunters as an organisation.

...The RIAOT? Whatwasthe RIAOT, exactly?

Zero appeared at the scene at gate 20-C2. His subordinates, Lieutenant Wander and Assistant Chief Meander were already present. The latter coyote reploid probably there to see if he could diffuse the situation. Alas- the guest wanted Zero, not his lackeys.

Standing between the two was Zero's visitor. She was…

Zero's initial reaction was telling to all that were present but himself.

Title- 'hot girl just walked in' by Zero /0.XX/, c. 2129, oil on canvas.

"Commander Zero, sir!" Wander stood at attention and gave a firm salute. Meander offered a more subdued greeting in a small nod.

The visitor… she had a slight smile gracing her soft features when she met Zero's gaze. She was… cute?

Was that the right word? Zero was not at all well versed in these kinds of feelings. They were emotions he was rarely privy to.

She had long brown hair and hazel green eyes. There was an instant, recognisable charisma about her. On top of it all- that smile… rarely did Zero earn a look quite so gentle and welcoming. The only other person who offered such a gift was X.

Zero's tactical algorithms were at a loss. Did she have an agenda? She didn't seem to give out any threat readout. What was the RIAOT? Zero's tacticals rendered her in wireframe and identified potential vulnerabilities in her build. Further investigation revealed she was new, a month old, fresh off the factory line, and, upon consultation of the Mechaniloid and Reploid Aggregation Database, a wholly unique /1.XY/ model. After a short pause, he blinked and returned to his senses upon a soft reboot.

"Uh. Hello?" Zero tried. The visitor's smile widened.

"Hello, sir," she greeted in kind. Her voice was feathery and gently accented. Zero nervously looked to Wander and Meander for elaboration on the situation, but they simply shrugged. The visitor extended a hand for Zero to shake. The red hunter stared at her hand apprehensively, hesitantly letting her take it and shake. "It's an honour to meet you, Zero, really."

Zero made a face. Meander covered his muzzle to hide his smirk. The blonde was probably trying to look welcoming, but his bemusem*nt was betraying him. The guest quickly picked up on his turmoil and laughed, the sweet sound helping dissipate some of the tension in the air.

"Oh! I'm confusing you, aren't I? My name is Iris," she cleared up. "I'm from the RIAOT."

Zero co*cked his head, nonplussed. RIAOT… he searched the Hunters' infonet for further information on such an establishment.

"...The Reploid Integration and Organisation Trust."

"Exactly right," Iris confirmed. Zero frowned, still plenty confused.

"...The Reploid Integration and Organisation Trust… is a research institute."

"Again, yes."

Strange, but it wasn't like she posed any sort of threat. In fact, now that his tacticals had run a full analysis on her, Zero felt unreasonably calm in her presence, like he had been stripped of his armour and laid bare. He looked to Meander and Wander to calibrate.

'Meander' /2.XY/: negligible threat 0.32% - analysis evidence significant when H0(target: threat) is 0.05 (p=0.00006). Nope- his subroutines were in perfect working order.

Still, questions had to be asked. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here for my dissertation, of course!" She said, as if it was obvious. "So you can stop running your tacticals on me, now. I'm a non-combat build."

Zero squinted. That just sent those algorithms into overdrive.

"How did you know I was-?"

Iris gave him a suave grin. "I know many things. Your thoughts are very loud."

Zero was unsure of what that meant. She walked off to explore the courtyard, inspecting the facade of the Hunter Base with a scrutinising eye. "Maybe you're familiar with my brother."

Close behind, Zero followed Iris as she milled around the garden. "...I'm afraid I don't detect any candidate resemblances."

Iris stopped and chuckled. "Colonel."

Zero leaned back in surprise. "TheColonel? From Repliforce?"

"Mmhm. He talks about you a lot. It was what got me interested in finally meeting you!" Iris revealed. "Your story, it kind of inspired my dissertation. I'd been racking my brain for as long as I've been online trying to think ofsomethingto submit to the RIAOT, then, it came to me one night; the day you met Colonel, he came back to the Repliforce residentials talking about you, and that was when I figured it out. Machine-Human metanoia!"

"Dissertation…?" That gave Zero pause. "...if you think I'm nothing more than a thing for you to study, then forget it. I'm not going to be your PhD thesis."

Iris shook her head vigorously. "Nonono! It's not like that. My dissertation is not about you in particular. It's an investigation into what makes us reploids so human. Thus: machine-human metanoia. What catalysed the change from lower animals to sapience and beyond, et cetera? What anomaly predicated our headlong rush into sapience?"

Zero's lips drew tight. Her words, though laced with a hypnotising, provocative charisma, registered as complete nonsense to him. "...We are robots."

"And we are people." Iris cleared her throat. "What I'm trying to get at is that I'm trying to reverse engineer Thomas Light's innovations in sapient robotics and see if it can be applied to understanding the root of maverickism. That's where you come in. I'm interested in your metanoia. It's unique to you, you're maybe the only example of it out there right now. Your ability to exhibit humanity after waking up without a human conscience is the only well documented immediate switch from wild to man!"

"Meta-noy-ah…. I'm not a Light derivative," Zero noted. Iris co*cked her head quizzically.

"But you are a person, aren't you?"

"...I am a warmachine," he half-answered. "I am my mission, nothing more."

Iris squinted. "X doesn't think of you that way."

"...How- wh-" He restarted. "You've never met him. Why would you think that?"

"I have eyes, a brain and a heart, is how."

Zero didn't respond.

"You're pretty easy to read, you know. It's clear to me that you're a person… at least, you're still learning how to cope with the mantle of 'man' when you don't think you deserve the title."

After a silence, Iris quickly came to the realisation that Zero coped with philosophical challenges by simply shutting himself off from the world.

"Have you ever heard of the halo-genome?"

Zero scrunched his nose. "No...?" Really- what did Iris expect him to say?

"I wouldn't have thought so." She gave him a cheeky smirk. "There's this paradox in modern robotics. They call it the Missing Piece. See, we have a processor, hom*ologous to the animal brain…" she tapped her temple, "but… we've yet to map any region of our central processor that governs identity. The physical central processor we have is our animal brain in the most literal of terms- it governs our mechabiological functions and not much else. By all estimates… with the central processor we have, we should be as vacuous as a mechaniloid."

Zero was struggling to keep up with what she was saying. "...Did you come here just to confuse me?"

"I'm telling you this because this is relevant to my dissertation. And to you, more than you realise," she answered. "See, the Missing Piece, our humanity… is not a physical thing. If our genome encodes the instructions for our physical bodies, the halo-genome encodes the instructions for our identities. Our souls, maybe."

Zero chewed his lip in thought. "Souls… DNA souls. Like the Berkana incident?"

"Yes!" She jogged in place and fist pumped victoriously. "'DNA souls,' as she called them. That was the first time we realised the effects of the halo-genome- the haloencephelon, specifically. Berkana's victims, their haloencephelon literally burnt away completely. After that, there was no person left in those reploids… just the vacant animal."

"Halo, because it surrounds our head… the haloencephalon. The halo brain?"

"Yes. That is what makes us, us."

"But it doesn't exist."

"Well, not as you or I would expect it to. It's based in another realm, one we can't truly tap into yet as long as we're confined to basal human tridimensional limits. I call it cyberspace, like those old science fiction movies. I'm still trying to make it catch on in RIAOT. Cyberspace stores the halo in a kind of conscience cloud network. We are its physical matter cartridges."

"I'm lost again."

Iris circled around in front of Zero. "Can I show you something? It won't hurt, promise."

A moment passed. Zero was estimating Iris' heart rate as she stared up at him with cutesy doe-eyes. 63bpm… 64bpm. Back to 63. Likely telling the truth. "Alright. Just make it quick… I have a meeting at 3…"

Iris' grin widened. "Yes!" She celebrated, before composing herself to the best of her ability. "Okay. Uh, hold still. This is probably gonna feel weird."

She put two fingers on his headgem. Zero co*cked a brow behind his helmet.

"Authorisation code X-291937- FULL INTEGRATION - ALL IN, HALO, DURATION 120 DEGREES."

And all at once, his HUD dissolved from his vision. Wander, Meander and Iris, previously rendered partially in wireframe with vulnerabilities highlighted in red surface planes, appeared… exactly as they existed. The incessant tactical programming that was always running was eerily quiet. Everything looked so… real. He felt off. He felt like… he was entirely himself.

Zero panicked.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME-"

Meander and Wander backed up some, the canid reploids staring with wide eyes at the situation playing out in front of them.

"Relax! This is temporary," Iris assured. "You'll go back to normal in two minutes."

"How- what- euh?!"

"This is a style I developed during my socialisation period. This is your haloencephalon. This is you."

Zero stared at Iris as if she had grown a second head. He looked at his hands.

"My combat algorithms-"

"Are a part of the animal brain. Most of us are primarily driven by the Animal in our lives, you know." Zero could hear the capitalisation in her tone. "The Animal governs our innate desire to survive. It values the immediate comfort. The halo… it exalts the ideal of the future. Most reploids are caught in an imbalance favouring the animal brain, I've noticed… you included. Your halo activity heat map is… your halo brain, it's being suppressed with how you limit yourself to the physical. Hm… that's interesting. I haven't mastered this technique completely… your hindbrain is still functioning. if I could entirely inhibit your animal brain, you'd have passed out… and you wouldn't have freaked out."

She made a mental note. Zero wasn't familiar with the technicalities, but one thing was for certain.

He… liked this. Being purely himself. He liked seeing the world through the eyes of his true brain, whatever that meant. In the light of his halo, everything seemed much more vibrant, no longer bogged down by his animal impulses. As he was in this state, he felt privy to the mantle of 'man', capable of art and compassion and innovation and love. He didn't see Meander or Wander in terms of threat level anymore, he could finally see them as nothing but friends. The woman before him, he saw her not as a mere non-combatant, but as someone who was truly interested in the person behind the warmachine proxy it was inhabiting. When he contemplated X…

Was it love he felt? He wasn't too sure… they were not quite just friends anymore.

"I have two hypotheses. One, imbalance between the two brains breeds fracture in the reploid. The Animal brain seeks comfort and submits to the wiles of natural order. It's the mother of compliance. When the halo burns out, you're left with vacant animals. Berkana, you know? The halo supplants natural order in the name of the ideal- to survive is not enough, we must go beyond base desires. Nine out of ten reploids let the Animal direct their decisions. The remaining 10%... well, when a reploid tries to supplant the natural order of things, what do you suppose humans call that?"

Zero's eyes widened. "Maverick…?"

"Maverick. Sigma, I've observed his halomap- his halo dominates his physical by a hundred fold factor. Almost as if his physical doesn't even matter- hence his ability to return even after physical death. His halo-genome must have mutated in a way to escape nature, maybe by viral integration into the halo-genome. The halo draws from the realm of possibility. Sap too much from the future, and there will be none left for us. My second hypothesis- perfection and true freedom can only be achieved by equilibrium of perfect Animal and halo brain dynamics."

Zero made a face. "Which means?"

Iris prodded Zero's chest with her finger. "We are art. Your body is the canvas. Your halo is the paintbrush. You create your own masterpiece."

...

Two minutes were up. Tacticals and reflexes commanded his being once more, the world returning to what he once knew.

"That sounds like maverick talk…" Meander itched the back of his head. Iris whipped around with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Maybe it is. Maybe all reploids have an impulse to become mavericks. I didn't design the halo! I don't know what Dr. Light's thought process was."

"I don't buy the idea that Dr. Light could even do that. I mean, it was 100 years ago," Wander asserted, "sure he was smart, but tapping into higher dimensions? How many elements did they have, 50?Bahah, they didn't even have transerver spatial-mass balancers."

Iris ignored them, and turned back to Zero. "I'll need to pick at your brain a little more to find out if you were created with a halo, or if you developed it serendipitously. Which means I need your permission. Is that alright?"

Zero pursed his lips and sighed. "I don't know…"

"I'll give you some time to think about it. Anyway, I should get going… I won't keep you any longer. See you around, Zero."

Iris playfully pivoted around Zero, heading for the inside of the base. Meander woofed and chased after her. "Hey! You need a permit-"

"I have one. I'm with Repliforce, remember?"

Meander set his jaw. "Oh."

"Wait." Zero reached out for Iris, and she stopped stiffly. "Using conscience altering authority codes like that. That's a style unique to X… how did you…dothat?"

"Project ADAM. An attempt to recreate X's likeness in perfection. But humans are triumvirate. They can't tap into the halo because they are limited to three dimensions. So the reploid that was ADAM- X- was split in two.."

"You and Colonel…"

She hummed affirmatively. "I don't consider myself an empath. More of… someone who reverse engineers the ego in real time."

Zero stood wordlessly as Iris stared him down. After realising he had little else to say, she disappeared into many halls of the base. He sighed.

Metanoia… masterpiece…

…

Zero sat submerged in the bath. His past played upon the fringes of his conscience.

He wished X had never woken him from stasis. The real world was so much more painful than he remembered.

The real… the physical… imbalance breeds fracture in the reploid.

He needed to be liberated from his physical cartridge. He needed to find balance to nourish his metamorphosis, as Iris had wanted.

Die, and be reborn in emancipation- his art. His metanoia.

He was to be his own masterpiece, which no one else had the aptitude to paint.

Iris? If you're out there… I think I understand now. The definition of evolution is escape.

"Happy anniversary to youuu…"

Hunched over at his desk in his citadel living quarters, X jolted upright at the deep, sultry voice, singing coyly at him.Zero?

He turned, finding the red android leaning against the doorframe to his study. Zero gazed at him with unbridled want, a co*cked hip, a sly smirk. He let his beautiful flaxen-gold hair fall over his body, his helmet discarded. X stared at him with roving eyes, taking a second to compute what was happening.

Wait. It was their anniversary?

Zero blushed cutely, a pink hatch etching across his faceplate, and he flicked his shimmering blonde hair over his shoulder. "Happy anniversary to youuuu~..."

"Oh… Zero? You've finally come around, have you?" he supposed, getting off his chair and onto his feet. Zero sauntered over with a tantalising sway of the hips, every slow step drawing all of X's attention, where they met in the middle before the doorway to their bedroom. Zero's hand came over X's chest, fingers splaying out as he guided X into their bedroom. "I'm glad… you've finally come around to seeing things how I see them."

He guided Zero's lips to his, capturing them in a passionate kiss as he backed up into his bed, falling back onto the mattress with Zero strewn atop of him. It had been too long since Zero had kissed him like this. X's hand, spread across the small of Zero's back, strayed further south as Zero deepened the kiss with a greedy open mouth.

"Happy anniversary… to… you~" Zero cooed when he parted lips with the azure reploid. Their body's were flush, hot, burning with desire. "Happy anniversary dear…Eeeecks~!"

He threw his head back as he sang, playing up the melodrama for X's amusem*nt.

"You're so funny, Zero…" X chuckled, "I love you…"

X was laughing. His heart felt aglow with the light of love, his head in the clouds. He was comfortable. Free, all inhibitions dissolving.

"I have a gift for youuu…" Zero whispered sweetly into his audial, leaning back to straddle him and shouldering off his vest. "All of me, all for you."

Shutting his eyes, X let himself smile. All his struggles, his loss, his sacrifices- all were vindicated with Zero's love.

He was his everything. It was all worth it. Was it?

A pause- a break- a fracture. Red. His world was tattered and frayed.

In a viral cyberspace facsimile, Zero stood over him with his boot pinning him to the ground, his Z-saber held viciously over his head like the sword of Damocles.

"N-no!"

Zero burned violet with animosity. His fangs were bared like a snarling beast, and yet, there was an unmistakable striking clarity in his eyes that revealed an free, awakened conscience behind the animal.

"I hate you."

True balance- this was Zero's honest self. The blade plunged down into X's prone body, splitting him in two from hip to gullet.

Was it worth it?

…

X woke with a gasp, startling upright in his bed and frantically palming his chest.

He was unscathed. Just a dream, but his terror still lingered in the waking world in his shallow breaths and quivering frame. Over the years, he had tried tirelessly to suppress the memory of the day Zero turned on him, but it was a futile endeavour. It was a part of him now, whether he liked it or not. The centuries old wound may have healed, but the scar remained forever.

X breathed in and held it. He was in control. Exhale. The feeling would pass eventually. He needed a walk.

In the middle of the night with few around to call company, X left his living quarters to wander the citadel halls, comforted by the powerful embrace of the marble white tower. The moonlight glistened off the edges of its intricate architecture.

Ever since Axl's death, Zero hadn't spoken to him since. He wasn't sure if Zero was ever going to forgive him. He was torn- he wanted Zero to love him the same way he did in years prior, but there was another half of him insisting that none of it mattered, as long as he maintained his dominion over his world. His life's work had to be preserved, and if Zero couldn't handle that, then perhaps he was weaker than he remembered.

X stopped in front of a window and looked out to Neo Arcadia, still blanketed in darkness. He gripped his hands into tightly balled fists. Maybe Axl had already poisoned his mind with maverick nonsense. He could feel his grip on Zero slipping with every passing second. Zero's seconds- they were supposed to belong tohim. Had he given him too much leash?

Such a lack of control signified weakness. He would reject that.He rejected weakness with every fiber of his being!

Stepping outside onto a balcony, X took in the fresh air, the cool breeze brushing past as soft as a whisper, a testament to Harpuia's climatological manipulation. He stared into the abyss of the night sky, finding refuge in the infinite vastness of space. His world embodied his perfect ambition, a far cry from the doldrums of Abel City, where his righteous ideals and principles reigned paramount.

So why did Zero long for the past? The Maverick Hunters were nothing but a temporary fix to the problem of wild reploids. He hadeverything. Why wasn't he fulfilled? What reason did he have to be so insolent?

More importantly, why wasn't X fulfilled? He was comfortable, but he wantedmore. Just living wasn't enough. He was still missingsomethingto complete him, even with Zero back.

Zero was supposed to be his saviour, his guiding light- he heard his name in church bells. He was supposed to be hiseverything!

He had Zero back, but it hardly felt like it… X buried his head in his hands.

Axl was dead, and that was not going to change, no matter how much hatred Zero would harbour towards X for his decision. There was no point contemplating alternate scenarios for things that have already happened.

Regret was something he thought he had abandoned in his quest for the ideal future.

"Father?"

X jolted and yelped a curse, Harpuia's fairly subdued voice coming as more of a shock to him than it had any right to.

"Oh, Harpuia…" X muttered, watching his emerald son as he emerged from the shadows and stood by his side. "Sorry. I just… got lost in my thoughts for a bit."

Harpuia stared him up and down analytically before furrowing his brow. "What has you awake at this hour?"

"Nothing. I was going to ask you the same thing."

"There was an incident at Cloudforge Tower that needed my immediate attention. It has been resolved."

X huffed a sigh, leaning over to rest his arms on the balcony rail. "Good, good man… file a report with the Weather Bureau when you can."

"Of course," Harpuia affirmed. The air general stepped back and made himself look small before continuing. "Father, you seem… tired."

It must've been obvious. X didn't turn away from the view of Neo Arcadia. He just groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "Yeah… guess you could say that."

Harpuia frowned in concern, affected with rare sympathy. X had let his scruffy, unkempt facial hair grow unrestrained over the past few weeks, his dirty blonde hair spilling messily from the confines of his helmet. "Trouble sleeping?"

X could lie, but the way the ever present dark circles under his eyes managed to worsen in recent times was telling. His response was a slurred murmur. "Sure. Suppose so…"

It didn't sound all too comforting to the air general. Harpuia looked downward, forlorn. "I see…" He tightened his jaw, thinking over his next words. "Sir, I've been meaning to ask... has- something been troubling you?"

X harrumphed incredulously. "Oh…hazard a guess, why don't you?"

Harpuia shrunk back at his father's aloof response. "Is it… Master Zero?"

Even the mere mention of the android seemed to set him off. With an irate growl, X slammed his fist into the balustrade, the sound of metal clashing against metal ringing out into the night.

"Of course it is!" he snapped, sending Harpuia flinching back. "Ever since I disposed of that insubordinate pest of a maverick, Zero's been avoiding me. That… that hysterical little bitch refuses to even talk to me.Not-even-apeep. He's mad. He does this when he's mad, shutting down like that. Was I so stupid to trusthimto know what's right in a world he was never privy to?!Ugh…Zero, he hates me for what I've done to Axl. He won't listen tomyperspective- if it wereanyoneelse, would Zero evencarethat such a vile terrorist was exterminated?! But it doesn't matter… to him, I'm just an evil, heartless monster."

X paused to breathe. "Sometimes, I wonder…"

Harpuia co*cked his head. "...-if what you're doing is right?" He guessed. X hummed ambivalently, neither confirming or denying such a statement.

A silence passed over them as X mused to himself. Harpuia shuffled, afflicted by the tension in the air as words were left unsaid.

Finally, X shook his head, standing up tall with reinforced resolve. "Argh, Harpuia, what am I talking about?! Of course it is. I can't afford to be selfish. Axl may have been my son, but he posed a threat to Neo Arcadia's mission of a perfect future. Our principles must come before our selfish animal bonds." He grit his teeth and balled his hand into a fist so tight it quivered. "How could I let myself fall for Zero's bullsh*t, even for a second… to think he screwed me with hisco*ckamamie ideaswhile I screwed him! How could I be so stupid, if I'm to lead this world into a new era of prosperity?! I can't entertain such doubt, not anymore."

X narrowed his gaze at Harpuia. "I was upholding our virtues, our laws, that were written in bloodshed. Axl had no place in our ideal future. To kill him is to kill the imperfect past.Correct?!"

"-Yes,correct, sir," Harpuia agreed hurriedly, as to not elicit X's mercurial wrath.

"Good. You understand! And yet, Zero refuses to conceive of my righteous vision… he taught meeverything!Heforgedmy ideal! He is the mother of Neo Arcadia! He struck down thousands, killing thoughtlessly because he thought it would advance our mission of peace- andnowhe's concerned for the lives of mavericks?! Why is he not satisfied?! Is he so insatiable?"

Harpuia swallowed through his anxiety. "He's stuck in the past, if I had to guess. He seeks the familiar comfort of your old world."

X settled himself, letting himself be cold and calculated. "Comfort… he knows better than anyone that comfort stymies progress."

If Zero refused to move on from the former life he had cultivated centuries ago, then sobeit. He could nurse anger over echoes from the past as much as he wanted, he could lash out and scream for Axl, but in the end…

A dumb bitch who bites back is still a dumb bitch. It was about time the Red Demon was broken and tamed.

"I've kept you awake long enough. Get some sleep. You're no good if you overwork that sharp processor of yours."

Harpuia stood at attention. "Yes, sir." He turned, looking over his shoulder before parting ways. "You should get some rest too, dad."

X nodded unpromisingly, and Harpuia stalked off, knowing he didn't have anything to say that his father wanted to hear.

With no one at his side to hear him out, X slumped with a long breath. He wasn't sure if keeping Zero around was more trouble than it was worth. He didn't want him in the hands of the Resistance… but in his current state, he couldn't change a damn thing about the world. Just giving people something to think about didnothing- that was a lesson Zero taught him years ago.

And despite everything, X couldn't help but foster his selfish failing that was his undying love for Zero. Zero was stuck in the past- still in love with what he once was. He wasn't that man anymore- he was so much more.

Zero was nothing without him. So how could he make Zero love him as he was- the man he had become?

The days were starting to blend into one.

Zero remained locked away in his room, laying splayed out on his stomach on his bed as the sun rose and set on Neo Arcadia again and again.

He was exhausted. A kind of tired that sleep just couldn't fix. If anything was to change, he needed to act, but after centuries of burning at both ends, his fire had fizzled out.

Change came to those who seeked it. Waiting was futile. Though, what was there for him to do, realistically? He didn't want to return to the halls of the citadel, but the other options didn't seem too feasible either. He couldn't sneak out with how the tower teemed with guards and soldiers, no doubt on high alert after the execution of such a notable resistance figure in Axl. It was a prison, physically, psychologically, and the walls were only getting smaller.

Axl… it would never get easier, would it? Just like the first time he had failed someone he loved when he murdered Iris. The way his fury lived on in his snarl even after his death. The last he ever saw of Zero was him being rendered helpless in X's mighty grasp.

Zero sobbed into his crossed arms. He felt pathetic, miserable and humiliated. It made him sick to think how worthless he had become. He couldn't go back to X now. He could barely stomach looking at him.

X was a murderer.HisX! The same X who loved him unconditionally, the X who kissed his nose when he needed it most and doted on every strand of hair and carried him to bed when he was too tired to even walk after a mission. He murdered their friends, their family. All in the name of paradise. If this was paradise, then Zero wanted nothing to do with it. How could he even begin to think what he was doing was right?

If he could do this to those closest to him, Zero couldn't imagine the sheer magnitude of the wrath and cruelty he unleashed upon his own people.

Since his conception, he was meant to be alone to forge his own path towards senseless destruction at all costs unimpeded. He had no one left, just as his creator had intended.

There was a knock at the door. Zero moaned indignantly.

"...Who is it?"

"It's us! Fefnir and Levi!"

Zero sat up and swung his legs over his bedside. Though he couldn't shed tears, per se, he could still 'cry', and by the way he looked, it was going to be painfully obvious to anyone he had just been in the throes of an episode. He wiped his face down and steeled himself to the best of his ability before answering the door.

"...only you two?" Zero eked out, pressing an audial against the door.

"Yes!" Leviathan answered. "Promise!"

By the sounds of things, his combat mind derived that was indeed the case. He cracked open the door, peeking through into the hallways.

Sure enough, it was just them. There weren't any heat signatures he could detect that would indicate otherwise. "...What do you want?"

Leviathan and Fefnir looked uncertainly at each other. Fefnir took the initiative to speak. "Well… we were wondering if you were okay. You haven't left your room in a week."

Zero had lost count of the days, and he didn't care enough to check his chronometer. "Oh."

"We messaged you on the Neo Arcadian cloud, but you didn't respond. I hope we're not… overstepping a boundary, or anything." Leviathan handed him an E-tank. "We thought you might be hungry so… we got you something to drink."

Zero eyed it with suspicion. Fefnir took it from Leviathan's hands and cracked it open, taking a swig.

"See? Not poisoned. Take it, it's for you."

Now Zero had no reason not to. He hesitantly took it from Fefnir's hands. He hadn't eaten much of anything the past few days- he wasn't exactly burning through his energy reserves sitting around on his bed all day, but at this point, he was running in fumes. Just the thought of eating made him feel ill, but he supposed he had to. He took a sip.

"So… um," Fefnir tapped the ground with a clawed toe. "I know you've probably had it rough lately but… we were wondering if you wanted to hang out?"

A little socialisation might do him good. Zero was still on high alert- just because Fefnir and Leviathan were the most compassionate of the Guardians didn't mean they might have an agenda in mind. Besides- if X asked them to do something, his word superseded Zero's feelings.

"Is X around?"

Leviathan shook her head no. "He's hanging out with the judges in the upper levels."

"Oh. Then… sure. Lead the way."

The two Guardians beamed, ecstatic at the positive response. It made Zero feel just the smallest bit better about himself. At least these two cherished his presence- with everyone else in Neo Arcadia, he felt like nothing more than a piece of meat. He gingerly followed them to Fefnir's private lounge, hiding in their shadows as they passed by soldiers and citadel staff.

The Guardians were unusually quiet as they entered the lounge, their usual banter that filled the air eerily absent. Zero took the opportunity to sit at the pool's edge, basking in the sun's rays and letting his feet dangle under the water. Leviathan fully entered the pool and leaned over the edge, and Fefnir was happy to sit back on dry land, sinking into a nearby lounge chair.

Without a word, they stared off into the distance, unsure of what there was to say. There was a pause before anyone found the heart to speak.

"To be honest, we got kinda worried about you, Zero…" Leviathan confessed. She wasn't looking directly at Zero when she talked, instead watching her fiddling fingers. "You- we… We thought something happened to you."

Somethingdidhappen to him, he would've corrected, but Zero was sure she meant something physical. "Sorry. It'sjust-been hard. With everything… I don't know what I'm doing anymore."

Zero slouched over and decompressed with a long exhale. Fefnir and Leviathan looked in dour spirits for once- Zero's grief was infectious.

"We were gonna ask if you wanted to watch a movie but… you know, it just doesn't feel right." Fefnir swallowed nervously. "Not after… after what happened to Axl."

It was inevitable that someone was going to bring up the elephant in the room. Still, just hearing Axl's name out loud was agonising for Zero. Fefnir sighed and leaned back, scratching his neck to give his handssomethingto do. He looked blankly into the horizon.

"I miss him too…" Fefnir disclosed. "Master Axl was close with all of us. Whenever dad was being a hardass he was always there to cheer us up…"

As bittersweet a memory it was, it made Zero smile. "That sounds like my Axl…"

"He was like our older brother when he was with us… we wanted to be just like him. He was so cool. He was brave… strong. He was our hero. We loved him. Especially Phantom," Leviathan lamented. "Ever since Axl defected, Phantom hasn't been himself… he wasn't always this quiet, you know."

To find out that Phantom was once outgoing- or at least not quite so introverted, came as a shock to Zero. The thought sent a lurch of sorrow to the bottom of his heart. Phantom must've been hurting hard, just as Zero did. What's more- the poor kid had the misfortune of having government duties to attend to during the aftermath of Axl's execution.

How could they function, carrying such a profound burden? Knowing that their father wasn't above killing his own blood?

"...Doesn't it hurt for you?" Zero asked.

"Of course it does. Axl… he was our best friend and teacher and our brother," Fefnir answered, "it hurt back then to see him exiled. It hurt even more to see him die."

"...Then why didn't you stop him- X?" Zero posited. "He- he's crossed a line, hasn't he?"

Fefnir and Leviathan looked at him with utter shock. "W-we couldn't!" Leviathan denied such a proposition. "We could never betray our father, not after everything he's done for us."

"And X was like a father to Axl too, once," Zero reminded. Fefnir and Leviathan fell silent, faces growing pale at the notion.

"Dad was… just doing what's right for Neo Arcadia," Fefnir tried to reason. "I loved Axl but- but he was dangerous. He needed to be brought to justice. It's just... I just wish it didn't have to be this way."

Their resolve was wavering quickly, though they made an effort to hide it.

"Then maybe what'srightforNeo Arcadiaisn'tjustin the grand scheme of things," Zero retorted. "Someone has to bring X to his senses… this isn't him. He's better than this."

Fefnir just shrugged, defeated. "We've tried. X is just set in his ways, you know? We can't change his mind. Maybe you could, but… I don't know. It's hard. It's really hard..."

Zero was very familiar with how stubborn X could be at times. Regardless, it troubled Zero to know that not even his own kin could sway him. He fidgeted nervously. What power did he have, then? He couldn't make X do anything physically, and his words might as well be falling on deaf audials.

"I can't even look at him..." Zero revealed. "It's why I locked myself away. It's… just… it's like someone else has taken his place. I don't know who he is anymore."

Fefnir and Leviathan looked on with sympathy. "Yeah. I understand…" Leviathan consoled, "I think… all of us feel that way. Even if some of us hide it better than others… X is- he can be… frightening."

There was a heavy lull in the air. A weight was bearing down on all of them.

"...Have you ever thought of leaving this place?"

Leviathan stared wide-eyed at Zero in disbelief. "Neo Arcadia? But… there's nothing out there. This is all we have left…"

"That can't be right. The Earth is resilient."

"As far as we know, it's the truth. Satellite images show endless desert and icefields all over the globe. Every exploratory team we send out to the Outside Lands' furthest reaches disappear off the face of the Earth. Complete radio silence when they reach the Rift, and we never hear from them again," Leviathan said. "Besides… We have everything we ever could've wanted here. It's paradise. I mean, compared to what's out there…"

"Well, what's the point of paradise if we have no freedom? X would kill us if we even thought of turning on him. Think about it. He didn't spare Axl. He wouldn't spare us. The only thing we can do here is play along and perpetuate this vicious cycle. This can't go on."

Zero slumped over. It felt counterintuitive to complain about being imprisoned in a perfect world, like he was ungrateful for everything X had done to preserve life on Earth… but he was trapped in a horrible paradise. That paradise was bleeding to death.

"I hate this… I hate all of this," Zero muttered. "I want to trust him. I still love him…"

He didn't want this. Who would? He wouldn't wish this upon his worst enemy. Was his purpose on Earth to suffer?

Zero knew he shouldn't complain. If Axl's words were anything to go by, there were those out there hurting far worse than he was. It did little to lessen the pain clawing at his heart.

"I'm… sorry, Zero," Leviathan murmured. Words fell short of what would truly bring Zero solace, so she said nothing at all.

When his mind was in the state that it was, the gentle silence was all Zero could ask for.

Power came to those who sought it out. Zero knew it wouldn't be given to him so generously, not in Neo Arcadia, at least.

He knew the right thing to do in these circ*mstances was to at leasttrytalking to X. There were certainly things Zero needed to say to him, and he was sure X felt very much the same. They were both hanging onto some unsaid burdens that needed to be aired out sooner rather than later, at least before they began to boil over into something neither of them could control.

There were problems that needed his attention- the tide was rising and Zero was already halfway underwater.

But Zero couldn't. He couldn't even bear to think about looking him in the eye.

Night fell on Neo Arcadia, and X was holding some extravagant celebratory gala in one of the citadel's countless ballrooms, surrounded by well dressed men and reploid alike, drinking and laughing amongst themselves without a care in the world. Zero knew that now was a better time than ever to confront X, with a crowd to back him up and scare X off from doing anything brash.

But he failed to muster up the grit to do that. Instead, he looked on from behind the ballroom doors, hidden in the shadows, watching on as X acted as though nothing had ever happened. It made Zero sick.

To be honest- Zero wanted to be so carefree. He wanted to be at peace, to embrace his place in Neo Arcadia with eager willingness, but he was never the type to settle for that much.

Fefnir and Leviathan had invited him to the ball prior. They were adamant, and he was sure they were disappointed to find that he had bailed. Really, healmostmade good on their invite, but the prospect of just being near X was haunting.

It was self-destructive- he knew that the longer he avoided X, the greater his fury would become. Confrontation was inevitable. His synth-skin crawled contemplating what he'd do to him when their paths eventually crossed.

His fear was consuming. Zero had nothing left to do here. He turned heel and ran.

Ran right into X's son.

"Uhf- Phantom…?"

Zero stumbled as he came to a stop in front of the shinobi hiding away in the darkness out of sight of the party's attendees, the red glow of his pupils piercing through the shadows.

"Master Zero? Apologies. I was distracted."

Zero co*cked his head. "Ishould be the one apologising. I didn't see you there." He stepped back. After a quick scan of the area, Zero found that there was no one else around. "...What are you doing here?"

"I'd ask the same of you," Phantom countered. Zero took a breath and held it in an attempt to steel his spirits, but the fortitude was lost on him. He let out a heavy sigh and looked away, stepping back to slump against the wall. What was the point in lying?

"I wanted to talk to X. It's just…" he shook his head in defeat. "I couldn't do it."

Phantom stared at the red android with a piercing glare, before his cold spirit faltered, his face softening with sympathy. The shinobi cast his gaze elsewhere, mulling over his own thoughts.

"Phantom?"

"I know how that feels…" Phantom mumbled. Zero co*cked his head and leaned in, tuning his audials a touch.

"Hm?" He hummed. Phantom sighed, gripping his arm nervously and looking at the ceiling in exasperation.

"I understand, Master Zero… because I'm feeling much the same…" Phantom confessed, raising his voice a touch. "I want to be there, withthem,with my family… All I want is to be happy like them. There are just too many things troubling me right now that are keeping me from being at their side."

The memory of Zero's prior conversation with Leviathan and Fefnir briefly crossed his mind. Family seemed to hold a considerable weight with the Guardians…

"...it's Axl, isn't it?"

Phantom came to a stiff halt and winced. He clenched his eyes shut to find his resolve, before breathing out the tension in his chest and staring off into a vast, dark corridor. "...Yes. It is."

Zero frowned, solemnly bowing his head in understanding.

Phantom spoke after a pause, voice softer than silk. "He was once my mentor," he revealed, "he was the first Cutting Shadow General. He was the greatest stealth combatant to ever live. He taught meeverythingI know. He had this aura about him that drew people in. He had a power to sway minds like nobody else could, not even our father." He tilted his gaze downwards and tightened his jaw. "And then one day Axl couldn't stand being Master Axl anymore. He revolted against X and X exiled him. Indeed… I should be glad he only exiled him at the time. When Alia and Signas- when they started to turn on Neo Arcadia…"

Phantom knew that Zero knew what had become of them. "It was only a matter of time before Axl would've been caught and killed. But… It still hurts. He used to tell me nobody could ever catch him…" His voice was quivering. "But he's dead now. Our brother is dead, and our father killed him without a lick of remorse. I don't know what I can do to make him proud, our father. I know I must remain loyal to him, but I don't... I don't know."

Maybe Phantom wasn't his own kin, but it didn't matter. It hurt to see him in pain, to hear his voice break as he fought back tears. Zero stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the shinobi. The tall stealth build stiffened up at first, eyes wide with surprise behind his mask, before quickly melting into the comfort of Zero's embrace, the tension in his frame lifting in the red android's arms.

He had needed a hug like this. Phantom had gone long without feeling the comfort of a parent's love.

"I wish I could've done more for you." Zero pressed his nose against the crook of Phantom's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Phantom. I should've been there for you and your siblings. Every second of my life, I regret having left you kids and your father alone. Maybe… if things had been different... I could've stopped X from going down this path. But I promise, I'm here now, okay? I'm going to try to make things right, for all of us. I just need time to figure out how."

Zero leaned back an inch, cupping Phantom's cheek with his hand and resting his forehead against his. Phantom leaned into Zero's gentle touch, breath hitching with a choked back sob. "Th-thank you, Master Zero. Thank you..." he stammered. After a beat, he stepped back, begrudgingly breaking away from the embrace. "I'm sorry to ask more of you, but... please, do not speak of this to X."

Zero nodded, giving the tall reploid a soft, honest smile. He set a hand on Phantom's shoulder and gently jostled him. "This will be kept between you and I. Promise."

Phantom sighed, swallowing down the ball of nerves in his throat. "Thank you. I should… take my leave."

He pivoted on a heel and began to wander off, his footsteps hardly making a sound against the muted cacophony of the party just beyond the walls of the ballroom.

"Goodnight, Phantom."

There was no response. Zero let out a deep exhale. X still weighed heavy on his mind, but offering his troubled son some semblance of love was fulfilling enough for him.

With the weight on his shoulders lightened, he retreated to his room, escaping to the comfort of solitude once more.

The assembly hall was filling up fast with nervous soldiers as the morning broke, reploids and humans alike waiting anxiously for their leader to stand before them. Ciel paced back and forth from behind a wall, thoughts racing in her mind as she struggled over what to say.

Breaking the news felt like an impossibility. After the disastrous operation that led to Axl and Neige's capture by Neo Arcadia, the Resistance had been in dour spirits, as though they knew what would become of their comrades.

Everyone loved Axl. Even at his considerable age, he still managed to retain such a youthful, boyish spirit that bolstered the Resistance's morale, though he carried a level of older wisdom and intuition that offered much needed guidance to the young rebels. His combat skills and acuity was second to none, having been honed over centuries, and he had insight into X's psyche that few others could stake a claim to as his adopted son. The copybot was one of a small handful of reploids still remaining from the time before the devastation of the Elf Wars. All soldiers were precious, but Axl was a valuable, irreplaceable recourse to the Resistance.

Ciel held on to hope, latching onto the belief that he would be spared, as improbable as such an outcome was. It was all she could do. There was far too little time to plan and wage a siege on Neo Arcadia's most high security penitentiary. Ciel had been fighting long enough to know that X did not have a propensity to keep highly sought after criminals alive for long enough to give anyone the chance to fight back.

She should've known what to expect, when their scout had returned from the depths of Neo Arcadia with the news. Axl was dead, killed at the behest of Master X. His own father.

Ciel was waiting for the moment where she would wake up and this would all have been an unfortunate nightmare, but the time never came. Her world came crashing down around her in an instant. She wanted to be strong- after years of fighting X's regime, Ciel wanted to feel as if she could become used to these sorts of outcomes. The harsh reality was that death was not something she could ever get used to.

It was time to face the crowd. Ciel sighed and ran her hands through her hair. There was no easy way out. She just had to be honest.

After taking a moment to recollect her thoughts, she turned the corner and fronted the crowd, standing before a room full of restless Resistance members standing shoulder to shoulder quieting to a hush as they cast their gaze towards their leader, countless anxious eyes honing in on her at once.

From where she stood on the dais, Ciel spoke with a loud, commandeering voice.

"Well, first of all, thank you for gathering here today on such short notice. I hope you've all had a wonderful morning, all things considered," Ciel began, leaning over the command console. She shuffled her feet and sighed before continuing. "Alright...Well, I'm sure it's all been on your minds lately, so I'm not gonna mince words here. I have no means to describe our latest operation other than disastrous. I know that the events in Neo Arcadia have impacted our performance, so perhaps it was my fault for arranging a supply drive so early after everything that happened with Zero, and I will take the full blame for that.

"If it's any consolation for you all, I'm pleased to report that many of the Reploids who made it out alive have been making a fine recovery. We have not recorded any fatalities among the survivors, and if fortune permits, we predict the recovered soldiers should be back in the fray in two months, give or take. Commander Elpizo has stabilised under intensive care, but we are continuing to monitor his condition. I'll keep all of you updated if anything new comes up. That is all there is to report on that." Ciel took a second to quell the despair welling up in her throat as she waited for the uncertain whispers in the crowd to die down.

"...But the fact of the matter is that I have called all of you here today for a different reason. I regret to say that I come bearing awful news. As many of you may know, Commander Axl was captured by Neo Arcadian forces during our most recent operation. This morning, our scout returned from Neo Arcadia, and it is with great sorrow that I must announce that Axl… Axl was executed by the Neo Arcadian Military Tribunal, as of the 14th of September, 2378. There was nothing we could've done to save him. X had him dead by sunset."

Ciel cast her gaze to the ground, shame crashing over her like a wave as the assembly hall erupted into rage, sorrow, confusion and denial, reploids and humans alike shouting and crying over each other in a flurry of emotions. There was nothing she could say or do that would soothe them and Ciel knew it.

When the tumult eventually simmered down, Ciel continued. "I know Axl was well loved by everyone here, and there's nothing I can do that will replace the hope and compassion he brought to our movement. But what I do know is that I will not let him die quietly, and I will continue to fight for his vision of a better future, for his legacy will live on in what we do today. With that being said, I cannot force you to continue fighting, and I understand if you need to take the time off to process everything. I will remind you that the next transport to Tabula Rasa will be leaving in 16 days, so I hope that gives you ample time to prepare if you are thinking of leaving. From what we know now, it appears that Neige remains in Neo Arcadian custody. That is all."

She straightened her posture. "Let it be known that Axl's death will not be forgotten and will not be in vain. You are all dismissed… take care of yourselves."

With that, Ciel disappeared into the shadows, the crowd beginning to disperse from the assembly hall and scattering into the depths of the base.

"Really makes you wonder if there was anything more you could've done, doesn't it?"

From the very perimeter of the crowd, Craft and Cerveau watched their fellow Resistance members slowly filter out of the hall, all of them surely pondering what Cerveau said aloud. Craft offered a sombre shrug.

"Felt like Axl walked into it. I think… he wanted to be captured. Just to get the chance to tell Zero the truth, even if it'd cost him his life," the large warbot speculated. "But I get it. Just… you really wish you could save everyone."

...Even just saving one life was better than nothing.

Craft's eyes widened with the realisation. "...Neige is still in their custody. She's still alive."

"Craft-"

"-I can still save her."

Before Cerveau could even think to stop him, Craft had already bolted off towards the transerver room, unstoppable in his unwavering resolve, leaving the Resistance behind him without hesitation.

Overlooking the hallowed city of Neo Arcadia, Zero stood alone at the edge of a garden terrace, a night time breeze skimming past as gently as a whisper.

The terrace granted Zero a peaceful escape from the evil that the citadel harboured, especially at night, when no servants, governors or civilians were present to scrutinise his every movement. It was just him, the lush garden, and the serenity that the night offered.

Moonlight reflected off the edges of marble and gold pillars in a pale blue glow, the distant stars shimmering off the surface of bubbling fountains. Diligently pruned fruit trees bearing little white flowers rustled with the cool air, the breeze ripping through their leaves.

It reminded Zero of Dr. Cain's gardens that he so loyally tended when he was alive. X had made an effort to maintain it after his passing, but as time lingered on and as X grew older, the remnants of Dr. Cain's precious garden slowly deteriorated until it was no more. The replication of its image here was clearly no coincidence. No matter how often X touted his desire to progress into the future, he still clung onto fragments of the past.

Zero wanted to escape it all- to breach Neo Arcadia's walls and live in nature's embrace. Even if it was only desert, it didn't matter to him. Anything was better than the torment he suffered in the confines of X's grand city, where his lover had him trapped in the belly of a dying paradise. At this point, all he just wanted was the release of the wild.

And even in this fleeting moment of peace, Zero was still devoured by the troubles plaguing his mind. He couldn't avoid X forever. When he longed for release from X's stranglehold, he was aware that they were nothing but pipedreams in his current circ*mstances. He couldn't run away. He was barely allowed outside the citadel without strict supervision. Zero was no hero, no ruler or king- he was a dog on a chain, tied to a pole, dragged around for X's enjoyment.

Even setting the cruel dismantling of his dignity aside, the memory of Axl's demise loomed over his delicate psyche for each and every one of his waking hours. The ache in his heart never softened- if anything, time just fomented the pain. Axl had died disappointed in him, just asIrishad all those years ago.

Perhaps, just as Alia and the rest of their old guard did. It wasn't lost on Zero that he could've done more to prevent all their deaths.

The red android rested his folded arms over the white stone balustrade and let his head fall forward. He let it happen. He was complicit- the exact type of person Axl condemned in his final few words. Not a second went by where Zero didn't feel a deep, bitter regret over his reckless, selfish decision to seal himself away a century ago, believing that he would only ever hurt X for as long as he lived. Zero didn't anticipate how deeply grief would've changed his dearest friend and lover.

It should've been obvious that X would lose his way without him. After all, Zero felt hopelessly adrift without him as his counterbalance. It was only fitting that they'd need each other.

It was far too late for this. He needed some sleep.

Zero turned and departed the magnificent terrace garden through a grand portico, padding lightly through dark corridors so as to not stir up sleeping Neo Arcadian officials.

His room wasn't too far off from the garden. He weaved his fingers through his hair and shook it out, fidgeting in a bid to compose himself. Zero hadn't been getting much sleep for as long as he had been awake in Neo Arcadia. He never was a heavy sleeper- even in better health, Zero slept fast and light, the warmachine always ready to spring into action, but even he knew that this was not sustainable. Tonight, the air was mercifully cool. Perhaps getting in a good couple hours of sleep would be easier in this weather…

"Stop."

A daunting voice pierced through the silence from deep within the shadows of the citadel.

The second he heard X's voice coming from behind him, Zero had frozen mid-stride, falling to an uncharacteristic instinct to obey his command.

"Zero."

X's tone chilled Zero to the bone. Zero took a sharp breath and held it as X slowly stalked towards him, rigid in a trepid stupor.

"You've been avoiding me."

Zero was quivering, jaw clenched tight. He could feel X's presence behind him, cold terror creeping up his spine like a spreading poison.

"Zero." X inched closer. "Look at me."

He couldn't run. Zero was brave, but he wasn't stupid. He knew it was in his best interest to do as he said.

Zero slowly turned to confront the azure king, his cold red glare haunting in the darkness as he glowered at his former partner.

Neither of them spoke for a beat. Zero didn't know what he could say that would ease the brunt of X's anger. It was hard to know what X was thinking when he was casting him such a glacial expression.

X took a pensive step forward. Zero's breath hitched. His instincts were telling him to run, but his mind and body were not in phase. "Talk to me, Zero."

Zero opened his mouth to respond, but the words were lost on him, nervous roving eyes fixed to the floor. He sighed, looking away and wrapping an arm around himself.

"...What's there to say?"

"Don't be so coy."

That made Zero wince. X's tone was seething, but still so cold and unsympathetic, unimpressed by his obvious despair. It felt like a stranger was standing before him, holding him captive with just his presence. X was scary when he was angry, even before he ruled as this world's king. Now, a powerful, vicious tyrant loomed over him.

"What's wrong, dear?" X's voice and gaze softened, but Zero could see right through the ploy. "Are you upset with me?"

X reached out to graze Zero's cheek with the back of his fingers, the blonde jolting before stiffening under his touch.

"Don't-" Zero gently nudged X's hand away. "Don't touch me."

The rejection, as soft as it was, wounded X, but he looked more offended than he did hurt, face twisted in a slight scowl.

"Why are you being sodifficult?"

Zero had to wonder if X was even hearing himself. His sheer lack of empathy was enough to finally shatter his fragile composure.

"Why- X, What do youthinkis wrong?! Because everything about this is f*ckingwrong!" Zero snapped, powerless to help himself as everything surged to the surface.

"Oh,Zero…don't do this to me…" X muttered, shaking his head and rubbing the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "Don't tell me this is about Axl…"

Zero gawked, taken aback by X's remorselessness. "You-ofcourseit's aboutAxl!"

X sighed, disappointed. "Still aching over him? Listen..." X leaned forward with a narrowed gaze. "Let me make something very clear to you, Zero. He was a maverick. A jealous, spitefulterrorist.Neo Arcadia is better off without him. Do you know how many lives his senseless violence has taken?! How much damage healonewrought upon my people? It would've been an injustice to all those who died because of him had I let him live."

"How could yousaythat? He wasourAxl," Zero shot back, gripping his fists tight. "Did everything we do together mean nothing to you?!"

"Of course it did! Do you haveanyidea how much it hurt me to see him turn on me? I did what I had to do for Neo Arcadia. He was a threat to the peace you and I foughtsohard for!Mavericks must be punished.Youof all people should understand that."

"You don't get it, do you?!" Zero's fury was unfaltering, much to X's ire. "I hate this!"

Before he could let it get the best of him, X quashed the anger rising in his chest, gritting his teeth and decompressing with an exhale. "Zero… everything I do I've done for you! Isn't this what you wanted? I fight for peace, a world where we don't have to fight anymore! We can be together now, with nothing standing in our way. We can be happy, Zero!"

Zero's frown darkened. "X.This isn't how it was supposed to be-"

"-Then what else can I do for you?! I've given you everything you ever could've wanted, Zero. You have power, you have respect, you don't have to be a slave to war anymore. Don't think I haven't forgotten what you told me, that we have to fight for our future. Can't you see? I'm sacrificing my present for ourfuture. Why are you doing this to me, Zero? What do youwant from me?!"

"I want the X I loved back! I don't know who you are anymore," Zero answered with equal fervor. "You've changed and I- I can'tstandyou!"

"I've changed!? Do you know how torturous it was to live a century when the only other person who truly loved you is buried six feet under? When everyone around you turned into a gutless maverick bastard because I fought for peace and prosperity after the War? You have no idea how much it hurt, Zero. It never got easier. You couldneverhurt the same way I did." X paced towards Zero, slowly backing him against the wall. "You aren't thinking like yourself Zero, because this isn't you. But I know who you are."

Zero shut his eyes and furiously shook his head in denial. "You-how dare you! Thisisthe real me!"

"Then why are you pushing me away like this?! Everything I do I do for you!"

"X-"

"The reploid I've become because of you has blessed humanity with peace everlasting!" X retorted, his voice handily drowning out Zero's pleas, "Zero, you've been in stasis foronehundredyears, and you thinkyouknow what I've been through? You think everything has stayed the same? You thinkyouknow what's best for this world and its people when you're soignorant?I know what I'm doing Zero. I'm following in your footsteps. You were the one who taught me how to be a leader. How tohate.And tell me, who better to lead these people than me? The first reploid. The saviour of humanity. Their hero. You made me into this, Zero, and I've led this world into an age of prosperity the likes have never been witnessed before, even in the face of an ending world? I am the perfect man. The perfect king. And I will not tolerate any form of transgression. I won't letanyonesully my life's work!"

Zero's back was flush against the wall. His chest was heaving with shallow breaths.

"Who better… to lead this world…" X closed the distance between them. "...Than I?"

An ugly silence permeated between the two. Zero was shaking, and so was X.

"...Such mindless persecution is what got Iris killed."

X groaned, rolling his eyes. "Oh,Iris.I am so sick of hearing you talk about her." X shot Zero a crooked snarl. "She was amaverick. She turned her back on humanity. She turned her back onus, Zero. She was better off dead. Her, and Signas and Aliaand Axl!"

Zero shied away from meeting his burning glare, but it was impossible to escape his anger. "Look at me when I talk to you, Zero. You loveme. All we need is each other. Nobody loves you the way I love you. I won't let you go. Not again."

Words were thick in Zero's throat. "X… I-" his breath hiked with fear. "I don't know how I ever could've loved you if this is who you really are."

That was all it took to set X off. Like a tether rope pulled tight by a lunging dog finally snapping, X pulled back a fist and aimed it at Zero.

Zero flinched back, arms shooting up to shield himself from the impending strike. Only then did X come back to his senses, his eyes widening with horror.

Slowly, his body loosened, his hands dropping down to his side as he stepped back, shaking his head in disbelief at himself. When the punch never came, Zero warily let his guard down, staring back at X with nervous roving eyes.

"I- I was going to- I didn't mean-" X swallowed hard. "Z-Zero… I'm sorry-"

"Don't." Zero shut him down swiftly. His brow furrowed. "f*ck you, X."

He wasn't sure how long X would remain catatonic. Zero wouldn't wait, taking the opportunity to scramble away, rushing into the depths of the citadel without another word. X doesn't chase.

After a century without Zero, X had finally escaped the confines of his old self, a man whose potential was imprisoned by his own weak will. Now, he had finally achieved his lifelong goal, his paramount ideal of a world governed by righteous virtues.

He had arrived, only to realise one thing. He was too late. An inherent malice lay dormant in his heart.

Chapter 8: Chapter Seven

Chapter Text

It had been a week since Neige Wolf last saw the light of day.

Or atleast, so she thought. It was hard for her to keep track of the days in the cramped confines of a cell.

The Neo Arcadian brig was nothing short of agonizing. The beds were bare concrete slabs, privacy was non-existent, with guards lingering like a bad smell at every hour. Food was offered in the form of barely edible scraps that were never enough to truly stave off her hunger. The isolation was mind numbing, and the constant shrieks and wails of distant prisoners and soldiers was making her ears ring. Neige wasn't sure how much longer she could handle living in such squalor.

The conditions were hardly hospitable to a reploid, much less a human. It was a cruel punishment, all because she dedicated herself to the pursuit of truth and knowledge in Neo Arcadia.

And then there was the ache she felt being apart from Craft. She couldn't help but wonder how the volatile reploid was coping without her.

In the end, none of her physical discomfort could compare to the pain that Axl's death had inflicted on her. Axl was gone, and that hurt more than anything else.

Was she next? It was hard to say. It was well documented to Resistance folk that X didn't exactly have reservations with killing humans, he just kept that under wraps to the ignorant masses. In fact, Neige blowing the whistle on that reality was probably what ultimately landed her in a high security penitentiary. On the other hand, X didn't often resort to murder when dealing with humans. Perhaps, because humans, soft and fragile as they are, posed no real threat to the superhuman strength of Megaman X and his empire. Neige was different though. She wasn't physically powerful compared to a combat reploid, but her writings put the public's trust in X in jeopardy. X relied on obedience, and he extinguished insurrection like a discarded cigarette.

If he had ordered the death of his own son, what was stopping him from disposing of her, a relative stranger that was but a minor annoyance to the tyrant king?

Water dripped from the ceiling with a constant drum. In the confines of her cell, the thrumming felt like it was drilling into her skull.

Neige heaved a defeated sigh, turning over on her side to watch the leak in the ceiling. There was nothing else to focus on but the puddle forming on the cell floor, droplets falling every other second.

She didn't know what day it was, but one thing was for certain; in here, her days were numbered.

Was there anything she would've done differently? She could name a few things, but she regretted little of her life as a journalist in the cruel city of Neo Arcadia.

A drop fell, sending ripples flowing through the puddle. She had lived her life honestly, and delivered the truth to the people, as gruesome and ugly as it was. People needed to know of the reploid disposal facilities, where men, women and children were slayed en masse like livestock in an abattoir, of the thoughtless eradication of entire settlements to make way for Neo Arcadian developments. It was their right to know.

The puddle's surface rippled, but there was no droplet falling from the leaky ceiling. Neige perked up, eyes widening as she slowly sat up from her concrete bed. The puddle rippled again without a leak to warrant it, and a few stray pebbles began to rattle and shake across the floor.

Was it an earthquake? It wasn't exactly an impossibility in Somalia. Even then, Neo Arcadia had been designed to mitigate the impact of natural disasters.

The ground rumbled again, rocks tumbling around and waves forming in puddles. Neige furrowed her brow.Well that's not right.

Neige startled at the distant sounds of conflict outside the halls. There were commands being barked out, only for their voices to be snuffed out shortly thereafter, their gunfire silenced chillingly abruptly. The two guards outside her cell stood alert, rifles at the ready as they approached the entrance to the hallway, prepared to confront the threat beyond the doors.

A familiar gruff voice drowned out the commotion of the Neo Arcadian soldiers. Neige got to her feet and rushed forward to grip at her jail bars, waiting for the only reploid she knew who could unleash such ferocity.

The doors to the hallway were knocked down with a single kick, revealing the foreboding silhouette of a towering, bloodthirsty war machine, dripping in viscera from head to toe.

"Craft?!"

Craft gave Neige a quick addressing glance before returning to the task at hand. He barely gave the guards a chance to fire, shrugging off their blaster shots and lunging forward in a blur, wrenching their weapons from their hands to crack them over his knee and stunning them momentarily in the flurry.

The warbot charged forward at the stunned officers, crashing a fist into a soldier's face and sending him to the floor, goring the reploid's head against the concrete with enough force to leave a crater in his wake.

Neige winced.

The last officer frantically felt for his buster at his belt, scrambling away as quickly as his legs permitted before firing wildly at Craft, knocking him back with a volley of plasma bolts. The large reploid was not swayed in his assault, instead charging forward to swing a punishing punch into the soldier's face, shattering his helm, following it up with an uppercut into his gut, the officer hacking out a rattling sputter of blood upon impact.

Craft didn't let up, his massive hand engulfing the reploid's battered skull with an iron grip and slamming him against the wall, the officer's head smashing apart with a deafening crunch and leaving a messy red splatter on the wall, where cracks splintered through the concrete from the force of the blow.

The soldier went limp, his body falling to the ground in a visceral heap. With the immediate threats nullified, Craft set his sights on Neige.

"Craft?! What the hell are you doing?" Neige exclaimed.

Craft jogged over, grabbing the lifeless hand of one of the dead guards and scanning his palm on the cell's locking console. "Getting you out of here, of course."

The guards' bioanalytics granted him access to Neige's cell door, and after he punched in a few commands, the cell door slid open. "How'd you get in here-?!"

Craft pulled Neige free before she could finish that thought, stealing the blaster from the guard's lifeless hands and thrusting the butt in Neige's chest, the reporter fumbling it into her grasp. "I know my way around here. Follow me."

After a miserable number of days in the brig, Neige wasn't going to argue with that idea. Hidden in Craft's formidable shadow, she followed the massive reploid out into the main corridors, taken aback by the destruction her best friend had single handedly wrought upon the prison. The maimed corpses of Neo Arcadian soldiers lay strewn out across the floor, some too mangled for Neige to parse which body part was which anymore.

He had done it all just to get toher. Neige wasn't sure if she should've been flattered or horrified.

"You big idiot… You could've gotten killed doing this!" Neige reminded him as the two found the fire escape, hurrying downstairs.

"What? You mean you don't have faith in me?" Craft snidely shot back. Neige harrumphed and shook her head, offering nothing in response. They escaped to the ground floor with few pursuers on their tails, but the main halls of the brig were already beginning to fill with low ranking soldiers called onto the scene to confront him. "Watch my back."

As the jailbirds stormed through the corridors, Craft struck down mass produced pantheons headlong, mauling their units with the brutality of a raging bull. Neige followed close behind, covering her rescuer's backside with blasterfire, cleaning up after him as he effortlessly rammed through countless prison guards, making quick work of disassembling them with his bare hands.

Craft's rampage eventually came to an end in the main halls, finally clearing out the pantheons sent after him after upending their commander onto his shoulder blades and driving a combat knife through his skull. Neige nervously padded over to his side as he retracted his blade from the pantheon commander's face and stood at his full height. She could feel waves of heat radiate off his body, the warbot breathing in hard through his nose and out through his chest vents.

"Ugh…That should buy us some time before they send reinforcements our way." Craft flicked open a storage compartment on his wrist, taking out a small warp device and handing it to Neige. "There's a spatial folding inhibitor here interfering with our transervers' four-dimensional convergence mechanism."

"Oh,great."

"The good news is that it's only effective within a five mile vicinity of the brig." Craft offered her a console wristband, and she snapped it around her wrist, plugging the transwarp apparatus into one of its ports. "I've installed a couple escape routes and a map of the region in that thing."

Neige flicked through the series of escape routes, skimming over each one and their approximate viability. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Craft offered her a small smile. "Neither would I."

It was a much needed moment of respite for the both of them. It would be cut short seconds later.

A thunderous falcon's cry sliced through the silence, making Neige jolt with fright. Craft stood at attention, ready to spring into action once more.

"Harpuia…sh*t."

The air general and his SIC, Aztec Falcon, were coming in hot on Craft's radar. He scanned the hall, before spotting a large wall vent, consulting the brig's ventilation system hidden deep within his old Neo Arcadian databanks. He grabbed Neige by the hand, the redhead yelping in surprise as she was hastily dragged away.

"What are you doing?!"

Craft snapped the vent's grill off the wall, kneeling down to pick Neige up and funnel her into the air ducts. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm getting you out of here."

"Craft…What about you?"

"I'll be fine," he insisted, but the promise rang hollow to Neige's ears. "Go, I'll take care of things here."

"You'll die here!" Neige insisted, her voice starting to quiver. "I'm going with you."

"I can't let you do that. Please, just… run, Neige," Craft pleaded. "What you know is too valuable for us to lose.You'retoo valuable for me to lose."

"Craft…" Neige's hesitance was unchanging. "Promise me you'll be okay."

The warbot huffed a weary sigh. "I'll try. For you, Neige, and for everyone else," he conceded. "The warp coordinates are already set for you, you just need to prime them. Don't forget to carry the three."

Neige gazed at him with glossy eyes, shaking her head in defeat. There was no argument she could make to change his mind. "I never forget. Goodbye, Craft."

"Goodbye, Neige. I-" His words caught in his throat. "I'll come home. Some day."

With one last look shared between the two, Neige swallowed her pride and begrudgingly heeded Craft's command, scurrying away into the depths of the air ducts.

A beat passed as Craft watched her disappear, making sure she was completely out of sight before setting out on the warpath once more, taking a reading of the heat signatures in his surroundings as he surmised the best means of escape for himself.

The C-21 gate was close by. Soldiers were converging on the scene, encircling him. Harpuia's forces were approaching. There was no other way out for him other than straight ahead. He raged on, hyper-aware of Harpuia's ID swiftly closing in on him.

"-Wooooahtheremotherf*cker-"

He barely managed to hurdle a reploid barrelling towards him as a small platoon of soldiers came bearing down on him, forcing him to a stop with a barrage of buster shots pinging off his armour. He shielded his face from their assault with an arm, as though their plasma bolts were nothing more than an intense ray of light.

"Don't move!" their commander ordered when the gunfire ceased, aiming a rifle squarely at his head. "We have you surrounded!"

Craft decompressed, burning hot steam hissing from his cooling vents. He crooked his head side to side. "I know."

The shot aimed for his head sailed far right when Craft lunged forward, backhanding the commander's weapon out of his grasp, dropping his helm to slam his shoulder into his opponent, handily decleating him and laying him out flat on his back. Craft pinned him down with a heavy boot and forced a heaving gasp from the pit of his chest, waiting for one of his subordinates to rush him with a plasma dagger just to block the strike with his forearm. The warbot snatched a pistol from the soldier's holster with his free arm and blasted a hole clean through his chest, before turning to the commander beneath his boot and aiming a charged shot at his head, sending a spray of his helm's insides splattering across the ground.

Craft made as much use of the soldier's pistol as he could, aiming a few precision shots at his assailants and wearing down their numbers until the pistol fired dry, the hammer striking with a click. He threw it aside, squaring up with tightly balled fists at the remaining stragglers facing off against him, struggling to find the wherewithal to slough off their blaster fire for much longer after having faced wave after wave of enemies.

"That'll be enough from you."

Craft stupidly assumed he had the situation under control as he finished off the last of the reinforcements sicced on him, only to come face to face with Sage Harpuia, the small emerald general standing proper with his hands clasped behind his back. Heavy duty soldiers quickly surrounded him, training large spearguns in his direction.

Upon eye-contact with the air general, Craft hesitated for a split second, a fatal mistake. When he came to, he charged towards him with a roar, his opponent, unflinching, motioned to his men, their cannons firing off harpoons that wrangled him back with tethered spears, lassoing his arms and legs with thick, sturdy wires. Piercing his thick armour was a useless endeavor, and Harpuia knew that well.

Craft thrashed in his restraints, but his efforts only made their grip tighten. It took a couple more harpoon tethers to finally down the large warbot in earnest, the exhausted reploid falling to his knees with a frustrated groan.

"Harpuia, sir." Aztec Falcon padded over to Harpuia's side after making sure Craft had been pinioned. "Prisoner 22183 has escaped."

Harpuia waved off the concern. "Don't waste your breath on her. It doesn't matter," he insisted, "we have acquired a far greater asset than she could ever be."

The blatant disrespect for Neige made Craft seethe, but his shackles didn't falter. Harpuia took a few steps forward to address Craft, narrowing his gaze at him. Craft scrunched his nose, face twisted in a snarl. Harpuia wasn't moved.

"CommanderK-9E…It's good to see you back," Harpuia intoned, casually unsheathing a small rifle from a holster in his back. "Come for the girl, have you? How heroic."

Craft scowled, thrusting forward in a bid to strike Harpuia, but he was tugged back. Even with ten powerful soldiers holding him still, he still managed to flail and writhe. "Don'tcall me that."

"Whatever. You've caused quite the scene here. I'm surprised you made it this far. That being said, I see no reason why I should waste my time any longer than I have, commander." Harpuia loaded his rifle with a long, thin round. "Goodnight."

He lifted the rifle and focused its sights on Craft's head, pulling the trigger and unloading his weapon into Craft's neck with afwipt.

Craft shut his eyes, fully expecting to have the insides of his helm painting the brig's wall at the click of the trigger, but it never came. Instead, when he opened his eyes again and looked down, he found a ballistic syringe buried deep in his neck.

"Oh.sh*t…"

Within seconds, Craft fell to the ground unceremoniously, unconscious. Harpuia clambered over his body, nudging his head with his shoe to confirm such. Falcon handed him sturdy handcuffs that he quickly fastened around Craft's lax wrists in case the sedative wore off too quickly.

"Good work, men. Place him in isolation until further notice. I shall send Master X word of the events that transpired here shortly." Harpuia glared down at his fallen opponent, his eerie wide stare darkening. "Father will be pleased to know we have another Resistance figurehead in our possession… and anothertraitor."

A new day dawned on Neo Arcadia, the blood red run slowly rising over the horizon.

Zero didn't know what to do with himself anymore. He spent nearly every day rotting away in his bed, alone and miserable. He remained passive and listless, like he had never been woken up to begin with.

The days were monotonous, and that morning started off much the same. He woke up early, but laid in bed for another hour, unable to get himself back to sleep, but unable to find the drive to actually get up.

He rolled over, staring out the window at the early rays of the morning sun, the city of Neo Arcadia bustling below at the base of X's ivory tower, its denizens going about their morning routine, content with their places in X's corrupt vision. Zero couldn't stand it. It was wrong- his stomach twisted whenever he so much as contemplated how incomprehensibly incorrect everything felt. He had to get out, away from the city and away fromX.

It was just a matter of how he would pull off such a feat that was the issue. He was nothing anymore. X made that abundantly clear to him- without X, Zero was no one in Neo Arcadia. He needed X, for he lacked any real importance without him, yet he was consumed by a fear of the blue emperor that was driving the two of them further apart than they had ever been before.

Zero was growing restless. He sat up with a dejected moan, running his fingers through his messy golden locks. He slouched over and wrapped an arm around his waist, shuddering, sick to his stomach, lightheaded and faint from his nerves. He needed a shower.

Zero stripped himself of his vest and codpiece on his way to the bathroom, and to one of the few comforts he had left.

The spray of water was warm, the gentle drumming of the shower against his back soothing his tired body and weary mind. He sat down on the cold tile floor and curled into himself, holding his knees up to his chest.

He wanted to cry. He wanted to so badly that he felt like purging his stomach and his body was weak and his head pounded with a dull ache, but there were no tears to shed for the Wily-bot. He wished for his strength and his weapons and mostimportantlyhis friends back, just so he could have a fleeting chance of breaking out of Neo Arcadia… but he had nothing but X left, and X wouldn't have had it any other way.

Zero wasn't sure he could take much more of it. There had to be some way to contact the Resistance- if Axl could've managed such while still affiliated with Neo Arcadia, there had to be some underground means he took advantage of. Even if it meant X would have him killed for defecting and lending his power to the Resistance.

At that point, death was sounding more attractive than a prolonged stay in the citadel. He had nothing to lose.

He sighed, pressing his forehead against his knees. He wished he hadhisX back.HisX would've been cheekily asking to join Zero in the shower. He would've been begging for Zero to come back to bed so they could snuggle a little longer. Now, they slept in different rooms. Now, X saw no issue in hurting him.

If he moped for any longer in the shower, he would've used up all the water in the citadel. Zero got off the floor with a groan, turning off the faucet. He dried himself with a bath towel in front of the mirror before taking a brush to his impressive length of hair, finding solace in a familiar grooming routine. He just wished he still had X to accompany him. He always got ready so quickly in the morning…

The brush got caught in a knot in his hair, and he winced. Ouch.

He had to stop reminiscing on the past, because it'd only hurt him. He just had to cope with the cards he was dealt in the now. Putting his clothes back on and slipping on his helmet, he set off for some fresh air.

It was late in the morning by the time Zero left his room. The morning rush hour had died down by then, leaving the halls mostly empty. Zero took the opportunity to travel to the garden terrace in solitude.

The garden was his own little escape in the citadel. The little piece of nature it offered was soothing, reminding Zero of the world that once was before the post-Elf Wars global desertification. The servants liked to mill about there too. They were a shy bunch, and Zero couldn't fault them for that. They were conditioned into being practically invisible to their superiors while they worked. They were largely mute, but their Reploid Standard was fluent enough to carry a conversation without vocalisation with the red android. Oftentimes, classes of human and reploid children scurried around, shepherded by their weary teachers, a sight that warmed Zero's heart no matter what he was feeling that day.

X didn't visit much, either.

That morning, Zero only made it up the elevator until his progress came to a halt. The sounds of soldiers marching in the next hall had Zero rushing to hide behind a pillar, fight-or-flight processes running in overdrive. The argument he had with X the other night had him on high alert, and he wasn't going to take any risks with him, even when it was just his army and not X himself.

Tentatively, he peeked around the corner when the marching got closer. A unit of soldiers led by Harpuia filed through the halls, all working to guide and preside over a massive reploid prisoner, shackled from head to toe with a thick metal band muffling his mouth. He was dragged along by a chain fastened to his neck collar, taking several soldiers at the end of his lead to keep him at bay. He was easily double the size of the soldiers around him, and they were heavy duty, berserker models, by no means small reploids.

Immediately, Zero was intrigued. He had never seen this reploid before, or anything quite like him for that matter. He checked for X's ID in the vicinity and found he was nowhere nearby. The coast was clear.

Zero emerged from behind the column and approached Harpuia's unit.

"Harpuia!" Zero called. The air general startled, eyes wide and alert, before he composed himself and ran over to stop Zero in his tracks, grabbing onto his arms and holding him still.

"Master Zero!Get back, this is anextremelydangerous maverick we have here! Be a little more careful, will you?" Harpuia chided. He gently shoved Zero back and away from the large prisoner. Zero would brush aside the hit to his dignity this time. "What do you want?"

Zero stuck his chin up at the large reploid in their possession. "His name."

Harpuia cast a fleeting glance back at the prisoner, before turning back to Zero a puzzled frown. "Him? That's Commander Craft Fenrisúlfr. K-9E13.02.2332 in your MeReAD," he answered curtly. "He's nothing but a craven maverick. Why do you care?"

MeReAD v.3.77 entry K-9E13.02.2332 - 'Commander Craft Fenrisúlfr' '/1.XY/, NEO ARCADIAN OFFICER TYPE REPLOID - EINHERJAR NO. 9.

Zero co*cked his head at Craft quizzically. The large reploid stared onward with a blank look. "Is he with the Resistance?"

"If youhaveto know, then yes. He used to be one of ours," Harpuia replied, feathers ruffling just thinking about it. "Really, he isn't worth your time."

Oh, if only he knew how wrong he was. The gears were already turning in Zero's head. Craft was a Resistance commander. If he could somehow secure his survival and companionship, then with a little luck, he could gather some valuable information on escaping to the Resistance from him, and possibly even find a powerful ally in him. Perhaps, the war reploid could prove to be his ticket to freedom.

He just had to make sure he survived X's judgment first.

"Where are you taking him?" Zero asked. Harpuia bristled with impatience at Zero's bothersome questions.

"To the high court. His judgment is to be read before the Tribunal."

"Good. Then I'm coming with you."

That gave Harpuia pause. The general leaned back and tightened his lips incredulously. "Don't you have anything better to do than fuss over turncoats like him?"

"Whyshouldn'ta legendary maverick hunter be concerned with the maverick threats in our city? Are you forgetting who I am, Harpuia?"

Zero had to hold back the shudder of disgust whenever he feigned arrogance. He was certain it must've sounded strange to him, considering how the last trial Zero attended affected him. Regardless, his false venom seemed to work on Harpuia, the air general sighing in defeat. "Alright. I can't change your mind…"

"Lead the way."

Hesitantly, Harpuia motioned for his unit to follow. They marched off, dragging Craft along by his chains, a reploid with a taser prod making sure he was being compliant. As they traveled through the endless halls, Zero slowly lagged behind until he was walking alongside Craft.

His size was the first thing anyone noticed when he entered a room. It was as if the building quaked with every step he took. Zero was easily dwarfed in his shadow, the android looking up at the large warbot with a glimmer of curiosity in his eyes. He was a rugged, wolfish man, a mountain of artificial muscle that rippled and striated with every motion, protected under a thick layer of armour. He smelled like gunpowder and burnt metal, and the red stains coating his hands and arms still looked fresh. He wasintimidating…but Zero was undeniably interested in this reploid. Though he had not spoken a word to Zero, his countless scars suggested there, below his armour, trembled a troubled, yet profound history that Zero wanted to learn more about.

When Craft turned his head to look Zero up and down with a scanning glare, Zero flinched and looked elsewhere. He had been staring.

The prisoner couldn't speak with the muzzle band around his mouth, but Zero could tell he probably wouldn't have said anything anyway. Zero wasn't sure what to say either. He had a piercing deep blue gaze that carried an underlying warmth to it.

Zero was captivated. There wasn't any other reploid he had met since his resurrection who had captured him like Craft. Maybe it was the Resistance calling for him.

Despite his restraints, Zero went up a different lift than Craft and Harpuia's unit. It was too dangerous to have him in such close proximity to such a violent maverick, Harpuia had insisted. Master X wouldn't want him hurt.

Yeah, right.Zero rolled his eyes at the assumption.

In any case, the silent elevator ride offered Zero a suitable avenue to plot his next mode of action. If there was anything Zero knew about Neo Arcadia, it was that mavericks, especially those with the Resistance, faced a death sentence when caught. And then there was the fact that Craft's high rank in the Resistance put a formidable target on his head… Zero was struggling to conjure up ways to put a stop to his inevitable execution. He had failed to sway X's judgement before. Now that a schism lay between X and Zero after their argument, Zero feared that his only way out was in jeopardy.

Zero stared at the city passing by, deep in thought. X was powerful, but he was weak in resisting his selfish whims.

The red android sighed. The only currency of power he had left in their relationship was his body. If he could feign a love for him and surrender his body to X, perhaps that would placate him enough to heed Zero's pleas. It wasn't something he was exactly happy to do, but it was what it was. If X would use his words as a weapon against him, then Zero would do the same for X.

After a short wait, the elevator stopped at his destination, and Zero made his way towards the courtroom pavilion, only to stop at the glass door to X's loge, frozen by the sight of X's back.

The azure reploid hadn't noticed him. From what Zero could hear of the muffled voices through the walls, the proceedings were already underway.

There was no time for hesitation. Zero had to make his voice heard.

"The Neo Arcadian State - against - Former Neo Arcadian Commander of the Marine Corps'Craft Fenrisúlfr'- build model/1.XY/K-9E13.02.2332."

Childre Inarabitta's voice brought the tribunal's soft chatter to a hush.

"Thank you, Inarabitta." Kelverian waited for Craft's muzzle to be removed before continuing, the reploid finally free to speak, though he said nothing at all. "I shall now read the judgement of the Neo Arcadian Military Tribunal."

X leaned over the balustrade, staring down the maverick standing below as Kelverian went through all the necessary protocols. X had heard this spiel so often it was going through one audial and out the next.

In all honesty, he didn't care enough to pay much attention to the proceedings. He was mostly present as an obligation.

Craft was an elusive man, even when he was a Neo Arcadian commander. He was a fine and valuable warrior, his strength rivalling even X's own.

At that point, he had met the Resistance commander so many times in battle that he knew him better as an opponent than he did as an ally. He was vicious, tearing at his enemies like an enraged beast, but he still managed to employ an exquisite technique to it all. His violence was by no means blind, rather, it was refined and calculated. He could read the opposition in mere seconds and devise a plan of attack in even fewer, all the while possessing the power to annihilate entire maverick encampments in one fell swoop. He was a perfect killing machine.

If only he wasn't so blind to X's vision. Why did he refuse to stand by him, and secure humanity's future so vehemently? Perhaps, it was simply in his nature to yearn for wanton destruction. That was the trouble with combat type reploids- X's past with Vile made that abundantly clear to him.

When X's eyes met Craft's, the warmachine shot him a damning scowl, lips pulled back in a snarl.

The proud warrior he once was to Neo Arcadia was lost to the past. He was a maverick now, and mavericks had to be exterminated with extreme prejudice.

When Kelverian began reading out a long list of charges with a droning cadence, X let his mind drift.

He gazed off into the distance, an ineffectual look crossing his features. The extent of his crimes were inconsequential to him. Whether it be a simple misdemeanor or a host of egregious felonies- did it really matter? A maverick was a maverick. When there was an energy crisis at stake, reploids had to be culled to maintain short term survival while he worked on a long term solution.

"In Count 3, the accused is charged with conspiring as an instigator and accomplice to the planning, preparation, initiation, and waging of wars of aggression for the purpose of military, political and economic domination of Neo Arcadia and its adjacent territories…"

Kelverian's voice became clear in X's head once more as he was shaken from his thoughts. X furrowed his brow.

Someone was behind him. An untranslatable ID signature. There was only one reploid X knew with such an identifying mark.

X stood upright and looked over his shoulder to find Zero pushing through the glass doors and wordlessly coming to stand at X's side.

The azure ruler stared at him with wide eyes. Zero stared politely back at him.

Eventually, X found it within himself to speak. "Zero...? What are you doing here?"

To his surprise, Zero responded with a small smile.

X almost blushed. He had forgotten just how beautiful Zero was when he smiled.

"I just wanted to be with you," Zero replied. X gave him a look up and down, wondering if he was hearing things right.

What was he getting at?

"With me…?" X's eyes flickered to and from Zero's face. He chose his words carefully, afraid of screwing things up between them further than he already had. "But after what I did the other day…"

Zero shook his head. "I know. But… I understand why you did it, X." He reached for his hand, taking it in a gentle grasp, fingers interlocking. "I get it now. I was being… unreasonable. Peace takes sacrifice. We can't be selfish, not anymore..."

It took a moment for his words to sink in for X, but when they did, his eyes lightened up with the ecstatic realisation. "Zero… I knew you'd finally understand. I know how hard everything is for you. It's hard for me too…" X shuffled closer to Zero, flush against his side, his arm snaking around the red warbot's waist as the two gave audience to the tribunal's judgement. "I love you, Zero. More than you could ever know."

Though he didn't reply in kind, Zero hummed affirmatively in response before the warbot fell silent again.

As much as he could make him hurt at times, Zero would always remain his pillar. He was his hero, his guiding light.

X smiled, basking in the warm glow of Zero's love. He knew he was right.

Zero felt the cold chill of disgust creep up his spine when he felt X's arm slip around his waist.

"Count 13 charges the accused with disclosing classified government documents with extremist militia. Count 14 charges the accused with…"

He had to put on a brave face if he was going to convince X of anything. Panic was only going to incite X's rage. He didn't know when his next chance to escape Neo Arcadia would come about. He just needed to wait for the right time to make himself heard.

"Count 22 charges the accused with commandeering the destruction of critical public property and infrastructure with intentions to influence the Neo Arcadian government by intimidation to advance an ideological cause. Count 23 to 27 charges the accused with hijacking public infrastructure at Aegis Station- Count 23, Northern Cross Station- Count 24…"

Zero pursed his lips, watching on with a pensive frown. Punishment was unavoidable, that was clear enough. Perhaps, there was some way to mitigate what would happen to him.

There wasn't a palpable tension in the air as there was during Axl's trial. X looked ambivalent, his gaze focused on nothing in particular. Zero knew that impassive look- he was lost in unrelated thoughts. It was a familiar sight during many of the more monotonous Maverick Hunter board meetings.

It was as though Craft's fate seemed entirely inconsequential to him.

"...And Count 39 charges the accused with initiating the destruction of public infrastructure with intentions to illegally smuggle human-likes from the country." Kelverian paused to rearrange his documents, only then catching a glimpse of Zero at the loge. The white and gold reploid, caught off guard by his sudden appearance, gave a start before continuing on. "Greetings, Master Zero. The Tribunal will now proceed to render its verdict for the accused.

"The defendant, Craft Fenrisúlfr- has been found guilty under thirty five counts by the Tribunal. There is insufficient evidence to suggest he took part in counts 8, 13, 15 and 28. During the course of this trial, the evidence provided has proven that Craft Fenrisúlfr can be deemed a danger to humanity and a maverick without a shadow of a doubt. He has pleaded guilty in a prior hearing." Kelverian turned to Hellbat, passing onto him the honour of speaking.

"Leaking government documents, terrorism, inciting riots, destruction of public property, treason, and worse of all, your actions have led to the reckless endangerment of humans. What do you have to say, maverick?" Hellbat spoke with an elegant lilt. "Would you seek to deny your guilt? Have you a defence for your actions?"

Craft simply shook his head no.

"I know what I've done. And I know it may make me seem like a maverick in your eyes."

It was the first words Zero had heard him speak. His voice was deep, his words rumbling in the depths of Zero's chest and lingering long after they had left his throat. It made Zero's breath hike.

"But I don'tcare!This world of your creation will drive us all to extinction. I will not follow you into the night, Master X. I've chosen to take a stand, to correct humanity's course! One day, all of you will understand, and pray it won't be too late when you do."

Hellbat's frown deepened, arms crossing over his chest in disapproval. Cubit Foxtar cleared his throat, motioning for permission to speak. "Your honour, if I may…"

Zero stopped listening when Foxtar began to drone on. Looking Craft in the eye, he couldn't bear to let another reploid meet the same fate as Axl, even if it was a complete stranger, when there was something he could do about it. He remained true to his ideals, dedicated to justice and freedom, his steadfast beliefs unfaltering even in the face of a sure death.

Just as Axl's did.

With stress weighing down on his heart, he knew he had to do something quick before his imminent death sentence could be set in stone. He turned to X for options, but the king simply watched on wordlessly.

When Foxtar's tangent finally came to a close, Kelverian cast his gaze back towards Craft. "Very well. And what do you plead, Commander Craft?"

"Guilty." Craft didn't hesitate for a second. "If fighting to secure our future makes me a maverick, then sobeit. The burden of Neo Arcadia's tyranny is too much for me to bear."

Kelverian turned to X for further comment, but X waved a hand ineffectually, maintaining his silence. Kelverian offered a nod in return.

As the judges discussed their options in soft murmurs, Zero's heart raced in his chest, the pump of oil thrumming loud in his head. When Craft's hardened gaze met his own, the panic gripping his soul only tightened its mighty grasp.

His life was in Zero's hands now. Zero had to wonder if Craft knew that much, or if he saw the red hero as just another Neo Arcadian fraud.

After a period of deliberation, Inarabitta relayed the tribunal's decision back to Kelverian, and the large reploid clasped his hands together over his bench, speaking with an aura of conclusivity. "The Neo Arcadian Military Tribunal will now pronounce the sentence on the accused convicted on this indictment."

Zero's hand unconsciously tightened around X's. He had to be strong. Even if it would fail, even if it meant enduring X's abuse as a consequence. He wouldn't let himself be imprisoned by his own fear anymore.

Craft's head dropped, the warbot coming to terms with his fate.

"In the name of the true sovereign Lord X, the accused 'Craft Fenrisúlfr', on the Counts of the Indictment on which you have been convicted, the Neo Arcadian Military Tribunal sentences you to a merciful death. If any tribunal members oppose this decision-"

"Your honour!"

Zero tore himself from X's grasp and stepped forward, all eyes turning in his direction, including Craft's. X, shaken from his train of thought, shot his partner a puzzled frown. "Zero-?"

"You may speak, Master Zero," Kelverian answered. Zero breathed out the tension in his core, steeling his resolve for what he would say next.

"As the sovereign Lord of Neo Arcadia at Master X's side, I demand this sentence be overturned, and for this reploid to be sentenced to a lifetime of absolute servitude under my command!"

Speechless, Craft staggered at the declaration, disbelief etched all over his rugged features.

X's mouth was agape, the king amazed by Zero's audacity. "Zero…" X almost let his nascent anger get the better of him before chasing it away with a sharp sigh. He faced Kelverian with renewed composure. "...Give my partner and I a moment please, your honour."

"Very well."

X wasted no time in pulling Zero aside, retreating indoors and away from the tribunal's prying eyes.

With only each other as company, X let his disposition soften. "Zero…"

"X, I know you think you know what's best for me but I need to make some of these decisions for myself-!"

"-I'm not saying that." X gently placed his hands on Zero's shoulder. "I just… want to know why you'd even want this?"

The honest answer wouldn't fly with X. The red warbot blurted out the first excuse that came to mind.

"You said it yourself, it's dangerous out here, isn't it? People have it out for us. You can't protect me forever. You and your Guardians have jobs to do." Zero inched closer, an air of intimacy falling onto the two uneasy lovers. "Wouldn't it ease your mind to know a guy like Craft has my back?"

X's lips drew tight, eyes flickering back and forth as he mulled over Zero's proposal. Craft was undoubtedly one of the most powerful reploids to come out of Neo Arcadia- the warbot proving as much when he annihilated wave after wave of Pantheons storming the brig. He was certain that he would make a fine guardian for Zero, but his past mutinies and violent sedition weighed heavy on X's mind. His hands slid down from Zero's shoulders and fell at his sides.

"I don't know… he's dangerous, too unpredictable. Even when he was one of ours. Destruction is in his nature."

"Isn't that what they used to say about me?"

That took X aback, his eyes widening and shoulders tightening. "...You- I…" X snapped his mouth shut and swallowed, staring down at their feet. "He wiped out a battalion's worth of my soldiers just hours ago… He's a maverick. I should retire him…"

Zero took X's hands again, giving them a gentle squeeze and resting their helmet gems against one another's. "Please, X. Having a permanent guardian at my side, it'd give you and I the freedom and security we both need."

X chewed his lip. Zero's heart was in his throat, the warbot hoping his partner could find it within himself to show Craft mercy.

When Zero's cool, smooth voice wavered like it rarely ever did, X was helpless to deny him. HewantedZero to be happy. He wanted him to love him like he used to. He had to wonder if granting him Craft's survival as his steward would be enough to win Zero's love back. They were so close that X could see nothing else but his partner, his palace and all its stresses disappearing in his presence.

X was doubtful it would change things like he would've wanted it too, but if letting Craft live would make Zero forgive him even just a little, then X would take the chance.Anythingwas better than the splintering relationship they had now.

"Do you trust me, Zero?"

Zero co*cked his head. "Huh?"

"Do you trust me?" X reiterated, a little more firmly. Zero creased his brow in a confused scowl.

"What? 'Course I do!"

X stood in silent contemplation. Zero hoped he hadn't caught him in his bold faced lie.

"Good. That's what I needed to hear."

The nervous pressure lifted from Zero's chest at that, and he let himself relax with a long exhale.

"Well, if it makes you happy… I'll tell Kelverian to overturn his sentence and resign him to a guardian duty," X conceded begrudgingly.

Instantly, the shine came back to Zero's foggy gray eyes, the red android's fire coming back to life. "X… I don't know what else I can do to thank you."

As relief washed over him, and Zero closed the distance between them, eyes shutting as he pressed a deep kiss against his lips. X froze up, stunned at first, until the tension melted away as he gave himself up to the moment of affection.

X didn't want it to end. He didn't know when Zero would let him kiss him next, if he ever would. He'd treat every one of them as if it were their last. When Zero started to pull away, he leaned back into it, only stopping when Zero gently pushed him away.

The frown King X seemed to always don had dissolved in lieu of a warm, cute smile. Zero would've cherished it more had he not known the things he did about X's rule.

"...Let's not keep them waiting," X suggested as he held the door open for Zero.

The two rejoined the tribunal, Kelverian perking up at their reappearance. Craft shuffled uncomfortably on the spot.

"Master X, Master Zero. Welcome back," Kelverian greeted with a bow of his head. "I suppose we shall continue the proceedings. It appears that Master Zero has requested the defendant's sentence be overturned. Master X, I must ask you to approve of this change before we may go any further."

"I will allow this amendment, Kelverian." X held his head high, regaining his sense of power and control. "Consider yourself lucky, Commander K9-E. Your life will be spared today, for my dear Zero has demanded you are condemned to a lifetime of loyal servitude under his watchful eye."

Though still bewildered, Craft swelled with gratitude, the maverick, certain of his own fate, mercifully delivered from death. The warbot whispered to himself, his tone of utter astonishment barely loud enough for Zero's keen audials to pick up. "Zero…"

Kelverian sighed, flicking through his datapads to find the relevant documents, picking at his brain to figure out exactly what his superior's demands entailed. "Well… if there is no objection from the Tribunal, I will proceed to overturn the previous sentence with the blessing of our sovereign Lord X."

Zero's chest felt like it was collapsing inwards during the brief murmurings between the judges, the white and gold reploids nervously casting glances back towards X and Zero. Zero wondered if they even had the courage to oppose X's word regardless of how they felt about the decision.

The moment of discussion came to a quick close, and Inarabitta signalled a 'no objection' to the Chief Judge. It gave Kelverian enough time to organise his thoughts. "Mister Fenrisúlfr. It has been decided by the Tribunal on this day that you shall be spared from capital punishment. Instead, you shall be re-sentenced to a lifetime of service without possibility of parole as Master Zero's personal attendant."

The agony of waiting he had been shouldering was finally lifted from Zero's body upon Kelvarian's assertion, whisked away in the breeze. He was hoping Craft felt the same. Perhaps, to the Resistance commander, the gesture of mercy appeared as a selfish deed instead, and that death would've been more generous than a lifetime under one man's absolute and total command. The look on Craft's face made it hard for Zero to guess- the sage green reploid just stood by, frozen in disbelief.

The victory, if it could be called that, would be bittersweet. He wished he could've saved Axl this way, but as much as it pained him to admit it, while X was indifferent to Craft, hehatedAxl. So much that he would've killed him no matter what Zero did to stop him.

"As Master Zero's personal attendant, you will be expected to do as he says without question and protect him with your life. As such, you will be fitted with a restraining device that will automatically stun you if you attempt to abandon your duties or put him in danger. You will retain your physical power, but your status as Commander of the late Einherjar unit will no longer be recognised.Ipso facto, you will be addressed as though you were a common Neo Arcadian soldier. You shall not disobey orders by your superiors unless they put Master Zero in peril. Have I made myself clear?"

Craft swallowed, closing his eyes and releasing a deep exhale, uncertainty leaving him with that breath. "Yes, your honour."

"And do you accept this sentence?"

The two warbots eyes met again. Zero clasped his hands over his heavy heart, silently pleading to Craft with a crease of worry along his brow.

Craft bowed his head in similarly quiet acknowledgement. It was clear the rugged warbot saw something different in Zero. "Yes. I do."

"Then it is final… the Tribunal is hereby adjourned. You are all dismissed." Kelverian concluded, a little exasperated but nonetheless relieved to go the day without bearing witness to another grisly execution.

Tribunal members began filtering out after a nervous pause fell on the court. X turned, rubbing the bridge of his nose to knead out the stress pounding in his head.

"Happy now?" X grumbled, feeling the subtle shade of defeat hanging over him. Zero nodded slowly with a slight smile, keeping up his gentle and polite facade no matter what X sent his way.

"Very much so," he replied in a small voice. "Thank you, X."

He couldn't quite bring himself to tell him he loved him. He made it up with a chaste kiss he pressed upon the corner of X's lips, effortlessly returning solace to the blue emperor's soul.

"...Of course," X replied after the pleasant shock wore off. "I'll get everything sorted."

Deep down, Zero knew X was just in damage control mode, trying to make up for everything he had done before in an attempt to win back his love, but Zero would take what was given to him. After all, Craft could be his only way out, to a world where he could be free from X's possession.

When X departed, the terrible fear that had spread throughout Craft's body like a poison was expelled in an instant. Zero remained, the hero of legend standing tall above him in the king's loge.

His hair glistened in the sunlight, amber locks shimmering like the ocean's surface at sunrise. A halo of refracting rays of light glimmered around his helm. His armour was a burning red, accented with royal gold and ivory white, his skin soft and fair like porcelain. It was like staring at an apparition, a merciful angel who appeared before him just in time to save him from a sure death. It was still hard for Craft to believe he was looking atZero.Even just the sight of him took his breath away.

The legendary reploid's dark violet stare was stagnant, yet so loud. When he leaped down from the loge to address him face to face, Craft felt compelled to step away in his presence, as if he wasn't worthy of sharing the same Earth as him.

Zero-theZero that saved humanity from a certain extinction at the hands of Weil and the Dark Elf… was in pain.

Unlike the vision immortalised in stained glass, in bronze sculpture, in historic manuscripts, the Zero that stood before him was wasting away, too thin, too meek, the form of the protoform skeleton underneath his body suit visible under his synthetic flesh.

He was beautiful. He was hurting. Zero didn't belong here.

Harpuia came bounding over from his bench with an entourage of guards, ready to take him away. The air general addressed him with a venomous glare.

Right. He was as good as a common soldier now. Harpuia walked right by him to talk to Zero.

"Anything else you want me to know before we send him off to processing?" Harpuia asked in way of a greeting. The fact that Harpuia was still as shrewd as ever was almost comforting to Craft. Even just the tone of his voice made his skin crawl off.

"I do, actually," Zero answered. "I need his mind to remainintact."

Harpuia's brows rose. "Really? He would be far easier to handle vacuous."

That made Craft shrink back. Vacuous reploids had their consciouses all but extinguished, leaving barely sentient hollow shells. Craft had to wonder if Pantheons, the archetypal vacuous soldier, even felt the pain when he retired them.

"Huh, do you give lectures to all your superiors? Do not mess with his head in any capacity!"

Harpuia turned away with a harrumph, skulking away with a look of contempt. Trailing behind were his soldiers, who made quick work of surrounding Craft and escorting him back into the citadel, forcing him forward with the prod of an electrified baton.

He stole one last glimpse of his saviour, his sweet belvedere, before Zero's almost ethereal visage was gone behind closing doors once more.

Neige collapsed on the trans server pad, her head spinning and stomach flipping.

She shook her head, seeing stars spark across her vision. The journalist felt a running under her nose, wiping her top lip to find a thin film of blood collecting on her finger.

...sh*t. I swear I carried the three.

When she eventually came to, blinking away the blurriness in her sight, she let out a sigh of relief when the familiar sight of the Resistance base's trans server room greeted her. The young reploid manning the device looked as though he had seen a ghost, eyes wide like an owl's.

"Miss Neige? You're alive?!" he exclaimed. Neige shrugged, wiping away the blood running down her philtrum.

"Long story. I need to talk to Ciel."

The trans server worker said nothing more as Neige rushed past, barrelling through crowds of shocked onlookers, just as surprised to see her alive as Neige was to be saved by Craft, all the way to the elevator, where she urgently punched in the second floor key.

Her legs were sore from running, heavy with fatigue like her ankles were still weighed down by shackles. The breath in her chest was faint, her heart still racing at a million miles an hour. There was still blood trickling down from her nose, and she could taste the bitter iron in her mouth. Still, she was alive, and with her brought essential intel, stolen straight from the depths of central Neo Arcadia.

The command center was eerily quiet without Axl or Craft. Only Ciel remained, the cyborg hunched over the round table, a mess of datapads scattering its surface and littering the ground around her. At her feet, little Alouette sat on the floor, fiddling with trinkets and toys Ciel brought back from her missions into Neo Arcadia.

The sliding doors opened, and Alouette jumped up at the sight of Neige, her big, baby blue eyes sparkling with delight.

"Miss Neige!"

The little girl ran over with leaping strides, and Neige kneeled down to catch Alouette in her arms as she hurdled into Neige, squeezing her tight in a big hug.

"Awwh, hello, my little songbird…" Neige cooed, rocking her back and forth. Ciel straightened her posture, looking back in shock at Neige's reappearance.

"Miss Neige, I missed you!" Alouette almost sounded like she was reprimanding her for daring to get captured. "I finished all the writing sheets you gave me, just like you told me to!"

"Well, I'm very proud of you, Alouette. You keep at it." Gently, Neige freed herself from the little reploid's iron grip, heaving herself back onto her feet and levelling herself with Ciel. "Commander Ciel…"

"Neige, you're okay…" Ciel whispered, before she pulled the redhead into a hug, patting her firmly on the back. When she pulled away, she couldn't stifle a tired chuckle. "Tough warp home, huh?"

"How can you tell?"

"Gluon instability. You're leaking a bit."

Neige grumbled, wiping away the residual trails of blood from her nose and mouth. "I swear, I primed the AdS driver correctly."

"And what about the strong force equalizer?" Ciel pointed out. Neige pouted and slumped her shoulders, conceding to her mistake. The cyborg gave her shoulder a reassuring rub. "Hey. I'm just happy you're still with us."

"Yeah. I'm happy to be back too…" Neige backed up some, staring off into space with a forlorn frown. "But… Craft…"

Ciel's spirits fell quickly. "Cerveau told me he ran off for you…"

Neige nodded meekly. "He broke me out. He… he stayed behind."

She took Ciel's hand, gently placing the trans server device in her palm. The cyborg dipped her head, eyes shutting.

"Oh, Neige…" Ciel muttered, shaking her head. "I'm sorry… I know how much he meant to you."

Neige let out a heavy sigh. "He said he'd come back, but…" she trailed off. "I know its stupid to hold out hope that he's still out there, but…"

Ciel jostled her reassuringly. "He's one of the strongest reploids I know. I'll be praying for his safe return."

She knew those words didn't mean much. Ciel kept her hand on Neige's shoulder, giving it a squeeze before letting go.

"...You know, I do have something for you."

Out of thin air, Neige procured a datastick, offering it to Ciel. Amazed, Ciel stared at it, taking a moment before taking it from her.

"Snatched this up from the Deep Archives before I got captured," Neige explained as Ciel plugged it into the control console. "Neo Arcadia doesn't check humans for 4D storage. Maybe they think we're too primitive to use it."

The drive contained a bevy of folders, full of notes and schematics. Ciel scrolled through them, giving them a quick scan. "Neige, you're brilliant!"

Neige made a flattered laugh, scratching her cheek. "Gracias."

One of the files caught Ciel's eye. Upon opening it, the two were greeted by the sight of a 3D model depicting a massive spacecraft.

Ciel leaned in, not quite believing what her eyes were seeing.

"...How did you get this?" Ciel murmured, dumbfounded.

Neige's head lolled to the side. "Was a favour from the Rebellion."

Engrossed in what Neige had presented her with, Ciel dove deeper into the files, finding construction logs and test reports for the massive satellite weapon. She swallowed hard.

"This is old tech… before the Elf Wars. This isWeil'shandiwork."

Neige frowned. "Ragnarok…? Craft warned us about this… I didn't think it'd be real."

"I'm afraid he might've been right…" Ciel rested her chin on her knuckles, musing. "But these activity reports have been signed off under the Neo Arcadian administration. They're too recent to be written off as old data logs. I'd guess that Neo Arcadia commandeered it for their own use. But then…" Ciel's brow furrowed with worry. "X has the power to bring the hammer down on us at any moment."

"He doesn't know where the settlements are."

"For now." Ciel sat down at the control console and began clattering away at her keyboard. "There's a lot more data here hidden behind encryption."

Neige and Aluoette watched Ciel scour through files, diligently taking down notes of all the unencrypted data she could fish out.

"What are we going to do?" Neige pondered aloud. Ciel stopped mid key-stroke.

"I don't… I don't know," Ciel admitted. "A weapon of this scale... seems out of my jurisdiction. I'm not sure I can disable it remotely, either. The only way to stop it might be by destroying it."

"...But he hasn't used it yet," Neige pointed out.

"Well, I hope he never finds a reason to."

Still, the threat of such mass destruction, unleashed from a weapon that could target anywhere on the Earth from orbit, would hang over Ciel's conscious like a storm cloud.

"...I'll look further into it. Thank you, Neige, for everything." Ciel swivelled around in her chair to face her. "Get some rest. You look like you need it."

Neige huffed, semi-amused. "You have no idea. See you later, Ciel..."

Ciel waved her off as she hobbled out of the room, exhausted and sore, but more pressingly, broken by Craft's sacrifice.

Turning back around to the control console, Ciel stared lifelessly at the Ragnarok design schematics, uncertainty swimming in her head.

All her efforts to build a fair and kind world beyond the walls of Neo Arcadia could be dashed in one fell swoop if X felt compelled to deploy Ragnarok. No matter what she did, nowhere was safe from X's reign of terror until Ragnarok was destroyed, but her answer to how that would be possible eluded her. The Resistance had firepower, but she knew that a weapon of this magnitude could not be handled by their forces alone, even with the aid of the Rebellion.

Ciel sighed, putting her head in her hands. Without Axl and Craft, she felt lost.

A tiny hand tugged at the hem of her dress, ripping her from her spiralling despair. Alouette was at her feet, staring up at her with twinkling, wide eyes.

"I hope Mister Craft will be okay…" Alouette lamented, clutching her kitty soft toy close to her chest.

When Allouette hugged her hand, Ciel managed a small smile. Alouette's innocence never failed to lift her spirits. It reminded her of what she was fighting for- a better future for posterity's sake. "Me too."

"M-maybe… Zero will help him. He's good, isn't he? He's not like Master X."

Ciel patted her on the head. "You're full of questions, aren't you…? You know I can't answer all of them."

In her heart, Ciel was hoping Alouette was right. Zero was the last reploid Ciel was certain possessed power equal to that of X's. If history held true, Zeroalonecould do things in seconds that took hundreds of Resistance soldiers years to accomplish. If there was any reploid left in Neo Arcadia who could stand a chance at taking down X and Ragnarok, it was Zero.

Still, Zero remained passive, even in the face of Axl's death. The legendary reploid was barely even seen wandering outside the citadel. Maybe he was comfortable where he was, remaining happily silent and compliant in X's bloody, iron rule over mankind and their reploid brethren.

Ciel was torn. Would she wait for Zero to make his choice, or resign to the fact that she was on her own now, and her heroes were dead and gone?

"Ciel?"

Alouette was still at her feet, even despite the fact that her mind was wandering. Ciel co*cked her head. "Yes?"

"You won't go away too, will you?"

That was a question Cieldefinitelydidn't have the answer to. All she could do was kneel down and wrap her arms around Alouette, hugging her tight as if it were the last time she would be able to do so.

What else could she do, other than hope Zero would find it in himself to ally with the side of freedom, to turn away from the one he loved? With Ragnarok on her mind, it seemed that all her other options had been exhausted.

Chapter 9: Chapter Eight

Chapter Text

"Harpuia?"

The voice of Zero tore Harpuia from his bored stupor, making him startle from where he stood outside the processing centre.

For hours now, Zero had been meandering around the halls nearby, nervously pacing and badgering Harpuia for updates, to which Harpuia simply pleaded for his patience. He wasn't part of the processing unit- he had just been elected to stand guard until Craft was given the green light. Of course, telling Zero that did as much good as not saying it at all.

Zero was so much like his partner. Stubborn.

"What is it?" Harpuia addressed him with steely eyes, arms crossed.

"Is he done yet?"

Harpuia expected no other question. He humoured the query regardless, and he checked his internal incoming alerts.

At least this time, he could offer an answer Zero would be happy to hear. "Well, yes, actually," he said, "the processing unit just let me know they're just about done with your maverick pet."

He stepped aside the sliding doors for Zero to enter. Zero just frowned, unmoving.

"He has a name," Zero chided. Harpuia rolled his eyes. As far as he was concerned, the names of mavericks mattered as much as their lives. Worth nothing at all.

"Yes, of course. After you, Master Zero."

The look of disapproval Zero cast towards Harpuia as he passed by was not lost on him. He elected to ignore it- Zero was an ornery android, X had made that clear to him.

The processing unit's workshop was a sterile, spartan space, with polished stainless steel covering every surface and harsh fluorescent lights beaming down, a stark contrast to the older styled luxury of the citadel. A team of reploid scientists scattered into formation at Harpuia and Zero's arrival, standing politely at attention. Harpuia gestured to them to be at ease with a bow of his head.

In an instant, Zero's eyes locked onto Craft's unconscious body lying limp on a metal berth, a thick cable fastened in a port in the nape of his neck. The warbot had been cleaned up, the scuffs in his armour had been buffed out and polished, looking respectable enough to be a servant in the citadel. There was a thick restraining bolt collared around his neck, the same one that Zero was burdened with. Zero was certain it was to ensure he stayed in line around Zero and his colleagues.

A reploid, Zero assumed the head mechanic, coughed, drawing in Zero's attention. He extended a hand, but when Zero didn't shake it, it fell back to his side.

"Master Zero. Good afternoon, sir." The wiry reploid shrunk back in respect. "We're just about done here. No modifications to his body. No tampering with his stem or halobrain. Only modification we've made is external, hooked him up to the restraining device. As you requested. Sir."

Zero nodded slowly, but said nothing.

"Well, if you're okay with all of that, we'll be waking him up for you, sir," he went on. "Might wanna step back. You know, just as a precaution… sir."

After a brief pause, the mechanic let out a passive sigh and pivoted, turning his attention onto the task at hand. Zero and Harpuia backed up some as he entered a few commands into the medical console, Craft's internals whirring to life shortly after the mechanic went about running them. He wearily unplugged the cable from Craft's neck and stepped away, reaching for a stun rifle just in case his restraints weren't sufficient.

Zero watched with rapt attention, fists balled tight in apprehension as he watched the lumbering warbot slowly emerge from unconsciousness. His fingers flexed and tapped the berth as feeling returned to his body, and his eyes blinked open, before straining shut under the harsh bright lights of the fluorescence. He groaned, uncomfortable, shifting on the spot before realising he had been tied down and going limp again in defeat.

A few moments passed as Craft regained his bearings, rising from the operating table, clearly delirious and confused, but awake. His features bunched up in pain, and his joints and hydraulics popped and hissed as he tightened his tired, numb muscles.

A lull fell upon the room as he adjusted to the waking world, and his wandering eyes caught Zero's gaze. Zero startled and locked up, his pupils growing small upon eye contact.

He had calculating cobalt eyes, an old scar running across his squarish face and a shock of stubble on his chin. He had a flash of jet black hair, unkempt and messy, and sturdy, thick armour, much unlike the sleeker Neo Arcadian military reploid builds Zero had found himself grown accustomed to. Though his armour had been polished and buffed to a gleaming finish, there were still countless scuffs and scars criss-crossing his form that simply couldn't be erased or looked over. It was clear that he was a reploid from a bygone decade, and no stranger to a long war.

"...Craft."

Zero stepped forward to greet him, but Harpuia stopped him with an outstretched arm. Craft dipped his head in acknowledgement, offering Zero a silent greeting instead. The head mechanic procured a datapad from a drawer and took a pen from his lab coat pocket.

"Apologies. Sir. Give me a moment… sir," he apologised. He stood an arms length away from Craft. "You." He pointed at Craft, who raised his brow. "Gonna do a real quick cognition test, it won't take too long. Speak. Any word."

Craft's shoulders slumped, no longer on guard. "...Alright."

It was a simple enough request, and even a simpler answer, but Zero was still happy to hear him speak. His voice struck him in his core, deep and gruff, by no means was he loud, but he still spoke with a firm and powerful cadence that carried a great, formidable strength. The reploid mechanic wrote something down, mumbling to himself.

"What's your name? Model number?"

"Craft Fenrisúlfr. Kilo-Niner-Echo-13-decimal-02-decimal-2332. /1.XY/, that's one-decimal-X-Ray-Yankee." He didn't hesitate in his answer. Though he was uncomfortable, he was lucid. The mechanic nodded in subdued approval.

"Thank you. You know where you are?"

"Hm. Probably Area X-2. X-3. Considering we're in the medical wing of the citadel. Why are you asking me this?"

"Making sure you're thinking straight. Just in case we nicked something we shouldn't've. We're in Area X-2. You know why you're here?"

"Sure. Serving as Master Zero's guardian." He was short and succinct- not a hint of a uncertainty in his tone. "In exchange for my life."

The mechanic pursed his lips, tapping the back of his pen on his chin. "Alright… Well, I think you're in the clear. I'm gonna undo your restraints. Be nice, or we'll shoot."

A few of Harpuia's soldiers standing at the outskirts of the lab readied their weapons. The mechanic input a few passwords into the medical terminal, and the shackles came undone with a click.

His movements were slow as he stretched out his arms and legs so as to not startle the Neo Arcadians surrounding him. He worried his hand around his wrist and cracked it back and forth, opening and closing his fist, loosening it up after having been shackled for so long.

As he kicked his feet over the gurney, he grabbed at the heavy restraining bolt around his neck weighing him down and tightened his jaw in silent disappointment. Zero inched closer, as if approaching a wild animal, and gently set his hand on Craft's thigh, his sturdy legs making his hand look tiny in comparison.

It drew his attention, the large warbot's gaze first fixing itself at Zero's delicate touch, then flicking upwards to cast him a confused, soft frown, his eyes roving back and forth indicative of racing thoughts as he tried to figure out Zero's intentions.

"Zero…" Craft murmured. "You saved me."

In response, Zero offered a small nod, but no words. Craft furrowed his brow. "...Why?"

Craft noticed a flash of sorrow in Zero's eyes before he exhaled a sharp breath and hurriedly pulled away his gaze. He threaded his fingers through his own hair, seeking comfort.

"After seeing what happened to Axl, I couldn't just stand by and watch another reploid die like he did." Zero closed the distance between them, his voice low and hushed. "Not when I have the chance to do something to stop it, even just this once."

The sentiment took Craft aback with a pleasant surprise, and he leaned back in slight disbelief. History painted Zero as a ruthless, yet fair warrior. To hear such gentle, kind compassion, a rare commodity among Neo Arcadians, fromZeroof all reploids gave Craft pause.

No matter his presumptions, it was only right he returned the sympathy. Craft bowed his head in dearest gratitude. "Thank you. I owe you everything, Zero."

Zero shook his head no, cradling Craft's larger hand in his own. "Was the least I could do."

A heavy silence permeated in the air, before Zero let him go again. When the pause grew too much for Craft to handle, he breathed out the tension simmering in his chest and looked away, tracing his fingers over his neck brace, his gaze solemn and distant.

"Then I guess my life of servitude starts now, huh?" Craft slipped a finger under the collar and tugged at it half heartedly. "Never thought I'd be back here as a friend, Master Zero."

Zero made a meek laugh, but it died quickly. "Please, just… Zero."

Craft tried to be polite with a forced, quiet chuckle, but the hostile effect of Harpuia's gaze locked on the two made it much too hard to open up in a way that mattered. When Zero shot a glance over his shoulder to face Harpuia, he glared back with narrowing, stern eyes, arms crossed and lips drawn in a cold frown.

He should probably find someplace a little more private if he was gonna get anywhere with Craft. Zero took a step back.

"Well, you're no use sitting around in here," Zero said, his voice carrying a hint of conclusivity that allowed the mechanics and soldiers in the room to fall at ease in anticipation of leaving the situation. "Come on. I'll take you to my room, and we can chat there. Can you walk?"

Craft shrugged. "Only one way to find out."

He awkwardly shuffled off the gurney, landing flat on his feet. His knees buckled slightly, and Zero offered a supporting hand, but Craft didn't take it. His stance faltered somewhat, but eventually he regained his balance. Zero asked him to follow with a flick of his head, and Craft could do little else other than obey.

Not that Harpuia wouldn't let them get far. He stepped in front of the door, blocking the two from proceeding.

"Ahem." Harpuia inched forward, forcing the two to back up. "You, maverick. Do you understand the full conditions of your sentence?" He pointed at his collar. "That bolt on your neck tracks your proximity to Master Zero. Stray too far without his permission, and it will automatically activate and disable your movement system, and you must wait for an authorised person to reset it. You can't run away, so don't even try it." His face darkened. "And if you as much asthinkof laying a finger on Master Zero, Master X will have your corpse hung from the rafters as an example to all. Yes?"

Craft made an exasperated grimace. "Got it, General."

Harpuia stared at him discerningly for another couple uncomfortable seconds before making a small harrumph. "Good. Zero? Do what you will with him. If he causes any trouble for you, let us know. If there's nothing else, I'll be taking my leave now…"

With that, Harpuia departed, probably happy to be free to do something else. Without the burden of Harpuia weighing down on them, Craft let up his fraught constitution and let his weary mind grow a touch calmer. Zero wasn't one to stand around, however, and grabbed Craft's arm and dragged him away, escaping the antagonistic aura of the sterile lab and into the magnificence of the Neo Arcadian citadel.

The difference between the harsh white lights of the lab and the golden glow of the outside world made Craft's eyes water, but there wouldn't be time for him to adjust before he was whisked away. Zero's pace was brisk as he dragged Craft through the countless hallways of the citadel, the larger reploid tripping over himself as he tried to keep up with his tired legs.

Craft barely had a chance to take in his surroundings, the ivory white city whirring by in a blur beyond the arcs of the marble colonnade. The corridors were wide and expansive, the ceilings hanging tall above their heads and decorated with exorbitant frescoes of war scenes from days past. The citadel was a city in of itself, a winding and expansive tower with endless rooms and enclosed buildings, open air spaces and gardens, and as many places for the public to come visit at their leisure as there were places for servicemen to come and work. As palatial and grand as the citadel was, the ever watchful eyes of the Neo Arcadian soldiers positioned at every corner made Craft feel terribly claustrophobic- it felt like the walls were closing in on him, crushing him under the intense pressure of X's tyranny.

He was alive, but at the cost of his freedom. He had sacrificed so much to escape Neo Arcadia, and just like that, it was all for nothing. Maybe it was true that there was no freedom from Neo Arcadia's cold embrace, at least, not for reploids like Craft.

Zero slowed to a stop in front of an elevator, standing face-to-face with a Pantheon standing guard. He cleared his throat and shooed it off, the vacuous soldier skulking away at his command.

Craft managed a small, amused grin. There were worse reploids to be stuck with, at least.

The two stood in silence as they waited, neither really knowing what there was to say. They were strangers, but Craft had a distant familiarity with Zero, if only from the tales of his heroic deeds. They were enemies, in a way- Zero was a cushy Neo Arcadian, living comfortably from X's ivory tower at the expense of his own people, ignorant to the suffering of those beneath him, and Craft was a Resistance soldier who stood against everything that represented, even at the risk of his life.

Small talk could help. "You know, this place's hardly changed since I left," Craft tried, finally taking the opportunity to take in his surroundings. "Still as ostentatious as ever."

Zero tipped his head aside in uncertain agreement, but remained mostly reticent. They stepped through the sliding doors into an empty cabin, where they ascended to the higher levels of the citadel, where the tower threatened to graze the clouds.

It still felt unreal to Craft, to be in such close proximity with the legendary reploid. He felt like he wasn't worthy to even steal a fleeting glimpse of him, much less speak to him. He swallowed down the lump in his throat and breathed, his stare fixed between his boots. "Not a fan?"

Still no response. At least, not in the form of words. Zero's nervous demeanour said it all. Craft pursed his lips and nodded, taking the hint and saying nothing more for the rest of their way back.

The high security residential units weren't something Craft was familiar with, even when he was a well regarded Neo Arcadian commander. The hallways to the lucrative living quarters were locked behind layers of well-fortified gates and were starkly devoid of guards in comparison to the rest of the spire. It was quiet, in fact, a bit too much so, the juxtaposition between the ever present noise of the public sector versus the complete absence of background conversation of the private units catching him off guard. Zero led him to his room and scanned his ID signature, where many locks came unfastened upon confirmation.

The door slid aside, Zero stood at the doorway, graciously letting Craft past before following him into his living quarters.

The privacy of Zero's room lifted the weight of uncertainty from Craft's shoulders, the larger warbot letting his combat algorithms settle in the back of his mind. Finally, they were free from the oppressive watch of the guards, from the uncomfortable glances and stares of nosey Neo Arcadian officials and from the constant looming threat of X and his children's surveillance. It was just the two of them now, and neither knew what to do with themselves now that they were alone together.

Craft ventured further into the unit while Zero elected to stay at the kitchen counter, watching his new companion closely as he went about boiling a kettle of water.

The first thing that stood out to Craft was the fact that Zero's room didn't have much in it. Craft had to guess that after a century in hibernation, one would be hard pressed to own much of anything. Zero was a pragmatic person anyway- at least, that was what Craft had gathered from historical texts. Warbots like them had little reason to have things to fill a bedroom with. His bed was made, but messily, his sheets pulled askew over the mattress, and his window was cracked open, translucent gossamer curtains catching the cool sea breeze that was coming in.

Craft stood at the window, looking off into the far distance. For once, he found himself drinking in the sight of Neo Arcadia from X's vantage point in the heavens, his city casting a much more favourable visage than it did from the ground, where much of the truth resided.

His living quarters, they were...nice, but still, missing a certain intangible essence. It was indeed a unit belonging to Zero, but it didn't feel like Zero's home.

A presence appearing at his side stole him from his reverie. Zero gave him a kind, but undeniably tired smile, and offered him a cup of hot tea. Craft's eyes darted to and from his master and his offering, before he gingerly accepted it.

"Thanks," he said, cupping the fragile mug precariously in his large hands. It felt like the delicate porcelain would shatter if he even moved wrong. Zero bowed his helm humbly.

"It's nothing. Get comfortable."

Zero turned away and returned to the kitchen, though Craft remained where he stood. Craft stared blankly into his cup, watching the dark tea slosh back and forth, still hot and steaming. He hadn't even noticed his hands had been shaking.

Since when did the master serve his slave?

"Hope you didn't want milk or anything," Zero intoned, leaning over the counter and absentmindedly stirring a spoon of sugar into his own cup. Craft tightened his jaw and tipped his head back in indignation.

"Zero… What do you want from me?" Craft asked. Zero perked up with a confused noise, head co*cked.

"What do I want?" He repeated, giving it a moment of thought before slumping down again. "Nothing, really."

Craft turned around at that, casting him a bemused frown. Neo Arcadians, especially ones on Zero's calibre, weren't the type tonotwant something from their subordinates. "Nothing?"

Zero made a confirming hum, lifting his cup to his lips. "I wasn't exactly desperate for a servant to begin with."

Craft inched closer. "...You really just wanted to save my life?"

It was hard to believe mercy could come fromanywherein X's citadel, much less his own partner. Zero hid his eyes from the brim of his helm, before mustering up an honest smile. "That's what I told you, isn't it? If it's an order you're after,soldier..." Zero pointed his gaze at a chair at the kitchen island. "...Then come here and sit down. Talk to me."

There wasn't much else to do, anyway. Craft pulled up a seat and sat at the counter, cupping his hands around his tea cup, savouring the radiant warmth. Zero had the air conditioning onfartoo high.

"What do you want to know?" Craft asked. Zero shrugged a shoulder.

"I want to know who you are," he answered. "Harpuia said you used to be a Neo Arcadian military officer."

Craft took a sip of tea before answering. "Yeah. A long time ago."

"Tell me about it."

Craft sighed. "Do I have a choice?" he asked.

"There are things you know about me that I'd rather you didn't," Zero half-answered. Much to his chagrin, Craft supposed he was right.

"Right…" he groaned. "Well then, yeah, I was built as a post-war processing reploid here in Neo Arcadia. I was assigned as the leader of an elite squadron of Mutos Reploids back then- the Einherjar warriors- we were a specialised unit that was tasked with eradicating the most dangerous maverick threats, especially when the Dark Elf was still causing trouble… decades ago, now." He slumped further down with a sigh, staring down at his tea and away from Zero's piercing gaze.

"Then… you know, the Dark Elf just disappeared one day, and there were no more mavericks for us to fight. So, X began to see a maverick in anyone- the people he condemned, it didn't matter if they were actually dangerous or not. He was angry at the world for taking so much from him, and everyone became an enemy in his eyes. When the energy crisis got worse, X began apprehending and executing more and more innocent reploids. Had everyone who questioned him retired for mutiny. He deployed me and my unit to the Outside Lands and ordered us to destroy emigrant settlements that cropped up outside of Neo Arcadia's territories."

Craft opened his mouth to continue, but the words caught in his throat before he could speak them. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and took a sharp breath.

"We tore down refugee camps, hideouts, villages, anything that didn't belong to him, under his orders. Wiped out any and all life without discrimination, reploid, human, didn't matter, he wanted the entire world under his control." His deep voice wavered slightly. "I couldn't take it. I did horrible things, things I can't forget. There came a day when I couldn't bring myself to follow X's orders anymore, so I… I ran away."

Zero's frowned, heart struck with a forlorn sympathy. "Where did you go?"

He shook his head ambivalently. "There was nowhere Icouldgo," he replied, "I wandered the Outside Lands. For years, all I could do was survive with what I could scavenge from the desert." He wiped down his face, his palm covering his mouth. "I didn't know what I was even living for. I didn't even feel like a person anymore, you know? The desert, it takes that from you. It's not a place for people. Every human-like; not just humans, not just reploids. I didn't even know how many years it had been since I'd deserted when I first met Neige."

"The human journalist?" Zero recalled.

"Yeah. She was on the outskirts of the city's borders, doing a story on a Neo Arcadian airstrike on a refugee camp." He nervously scratched the stubble on the side of his chin. "I saved her from the soldiers that were trailing her. She was the one who told me about the Resistance. Rest is history."

He looked aside, his stare far away. "But I'm back now. I don't know what that means for me." He was speaking quietly. "I tried to escape. All I wanted was to carve out my own path. I tried to get away from this sh*thole, away from X, but I'm back now. Maybe escaping our purpose– it isn't in the cards for us, not for warbots like us."

Zero went silent for a while, taking in his story and his sorrows. He bowed his head. He had once believed that sentiment. It was hard not to, especially now, when he felt more objectified than ever.

"That isn't true…" he refuted, "we're people too. Capable of love and joy and pride and compassion and invention."

Axl's parting message did little to soothe Craft's sense of defeat. He didn't sound all too convinced of it himself. Zero reached over the counter and laid his fingers over his hand, offering gentle consolation. "Hey. You saved Neige, right? You risked a lot to break her out."

"...I did."

Zero's brows rose, impressed. "That's pretty noble of you."

Craft frowned. "She was a journalist. Her only crime was telling the truth. She had no business being in that cell. That place is a cruel place for reploids and downright inhospitable to humans," he said, "but I don't know if she's even alive right now. For all I know, X's got her again. This world's captive to him."

It was hard to argue that, especially when X had a chokehold on all of Zero's freedoms. Craft hastily withdrew his hand from Zero's touch when he realised it had been lingering there.

"Craft, did you know X? Before he changed?"

The question drew Craft's drifting attention back to Zero. "Yeah, I did, once. It used to be an honour to fight under his command. He was a good man. Sad, though. I don't know what happened to him…" he scratched the back of his head. "Guess it's hard, fighting for a century when you're holding onto that sadness, returning home from a war with nobody home. I don't think he could handle it, he became angrier because of it, until he was blinded by it. He wanted to make others feel what he did, and take back control of the world so it'd never hurt him again." Craft's fist balled up. "His war on mavericks- it wasn't about protecting the people anymore. I don't even think it's about the energy crisis."

Zero shrunk back. "It's about power." His heart sank. "X always wanted to be strong. He hated his own weakness, even when we were young."

"Yeah… Yeah." Craft sighed, his voice losing volume as he spoke. "I don't know what else I can do to stop him. I can't change his mind. I'm nobody to him. I'm just one soldier, fighting for the people I believe in. To be honest, I don't think anyone can fix what he's done, not at this point…" He leaned back on the barstool. "Either way, it doesn't matter. I'm back now. Guess it's better than dead."

There were things the both of them wanted to say, but they would stay internalised. Zero made a long sigh and stepped away from the counter. The golden glow of the sun was slowly disappearing behind the dark rain clouds rolling in over the horizon, and Zero slowly walked over to the windows to shut them, the whirl of storm wind silenced and plunging them into a deeper lull.

Zero leaned against the window sill, still processing all the new information Craft had supplied him. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to hear the gruesome details of X's rule, but it was necessary. Zero was entitled to the truth- as was all of Neo Arcadia.

A gentle patter of rain began drumming on the windowpane as the storm rolled onwards over the citadel.

"You're different from the rest of them, aren't you?"

The question took Zero off guard. "What do you mean?"

"You have no idea who I am. You'd been in hibernation for as long as I've been alive. By all accounts, I'm a violent maverick, waging war on your partner's creation. You had no reason to care whether I live or die," he elaborated, "but you did care. You saved me. No one else would've done that here."

Zero said nothing, mulling over his words.

"You have no reason to trust me, either," Craft pointed out. "You know I hate this place. You know what I'm capable of."

It didn't matter much. Zero didn't like Neo Arcadia either. He wasn't sure if he even liked X anymore. It hurt, because he still loved him.

Craft turned around in his chair to face Zero, leaning crossed arms over the backrest.

"You know, they were looking for you. The Resistance," he said, "Even when X went down a dark path, you were still a hero. You were their last hope-"

"I know," Zero interrupted firmly. "...I spoke to Axl, before he…" He trailed off. "He told me X only wanted me back because the Resistance searched for me. X… didn't want anyone having me but him."

Craft tightened his jaw, teeth grit behind his lips. "Ahhk…" he groaned, disgust thick in his stomach.

"I don't know what to think. X isn't himself. He's arrogant, possessive. He doesn't let me leave the citadel unaccompanied. He doesn't let me doanything. It's like he's forgotten who I am," Zero admitted. "I know there are things he's hiding from me. He had our friends slaughtered for 'insurrection', but I don't buy it. They weren't mavericks." Zero looked down to his feet. "He can pretend I'm his equal, saying I'm a ruler at his side, but I've never felt more f*cking useless. People are dying, and I can't do anything about it."

The grip Zero had on the windowsill tightened. Craft scanned him up and down again, finding the weapon holsters at his hips were empty.

"You want out."

Zero looked over his shoulder, before throwing his head back and sighing, running his hand up the lock of blonde hair hanging from the brim of his helm. "I'm a warmachine, just like you. But here, I'm just another one of X's pets." The rain started to pour heavier, a fog falling over the city as distant thunder boomed far away. "I don't know. X would never let me go, at least not easily. I think he's had enough of losing me. I'm scared of losing him too but… I think it's too late."

"...It's hard not to just give up, sometimes," Craft said, "I've been fighting for so long, sometimes I feel like… No matter what we do, we can't change the dismal state of the world, so what's the point of trying to fight it? We talk about heroes, why waste our breath? There aren't any heroes anymore."

"...I don't recall ever calling myself a hero," Zero murmured, mostly to himself. After long, he could barely see the skyline behind the clouds. "Craft, how long has this been going on?"

"I'd say it's been decades now. Far too long. It's only gotten worse."

Zero shook his head. There was a lump in his throat, unease seeping through him like cold water through cracks. He tried to vent the anxious tension with a breath, but it wavered and broke on the exhale.

"Sorry for laying all this on you," Zero apologised, "there aren't many people around here I can really talk to."

Craft offered a slight, kind smile. "It's fine. I'm your servant, ain't I? It's my duty to heed your command, even if it's just lending an ear."

Despite their prior conversation, Zero found himself returning the smile. "Thanks, Craft."

"No, thankyou."

Zero made a short, huffy laugh. "Right… Well, let me get my affairs in order, how about that?" A crack of thunder made him startle. "It's getting choppy out there…"

Craft looked over Zero's shoulder, catching a bolt of lightning arc across the distant sky. "Sure is, sir."

Zero waved him off. "Spare me. Could you assign my halo-ID on your cloud?"

[Hellooo Zero… Delta-Whiskey-November-Zero-Zero-Zero, this is Craft Kilo-Niner-Echo, if you read squawk IDENT.]Craft waited for the data block response that came soon after.[Already have.]

His mouth was closed, but he spoke clearly through the cloud network. Zero grinned, pleased.

[K9E. I hear you. How's your Reploid Standard? DWN000.]

Craft tipped his head to the side and tightened his lips.[Good enough. X didn't have us use it back in the day.]

[Good to hear. Keep your transponder on speed dial, hear me? Never know when things are gonna go south around here.]Zero returned to the kitchen, swiping his teacup off the counter on the way. "You hungry?"

Craft perked up. "Now that you mention it… I haven't had anything to eat since… jeez, since I left the base to break Neige out. I'm starving."

Zero let out a courtesy laugh. "Me too," he groaned, before polishing off the rest of his now lukewarm tea. "We've sat around long enough, let's get something to eat. Not like there's much else to do right now. We can chat on the way."

Craft finished off his own drink and shot a smarmy smirk Zero's way. "And is that an order, sir?"

"Now you're just taking the piss," Zero put his hands on his co*cked hips. "I order you to talk to me like a normal person."

Craft got to his feet. "Alright, I'll cut it out." He made his way to the door, graciously keeping it open for Zero.

It was an odd feeling for Zero- to feel so open and comfortable with someone in Neo Arcadia. He had almost forgotten what it was like to be able to talk about the honest truth without immediate repercussions, and what's more, to have his concerns be understood and even sympathised with. Craft was a complete stranger, and a dangerous one at that. He had long since placed his combat systems on idle, just to silence the threat warning alert going off when he had finished a full analysis on the warbot.

It didn't matter. He liked talking to him. He felt at home with the Resistance Commander. His moxie reminded him of his former maverick hunter days, when he was just another one of the boys, not some ethereal figure bogged down with the insurmountable weight of history. He hadn't ever been privy to such comfort during his time in Neo Arcadia.

"After you…" he gestured through the doorway. "...Sir."

Zero harrumphed, deciding to keep his words to himself.This guy's gotsomenerve.

He turned back, finding Craft following in his shadow, a chivalrous smile returning his way.

But I think I kind of like that about him.

"Uuurghh…"

If he had his druthers, Craft would've slept for a week straight.

Slowly, he rose from his slumber with a low groan, eyes cracking open before squeezing shut again in the harsh morning sunlight.

It was hard to resist the urge to lay back down and go back to sleep, but he had to come to terms with the fact that he wasn't in the Resistance base anymore, where schedules were lax unless Ciel gave him a mission. He was a Neo Arcadian again, and he had to act like one if he was going to stand any chance of staying on their good side while he figured out what he was to do with his circ*mstances.

With nowhere else to sleep in Zero's living quarters, he had made himself a bed on an ottoman, sleeping sitting upright. It wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, but he was accustomed to sleeping wherever he wanted as a war reploid.

Still, Zero's big, plush bed had him a bit jealous…

He rubbed the bridge of his nose, warding away his lingering grogginess. When his vision cleared up, he realised he was alone in the room.

Craft got to his feet, shooting up to his full height. "Zero?" He called, looking around for a heat signature in his immediate vicinity. There was no reply, nor was there anyone with him in the room. "OhScheiße."

Oh right- he had him on the cloud network.[DWN000, uh, where are you? K9E.]

He breathed a sigh of relief when Zero replied quickly.[K9E, this isDWN000. I'm out in the hallway nearby. Come find me.]

Right on cue, Zero's blip blossomed on Craft's radar scope amongst the sea of countless reploid ID signatures.[Thanks, see ya.]

Not one to keep the legendary hero waiting, Craft hurried out the door, chasing Zero's blip on his radar.

He wouldn't be alone for long. Craft found Zero standing by a balcony, looking out towards the city. It had been raining all night, but at daybreak, the weather had cleared up and the clouds parted for the morning sun, its golden light gleaming over the city of Neo Arcadia and glistening on the lingering raindrops. In the early sun's glow, Zero shone in his own light.

"Zero?"

The reploid in question turned, pushing himself off the balcony railing. His big, dark violet eyes could be so hard to read, sometimes- it was like trying to discern what a cat was feeling. "Hey," he greeted. "Sleep well?"

Craft made an unsure hum. "All things considered, yes."

"Did you sleep there all night?" Zero gave him a critical look. "I could arrange a proper bed for you if you wanted, you know."

"I'll live."

"If you say so." He beckoned him down with a crook of his finger. "Kneel down for me real quick, will you?"

Craft bent over, and Zero got onto his tiptoes to brush down his mess of hair with his fingers. He grunted whenever Zero's hands got caught in a knot, but willed himself to sit still and subject himself to the grooming.

"Ow. What was that for?"

"Just trying to make you look a little presentable for Neo Arcadia. If Harpuia sees you like this, he'll never let it go," he answered. "You're welcome."

He let him go, letting Craft stand straight up again. He brushed back his hair, feeling a little emasculated, but tidier. "...I just woke up."

"I can tell. Come," He gestured to him to follow, and he set off, Craft following close behind, still a little sluggish and dazed.

"What's the plan today, captain?"

"...Don't know. All I know is I need to get out of here," Zero replied. When he got to the elevator, he impatiently punched in the down key a couple times. "How about this, let's take a walk together, shall we? X won't mind if I leave the citadel if you're with me."

Craft didn't want to agree or disagree with that assumption. Whatever was going on in X's mind was a mystery to him. "Won't say no to that. Been meaning to ask when we'd get a little fresh air."

"Don't count on it." The elevator doors slid open and they entered, watching the city rush by as they descended.

It was hard for Craft to really appreciate the view. Neo Arcadia was idyllically beautiful- gleaming skyscrapers of ivory grazing the heavens, stretching from horizon to horizon under golden skies. On the surface, such a time of peace and prosperity was an achievement unlike any other, but Craft knew its foundations were laid down upon slaughtered masses. With the blank look on Zero's face as he stared out into the city, Craft wondered if he believed the same. His days as a Resistance commander had told him it was foolish to believe Neo Arcadians of his calibre could be trusted.

"You probably know your way around the city better than I do," Zero mused, stepping out of the elevator when they reached the ground floor. They shuffled through the crowded anteroom. "Show me around."

They escaped into the citadel gardens. Craft took in a deep breath, the aroma of blooming flowers after a morning rain tickling his senses. Zero, on the other hand, was just happy to not immediately get apprehended and sequestered by the Guardians the second he left the tower. "Anywhere you wanna go in particular?" Craft asked.

They followed the pavement through the lush gardens, leaves rustling with the gentle breeze and flocks of sweet little sparrows scrambling away into the trees when they passed them by. Zero thought about it for a moment.

"Anywhere, anywhere's fine," he answered. "Just… let's stay close to the city centre for now."

Craft nodded. "Fair. The city park ain't too far from here." They passed a fountain at the centre of a well tended parterre just before the tower gates, bubbling water sparkling under the sun. "Have you been there before?"

"...No."

The implication of his severe isolation made Craft's blood run cold. Zero had been awake for a couple months now. If he was truly X's equal, he should've at least seen all of Neo Arcadia by now.

The guards at the citadel gates stopped Zero, but let them through after seeing Craft accompanying him.

One of the guards spoke before they could leave. "Where you headed, Master Zero?"

"The city park. My guard's coming with," he replied, "we won't cause you any trouble."

"...Good, Master X would kill us if we lost you. See you soon, sir."

The two guards held their rifles firm against their chest and saluted. Zero tried not to think too much of his comment, walking off without another word.

"Lead the way," Zero commanded, lagging behind to let Craft walk ahead of him. "I'll be right beside you."

With the citadel in their wake, the two set off. Central Neo Arcadia was as stunning from the ground as it was from the air- with streets and elegantly paved footpaths winding through skyscrapers, people sifting by freely on foot and bikes with nothing impeding their way but the tram system that periodically made its way through the main streets. It was densely populated, but it never felt congested. People got around easily, yet the streets remained a place for citizens to live and congregate. Neo Arcadians weren't the type to own personal powered vehicles- most vehicles were property of the state, anyway- and were a people who largely travelled afoot.

It was always Spring in central Neo Arcadia, the smell of sweet pollen and earthy pine wafting in the wind.

Craft walked slowly, letting Zero take in the views. Reploids and humans alike passed them by, some in a rush, some enjoying a slow meander through the streets with their friends. The streets were lined with boutique shops and quaint restaurants and cafes, filling the air with the clean fragrance of floral perfumes and baked goods and the sounds of chit chat and distant light rail.

It was hard for Craft not to dwell on the blissful ignorance of the city's denizens. After years of war, sometimes he wondered if it was right to plunge the innocents back into endless conflict in the pursuit of justice. They stopped at a crossing, waiting for the light to turn green as a tram rumbled by.

"It reminds me of Abel City, in a way," Zero thought aloud in the pause. Through the windows of the tram, children- human and reploid, looked out the window in awe as they passed Zero. "At least, before Sigma attacked."

It was those little things that reminded Craft that the frail, ragged reploid in his care wastheZero- the same Zero that was witness to centuries of war, who fought to right the wrongs that the consequences of his creation had sowed.

Craft shrugged. "Before my time."

Zero winced, awkwardly tucking a lock of his hair behind his helm. "Come on, you're making me feel old…"

The best course of action, Craft decided, was to say nothing more. When the crossing light flickered green, they continued their quiet meander through the city, following the path of an overhead monorail line through the main street.

It wasn't evident to the eyes of a mere civilian build or human, but to Zero's scrutinising, combat-focused gaze, the military and police presence hidden beyond the cosy facade of Neo Arcadia was suffocating.

They stood in the shadows, the alleys and at every corner, watching over the people silently and making Zero's threat detection system blare its warning horns. K-9 mechaniloid units roamed the city centre at the heels of soldiers, their cold and empty amber eyes catching Zero's presence among the crowd and staring for too long for Zero's liking.

"You been to this part of town?" Craft asked, deciding to fill the uneasy silence before Zero got too spooked. Zero huffed an exasperated, but amused laugh.

"What doyouthink?" he replied. "X didn't want me straying too far. He said it wastoo dangerous."

Craft could hear the air quotes in his tone. "Yeah right. That's a load of bullsh*t," he grumbled, "there's gotta be like, twenty cops on this intersection alone."

"I know," Zero assured. He knew X just didn't want him running away, his reasons were nothing deeper than that. "Hey, Craft?"

He made an acknowledging electronic squeak. "What's up?"

"...Doesn't it bother them? I mean, the show of force is so…obscene,even compared to Abel City back in the maverick virus' heyday."

He glanced around, watching bikes race up and down the street, a tram dropping off passengers, workers running late to meetings and mothers and children who stopped to stare at him. There were lines of salarymen and worker reploids at food vendors and storefronts. It felt so normal, but it wasn't. None of this was normal. The foreboding grip of Neo Arcadia's military on the world was so obvious, it was undeniable. "No one even cares."

To that, Craft snickered. "No, not really. Not anymore," he answered. "They just follow the rules without a second thought. Even though entire neighbourhoods disappear overnight. Even if the kids in the outer sectors suddenly wake up without parents one day. It's just a sacrifice that has to be made to keep the peace, to them. Besides, look at these people."

Both the humans and reploid denizens of central Neo Arcadia were sharply dressed, polished to a shine. Happy, well fed, sheltered. They were flourishing in the wake of the catastrophic Elf Wars. They were safe, in X's prison. "They're not exactly raring to give up their lot in life," Craft added.

Zero slumped, feeling a certain despair weighing him down. Complacent humans and reploids… What use would they be when push comes to shove? They would side with their saviour, even if he led them to extinction.

As he mulled over the thought, Craft came to an abrupt stop at a small circular court at the entrance of the city park, setting his hand on Zero's shoulder to halt him mid-stride.

"Hey, could you give me a minute?" Craft asked. Zero co*cked his head.

"What is it?"

He pointed his nose at a convenience store. "You got a couple zenny to spare?"

Zero took a moment to answer, taken off guard by his request. "...Yeah, yeah, sure."

He transferred some spare change over to his account. Craft gave his shoulder a light squeeze of confirmation before heading off. "I'll be back in a sec. Don't run off."

Just like that, he had disappeared into the corner store. Without a combat reploid by his side, and with soldiers and policemen surrounding him at all angles, he felt painfully vulnerable. Zero couldn't fight back even if he wanted to, with his body still a shadow of his former self after his long hibernation. He resigned himself to passiveness, finding a bench to sit on around a fountain.

In the corner of his eye, he spotted a familiar sight from his past. A popular E-tank bar- a favourite amongst the Maverick Hunters. He could recall his first date with X, when he took him there, touting that they had the best E-tanks in the country. After that day, Zero couldn't disagree with him.

Zero wanted to pay it a visit for old time's sake, but he couldn't bring himself to confront the bittersweet nostalgia it imparted on him. He remembered that day like it was yesterday. X was still a sweet and gentle young man, still kind and unsure of himself. He had still looked up to Zero when they first started their relationship, his hazel eyes still had the light of youth sparkling in them. Now, there was a different man behind that frigid red glare, full of hatred and anger and sorrow.

He slouched forward, looking at the ground. He felt his feelings gather in his tightening chest. He never should've sealed himself away. Maybe he could've stopped X from travelling down a dark path. Everyone he encountered spoke of X's loneliness and grief- the injured king had been consumed by loss until he went mad, the story so often went. The X that Zero used to know would've been a fine king- he was loving, a philanthropist, but he was still firm in his ideals.

Had he not become the way that he was, Zero would have no qualms with joining X's side in his endeavour for paradise. Maybe there would come a time when they were no longer needed, and they could live a normal life, have a family, and leave their past of war behind them. Instead, he fell victim to his own fear, afraid that his existence would only perpetuate the cycle of violence. Zero swore to himself; he should've known better, he should've been less selfish. He knew X couldn't cope with the aftermath of the Elf Wars without him.

Now the entire world was atoning for his mistakes. It seemed it would always be that way, one way or the other. Whether or not he was alive or dead, the world was punished for Zero's very existence. X should've left him in that decrepit lab.

"Zero?"

Craft's voice brought him down to Earth again. He yelped, startled.

"Oh. You're back…"

Craft sat down beside him on the bench, its wooden structure groaning under his weight. "Said I'd only be a second," he said. "Unless you're disappointed I'm still here."

Zero shot him a glare. "It's not like that. I was just… thinking."

"Heh, I'm just playing with you, princess," he assured, leaning back and fiddling with a small carton in his hands.

"Whatever." His larrikin attitude was endearing, but slightly irritating all the same. Zero leaned in to see what he was holding. "What did you get?"

The answer would come quickly when he flicked open the carton and plucked out a cigarette. "Nothing. Just a couple of smokes."

He held it between his teeth as he lit it with a small lighter hidden in a wrist compartment. Zero furrowed his brow. "You smoke?"

He took a long drag before answering. "Yeah. Anything wrong with that?"

"No. Guess not…" he conceded, "it's just…"

"A dirty habit? Yeah, I know," he finished the thought. "I'm not proud of it. We all got vices. Some are just… dirtier than others. You gotta take what fleeting pleasures you can afford in this place."

"...Yeah." Zero looked aside. Craft playfully nudged him with his elbow, earning back his full attention.

"Hey. It was either this, alcohol, or sex. Alcohol was too expensive, and,well…heh. A big guy like me doesn't get a chance to enjoy the alternative all that often."

He shot him a mischievous wink before taking another drag, smoke rolling off his breath. Zero's eyes widened, flustered and incredulous. He supposed he was right, though. Joy didn't come easy to him, either- it never did, but especially now.

Zero didn't bother him after that. It was probably the first time the tired warbot could catch a break for a long time. He just sat and stared off into nothing, letting the sights and sounds the beautiful city had to offer wash over him.

This place…

"It's nice here," Zero murmured. "But… this isn't right."

Craft made a grunt in agreement. "No. None of it is," he responded in kind, "it's a world built on the bodies of innocents. You can't fix that."

Zero knew that now. Neo Arcadia was rotten. Rotten to the core.

As night fell over Neo Arcadia, Harpuia and Phantom marched through the halls in tandem, their father having summoned them for a progress report.

It was a process neither brother was unfamiliar with. It didn't have any reason to cause concern- X was fairly quiet during the whole procedure, nodding along and offering prompts when necessary. It was routine, and when compared to all their other arduous duties, fairly mundane.

It was different this time around, for Phantom at least. If Harpuia was feeling it too was unclear, he either didn't care about what had happened to their step-brother, or he was just good at hiding it. Regardless, the last thing Phantom wanted to do was face his father again. He had hidden his fear of confrontation under the guise of working. It wasn't completely false- Phantom would do anything he could to take his mind off things, whether it be research or conducting recon missions. He could ignore the demands of his siblings to speak with them, explaining away his self imposed isolation with the excuse of busyness.

The distractions couldn't absolve him of the things haunting him. Eventually he would have to go to bed, and they would all rise in his mind in the absence of productivity.Eventually,X would demand his presence. He was his father, after all.

Phantom looked at the ground as he walked. From the corner of his eye, he could catch a glimpse of Harpuia's disapproving glare growing colder.

"What's wrong with you?"

Harpuia's barbs went straight through his heart. Phantom didn't know what to say in reply. The truth would only irritate him, but he didn't have the heart in him to lie outright to his phlegmatic brother.

"This is the first time we've spoken in a while, you know," Harpuia derided. "You didn't even reply to Fefnir and Leviathan's messages. Are you trying to shut us out? You never used to be like this with us."

Phantom swallowed his nerves down. "I've been busy with my duties…" he explained himself. "Right now, the less I talk, the better. I can't afford to compromise the integrity of my current missions. Especially with that Resistance commander in our midst."

"Sure." Harpuia rolled his eyes at the sorry excuses. "We're here. Look alive for father."

They approached X's living quarters, stopping at the door. Harpuia scanned himself in, waiting for X to let him in. Several locks came audibly undone and the reinforced steel gate slid aside, granting them access.

It was cold, dark and quiet in X's quarters. The moon's light had been obscured by drawn curtains, and they were too high in the sky for the city lights to offer any compensation. Harpuia entered first, and Phantom followed with ginger footsteps.

X was hunched over his desk, his gaze fixed on a datapad, pen in hand, resting his head on his other. Phantom was surprised to see his father without his helmet for once. His nearly black, dark brown hair had long ago lost its lustre and colour. He had flashes of tan brown in his silvery blonde mane, a faint memory of what once was.

At his side was a stout, lowball glass of dark liquor. Phantom steeled himself for what would come.

"Father." Harpuia took it upon himself to call for X's attention. He slowly rose from his slouch and turned around in his chair, the corners of his lips slowly quirking into a pleased smirk at the sight of his most diligent sons.

"Ah, my boys…" he said, setting down his pen and scooting closer. He gestured for them to sit at the couch. Harpuia did so gladly, but Phantom remained standing. "Good to see you got my message."

"What have you summoned us for?" Harpuia asked, cutting to the chase. X leaned forward, clasping his hands together between his legs.

"Why, I've been so busy with the Resistance lately that I've hadn't had the chance to catch up with you two. I'm sure you two have made great progress with the tasks I've set for you," X explained. He turned to Phantom, who jolted to attention when his father's crimson gaze addressed him. "Phantom, I know you've been tracking Resistance activity patterns for a while now. How's that been going?"

Phantom nods, straightening himself and organising his thoughts. "Yes, father. My team has been working hard with the results we've recorded from the field. We haven't uncovered much yet, but it seems that they utilise a unique translocation formula in their transerver system. I've been trying to reverse-translate what I have but… we don't have the full picture yet. It all looks like an original code, it's like nothing I've seen before. Their base of operations itself… I'm unsure. From what I can tell by their attack patterns, they're either situated all over Neo Arcadia and the Outside Lands, or they're nomadic. Regardless, even if we take care of one, another head of the hydra will just take over." He cleared his throat. He couldn't tell what X was thinking- he was just giving him that blank, unwavering look. "I've… sent what we have elucidated to the war room folder so we can reorganise our forces as needed."

A small silence pervaded the room as X took it all in. When he had gone over it in his head, he nodded and made a curious hum. "Keep at it, Phantom," he said, "no doubt Axl taught those mavericks a thing or two about hiding from me. Say, have you had any luck extracting anything useful from his processor?"

The mention of Axl- his senior brother, mentor and dear, closest friend, made Phantom freeze up.

"N-no sir- we, uh, we've… come up with nothing," he hopelessly stumbled over the response. "I apologise…"

X noted his distress, raising his brow. "Ah. Still sore about him, are you?"

Phantom shook his head vigorously. "No, no, not at all," he denied, "sorry, father. We tried to extract his stored databases, but they had been completely wiped upon death."

X sighed, adjusting his posture in his chair. "Hmph, how disappointing… Well, not much that can be done about that. Don't worry about it."

The pressure lifted, and Phantom exhaled his anxiety. Harpuia's disapproving glare darkened.

"How about you, Harpuia?" X turned his gaze towards his eldest. "How's that recycling centre in the south-east quadrant going? I heard that a few mavericks attacked a turbine generator the other day, broke out a few inmates while they were at it."

"Yes, sir. We've had to reduce our energy output at that facility. Rest assured, we have resolved the issue and deployed reinforcements to that sector to recover the escaped mavericks. Aztec Falcon is running a smooth operation otherwise. That facility has made good work of the mavericks you've sent us. We've maintained a steady capacity of 24 megawatts, despite having to shut down a few generators for maintenance."

X leaned back, swiping his tablet from his desk and rubbing his chin. "How's that reclamation project going?"

Harpuia bowed his head. "Things are progressing well, Master X. We have restored the native Somalian ecosystem of the 22nd century to another 60 square kilometres of the Outside Lands. Fefnir, Leviathan and I are organising our fauna reintroduction efforts. It's a tough process, but we predict it will get easier with time. Hopefully, our geneticists will be able to give us the greenlight to put their efforts to use soon. We're focusing on implementing the lower trophic organisms in our reclaimed lands. The thing is that life has evolved to thrive in this new world, we need to take an appropriate integration of the two populations into mind…"

Phantom knew X wasn't quite listening, just nodding along as his son's sterile speech flowed from his lips, but Harpuia didn't seem to notice or care. "Good to hear. I trust that the Neo Arcadian people will be happy to hear this. It's good for morale." His eyes flickered up from his tablet. "Have you heard anything from that exploration team you sent out to the Rift?"

"...No sir," Harpuia replied solemnly. "Last thing we heard from them were the pilots reporting they were entering IMC. They disappeared off our ground radar. The surrounding aircraft in the Outside Lands' airspace could not make contact. We can do nothing but assume they've gone down."

"Hm. That's a shame," X replied. "Any clue as to what happened?"

"None at all. It seemed like their comms were jammed. If they had entered a dangerous attitude before that, ATC and the surrounding aircraft would've gotten an alert. We've tried investigating if it had been Resistance activity, but there is simply no life out there who would have conducted such an attack," Harpuia explained. "Our intelligence satellites show nothing noteworthy. Subterranean scans didn't help either. It could've been a fault with their comms system, maybe a meteorological phenomenon. Maybe a four-dimensional attack by some rogue cyber elfs. We just don't know, and we won't know unless we find the ship's data recorders."

X pursed his lips. "I see," he droned, "as much as the loss hurts me, I can't find any reason why I should risk losing more soldiers and resources on a recovery mission to the Rift. Not right now, at least, when I've got a maverick problem to worry about. But thank you, Harpuia."

Phantom had let his mind drift in a bid to escape the situation at hand. His name coming from X's mouth ripped him from his reverie.

"Phantom, lend him one of your reconnaissance drones. See if they experience the same comms error," he asked. A fairly innocuous question, but it had Phantom's soul feeling cold with trepidation. "Maybe I'll send a unit out there on foot."

"Y-yes, father."

X eyed him for a moment, eyes flittering back and forth in thought, before he let it go. Phantom hoped there were no deeper intentions behind that critical stare. "Good man. Oh, and Harpuia, do me a favour, will you?" His voice grew hushed. "Both of you, actually. Keep an eye on Zero and his maverick pet for me, will you? The last thing I want is that turncoat taintingmyZero's mind with his asinine ideas. Or worse still…" he didn't finish his thought, but Harpuia and Phantom could guess.

After a harsh pause, X's smile returned, and he leaned back in his chair, exerting a much warmer energy. "If that's everything, you two are dismissed. Get a good night's rest, both of you." He set his tablet aside. "Oh, one more thing. Harpuia, send Fauclaws and his unit to the Southern sector cargo centre this Wednesday. They've been strapped for resources lately, with all the new development going up there. We can't afford to have another maverick siege on that line."

The brothers both stood at attention, heads held high.

"Yes, sir!" They chanted in unison. X dipped his head, before turning around and returning to his desk.

"Good night," was all X left them with before losing himself in his work again. Harpuia and Phantom took the hint and took their leave, letting X work in solitude. From the corner of his eye, Phantom caught a glimpse of X refilling his tumbler of whiskey.

Only once they were out of earshot, alone in the dark, empty corridors of the citadel, did Harpuia make his feelings known.

"You… You are seriously making us lookpathetic, Phantom!" Harpuia swivelled around, glaring at him with equal parts anger and embarrassment. "This is shameful. We can't keep covering for you in front of father. Youcan'tkeep agonising over Axl! He was amaverick,what part of that don't you understand?!"

Phantom couldn't hold it in anymore. The quiet reploid let his emotions erupt.

"Shut up,Harpuia!" He exclaimed, fists tightened until they were shaking. "I just don't know what todoanymore! All I want to do is make our father happy, but-

"-Are youdoubtingfather? Have you forgotten what he's done for us, what he's done foreveryone?!You can't just turn on him because ofonemaverick. Are your principles that weak, or are you just so selfish? We can'tbeselfish."

Phantom shook his head, gritting his teeth. "Axl was ourbrother. He was our family! He taught meeverything. When he was with us, everything was good… dad- he ruinedeverythingwhen he chased him away! And now he'sdead.Our dad murdered him."

Harpuia's nose scrunched up in a mean snarl. "It was not amurder.It was an execution. An act of justice."

"What difference does it make? He's dead. Who's to say he won't turn on us next?"

"That won't happen as long as we continue to follow our orders," Harpuia growled. "Look, Phantom. It's our duty to protect the people, no matter the cost. It's what we must do to ensure a free and prosperous world. That was the purpose of our creation."

"Following orders without question… What freedom do we even have? This isn't what I wanted."

There was a tense miasma taking hold as the two brothers' hearts grew ever distant. Harpuia harrumphed, turning away. "I never thought you'd be one to question Neo Arcadia's virtues. Where is your patriotism? Tread carefully, brother," he warned. "I won't let father know about this, but if this continues, I'll have no choice but to report your behaviour."

Phantom didn't know what else to say. He wasn't sure if he was angry or just tired. He just stared right through Harpuia.

"That bitch,Zero, he's messing with your head. Don't let him get to you," Harpuia reproached. "Mavericks are the enemy. Don't forget that."

There was nothing either could say or do that could salvage the damage done. Harpuia outstretched his wings and took off from a balcony, disappearing into the infinite vastness of the night sky.

Phantom was left lingering in his own doubts, his uncertainty stirring at the pit of his chest. For all his life, he had lived to appease his father. He had done everything he ever asked of him without question, thinking father knew best, and that everything he did was to protect Neo Arcadia from the maverick plague.

But now, it was obvious, even to him. This was no longer about fighting Mavericks anymore.

The sun had yet to rise over Neo Arcadia. Craft was awake earlier than he had any right to be.

It had been a couple days now since he was sentenced to a duty of servitude. Life was dull, monotonous and routine. Though he was in the lap of luxury and in the midst of legends, Craft failed to find any fulfilment in his new surroundings. He was safer here, as a Neo Arcadian servant, than when he hunkered down in the Resistance bases, but he was unequivocallynotin his element amongst the oligarchs and warlords.

The clear skies over central Neo Arcadia brought him nothing but grief. Cloudless days meant airstrikes.

Craft stared into nothing, unable to get himself back to sleep in the early morning. It was cold in Zero's room, it always was. Craft had been cold ever since he returned to the citadel. Before him, Zero was asleep in his bed. He tossed and turned every so often, restless in his slumber.

Without his armour, he looked as vulnerable as a doll. Though he looked older, he still had such a fair, soft face while retaining a certain ferocity and ruggedness about his features, neither masculine or effeminate, but both at the same time. Locks of golden hair unfurled around him, his thin limbs splayed out. He had thrown off his sheets in his toils.

Craft was no stranger to the grandiose stories spoken of the legendary hero. As swift as a hawk, as cunning as a fox- he could take down opponents three, four times his size with a single swing of his blade. He, with X, his other half, saved the world from a maverick scourge time and time again. When the fight for justice called, Zero answered, no matter the circ*mstances.

After decades of suffering under their so called 'saviour's' rule, Craft came to loathe the idea of heroes, but even he couldn't deny what Zero was to the people. He was a hero, at least, he was once.

It was clear that the hero that he used to be had been suppressed and buried, suffocated into silence and obedience by X.

Craft had only been amongst the two for a handful of days, but he had already seen everything he needed to see. Zero was good at keeping up the act, but even he managed to slip at times. It was little things. Zero made little effort to seek out X. If they ever spoke, it was on X's volition alone. He would never look him in the eye when they talked. Whenever X's name was said, Zero would grow quiet and distant.

It stung to see such a proud warrior being treated so cruelly. As long as Zero remained here, he would be forced into acting as another one of X's pawns. Even someone with a spirit as strong as Zero's would break one day. Knowing that the two most revered reploids of the past centuries had been relegated to this made it hard for Craft to hold onto the hope that anything could change.

He was staring out the window when he was stolen from his thoughts by the sounds of Zero murmuring in his sleep. Craft sharpened his audials and got up, overcome with concern for his master.

With light footsteps, he made his way over to Zero's bedside and kneeled down to his level, checking up on him. Zero was frowning, his body tensed up and his hands twitching into fists. Whatever he was saying was coming out as incomprehensible, but nonetheless disturbed mumbles and whines.

A nightmare. He had a thought to wake him, his hand hovering over his sleeping body, but he hesitated. Should he?

It was still so early. Waking him up while he was in the middle of a nightmare could make things even worse if he emerged agitated and disoriented. Craft swallowed down the pit in his throat and pulled his hand away.

"Nghh, g-get away from me…mmph."

He sounded so conscious, Craft instinctively backed off, afraid he was speaking to him. He quickly came to the conclusion that Zero was still asleep, his delirious speech slowly getting louder and comprehensible with his growing distress.

Zero's face scrunched up and he grit his teeth, fingers clawing at the bed sheets.

"...X, d-don't."

Those words, whispered with such gentle trepidation, was enough to send a chill down Craft's spine, his skin crawling under his armour. He took a sharp breath - he couldn't stand letting him suffer like this for much longer.

He set a firm hand on Zero's shoulder and jostled him lightly.

"Zero–"

Zero jolted awake immediately with a gasp, thrashing and striking at anything he could dig his claws into in a blind panic.

"S-stop!Get off me!" he screamed, his violet eyes were wild, filled with both anger and terror, trying to muster up all his strength to push Craft away. "Stay away from me!"

"Z-Zero, it's me," Craft took a hold of Zero's shoulders and held him at bay before he could hurt himself. "It's me-Craft!"

For his first few waking seconds, Zero could barely understand what he was saying, nor could he really tell what was and wasn't real. All he knew was an uncontrollable fear that presented itself as primal aggression. As he slowly returned to his senses, he came to realise the root of his terror had been left behind in his dreams, and he was safe in his own bed, in a room far from the assaliant of his nightmare.

"Oh… Craft, it's just you…" Zero murmured, staring up at his guardian with a tired, glassy stare. His voice was thin and high. He let himself relax, loosening his shoulders and unclenching his jaw, letting out a long sigh. He was safe. Especially in the shadow of his massive protector. "...Must have had that dream again."

Craft didn't know quite what to do with his hands, still placed on Zero's shoulders. He had remembered how gently he held and comforted Neige through her own moments of fear.

He could still feel him shaking. Craft gingerly set a hand on his back, and when Zero didn't object, held him in a loose embrace. Zero steadied his breath, resting his forehead against Craft's chest.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

There was no immediate response. Craft clenched his jaw, hoping he hadn't overstepped his boundaries. After all, they were still little more than strangers.

"You don't have to-"

"It's fine," Zero cut him off. "It's a nightmare I have often." His mouth was dry. "It happened centuries ago now, long before the Elf Wars. There was an… accident, with the Maverick Virus, when Eurasia first fell. It invaded my body and mind, it drove me to turn on X. I… I went mad, I lost all inhibition. I couldn't think, all I knew was my creator's mission for me- to kill X. I still remember it so clearly. It keeps coming back, again and again…"

Craft felt his heart beating in his throat. He gently stroked his hand across his shoulders. Zero gritted his teeth, and Craft could feel him push his head harder against his chest, trying to hide his anguish away from everything.

"The worst part is… I had never felt so happy, so in control. Striking him down in my dream, it was fulfilling, tearing him and his world apart. It was what I was made to do." He shook his head. "But it isn't what I want. I don't want to hurt him, I never did. I loved X. I still do. It's just…"

Zero's train of thought trailed off. "Complicated?" Craft guessed.

"...Yeah."

Craft knew that feeling. "Well, love is complicated, isn't it?"

That got a soft laugh from Zero, and Craft felt the weight lift from his shoulders. He scooted away from Craft's grasp, sitting up against the headboard. "Damn that Doctor Light for making everything so complicated, then."

They shared a short, quiet chuckle that dwindled quickly. Zero slumped down again, threading his fingers through his hair. "...Thanks for waking me up."

Craft shook his head humbley. "It's no problem. Just doing my job…" he assured. "Master Zero."

His lips twitched into a smirk, and Zero huffed with amusem*nt, but his smile was short-lived. He breathed out, settling the tension in his body.

"We should get back to sleep," Zero suggested. "It's still early."

For a moment there, neither spoke, just sitting together in silence and taking in each other's presence.

"...Yeah," said Craft.

They sat there a little while longer, before Craft finally shuffled off Zero's bedside, sitting back on the ottoman he had made a bed out of. Zero curled up in his bed. He let out a long, deep exhale, and went quiet again.

He was at peace again, at least for now. Still, Craft was stricken with the dull ache of guilt. Even in sleep, Zero was a tortured soul, tormented by his unwavering ties to X. Though they had only lived together for so long, Craft couldn't stand to see the legendary reploid live inside his own hell, in constant fear of Neo Arcadia's king.

When he saw Zero at rest, the hero of halcyon days so incredibly vulnerable, he felt the same intense sense of duty in his heart that came over him when Neige stood at his side.

To most anyone, Dedicated Reploid Residential Complex 029 of South-East Sector G was nothing but another uninspiring and unremarkable landmark in Neo Arcaria's industrial districts.

From the outside looking in, it was just another concrete apartment block in a sea of dreary concrete architecture, built for function- and even then, only just barely functioning- and a complete absence of form and aesthetics. It was surrounded by an electrified barbed wire fence, and the apartment block was guarded by a revolving troop of Neo Arcadian soldiers, watching over the reploids living within the complex at a watch house by the gate. Unlike the pristine city centre, a cloud of pollution seemed to permanently hang above the outer-city slums, the air was dry, stagnant and thick, and the mercury could climb to 40°C on acoldday. Municipal services were sparse, clean water was hard to come by with the canals running dry, and the power supply was capped at a weekly limit, only running from 9am to 5pm.

It was no place for humans, which is why South-East Sector G was selected for reploid public housing. The only outsiders who would visit were the military, and even then, patrols would only come by every week or so.

It was nothing special, and that was why itwasso important to Ciel. Far from the prying eyes of X and his lackeys atop his ivory tower, this apartment complex stood at the intersection between the Resistance and Rebellion movements.

Dusk had fallen, and Ciel made her move. She knew humans weren't permitted in the industrial sector, both for their own safety and to ensure they didn't unearth any ugly truths about Neo Arcadia. It was fortunate then, that Ciel was unlike any other human- more machine than man, well versed in reploid tradition and their extra-dimensional network language, and she could effortlessly pass as one to the untrained eye.

The guard standing duty at the watch house was half-asleep. The security force of Neo Arcadia's military was hardly a threat compared to their primary core. Ciel stepped off the single tram that stopped at the complex every night and approached the gate's entrance. She had a cloth wrapped around her nose and mouth, partly to hide her identity, partly to quell the rotten stench of sulphur in the air.

"Excuse me."

Ciel was stopped at the gate. The reploid standing guard tonight was a gaunt and gangly man, his eyes sunken in and dull. There was little doubt that he was a drafted civilian build forced into the job. "Your purpose for visiting?"

"Visiting friends and family, sir."

"Callsign and model number?"

"Callsign: Sky. Model number Golf-Seven-Echo-28-02-65. /1.XX/." Ciel answered.

The guard glanced at a monitor, then opened the gates.

"Curfews are still in action from 10pm onward," he reminded. Ciel nodded.

"I won't be long."

The guard harrumphed, his head dropping and shading his eyes under the brim of his helmet. Ciel scrambled between the gates, disappearing into the apartment's court, away from the surveillance of the security guards standing at their posts around the perimeter of the fence.

There were a few denizens about the outside recreation area. Young reploids sat at concrete benches and old tires, whispering gossip to each other and going silent when Ciel passed them by, their vacant, glowing eyes tracking her every movement like an owl watching a mouse. There was a basketball court drawn into the ground with chalk, and a hoop with a shattered backboard.

Most had already found shelter inside from the toxic plumes of industry. Ciel entered the lobby, finding a few reploids crowded around an old, tiny television as it broadcasted the evening's football game. They paid her no mind, only one young reploid, maybe a teenager at most, turning to notice her.

When Ciel had first left the RIAOT for the outer sectors, she often found herself wondering how any of them could stand this. Eventually, she grew numb to the shock. Everyone had to get used to it. What other choice did they have?

She went up the fire escape. The elevator in the left hand side of the building didn't work. In fact, it hadn't worked in a decade.

Her destination was unit 338 on the third floor, the second last door in the hallway. When she knocked on the door, its occupant cracked open the door, cautiously peeking through the gap. When he saw who it was, he opened it further and let her through.

"Well, well, if it isn't the good doctor!" The occupant greeted her kindly, though not without the hint of derision, swiftly shutting the door behind her. "Boss has been looking forward to seeing you again."

The occupant appeared as a tall equine animaloid with dark navy armour, a ruby visor and a flowing, silvery blue mane. His voice was high and smooth, almost sauve, if not for the sting of ugly arrogance it carried. Inside, there were a few other reploids sitting at an old couch, forced to cram together inside the tiny unit like sardines. The horse reploid whisked her away from the living room.

"Sorry it's been a while. I've been busy, these days," Ciel apologised, following the equine animaloid down the hall and into a bedroom. Inside, there were a few decrepit bunk beds and a large, heavy locker. Ciel closed and locked the door behind her, silencing the outside commotion behind the thick layer of steel. "I could hardly find the time to come here."

"Ah, I can imagine," the equined sympathised. "Don't sweat it, we can manage." He jammed his hand between the lockers and the wall. "Gimme a hand here."

Ciel did as asked, and they pushed aside the locker together. It revealed a trapdoor, fastened shut. The equine undid the combination lock, pulling it open and revealing a small, hidden room, obscured in darkness with only a flickering blue light providing a dim lightsource. When they entered, the equine pulled the lockers flush against the wall and shut the trapdoor.

"Switch over to the cloud?" The equine offered. Ciel nodded.

[This is Ciel-Golf-Seven-Echo. You hear me?]

[Ciel G7-E. Loud and clear, Dynamo Mike-Three-Sierra.]

Dynamo's equine newtype disguise dissipated, revealing his native humanoid form. He flicked his hair back with a flamboyant flair.[Phew, it's nice to let my hair down once in a while. Boss is in the lab.]

[Got it. Thanks, Dynamo.]Ciel scanned in her biosignature, before she gave the lab doors a soft knock.

[Ah, would you look who it is. Thought you'd never come, doc. Come in.]The lab's occupant opened the doors for them, granting them access to another dark room, lit up by a blue tinted lamp and the sparks of a welding torch. The sole occupant was hunched over a crafting table, bits and pieces strewn across its surface and the floor. There was a mosaic of documents stuck to the walls, from maps to battle plans to lab protocols.

He appeared as a dark purple canine, artillery connection sites decorating his thick plated armour and revealing his status as a heavily armed warbot. When Ciel and Dynamo walked in, he set aside his tools and swivelled around in his chair.

[And what's brought you to these parts, Ciel?]said the canine, his fangs bared in a sardonic grin. Ciel knew not to be offended or threatened- that was simply his default expression.[Cerveau make a special something for me or what?]

[Not quite, but I do have something of interest for the Rebellion. Neige managed to smuggle out some datafiles from Neo Arcadia's Deep Archives.]Ciel answered, drawing a data upload cable from a forearm compartment.[You're gonna wanna see this. This is big. Bigger than anything we've seen before.]

Ciel found the lab's operating console and plugged in her upload cable, transferring a copy of her latest intel reports over to the main drives. Dynamo rubbed his chin as he watched the cascade of files appear on the large monitor, impressed by the sheer size of their data yield.

[Good to see the favour we did for Neige paid off.]the canine said.[Talking about favours, we've got something special in the works, I think you bleeding hearts in the Resistance will thank us for it.]

Ciel gave him a discerning stare.[Enlighten me, Vile.]

There was no point in disguises when his two most trusted compatriots were the only ones in the room. Vile left behind his animaloid disguise in a flurry of refracted light, assuming his original helmeted form. He gestured at what he was working on.

[See this? Optimised for blowing apart thirty inches of concrete and rebar.]Answered the warmachine.[The first Rebellion, those utopian nutjobs, most of them are long gone now. But not all of them. We've got word that a certain someone's locked up in the high security prison by the North-East sector, an old friend of Epsilon's, and I've got a feeling he's not gonna be too fond of X. I know you've been working on some energy solution for a hot second. I'd say you'd be interested in what Supra Force Metal can do for you.]

Ciel raised her brow.[Supra Force Metal…]

The record showed that it had all been destroyed following the Redips incident, in fear of its continual misuse and general maverick-genic property. It was scarcely understood at the time, and papers from then offered little useful information for Ciel to work off of, so she ignored it in pursuit of other avenues… but this could prove to be a game changer- a source of continuous and rapidly renewable, clean energy.

[See, you get access to Supra Force Metal, we get a super-powered reploid who hates X's guts. All we gotta do is break him out, and that comes naturally to us.]Vile rationalised. Ciel tightened her lips, leaning over the console as the upload took its time.

[You know what? Do what you want. I can't stop you.]Ciel half-agreed. The upload concluded, and Ciel pulled up a few files of interest, beckoning Vile and Dynamo over.[Anyway, come here, take a look at this.]

Vile leaned in closer, completely silent as he went over schematics and a long and expansive list of maintenance logs. It was hard to tell what he was thinking without that smirking muzzle to give Ciel a hint.

[An orbital linear particle accelerator-type direct energy weapon. Ragnarok, hey?]Vile read aloud. He stood back, crossing his arms, and took in what he was seeing.[Great. This is what that Craft guy kept going on about, isn't it?]

[Yeah.]Ciel confirmed.[I've been chipping away at the decryption here. From what I can tell, it looks like an old Weil project that the Neo Arcadian government has co-opted as its own. It's still in active use, but it hasn't been fired, other than a few test shots aimed away from the Earth.]

Dynamo co*cked his head.[Andwhyexactly would the honourable boy scout X keep this thing around?]

He was being semi-rhetorical.

[Seems to be an anti-ICBM measure, at least, that's their reasoning. The thing is, 'anti-ICBM defence' implies that there are other countries that can possess them, much less fire them, and that just isn't true. Sure, there's settlements out there, but it's not like they have access to weapons of mass destruction. Even the old 20th century ICBMs were long since decommissioned.]Ciel explained.[It has a remote and in-situ control centre, with the in-situ control centre taking priority.]

[So, let me get this straight. X can just go and bring an orbital laser down on us whenever he wants?]Vile assumed. Ciel nodded slowly.

[Yep.]

[Well, sh*t.]

Vile tapped his finger on his crafting bench, before absentmindedly jostling his weapons parts around.[Lemme guess, you want us to blow it up.]

[That would be ideal, but… I know it isn't realistic.]Ciel replied.[Even if we combined our forces, I doubt we'd have a chance of getting very far with it. We hardly scrape by as is.]She looked at the ground, leaning over the console.[I know you want to take down Neo Arcadia, and I respect that. But my main goal is to save these people from X's rule, but I can't say I've brought them asylum in good conscience if their lives outside of Neo Arcadia are under constant threat of Ragnarok.]

There was a pause as they thought through their next words.[Well, I know one of us has first-hand experience bringing down space stations.]

His eyes were hidden, but one could tell Vile was giving Dynamo a mischievous glare. Dynamo waved him off, tutting.

[Come on. I had Sigma helping me out back then.]He retorted.[I'm good, but I'm not that good. Trying to take this thing down with what we have right now… the only way we have a chance of doing anything worth jack is if we can turn Neo Arcadia's people against X.]

Vile nodded, before tapping the monitor.[But this… this could be good ammunition. Sure, there's gonna be a few pathetic sycophants who won't care what X does as long as they get to stay fat and privileged, but I doubt the people are gonna be happy knowing their 'perfect' king is harbouring a weapon of this scale. If we can incite a substantial enough, city-wide revolt, they'll be forced to spread their forces thin, and then we can see if we can do something about Ragnarok.]He tipped his head aside.[We could probably do something to disconnect the remote control centre, but I'm gonna guess that the in-situ centre's gonna be a problem.]

[Right. I tried to get coordinates to its control centre, but they've got spatial folding inhibitors blocking our transerver range. Looks like the in-situ control centre can only be operated by an authorised few.]Ciel lamented.[And everyone in the Resistance who could've possibly fit that bill is either dead, comatose or MIA. So…]

She shrugged, feeling the cold sense of defeat.[The good news is that if we destroy it, Neo Arcadia couldn't possibly have the resources to build another one.]Dynamo pointed out, always trying to be the optimist.[If I could get access to this thing, I could probably break it apart in orbit by letting the accelerator run away for long enough. That'd mean I'd have to initiate the firing mechanism, though.]

He rubbed his chin, going through scenarios in his head. Vile threw his hands up in an admission of uncertainty.[Well, not much we can do about it right now, not until we bulk up our forces.]Said the warbot. Ciel felt a tinge of guilt- she couldn't help but feel responsible for everything that had happened lately. The downward spiral of things had all seemed to spark from Zero's botched recovery mission, and both her Resistance and Vile's Rebellion had experienced disastrous losses following the foiled operation.[But I won't take this news lying down. Never have, never will.]

Vile's voice darkened, and he made a fist.[I'm planning something big, Ciel. I will not rest until these people see what I see, know what I know. I've already seen X's precious nature, his dead kin, bleeding dry. And when I'm done, the spineless drop kicks and deadbeats of this sh*thole nation will finally understand me. They'll regret ever having doubted me.]

His fist shook with the force he gripped it with.

[They'll have no choice but to admit I was right. They called me a monster, but there's a monster in X, too. It'll come to destroy him… with or without my help.]

Chapter 10: Chapter Nine

Chapter Text

"Ciel! Thank goodness you're here, come, quickly now!"

The moment Ciel stepped into the Resistance headquarters, Cerveau had whisked her away, leading her with great haste to the medbay.

"Cerveau! I'm so sorry, I came as fast as I can," she apologised, walking with swift, purposeful strides alongside the strong willed reploid engineer. "I was tied up in a meeting with the Northern branch when I got your call. What's going on?"

Cerveau shook his head, cursing himself for calling for their leader so abruptly and without explanation. "Argh, right, I was so caught up in the chaos I forgot to tell you," he said, his vocal cadence quick and raspy. "It's Commander Elpizo. Rocincolle said he was starting to come to."

The two sped into the medbay from the halls, and true to his word, Ciel came face to face with the chaos Cerveau spoke of.

The latest supply raid had been rather successful, all things considered, with the Guardians caught up in different affairs. Of course, it wasn't without its casualties- their medical personnel were rushing all over the cramped unit, their efforts spread woefully thin.

"What's our status?" Ciel asked on the way to the stepdown unit.

"11 wounded, 3 in the ICU," he reported, "but no deaths."

Better than what Ciel came to expect, but it was still something she didn't want to hear all too much. She also knew that of the 16 others deployed on that operation, four had been apprehended by Neo Arcadian soldiers. That could only mean four more would perish at the hands of X's tribunal, for there would be no mercy offered there.

The spirits of the Resistance were low, one could feel that much when they walked into the room. There was more cheer to be found at a funeral.

Ever since Axl's death and Craft's disappearance, the Resistance had been without confidence, aimless and weak in Neo Arcadia's shadow. Commander Elpizo had been in a coma for a good few months at that point. Cerveau had only just ripped him from the jaws of death, and before now, Ciel had doubts he'd ever wake up again.

Ciel was struggling to find the will to keep going. She had been in this game of wits for too long. All she wanted to do was leave Neo Arcadia with her Resistance folk forever, to seek shelter in the wilderness of Tabula Rasa where X had yet to lay his claim, but with the threat of Ragnarok looming over her, even surrender was no longer an option.

"Ah, there you two are!"

They were quickly shepherded away by Rocincolle the second the hearty nurse set eyes on them, spirited towards the stepdown unit. "You're just in time. Commander Elpizo's starting to wake."

They were led to Elpizo's bedside, finding him still somewhat asleep, but restless and troubled. The elegant operations commander looked sick and fragile from his near death experience and long period of coma, his muscles having lost their turgidity and mass, his face sunken in and thin, skin as pale as ivory. He was still hooked up to a cavalcade of cables and IVs, life support machines beeping away vacantly over the drowned out noise of the busy medbay.

Elpizo's face tensed and relaxed in his slumber, his hands clenched into fists and muscles growing taut with growing agitation. He was mumbling, but saying nothing in particular, and as the long seconds trudged on by, he began fidgeting and writhing on his bed, his incomprehensible speech growing louder and frustrated. The neurological activity monitor blared a warning beep.

"Hold him down, will you?" Cerveau commanded the nurses at bay, who hurriedly did as told. "All these ex-Neo Arcadians do terribly with anaesthesia. I don't want him tearing out his IVs-"

Elpizo jolted awake with a panicked, sharp gasp, erupting in a bout of intense emergence agitation.

"You- I- need to talk, need to speak to–"

He struggled to get the words to make sense, his voice felt thick in his throat and his processor ran sluggishly, overcome with the thick fog of delirium. The nurses could barely hold him down, despite his worn down physique, the commander so overcome with panic he found strength he didn't possess.

His wild eyes locked onto Ciel, and his breath hitched. "General Ciel!"

Elpizo lurched forward, grabbing for Ciel's shoulders and holding her level. "Ciel! Don't speak, just listen to me!" He wailed, his stare manic, pupils as small as pinpricks. "Listen. I-Isawthem! I saw all of them!"

"Wha- huh?!-" Ciel shook her head, shaking off the confusion and pushed Elpizo's hands away. "Who? Who did you see?"

"Everyone!" He screamed. "I saw them– o-our dead brothers and sisters, I saw them all!"

His voice grew quiet. "I-in a flowering field, where the sun was always setting. I saw them! The– the hunters, our kings, they were there too, A-Alia, Signas, Axl." His demeanour grew intense once more, and he grabbed a hold of Ciel's arm. "I saw X! And notthisX, butourX. He said it– it wasn't my time, that I had to go back. C-Ciel, we need to tell everyone, we're beingliedto! It's not supposed to be like this, this isn'tourX, the X sitting on the throne, he– he isn't from this place! He can't stay here, he can't! He'll destroy us all!"

He tried to sit up, tried to unfasten himself from his lines and cables, but he was reigned back by nurses. "If I don't do anything, I'll join them there, in thatplace. We'll all join them! B-but I'm– I'm not strong enough, none of us are-"

All at once, he went limp, his eyes rolling back as they shut, and he fell back on his bed. Behind him, Ciel found Cerveau at the medical console, having taken the initiative to put him back under. With the energy in the room dropping back down to a minimum like a falling brick, Ciel let out a soft sigh.

"Jeez…" she grumbled, running her hand through her fringe. "I wasn't expecting that."

"...What onEarthwas he on about?" Rocincolle said aloud what everyone was thinking.

Cerveau shrugged. "No idea. Maybe he just reacted badly to the anaesthesia."

No one else had any better explanation. Everyone except the Resistance's resident philosophist.

"I'll take a guess," spoke a sauve, effeminate voice that emanated from the corner of the room. "There was an old RIAOT paper about the reploid halo-brain persisting after the death of the three-dimensional cassette body. Elpizo was on the brink, wasn't he? Who's to say he didn't tread on the boundary of this triumvirate plane and the next, higher dimension, where our conscience derives? He perhaps caught a glimpse of our heaven and all its 4D inhabitants. Cyber-elves, old friends… even us, if only part of us…"

Ciel and Cerveau shot the speaker an impassive frown.

"Sounds… awfully esoteric, Hirondelle," Ciel chided. "Besides, that was all just a thought experiment. Nothing more."

"...And even if thatwastrue, X is most certainly still alive. His army just put three good men on life support," Cerveau said. "Now is not the time to dwell on old RIAOT proceedings, not when we're struggling to getfoodon the table."

"Yes… maybe you're right now, but only time will tell if that will remain so true," he conceded. "You don't have to believe me. I'm just throwing it out there."

Hirondelle threw his arms up in defeat, before he departed the unit to make himself useful elsewhere. They were left in silence, unsure of where to go from there. The machines hooked up to Elpizo idly sounded away.

"...Maybe he's got some mild hibernation sickness," Cerveau took another shot in the dark in a bid to fill the empty air. "What do you suppose we do now?"

Ciel leaned over Elpzio's bedside, pursing her lips and drumming her fingers on the gurney.

"...I don't know," she admitted after a long, quiet moment. It was something she had grown accustomed to saying those days. "Just get everyone fixed up and keep an eye on Elpizo's status. I'll ask him if he knows anything about Ragnarok when he's stable. Then… I'll think of something."

Cerveau nodded, straightening his posture and sending his nurses here and there. With her people in good hands, Ciel departed the unit, taking the long trek back to the command room. It was a disturbingly quiet walk without the ever-talkative Axl at her side, and with nothing scheduled for that day, the halls were vacant of life.

And in the silence, the echoes of Elpizo's ramblings lingered in her mind. She felt a veryspecificguilt eat away at her soul, one that she hadn't been privy to in a long time.

It was late into the night, and Craft was awake, again.

Once more, he was tormented by restless nights under the Neo Arcadian sky. He gave up trying to will himself back to sleep, and instead wandered to the window sill, pulling up a seat as he looked out to the city, watching the distant lights flicker in the distance, scant traffic roaming the freeways and rail lines.

He was sickened by its gratuitousness. But most of all, he felt purposeless, like an arrow shot haphazardly into the sky. He had risked it all to leave Neo Arcadia's iron reign, had to turn his back on his friends and Einherjar comrades. He had sacrificed everything to escape his past life, all for naught.

He was reckless, driven by love, and now he was subject to the all too familiar sight of Neo Arcadia's starless nights once more.

Craft wasn't sure if Neige was even alive. He didn't care what happened to him, whether he would live for much longer or not, as long as Neige was safe, offering unto others her fierce compassion and perseverance.

He tried to convince himself it could've been worse. He could've fallen under someone else's command and had his heart and mind stolen from him, forced to become another instrument of X's war. No– he had been lucky enough to fall into the gentle lap of mercy at the hands of Zero for no reason in particular. He didn't know what he did to deserve his grace. It could've been anyone else, and deep down, Craft knew itshould'vebeen anyone else, someone who possessed less blood on their hands, a better man than he.

What happened had happened, though, and Zero chose him. Despite his reservations, Craft supposed he had to be grateful for the circ*mstances he was ultimately dealt.

Zero was different. He didn't seem to harbour any sentimental connection to Neo Arcadia, like the Guardians or the Judges did. In fact, he looked uncomfortable and troubled amongst X's people. He saw things for what they were, and far sooner than Craft ever did as X's world ender.

He could change things forever, and in a way, Zero already had, even as he remained trapped in the walls of X's spire, weaponless, thin and wiry, and broken, so hopeless and unsure of what he could do to fix the dismal world.

"Craft?"

Zero snuck up on him so often, he had the thought of putting a bell on him. He had gotten up from his bed and was sitting at its side. Zero co*cked his head.

"You're awake again," he continued, sliding off the side of the bed to stand at his side. "I can get you an actual bed if it's giving you that much trouble, you know."

Craft shook his head no. "It's fine. The ottoman's comfier than the berths we had in the Resistance."

"I see." Zero sat himself on the windowsill beside him. "Something else bothering you?"

Craft didn't respond immediately. He sighed and leaned back, the chair creaking as he did. "...Yeah. Just thinking, is all."

Zero's beady violet gaze narrowed. It felt like he was looking right into his soul. "About home?"

"How'd you guess?"

Zero made a soft chuckle, before his mousy stare fell back to the floor. "Just a hunch," he replied. "To tell you the truth, I'm thinking about it too."

Craft perked up. "Oh?"

"...I know. It sounds weird, doesn't it?" Zero threw his head back. "This has been the only place I've known since I woke up but it's not my home. I don't belong here. And honestly, I don't know where I would in this world."

"...None of us know," Craft said. "No one knows what to do. All I know is that our place isn't here. There's no saving Neo Arcadia… I came to accept that a long time ago."

Zero nodded slowly. "Maybe… Neo Arcadia isn't worth saving, but its people are."

Now he was starting to sound like Neige. Even Ciel wasn't so lofty. Craft swallowed thickly. "I know…" he said, "maybe, when humankind can confront the evil of their past, only then will they be able to escape it."

It's a pipedream, he knew that, but just maybe… Craft could only hope he was still alive when that day came.

They sat in silence. Zero was looking out into the city, watching the lights flicker like distant stars with a blank, aimless stare. Craft was looking at him instead.

"...It's funny. Sometimes you say things that sound just like something Neige would tell me."

That gave Zero pause. "Really…?" His brows rose. "I'm… flattered?"

Craft let out a quiet, but hearty snicker. "You should be. Before I met her, I had nothing to fight for. I just… was." He looked away wistfully. "But she showed me that people were worth saving, flaws and all. I… feel like I've failed her, acting so foolishly."

Zero frowned. "...Did you feel for her?"

Craft was silent for a beat. He looked at his boots, evading Zero's face. "Yes. That fiery heart, her unwavering determination… when she showed me that there was more to the world and its people, that's… when I fell in love." He shook his head. "And now I've messed things up. I let tunnel vision get the better of me. I thought of her, and not the bigger picture, and that's landed me back here. I don't even know if she's even alive, even after everything I've done."

The sentiment struck close to home for Zero's weary heart, sounding all too painfully similar. "I understand," he sympathised, "in a way, I feel like I've failed the person I loved too. When I left X all those years ago, I… I should've known better. I left him alone with his world in tatters. I was selfish. I loved him so much that I was afraid my existence would only lead to more of the same, the endless wars, senseless death. It wasn't rational, but after seeing so many perish in the Elf Wars, I just… couldn't do it anymore. I lost so many friends in those battles but I don't even remember their faces. All I remember is the fields of bodies, like a sea of the dead. And to think it was because of an evil born out of my body… I couldn't take it. The guilt consumed every minute of my life."

He looked aside. "But X and I, we were parts of a greater whole. I don't know how I could've been so stupid, abandoning him so many years ago. Now X is gone. Everyone is. And I can't help but feel as if it's all my fault."

Craft gazed at him with roving, thoughtful eyes, before he set a hesitant reassuring touch on his thigh. Zero didn't object.

"It isn't your fault, Zero. I promise you that," he spoke in a soft, light voice, "what's done is done, we can't change that. But you should not be held responsible for the actions of a mad man. Maybe I wasn't close to your old friends, but even I could've told you your disappearance was felt across all of Neo Arcadia. It was X who let it consume him." He frowned. "And instead of relinquishing his power, he let it ruin him. It's a sad reality about power and people. History repeats, you know? We aren't humans, but mankind's darkness runs in us all."

Zero stared down at Craft's hand. The width of his palm nearly covered the entirety of Zero's thigh.

"All we can do is move on," he lamented. "Even if it hurts, we have to live. For the sake of everyone we fight for."

There was a sombre gloom over them, but the glow of hope lingered underneath it all. Zero placed his hand over Craft's, taking him by surprise.

They didn't say much after that. Zero didn't mind. In the cold dead of night without a word between them, time felt so slow, like dripping resin. He wasn't sure when they eventually got back to sleep. All he could remember was collapsing back onto his bed, restlessly mulling over Craft's sentiment as he drifted off.

He had to persevere. Even if it hurt, he still couldn't give up on these people, not as long as he still has breath in his systems. He wouldn't give up on Craft, nor on anyone in Neo Arcadia.

"Zero!"

It had been a good while since Zero had seen Fefnir or Leviathan in the citadel. By the looks of things, they weremorethan happy to see the red android enter their lounge.

"I've missed seeing your pretty face, big guy!" Leviathan exclaimed as she ran herself into Zero's arms, squeezing him tight in a painfully firm hug. "My gosh, it's been so busy, you have no idea…"

Zero made an awkward chuckle, patting Leviathan on the back to tap out. The two boisterous Guardians had been deployed to aid a recovery mission in the Outside Lands that ultimately came up fruitless. Failure didn't seem to dampen their spirits, however.

"Ah, jeez… I've missed you guys too," Zero said, greeting Fefnir with a hearty handshake. "It's been too quiet around here."

"Oh yeah. Here's to hoping Harpuia didn't bore you to death," Fefnir groaned, teeth bared in a snide smirk. "I've heard it's been busy in these parts while we've been gone."

"You could say that," Zero replied, stepping aside to let his guard-companion enter behind him. "I've been… making friends."

Fefnir and Leviathan were quite tall, but Craft still towered over them, casting them in a vast shadow. Fefnir baulked, stepping back with his fists raised up in a defensive stance. To that, Leviathan just laughed and held him at ease with an outstretched arm.

"Relax, Fefnir," she assured, tugging him back. "Dad told us he's with us now, remember? Or, I suppose, he'sbackwith us."

Fefnir looked at her with a critical glare, before he slowly and hesitantly dropped his fists. "Oh yeah… I forgot about that. I don't know if I'll ever get used to seeinghimaround here. That slimy traitor…"

"I can hear you," Craft reminded them, "it's not like I'mthrilledto see any ofyourfaces on the daily either."

Fefnir and Craft stared each other down, before Zero cleared his throat, taking back their collective attention. "Let's play nice now. All of you," he reprimanded them. Craft and Fefnir shrunk back like scolded puppies. "I don't suppose you guys are too busy right now, hm? I wanted to catch up with you two."

The siblings exchanged glances, before nodding. "Yeah-no-we–" they stammered in unison, pausing awkwardly before they could finish their thoughts.

Leviathan was first to compose herself. "Yeah, no biggie. You can stay however long you want," she answered. "Come, come, make yourself comfortable. Too nice a day to stay indoors!"

She led them into the outdoor seating area by the pool, where the afternoon sun shone in all its golden glory over the lounge, its shine sparkling on the water's surface. It wasn't blazing hot, but the radiant heat was enough to make any reploid's systems purr. It was a windless day in Neo Arcadia, a perfect day to lounge around in the sun's rays and let the mind wander from the harsh realities of the real world. Zero was keen to do exactly that.

Fefnir was keeping a close, suspicious eye on Craft as he followed Zero in, the large warbot taking a seat next to his master on one of the poolside sun lounges. Fefnir sat opposite them with disapproving crossed arms and an even crosser frown, while Leviathan dunked herself into the cool water without a care in the world.

There was a silent tension taking hold of the situation that Zero had not anticipated when he decided to bring Craft along, but he supposed he should've expected it with how long Craft was considered an enemy to Neo Arcadia. Zero looked between the two, blinking a few times in exasperation. "I see you have a few reservations about my choice in companionship."

"It's notyou…" Fefnir refuted, "he's just…Craft!"

Craft co*cked a brow. "Is there a problem with that?" Zero asked. Leviathan giggled from where she leaned over the pool's edge.

"Don't worry about him. Fefnir's just nervous around Craft because he's beat his ass like, a million times, heh."

Fefnir sat up with renewed resolve. "Hey.Nottrue."

Zero looked to Craft for clarity. He tipped his head to the side in uncertainty. "It's a little bit true," he said. "I've had my fair share of scuffles with you four. It's only right that I'd have a few victories under my belt."

Fefnir's red hot gaze narrowed. Craft just frowned, exasperated. "...I mean, you've gotten a few on me as well," he amended shortly after. Craft turned to face Zero, holding up his arm to present his torso. He revealed a faint scar that trailed from his armpit down to his hip. "This one's from him, actually. Had Harpuia right in the palm of my hand when he came out of nowhere like a bat out of hell. Took a good chunk out of me. Hurt like a bitch. Was in the medbay for a week getting it stitched up."

That memory made Fefnir chuckle. "I remember that. Heh. Harpuia still hasn't thanked me," he said. "Much as itticklesme to see his scrawny ass get snatched out the air, I ain't letting nobody beat on my brother like that."

"Don't I know it…" Craft winced. He lifted his foot and rested it on his knee. He had another deep scar bisecting the back of his heel. "This one's Phantom's. Son of a bitch snuck up on me. Knocked me down by the achilles. Axl had to drag me away. He never let me live it down."

"Mmhm. What about the…" Zero hovered his hand over his own face. Craft took a moment to realise what he meant.

"Ah,this one." He nodded slowly. "That one's courtesy of Master X himself."

Zero's eyes widened. "Oh."

"I know. Was the first time I met him on the battlefield after I had joined the Resistance," he explained. "He was so pissed, he nearly took my head off. He just got my eye. Could've been worse, to be honest. Lost my sense of depth for two months until Ciel gave me this augment." He frowned just thinking about it. "It was grizzly."

"...I can imagine," Zero droned. "You've got a lot of scars, Craft."

Craft wasn't all too sure what to say in response to that. His jaw tightened as he went over his words. Fefnir answered for him.

"Our scars are trophies of the battlefield!" he asserted. "Every wound holds a memory that we must carry with us in our lives. They remain as reminders of our rich history as proud warriors."

Leviathan's brow rose. "Soopoetic."

"Thanks." He puffed his chest out in mock pride. "I'd say I'm an alum of a morerefinedschool of thought." Craft looked down at himself scanning the scars that pelted his chassis.

"Never thought of it that way," he said. "You forget you have them after a while. Then when you're surrounded by normal people, you realise you're covered in the damn things."

Zero nudged him with his side playfully. "Hey. That just means you have more stories to tell."

Craft blinked, before bashfully running his hair back with a silly grin. Leviathan, not particularly intrigued, flopped over melodramatically. "You guys are so darn philosophical all the time. I don't get it."

Just as the indigination began to seep in for her audience, she hopped upright again, the pep in her step returning with a vengeance. "Whatever. I've got a new idea."

"Do tell," Zero deadpanned.

"Ohh, so glad you asked! You know, Zero, I was thinking, you always seem so wound up, so why don't you get in here and join me? Come relax a little, the water's fine!" She pushed away from the wall and floated away on her back like a sea otter. "Harpuia's got the temperature up way too high."

Fefnir huffed. "Well, I think it's perfect."

"Youwould," Leviathan snipped back. "What do you say, Zero?"

Zero chewed his lip in contemplation. It wasn't like there wasn't much else for him to do.

"Hm. Alright, guess it wouldn't hurt," he finally decided, getting to his feet.

He undid and sloughed off his vest from his shoulders, taking a ribbon wrapped around his wrist and tying his hair back. Craft watched intently as Zero threaded his fingers through his amber, silken hair, each lock catching the sunlight in a way that made him look divine.

Craft hastily looked away before the Guardians could berate him for staring at an android way out of his league. His beauty, regardless, was undercut by a thin and sick physique that made it hard for Craft to appreciate it.

Zero stopped at the pool's ledge, dipping the toe of his boot into the water, before sitting himself down on the edge and submerging his legs, then pushed himself in entirely. The warm water enveloped him in an instant, embracing his weary frame in its soothing embrace. It felt like the worries that he had been burdened with were washed away in the splash. In the water, he felt weighless, sounds muffled and muted like he was in a dream, until he resurfaced again, returning to the real world.

He shook himself dry, soaking Leviathan in a spray, much to her dismay. The sun shimmered on the droplets falling from his frame, pale skin glistening.

Craft kept looking, but Fefnir was paying them no mind. The draconic warrior leaned forward, clasping his hands together. "So, big man. How are you liking things back in Neo Arcadia? Like what we've done around here?"

It brought the large warbot's attention back to him. He shrugged ambivalently. "Hmph. It's better than being dead," he supposed. "It's not like I'm breaking my back working for Zero."

Leviathan made a face, then whipped around to face Zero. "S'that so? Blondie, you should be working him harder! This is supposed to be punishment!"

Zero propelled himself to the pool's ledge, resting his chin on crossed arms. "Mmh. I'm not exactly high maintenance."

"Yeah, sure. I've seen your grooming routine, princess," Craft grumbled under his breath. As quiet as he was, his words weren't missed by Zero's acute audials.

"Well maybeyoushould consider taking up a grooming routine sometime, buddy," Zero retorted huffily, his brow creasing. "We should go to that day spa Leviathan always goes on about. When was the last time you cleaned up that mane of yours, huh?"

That made the big man nervously back off a few inches. After his words sunk in, he could only offer a crooked smile and an awkward, breathy laugh as he ran his hand through his thick black hair.

"...Ah, it's not really my top priority," Craft admitted after a moment to weigh up his answer to that question. Zero stuck his nose up, making a mock exaggerated haughty face.

"Why, if you're supposed to be my servant, I suppose you should look the part!" Zero insisted with faux, mocking arrogance. "Try as you might, your natural good looks will only get you so far, Mister Fenrisúlfr–hhhehehe,sorry, that was stupid."

Zero quickly broke character, unable to keep the laugh in his throat. Craft found himself chuckling as well. "Mygood looks? Now you're just playing with my heart, Zero. Not even Neige called me handsome..."

"I was never that much of a good actor. X used to say I was terrible at lying," Zero admitted. "I could never be trusted with undercover missions."

Lie or no lie, the massive, foreboding war machine still blushed a little at the backhanded compliment. Fefnir frowned and huffed, unimpressed at the praise Zero gave to Craft. "Honestly…"

There were other, less savoury things that were being said under his breath, but Craft decided to pay them no mind. Zero heaved himself out of the pool and sat on the ledge, soaking wet, and gently tapped his hand at his side.

Craft stared at him for a moment, then co*cked his head. Zero rolled his eyes and beckoned him over with a flick of the head. That had Craft shaking his head vehemently, waving his hands no.

"Ah, no, no thanks," he replied. "You enjoy yourself, Zero."

Leviathan huffed. "Yeah. You'll dirty up my lovely pristine water with your maverick filth, anyway."

Zero frowned and furrowed his brow in second-hand offence, before deciding to ignore her. "Come on. Don't act so shy all of a sudden," he insisted. "Look. You could probably stand up at this depth."

Craft slouched down with a sigh, snatching quick glances between Fefnir and Zero as he weighed up his options. It'd be a bad look to disobey Zero in front of the Guardians, even if it was the smallest transgression. "Alright, alright…" he conceded, getting up and making his way over to the poolsteps. Leviathan groaned, rolling her eyes and pushing herself off the wall to put some distance between her and Craft.

Gingerly, Craft waded into the pool, cautious of the potential bitter chill of the water, but as he pressed on, he was caught by surprise by the gentle, pleasant warmth. True to Zero's word, when he had gotten to the bottom of the pool steps, he could stand with his head above water quite easily. Zero plunged back into the water from the ledge, joining Craft in the pool and treading water around him.

With warm, gentle water flowing around him like it was hugging him, the weight on Craft's shoulders lifted, leaving only tranquillity in its wake.

"It's nice, isn't it?"

Zero swam over to Craft, taking his hands and forcing him to hold him above water. Craft was taken aback by how small and fragile Zero's hands felt in his grip, and he found himself staring at the way they fit neatly into the palm of his hands. He curled his fingers around Zero's hands and held them with as soft a touch he could muster.

"Yeah…"

Leviathan looked on with disdain at Craft's presence in her beloved pool, but this time, she kept her feelings to herself. Instead, having decided she was no longer interested in the two, she turned away, watching Fefnir flick on a television to whatever football game was being broadcast and disconnecting herself from Craft and Zero's conversation.

Within the comfort of the warm water and the lack of scrutinising commentary from the two Guardians, it was easy to just forget about the dismal, oppressive world bearing down on them, like they were caught up in a pleasant dream. All Craft wanted to know was the legendary android before him, the saviour of all human-likes, held so delicately in his hands as if he was made of porcelain.

"...Funny, I always hated when we got assigned to underwater operations," Zero confessed, "but X would always braid my hair so it wouldn't get in my face when I swam… so I kind of learnt to love them, if just for the attention I got for it. Even now, the water still reminds me of the joy he used to bring me years ago. I wonder if he remembers…"

Craft's high spirits faltered at the reminder of what Zero, and by extension, X, used to be. There was a sense of tragedy he felt whenever he heard tales of X's nature before the era of Neo Arcadia revealed the evil lying dormant in his heart. Zero decompressed with a deep exhale as he found himself dwelling on X again, painfully aware of the fact that he would never feel that particular joy ever again as long as X continued down his path of senseless destruction.

"...You've got big hands, you know that?"

Craft wasn't expecting such an abrupt change in topic, but he wasn't going to point it out. The last thing Zero needed was anymore fuel to feed his misery over X.

"Maybe you just have small hands. Ever thought of that?"

"Yeah,right. I'm normal sized, actually. You guys are just giant freaks."

"Well, that ain't fair. I didn'taskto be seven feet."

"Mmhm. I'm sure, big guy, heh…"

It was nice to see the smile return to Zero's face. His smile was as rare as it was beautiful- as beautiful as the legends touted. The statues erected in his image didn't come close to reflecting his striking poise and demeanour. As worn down as he was, he still managed to demand the respect of those below him. His lithe frame spoke a sense of agility and cunning, even in a state of rest.

Maybe it was a littletooeasy to get caught up in Zero's grace. Craft didn't even realise Leviathan had noticed him zoning out.

"Ahem. Take a picture, why don't you? It'll last longer," Leviathan chided coyly, making Craft recoil. His gaze snapped aside and he grimaced awkwardly, feeling acutely self-conscious, even if Zero didn't look all too offended.

He tightened in apprehension. Whatwashe thinking? Gawking at the legendary hero? A reploid who had saved the world from being completely wiped out time and time again? And who was he?

He was nothing in comparison, a man who ran away from evil instead of confronting it head on.

He also had to remember, as much as Zero seemed to dislike his circ*mstances, he was still Neo Arcadian royalty. He was still X's partner, and he couldn't sink too much trust in him, at least not yet. If what he said rang true, then Zero had yet to see the grotesque underbelly of Neo Arcadia, where X'sglorious armyregularly massacred innocent civilians, and where the ashes of incinerated reploids fell like snow from the smokestacks of 'recycling plants'. He was tortured, yes, and witness to terrible things, but Craft was afraid he was yet to see the full extent of the city's evils, and yet to fully condemn them.

Still, what good would it be for Zero to condemn X's deeds when there was little he could do to right them? It was a tough situation, whether Zero truly hated X and Neo Arcadia, or if he was just putting on an elaborate show to earn Craft's trust and coax Resistance secrets out of him. Hopefully, the fact that Zero was horrible at lying pointed towards the former.

"Hey, it's no big deal," Zero assured Craft, patting him on the side of his arm and pulling him back from his racing thoughts. "It's easy to have your mind run away from you like that in here. It's soothing…"

"...Right."

Floating in the warm water as the sun's rays shined down on them, it felt freeing. Like he could just float away in the stream. He could tell Zero felt much the same, his cheeks rosy and big violet eyes half-lidded and content.

He sank further down until he was neck deep in the water, happy to let it envelop him. He almost drifted off, eyes fluttering shut in the gentle calmness.

…

"Ah, shoot. Party's over," Leviathan announced, prematurely ending that sense of peacefulness. Craft and Zero came to their senses quickly and turned to face her, only to find Harpuia walking in, nose held high and hands clasped behind his back.

"Hey, Harpuia…" Leviathan greeted solemnly, already disappointed to know her time in the sun was over.

"Leviathan. Fefnir. Very sorry to interrupt yourmoment, but–"

Harpuia stopped himself when he caught Craft's stare.

"Craft. If I were you…" his gaze darkened, thin slit pupils and wide owlish eyes glaring daggers through him, "I would keep my hands to myself."

Craft swallowed hard and held his hands up, letting Zero float away. Fefnir scoffed softly.

"What, you getting jealous on dad's behalf now?" Fefnir remarked. Harpuia frowned, shaking his head in exasperation.

"We'd hate to see Resistance vermin of hisilkgetting toocomfortablewith Master Zero, wouldn't we?" Harpuia reasoned. He snatched the remote from Fefnir's side and turned off the television without warning. "Come on. Wrap it up, father's looking for you."

Fefnir stared open-mouthed, taken aback by his audacity. "Hey–excuseme! What gives? The third quarterjuststarted–"

"Then you'll just have to make do with keeping track of the box scores," Harpuia said. "Get going. There's been a security emergency in the South sector industrial district. We need you to rally your forces and cordon off the area around the site. Make sure the maverick threat is contained. Father will meet you at the South E-2 assembly point near the Galhareeri Canal."

Upon learning of the prospect of a fight, Fefnir set aside his reservations, quickly getting to his feet like he was spring loaded. "Well shoot, why didn't you say so? Let's get out of here, Levi."

With little choice other than to obey, Leviathan hauled herself out the water and shook herself as dry as she could get. Before she joined her brothers, she looked back to Craft and Zero, who watched on sheepishly.

"Sorry guys. Duty calls," she whispered as she scurried away, following her brothers close behind. Their voices grew fainter as they drifted further away.

"Where's Phantom?" Harpuia asked, rather accusatively, "he never responds to my alerts anymore."

"I dunno, probably sulking somewhere…"

There was the sound of doors shutting, and their conversation continued elsewhere. Zero sighed, feeling a sort of relief to be free of the Guardians' critical eyes, treading over to the pool's ledge and leaning over it.

Without the television or the Guardians' chitchat, it felt particularly empty in the lounge. Craft slowly closed the distance between him and Zero.

"Zero. You know, if you ever have a problem with me–"

"I don't," Zero assured before he could finish that thought. "Harpuia's just trying to mess with how I feel about you."

Though Craft wasn't too sure what the details of Zero's feelings about him were, he only hoped they were positive.

"You seem like a good person," Zero continued. "I like talking to you."

Craft's lips straightened to a line. He was so monotone that it was hard to tell whether or not he was being facetious. "Ah. Thanks…"

"It's nice to have someone to confide with. Someone like you. Even if I don't know whether I can trust you yet," Zero said, watching Craft wade to his side, "ever since they killed Axl, it's… it's been lonely. It's hard, waking up to a world where everyone's a stranger."

His sorrow was brief, and his spirits lifted when he caught Craft's gaze again. "But it's nice to have someone."

Zero's smile widened, big dark eyes glimmering in the sun. "Maybe, someone I'd even call a friend."

For days now, anytime he had the chance, Hidden Phantom locked himself away in his room, enjoying the relative isolation his quarters gifted him in the hectic Neo Arcadian citadel.

He sat on an elevated wooden platform, surrounded by a small zen garden and a pond, where holograms of koi danced below lily pads and lotus flowers. The sun's glow streamed in through a massive picture window, bathing him in warm light.

He had much better things to do than sulk in his room, he knew that much. In fact, Harpuia had let him know that fact time and time again.

But Phantom knew himself well- he knew that if he tried to sit down and work in his state, there would be no point. His mind was unfocused and rattled, swimming in unbearable anxiety to the point where he felt sick to his stomach. He had set aside his mask and helmet, feeling as though it was suffocating him, strands of dark brown, almost black hair falling over his face.

He meditated, but he found no peace in that familiar routine. He wanted more than anything else to clear his mind, but as soon as he settled down, everything afflicting his mind would soon return to torment him, from the greatest failures he had endured to the smallest embarrassment.

Most of it led back to his father. X had been distant those past few weeks. He never connected with Phantom or his siblings just for the sake of it anymore, only ever contacting them for work related reasons. Maybe they were getting too old to rely on their father for unconditional love, Phantom supposed, or maybe X just didn't want to see their faces anymore, especially not after murdering his first son.

It had been that way for a while. Phantom believed that finding Zero and reuniting his father with his one obsession would help things return to the way they were before X began slipping, but if anything, it just made things worse.

Zero was unhappy, and X was even angrier now, knowing that he and Zero were no longer on the same page. It was hard not to feel as if he was at fault for it all- after all, he was the one who tracked down Zero's resting site.

The agony of his anxiety was starting to seep into his work. Things that came naturally to him now felt like a herculean task. At that rate, it wouldn't be long until he'd slip up in a major way. And Phantom was terrified to think of what punishment X would have in store for him when that day would come.

There was a knock at the door before it audibly slid open, stirring Phantom from his thoughts.

"Phantom?"

Zero's voice was followed by his presence in the doorway to Phantom's quarters. Phantom scanned him pensively.

"Zero? What are you doing here?" Phantom stood up, on guard without anything to cover his face. Zero shrugged, his blank expression carrying no sign of malice.

"I wanted to see you," Zero answered simply enough. Phantom co*cked his brow.

"Why? Is there something you need?" He interrogated further, "did something happen?"

"No."

"Then… Why did you want to see me?"

"Because I wanted to," Zero said. "You can sit down."

That took Phantom aback. He had almost forgotten what it was like to be wanted justbecause. He breathed in a sharp, nervous breath and sat back down. Zero crossed the bridge over the pond and joined Phantom on the platform, sitting face-to-face with him on the tatami mat.

"...Where's Commander Craft?" Phantom had to ask. Zero's maverick servant always seemed to be at his side those days. Phantom still didn't like him all too much. It felt like too much of a security risk to just let him just roam around so freely, where he could rub shoulders with government officials Phantom knew he could kill in an instant. Still, Zero had taken a liking to him, and there wasn't much that Phantom could do about the matter.

"He's outside," Zero assured. "Don't worry. It's just me."

Phantom's shoulders sagged, the shinobi allowed to relax. "Oh. Alright…"

There was a short pause.

"Phantom."

"...Yes?"

"You know, you have a nice place here." Zero leaned in. "What are you up to?"

For some reason, Phantom's mouth felt dry. "Oh, nothing, nothing really, sir," he replied. "Just… having some time to myself."

Zero glared at him, eyes fluttering to and fro as he scanned him thoroughly. Phantom leaned back, feeling deeply vulnerable.

"You seem upset," Zero concluded. Phantom immediately jolted to attention.

"I'm fine, Master Zero. I promise."

Zero looked through him again, pouting in thought. "What's wrong?"

Perhaps, without his mask, his emotions were so obviously worn on his sleeve. Phantom took in a deep sigh and slouched over.

"Oh, everything."

He laughed. It was a nervous one, but Zero couldn't recall ever hearing Phantom so much as scoff in amusem*nt.

"It's like nothing ever goes right anymore. No matter how hard we try, everything just gets worse," he admitted, running his hand through his hair. "Everything I do is to appease my father but nothing it's like nothing I can do will ever make him happy. All we do is cull reploids to delay Neo Arcadia's heat death. And it's not something I'm happy doing."

His hand closed into a fist, and his exhales shuddered as they passed through fluttering vents. "But what else can I do? This is the only life I've ever known," he lamented, "a life in my father's shadow…"

Phantom's voice stalled in his vocaliser. Zero grabbed his shoulder and tried to bolster his spirits.

"You're more than that, Phantom," Zero promised. Phantom mulled it over for a moment, before he closed his eyes and shook his head vehemently, brushing Zero's hand off him.

"No. These are unfortunate facts written into the architecture of my being. I am a machine of patriotism. Patriotism is not loyalty to this city. My purpose is this city and all it stands for, and that is patriotism. I live to serve Neo Arcadia, and our father, X, he is Neo Arcadia. I'm sorry," Phantom said, "but this is the way it has to be for me. It's… what we were made to do."

"You shouldn't think like that." Zero wrinkled his nose. "We can't live imprisoned by the conditions of our birth. I was born as a war machine, an instrument of my creator's darkest desires, but I've made it my mission to be something more than what I was meant to be."

Zero could practically feel Iris speaking through him, though there was nothing left of her- her halo-brain burned out when her body did.

"You know, I wasn't built with consciousness."

Phantom's eyes widened. "No?"

"When I was first activated, I was as sentient as a broken toaster," Zero confessed with a quiet laugh, "I don't remember what it was like. But free-will was gifted to me, and I cherish it, even if I don't know why it happened." He smiled. "Free-will is a gift from a tetrachate plane of infinite possibilities. You shouldn't waste it. Our potential far exceeds what's expected of us. Someone special taught me that."

Phantom was quiet, thinking it over in his head.

"We're people. Right?" Zero asked.

"I suppose. We are four-dimensional beings inhabiting three-dimensional cassettes."

"Right. You struggle with the mantle of 'person', thinking you aren't worthy of the title," Zero assumed. "I know where you're coming from."

Phantom ground his teeth together. "It's… it's just… we're robots, machines."

"But we were always meant to be more than that. Otherwise there would've been no point in giving us sentience," Zero reasoned. "We're free to transcend what's expected of us. That's what makes us different from machines."

"If that's so… then that sounds like we were all doomed to go maverick."

"Yeah. Well, it's what we do with ourselves that matters," Zero supposed. "What we define as maverick doesn't seem so cut and dry anymore, without the virus, that is. I think we're too complex to be reduced into either 'maverick'or 'law-abiding citizen'. I fear that perpetuating this sort of thinking is just going to lead to a never-ending war. It's a difficult thought to grapple with, after being a Maverick Hunter for so long. I'm still struggling to grasp that fact myself."

They sat in silence, the babble of the rippling pond filling the corrosive emptiness in the air. Phantom shifted uncomfortably.

"...We probably shouldn't be talking about this," Phantom murmured. "It'd be bad for the both of us to be caught discussing these matters."

Zero sat back languidly, drumming his fingers against the tatami mat. He looked aside at the fibrous texture, eyes tracing the fibrils running up and across.

"...How's your Reploid Standard, Phantom?"

Phantom co*cked his head.

"...It could be better."

Zero huffed, a bemused smirk rising to his faceplates. "Just like your dad," he whispered.

[Delta-Whiskey-November-Zero-Zero-Zero. Hey, Phantom. It's me, Zero. You read me?]

Phantom startled at the voice speaking in his head. The Neo Arcadian military relied primarily on classical radio communication. Those who still used Reploid Standard were but a fringe population in Central Neo Arcadia. Phantom had to rack his brain, not only to come up with the words to respond, but to figure out how to access the consciousness network himself.

[Yes.]

[Good. I won't ask too much of you over the cloud if you're not fluent. Just give me a yell over the network if there's something urgent you need from me. No one's listening. Just me.]

Zero grinned, tapping his audial. He continued.

[Can I ask one more question?]

Phantom scrunched his face in effort.

[Okay.]

[What happened to the RIAOT?]

[...Reploid Integration and Organisation Trust?]

[Yes. That RIAOT.]

[Dissolved in 2315. When Professor Ciel left, many senior researchers got caught in the brain-drain. It was too much upkeep to maintain it after that.]

Zero wiped his hand over his mouth in trepidation, ignoring the unfamiliar name.[Do you still have their proceedings laying around?]

[Yes. But locked in the Deep Archives.]Phantom answered.[You would have to send in an application to get access. I handle the applications.]

[Great.]

[You'll need a good reason.]

[No kidding.]

Phantom's steely gaze faltered, his lips twitching into a smile.[Central Sector 12-R Basem*nt Level 13 Room 931 under the Supermax division. The passcode is always changing.]

[I'll ping your transponder.]

Zero smiled keenly. Phantom wound up his shoulders, looking aside.

"I… should get back to work." Phantom was hoping to curtail the conversation at the soonest possible moment. "Thanks for visiting. I don't get many visitors these days… maybe it's for the better."

He got to his feet, heading off to his workplace. Zero cleared his throat before he could make much headway.

[Ever thought of leaving this place?]

Phantom stopped mid-stride.

[I… shouldn't answer that. Even through this channel. Cyber Elves, X has them all over. Don't know if they're listening in.]

[Is that so…]Zerograted his claws together casually.[You know how to use Phrase-Embedded-Separation 2?]

Phantom shut his eyes and swallowed hard, weighing up his options. There wasn't really any reason he couldn't answer under the security of P-E-S2, at least, other than the fact that he didn't want to confront the truth.

[[P-E-S2: I do, Master Zero.]]

[[P-E-S2: Good to see Axl kept the art of P-E-S alive. So what do you say, kid?]]

Phantom grit his teeth.

[[P-E-S2: I don't know. I don't want to leave father.]]

[[P-E-S2: Neither do I. I love him. Maybe too much. But he's already left us behind. You know that.]]

It was an uncomfortable truth.

[[P-E-S2: Where else would we go? This is the last bastion of all human-likes.]]

[[P-E-S2: Anywhere but here.]]

Phantom chose not to respond. Zero got up with a grunt and gave a polite smile.

"You're stronger than you know. I'm here for you, Phantom," Zero said. Phantom turned around to face him, standing stiffly. "I'm sorry for leaving so long ago. I regret it. Every second of my life."

The shinobi breathed a shuddering exhale.

"You're a good kid," Zero continued. "Sometimes, I wish I could've gotten another chance at this."

Zero shook his head, his voice dying to a hoarse, grave whisper. "You look so much like him."

There was another lull between them. Zero shrugged, waving off his thoughts like it was a fly buzzing in front of his face.

"But what's done is done… I'll leave you to your work, Phantom," he said. "Please. Take it easy. Okay?"

"Okay…"

Zero stared at him for a little while longer, as if making sure he was being honest, before nodding affirmatively. "Good. See you around, kid."

"Yeah, um…" Phantom nodded in the absence of a proper reply. "Bye, Zero…"

Before he left, Zero offered him one last warm, gentle smile. Phantom felt a warm, fuzzy comfort radiate in his chest as he basked in the afterimage of Zero's affection.

It was the glow of a parent's love, a soothing bliss he hadn't revelled in for a long time ago.

The doors shut, and Zero was gone again.

Anywhere but here…

When Phantom thought about what Zero spoke to him, he found himself doubling back to reminisce on Harpuia's words of harsh advice.

Was Zero just trying to sway him, to make his patriotism falter under the guise of a loving parent? It was hard for Phantom to say. Maybe Craftwaspolluting his brain with maverick ideals. Maybe it was what Zero truly believed in.

Regardless, there was a truth underlying all of it. He was a person, worth so much more than the identity and purpose assigned to him. He could be so much more than an instrument of his father's rule- he just had to be brave enough to succeed in such an emancipation.

The morning brought with it a light fog that blanketed the city, casting Neo Arcadia in an eerie, dim glow as the sun lay hidden behind the mist.

Having deployed Craft to the incredibly important mission of acquiring breakfast, Zero wandered through the citadel to his favourite terrace garden, where he could watch over Neo Arcadia with equal parts while surrounded by bubbling water fountains and trees and bushes ruffled by the sweeping breeze.

Droplets of dew coated every blade of grass and dropped from the leaves, making the foliage shimmer with golden sunlight.

Today, however, a new sight greeted him, sitting at one of the marble tables. It was a group of citadel workers, from gardening crew to soldiers, enjoying each other's company and chatting amongst themselves. At least, as much as they could when half of them had their vocaliser stripped from their throats.

Their conversations careened to a sudden halt when Zero appeared before them, the scraggly set of reploids shrinking back. In that moment, Zero felt supremely self-aware in the worst way possible.

"Good morning," Zero decided to say anyway, hoping to ease their nerves. "Little cold out here, isn't it?"

The reploids looked at each other, unsure if they had the right to even look Zero in the eye. The soldier was the one that spoke up, maybe because he was the one of the few who physically could.

"Sure is, Master Zero, sir," he replied. He was young, but looked much older than he was. He was dressed in an heavy vest, reinforced with oxide ceramic fibres, that covered the light blue and white armour uniform of Neo Arcadia's armed forces. "Is there something you need, sir?"

Zero didn't even get this kind of stiff respect when he was unit commander. "Can I sit here?"

The group of reploids stared at him with palpable unease. The soldier gulped nervously and looked at his hands, sweaty palms clapped together tightly.

"Ah… be our guest, Master Zero, sir," the soldier finally answered. Zero gave a pleased huff and sat on the corner of the bench. Their e-cans were perched haphazardly around the table, gardening and shooting gloves alike tossed aside as they chatted over breakfast.

Zero looked the soldier up and down. Over his time in the citadel, he had started to grow familiar with the many faces he'd come across on a day to day basis, even if he didn't have a name to call them. The soldier before him, however, wasn't someone he had seen wandering around before.

"I haven't seen your face before, soldier," he said, leaning forward eagerly.

"You wouldn't have," he replied, "this is my first time circum-Central."

"Is it?" Zero asked. "What's your name?"

"...Um. Wade, sir. Wade Sutherland."

Zero made an affirmative hum. "Where you from?"

"Down-town, sir," he answered, "South-West Sector C."

"Heard it's rough down there," Zero said.

"Things could be better," he supposed. "Ever since power generation got handicapped in the outer sectors, it's been a struggle for us to adapt. Things got unstable without any real aid from Neo Arcadia, lot of societal upheaval and dissatisfaction. Lot of people had to turn to crime to get by. They tried to cut back on maverick activity by imposing harsher restrictions, but that only made people resent Neo Arcadia even more. It's where I grew up, though. I was assigned at the canal base there for years."

One of the gardeners sat up.'We actually know each other from high school,'he signed in absence of a voice.'We all came from the same sector.'

"Small world, huh?" Zero said. The gardener nodded diligently. "What brought you here, Wade?"

"Ah, a couple Central soldiers were lost in a border skirmish the other day. I got called up to temporarily bolster their forces," he replied, "at least, until they get new guys in, then I'll be sent home."

"I see. You don't read as a military build."

"Rude!" Wade laughed, and so did his friends, though most of them couldn't vocalise it. "I'm kidding. Truth is, I'm not. I was a physics teacher before I got drafted."

"...Drafted?"

"Uh-huh. Helps to conserve resources. Don't have to build new military reploids if they can just call on anyone to serve."

Zero crossed his arms, looking pensive. "News to me. How are you enjoying the change of scenery?"

Wade frowned ineffectually. "Tch, look, I mean… it's nice," he said, "I guess it's hard to stomach when you're from the other side of the city. Have you been, sir?"

Zero suddenly felt ridiculously sheltered. "Oh… no, I've never been allowed outside the city centre."

The air around them grew tense as they realised they were on completely opposite sides of the societal spectrum.

'Why's that?'one of the gardeners asked.

"Oh. X has me on a ball and chain," Zero answered, chuckling nervously in a bid to diminish the gravity of their relationship. "He has to have his way."

Zero was sure the workers knew that all too well. Perhaps, better than he did, considering they were born under X's way.

"...Well, I have a wife and daughter back home," Wade confessed. He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a small hologram plate, flashing the photograph of himself and a pretty female reploid, a younger reploid, maybe four or five years old at most, standing at their feet. "Miss them already."

Zero delicately took the photograph from him. His chest felt strangely tight just looking at it.

"What are their names?"

"Wife's name is Caroline," he answered. "Little one's named Melanie. She's starting school soon, actually."

"Mm. You have a lovely family, Wade," Zero said. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say I'm jealous."

He handed back the precious keepsake precariously. "Yeah. Well, I just wish I could be there on her first day of school," he lamented, "but trying to get relieved from duty would be more trouble than it's worth, especially now that I've been assigned to Central."

Zero's lips straightened into a line. "Ah. I'm sorry, Wade…"

"Yeah. I just hope Melanie understands," he said, "she's still so young. She still doesn't get why I'm away from home so much."

Wade let out a dejected sigh. In his head, Zero was wondering if there was anything he could do to help him.

"Say, I never got all of your names." Zero gestured to the other reploids sitting at the table. The workerbots stared at him, bewildered that he would care enough to want their names.

'My name is Robin,'the gardener, Robin, signed, the same one who let Zero know of he and Wade's past. 'This is Cecil.'He pointed to another gardener beside him, a weary, older man with white hair and a narrow gaze.

"I'm, um, Chathurika," the last reploid in the group revealed, a shy and meek looking robot. "I work in the civil water department, heh…"

"I see. It's a pleasure to meet you all," Zero said. "Maybe we'll see each other around."

The group of reploids glanced at one another pensively, before turning to smile at Zero.

"Th-thanks, Zero. We never get people like you who'd wanna sit down and talk with reploids like us," Wade said, gracious. "It's an honour, sir…"

"Please, it's a pleasure-"

"Zero."

The group were suddenly enveloped in a large shadow as Craft walked up behind them, holding a tray of styrofoam cups and bags of food. The group of reploids shrunk down, their beady eyes widening at the tall reploid.

"C-Commander Craft…!" Wade whispered. Chathurika gulped nervously.

"W-we should get back to work," Chathurika stammered. Before Zero could say anything, they had already scattered, rushing back to their posts.

"Tough crowd," Craft grumbled once they'd left, sitting down opposite Zero and setting down the tray. "Here. Coffee for you." He placed a cup in front of Zero. "One for me."

"Thanks, Craft…" Zero said, feeling a little bit slighted for having his audience chased away.

"You want an almond croissant?" Craft asked. He pushed a brown paper bag towards Zero.

"I don't have a choice, do I?" he asked. "Well, thanks."

"Seemed like something you'd like," Craft said, taking a sip of his coffee. Zero took a bite out of it and co*cked a brow at him.

"Should I be offended?" Zero asked.

"Heh. Well, nice day out here, ain't it?" Craft said, swaying the conversation before Zero could get any snippier with him. "What were you talking about?"

"Nothing, nothing really," Zero replied. He looked aside, casting his gaze towards the misty city. "Just talking about their life in Neo Arcadia. That young soldier had a family…"

"I see. Whereabouts they from?"

"South-West Sector C," Zero recalled. Craft nodded, taking a grilled sandwich from another paper bag.

"Rough sector," he said between bites. "Used to know the MP for that sector, back when the sectors had them. Well loved guy. He didn't want to relinquish power to the Neo Arcadian government when X did away with electoral divisions. The sector didn't want him gone either."

He paused stiffly to take a drink from his coffee.

"Anyway, they shot him in front of his office and things were never the same in those parts."

"Jesus."

"Yeah." Craft shrugged. "Used to be a proud sector. Now it's teeming with crime and pollution."

"...Can you take me there?"

That caught Craft off guard. "Huh?"

"I can't stay trapped in here forever, stupid and ignorant, Craft," Zero said, "I need to see it for myself. Neo Arcadia's underbelly. How can I hope to change anything if I haven't even met with the people who struggle the most?"

"...It's a dangerous place," Craft warned. "Lot's of gang violence. Seedy people. Crumbling infrastructure. But the military presence is even worse. Soldiers and cops are all over the place, shooting civilians dead on the streets. If we're seen there…"

"I know, I can kiss my freedom goodbye.So, we won't get caught. Won't we?"

Craft blinked. "The only way in without a vehicle is by the regional train line. It'll be hard to blend in. I doubt you'd want to go by foot, either."

"No big deal. We'll just have to dress like civilians."

"...Mmh."

Craft just took another bite of his sandwich.

"I do have a bike down there."

Zero's head co*cked up. "Really?"

"Don't know if it still works. Or if it's still where I left it…" Craft said. "It'll be a miracle if it hasn't been stolen. Then we won't have to rely on PT."

"Here's to hoping for a miracle, then," Zero supposed. "Then it's settled. We'll go tomorrow morning."

There wasn't any arguing with Zero. Besides, Craft did agree with Zero's sentiment. The legendary reploid deserved to see the city as it was, as ugly and decrepit as it was. It reinforced Craft's trust in him- any other cushy, privileged Neo Arcadian would turn their nose up at going outside the city centre, much less go there voluntarily, but not Zero.

They ate in silence for a while, letting the soft sounds of the garden fill the void left by their speech. The songs of birds overlay the distant cacophony of voices and vehicles down below as the early morning traffic rose to a peak.

[Craft?]Zero asked over their cloud connection. Craft exhaled the tension in his core.

[Yeah?]

[...Will you take me away from this place, some day?]

Craft slowly set down his food.

[...If it's what you really want. It'll be hard to come back.]

Zero looked solemnly down at his hands, wringing his fingers.[Would… the Resistance take me, after everything that's happened?]

It was a tough question that Craft asked himself whenever he saw Zero wallowing in X's arms. Perhaps, he could bring Zero to the Resistance and allow him to find asylum there. Craft set the thought aside for now- he couldn't put the Resistance's safety in jeopardy until he could for sure trust Zero. He could easily lead X to them.

[Zero, I… I respect you. I really do. But I don't know if I can trust you with them yet.]

When he said that, Zero took Craft's hand.[Then I'll give you a reason to trust me.]

Craft's brow rose.[And how will you do that for me?]

Zero smiled and laughed, dropping his head and breaking eye contact briefly before looking up again.[You'll see.]

As assurance, Zero lifted Craft's hand in his own and playfully tightened his grip. It still was hard for Craft to compute that the delicate touch he was feeling wasZero's.

The doors slid open from the citadel halls, making Zero hastily pull away. The face that greeted him made Zero's heart sink.

"Ah, Zero…"

X approached with a warm, loving smile. His red cape fluttered in the wind, casting him in a regal, yet sinister light. Zero took in a deep breath to steal himself for what was to come.

"Good morning, dear," X crooned, taking a seat next to Zero. "Enjoying the gardens, hey?"

Zero forced a smile as X took his hand, pressing his fingers to his lips and planting a soft, chivalrous kiss on his knuckles. Craft felt compelled to look away, feeling the prickle of disgust crawl up his skin whenever he as much assawthe tyrant.

"Yeah… it's peaceful here," Zero replied, fighting back his unease as he spoke. "You've done a nice job here."

He was lying through his teeth- the gardens were maintained by people like Robin and Cecil, and X could barely run Neo Arcadia as a sole ruler if what Wade and Craft said about the outer sectors was anything to go by.

"Ah, you flatter me…" X said, scooting closer against Zero's side until they were flush. "I'm sorry, Zero. We haven't had much time together lately, haven't we?"

"Ah, it's alright. I know you're busy, bud," Zero said. X shook his head, snuggling up into his partner's side and smothering him in affection. "You got a city to rule."

"But I should always set aside time for you, Zero," X whispered, his breath tickling Zero's audial. "I don't want you feeling lonely."

"Heh, I'm okay, I swear," Zero said, bashfully pushing X away. "Your kids have been keeping me company just fine.

"Oh, but it just isn't the same…"

X leaned in to press a kiss on Zero's cheek. Craft grimaced. His stomach turned with a bitter, cloying sickness. Was it jealousy? It couldn't be. There was nothing to be jealous about their relationship- What X and Zero had was nothing to be envious of. Maybe it was just a protective instinct. What that meant for him, he didn't want to think too hard about. Regardless, knowing how Zero felt about X now? He wanted nothing more than to take Zero far, far away from this place.

"I can fend for myself…" Zero said. X snickered sweetly under his breath, gripping his chin and making Zero to look into his deep, crimson gaze.

"But can I manage withoutyou?"

Inwardly, Zero knew he was joking, but the answer seemed obvious. X rest his head Zero's gem and ran his fingers through his silken, golden locks. When he leaned in to kiss him on the tip of the nose, Zero laughed and backed up.

"X. C-Craft is right there."

X glared at Craft with a narrowed, critical gaze. "Right. I forgot you were there."

Craft remained silent, looking bemused. X huffed, tugging Zero closer.

"Why don't you join meelsewhere, hm?" X asked, a hint of venom underlying his tone. "To have some time together, just us, for once…"

Craft furrowed his brow.[Do you want me to bail you out?]

[Don't. Don't worry.]Zero replied.[I'll be okay. Just don't make him angry.]

Zero gave him one last parting smile before X took his hand and helped him to his feet without another word, and they left him alone in the garden, X dragging him away begrugingly. Zero had left behind his drink, the heat of the coffee drifting in the breeze in a smokey wisp.

[I'll see you outside my room. Okay?]

He felt dejected alone now, just watching the condensation of the coffee heat roll away in the wind.

Every fibre of his being was clamouring at him to tear at X like a wild animal, but he knew he couldn't. He'd be dead in seconds.

Then who would Zero have?

Shadow sat in a decrepit cell, a skinny, haunted machine in decline, with a consciousness of a ghost.

He wasn't sure when was the last time he had seen the light of day. When he came back to his senses, his internal chronometer said another 23 years had passed. Very slowly, he felt his soul withering away every time he woke, only to find himself in the same cage as before.

Neo Arcadia had been sapping him of his Supra-Force Metal for over a century now for research purposes. It was minimal, gradual, but it made him feel like a hollow husk every time he opened his eyes.

He had been awake for three days straight, waiting restlessly in thick restraints for someone to save him. Deep inside, he knew that he should give up hope. He wasn't sure if people even remembered his existence, a mere footnote of the endless maverick war.

Still, he persevered, holding on to hope he was certain was misplaced. It wasn't his time yet, he would just need to wait…

His eyes fluttered shut as his systems wound down with a hum, his surroundings fading into the black.

And somewhere, on the frontier of the world he knew, he could hear him calling for him. Epsilon…

[Shadow…]

He could almost see the glow of his red eyes in the darkness, alongside his fellow Rebellion cadres.

Too weak to speak, Shadow called back over the network as he faded away.

[Epsilon…]

[It's not your time to join us yet.] Epsilon continued, though his voice slowly dwindled away in Shadow's head. [You must help them, Shadow… for will be lost without our gift.]

Shadow's systems completely shut down again, where he would wait in darkness, hidden in a cell, unsure of if he'd ever be found.

Chapter 11: Chapter Ten

Chapter Text

"Zeeero!"

"Laika! Hold on, I'm coming!"

The sun was red on the horizon as the final embers of the battle burned over the plains, raized and flattened by Weil's forces.

Bodies littered the ground Zero sprinted across, the war bot forced to step over the desecrated corpses of both friends and enemies towards the last Golem standing, its horrible frame casting a long shadow over the ruined savannah.

His blade burned white hot, the sabre leaving a blinding trail of light as he rushed forward, closing the distance between him and the Golem as he weaved between a sweeping laser beam from the mechaniloid. Laika was imprisoned in the bruising hand of the mechanical beast, the canine reploid howling in pain as she was crushed under the increasing pressure, her insides crumpling with a bloodcurdling crunch. She could barely writhe in its massive hand, crimson, nearly black fluids leaking and dribbling from its locked fingers.

"Laika!"

Zero leaped into the air, sword flying back before he swung forward, slicing clean through the Golem's forearm and sending its hand hurtling to the ground. Laika gasped as its fingers went limp and uncurled around her body. Zero landed with a roll, pivoting around on the tip of his boot and kicking off the ground, clambering up the wall of the Golem's back as it hobbled and stumbled forward, imbalanced and disorientated. He grabbed the Golem's head and pulled it back with a furious snarl, burying his sabre in between the Golem's eyes and piercing its processor core.

It powered down with a heavy, droning hum, its chassis falling to the ground in a heap and sending a dust cloud flurrying into the air. Zero unsheathed his blade from its skull and leaped off before it could hit the ground and rushed over to Laika's aid, kneeling down before the gravely wounded canine.

"Laika, stay with me," Zero pleaded, raising her head off the floor. Blood pooled from her nose and mouth, her breath shallow and rapid from her collapsed lungs. Her once powerful body had no form, not anymore, it was just a mangled mess of metal and soft, artificial flesh that pulsed and spluttered blood. From above, a small, glowing gold orb of light appeared, increasing in size as it [moved through the air, before it was replaced by the form of a blue nurse Cyber Elf in a flash of light.

"Please, Mira. Is there anything you can do?" Zero asked. The Elf, Mira, shook their head solemnly.

[I'm sorry…] they said, [but I can't save her. If I tried to heal her now it would only prolong her suffering.]

"No… Laika."

Zero keeled over, finding the remainder of Laika's hand and holding it tight, pressing it against his helm. Laika groaned, her voice stuttering from her crushed vocaliser, and mustered the energy to turn towards her commander.

[It's okay, Zero…] Laika spoke through their cloud connection. She weakly squeezed Zero's hand. [I'm not going to make it.]

"Laika…"

[Please, don't weep for me. I wouldn't have wanted to go any other way than alongside you.] Laika continued. [It was an honour fighting for you, Zero.]

Zero could feel his throat getting tight, his hands trembling as they held Laika. The truth was setting in now- she was beyond saving. All Zero could do was be there for her.

"You did good, Laika," Zero assured her. "You saved many lives today."

[Good… then it will all have been worth it.] Laika reached outward to caress Zero's cheek with her paw, leaving a trail of her blood drawn across his face.

[Thank you for everything, Zero…] she said. Her connection to Zero's conscience was growing weaker and weaker, and with it went her voice.

[Goodbye…]

"Laika!"

With one last guttural breath, her body went limp, her hand falling to the ground and gaze growing glassy and faraway. Zero scrambled forward, grabbing the sides of her face to see if she'd react, but there was nothing. Her stare was vacant, her lungs falling still and silent and her muscles had no tone. She was as lifeless as a doll.

"Laika…" Zero whispered, letting her go and leaning back, eyes fluttering back and forth in disbelief.

That was it, then. His entire unit had been wiped out in a single, month-long battle, leaving only himself standing. For as far as he could see, there was only death filling his vision, hands reaching out from the piles of bodies as terrible outcroppings like they were still begging for mercy.

Zero stood up on unsteady feet, his beam blade flickering off as he placed it inside its sheath. Mira delicately floated into Zero's arms, where Zero cradled them gently.

[I'm sorry, Creator,] Mira said, big, beady eyes glistening with guilt. [I wish I could've helped her.]

"It's not your fault. You did the right thing," he said, cupping the Elf's head in his hands. "Trying to keep her alive like this would've been torture."

The plains were eerily silent now, with only the soft crackle of kindling cinders filling the air. The billowing smoke covered the blood red sun, casting the quiet battlefield in a scarlet darkness. Zero stared at the remains of his canine soldier, a keen warrior and a close friend, feeling like he was a hollow shell.

"Mira. Please, go home to your world," Zero commanded, gently tossing them into the air. "I've already asked too much of you."

[But–]

"Go! Go, Mira," Zero insisted. "The battle is over now."

Mira frowned, before acquiescing, bowing their head. [Alright… farewell, dear Creator. Please, call on me if you ever need my help.]

They transformed back into their orb form and flew away, its spherical cross-section shrinking until they disappeared from the three-dimensional plane Zero was accustomed to.

Alone now, Zero turned around, taking in the magnitude of the damage. The battlefield had once been lush grassland, but now all had been burned down in the conflict, ash and dust falling from the sky like snow. There wasn't a single other living thing in his vicinity for miles. There was no one to rally with a victory speech, and no enemy to chase off into the hills. Just piles of corpses, where many of his friends lie, too torn up and mangled for Zero to even identify.

It was just Zero. He fell to his knees, head thrown back to the dark, vermillion sky.

He didn't know how much longer he could take it. The endless pain and conflict.

Zero wondered if any of this would've happened if he was just dead.

This was a place Craft would've never imagined himself. Not in a billion years.

But here he was, in a Central Neo Arcadian fashion and clothing boutique, sitting hunched over on a tiny ottoman outside a changing room. He didn't really think too hard about it when Zero said they'd dress like civilians when they ventured into the outer-sectors, but he supposed before they could do that, they'd need actual civilian clothes.

They piped in a cloyingly sweet floral fragrance, something mimicking lilies. It was bold and a little pungent, and it stuck to the back of Craft's throat. He couldn't help but be reminded of the way they masked the stench of garbage recycling plants with that scent. There was a hint of astringency in the air from antiseptics. They played inoffensive pop tracks over the loudspeaker and government sponsored advertisem*nts for fashion events, sandwiched in between calls to enlist.

Craft felt painfully out of place here. These kinds of places were forhumans. Small, fleshy, fragile humans, giggling amongst each other and gawking at the glitzy collection of skirts and dresses on display. There were a few reploids here and there, but they were mostly shopworkers. Even in Central Neo Arcadia, it was expected that reploids would work for humans.

He got a lot of stares, but it wasn't anything he wasn't used to. He knew that the reploids distrusted him- he was a former Resistance Commander, a dangerous maverick they should never sympathise with lest they get branded maverick by association, but the humans enjoyed the luxury of ignorance. Craft doubted they even knew the embers of a civil war were kindling in their precious city. When asked, Craft explained that he was here with his master and left it at that.

The dressing room curtain slid aside, and Zero poked his head out. He had foregone his helmet and let his golden hair down.

"Psst. Come in."

Just as quickly, Zero disappeared behind the curtains again. Craft got up with a groan, and slipped inside, drawing the curtains closed behind, finding himself in a cramped box with a full body mirror on the wall. Zero's regular vest and helmet were set aside, replaced with a white top that showed off his midriff, an open red jacket that covered his arms and gauntlets, and offwhite trousers that covered his boots. He spun around for added flair, before he added the finishing touch- square rimmed spectacles that Zero did not need.

Craft made a huffy, exasperated laugh. "Cute."

"Ah, shut up," Zero cut back. He held out his arms. "Be honest. Do I look like me?"

"I mean… maybe from a distance you don't."

"Well, that's better than nothing, at least." Zero set aside that thought and turned his attention to Craft. "Come here, I got you a couple things too."

Zero outstretched his arms, and Craft took that as his cue to kneel down a few inches, letting him easily reach around his head and unclasp his helm, freeing his black hair and letting it fall to the sides of his head, where they covered up the green and white pads over his audials. Zero placed his helmet next to his own, and ruffled up his hair a bit.

"Look at you. You already look like a completely different guy," Zero commented. Craft looked at his reflection and made an unsure frown. "I'm kidding. I've got you some clothes. Hopefully they fit you, big guy… these were the biggest size I could find in the reploid section."

With an concerningly adept touch, Zero went about stripping Craft of his upper body armour, undoing his shoulder pauldrons and chest and abdomen armour, revealing his hard, muscular physique, much to his chagrin.

Zero made a mocking low whistle as his eyes tracked his thickly built body up and down. "Impressive."

"You're mighty good at…that, Zero," Craft nervously thought aloud. Zero just chuckled coyly.

"You're an XY model. I've had plenty of practice undressing your type."

Zero winked, and Craft tried not to think about it. He threw Craft a white t-shirt, which he stared at ambivalently, before slipping it over his head and squeezing his arms through the sleeves.

"Bit tight around the shoulders," Craft murmured.

Zero ignored his complaints, finding a large green-camo jacket with a white, fuzzy collar and wrapping it around him. Craft slipped into it and shimmied it over his shoulders.

"Here. Trousers." Zero tossed him some black pants. "I'll leave you to change into them, heh. Let me know when you're covered up."

Zero left him alone, sneaking through the curtains. Craft sighed, making quick work of undoing his codpiece armour to make slipping into pants a little more feasible. He stepped into the trousers and pulled them up to his waist, sucking in his stomach to zip up his fly and do up the button.

Fully clothed now, Craft stood up straight and looked at himself in the mirror. He couldn't remember if he had ever found himself dressed in civvies. It felt a bit wrong, like he was looking at a complete stranger, but when Craft thought about it, that was kind of the point. He peered out from behind the curtain and beckoned Zero in.

"How you feeling, big guy?" Zero asked, standing beside Craft and gazing at their reflections. "Awh, look at us… we almost look normal."

Normal. What an unattainable dream for both warmachines. Of course Craft was married to his duty as protector of those who couldn't fight for themselves- and now, more specifically, protector of one very special reploid, but he couldn't deny that he often fantasised of what it'd be like to just benormal. Just another civilian in a sea of innocent, fragile lives.

"Yeah… normal," Craft said, sighing wistfully at the prospect. Zero playfully nudged him with his side.

"Don't get too used to it, bub," Zero reminded, "sure is nice to think about, though."

Zero twirled to and fro, revelling in the civilian look. Craft couldn't fight back a smile.

"Yeah. Yeah…" Craft said. "Well, a guy can dream."

"Tell me about it. Anyway, we better stop hogging this booth and pay for all this." Zero sloughed off his jacket and hooked it onto a coat hanger. "C'mon,bärchen. We gotta run."

Time for dreaming was over. Craft groaned and absentmindedly reached down to undo his trousers. Maybe Zero still retained a modicum of his combat reflexes, because not a second later he was jolting forward and grabbing Craft's wrists.

"Jesus! Not in front of me!"

It was a little bit past dawn when Craft and Zero arrived at the City Central Train Station. It was the principal station for the Neo Arcadian railway system, serving the entirety of the metropolitan rail network as well as regional lines.

It was unsurprising then that it was bustling with pedestrian traffic even now, a couple hours before rush hour hit its peak. Craft and Zero changed into their newly acquired civilian clothes on the way there, their armour and other important belongings stashed in a duffle bag Craft lugged around. Craft underestimated just how well they would blend into the crowd without their distinct armour to give them away.

The station was fairly clean for how busy it was, as was all of Central Neo Arcadia. It smelled a little bit like a hospital though, and receded white LED lights gave it a sort of sterile lab feel. The station was decorated in white tile and television screens that broadcast the morning news bulletin. Zero watched the headline ticker pass by below the anchor as he travelled down the escalator, staying close to Craft's side.NEW LAGUZ GIANTS DEFEAT ABEL CITY WARRIORS 28-7. SOMALIAN ECOSYSTEM RETURNED TO SEVERAL HUNDRED HECTARES OF OUTSIDE LAND. OUTER SECTOR ALLIANCE TERRORIST ATTACK THWARTED AT SOUTH SECTOR ENERGY GENERATION PLANT: SOUTHERN SECTORS TO EXPECT POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL OUTAGES FOR COMING WEEKS.

"South-West Sector's line should be on platform 13," Craft said. "Follow me. Try not to look the officers in the eye." Zero decided to do as Craft said.Hewas the one who lived his entire life in Neo Arcadia.

The further underground they went, the less humans they passed by. The air was heavily recycled in the lower levels, stale like it had already passed through hundreds of biomechanical lungs, and yet so clean it was nearly caustic. The smell of food stalls permeated the building, the yeasty, earthy aroma of manufactured protein masking the less savoury scents that affronted Zero's senses. The reploids they passed by now were no longer the high-riding Central denizens, armour polished to a blinding shine, but mostly working class; transport hands, tradesmen and municipal workers imported from the outer sectors, surrounded by Neo Arcadia's well-armed and well-hated police force.

Platform 13 was far below the luxurious upper levels of the train station, where no human would ever wander. In fact- they weren't allowed to. As they left the escalator onto the platform, Zero and Craft were accosted by a police officer with an XRF gun pressed against whatever exposed parts of their body he could reach, confirming they were not flesh and bone. The officer silently told them to piss off with a sharp flick of the gun.

The regional train was already waiting at the platform for passengers to board. It looked like an pre-Elf Wars era maglev train that had been repurposed and reupholstered, with Neo Arcadia's proud emblem emblazoning its side. It was obvious that it had been painted over many times to cover up graffiti. A friendly but monotone female voice warned them over the loudspeaker to mind the gap.

"Well? All aboard, princess," Craft said, guiding Zero onto the train with a large hand on the small of his back. "It's going in five minutes."

Zero couldn't complain, he was the one whoaskedCraft to take him. Craft dropped the bag at their feet and they sat at a cramped booth facing each other, waiting nervously for the train to depart.

The carriage was fairly quiet and sparsely populated. A few outer sector denizens sat far apart from one another, all trying their best not to address each other for whatever reason. The train's interior was not elegant, but it was spartan. Regardless, it still smelled strongly of ethanol and phenol, making it clear that the cleaning crew had been desperately trying to hidesomething.The windows were but thin slits looking out, for the only sight to behold for most of the trip was concrete tunnels whisking by at 320 kilometres an hour. Instead, large LED displays lit the cabin up with advertisem*nts, images of a green earth, and a stream of propaganda sprinkled in between.

It felt so jarring to see such dishevelled and impoverished reploids only a couple feet below the lavish riches of Central Neo Arcadia, hidden away like the city's dirty little secret they were. They were all people with lives and passions, with families waiting for them at home like Wade. It was odd, for the hundreds of years Zero was a Maverick Hunter, he never really thought about the lives of the people he was protecting for that long. To him, they were more like casefiles- victims or perpetrators that he forgot about when the issue was resolved or the case was closed. The Hunters so often worked at maximum capacity that whenever he had to contact the family of the deceased or assaulted, he'd have to send a hollow, prefabricated letter of sympathy. Not that Zero ever had a good grasp on HR in the first place.

Now Zero had all the time in the world to contemplate the lives of those he lived amongst. He was as powerless as they were, dressed in their clothes, suffering under the same cruel regime.

Craft laughed, taking notice of Zero's reverie, and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest. "This might be the furthest you've ever been from the citadel," he said. Zero slumped his shoulders, looked down, then looked up again.

"Probably. It's a bit sad."

"Not your fault," Craft said. "Trip's about an hour and a half. You should get comfortable."

It was a bit hard to get comfortable in these chairs. They were just plastic chassis covered by a hard, itchy cushion. Zero tried his best, throwing his head back over the headrest and casting his gaze towards the LED screen.

This is a regional service to… South-West Sector… from Central City Station, stopping at select stations. Check with your local district's transit authority for regional line commuting policies. Please stand clear of the closing doors.

The screens flashed warning iconography as the doors slid shut, and after a moment, the train came to life with a soft droning hum as it began to move forward to its destination. As they left the station, the LED display was overcome by a splash screen of the Neo Arcadian emblem, the words:THIS IS A STATE BROADCAST SANCTIONED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF NEO ARCADIA. PLEASE STAND BYscrolling across a blue screen.

It was followed by a live broadcast of Sage Harpuia standing behind a podium draped in a sombre black cloth with golden bands cutting through the fabric. In the background, banners with the emblems of the specialised arms of the Neo Arcadian military hung from the background. Harpuia stared at the camera with a severe, harsh glare, his face hollow and cadaverous making him look much older than he actually was. Zero wetted his lips with his tongue nervously.

"Good morning citizens. I am Sage Harpuia, General of the Strong Air Battalion. We interrupt this telecast to bring you news that water refinery plant S-NE-22 has been the target of a hostile maverick occupation by suspected Outer Sector Alliance terrorists. We implore you not to panic- our forces are working to cordon the North-East sector and quash the maverick activity. However, we expect delays and reduction in water production for the Northern sectors. We advise Northern sector residents to preserve mains water and make use of water recycling units. If you do not have access, public units will be available at local community centres. Water restrictions will be put in place until further notice. We will update you when terrorist threat is terminated. For now, all residents in the indicated regions are suggested to stay inside and report any suspicious activity to the NAPD. Thank you for your cooperation."

Harpuia bowed stiffly to the camera, and the broadcast cut out, replaced by a stand by card, followed by an ad for a trashy chain restaurant. Zero turned to Craft with his brows rising towards his fringe. "That's not good."

"It isn't," Craft replied nonchalantly, his nonplussed straight-lipped expression unwavering. "But it's life in Neo Arcadia."

"A maverick attack on municipal services would send Abel City into a paranoid frenzy for weeks."

"I mean, sure. Some unhappy outer sector reploid workers are frustrated with how they're treated. They occupy a municipal service and when the cops move in, they shoot back in self defence. Then the government spins it as a maverick massacre on the honourable police department, so they send in the military. All of a sudden, the poor workers have no chance against those jarheads. Most outer sector marines have empathy trained out of them. Or they just don't have any halo-brain at all and they follow orders for the rest of their lives. Eitherway, Neo Arcadia has enough artillery to blow a second Lake Victoria into Tanzania, and when it's on the news next morning, it's another maverick attack thwarted, good job Neo Arcadia and its inflated military budget," Craft explained. "And then the Resistance or Rebellion or OSA or whoever gets pissed and they assassinate a military officer and then Neo Arcadia responds by sending an SRBM through the apartment block they run their operations out of. No peace, no war."

Zero's frowned. He opened his mouth to respond, but found he didn't really have much to say. "Sounds like we're on the road to mutually assured destruction."

"It's a bit one sided. The Rebellion, Resistance, they have, what, a couple assault rifles they don't have enough ammo to fill? Neo Arcadia could reduce an entire sector into a fine mist if they felt like it," Craft corrected. "Anyway, hush now. Cameras."

"Right…"

"Right."

Zero shuffled uncomfortably in his seat. "Was always bad at politics. Was out of my jurisdiction."

"Yeah."

The train was well on its way now, leaving Neo Arcadia's grand centre and all its comforts in its wake. There was the smell of ozone in the air. There must have been a breach in the superconductor cooling system, because the carriage quickly grew freezing. Zero wrapped his arms around himself and shuddered.

"Ugh. It's really cold."

Craft looked at the empty seat next to him, the vacancy was the perfect size for Zero to slot in right next to him and enjoy the gentle, radiating heat of his internals. In his head, he could practically hear Neige laughing at him.Yeah, like you have a chance with him.

Craft gulped and wiped his mouth. His throat suddenly felt acutely dry.That's harsh.

Instead of continuing his internal dialogue with his imaginary Neige, he decided to focus on the droning hum of the train rushing along the track towards their downtrodden destination.

Dynamo hated this part the most.

He came home to his apartment in his unassuming equine form with a rather stout humanoid reploid in his wake. His guest was pale skinned with short limbs and eyes that were eternally squinting from the way his swollen cheeks intruded on his eyelids.

The reploids he called roommates were sitting on and around the couch, their eyes glued to the television screen as it aired a semi-professional basketball game. The tallest, a lanky man Dynamo knew as the apartment's sole electrical engineer, was the only one who bothered to turn and notice his entrance. His overalls were covered in grease and dust they couldn't wash off, thanks to the recent harsher water restrictions.

"Hey. Got work, so don't come barging in, okay?" Dynamo said, his voice high and flamboyant to the point it sounded like he was whining everything he said. The only reploid who noticed him enter co*cked his head.

"So early? Good to see you're up and at 'em," the filthy reploid said, sarcasm lacing his voice. "Who's the inner city rich pig you've dragged down-sector now?"

"Shut up," Dynamo groaned, leading his client away from the living room and towards the sleeping quarters. "At least I make enough f*ckin' money to pay for cable."

"Just don't do it onmybed."

Dynamo shut the door as soon as his guest entered the serene silence of the sleeping quarters. His guest sighed in relief, and before Dynamo even had to ask, he was already helping him pull away the lockers to open up the trap door leading to thead hocRebellion war room.

[You really holed up with the worst reploids you could've possibly found, Dynamo,]the thickly built reploid complained over their connection. After pulling the lockers back against the wall and shutting the trap door, Dynamo shrugged with his arms.

[Well, they keep their mouth shut. They could've reported me for being an 'illegal sexbot' years ago.]Dynamo transformed back into his original form, the infamous tall and lean humanoid, and put his hand on a co*cked hip, radiating sass.[But here I am. Still whoring myself out to rich idiots from Central as far as they're concerned.]

The stout reploid followed suit in typical newtype fashion, changing forms in a flash of light to his native form- a much taller reploid, dressed in formal black attire with striking blue hair and a hat shading his red, handsome eyes.[That's my least favourite part.]

[You think I like it that much either?]Dynamo shot back.

[I think you like the attention,]the gambler reploid said. Dynamo's nose wrinkled in irritation, but the impending fight was quickly curbed by the appearance of the heavily armoured violet war machine that headed the Rebellion.

"Spider," Vile welcomed the formal reploid. "What brings the OSA here?"

Most knew Spider as the face Colonel Redips took on while deceiving X nearly a century ago over the Supra Force Metal incident, just shortly before the Elf Project first kicked off. What most were unaware of was that Spider was a person himself, not just a pretty disguise. Of course, they were connected from the very start as fraternal twins who chose very different career paths, but his brother did him no favours when it came to finding his own identity. The manufacturer who developed the twins weren't very creative with names either.

Now, however, Spider had found himself as the darling of the Outer Sector Alliance ever since he avenged a slaughtered freight transport crew from a riot squad after they attempted to take industrial action. The footage was on the infonet for a while before Neo Arcadia made an effort to stamp it out, but the incident was still discussed amongst the OSA, and his infamy even worked its way into parts of the Rebellion and Resistance. People didn't even mention Redips anymore, but Spider had to wonder if that was just because his brother had become another afterthought in the long maverick wars.

Spider cleared his throat, emboldened to speak aloud when Vile did so himself. "I'm here because I need you to pick up the damn pace."

Vile's emotions were impossible to discern behind the mask, but Spider knew he wasn't too happy with that.

"You think these things happen overnight? I've been busting my ass for the past five years, Spider."

"I wasn't saying they do," Spider said, "but the OSA is pissed, and at this point, I ain't sure I can wrangle them back anymore."

"I'm still working on following up an old lead," Vile argued back, "this could turn the tides in our favour."

"And I'm sure it will. But that's not gonna stop the guys in N-E from planning a riot in their sector, and they're gonna get mowed down without much support from the Rebellion. And I really don't want my guys killing themselves." Spider rubbed the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "Here."

Spider procured a datapad from seemingly out of nowhere like he was performing a magic card trick, and handed it to Vile. The purple warbot took it precariously, and was faced with a grizzly scene.

The MeReAD portraits of the workers at the OSA occupied North-East water refinery had been plastered all over the news and branded as either mavericks or working class heroes, depending on if you watched government propaganda or pirate terrorist tracks. Either way, Vile had slowly learned to recognise their faces, which made seeing their mangled bodies strewn all over the refinery floor that much more enraging. They weren't offered clean, quick deaths either, X's army would rip foes apart until they didn't even resemble themselves in death. Even Sigma showed more self-restraint.

It wasn't like Vile had ever been a stranger to death. It was something he just accepted would happen, whether he was a Maverick Hunter or the maverick at large. There were times where he'd kill more people in one month than the average Hunter would in their entire career. To Sigma, that made him a powerful warrior and asset who never hesitated to pull the trigger. To anyone sane, it made him a psychopath with no soul and no regard for the sanctity of life. Vile wouldn't disagree with either assessment. But ever since Neo Arcadia began to crumble into tyranny, Vile's stance slowly shifted. Maybe in his old age, he'd grown soft, or his hatred for X extended so far that he'd grown a conscience, but seeing so many reploids that shared his righteous goal of standing up to X's dictatorship slaughtered like cattle made his blood boil. He settled himself with a hard exhale through his vents and gave the image back to Spider.

"The police didn't even move in. Not a single cop got as much as a papercut." Spider's voice brimmed with barely contained anger. "They didn't bother. They sent in the military as soon as they caught wind of the occupation. Every worker was dead in seconds. Now the OSA in N-E is having talks about rioting and war against Neo Arcadia."

"Yeah, I can see why." Dynamo sat himself on a workbench, peering over Spider's shoulder to see the gruesome sight for himself. "Won't be much of a war."

"Exactly. So we need more firepower and more importantly, we need to work harder to turn public opinion against Neo Arcadia. How 'bout working on hijacking them national broadcasts, huh?" Spider said. He and Dynamo both spoke with a western drawl that got on Vile's nerves, even though the US and the last genuine cowboys had long since been nuked into a crater. "Just about everyone in the outer sector is a sympathiser for our causes. If we can just rally them into action, we have an army."

"Hijacking national broadcasts isn't easy. We'd have to break into a building in Central," Vile said. "We don't exactly have the means to do that right now. Our insiders are all caught up in other sh*t."

"But you have the means to break into a Supermax prison to chase up arumour?" Spider leaned in, provoking him. "If we sit back on our asses for much longer, our cause will eat itself alive, and X wins. We need toorganiseand we need to do itstat."

Vile didn't reply immediately. He sat back in his chair and sighed, resting the side of his helmet on his hand. "Spider. I agree with you. Really. But with how things are right now, our best course of action right now is to get people out of Neo Arcadia and to Tabula Rasa," Vile said. "I need to cooperate with Ciel. She's smart. She knows her next gen weaponry." He paused to boot up his terminal. "There's things she's told me about Neo Arcadia's arsenal that gives me reason to be wary. If we strike before we're ready, we're as good as dead."

Spider co*cked a brow. "Since when didtheVile refuse a bit of chaos?"

"I was never the one initiating it. I just revelled in it," Vile corrected. "I can sense things are growing tense in Central, even though X can pretend everything's so perfect and wonderful. Rumour has it that Zero's unhappy being X's little pet."

Spider frowned. "If you thinkZerowould ever side with us…"

"Stranger things have happened. He doesn't even have to join our cause," Vile said, opening up his file explorer and scrolling to the Ragnarok schematics Ciel gifted him. "But if Zero and X's relationship breaks down, X will lose it. Then he'll be vulnerable. And when that happens, when the kettle boils over… that's when we strike."

"You don't know if that'll happen. For all we know, Zero's an accomplice to X's tyranny. He's done nothing to stop him."

Vile shook his head. "I know it will. I know Zero. He's a wildcard. Can't be tamed. Won't be broken.Ever," he said, "that was Sigma's first mistake. Hopefully it'll be X's last."

The files on Ragnarok opened on Vile's terminal, and he beckoned Spider over to look.

"Now, don't tell your OSA guys about this yet, because I don't want them freaking out anymore than they already are," Vile asked, letting Spider drink in the sight of the weapon of mass destruction as he leaned back in his chair.

"...Ragnarok?" Spider's eyes were wide, gaze roving over the cascade of data before him.

"See,thisis what we're up against, Spider."

Here, so far from the little slice of Neo Arcadia Zero had grown to know, the gleaming citadel had disappeared behind bleak grey towers and a concrete wall at the border of the inner city sectors and the outer sectors. The paragon of the city's power and its incomprehensible heaven piercing height had been obscured by smog and pollution.

The train crawled to a stop at their destination, and passengers filtered out into the drab train station of South-West Sector C. Craft and Zero followed the crowd, ensuring they stayed as inconspicuous as possible in numbers.

[Stay close to me,]Craft warned as they disembarked from the train, setting a large hand around Zero's shoulder just to make sure.[Try not to speak to anyone.]

[Got it.]

Craft gave a firm nod and led him towards the exit. Unlike the beautiful inner city, everything in the train station looked as though it had been designed purely with function in mind. Everything seemed to be unpainted concrete, stone or cheap fibreglass. The only colour to be seen in the station were the LED screens that displayed tram and train timetables amongst short flashes of government propaganda and PSA's, and the flashes of graffiti that had been scrubbed out then reapplied maybe twenty times. Even the colour of the reploids' armour and clothes were caked in a layer of soot and grime that made them seem grey. It was hot, and the air unbearably thick and sticky.

The vibrant colours of Craft and Zero's brand new clothes made them stand out like a christmas tree in a hospice. They got a couple wary looks as they left the platform and clambered up the stairs and to the ground floor. Freight trains were parked all around the station, coming and going, pantheons keeping watch with rifles held snug against their chests as workers loaded the train with cartons. Craft guided Zero's head down and hurried him along.

[Don't look,]Craft commanded.[If anyone asks, we're workers at the protein engineering plant who've come back from a seminar in Central.]

Zero nodded, and hurried out the station with the rest of the crowd. At the gates were pantheons on the lookout for anything suspicious, their single red eye boring into Zero as he walked by.

[What are those things?]Zero asked after they were well out of the pantheon's line of sight.

[Pantheons,]Craft replied,[vacuous reploids. Corpses, repurposed as soldiers. Halo brain is vacated and replaced with an advanced military processing core. Not quite mechaniloids, but not really reploids anymore either. Basically, dead reploids who get to serve this country one last time.]

Zero's stomach churned. They left the station and into the open air, where the first thing that hit Zero's senses was the strong and rotten smell of sulphur in the hot air, the foul smoke rolling over the city streets. The giant concrete buildings were like walls of a labyrinth, imprisoning its inhabitants within with their dizzying size.

[Would've taken a lot less time to get here on my bike, you know,]Craft mused.[Hope Rich's kept it where I left it.]

The streets were lined with vendors hawking all sorts of goods in front of their apartments; E-cans, fresh food resembling cuisines from long lost countries all over the world, manufactured out of yeast, grilled over charcoal until a light mist of smoke permeated the tunnels, dirty magazines, clothes stripped off dead friends, all vying for the attention of passerbyers. Neon signs blazing through the smog pointed them in all sorts of directions, advertising everything from auto part stores to casinos.

[You'd ever take me out for a ride big guy?]Zero asked with a mischievous grin, nudging him with his elbow.[You know, if there's room for two.]

Craft laughed, looking at his feet and looking up again.

[You'll fit,]Craft answered.[Just gotta hold on tight.]

There were reploids lounging around at the side of the road, watching Craft and Zero like hawks when they passed them by. They looked thin and sickly, limbs long and gangly and eyes sunken in. They were young, not any older than 16, but they looked like they had seen centuries of suffering. With nothing else to do and opportunities running dry, they occupied themselves with cheap alcohol, bottled from the runoff from yeast based food refineries. The bitter, sharp smell of booze was inescapable. A far cry from the nearly sterile clean air of Central.

A couple policemen approached, and the gaggle of reploids quickly sobered up and retreated to their flophouse. The officers, more like thugs in riot gear, paid the act no attention. In fact, they found more interest in gawking at a vendor offering explicit videos.

[Sounds fun,]Zero said, looking away from the sorry sight.[Feeling the wind in my hair, going 100 on the highway. Just like the good old days.]

[If it's still there, that is,]Craft added.[People got no qualms about stealing a bike around here. They'd probably have already stripped it for parts if they have.]

[Here's to hoping. Where are we going, anyway?]

There was a fork in the road. One way led to a large and busy shopping mall, a building that looked like a flat concrete box that was decorated by large screens displaying government backed announcements and advertising the number of notable stores within, while the other led further down the street into the depths of the sector. Craft went in the direction of the mall.

[Down,]Craft replied vaguely. Inside were more stores, though they looked a little more official and permanent than the market stalls on the side of the road. There were stores selling tools and parts for tradesmen, grocery stores offering all the basic essentials, even places to buy clothes, though they were much less extravagant than the high-end boutiques that populated Central Neo Arcadia's shopping districts. They weren't to stay for long, and Craft guided Zero to a cramped birdcage elevator, where they rubbed shoulders with the denizens of the sector. The lift rattled before descending underground, passing layers of rock and dim lamps to light the way.

[Be real careful in the lower levels, Zero. Stay close,]Craft advised, grabbing Zero's shoulder and pulling him flush to his side.[Little more seedy down here. Creeps will flock to a pretty face from up-sector.]

[...Ugh.]

The lift stopped a few times on each level with a hard shake, letting passengers on and off before continuing down with another sudden jerk, sending its occupants lurching forward. The extent of the elevator's structural integrity had Zero a little unsure. When they reached level four, they disembarked, and Zero found himself bombarded by a hive of lust and greed. A former mining operation that ran dry, the lower levels felt a bit like an ant hill, surrounded by stone and rock with tunnels steering in all sorts of directions, but all leading to the same places. The thin passages were teeming with foot traffic, making walking through without being forced to nudge people aside impossible.

It was loud. Music was being blasted from every direction, the bass thumping in Zero's chest and reverberating through the ground. The doors to each establishment were wide open, beckoning in new customers with teasing glimpses of what lay inside. They passed bars, casinos, whor*houses and gentlemens' clubs, everything X would have denounced in a heartbeat as the exploitative schemes they were.

Everything was all a little overstimulating. There were bright LED displays all over showing off what was on offer, from booze to gambling to sex, illuminating the tunnels in lieu of street lights. All around him were sleazy looking strangers breaking away from their conversations to get an eyeful of the new face, especially when their clean clothes suggested they were a stranger to those parts. Zero grabbed onto Craft's hand and held him tight, seeking safety in his massive shadow.

[Reminds me of Abel City's red light district…]Zero lamented.[I had my sabre back then, at least.]

[It isn't too far now. I won't let anything happen to you, Zero.]

Zero hoped that much was true. They passed by a more luxurious looking brothel, where Zero was surprised to find police officers unabashedly chatting up some scantily clad female reploids, wearing barely enough to cover up anything in a meaningful way. Tinted visors covered up their leering gaze like sunglasses. Zero grimaced.

[They aren't really cops,]Craft clarified, noticing what Zero was staring at.[They're a private security firm working on a contract from the Neo Arcadian government. Leftovers from the old world. Polaris, I'm pretty sure. Was a US firm before the Elf Wars blew the States off the map. Thing is, they're as caught up in the underground world as every pimp and gangster here. There's no law down here, just police.]

Corruption and policemen- a tale as old as time. It didn't mean Zero liked it, he could remember far too many incidents where the Abel City Police Department got in the way of justice, just because of stupid sh*t like ego or generous bribes from wealthy mob bosses. They moved along, eager to leave the chaos of the lower levels behind them.

Craft stopped in front of an unassuming, dimly lit bar. Its name,RICHIE'S WATERING HOLE, was printed on a thin wedge of recycled fibreglass panelling hanging over its open door, most of the paint having been scratched off over the years. Amidst mass-produced posters promoting miscellaneous liquor brands was a flashing screen advertising an impressive selection of drinks, slot machines and explicit VR entertainment. The screen hummed at a low frequency and flickered in its rundown state.

Zero felt Craft's hand gently tilting his head down as he led him inside. Even with his head fixed to the creaky fibreglass panel floor, stripped from the chassis of a ruined war shuttle, he could feel the eyes of the bar's patrons zone in on him. Reploids, down on their luck, drowned their dreary lives in alcohol and wasted their earnings away on slot machines. The braver among them made attempts at chatting up the waitresses and few sex workers taking a break at the bar, though Zero's entrance effortlessly piqued their interest.

Zero made his thoughts known.[I don't like this place.]

[I don't either. We're just passing through.]

Craft stood at the bar, leaning in and waiting for the bartender to finish his conversation with an officer. With such a huge presence, it wasn't hard for him to ignore him for much longer.

"Woah, big guy, it's been a while!" The bartender greeted Craft warmly with outstretched arms. He was short and thick around the belt with rich tanned skin, and he had a friendly, pockmarked face. His nametag readRICHARDin large letters, and Zero guessed he was the bar's owner and namesake. "What brings you to these parts, Mr. Wolf?"

"Need a favour," Craft said curtly. Richard crossed his arms.

"Always business with you, f*ckin' A'," he dismissed. "Hows about a drink? It's been a while! Say, who's the…"

He pointed a finger in Zero's direction. Zero's brow furrowed, but he let Craft speak for him.

"Friend."

"What, the fling with the redhead lass not go well?"

Craft opened his mouth to reply, but shut himself up before he could let his temper get the better of him. "Justa friend."

"Right. Can I get ya anything, big fella?"

"I need you to let me into the garages out back," Craft replied. Richard scoffed.

"Came all the way down here and don't even want a drink? Come on, I got the best sh*t down-sector ontap," He whined, leaning back in disbelief. He turned his attention to Zero and smirked, sending discomfort crawling under his skin. "What about the blonde? Can I interestyouin anything to drink, little fox? First one's on the house, just for you, darling."

Zero's frown deepened. "Spare me the chit chat."

"Ah…you alwaysdidlike the feisty ones, didn't you, Mr. Wolf?"

Craft shuddered, now feeling sufficiently uncomfortable. He set the statement aside and decided to do some soul searching later. "Rich. Stop wasting my time."

"Ah, fine, fine… wait here, I'll find my keys…"

The difficult bartender left, defeated, into the staff room, hopefully to find his keys. Zero groaned and rested himself on the bar counter. Everything from initials to strongly worded anti-government sentiments to hookers' phone numbers had been carved into the countertop.

Craft watched Zero drawing circles into the counter with his finger and sighed, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry about that."

"It's alright."

It really wasn't. Zero had been objectified enough back home by the man he supposedly loved, and now he was here, getting leered at by lecherous strangers who would've had no issue with going up to Zero and asking how much a night would go for had it not been for Craft's intimidation factor.

Soon enough, the chatty bartender emerged with about 20 keys hanging heavy from a keyring and beckoned Craft and Zero over with a wave. He fiddled with his keys until he found the right one, going on to open up a back door.

"Come right on through," he said, holding the door open for the two warbots. Zero gave him a steely-eyed glare as he passed him by, but it didn't put a dent in his spirits. "Lemme know when y'all return. I'll be right here."

He closed the door, sending a hollow echo ringing through the halls. The back tunnels of the fourth floor were cold, fans whirring above to vent off toxic fumes. Roller doors lined the tunnels, leading to warehouses, storage units and garages. The main tunnels diverged into dark alleyways like winding, thin capillaries. Between the roller doors were windows to the underground rooms of residential apartments, more like holes in the wall, illuminating the tunnels with golden, flickering light from the living spaces within.

When Zero peered in, he found reploids crammed into a tiny room, living like sardines in filthy, derelict conditions, cracks running up and down the walls and puddles forming from where dirty water dribbled from the ceiling in a small stream.

[How can you trust that guy?]Zero decided to fill the silence in their heads. Craft shrugged one shoulder.

[I don't,]he answered,[but he trusts me, so that's gotta mean something. Saved his bar from a couple thugs years ago, so he still feels like he owes me.]

Speaking of- there were a few reploids loitering around the back tunnels. They gathered in the shadows of the alleys, watching people pass through on the main path. Young reploid men huddled behind the corners, some indulging in drinks, while others opted for harder stimulants. Some scrambled away deeper into the alleys when Craft and Zero passed by, some remained as still as a statue and watched their every movement with eerie glowing eyes, like nocturnal animals in the dark.

Zero tried to mind his own business, but it was difficult when his potent combat systems, though dulled in comparison to his old self, kept reminding him that he was being glared at by many eyes, glares he knew were hostile with how the deplorable living conditions down here would rip away at someone's soul.

[Does X know about this place?]Zero had to ask, recalling how X boasted of his beautiful paradise. Craft chuckled lowly, tickled at his naivete.

['Course he does. Think he cares?]Craft replied.[Ain't his problem. He'd probably round up everyone in this place and shoot them, if they weren't the ones working all the industry jobs. As long as he keeps the humans happy, everything's just fine in his eyes. They're the important ones. The weak, feeble humans, who know they can't fight back, so they just don't. Can't have reploids thinking they can be anything more than cogs in his machine. You know, give the dog some leash, but don't let it off its chain, or it might bite its master.]

It made sense, at least, if you lacked compassion for an entire population. Zero knew that, at least in part, X's cruelty was born out of his own grief manifesting into inhumane ruthlessness. It didn't excuse any of it, but it at least gave Zero a starting point in understanding why X was this way.

Before Zero could get too caught up in those thoughts, he was given something real to worry about. Craft grabbed Zero by the waist and pulled him aside into a small corridor hiding behind a corner. He covered Zero's mouth before he could make out a shocked yelp. Instinctively, Zero began to writhe and make muffled indignant whines.

[What's your problem–!?]

[Pantheons.]

That pacified Zero immediately. They peeked out from behind the alley, watching a scene between two young reploids and the pantheon soldiers unfold in a nearby tunnel.

"Piece of sh*t clankers! Get the f*ck away from me!"

The two reploids were frantically backing up from the pantheon patrol, desperately looking for anything around them they could use to fend off the faceless soldiers, throwing rocks and metal debris at their pursuers to little effect. The pantheon in front wielded an arm cannon, a bit like X's, while the ones lagging behind were equipped with electric batons that crackled with the threat of electrocution. The lead pantheon held its cannon firmly in its other hand, both at ease and ready to fire at any given moment.

The pantheon's voice sounded chillingly robotic, completely unlike the cadence of any normal reploid. "Again. Neo Arcadian intelligence has found you have violated the 2323 Weapon Control Act in your dealings with the terrorist Rebellion group. Stand down and come peacefully."

"Yeahright, so I can be sent to die in one of your f*cking death camps!?"

The young reploids were growing increasingly panicked as the pantheons closed in on them, their options in fighting back or fleeing running dry.

"You will be terminated here if you refuse to cooperate. Should you escape, you have already been branded a maverick, and will be hunted by the authorities until you are brought to justice," the pantheon continued, not a shred of humanity left in its single-eyed stare and robotic, monotone voice. Its movements were staggered and stiff, like they had been determined years ago by programmers' design.

The two reploids were eventually backed into a corner. With no way out, the pantheons circled them like a firing squad. And in a last desperate hail mary, one of the young reploids reached for a holster obscured by a thick insulating poncho and drew a plasma pistol, firing it at whoever he could aim at first. He managed to catch one of the baton wielding soldiers in the arm, but it was far from a fatal blow, and ultimately a meaningless attempt.

"Shots fired. Engage," the lead pantheon ordered. Before the mavericks could get another shot in, they had been fired upon, the leader unloading two shots clean through their unarmoured chests. They weren't expecting it at all, but their shock would only last mere milliseconds. Their blood and metal insides splattered from the exit wound, and they fell to the ground with a dull thud. The civilian models were dead in an instant, unprepared and unequipped for a point-blank shot to their heart units. When the dust settled, a single pantheon stepped over their bodies like they were piles of trash and kneeled down to check for vitals.

"No signs of life," it said after a short assessment. The leader held his arm to his mouth and spoke into a terminal on his wrist.

"Case 1938-SW. Suspects fired upon officers. Suspects were killed on scene. They will be taken to this sector's recycling facility for processing. This case is now closed." It closed the terminal, turned to its partners and waved them over to the bodies. "Take the bodies. We will reconvene at the station assembly point."

The lesser pantheons wordlessly obeyed with a firm nod and rushed over to hoist the corpses over their backs, marching away with predetermined purpose. Craft could feel Zero's breath hasten against his hand when the pantheons eventually passed them on the way out.

For a while, they stood still and dead silent, waiting for the storm to pass. When the unnervingly cold pantheon heat signatures eventually left Craft's detectable range, he let Zero go, letting him rush away and breathe a sigh of relief, slouching over like his stomach was turning.

[You alright, Zero?]

Craft placed a tentative hand on Zero's shoulder, making the on guard warbot flinch away. Craft pulled back nervously.

[Yeah… why?]Zero tried to shake it off, leaving the alley and moving onwards through the tunnel. Craft hurried over to walk alongside him lest he lose himself in the confusing maze.

[Well, you just watched those poor kids get shot, is all,]Craft said. There was a sheen of sweat over Zero's head, and Craft could sense his heart rate hike.[You wanna sit down for a bit?]

[I'm fine,]Zero insisted, though it came a little too strained for it to be believable.[Let's just… get the bike and get out of here. X might already be looking for me at this point.]

Craft gave Zero an uncertain look, before deciding Zero was right. The less they hung around here, the better- even for outer sector standards, this place wasn't welcoming in the slightest. Zero quickened his pace, fueled by nerves and urgency, his tightened features fraught with caged emotion.

They walked in silence for another few minutes, Zero keeping his head fixed forward in a bid to ignore the stares, the miserable flophouses all around him, the bodies of reploids too young to be suffering like this strewn all over the floor, passed out surrounded by empty bottles or half-dead from an overdose. Craft knew that they'd be better off talking instead of wallowing in worry, but words were lost on him.

Craft stopped at a familiar corner, marked by an electrical box with a faded yellow warning sticker. It led to a small tunnel that led to a dead end, a dumpster, and a garage roller door.[Here we are.]

Zero kicked aside an empty bottle as Craft approached the roller door, slipping his hands underneath it and cracking it open, rattling a yawning groan as it was forced open for the first time in a while. Zero felt painfully aware of how loud it was in the claustrophobic tunnel systems- if a pantheon patrol were to find them, there'd be no way out.

[I'm gonna go in and see if the coast is clear,]Craft said. Even when it was fully open, he still had to lean down to fit under the garage door.[Stay here, I'll be back in a second.]

Zero nodded, and Craft disappeared into the abyss of the warehouse, his echoing steps growing quieter until Zero couldn't hear anything at all. Alone with his thoughts, Zero meandered around the alleyway, unsure of what to do with himself. He was in a cold, unfamiliar world, in tunnels that were both empty and simultaneously populated by hundreds of reploids, all imprisoned in the trappings of X's grand design.

From out the corner of the alley, he caught the sight of a gang of four reploids leaning against the wall, dressed in tattered white and blue clothes that looked like they were plucked off a dead Neo Arcadian soldier. When Zero noticed the glint of a blade hanging from one of their belts in the street lamps' glow, his eyes widened and he quickly hid behind the wall of the alley again. He wasn't sure if they had seen him looking, or if they had been following them that entire time.

He quelled the tension building in his chest with a sharp inhale and a deep sigh, wiping the sweat from his brow. He still felt queasy from the incident they had witnessed before, the way the pantheon's plasma round sent blood, viscera and metallic shards splattering all over the tunnel floors. It was burned into his mind, how the blood pooled around their bodies before they were hauled off to be melted down for scrap, still warm and twitching. They weren't even given the chance to beg for mercy. Zero had seen many innocent lives go like that- alive one second, and dead the next, but this time, it haunted him more than it ever would back when he was a Hunter. At least in those times, it was Sigma's crazed viral mavericks doing the slaughtering, not X's army. He wondered if he could've stopped it. Maybe it was Axl's murder still weighing heavy on his mind.

The little gang of reploids were nothing to worry about. He was just on edge. Craft plunged him headfirst into the sordid abyss of Neo Arcadia's other face, and it was a lot to confront in one day. He was with no sense of direction- the tunnels weren't marked on any of the maps provided to him. It would be fine. They weren't any older than Axl was when they first found him, anyway.

Just in case, Zero checked around the corner again, peering into the valley between the apartment complexes. The four reploids were gone. Maybe they decided to move on. A chill gust of wind swept through the empty tunnels, making a little tornado of garbage. Zero turned back around to retreat into the safety of the corridor.

"I've never seenyourpretty face around here before."

Zero whirled around in a flurry, coming face to face with the mysterious gang of youths blocking the way out. Zero squared his shoulders and bared his fangs in an aggressive scowl, but when he was dressed in the clothes of a hapless civilian, he supposed intimidation was a hard ask. The young men approached him slowly, like a pack of hungry wolves stalking a fawn.

"What's a spoiled inner city bitch like you doing so far from home?" The largest and closest one said, casting Zero a vile smirk, his tone sickenly condescending. "Poor little rich girl, lost and all alone."

Zero would've been offended had his fight or flight response not been raring, adrenaline coursing through his systems and overwhelming his sense of dignity. It felt like his heart was in his throat, and he could hear the blood pumping in his head. He raised his fists in a fighting stance. He had torn apart mavericks twice their size with his bare hands.

"I'm quivering withfear…" his assailant growled, reaching for the blade at his belt. It unsheathed with a shrill scraping noise as it ran against the plastic holster. "Don't worry, sweetheart. We'll get you home, nice and safe."

Zero was expecting it when he lunged forward, dagger thrusting forward. Zero moved out the way, his blade only catching a lock of his hair. The reploid staggered forward, sent off balance, and Zero took it as an opportunity to throw a strike back, sending his fist into the reploid's stomach when he turned around again. He grunted and doubled over, stumbling back. It incapacitated him for a good moment, but it wasn't anything like the blows he used to dish out. It wasn't time to worry about that, though, not when the other reploids took it upon themselves to join the scuffle. Maybe back then, Zero would've had no trouble with taking on four civilian hoodlums, but now, he felt sorely outnumbered. Even then, he refused to give up.

A fist was coming his way, and Zero had to dodge quickly, crouching down and sweeping his ankles with a swipe of his leg while he was there, throwing his assailant to the floor and smacking the back of his head against the ground. His friends were right behind him, already rushing forward to continue where he left off. As risky as it was, Zero took the offensive, sprinting forward and throwing a punch into one of their faces, thrusting his knee up and striking him between the legs. It was a cheap shot, but it disabled him long enough for Zero to duck for cover when the other tried to slash him with a stolen kitchen knife. Crouched below his outstretched arm, he grabbed his wrist with one hand and his elbow with the other, twisting them and using his momentum to strain his forearm in the middle.

"Argh, you little bitch–!" the knife wielding man cursed, his blade falling limply from his weakened grip as he groaned and panted, dizzy from pain. Zero backed away to assess his combat options as his attackers quickly recovered, before sensing a presence coming up behind him.

Zero spun around, claws unsheathing as he swung them blindly at the leader of the gang. He caught him in the face as he tried to grab Zero's waist, his razor sharp talons digging deep into the soft flesh and leaving a thick gauge running from his nose to his cheek. He lurched back and roared in pain and mercurial wrath, adrenaline taking over as he shook off the burning agony and shock and charged forward into Zero, shoving him with all his weight against the wall and pinning him there, grabbing his wrists in his hand and trapping them above his head.

"You're gonnapayfor that," he snarled, pushing his knife against Zero's throat. The blade scraped against the brace latched around his neck, making a grating, high-pitched scratch. Zero frowned, squirming and kicking in his grasp, but nothing weakened his grip. "Couldn't have just come along quietly, couldn't you? Had to make a fuss. No one likes it when a bitch bites."

Fed up with the emasculation, Zero spat in his face. He flinched back, but regained composure and wiped his face on his sleeve.

"You have somenerve," he snarled. His friends were coming up closer behind him to watch. "You know, I know a guy who'd pay good money to own a blonde like you. I think we'll have to teach you to play nice."

Ah, sh*t.Zero's options were running thin. He could fend them off for a little bit, but he had no chance now, with his back against the wall and a knife at his throat. It'd hurt his pride, but he needed saving. He pinged Craft's transponder with an urgent help message. Even if Craft read it at that second, he'd take a moment to return.

During that time, the assailants were growing bolder, toying with Zero's fear. He tried not to show it, but he was scared. Partly of what they'd do to him if Craft wasn't coming back to help, partly of the fact that these were a ragtag group of starving, untrained civilian reploids, barely adults at that, and they had just managed to besthimin a fight. The same Zero that ripped took on Sigma without any weapons or armour and still almost won, had it not been for an in-built restraining program.

"It'll be tough to give you up," the leader mused, running his knife up Zero's chest and over his cheek, not hard enough to leave any holes in his clothes or shed any blood, but enough to make Zero hold his breath. "I've never seen such a pretty face. Shame it has to belong to a bitch like you."

"Get off me."

Zero's voice came out thin and gravelly. The reploid just laughed. "Nah. I think I like you better like this," he said. "How about this? You shut up and be nice, and I'll make this easy for you."

God, this is embarrassing.

"Ugh...Craft…" Zero wheezed out. The reploid co*cked his head.

"What?"

Zero shook his head and grit his teeth, setting aside all reservations about losing his dignity as the world's strongest reploid in lieu of self-preservation. He shut his eyes, threw his head back, and screamed.

"Craft!"

The weight was taken off his chest, and Zero fell to the ground with nothing there to hold him up. When he opened his eyes, he found Craft ripping his attacker from his body by his arm and throwing him against the wall like he was nothing more than a wet paper towel.

If they knew what was best for themselves, the young reploids would've turned heel and ran as soon as Craft smacked their strongest against a concrete wall like he was wringing out dirty laundry. Unfortunately, they were young, stupid, and angry, and didn't know when to stop. One of the reploids ran forward, collecting the dropped kitchen knife from off the ground as he rushed Craft, thrusting the blade into the warbot's chest with a furious cry.

The force knocked Craft back and ripped a hole into his shirt, but the dull blade didn't leave as much as a scrape in his underlying flesh, sliding off his chest like he had tried to pierce a brick wall. Craft huffed, grabbing the audacious young reploid by the collar of his jacket and hurling him aside. The remaining two came after him as a duo, but Craft could see them coming from a mile away. He tore forward, evading the closest assailant's attempt of an attack, pulling back a massive fist and swinging a punch into one of the attacker's face, the force of the impact making a stomach-churning crack as he effortlessly shattered his nose and sent him hurtling to the ground in a bloodied heap.

The other reploid was quick to return to the fray, fueled by rage and humiliation, he tackled Craft from behind, scaling his back and wrapping his arm around his neck. Craft hated how it looked, but he had to thank the collar for stopping him putting any direct pressure on his throat. The warmachine growled, hands blindly scrambling to grab onto the small reploid latched onto his back and trying to gouge out his one good eye, before he managed to find his wrist.

He peeled the reploid's grip from his neck, Craft's grip tightening until it made the bot cry out in pain, before swinging him over his head in one fluid motion and pummelling him into the ground. The three were left groaning and shivering at his feet, too weak and injured to get up and fight. Craft didn't bother kicking them when they were already down, only standing over them to ensure they didn't try anything with Zero. Safe from further damage with a few substantial wounds to nurse, running away was their best option, that was obvious to them now. At least, to those three.

The largest one, the reploid who had Zero pinned, had recovered somewhat from being slammed into a wall with enough force to make him see double. He staggered to his feet, and with an unbalanced stance, he reached for a hidden plasma pistol in his holster, aiming it straight at Craft's face with shaking hands. Craft caught the gun's glint in his peripheral vision, and before he could pull the trigger, Craft had grabbed the pistol by the barrel and forced the reploid's arm to the ceiling.

The plasma round fired harmlessly into the roof. With his opponent frozen in shock, Craft swiped the pistol from his hands, reeled back his boot and slammed it into the reploid's chest, thrusting him to the ground. He let out a wheezing gasp as the wind was knocked from his systems, Craft's foot pinning him to the ground with the force of a moving train.

"You cowards, attacking an unarmed reploid like that," Craft growled, cracking the pistol in two and throwing the plastic fragments away. "You should thank your lucky stars I'm not gonna report your sorry asses to the authorities." Craft's expression grew severe. "Now get the f*ck out of my sight before I change my mind."

The pinned reploid nodded desperately. Craft scoffed, taking his foot off the reploid's chest. He yelped and crawled away, clumsily scrabbling onto his two feet and fleeing into the tunnels, his friends finally taking the hint and racing away in tow. When the sound of their footsteps faded into the distance, Craft turned to Zero, still flush against the wall and staring wide-eyed at the scene playing out in front of him.

[Zero? Are you hurt?]Craft asked, hurrying over to Zero's side. He offered a hand, and Zero took it, letting him pull him to his feet.

[Only thing that's hurt is my pride,]Zero answered, still shaken up by the ordeal, but unharmed nonetheless. He stared off into the tunnels where the gang had disappeared.[You let them go.]

Craft huffed.[Nothing would've come out of sending them to X's death camps. If I wanted them to die, I would've killed them here,]he said,[that battle was beneath me. There's no honour to be had in killing pathetic civilians. Come with me.]

He began to head off into the garage, expecting Zero to follow. Instead, Zero stood there, gaze locked on the place where the young men had once been.

[How'd this happen to me?]

Craft stopped in his tracks, looking over his shoulder.[What do you mean?]He turned around and returned to Zero's side. Zero let out a deep, forlorn breath, his hands balling into fists and face drawing tight.

"How?! How could a group of low life thugs get the upper hand onme?!" Zero couldn't bite back the words leaving his vocaliser. "C-Craft, if it wasn't for you, they would've- they–" His voice stalled in his throat. Zero shook his head in disbelief. "They were just civ models. Kids! I… I could take down entire maverick armies, I was made for destruction, for war and all its battles, and now– now I'm just… I'm just… a worthless life."

He looked to his hands as though they held the answer. "What happened to me? Has… has it always been this way?"

Craft got down on a knee, levelling himself with the distraught warbot. "Zero. I don't think it's you."

"Then what's wrong with me?"

Zero was breathing hard and fast, wild eyes flickering back and forth as he matched Craft's gaze. Craft hummed inquisitively. He reached into his chest pocket and drew a cigarette from a hidden carton, held it between his lips and lit it with the lighter in his wrist.

"Look at me," he commanded. Zero did as he said, and he grabbed Zero's head and tilted it upwards, exposing his vulnerable throat and the neckbrace locked around it. He gave it a thorough inspection, co*cking Zero's head side to side as he quietly scanned the device. After a tense silence, he pulled away and took a drag, the smoke from his breath rolling into the flow of the ceiling vents.

"I knew it." Craft stood up again, crossing his arms. Zero cleared his throat and rubbed his neck.

"What?"

"That's a restraining bolt." Craft tipped his chin towards Zero's collar. "Must be hooked up to your processor unit, restricting your motor functions and combat protocols."

It took a beat for the words to sink in for Zero. They hung in the air long after Craft spoke them, like a smog over Zero's psyche, invading his mind like a creeping poison. His blood ran cold, his eyes wide and directionless, his face hollow and emotionless. His hands slowly reached for the collar, trembling as they came to wrap around the neckbrace.

"But– why? Why would X…" Zero's question trailed off, with the answer obvious to the both of them. He slowly closed his eyes and let out a long breath. He had his suspicions, that much was true ever since he was awoken from his slumber with the collar binding his neck, but X had worked tirelessly to convince him that his unfaltering frail state was the result of his lingering hibernation sickness. He had been completely shut down for a good century, his body wouldn't be the same after so long- that was what he said every time Zero questioned why he was relegated to a mere accessory at X's side.

Zero knew himself, he knew his own body better than X ever could. It had been long enough- he should have healed by now, but his progress was stagnant. Zero slumped against the wall and made a defeated sigh.

"I was stupid to trust him…" he muttered. "I thought… maybe, it wouldn't happen to me. He's already lied to me so many times, and you know, I still thought… he wouldn't do this to me, he loves me. He's my friend.So stupid…"

He shut his eyes and his face tightened, groaning with frustration. "How could he…? After everything."

The betrayal stung. Craft would never understand how much it did- X and Zero had centuries of history long surpassing his measly lifespan, and so, when the time came for him to offer consolidation, words were lost on him. All he could offer was his company and a few kind reassurances, and he knew well that wasn't enough.

"Don't blame yourself, Zero," Craft said, "we all trusted him, once."

Zero lunging forwards and forcefully grabbing Craft's arms came as a surprise for the large warbot. "Please, you gotta help me. Can't you get this thing off of me?"

His stare was intense and desperate, voice pitched and quivering. Craft took a deep breath in, psyching himself up for the hard task of telling the truth.

"I can't," he confessed. Zero shook his head, knee deep in denial.

"No, no. You… you have to," he insisted, "I can't go on like this. This- this can't… help me, Craft."

A warmachine, Craft seldom cried. This was bringing him close, though. He swallowed through the thickness in his throat. "I… I can't. I know modern Neo Arcadian restraints. They don't come off unless they're unlocked by an authorised person, and if I had to guess, that person would be X. They really bolstered these collars ever since I left. I'm sorry. But I can't remove it without taking your head off with it."

"But– there has to be something… is there anything-anythingyou can do?"

Craft chewed his lip. He was the last person to ask for tech advice, especially when it came to Neo Arcadia's enigmatic technology, a well kept secret even when he was one of X's most trusted commanders. He'd be no help to Zero's plight.

There were people who knew more than he did. It was just that they were Resistance folk.

"I… I do know someone."

"Then take me to them. I'll do anything." His gaze dropped to the floor. "I just want my body back."

It tugged at Craft's heart strings. He battled internally between his loyalty to Zero, and the safety of the Resistance. He really didn't know what to think of Zero. He had been his companion for a while now, and yet, Craft was unsure if he could be trusted as an ally to the Resistance or if he would lead X to their doorstep. Whether the Resistance could trustZerowas another story. The public knew nothing of how X treated Zero, to them, Zero was an accomplice to X's villainy, nothing more than another Neo Arcadian despot. Zero's grip tightened, still waiting for a response from Craft.

"It's just… he's from the Resistance."

"Craft. I'll fight for you. I promise," he said. "I'll fight for you, for the Resistance. For Axl. I just need you to help me. Just this one time."

Craft blinked, brows raising above his boxy helmet.

"I can't promise he can even remove it."

"Anything is better than this." Zero jostled him. "We can run away. Even if he can't help me, I just need to get away from this place."

Craft's throat bobbed. "It won't be easy."

"I never said it would."

It seemed that Zero was adamant, and who was Craft to deny a mistreated reploid freedom? He sighed.

"Alright. I'll give you a day to think this over. If you change your mind…"

"I won't. Thank you, Craft," Zero said, letting him go again. "I won't forget this."

The large warbot huffed, lips quirking to a warm smile. "My duty is to protect you. I'll do whatever it takes," he said. "Sorry about the shirt."

Zero made an amused huff, playfully slapping Craft's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Makes you look gruff and scary."

"Hah. Well, if it's any comfort to you, I still have my bike."

Craft's ride chaser was a militaristic model, much larger than Zero's old and belovedAdionto account for his much larger frame. Both sleek in parts and sturdy in others, it had plenty of storage compartments and more importantly, plenty of space for Zero to cling onto Craft's back as they travelled back to the citadel, the grey and bleak concrete flophouses of South-West Sector C fading away in the distance until it had been hidden away by a vast wall. Again, Zero was surrounded by the pristine beauty of X's Neo Arcadia.

The trip was quick, the highways mostly empty besides buses and share taxis faring up and down the Central Roadways, police bikes and military drones trailed close behind. Compared to Abel City at peak hour, it was quiet, and neither Craft nor Zero had anything to say to fill the silence. Rain was beginning to trickle down when the two returned to Central Neo Arcadia, and when they finally got to the citadel, a downpour was rolling in on looming black clouds that obscured the low late afternoon sun. They had changed back into their armour upon returning to Central.

"Home sweet home," Craft said glumly as he parked by the gates of the citadel. "Enjoy the ride?"

Craft was a good driver. "If only we didn't have to come back here."

They rushed inside and passed the gates, the guards opening them without any comment. Craft covered Zero from the storm with an arm around his shoulder. The thick foliage of the entrance gardens offered them light reprieve from the torrent before entering the citadel anteroom.

Like he had been expecting their return, X was at the tower foyer, surrounded by a small army of reploid soldiers who looked about as fretful as he. Zero could see his severe frown from afar, his frustration abundantly obvious in his glare. It all melted away the moment he laid eyes on Zero.

"Zero!"

X sounded so happy, he sounded young again. His grave red eyes glimmered with joy, his face overcome with a wide grin. He bounded towards him with outstretched arms, taking Zero's hands and ripping him from Craft's side.

"Oh, Zero, I'm so happy you're home," he said. His voice was high and light. "Where were you? I was looking all over. I was about to send a search team out for you!" He shook his head, setting that all aside. "Ah, come here, buddy."

He pulled him into a rough kiss, so desperate Zero would've assumed he had been gone for a million years instead of about half a day. Zero felt stiff in the embrace, the gesture that would've made him melt years ago was now rich with bitter possessiveness. Craft groaned softly and looked away, and not in humility.

Zero laughed nervously when X parted lips with him, feeling deeply aware of how he was surrounded by onlookers. "Just going out, that's all."

"You oughta tell me when you leave, honey," X said, "I thought something awful happened to you. Gave me a heart attack!"

"I'm fine, really," Zero insisted, "I was just exploring the city. Besides, I had Craft with me if anything bad happened."

For a second, X's smile faltered. It was like he wasn't used to smiling much. His stare was all too wild and yet all too cold for it to impart any comfort. "I should've been the one protecting you."

Zero closed up, taking in a nervous breath and holding it. He tried to weasel his way out of X's iron grip as stealthily as he could. He had only been gone for a day, and here X was, an angry and uncertain mess, desperate to keep him close to him and him only. Zero still wanted to leave, but there was still a part of him that cared for him. For years, Zero had been X's rock, the one who told him everything was going to be okay. Even now, Zero pitied X for being so prone to his own emotions. It was what made him special and so dangerous at the same time.

"I need to take a shower. This rain isn't good for my hair…"

It was a stupid excuse, but stupid excuses were better than telling the truth and triggering X's mercurial anger. X was hesitant in letting him go.

"Ah, yeah. You're soaked…"

X released him. Zero nodded with feigned gratitude. "Thanks."

Zero didn't look into his eyes when he spoke. As quickly as he had returned to X's possession, he was gone again, rushing away from X as fast as he could and disappearing into an elevator.

It was quiet without X or Zero's voices to fill the anteroom. Craft could sense X's heart begin to thrum and his breath quicken as barely contained frustration quickly rose to the surface. He looked around at the soldiers around him restlessly.

"Don't you have anything better to do?!Leave!"

The soldiers jumped to attention and scattered, regardless of if they evenhadanything else to do. Soon, it was just X in the empty foyer standing before Craft. The large warbot knew he was trying to intimidate him, but he wouldn't let him into his head.

X narrowed his gaze. Craft turned up his nose.

"...Wherewere you."

It wasn't a question, but a demand. Craft scowled. "Zero told you."

"I know. Be honest with me, Craft," X said, "you stink like the outer sectors."

"I smoke."

"Ha-ha." X began to pace. "What do you think you're doing with him? Trying to get him killed out there? Or are you trying to toy with my Zero's mind, poisoning his thoughts with your maverick nonsense?"

"He deserves as much as anyone else to see what's out there.Yourprecious Neo Arcadia," Craft said, spitting the city's name like it was a curse, "you can't control him forever. He has to know. He rules this city at your side, doesn't he?" He furrowed his brow. "He isn'tyourZero."

"Then he isn'tyourseither. My hands are tied when it comes to the outer sectors. You know how difficult this energy crisis is making things," X snapped back. "What would Zero think if he knew who you really were?"

Craft didn't say anything. X scoffed, baring a cunning grin.

"You know what your surname means?Fenrisúlfr?" X asked. Craft tightened his jaw. "He was a great wolf of Norse mythology. He was the son of an old evil, a wily god, destined to wreak havoc through the nine realms. The gods raised him, afraid of his power, and when he grew too powerful to be controlled, he was bound by the troubled gods and left to rot, until he could avenge himself at the twilight of the gods."

"Ragnarok," Craft assumed. "You and those Aesir gods assume the wolf was an inherently evil force. You assumed, regardless of the truth, you raise us, abuse us and betray us. You strip us of free will, and wonder why we bite back? The wolf was an innocent beast."

"He's to murder the Allfather and consume the world in his wake. Can you blame them?

"It'll happen eventually. You can keep me in chains as much as you like. Ragnarok's time will come."

X huffed, crossing his arms.

"Fine,innocent wolf.You know, you could always come back. Rebuild the Einherjar unit, have your name cleared of your maverick allegations," X suggested. "We could use someone like you back in the force."

"Forget it. I fight for the people I believe in."

X's smile fell from his face in an instant. "Suit yourself. Stay a pathetic slave, until I find a reason to kill you," X said. He turned his back on Craft, glaring coldly at him from over his shoulder. "I don't know what Zero sees in you. Just know, he doesn't need you. He needs nobody else but me. Remember that."

Then, X was gone in a flash, warping away someplace Craft didn't care to know. Now that X no longer stood between him and Zero, Craft sped away, following Zero's ID on his close range radar back to his room.

No doubt, he was upset. About the restraining bolt, the sorry state of X's city beyond the walls of Central. In his head, Craft was crafting a consoling speech, but he knew that words would be lost on him by the time he reunited with Zero. X's warnings still lingered in his mind, as did the image of him violating Zero's free will so egregiously. Like cutting out someone's throat, just to stop them whistling an annoying tune…

He still harboured some uncertainty about taking Zero to the Resistance, but what other choice did he have? He couldn't stand seeing someone of his status being dragged around like a dog on a chain. Charitable reasoning aside, if they were to release Zero of his restraints, he would make for a formidable ally, granted he really could find it in himself to turn on X. Whatever happened, if he did nothing, nothing would change. He had made that mistake before.

Right now, wanting him to win their war might be a bit much to ask for. They'd have to take it one step at a time. Craft found himself back at Zero's quarters, and he let himself in. The red reploid sat at the side of his bed, sloughing his wet vest off his shoulders as he watched the rain begin to pour down from outside.

"Zero-"

Craft set his jaw, realising he should probably say nothing. Zero sighed, slouching over in despair. Without his baggy vest, he looked awfully frail, chest thin unlike the broad silhouette the sculptures of him cast, his spine and ribs showing through his iridescent black skinsuit.

"This thing's killing me," Zero murmured after a corrosive silence. Craft quietly shuffled over, sitting at arm's length from his master. He wrapped his arms over his bare chest, shivering with overwhelming cold nausea, skin prickling. "This collar."

Craft frowned, eyes flickering away from Zero. His mouth felt as dry as a desert. Zero was as pale as a ghost, a cold sweat creeping down his neck.

"I feel sick. And he has the cheek to act like he cares about me?" Zero lamented, his voice high and strained as his throat tightened up. "What a joke. It's all a pathetic joke."

Zero slowly closed his eyes and put his head in his hands, grinding the bridge of his nose against the heel of his palm. "I don't know what to do. It's all out of my control. Everytime this sh*t happened, I just solved my problems by punching the bad guy and then everything was fine. What can I do now? Ugh…"

Craft kneaded his thumbs together in clasped hands.

"Maybe I should just shut up and take the cards handed to me. I mean, I'm comfortable, aren't I? I could've been one of those miserable souls in the outer sectors. Here, I got everything! I eat real food, I have servants who worship and fear me, I don't have to fight. I-I have the love of my life—"

He was cut off by a dry heave. Craft winced. Zero wiped his mouth and shook his head.

"Christ, what am I saying? He's one bad day away from killing me. I can't pretend like I enjoy this…"

Weakly, he tugged at the collar, knowing it wouldn't budge. Zero let out a weary, shaking exhale. Everything Craft wanted to say to him seemed pathetically insufficient. Both of them were warbots, both of them were unequipped to tangle with such complex emotional situations. It certainly wasn't something he was ever trained in.

"I'll take you to them, the Resistance. Cerveau, he's a mechanic, used to be an RIAOT research fellow," Craft said, unsure of what else hecouldsay. "He can help you. I hope. At least, he'll give you more answers than I ever can. Ah, you know, if you give him a shot, he could rebuild your Z-sabre–"

They were empty promises, and Craft knew it. Zero slowly turned to him, drained and exhausted. "Just get me away from here. That's all I ask of you."

Craft paused, before bowing his head. "I'll do what I can, sir."

Zero smiled weakly. "Thank you. I'll do my best for you, too. We're getting out of here together." He extended a hand. "Deal?"

Craft stared at the offered hand, before realising he was supposed to take it. He did so, giving it a light squeeze before releasing it. "Deal."

"Good. Good…" Zero looked away again and got to his wobbly feet, still feeling lightheaded and ill. "I'm just… going to the bathroom. I feel like puking."

He was burning up on Craft's thermosensors. For that, Craft couldn't blame him. He felt sick just thinking about what X had done to Zero. Zero disappeared, and the faint, muffled drumming of a running shower filled the silence and mingled with the rain outside.

He wasn't sure what mess he had gotten himself into. All he had set out to do was save Neige from the claws of Neo Arcadia, and now here he was, watching a struggle brewing between two fallen heroes. Whatever the outcome, it would be catastrophic for the last bastion of humanity. People would die, people he believed in and loved. People like Neige. Now that he was surrounded by the tempting artifice of Neo Arcadia, there were times where he had lapses in judgement. It would be easy to return to the Einherjar warriors and enjoy a life as a captive beast, until his captors would find a reason to bind him in fetters. Maybe it was the right thing. Yet, he had wandered too far in his path of resistance to return to a comfortable life. He'd let the river of expectation flow long enough.

Beyond the gloomy grey skies, in the vast darkness of space, Craft Fenrisúlfr wondered if Ragnarok was orbiting overhead, a grim reminder of who he really was.

Chapter 12: Chapter Eleven

Chapter Text

Before the Elf Wars, the city of Bosaso was a bustling port city, the municipality, seated on the tip of the Horn of Africa, was regarded as the region's major economic and educational hub.

Now, the seaside city had been reduced to rubble, xeric shrubland overtaking what had been. In comparison to the rest of Africa, it seemed lush. The Maverick Hunters, or what was left of them, had no choice in finding refuge in the vast Somali grasslands along with the rest of the population, ever since North America had been bombed into all but an arid, shattered peninsula. The region was the cradle of mankind, and as news slowly filtered back to the Hunters from around the globe, it would soon be its grave.

X had ventured far from the modular building they called Maverick Hunter Headquarters and the ramshackle shanties that housed survivors of the war, through the shrublands and through the foothills of Cal Madow, where the mountain range's shadow offered cool, windy reprieve from the scorching heat. Their rudimentary teleportation system could only take him so far before he had to make the rest of the hike on foot. It was probably why Zero decided to hide there, amongst lavender bushes and beneath a juniper tree, staring into the distant hills and valleys in its shade.

"Zero!? Zero!" X called out, his voice the only thing that could be heard for miles. With the sun in his eyes, he could only see the silhouette of Zero sit up at the sound of his partner's voice.

X clambered up the hill Zero was perched atop batting away thorny brush and shrubbery, kicking up rocks and dust in his wake.

Zero co*cked his head as X appeared on the hill's peak. "X? What are you doing here?"

"Oh nothing, just looking for you," X replied when he eventually got to him, his internals running hot and loud as he briefly caught his breath. "You didn't show up for Signas' address. Alia was calling for you, but you didn't answer."

"...That was today?" Zero asked, though it didn't sound too genuine. "Must've slipped my mind."

He didn't look at X when he spoke, staring listlessly into the vast nothing. X collapsed down beside him with an exhausted huff, leaning up against the trunk of the juniper tree. He plucked a leaf from a nearby shrub and wrung it in his fingers.

"It was a pain in the afterburners getting here," X bemoaned. He flicked the crumpled up leaf into the breeze, slowly closed his eyes, and sighed. "What brought you all the way out here, anyway? You've been totally AWOL for a week now… we were all worried about you. Especially me."

"Just… just needed some time alone," Zero replied, "to think. That's all."

The solemn tone in his words wasn't lost on X. He nudged his hand with his own, lacing their fingers together. "You want to talk about it?"

"I don't know. But…" Zero turned around to meet X's gaze again, lips forming a tired smile. "Ah, X, I don't know. Just talk to me."

Locks of his blonde hair fluttered in the breeze and caught the sunlight, like stalks of golden wheat drifting in the wind. X made a soft laugh and leaned into Zero's side.

"Well, you got me. I don't know what to talk about either. To tell you the truth, I haven't been able to think about much besides the Elf Wars. It's nearly been a year now. It's hard to believe it," X admitted, his smile falling from his face as soon as he spoke of his reality. "I mean, I'm still waking up at four in the morning in a cold sweat, hearing those damn emergency sirens in my head. I don't know if I'll ever really believe that it's over."

Zero knew that feeling well. Even now, the clear skies overhead made him uneasy, the cloudless expanse still carrying the threat of airborne vollies from Weil's forces. "But it is over."

With Omega defeated and Lord Weil exiled, it wasallover. Weil's dark hold over the world had been lifted, and only time would tell if the Earth would persevere. Regardless, there was hardly anyone left to fight his war, and what was left of the Earth was hardly worth fighting over.

"Feels like it's cost us everything," X said. "There isn't enough time in the world to mourn what's been lost. Sometimes, I wonder if there could ever be a world where us and humans can coexist peacefully."

Zero shrugged. "Humans couldn't even coexist with humans. If humanity won't repent for their past sins, history will just repeat."

Maybe it was true, but X was tired of fighting. So was Zero. "Maybe it's up to us to build that world, then. There's nothing left, but… but that means we can start over from the beginning. We can give these people hope. Create a new world we can be proud of."

Even in the face of an ending world, he still thought about the future of those he fought for. X's optimism made Zero's heart glow with admiration.

Abruptly, X sat up, straightening himself and clasping Zero's hand in his own tightly. Zero took notice of his sudden change in demeanour and offered him his undivided attention.

"Zero, I've been thinking about the future… about our future, I mean. We've been together so long, and now that the world is at peace again… nothing's in the way of our relationship anymore. We're free to do whatever we want now, we can have a home, a family. Our own children," X said, cadence slowly growing ever passionate as he went on. He couldn't stop himself from pouring his heart out now. "Zero, I love you, I love you more than you know. More than all the stars in the sky and every grain of sand on every beach, and nothing will ever stop me from loving you. Would… would you ever consider being my husband?"

For a moment, Zero was too stunned to react. When he did, his eyes widened, breath caught in his throat, frame stiffening in shock. X's hazel eyes glimmered with hope, his gaze roving across Zero's face as he nervously waited for a response.

After a while, Zero deflated again, slumping back down. A proposal had been a long time coming. They had been together for centuries, and at that point, it was only the war keeping them apart.

Zero tore his hand away from X's grip, and rolled away, getting to his feet and turning his back on X. X's heart sank.

"X…"

That was a no. Zero crossed his arms over his chest, like he was protecting his heart.

"...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought this up so suddenly. Especially so soon after the war."

He tried not to show it, but that was never his strong suit. He was gutted.

"Don't be sorry. It isn't you, it's… it's me," Zero insisted. His arms dropped to his sides, and he threw his head back. "X, I've been thinking of ending things."

X slowly got to his feet. "...You mean, like… us?"

"X, I mean everything. I love you, I really do. I wish we could be what you want us to be, but I just don't know if I can go on like this," Zero said, "all of this was my fault. All that's ever been born of me is evil. As long as I live, I don't think it's ever going to get any better. I've watched too many friends die because of what came out of me. For the sake of everyone, I think this world's better off without me."

Words were thick in X's throat as he stuttered a response. "Zero, that isn't true! If it weren't for you, there wouldn't be anyworldleft. The virus is gone, Weil is gone, we can–"

"What, be normal? X, you know I can't be what you want me to be. I'm a machine for war. This cycle of violence will continue for as long as I continue functioning. I want this as much as you do. I wish I could live a normal life with you, X. I want to get married, I want kids, I want to build a home with you, but it just isn't in the cards for me. It's not a life for me. I don't want to hurt you anymore."

X stepped forward, his eyes beginning to grow wet with tears. He shook his head, unable to believe what he was telling him was true. "But– what about your friends? And Axl- and- what aboutme?I love you, Zero. I don't know what I'd do without you. The only thing that would hurt me is being apart from you. I'm nothing without you."

"I love you too, X. I just can't stand doing this to you anymore. These wars, they're ruining you."

X just stared at Zero's back. He sniffled, wiping away the tear falling down his cheek. "P-please. Come home, at least. We can talk about this."

"...I'll see you soon, X. Just promise you'll wait for me."

"I'll do anything. Come home…"

But Zero had no home. No leash or cage or wedding ring would ever hold him down. He began to walk away, disappearing behind the slope of the mountain, and X fell to his knees.

He had left behind his sabre where he once sat. X collected it in his hands, holding it as gently as he would a butterfly.

"Wait! Zero!"

X clambered onto his feet, running after Zero, but when he looked over the hill, he was gone, a gust of wind billowing where X last saw him.

"X?"

Maybe, if he knew it would be the last time they would speak for a hundred years, he wouldn't have let him go.

"Master X?"

X could still remember that day like it was yesterday. The breeze ripping through the sparse leaves of the shrublands, the dryness in the air, the smell of lavender. Zero's warm presence, his silky hair cascading down from his head like an amber gossamer curtain. Now, he sat on a balcony overlooking his kingdom, cold and alone.

Moonlight was shimmering off ivory white towers. Up on this level, the air was thin and chilling, the wind howling and ruffling the long, colourless tresses of hair that spilled from the brims of his helmet. He stared into the night sky from a round table with only the hardest thing he could find in his cellar to medicate his despair. He mused, inebriated and tired, that even though he had Zero again, he felt as alone as he did the day Zero left.

Why did he let him go? Why had it been his friends who had to tell him Zero was gone? His glass was empty, so he poured himself another drink.

"Dad?"

"Whatdo youwant?!"

Some time ago, Harpuia had landed on the balcony, having flown in from a patrol on the outer sectors. X knew he was there, but he didn't feel like addressing him. He was too busy reliving that same painful memory over and over, dulling the agony in his chest with all the booze he could take. Harpuia shrunk back and bowed his head, knowing to err on the side of caution when his father seemed so out of it.

"S-sorry for disturbing you, father. I must report that Rebellion terrorists have intercepted a freight train carrying dangerous weapons out of the West Sector next gen artillery manufacturer. They've occupied a cargo station. Fefnir wanted your permission to move in."

X grimaced, breathing hard through his nose. "That'sallyou wanted to tell me?"

"...Yes, father."

X looked aside again, slouching in his chair. "Could've been an email, Harpuia."

Harpuia frowned. "...sorry. Then what do you suggest we do?"

Taking a hearty swig of his drink, X waved a hand haphazardly while his mouth was preoccupied. The alcohol burned on the way down. "Do whatever. Kill the bastards, I don't care."

It was foolish for Harpuia to stay any longer, but he couldn't help but feel concerned for his father. It looked like he hadn't slept for weeks. He took a tentative step forward, slouching to make himself look smaller than he already was.

"Sir… is there something bothering you?" Harpuia asked in the most innocent voice he could muster. It didn't matter how sweet or rude he was, though, when X was in this state.

There was a deep silence as X mulled it over. It was short-lived, and X slammed his glass down hard enough to make the table rattle, Harpuia flinching away at the impact.

"Goddamn it!f*cking everything, Harpuia, f*ckingeverythingis bothering me!" X snapped, his booming voice shaking Harpuia to his core. "I have everything I ever could've wanted in my life, I have this city, the love of my life, loyal children, and yet, I'm still as f*cking miserable as the day I lost Zero. I don't know what I can do to make things better. It isn't fair."

He took a deep breath, shaking his head and clenching a fist tight. "When the war ended, before I built this city, before you were born, Zero told me that for as long as he lived, the cycle of war would never end. And I didn't think he meant it, but when he left, he never came back. Why didn't I stop him, Harpuia? None of this would've happened if I hadn't let him go. Axl, everyone, they wouldn't have betrayed me, they would've been alive. But I was weak, I was stupid. I let him go, when I should've chased after him. And now he's back, but he hates me. I know it, he doesn't even look me in the eyes anymore. He's trying to run away, Harpuia. He's trying to leave me. I can't take it. I miss him. I miss what we could've had, you know, kids of our own, a life together. I miss how he made me feel… I mean, I have you four, but…"

He put his head in his hands. "I tried as best as I could. I can see his features in your faces, his fierce spirit, his desire for justice, but it doesn't change the fact that you aren't our children. You're just mine. I want more, but he refuses, again and again. I don't know what else I could possibly give him to make him mine. Just foroncein my life, I want to be incontrol, and I just don't know what else I can possibly do to make him mine. I've given him the world!Thiswas what he wanted. I know it is. And still, even after I've given him everything, it's not enough. How could he be so ungrateful? Did I give him too much at once?" He hissed through gritted teeth. "I've seen how he looks at Craft, how he cherishes the lives of mavericks overme. The other day, he pushed me too far. I almost hurt him, Harpuia. I didn't mean to. I just wanted to scare him. But– but when I think about him leaving me, I just can't take it. I don't want anyone else having him but me, and I know that'swrong, but it's the truth! It's messed up, but if I let him go again, he won't come back. I can't take it anymore. I just wanthim. I miss him. Even if I'm hurting him, I just want him back…"

Fury and grief were eternal bedfellows for X. He sobbed into his hands, shuddering and weeping. Harpuia swallowed hard, nerves balling up in his throat. "We could… take him to the processing unit, sir."

Such audacity had X lurching to his feet, his chair kicked back by his momentum as he threw his glass in Harpuia's direction, only narrowly missing him before it shattered against the wall. "And lobotomise him? Turn him into a mindless toy? Harpuia, do you hear yourself? Let me tell you something right now. I could haveanyoneI ever could've wanted. Every human and reploid in this city belongs tome. And still, I haven't. You wonder why I never took another lover? Because Zero wasone of a kind.You think I liked him because of his looks? There must be a thousand white, blonde, blue-eyed reploids in a ten mile radius of us, and any single one of them could be mine. I loved him because of who he is. His soul. His fire. I never stopped loving him, even when he hurt me. I love everything about him, and I always will, even if it kills me! Even if it killshim!"

His anger slowly dwindled as he was too exhausted to stay mad. Harpuia's eyes were wide, his wings coming around his body to shield himself.

"I'm sorry, father. I shouldn't have asked."

"Don't be. It's me. I mean, look at me. I'm old, Harpuia. I don't even feel at home in my own skin. When I look in the mirror it's just like– who the hell is this? When did my hair go this colour?Guh. I messed everything up. You know, I got the world, but there's nothing left to have. I just wanted to feel something for once, but nothing's changed. I'm still the same sad, lonely man I was before." X's gaze was distant and empty. "Sorry, kid. You don't deserve to see me like this."

Harpuia tried to fight through his uneasiness. "Sorry for disturbing you."

X shook his head, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He let out an exhale that shuddered on the way out his vents. "Run along now, Harpuia. You got better things to do than watch your old man waste away like this."

Though Harpuia wanted to leave, his feet remained plastered to the ground, refusing to move an inch. X narrowed his gaze and looked towards Harpuia.

"That was an order."

That triggered his innate sense of duty. Harpuia stood at attention, standing upright before bowing his head slightly and turning, making a running start before taking off from the balcony and into the night sky. X watched him go, the green dot that was Harpuia was lost to the empty expanse above.

He was alone again, and his only comfort was the half empty bottle before him. Whatcouldhe do to change things? He still loved Zero, but he didn't know if Zero loved him anymore. It felt like he could give him everything he could ever want, and yet, Zero would still be unsatisfied. He was always a free spirit, unable to be tied down by destiny and the whims of those around him, and that was why X loved him. It just meant Zero would never be concerned with settling down and just accepting what he's got either.

X drank straight from the bottle. He had enough of conceding with that fact. Nothing would change if he let Zero escape his grasp again and again.

Years ago, Zero told him to wait for him. X had grown impatient. He was done waiting.

They left for the Resistance at the break of dawn, just as the golden sun started peaking over the horizon.

Craft sped down the highway on his ride chaser, Zero clinging on tight to his massive frame. At this hour, the roads were empty, save for municipal services like waste disposal and construction vehicles. The air was cold and still as it passed them by, Central Neo Arcadia's white and gold surfaces glistening with sunlight caught by the morning dew. A faint moon hung overhead in the turquoise sky.

Zero knew he was testing the give on X's leash. He was shocked he was even let out of the citadel after the incident yesterday. He supposed that if X had given an order, there would be a delay before it reached the lower echelons of his vast military force, and Zero would have to take advantage of what little freedom he still had left.

The cool wind rippled through Zero's hair, his jacket fluttering in the wind as he watched the city pass by in a blur. The hum of the ride chaser as it sped down the highway was strangely nostalgic in a bittersweet way, it made him feel young again, imparting memories of driving through Abel City as Maverick Hunters alongside X. Those days were over, but he was still hesitant to let them go. He'd have to, eventually.

The pristine white towers of Central Neo Arcadia thinned out the further they ventured, replaced by sterile and bleak apartment blocks. Luxury, compared to the outer sector flophouses. As they approached the dividing great wall between Central Neo Arcadia and the outer sectors, the air around them gradually became thicker with the sulphuric stench of industry. It was a horrible miasma, collecting in Zero's nose and lungs like sludge, but he had come to associate it with the sweet relief of freedom.

[The Wall is up ahead. I gotta take a detour.]

Craft had been mostly silent for the duration of the trip. When he didn't have to necessarily speak, Craft did most of his talking through touch and gestures. Zero appreciated the silence, but on the other hand, it made it easy to get too caught up in his own head.

[Where are we going?]

He drifted into the exit lane, where the exit ramp led him from the highway to a wide road that wound between drab concrete buildings.

[Underground. Gotta evade the tolls. They'll be checking IDs, and we don't have halo scramblers,]Craft replied.[After yesterday's mess, there's no way in hell we're getting through, no matter what excuse we come up with.]

Three lane roads became one lane streets, and Craft had to take care to weave between the glut of pedestrians that wandered the lower city streets. The delay was a small price to pay for privacy from Neo Arcadia's prying eyes. Unlike the outer sectors, here, Zero could pick out rare humans in the crowd, filtering in and out of tower blocks and market centres. Zero leaned into Craft's back a little closer, obscuring himself in his thick jacket and large frame.

[X must be looking for me by now,]Zero lamented.[Even now, after everything he's done, there's still a part of me that feels guilty for leaving him again.]

[It's for your own good,]Craft reassured.[It isn't safe for you back there. It's a hard thing, trying to let go.]

In the concrete labyrinth of apartments and roadside market stalls beneath the shadow of the dividing wall, there was safety from the omnipresent eye of the state, but at the expense of municipal services and freedom to leave the slums. Even then, the people seemed happier here, children happily waving at them as they rode by as if they had seen Craft drive by countless times before. It was dark, the highway overhead obscuring the sun's light from ever reaching the denizens of the block, but the people's spirits lit up the streets without it.

[What can I even say to him? I don't know if I can keep pretending,]Zero wondered.[I love him, but… I don't think he loves me the same way anymore.]

[You don't owe him an explanation,]Craft said.

[But I do. I owe him a lot. I owe him my humanity. I wouldn't have known how to live like all the others if not for X. I've never really thought about what life would be like without him.]

Craft hummed lowly, a sympathetic noise.[I can't force you to leave. If you decide to stay with him after I've compromised our location like this, then it'll be my burden to carry. But if it's freedom you want, the Resistance will be glad to have you. They'll treat you kindly, no matter what circ*mstances you came from.]The wall crept closer, an imposing slab of concrete painted with massive white letters designating sector names.

[How could you be so sure that they'll accept me? This mess was my fault to begin with. I sat back and watched Axl die, too weak to save him.]

[They took me in, knowing well of my past in Neo Arcadia's armed forces. Our past is irrelevant, it's what we do now that matters.]Craft said. They were at the very foot of the wall now, where they pulled up to a small garage guarded by a single reploid, dressed in old world combat gear and brandishing a Neo Arcadian rifle. The hair on the back of Zero's neck bristled, and he shrank back behind Craft, wary of the analytical look the stranger was giving them. The man took a second to give Craft a scan up and down, before he smiled and bowed his head.

"By Jove, it really is you! Never thought you'd come out of there alive, Commander," he said, stepping out of the way and unlatching the garage doors. They opened with an echoing creak. "...Who's that you have with you? I can't get a read on them."

"A refugee from central. He won't be in our databases," Craft answered succinctly. "I owe him a favour."

"I see. Right this way." He gestured into the garage. Craft gave an appreciative nod before venturing within.

It was dimly lit by flickering fluorescent bulbs, only barely revealing the interior, though the occasional sparks of a welding torch offered flashes of light. It was like a warehouse, work tools hanging from every wall as soot coated reploids and humans alike rushed to and forth purposefully as they worked on fixing up vehicles and weapons. He could only just make out their features, and they were colourful underneath a layer of soot. Some wore second-hand combat vests, some were dressed in forest green uniforms with a bright red triangle adorning berets, and others were marked with a blue band around their sleeves decorated with the lettersOSA. It was only when Zero toggled his infrared view did he notice that in the shadows of the building were a cramped group of civilian reploids, families with young children, huddled around a tall human man with dark green hair and dressed in a yellow jumpsuit. He wielded a sizable rifle, tucked into a holster in his back.

[Where are we?]Zero asked. Craft laughed, his tone rumbling in Zero's core.

[This is a Resistance encampment,]he answered.[They run this town, right underneath Neo Arcadia's noses.]

That explained the odd sense of harmony amongst the outside apartment blocks, unlike anything Zero had seen in the oppressive outer sectors. The organisation of the operation all seemed staggering, rivalling the Maverick Hunters' own back in its heyday.[There are humans here,]Zero noted.

[They aren't all bad,]Craft said.[Without them, we reploids have no voice. X can paint us as mavericks, but he can't say the same for defiant humans.]

He arrived at another gate, a large rolling door guarded by a humanoid reploid with warm, dark skin dressed in green garb and a ursoid animaloid with an OSA armband wrapped around his sleeve, standing at attention like diligent watch dogs as they approached. The reploid in green's eyes were covered by goggles, but even then, Zero could tell his eyes widened with how his brow disappeared behind his fringe.

"No way," the green reploid muttered, his shoulders slumping as he took off his beret and held it to his chest. The OSA reploid staggered back in shock.

"Commander!" the bear reploid exclaimed, "you're alive!"

That made everyone in a 100 metre radius look their way. Craft dipped his head and chuckled, almost cheekily. "Any louder and you're gonna bring a pantheon patrol our way," he said. "It's nice to see this place still working like a charm."

It took a moment for the shock to wear off on the two. The green reploid spoke. "Ciel was almost certain Neo Arcadia had you executed. The only reason to think otherwise was that there was no record of it," he said. He had a thick accent, like he had hailed from this region long before Neo Arcadia was established. "How'd you manage?"

"It's a bit of a story. I need to get back to homebase," Craft said, "what's things like on the ground?"

The humanoid reploid shook his head. "Ma fiicna, my friend," he said.No good,said Zero's universal translator. "X's upped surveillance 'round these parts. They're doing halo checks for everyone passing through, and the soldiers got orders to shoot to kill any registered mavericks they see, no questions asked. I'd avoid the highways for now, 'specially if you're fresh out of the brig. If you're planning on goin' to the Outside Lands, you're gonna need a tugboat. Outer wall's on high alert, they shootin' all unauthorised civilians on sight."

"I supposed as much," Craft said. "Saw about the massacre in the NE plant on the news."

The bear reploid took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Aye. Sad end to it. OSA and Rebellion got folks occupying the West Sector freight station right now, one near the canal. Was comin' out an artillery research station, hear that boss is handin' the tech over to Ciel'sRIAOTcrew so we can get 'em reproduced and distributed to the force–"

He stopped mid-sentence, like his train of thought drove into a wall. He peered over Craft's shoulder.

"Who's that?"

He was obviously referring to Zero. The ursoid and the man walked around Craft's bike to get a better look. Craft sat up and gave them a narrow glare.

"New friend I picked up from Central," Craft replied. "I owe him."

"Ah. Not a Neo Arcadian mole, I hope?" The man said. "He looks familiar…"

Craft sighed. "A refugee," he explained. "Wasn't safe, where he came from."

The man and the bear stared Zero down for another beat. Zero swallowed through the sudden lump in his throat. "Right. Should we let Ciel know you're comin'?" The man asked, still staring Zero down. Zero kept his gaze fixed elsewhere.

"Nah. Don't wanna make her worry anymore than she has to," Craft said. "I won't keep you any longer."

"If you insist, boss. You stay safe out there. Stay outta the west, got word from there that General Fefnir's army's movin' in," the bear advised, opening the roller doors. They revealed an underground tunnel bored underneath the wall, protected by a series of gates that opened up with the push of a button and a few passcodes. "Keep on your toes. They got patrols all over the place. They've scrambled surveillance drones and sh*t, the whole lot. Never seen anythin' quite like it. You know, I reckon it has to do with Zero. I heard he ain't too happy with what X's done to the place."

Zero's breath caught in his throat. Craft made an exasperated, breatry laugh.

"You don't know the half of it," he said. His bike rattled as he revved it up again.

"I think he's on our side, Zero," the bear said. "Just a matter of time before X gets his penance."

The man gave him a critical glare. "How would you even know?"

"Eh, I don't. But no harm in dreamin'."

Craft began to creep away into the tunnels, offering the guards a grateful grin. "Thanks. You keep on fighting the good fight."

The two jolted upright in a salute, barking out an affirmative warcry as Craft sped away into the tunnels, the gates slamming shut behind them. Zero let out a sigh of relief, no longer subject to their scrutinising stares. The low thrumming of the bike's engines bounced off the walls, bands of lights passing over them as they drove through the tunnel system.

[They didn't recognise me… guess losing a couple kilos of muscle has its perks,]Zero said, breaking his silence. Craft made a small, pitiful laugh.

[These people only know what you looked like with the helmet on,]Craft explained.[Got to remember, they've only ever seen your face in statues.]

[Oh. So, were they all Resistance?]Zero asked after the first set of doors disappeared into the distance.

[Some of them. The ones in green uniforms, they're the ones affiliated with the Resistance. Some are Rebellion. Some are from the Outer Sector Alliance. Different names for the same cause; freedom from Neo Arcadia,]Craft answered.

[It's incredible. I didn't expect such… synergy, I guess, from a grassroots movement,]Zero confessed.[How does X not notice all this?]

[Simple. The true operation stays underground, while Neo Arcadia preoccupies itself with public terrorist acts and petty crime,]Craft said,[the people here, a lot of them are disillusioned military or policeforce. When they return to their day jobs, their silence pays dividends.]

[...I see. We aren't alone, then.]

[Far from it,]Craft assured.[There's more of us than you know.]

From the peak of a hill, Fefnir stood before his army as they looked over the train station under siege, the derelict freight train still left standing at the railway platform. From here, Fefnir could see the sizable hole blasted into the side of the carriage, the charred edges still billowing smoke even after a day.

Overhead, Harpuia circled like a hawk scanning its hunting grounds. Fefnir crossed his arms, itching to fire up his gauntlets.

"Hey, Harps. What's it look like from up there? My guys are gettin' jumpy here,'' Fefnir spoke into his transceiver. The soldiers in his stead shuffled nervously, waiting eagerly for their leader's orders. From the sky, Harpuia came barreling down to the ground like a torpedo, before unravelling the full expanse of his wings and unfurling every bladed feather to bring himself to a stop, right before setting his talons back on solid ground. Fefnir grumbled, dusting off the dirt and pebbles Harpuia graciously kicked up all over him.

"Thanks,birdbrain…" Fefnir groaned huffily. Harpuia remained straight-lipped and strict, wings folding back against his back.

"Heatmaps don't show anything. Can't see anything on LADAR," Harpuia reported, professional as always, "they've already left."

"Great. We're too late. Well, let's go and check it out anyway," Fefnir turned to his men, motioning to the first row to come with. "You lot come with me. The rest of you can stay, just in case it's a trap. I'll tell you when the coast's clear."

They saluted, and followed Fefnir and Harpuia down the hill, leaving behind the rest of his platoon. Fefnir sighed his exasperation, shoulders drooping.

"Should've moved in the second we got the emergency call," Fefnir lamented. "Totally missed the boat. What's so important about a train anyway?"

"What's soimportantis that this train was carrying a cargo of next-gen artillery, which is now in the hands ofterrorists, Fefnir," Harpuia explained, a little snippy. "And what's more, this train wassupposedto have the utmost security onboard. How the mavericks found out about this cargo andhowthey managed to take out our top guns is the question."

"Agh, you're overthinkin' it. They probably just went and attacked a random train and struck gold by chance," Fefnir said. "Whatever happened, we shouldn't have spent so much time dealin' with that stupid water refinery when we had a train full of four dimensional nukes or whatever to worry about."

"It would've been in our best interest to not bring attention to it," Harpuia said, "the train was protected by cloaking tech. Wouldn't have shown up on radar or thermal imaging. It was invisible to anyone but those who knew it was coming."

Fefnir punched his palms with want for a fight. "Well, anyway, it's no big deal. We'll just have to kill those maverick scumbags before they get a chance to use whatever they've stolen. Besides, they're just OSA. Hardly a challenge."

Harpuia harrumphed, brow creased. "This is serious, Fefnir. There might be a spy in our midst," he said. "These secrets aren't easy to come by. We have to remain vigilant."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Fefnir insisted. They stopped at what remained of the train station's gates, now reduced to twisted metal and concrete rubble. "Now what do we have here?"

Fefnir put his hands on his hips and scanned the ruins, snapped wires hanging from the ceiling like sparking snakes and broken panelling, cracks running through its surfaces like tributaries, yawning as they threatened to break in two. Embers still smouldered, the dust yet to settle. He ventured in, reaching for one of his gauntlets as he did, hydraulics hissing as he psyched himself up for confrontation.

Such confrontation would never come, even when he ventured further into the wreckage, his men scattering in close behind with rifles at the ready. They'd reached the platform, the train's carcass standing idle where it had last stopped. Around him lay the bodies of pantheons, the vacuous soldiers enjoying their second round of death with plasma bolt holes littering their chassis and leaking pools of blood at Fefnir's feet. He grimaced and shook his boot dry.

"Man! What a mess…" Fefnir mused. Harpuia quickly came to his side.

"Indeed. I suppose we were foolish to assume the mavericks lost their bite with Axl and Craft out of the equation," Harpuia said. As he strode forward, the toe of his boot caught on the body of a pantheon flyer, its wings sheared in two with precision that could only be achieved with a sabre. He gave the room a swift multi-spectral look-over and interrogated the local security server for any incriminating evidence, all to no avail. "Doesn't seem to be anyone left. Appears that they covered their tracks well, I can't get any footage off the security cameras' storage cloud." He looked at the dead pantheon flyer at his feet. "Perhaps,youcould tell us what happened here…"

Harpuia grappled the pantheon's head with his talons and dug in, his claws piercing metal like a knife through butter. He tore out a blackbox from the confines of its skull, wires and metal skeleton coming along with it. Fefnir shuddered at the shrill noise of metal being crushed.

Kicking his foot back, he tossed the blackbox up behind him and snatched it out of the air. "Now, let's see what you've seen…"

Before he could plug into its data recorder, the device was severed in two by a projectile moving as fast as a blur, sending Harpuia staggering back as whatever hit him flew right past him, narrowly missed Fefnir, and lodged itself into a wall.

"sh*t! What in the world…?" Fefnir followed the projectile's path, only to find a red card buried in the wall. He pulled it from the concrete and inspected it, flipping it over to reveal an ace of spades. Fefnir frowned at the novelty. "Well, now this is just bad comedy."

"Really, I'd consider your incompetence to be bad comedy."

That wasn't a voice neither Fefnir nor Harpuia were familiar with. Like a dog returning to its master, the playing card ejected itself from Fefnir's grip and tore back to its rightful owner, an adversary hidden in the shadows. Harpuia unsheathed his sonic blades and raised his wings, Fefnir's launchers glowing with an imminent charged shot. The room echoed with the clattering of firearms as Fefnir's soldiers took aim, the red beams of their laser sights crisscrossing as they searched for the intruder.

"Harpuia, you said there was nobody here!" Fefnir whisper-shouted into his brother's audial.

"Don't blame him. Blame your instruments," the stranger continued. From above, perched atop the beams, the form of a reploid began to emerge from seemingly nothing at all, slowly appearing on Harpuia's heatmap. "Here I thought Neo Arcadia would be better at dealing with new-type technology. Bad move, driving away all those RIAOT scientists, hm? All your tech's ten years out of date, I'm afraid…"

The reploid fell from the ceiling, the laser sights of countless rifles all training in on his head. He was a neatly dressed man, clothed in black armour with a wide hat shading his face. In the dark, his eyes flashed with a red glint. Before the soldiers could get any shots fired, the man moved in a blur, drawing the weapons in his cuffs and firing a volley of projectiles from hidden launchers, cards shearing the barrels of the soldiers' rifles in twain before coming right back to him, slotting back into his cuffs with athwip.

"Sorry. It was a bit one-sided. Just needed to be on the same playing field," he said. He co*cked his head, remembering something. "Oh. No peeking."

He fired off cards to his sides, projectiles soaring around in a flurry and slicing through the skulls of the dead pantheons and their blackboxes, rendering them useless. Harpuia was caught flat-footed, too offended by his audacity to do anything about it.

"Who the hell are you?" Fefnir roared, lunging forward. The stranger tipped his head back, revealing his face from behind the shadow of his hat.

"What, didn't daddy tell you about me? I guess you Neo Arcadians are fond of erasing history," he said. "Who I am isn't important. What's important is what you're transporting on this train."

He procured a cylindrical storage container from his coat jacket, a glowing rod wedged within. It shimmered in and out of the three dimensional plane, its form surrounded by a rainbow of light like a weakened cyber-elf. "Supra-force metal is a hard thing to come by these days."

That shook Harpuia out of it. "You hand that back, maverick scum!"

His engines roared to life, wings flaring outward as he rushed forward, sonic blades lashing out with devastating speed. The stranger was quick to move, evading Harpuia's strike with a moment to spare, the air general's blades cracking together to send a shockwave into a wall.

"With everything going on in the earth, you forget our origins in the stars," the newcomer mused, inspecting the rod of force metal in his possession. "You know, they say this is the stuff Duo was made from. An extra-dimensional metamolecule that can rewrite three-dimensional space, sent our way by an advanced alien civilisation. Could've been a bridge between those worlds, if they didn't suspend the research on it. Did you know that? Or did your dear father hide that from you too?"

"Keep his name out of your mouth!" Fefnir snapped, bounding forward with launchers flaring, firing a cascade of blindingly hot plasma rounds in their adversaries direction and reaching out to grab a hold of him. The reploid barked a laugh, vaulting over Fefnir's barrage and firing a card as he hurdled overhead, the projectile grazing Fefnir's cheek. He grunted, blood welling from the shallow cut, and whirled around to face the reploid as he landed behind him, anger blazing.

"Sorry, but I'll be taking this. Dr. Light's work must be seen to its end, and that ain't gonna happen if this stuff stays with you," he explained. "You know, for the progression of mankind."

He stuffed it away in his coat. Harpuia's lips were pulled back in a snarl, eyes little more than slits. "What do you possibly have to gain from cooperating with terrorists?! Why waste your skills aidingmavericks?!"

The reploid smirked, and he chuckled under his breath. "Why? Because I happen to be a reploid living in Neo Arcadia."

Fefnir, stumped by the enigmatic reploid, shook his head to snap out of it. "Oh, just shut up!"

He fired a rain of plasma in the maverick's direction, but just as he did, the gambler was gone, vanishing in a beam of light as he warped away, Fefnir's attacks hitting the wall behind where he once stood and melting the impact crater to red hot slag. The destroyed station was quiet again, save for the rattling of armour as reploids nervously shuffled and looked around, left confused and a little humiliated. Fefnir groaned, wiping away the warm blood bubbling from the cut the maverick left him with.

"...Dad ain't gonna be happy," Fefnir said, setting his gauntlets back in his back holster and flexing his fingers to crack his knuckles. "Did you scan him?"

"...I did. MeReAD says he's a 23rd century reploid. New-type," Harpuia said. "It looks like somebody manually erased a good chunk of his MeReAD log a long time ago. I'd have to ask Volteel if he has anything in the archive."

"23rd century, huh? Where do these old bastards keep comin' from? I swear…" Fefnir kneaded the bridge of his nose in exasperation, before sighing, supposing there wasn't much else he could do. He opened his comms console in his wrist and spoke to his men waiting on the brow of the hill. "Come on down, could use your help with the clean up."

Harpuia harrumphed, his sonic blades powering down before they were slotted back in their sheaths. "How troublesome… it's like when we cut off one head, three more grow back," he bemoaned, crossing his arms and bowing his head. "Hm. How could they have possibly known about this cargo? Not evenyouknew of this. To think there could be a double-agent in our ranks… I'll have to discuss inducing our breach containment protocol with our father."

"Yeah, I think dad's already got you beat. He's beefed up security all 'round the place ever since Zero recruited that Craft dude," Fefnir said, sitting himself down on a chunk of rubble and crossing his arms behind his back to cushion his head. He splayed his legs, much to Harpuia's dismay. "He's got me running around like a headless chicken trying to corral hisboyfriendwhen I could've been here, stoppin' that asshole from stealing the Supra-force metal. Really, sometimes I don't get it… maybe I just haven't foundthe oneyet." His rolling eyes could be heard in his tone.

"It's not our place to question his reasons," Harpuia scolded. Just to add salt to the wound, he kicked Fefnir's spread legs shut. "We should be focusing on how this information could've reached the mavericks. I'll need to get Phantom to review the comms logs for all those in the know, perhaps interrogate them, so this will never happen again."

"Well, you're gonna be runnin' in circles forever then. You know how Resistance folks are, they don't talk. Your best bet would be to just round up everyone who did or could know and shoot 'em, and that's overkill, even by our standards," Fefnir said. "I say we track that weirdo down and see where that takes us. Ain't much we can do now. Ain't a problem in the world that can be solved with panic."

"You're awfully blasé, Fefnir…" Harpuia said huffily, eyes narrowing.

"I'm just tired, you know," Fefnir said. "I've been firin' on all cylinders ever since Zero came back. Thought things would get better, but they just got worse…"

"You're sounding like Phantom, now," Harpuia accused. "Don't tell me your loyalty is wavering, too."

"I'm just telling it like it is. You really think Zero likes it around here?"

Harpuia didn't say anything. He knew what the answer was, but he wouldn't dare speak ill of his blessed Neo Arcadia. Fefnir shrugged, resting his case.

"I gotta be honest. Dad's got his priorities all f*cked up. I just don't wanna be the one to tell him that," Fefnir said, "if he wants to stretch us thin tryin' to chase Zero, then so be it. It's just that we're givin' the mavericks chances to exploit the cracks its puttin' in our security. You know what I'm saying?"

Fefnir co*cked his head, provoking Harpuia for an answer. "Hm."

"Think about it. While that magic card guy was busting our guys' asses here, we were holed up in the office doin' paperwork, makin' sure our armies got the memo about Zero and ID checks! It's ridiculous," Fefnir exclaimed. "Look, I'm sorry to say it, but someone's got to set the record straight with dad. I know it can't be me, but someone's gotta do it."

The rest of Fefnir's men arrived at the pillaged carcass of the freight train before Harpuia could come up with a meaningful answer. Both knew that it was in their best interest to drop the conversation, even though it would linger in their minds for aeons after the words had been spoken.

Harpuia turned away, his voice softening. "I'll ask about deploying a golem unit here. Just sending foot soldiers to these battles may no longer be effective," he said, a little hastily. The soldiers rushed past, searching every nook and cranny of the site for any leftover traps or evidence. Fefnir nodded.

"Great."

"Indeed."

"Just what I wanted to hear," Fefnir said with a stiff smile, biting back the critical thoughts swimming in the back of his head. Harpuia began to make his way out of the station, with nothing of note left to say.

"I'll meet you back at the citadel. We can figure out our next move then," Harpuia farewelled him, swiftly disappearing from view as he took off into a hole in the ceiling. Fefnir stared at the vast, empty sky where his brother had been and let out a long breath.

Eventually, he heaved himself off the lump of concrete and joined the search and clearing force, his men grateful for his guiding hand. There would be plenty of time to contemplate what he confessed to Harpuia after the site was cleared.

With the wall left far behind them, the pristine white city of Central Neo Arcadia had long disappeared behind a skyline of drab, grey concrete towers. Yet, Craft had driven past even the outer sector Zero had familiarised himself with, through the maze of flophouses and tower blocks and out to the very fringes of Neo Arcadia.

They rode across a large, cantilever bridge that passed over an empty canal, the river having long dried up years ago until only dust, rubble and garbage remained as they made their way into the industrial district on the other side. Between factories and warehouses were remnants of warfare left in the form of demolished buildings, concrete reduced to rubble and mangled metal scaffolding twisting against the grey-orange sky. Smokestacks billowed ash, the dark, heavy clouds covering the sun and turning it a foreboding blood red.

It had taken a little longer to reach the industrial district than it would have had they taken the train, but Zero had to concede that they likely wouldn't have made it more than two stops from Central Station before getting caught. What the Resistance soldiers touted at the wall basecamp was true, even when Craft was taking the backroads the entire journey there. There were patrols all over, drones and helicopters buzzing overhead. Zero knew the uptick in surveillance was partly thanks to the recent maverick attacks on refinery plants, but he couldn't help but feel as if he had to shoulder some of the blame. X would be looking for him, and to a point, Zero understood why. Zero had left him too many times before.

They ventured further into the district, the road growing thinner, the asphalt littered with potholes until there was only a gravel path left to follow. The ruined husks of burned cars and bikes lined the sides of the road, their ruined chassis pock-marked with bullet holes from when they had been used as cover by cowering reploids. Ash fell from the sky like snow, coating the few reploid workers that were outdoors in a thick layer of it.

Craft turned into an alleyway behind a steel mill and parked in the shadows of a run-down garage.

[This is as far as we can go by vehicle. Rest of the leg is on foot,]Craft said, his bike powering down. He kicked out the stand and climbed off, heaving the duffle bag full of their armour over his shoulder. He offered Zero his hand and pulled him to his feet when he took it.[Sorry, princess.]

[I'll live…]Zero assured, setting aside the jab. They kept a low profile, hugging the alleyways and sideroads as much as possible. Smoke was thick in the air, the acrid smell of sewer drainage mingling with the sulphuric stench of burning garbage an affront to Zero's keen senses. He took the liberty of dulling his olfactory receptors. Rats scurried away into cracks in graffiti-covered walls as they walked past. The few weeds that could break through the concrete had long ago shrivelled up into brittle, dry twigs that turned to dust under Zero's footsteps. Zero's inbuilt Geiger-counter clicked away, offering him CPM that, although not strictly fatal for a human, was high enough to give him pause.

Craft stopped him regularly, hiding him behind pillars or crouching behind well used sandbag bunkers at every corner. Zero's combat systems buzzed with uncertainty. From between two pillars, they watched a couple ash-covered worker reploids walking across the road, carting away containers of metal scrap. They were herded by a canine mechaniloid, its fangs threatening their heels, and two pantheons flanking them and keeping a watchful eye on their subordinates. When they disappeared, Craft and Zero set off once more.

[Hmph… where are you taking me?]

[It's an old surface city. After the Elf Wars, Neo Arcadia annexed it and converted it to an industrial district,]Craft explained.[It ain't pretty, but it's far enough from central to keep us feeling safe.]

He was testing how far the wordsafereally went. Zero's threat assessment could feel a hundred eyes watching him, their gazes boring into him like pin pricks as RADAR pinged off him, but there was no one around. Absent-mindedly, he dragged his fingertips over the metal railing of a fence they walked by, collecting a thick layer of soot on his fingers. He rubbed his fingertips together, grinding the ash in between them. Craft looked over his shoulder.

[I wouldn't touch that if I were you,]Craft warned,[there's an incinerator plant just up ahead. That's where they take mavericks to melt them down for scrap.]

"Eegh!" Zero couldn't help but vocalise his shock. He quickly dusted himself clean, but the thought sullied his mind no matter what.

[That… isn't right-]

"Hey!"

A man's loud voice cut that thought short. Craft hurried to hide behind a wall, Zero finding refuge behind a pile of rubble. The voice hadn't been speaking in their direction, however, and a cursory thermal scan revealed that it had come from an officer reploid overlooking a group of worker bots. Curious, Zero peeked over the makeshift bunker, finding the officer had pinned down one of the reploids with the butt of his rifle in front of a crowd of his soot and grease coated coworkers. Nearby, there was a crate of E-cans that the workers were lining up for.

"Do you think we're stupid? 'Cause you ain't tricking me.Onecanper reploid!" the officer shouted, thrusting the butt of his rifle deeper between the reploid's shoulder blades, burying his cheek into the dirt. "We ain't running a soup kitchen here!"

"I'm sorry, sir!" the hapless reploid begged, but he received no mercy from the officer. The tall combat reploid leaned down, setting his knee on the nape of the reploid's neck and stifling his pleas, his vocaliser crackling with the strain. The officer snatched two E-cans off the worker's person, stuffing them back in the crate.

"Look around you, sh*t for brains! You think we can afford double dippin'?" The officer stood at his full, towering height, casting the worker in shadow. He got to his knees and wheezed, his voice box crushed under the weight and arms quivering as they struggled to keep himself off the ground. He was gaunt and skinny, his metal skeleton showing through his thin skin, hardly capable of fighting back.

"Please, forgive me! It's just- I have a kid at home and she ain't in good shape, she needs to eat…"

"Well maybe you should've thought things through before you and your good for nothin' wife bred like rabbits, huh?!" the officer scolded, kicking him in the ribs and sending him back to the ground. "Get back to your assignment. I'll have your rations quartered for that."

Zero never tried to let his emotions get the better of him, but he felt fury rise in his chest. He reached at the holsters at his hips and grabbed for his Z-sabre, but his hands met nothing. Resigned to passivity once again, he shut his eyes and sighed, pressing his forehead against the rubble.

[Zero, come on. We've gotta go,]Craft said, urgently waving him along.[There's nothing we can do.]

[Argh… It isn't fair.]Zero's face scrunched in a frown, fists balling up in frustration.[I need to do something.]

[I know it isn't, but the only thing we can do for them right now is stay alive,]Craft said, scrambling over and pulling Zero from his bunker, dragging him away from the scene.[There will be a time where we can fight for them, but it isn't now.]

Soon, the voices of the workers and their overseeing officer had faded into the nonsensical cacophony of industry, Craft's hand holding his wrist tight as he lugged him to their destination. Zero tried not to let it get to his head, but after years of fighting his way to justice, to sit by and do nothing while he was witness to such transgressions ate away at him.

[And if that time never comes?]Zero asked.[Do you think it'll ever get better?]

Craft slowed to a crawl as they stopped at a clearing, surrounded by wire fences and disused garages. He breathed out hard through his vents, unsure of how to answer.

[To tell you the truth, I don't think it will. Not as long as Neo Arcadia stands,]Craft admitted,[not until we can truly end this world and let another grow from its ashes. Even then, as long as we can feel, I fear we will always harbour hate in our hearts. Regardless… We have to do what we can for the people who can't fight for themselves.]

Craft looked down at Zero and offered him a rare, warm smile, one he could barely muster after years of acting as Master X's butcher. He didn't say it, but the thought still rang clear-that's why I fight for people like you.It was fleeting, and the frown returned to his hardened features as he pointed his gaze to the clearing, gesturing Zero forward.[We're here.]

There were a few civilian reploids hidden in the shadows, their clothes ragged and torn and artificial flesh taut over their bones. Their eyes glowed in the dark, wide and hollow. When Craft walked forward into the clearing, they were quick to scramble away. Zero steeled himself, hesitantly following in Craft's footsteps.

[They're just civilians. Lots of reploids eke out a living here in the shadow of Neo Arcadia,]he assured. They stopped at a manhole, the cover sitting slightly ajar off the ground, and Craft kneeled down to push it aside.[Be my guest.]

Zero's frown deepened, but did as he said. He slid into the manhole, grabbing onto the ladder that fed down into the aqueducts. Craft followed, closing the manhole cover above him and diving both of them into darkness. Lights flickered on as they sensed their presence, bathing them in dim, low light as they stepped foot in the water systems.

[You stay close to me. There are feral mechaniloids around, so watch where you step,]Craft advised. Zero stayed close behind, clinging to his side as he led him away into the sewer systems. The drains were dry, only puddles of waste left at the bottoms of them. The lingering stench of industrial pollution and biomechanical waste was enough to make Zero wince. The walls were marred with dried blood stains and burn marks, telltale signs of the past battles that took place here.

They wouldn't remain for long, and Zero would have to thank Craft for that. Craft turned into a staircase leading further underground, where they'd be led to an emergency exit. Whatever was on the door's label had been eroded from years of neglect, and the lock had been torn off its frame. When Craft pushed his way through, they found themselves at a long abandoned subway platform, the train, a pre-Elf War model, had long since been stripped for its useful parts and the skeleton left on the rails to rot.

[Should be close to the assembly point now,]Craft said. Zero ran his finger over the old train's chassis, drawing a line into the dust and cobwebs that coated its exterior. Underneath was the Somali flag, the single white star on an ocean blue backdrop standing out like a beacon of the old world against layers of disrepair.

[Feels nostalgic, in a way,]Zero said, lingering at the sight for a moment before following Craft. They made their way up an obsolescent and broken escalator, where they ended up at the shopping centre that once housed the station.[Reminds me of how things used to be, before the Elf Wars. To think I'm one of few who remembers what this place once was…]

[I wish I knew. Neo Arcadia has been all I've ever known,]Craft confessed, heaving his way over the station's long disused fare gates.[I can only imagine what it was like, to live in a bountiful world.]

It wasn't perfect, but it was better than what they had now. Though the maverick threat loomed like a storm cloud over the old world, they at least had the Earth's natural riches to rely on. That reservoir had since run dry. Zero leaped over the fare gate and followed Craft into the ruins of the shopping centre and past empty, diverse storefronts that once serviced millions, now left to decay in the ground below Neo Arcadia. Most of the store offerings had been looted, but when Zero passed by a newsstand, he noticed newspapers still sitting in the rack, stained with water damage, but legible. He plucked it off the shelf and dusted it clean.

On the front cover was a sight all too familiar with Zero- a city reduced to rubble, twisted, weaving metal reaching into the dark sky towards a red sun. The article was written in Somali, but Zero's translator algorithm quickly went to work.50% of mankind eradicated-10 billion feared dead in grim report from the UN as reploid death toll climbs to 74%.

The date lined up with an Elf Wars era publication. Zero sighed, fingers flitting through the pages of the paper and opening it to a random page in the middle. He blew off the layer of dust to reveal the haunting image of a mushroom cloud, taken from a distance in the sky. The accompanying headline readThe latest casualty of the Elf Wars– 62% of United States' landmass reported lost to nuclear warfare.

Zero dipped his head and let out a sombre hum, reliving that day in his head. The Maverick Hunters had escaped from their North American headquarters when the sirens first sounded, but there were still so many who couldn't. Death of such an unimaginable scale was still difficult for Zero to really comprehend.

It was all born from him, in the end- the Maverick Virus, the Dark Elf, even Omega's existence. So many innocent lives, lost to creations born of him. Causing such devastation was in his nature, and he had to wonder if there was anything he could do to pay the world penance for him.

[Zero?]Craft called for him, stopping ahead when he realised Zero was no longer following. "Zero!"

Lost in his thoughts, Zero had neglected the warning sirens of his threat assessment programming. He jolted to attention, dropping the newspaper and veering around, coming face to face with a swarm of spider mechanoids, skittering towards him and descending from the ceilings from their web nest.

Zero cried out in astonishment, stumbling back. Against his better judgement, he didn't run, but reached for a Z-sabre that wasn't there as he did so many times before. If Craft wasn't there, he'd be paying for his recklessness.

When one of the spiders leaped at him, Craft lunged forward, grabbing the mechaniloid out of the air and tore it in half by its spindly limbs. He hurled the carcass at the descending spiders, knocking them off their webs and sending them tumbling back, buying them time to turn and run.

"Son of a bitch, they're gonna start swarming!" Craft cursed, hurrying Zero along. Zero took the hint, sprinting away alongside Craft deeper into the derelict shopping centre as the hoard of spiders grew larger behind them. "Stay with me. Can you keep up?"

Zero panted with effort, his whole body feeling weighed down by the restraining bolt around his neck. It felt like his legs were made of lead, his vents were like stone, unable to keep the air moving through his systems at this speed. His internal system checks were telling him his energy reserves were depleting fast as they outran the spider swarm, dying quickly like an old, overworked battery. "At this rate? N-not sure…"

It felt like they were going in circles, running through the maze of corridors. They couldn't keep this up, for the hoard was only growing greater and Zero grew ever tired. There was no escape- all the entrances had been sealed by fallen rubble, and the only way out was through the swarm and back to the subway.

"sh*t!"

Craft slid to a stop, Zero coming to his side as they ran straight into a dead end. "Get behind me!" Craft commanded. Zero didn't need to be told twice, taking cover behind Craft as he caught his breath, leaning against the wall, his stomach turning and his world spinning as delirium overcame him. He was running on fumes already.

With nothing else to protect himself, Craft squared up, the mechanoids crawling closer until they were in pouncing distance.

"Argh, stupid bugs!" Craft roared, kicking the closest few away, the fragile mechaniloids shattering into bits and pieces at the force. What they lacked in durability they made up for in numbers, and no matter how hard Craft fought against the endless wave, they just kept on coming. He stamped the ones at his feet into shrapnel, punching the ones that leaped at him into smithereens, but it wasn't enough to resist their overwhelming presence. They crawled up his legs and pounced onto his chest, their fangs ripping through his clothes as they tried to pierce his sturdy frame.

Craft was being backed into a corner, but he still did everything he could to stop the swarm from reaching Zero. It would only be a matter of time before they'd break through his diligent defences.

No way we're dying here,Zero denied. He collected his thoughts and, in absence of a real weapon, lobbed rocks and rubble at the spiders as hard as he could, hoping to buy Craft some relief from the relentless bots. Still, he was inching further and further back into a corner, the warbot unable to pry the drones off him faster than they were latching onto him. They were firing balls of silk at his wrists and ankles, pinning his hands and feet to the ground with the flimsy yet sticky webbing, slowing him down even further despite his best efforts.

Damn… there's too many of them!Zero admitted to himself, watching helplessly as the mechaniloids crawled over every inch of Craft's massive frame. Craft growled with adrenaline fueled anger, thrashing like an untamed bull and smashing his sides into the wall to crush the spiders latching onto him, leaving oil stains running down the concrete. The waves never seemed to end, and they were creeping closer towards Zero.

Craft kept them at bay when he could, but he couldn't keep it up forever. His skin was thick, but without his armour, the spider mechaniloids that lingered on his frame managed to drill their razor sharp fangs through his flesh, drawing blood and keeping a sturdy grip on his frame. It was the first time Zero had seen Craft bleed.

Without a miracle, Zero was sure they stood no chance of getting through the swarm, not unless they braved rushing straight through them. At that point, Zero was seriously contemplating trying.

The piercing shriek of a buster firing rang throughout the empty shopping centre, the hallways lighting up with plasma fire as someone came through and cleared the hordes of spider mechaniloids like bushfire burning through a dry forest. The spiders focused their aggression on the new adversary, offering Craft relief from their attacks and giving him time to rip all those that had latched onto him off his chassis, crushing them in the palm of his hand. He revelled in the sense of retribution over the mindless drones as they crumbled to pieces in his hands.

With the spiders taking their attention elsewhere, Craft rushed over to Zero, kneeling down and grabbing onto his shoulders, still wound up from the adrenaline coursing through his systems.

"Are you okay?" Craft asked, ripping away the fibrils of webbing left on him.

Zero gawked. "Areyouokay? You're bleeding all over."

"I'm aware. You're burning up," Craft pointed out. That was true, Zero had neglected his rising internal temperature in the frenzy, but now he couldn't ignore it. His systems were primed to collapse, and he needed to stop and rest if he wanted to stay conscious.

As it was, however, that just wasn't feasible at that moment. Zero let out a long exhale through his vents, steam following the scalding hot air that he jetted out.

"You need to see a mechanic," Craft said, a concerned strictness lacing his tone.

"I'm sure. It's this damnthing…" Zero tugged on his collar. He shook his head and wiped the sweat on his brow, before looking out to the shopping centre, finding a sea of destroyed spider mechaniloids, the smell of molten metal thick in the air. The remaining spiders scrambled away, leaving the underground in silence once more. Through the smoke was the silhouette of their saviour, their buster still glowing hot through the haze. "That buster… it's X, isn't it?"

Craft looked to the person who saved them, squinting, before his eyes grew wide. "No. That isn't X."

"Hello?" the person called out. Her voice was high and youthful, to Zero's surprise. She trudged through the mess of dead bots, her form growing clearer and clearer until Zero could make her out in her entirety. She was a girl, looking anywhere between 14 to 16. A reploid? A human? Zero couldn't tell. She seemed to have features of both- her body augmented to the point it was more machine than flesh and bone, but underneath the pink armour, a human heart still beat. She stopped in her tracks when her gaze met Craft's, her jaw falling open in amazement. Craft beamed at the sight of her, like she was the first person he wanted to see.

"Ciel!" Craft exclaimed, getting to his feet and outstretching his arms. The girl- Ciel, laughed with glee, the buster in her arm retracting and giving way to a hand, and bounded into his arms, hugging him tight. Zero nervously stepped back and gave the two some space.

"Craft! You're alive!" Ciel cried out, squeezing him tight. "I thought you were a goner! Our inside guys said you were seen alive but I didn't believe them, I thought you were dead for sure!"

She stepped back, holding him by his forearms, like she was testing if he was really there. "How? How'd you get out?" She co*cked her head, looking him up and down with narrowed eyes. "You're not a newtype tricking me, are you? Tell me something only Craft knows."

Craft rolled his eyes and let out a rumbling laugh. "Neige is an aquarius. Look, it's a long story. I can tell you everything back at base," he answered, "there'll be more bugs where those came from."

He kicked away the carcass of a spider mechaniloid. Ciel sighed and nodded. "Of course. Let's get out of here."

She let him go, before noticing the pale, skinny, exhausted blonde reploid taking refuge in his large shadow. "Who's that?"

Craft looked over his shoulder at Zero, who looked like he had seen a ghost. "Ah, I can explain later, but that's Zero."

Ciel must've thought he was joking at first, her brow creasing and smile widening into a bemused smirk. There was no way the sickly, feeble reploid at his side was Zero. Still, she gave him a good look, scanning him thoroughly and making Zero's threat assessment flare.

When her assay concluded, she leaned back in shock, brow disappearing behind her blonde fringe. "Oh my god, itisZero…" Ciel muttered. She slowly approached the warbot like he was a wounded animal. "Craft, you're insane. Did you kidnap him or what?"

Zero broke his silence. "No. I came here out of my own volition," he said, "I need your help."

Ciel stared at him for a beat, unsure of what to make of the request. When Ciel compared a scan of his face to Zero's past records, they matched up nearly perfectly. All that differed was that the reploid she was looking at now was a husk of his former glory, all artificial skin and mechanical bone.

"He saved my life," Craft explained, "when I was being tried, he demanded X spare me in exchange for my complete servitude to him. I owe him my help."

Ciel remained silent, thinking through her choices. Her eyes flitted back and forth as she stared into Zero's blue-violet gaze.

"Hm… how can I be so sure?" Ciel had to ask. "I'm sacrificing a lot if I lead the state here."

Craft gave it a thought, then shrugged. "I suppose I can't prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that it isn't, but I assure you, it isn't. At least, I hope it isn't. Zero's promised to fight for us, just as I did all those years ago." he said. "He needs your help to restore his body to what it was before. He's been fitted with a restraining bolt, think a CNS-fixed lock. You and your lab are the only people I believe could help us remove it."

Zero clasped his hands together in his plea. "I know that to you, I'm just another spineless Neo Arcadian oligarch, but I need your help. You're the only people I have left to turn to."

"Zero's had it rough, Ciel," Craft said, backing him up. "It isn't safe for him in Neo Arcadia. X has been hurting him, believe me."

Ciel conceded at that, and bowed her head in solemn sympathy. "I see. I suppose I trust you, Craft. Don't make me regret this." She looked to Zero and stepped aside, making way for them to leave the dead end. "If that's true, I guess it'd be cruel of me to leave you at the mercy of him. Any victim of Neo Arcadia's reign is a friend to the Resistance. Follow me."

Zero let out a heavy sigh of relief. He took the opportunity, leaving the alley to follow in Ciel's lead.

"It's an honour to meet you, Zero. I've read so much about you in the history books, to see you in the flesh– it doesn't feel real. Like all those statues came to life," Ciel said. "It's just– I didn't expect it to be like this. My name's Ciel. I'm the leader of the Resistance."

"Leader…" Zero mumbled to himself. He wasn't expecting to see such a young face. "I should thank you for saving us. We were finished without you."

"It's no trouble for me. Those things can be vicious, especially if you're unarmed," Ciel assured, walking ahead purposefully. Ciel and Craft walked side by side like old friends as Zero trailed behind, still weak and light-headed from his depleted energy reserves.

"I had a peek at your halo-brain, Craft. I'm surprised those Neo Arcadians kept your mind intact," Ciel said to the large warbot. "Considering you defected before, I would've thought they'd turn you into a drone, or at least cut your vocaliser."

"I told them not to," Zero cut in. "I'm not that kind of person."

Ciel gave him a wide-eyed stare, before her lips quirked into a warm smile. "I knew you weren't. I appreciate your compassion, Zero, especially for someone the state paints as a Maverick," she said, "it's rare to find in Neo Arcadia…"

Zero knew it all too well. "Mmh. I guess an apology's in order, though…" He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

They headed down a spiral staircase, wading through murky, ankle deep stagnant water. "Eh? What do you have to apologise for?" Ciel asked.

"Everything. I made a mistake, leaving X a century ago," Zero answered, "I never would've imagined it'd end up like this. I'm sorry, for everything. X became a monster because of me, and now the world is paying the price for my selfishness."

Ciel shook her head. "Don't be. What X has become is… is nobody's fault but his own," Ciel consoled. Her voice wavered on the last few words.

She stopped at the remains of an old server room and cracked open the metal doors. "Though, to be honest, there's so many things I want to ask of you, Zero. I'm sure you have a lot of questions for the Resistance too." She opened the door for them, letting them through. "It's probably best we get out of here first."

Within the server room were rows of headless computer systems, thickets of tangled wires hanging lifelessly from ports that hadn't seen use in decades. No lights came to life at their entrance, the three resorting to sonar to see through the shadows. Ciel led Craft and Zero down the halls of servers, trudging through dirty, grey water until they found refuge at a door at the opposite end from the entrance. It was fastened to its hinges a lot tighter than every other door they'd come across, a sure sign that it had been repaired recently.

When Ciel flicked on the door's lock terminal, the console monitor bathed the room in a deep blue glow. While she input a litany of passcodes, Craft turned back to Zero, noting his breathing had grown laboured, his balance wavering with each perilous step through the treacherous underground.

"Zero…" Craft placed a hand on Zero's shoulders, checking his vitals with an internal scan. Zero shuddered, feeling his analytical gaze creep under his skin. "Your energy reserves are critical. You're at risk of collapsing before we even get to the transerver."

Zero didn't need him to tell him that. "I have a secondary energy cache…"

"It won't be good on your systems if you abuse it," Craft warned. He reached under Zero's knees as his other hand drifted to support his back. "Come here."

"What– Craft, I can handle myself…" Zero insisted, though the strained raspiness in his voice betrayed him. Craft didn't care what Zero thought, and he collected the weakened reploid out of the water and into his arms, cradling him gently like a prized possession. Despite his sensitivity, Zero was not enthused by any stretch of the imagination. Unable to make much of a fuss, he settled with making a low growl from the depths of his respiratory vents.

"You're lucky I can't fight back," Zero murmured.

"Yeah, yeah.You'relucky I'm not letting you pass out in this sewer water." Craft harrumphed. "You're as stubborn as Neige."

Ciel wiped the amused grin off her face as she unlocked the gates, the doors sliding open and leading to a small staircase leading upwards that granted them refuge from the dirty water pooling at their feet.

The staircase led into a small transerver room, clean, compared to the rest of the underground. The walls were absent of cracks and moss, and the lights overhead were bright and alive. The door shut behind them.

Ciel flicked open her wrist terminal, walking over to the transerver console and switching it on, the console coming to life with a whirr. Zero groaned, exhausted, unable to keep his head up. He leaned on Craft's wide shoulders, eyes growing heavy as his energy reserves neared terminal levels.

"Hello, this is XLN-028, that's X-ray, Lima, November 028, Ciel speaking. Hey, Jaune? Could you get me a temp-code for server U-02 to base, thanks?" Ciel spoke into her PET, her hand hovering over the console. As the operator recited an alphanumeric code to her, Ciel looked over her shoulder to see Zero slowly nodding off in Craft's arms. "Hey, if it isn't any trouble for you, could you clear the halls on the way to my unit? Don't make a fuss, but I've got Craft with me, and... Yeah, I know! But I've got Craft and a very important Neo Arcadian refugee with me and I don't want the guys to panic. Send Roci and a complete ELEM line, too, these guys could use some medical help. Thanks a million, that's all."

She shut her wrist terminal and punched in the transerver code. She waved Craft ahead.

"Get Zero an IV. I'll staple you shut later," Ciel ordered. Craft snickered, stepping into the transerver platform with Zero slumped in his arms, not yet asleep, but his eyes threatening to flutter shut.

"Thanks, doc," Craft said. "It's good to see you again."

Ciel gave a soft, warm smile. "Good to see you too, big guy."

She activated the transerver, and the two were gone in a flash, space warping around them as they were transported away from the decrepit underground. When their world settled, they opened their eyes to a clean transerver room, much like ones Zero had seen in Neo Arcadia, but lacking the air of grandeur that the citadel had in droves. It was dull, in a way, a typical base of operations- all grey fibreglass panelling and flashes of blue light from the monitors surrounding them, but there was life creeping through the militaristic atmosphere with leaves and vines crawling up and down the walls.

There was a single operator manning the transerver room, though there was a second unoccupied seat opposite her. When Zero locked eyes with the blonde operator reploid, she took a moment to suss him out, before the colour drained from her face, eyes hidden behind a visor widening and pushing her brow up behind her parted fringe.

"...Zero?!"

Zero tried to speak, but the words failed to form in his vocaliser. His world was getting increasingly blurry, his vision failing him in waves, the sounds of machines around him muffled like he was underwater. Ciel warped in behind him.

"Well, here we are," Ciel announced, outstretching her arms. "Welcome to the Resistance, Zero."

The doors to the rest of the base parted for them, where people he didn't know rushed to his aid. He was being carried away somewhere, his body poked and prodded by strangers who only ever knew him as a piece of history and more pressingly, as an enemy. He was on their turf now, and if they did anything to him, there was no way he could stop them- he was on the knife's edge of systems failure. As they walked him through endless dark corridors some place deep underground, in a strange military base Zero couldn't seem to locate by GPS, he had to wonder…

Am I doing the right thing?

There were voices around him, but they were slowly becoming unintelligible, their words all braiding together in knots of sounds. His world fell into darkness soon after, exhaustion overcoming him.

"WHERE IS HE?!"

X entered the citadel foyer like a raging bull, shoving aside the crowd of soldiers that had since aggregated there upon the call for bolstered security. In a second, the men were as quiet as a funeral procession.

"Where isZero?!"X roared again, his frame encased in his angelic white combat armour. His wings flared with his temper, casting his men in a wide shadow. "Did I not make myself abundantly clear during this morning's notice?! Master Zero wasnotto be left to roam Neo Arcadia unsupervised! Not ever, and especiallynot now, not when maverick terrorists are infesting every little square inch of this goddamn city! I don't care if he has his maverick pet with him! I don't care if he says he's not going far! You were given orders! It'snot good enough!"

He took a second to collect his thoughts. "Again. Let me make myselfveryclear, and listen carefully this time. Every single one of you will be held culpable for whatever happens to him out there, just because you were too f*cking incapable of stoppingone singlereploid fromwalking out these doors!When he's kidnapped and tortured and murdered by those terrorist animals, I want you to know that it will beyour fault."

The crowd quickly parted to make a path for X. As he neared, the soldiers bowed, getting to their knees and looking to the ground. Anything, as to not meet his gaze, burning as hot as hellfire. The weight of his footsteps and the clatter of his armour sounded through the hollow foyer, the air thick with tension and X's tangible aura of anger.

X stopped in front of the unit's captain. He was tall, with boxy blue-green armour. A powerful figure amongst his troops, but he quivered with fear in the shadow of the king.

"You…"

Just X's voice was enough to make the soldier flinch. He leaned down and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him off the ground with a punishing grip. The commander wheezed, feeling his air intake and vocaliser compress under the intense pressure.

"Your unit was assigned to Citadel entrance security this morning. Tell me, soldier. How did this happen?" X drilled.

"Ahkk-M-Master X, I'm sorry, I- argh, I don't know… I swear, it was a mistake! There's just– too much going on and-"

"I should kill you right now for your incompetence," X growled. "Your task was simple enough, and still, you failed me. How can I trust you with the protection of this city if you can barely protect one reploid?"

He huffed, dropping the soldier, the combat bot's legs crumpling under his own weight. X's gaze darkened, his brow furrowing. "You've grown soft…" he murmured, his tone thick with cruelty. "Then go. You will not rest until he's found. Understood?!"

The soldiers got to their feet and let out a chorus of hoorahs, speaking not a word of resistance. That was, except for one, a tall but thin reploid with a mess of black hair and a scar that split his face into halves.

"I apologise, sir… But… you have to agree with me that there has to be more important things to be focusing on, sir. The mavericks are growing stronger and more numerous by the day, Master X. We ought to be focusing our security efforts on thwarting the rebellion, for the betterment of all of Neo Arcadia," he argued with a small, faltering voice. His fellows steadily drifted away from him as X slowly crept towards the wayward soldier. "I'm sure Zero is fine, sir. He has no reason to betray us. He'll come back."

X didn't say anything. The foyer was deathly quiet, sweat beading on the back of the soldier's neck. X looked away, taking in a deep breath and holding it, before closing his eyes and letting it out slowly.

His hand disappeared into his arm, giving way to a burning white beam axe that burst from his buster cannon. In the span of a heartbeat, X swung his axe at the outspoken warbot, the plasma blade effortlessly shearing through the width of the reploid's chest and severing the soldier in two.

The crowd were too stunned to so much as gasp, but their silence spoke volumes. The soldier's halves fell to the floor in a heap, sparks sputtering from his exposed internal wires and deep red blood spraying from his fuel lines, raining down on his nearby soldiers.

X sheathed his beam axe back into his buster, his hand returning to its rightful place in lieu of his cannon.

"Now…" He whipped around to glare at the crowd of soldiers that cowered in his presence. "Does anyone else have a problem with myleadership?"

There was a nervous shuffle as they stepped back, looking meekly at each other and shaking their heads. There were a fewno sir's andnot at all'swhispered from the sea of men, but most were too shaken up to speak, their leader's fury gnawing away at any boldness they had left. X's snarl gave way to a pleased, but deeply cold smile.

"Good. Now go on, find him! You're no use here," he commanded with fearsome authority, his smile disappearing in lieu of a frown, "search the inner city first. I will send a morecompetentunit to search the outer sectors. Don't rest on your laurels. If you fail to find him here, you will join them in their search. Don't leave any stone unturned. Raid people's homes if you must." His brow creased, anger festering in his heart. "Don't disappoint me again."

The unit was quick to take the hint, and without question, they were scrambling out through the grand citadel entrance in a frantic stampede. Soon, the foyer was empty, the glistening anteroom quiet and spotless again, save for the still twitching carcass at his feet, wires still cracking and sizzling as the last few involuntary nerve signals fired through him. Alone now, X came to realise he was breathing hard and heavy, blood burning in his veins, his jaw tightened and fists clenched.

He stopped to settle himself, shutting his eyes and drifting away for the moment, letting his muscles go lax and letting the tension in his chest leave through his breath.

"Master X!"

X snapped to attention and turned around, finding Harpuia and Phantom rushing in his direction. They came careening to a halt when they saw the vivisected remains of a soldier. Harpuia grimaced, and the colour in Phantom's face drained. The air general cleared his throat, looking aside to recollect his thoughts.

"Father," Harpuia began again, standing upright and saluting.

"My sons…" X greeted, warm and inviting, but severe nonetheless. "Ah, sorry about this. There was an incident.I've taken care of it." He nudged aside the soldier's carcass with his boot. "I trust you've analysed the tracking data on Zero's GPRS belt?"

It was a kind way of saying collar, and all three knew it. Harpuia bowed his head.

"That's the thing, sir. All recent tracking data has been corrupted," Harpuia solemnly reported, acutely aware of the fact that it was the last thing X wanted to hear. X's brow rose.

"Have you checked Craft's?" he asked. Harpuia nodded.

"Yes, sir. Same on his end."

"...Urgh… To think I refused to use his tracking data until now... Have you tried recovering the backups?"

"Indeed. The entries on our contingency data banks have been compromised. Phantom was unable to reconstruct the lost logs. We could keep working on it, but I'd say our time would be better spent elsewhere."

"Mmh. Did you investigate the surveillance footage?" X asked.

"High throughput facial recognition came up with nothing of note," Harpuia answered.

"How about body cam? Dash cam?"

"All police footage was included in our preliminary scan."

"Seriously?" X huffed passive-aggressively, laughing in barely contained frustration. "All those drones in the sky and we can't even find two reploids."

X groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "That… how is this happening? Our data security is supposed to be impenetrable," he lamented. "First the Supra-force metal, then Zero, and now this… we just can't let this happen again. As I see it, we've been compromised. I need a list of everyone with full access to our confidential data servers. Phantom, get your interrogation unit to process all possible candidates. Treat everyone like a suspect. There's a maverick insider in our ranks, and I need thempunished.I'll wager a guess his maverick pet has a hand in this. Urgh, I was stupid to let him live.." he waved the thought aside. "Harpuia, I need your eyes in the sky. I'll have Fefnir take over the Golem deployment in the outer sectors for you. Leviathan has enacted a dusk to dawn curfew for all civilians. If you find any reploid unaccounted for, you're to detain them.Ah,look, just focus on finding Zero."

Harpuia and Phantom jolted upright, chins co*cked in the air. "Yes sir!"they yelled in unison.

"Good. At least I can always count on you two," X said. He crooked his fingers, beckoning them in closer. "Look, Zero is not a threat. You know that, I know that, I think most of those soldiers know it. At least not physically. It's not about that. It's about the message it sends, hear me? Our forces have no reason to lose against the mavericks, but right now, they can barely stop a nosebleed. They don't haveconfidence. If the mavericks have Zero, they will. Even now, their attacks are getting more and more daring. We cannot allow them to be so bold, lest the people's trust in our command falters. Understand?"

Phantom and Harpuia nodded vigorously. X bowed his head in confirmation.

"Excellent. Make me proud out there." He patted them on the back and let them leave, the two generals scrambling away to see to their tasks.

When they were out of earshot, X let out a deep sigh, shaking his head. There was no one left to occupy his thoughts, just the dead body at his feet and the stained glass murals of Zero and himself, their grand portraits staring down at him with lifeless judging gazes.

"Got buzzard's luck… can't kill anything, can't find anything dead," X muttered to himself. "Zero…"

The sunlight shining through the stained glass windows was coloured red, yellow and blue, Zero's crimson visage bathing X in shades of him. The mosaic eyes were dark, his stare cold and calculated, but somehow, his Zero's image still brought X a sense of reassurance. Even now, when he felt as though he was about to slip through his fingers like a fine mist. X swallowed.

"What do I have to do to get you back, huh?" X asked, as if the windows would answer. "What happened to us? All of this was for you…"

He looked at his feet, feeling his emotions lodged in his throat. "Now what am I supposed to do?" he asked, the words feeling thick in his chest. "Why don't you just tell me if you don't want to be with me? Why do you have to lie to me? You've made this so hard for yourself."

Of course, the mosaic wouldn't give him any of the answers he was looking for. When he looked up, Zero's image stared back at him, lifeless. He rubbed his face, a growl rising from his throat, gritting his teeth and huffing in frustration.

"Zero…" he recited. "Zero, Zero, Zero…"

X narrowed his gaze. "I remember when I wasn't strong enough to stand up to Sigma. When I told you I was scared, that I couldn't do it, you told me something. Never stop, never quit, no matter what the world says you can do. What I thinkIcan do. Even if I wasn't strong then, I will be. There would be a time when I wouldn't be scared if I just kept going. Well I ain't scared now. Not of you, not of what I can do either. And I know you must be angry at me. You've gotta be in a lot of pain. I know it. And I feel alright about it. I do. I do…"

He lifted his hand to the sky, fingers splayed out, until it covered Zero's visage. Slowly, he closed his palm into a fist over the window.

"I get it now. I have another chance. I'm not letting you go again."

To Hidden Phantom, the Neo Arcadian data centre was like a second home to him.

It was here where mountains of data came to rest. Where their satellites beamed radio back to, where seismic surveys reported back to. Where they kept a list of documented civilians. Where they maintain tracking data. Where they determined where resources could be diverted to. Where it was stated who was to be considered a maverick. It seems like that list was growing longer and longer every day.

It was protected by many and accessible to few. The data stored inside was understood by even less. Data analysis was a lost art for many. Just one of many artforms that had been lost in the mess of the Elf Wars.

The building was cold. -20 degrees celcius to be exact. The air was dry to prevent water and ice damage.

Phantom stood at the server anteroom, checking himself in past DNA locks. Security officers stopped him at the gates and clocking his halo ID. He was let through, when his ID matched his cassette. New generation reploids had been rendered extinct years ago, but survivors were bound to slip through the cracks, and so, Neo Arcadia was required to screen any new gen ID mismatch. Phantom knew it wasn't that simple. Axl had taught him how to obscure his halo years ago.

Axl was dead now. Phantom was sure that Neo Arcadia assumed his knowledge died with him. Yet, information never died, not in a world dominated by artificial intelligence.

Information didn't die, but it could be buried alive. At least, until someone cared enough to dig it back up. There weren't many in Neo Arcadia who cared, not when most were more interested in surviving another day.

That was why Phantom was here. A secret was a heavy burden to carry, but it was one he would have to shoulder if he were to help Zero.

Phantom loved his father, and to betray his trust was eating away at him more and more each step he took towards the Supermax server rooms. On the elevator ride down, he pondered the words Zero spoke to him. That he was not just a machine built to serve Neo Arcadia, not just a tool for his father's ambitions, but a person, and a person capable of making his own choices in pursuit to influence the path the world would follow. His entire life to that point had consisted of living as a reflection of his father's desires, and he had been so blinded by his desire to make X proud that he had lost sight of what was right for the world.

He hated that it took Axl's death and Zero's suffering to make him realise that. He couldn't bear to remain idle for much longer. He had to sever the chain X had Zero on, whether that would change the outcome of anything.

The high security server rooms were locked behind several layers of security- passcodes, biomarker checks, ID scans. At the end of the road was a single reploid guard, standing dutifully on watch with his rifle held flush against his chest.

"General Phantom!"

He saluted stiffly. Phantom nodded, and the guard fell at ease again. "What business do you have here, sir?"

Phantom shook his head as he punched in an ever-changing access code. "Classified. Won't be long. Is anyone else visiting?"

"No, sir. Why?"

"Security purposes."

"I see. Well, you know the drill, make sure you record your visit in eLabs."

Phantom hummed an ambivalent affirmative before leaving the guard behind in his wake, the doors shutting with a reverberating bang. The lights came to life in rows above him, the sounds of bulbs buzzing and the humming of computers filling the room.

Rows and rows of server cabinets stared him down, monoliths of Neo Arcadia's stringent surveillance state. He knew exactly where he needed to go, for he had been thinking of doing this for a while. Ever since Zero had confided in him following Axl's death.

He stopped in front of a server cabinet, one sitting inconspicuously at the end of an aisle, and used his authority key to override the cabinet's locking software. It was protected by one last layer of security- a simple padlock. Phantom kept his keys in 4D storage.

Phantom cast a wary glance around the room as he unlocked the server rack. The endless rows of server cabinets obscured his remote sensors, the racks casting shadows in his LADAR, their constant heat emission making thermal imaging impossible. The only sign of a witness he could be on the lookout for was the sound of their entrance.

He pulled out a server rack and flicked open his wrist mounted terminal. He unspooled an D-sub cable from his inbuilt console and plugged it into the server, physically accessing it by way of remote connection. Indeed, within the server was Neo Arcadia's individual tracking database server, where records of civilian locations were maintained, beit from tracking devices or data mined from personal devices.

Phantom spent most of his time alone in his room. His siblings assumed he was occupied with the many research tasks X had assigned him. Finding the Resistance's homebase, for instance.

Craft and Zero's tracking devices were denoted by a string of numbers that meant nothing to the average Neo Arcadian official. Even his own trusted intel corp often had to study an identification tree to analyse their tracking data. Phantom had been gifted accelerated learning and a photographic memory, though he had to admit, it was in lieu of much social tact. In the chase for information, enabled by his father, he had forgotten to consider if what he was learning was for a just cause.

The truth of the matter was that Phantom knew where the Resistance base was. He had for a while. It was in the outskirts of the Outside Lands, near what used to be the Kenya - Somalia border in the underground ruins of the Badhaadhe district. A sizable distance from Neo Arcadian territory, but nothing that couldn't be reached in due time.

In his free time, Phantom had designed a trigger that obscured incoming data from tracking device clients, rendering them incomprehensible noise by the time it was stored in the database. He injected it into the server, waited for a minute for their devices to update their location data, and breathed a sigh of relief when a new row of complete nonsense appeared on their location log sheet, with zero footprint to indicate he had any hand in the matter.

He unplugged the connection, reset his terminal and removed the trigger from his own personal documents. For peace of mind, he remotely connected to the database server for the centre's visiting logs and removed any traces of a visit at the current time.

The Resistance base was all but invisible. They emitted no discernable signals, couldn't be detected by seismic survey nor underground utility survey, and when observed by drone or satellite, no activity or signs of life could be observed. Still, when Resistance members disappeared into their transserver system, they'd have to go somewhere. That somewhere could be determined with enough scrutiny.

X would've loved to hear it. Yet, despite everything, Phantom was not going to tell him.

The doors closed behind him as he left the server room, addressing the guard with a gentle bow of his head.

"Welcome back, sir. Everything went well?" he asked.

"Yes," Phantom replied curtly.

"Good. Remember to record the details of your visit in eLabs. Have a good day, General."

Phantom stopped mid stride. He slowly looked over his shoulder and co*cked his head at the guard. "Say, could I ask a favour of you?"

It caught the guard by surprise, the soldier's lips drawing to a line. "Ah, s-sure, sir."

"Thanks. Come here for a minute."

He beckoned him over with a wave. The guard followed his orders nervously, and Phantom cupped his head between his hands gently. He steadied his breath, shut his eyes to collect his thoughts, and set two fingers over his forehead, right against his AI core.

Phantom cleared his throat.

"Authorisation code X-12282- FULL INTEGRATION - MEMORY CACHE ABLATION, HALO, DURATION 600 DEGREES."

With that, he stepped away. The guard blinked the blurriness from his eyes like he had just woken up, before jolting at the sight of Phantom right in front of him.

"General Phantom! I'm sorry, I didn't notice you."

He gave a stiff salute, the same one he gave him when they first met. Phantom gave him a cursory look up and down, before leaning back, feeling a glowing sense of triumph swell in his heart.

"I don't mind. Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Do you remember if I visited this server room today? I feel like it's slipped my mind."

"Huh? No, no sir. You haven't been here today."

'...That worked!' he thought to himself. 'I must thank you for your research, Iris. Wherever your spirit resides...'

"Hm. Well, that's all I wanted to ask you," Phantom said, turning around again. "Thanks for letting me know."

He promptly left for the exit, double checking if he had left anything unaccounted for in his head. The guard stepped forward, reaching a hand out to ask for his attention.

"Sir. Were you planning on doing anything here?" He asked. Phantom shrugged.

"No. Just had to make sure of something," Phantom replied.

The guard mulled it over for a moment, but in the end, he just accepted it as one of the mysterious general's many odd behaviours. "Ah, Alright. Have a good day, sir."

Phantom gave him a kind smile before he departed, the researcher within infinitely pleased to find his readings on Iris' centuries old halo manipulation studies were worth something. A reploid with a weak grasp on his sense of self was increasingly susceptible to halo reengineering. It was why the Dark Elf managed to corrupt so many. Maybe wiping someone's short term memory wasn't the most ethical thing, but Phantom had done much worse. Besides, he knew he wasn't capable of doing anything more complex than that. He still had much to learn when it came to his halo brain.

Regardless, he was gone from the data servers, his mission accomplished. The tracking collars would send back nonsense, letting Craft and Zero roam free if they so desired, their location lost in corruption.

Phantom wanted to do more, but he couldn't. He was X's son. He had to remain, for he was one of few who could help change things. He had to fix things. For himself, for his siblings, for Neo Arcadia. For Zero, who reminded him of who he was, and what he could be.

He couldn't sever his own familial ties, but he could cut Zero free. Even if it meant betraying everything he ever thought was right.

Just like a phantom, he disappeared from the data centre, leaving not a trace in his wake.

Chapter 13: Chapter Twelve

Chapter Text

Early morning sunlight poured through silk curtains, bathing X’s living room in a warm, golden wash. Alone, he stood at the kitchen counter, taking in the early morning glory, setting aside his duties for the time being to rest his soul and gather his thoughts. He was alone, his quarters quiet save for the soft thrumming of a coffee machine and a radio broadcasting the news softly on his desk.

His helmet sat idle on his work desk, a hologram monitor set to his alert inbox that gradually filled up with the events of that morning. He ran his hands through his silvery-blonde hair, fingers catching in the last dark brown locks he retained from his glory years.

Dark coffee trickled from the machine into his mug, the rich, earthy aroma wafting through his quarters. He brought it to his lips, flinched when it burned, but took a hearty sip of the bitter fluid nonetheless. He leaned over the counter and looked out to the city, absentmindedly tapping his toe against the hardwood floor. Early morning dew shimmered on the lush green terraces that coated the peaks of skyscrapers, vines crawling down their impressive heights and embracing them like emerald branches. He tugged at the overgrown stubble on his chin.

“Hey, Mikhail.”

There was an electronic warble as his home automation system came online.

‘Yes, X?’ came its stiff, robotic voice.

X took a sip before replying. “Who’s playing tonight?”

‘SynTech Jackalopes will be hosting the CIViC Cardinals at 7:30pm on NBS.’

X pouted, swirling his coffee around in his cup. “No football?”

‘That is tomorrow.’

He set his mug down and looked up with a puzzled frown. “Really? I thought it was Sunday already,” X said. “Well, what’s my schedule look like tomorrow night?”

‘General Harpuia wishes to meet with you to discuss the Pilgrimage II expedition at that time.’

“Could you reschedule?”

‘Harpuia is not available for any other time that day.’

“sh*t. Record the Sunday night game.”

‘Done. Would you like anything else, X?’

"...How about breakfast? Two eggs and a slice of toast, will you?"

"Mmh, make a plate for me, too."

X snapped upright and turned around, finding Zero joining him from his bedroom, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. X's gaze nervously flickered around, swallowing hard and wetting his dry lips.

"Zero?"

His partner joined him at his side, offering a reassuring, loving smile. X felt conflicted, he knew well that Zero should be upset with him, and yet, he offered him company as though nothing had ever happened. He had a thought to ask Zero what had changed, but he decided against it. He would cherish this rare moment of intimacy, and he melted into Zero's warm, comforting presence, frown falling away in way of a pleased smile.

No matter what, Zero always looked so perfect, even when he had just gotten out of bed. His silky hair was a frayed mess, dark eyes half-lidded and heavy, and X loved every part of him.

"Good morning, sunshine," X greeted, resting his head against Zero's. Zero leaned into him, chuckling with endearment.

"G'morning," Zero mumbled. In the background, the mechanical arms of X's home system worked away at their breakfast in the kitchen. "Didn't make coffee for me?"

"Ah, I–" X stopped. –Didn't know you were there didn't make sense. Of course he knew Zero was there, he had slept in his bed that night. "Didn't know you wanted one."

Zero made a coy laugh, before shifting, pressing up against X's back and wrapping his arms around his waist.

"Of course I wanted one. Long day today.”

When he thought about it, X didn’t really remember waking up at all. Zero set his chin on the crook of X’s neck, nuzzling into his collarbone and letting out a content sigh.

“Really?” X asked.

“Yeah. Busy.”

X snorted a laugh. “And what exactly has you busy these days, Zee?”

He could feel Zero’s lips form a smile against his shoulder. “Don’t you remember? It’s Axl’s birthday today. We still haven’t gotten him a present.”

In that moment, X’s blood ran cold, a frigid talon grasping his every nerve and squeezing tight.

“...What?”

Zero made a perplexed electronic chirp. “Hm?”

“What are you talking about?”

X looked into his reflection on the benchtop. No red eyes stared back at him. An old android, with hazel-green eyes and long brown hair, dark like umber with flashes of grey, hanging from his head like the branches of an overgrown willow tree, was gazing back at him.

“Axl’s birthday. Don’t you remember?”

X stepped away from the table, casting nervous glances around the room. There was no room left, only an endless expanse as dark as the darkest night skies. X turned around in a panic, the flurry knocking Zero away from him.

“Zero, you don't…" the words caught in his throat. "Axl’s dead.”

Zero stared at him for a beat with a distinctly vacant look. His dark grey eyes that were once so pretty now imparted a hollow emptiness, like X was staring into cold Arctic waters. Zero’s lips quivered into an amused smile, and he made a soft, sly laugh.

“Of course.”

Zero slowly stalked towards him. X felt compelled to back away, but no matter how fast he tread and how slow Zero walked, Zero managed to close the distance between them.

“Zero…?”

“I know. I remember.”

Zero reached out and snatched X’s forearms, yanking his arms outwards and holding him still. X couldn’t seem to muster up the strength to pull away.

“I don’t–”

“I don’t mind. I know you never wanted him.”

X swallowed. He had compartmentalised everything to the point where he had forgotten what Axl meant to him. Axl was a maverick, a terrorist, the enemy. Axl was his son.

It didn’t hurt to see him on the ground in a pool of his own blood. Why could he feel tears well up in the corner of his eyes? Zero’s hands were warm around his arms, a black, viscous fluid pouring from where he was holding him.

“You didn’t really want kids. You just wanted an excuse to have me to yourself. Tie me down with children so I’d never run away.”

X looked at his feet. He knew that, but he was too selfish to bear hearing those words spoken from someone else’s lips.

“It's okay, X. You missed me.”

When X met Zero’s gaze again, those dark grey eyes were gone. A barren red stare bore into him.

“This– you–”

“You missed me because you needed something you could hurt.”

Omega laughed.

“D-don't touch me, you crazy bitch!”

“Don't forget, this belongs on your hands.”

Weil's siren dragged his hands down X’s arms, wringing his wrists and hands and fingers until he let him go, having painted his arms and hands in blood.

“No… you don’t understand anything!”

X stared at his hands with wide, roving eyes, his breathing too fast and too shallow, his heart racing in his chest. He paced away until his boots stepped into a pooling body of blood.

In his frenzy, he stumbled backwards over a carcass, dazed and confused as the world distorted around him, his vision blurring and seeing double. When he came to his senses, he realised he was on the ground, cheek to the floor in a puddle of blood, still warm. His gaze met Axl’s dead eyes, lying down face to face with his dead body. His jaw hung open, once bright green eyes glazed over in a grey haze, his frame littered with bullet holes that ceaselessly trickled and bubbled with blood.

“N-no, This isn't real. I know it isn’t! You can't hurt me, Omega.”

X scrambled away, his breath hitching in terror.

“Poor thing. Always so down on your luck. Life was just never kind to us.”

“Get away from me!”

Omega crept closer as X got to his feet, heaving and quivering, dread washing over him like an oppressive mist.

“You know you don’t belong here.”

Consumed with a profound fear that neared debilitating, X activated his buster and aimed an unsteady shot at Omega, his arms quaking and numb.

“You belong to me.”

X let out a desperate, primal yell, shutting his eyes and turning away as he blindly fired a charged shot straight through Omega’s heart.

A heavy silence followed. X mustered up his strength and slowly opened up his eyes again.

At his feet was his own body, laying lifeless with a hole in his chest. His red glare lost its lustre.

X stared back with hazel-green eyes. The black hair hanging off of him wasn't his own.

From behind, he felt a cold hand grip his ankle and pull him down into the deep.

“Master X!”

X returned to the waking world with a jolt and a gasp, still feeling the lingering sensation of fingers grasping at his leg.

It was the morning, and he found himself sitting at his desk. His breath was still laboured, heart still thumping so hard in his chest he could hear the pump of blood in his head. X reached to feel his face, grabbing his overgrown locks and ensuring his hair was still the same silvery blonde colour he went to sleep with. The radio broadcasted the early morning news from somewhere in the room, and his helmet was still sitting beside him.

Harpuia’s voice speaking over his intercom had woken him up. He would have to thank him later.

“Sorry, Harpuia. I, uh… was asleep.”

“Ah. Um, please let me in, father.”

X was still in such a stupor, it took him a while to realise that Harpuia had spent the better half of his morning requesting his permission to enter. He alone had filled up most of his alerts. “Right…”

He was still dizzy, a bitter taste lingering in his dry mouth. His head throbbed with a mild but nonetheless tense ache. X unlocked his door from his computer and a sheepish looking Harpuia promptly joined him in his living room.

"Good morning," Harpuia greeted. He slowly co*cked his head and squinted, taking a better look at his father. "Are… you well?"

X was sure he looked like sh*t. He rubbed the fatigue from his eyes and combed his fingers through his hair. "Fine. Must have passed out here last night." He looked at himself in the reflection of his computer monitor. "Had a weird dream though. Almost felt real."

He could still feel the nightmare crawling underneath his skin, his arms still prickling as though they were coated in blood.

"Good or bad?" Harpuia asked.

X shrugged. "The only dream I ever have."

It didn't clear it up in any way, but Harpuia wouldn't prod at the issue. "Well, unfortunately, Zero still has not returned. However, we've released the helmetless images of Craft and Zero to the public, and we've already come up with a convincing lead. A group of civilians out in South-West Sector C came forward with information, saying they had encountered Craft and Zero in the underground redlight district. It appears they have taken on a civilian disguise." Harpuia offered X a datapad, showing a blurry screenshot of two reploids, backs facing the cameras, leaving some train station in the Outer Sectors. They were heavily dressed, with thick jackets and long trousers, obviously moving in a way to hide their faces from the prying eyes of surveillance cameras. Of course, X knew that long mane of blonde hair like the back of his hand.

"Moreover, we've already confirmed that they had been heading towards Grand Central Station that day, and the times those sightings were made line up neatly with the South-West Sector train line schedules, so we have grounds to believe the claims of these witnesses. We've already started combing through recent surveillance footage from that region with a high resolution facial recognition assay and begun interviewing the security force assigned there. We've already begun piecing together their movements. With luck, we can predict where they may have gone."

X handed Harpuia back the datapad. "Hm. Good work."

Harpuia took a moment to reply. He looked a little disappointed with his helmet wings drooping so, like he was expecting higher praise for his efforts. "...We will be leaving to interrogate the witnesses shortly–"

"I'm going with you."

X tucked his hair back and slipped his helmet back on, his helm latching on with a solid click before he got to his feet. Harpuia stepped back, a little exasperated.

"Ah, that won't be necessary, I promise. Our people have everything taken care of," Harpuia assured, but X wasn't moved.

"I said I'm going with you," he said again, more firmly this time. Even if he wasn't needed, he needed something to get his mind off of things. Besides, Zero was his, and he had to take charge of finding him. Wallowing that he woke up alone despite having him back changed nothing. Harpuia made a sigh of resignation, and bowed his head in submission.

“Very well…” he conceded, leading the way for X to follow.

Before they could get anywhere, X had to ask a pressing question that had been bothering him since he had woken up that morning.

"Harpuia, what day is it today?"

Harpuia peered over his shoulder with an impassive look about him. "Saturday, sir."

Just as it was in his nightmare. He felt his heart sink to the pit of his stomach.

"Why do you ask?" Harpuia asked. X swallowed through his nerves and shook his head.

"Ah, just curious," X explained. "Jackalopes and Cardinals are playing tonight, aren’t they?"

Harpuia turned and continued to walk away. "You'd have to ask Fefnir or Leviathan. I don't follow sports."

He left without another word. X let his shoulders loosen up with a long, quavering sigh. The haunting memory of blood being drawn over his arms, Axl's lifeless, clouded eyes, Omega's frigid laugh tormented him, his heart still racing and panic still constricting his chest like a cold rope wound tight around his core.

X wiped down his mouth, the stiff hairs growing above his lip and on his chin digging into his hand. If Zero were here, he would’ve teased him about the scruffy look.

The golden rays of the early morning sun burst through the curtains, the vivid Neo Arcadian skyline glistening with dawn’s dew. X could barely catch his reflection in the window, hidden in the shade of the curtains.

Master X, who saw his world through red eyes, wondered if he really was the same person as the wiry man in the glass, staring back with a weary hazel green stare.

"You have to be the luckiest person on this planet. I hope you know that."

Craft was laying down on a stiff examination table as Cerveau took a surgical stapler to his many wounds. The bed was uncomfortable, it smelled so sterile it made Craft sick, and the lights were glaringly bright overhead, but it was familiar. It was what he called home for so many years.

He has been accosted by Ciel and Neige, the two women sitting by his bedside as Cerveau tended to his injuries. When they had first reunited, Neige hugged him at first, then cried a bit over his return, and now, she was back to her usual, critical self. Not that Craft would dream to have it any other way.

"That was really stupid, what you did back at the brig," Neige said, as Cerveau continued to staple Craft back together. "You're a charmed man, Mr. Fenrisúlfr."

His pain sensors had been dulled a bit. It had the added effect of making him a little woozy. "Yeah. Hey, it worked, though… you're still here."

Neige huffed, shaking her head. "It could've easily not worked," she said, "just… try not to do anything that stupid again. I would've never forgiven myself if I inadvertently got you killed."

"Can't make a promise I can't keep. Besides… might be a bit too late for that," Craft said. "I'd say running away from Neo Arcadia with Zero is a pretty stupid decision."

Ciel, who had been quiet and looking rather pensive the entire time, looked up at the mention of Zero and Neo Arcadia. “Neo Arcadia's been looking for him… it's all over the news. I fear it's only a matter of time until they realise you've taken him to us."

"Hmph. X has already come to that conclusion. I assure you," Craft insisted. "As far as he’s concerned, everyone's out to steal Zero away from him."

"...It's gotten worse, hasn't it?" Ciel asked. "X… Neo Arcadia."

"It's worse than I've ever seen it," he said, "I think X is realising Zero doesn't share his vision. He's not taking it too well. He knows he can't change his mind, so he's doing everything he can to pacify him, short of just turning him into a drone…"

Ciel pursed her lips, looking aside as she mulled over her thoughts. Neige crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair.

"So… did you uncover any interesting scoop while you were living it up in X's ivory tower?" She asked. Craft made a thoughtful hum.

"Not really. I was Zero's servant. That's all," Craft answered. "I was never going to be regarded as anything more than a traitor there. They didn't trust me. I guess I've given them reason to, now. This was what X was afraid of after all; some big, bad Resistance terrorist, taking away his waifish, helpless partner."

"Yet it was Zero who demanded you to bring him here," Cerveau interjected.

"Sure. X would never hear it. He'd just say I'd brainwashed him, or that Zero just wasn't thinking straight, hibernation sickness and all," he said. He lazily turned his head towards Neige. “That’s besides the point. If you want my assessment of the Neo Arcadian government, I’d say everyone in that citadel is feeling mighty wound up right now.”

Ciel co*cked her head, leaning in with piqued interest. “In what way?”

Craft made an uncertain noise. “Just is. You know? When you’re in a room with a bunch of people who don’t get along but they have to pretend they do. It’s what it feels like,” he explained, “with the Guardians, the Judges. I think we all know X is being unreasonable, but good luck telling that to him… but I don’t know, it’s just a hunch.”

“...I see,” Ciel said. “Well, perhaps Zero may be so kind as to offer us more insight when he wakes up."

"I still find it hard to believe that he is in our midst," Cerveau muttered, thinking out loud. "Zero, the Zero, choosing to ally himself with us? I thought the day would never come. There must be so much he can tell us about the old world… things even Axl couldn't have known. It feels unreal, like I'm seeing an angel or something."

"Indeed. I just wish we didn't have to sacrifice so much when we first tried to recover him…" Ciel lamented. "I suppose all we can do now is take this opportunity and work from there."

"Well, that's life. I'd be more surprised if things didn't go our way at this point." Cerveau set down the stapler, having finished the job. Craft would be stuck there a little while longer, waiting for the painkillers to wear off.

"So… what should we do about Zero then? Tell the others about it?" Neige wondered.

"...We would have to ask Zero what he wants," Ciel said. "We shouldn't overstep our boundaries. It's up to him. Even now, though I'd guess we'd all agree that it would be a blessing to have Zero fighting for our cause, we can't expect that of him. If he just wants our help to escape Neo Arcadia, then we have to treat him as fairly as we do with all our asylum seekers."

"Tch, and that collar complicates things," Cerveau added, giving his tools a wipe down. "If what you believe is true, Craft, then if he wanted to fight for us, X made sure he couldn't."

Craft knew that. Still, it infuriated him to think about. It was wrong to keep such a powerful and formidable reploid on that tight of a chain. It would give out eventually, it was just a matter of whether Zero or X's leash surrendered first.

"I'll have to think about what to do about Zero," Ciel said, getting to her feet. "Let's agree to keep it a secret for now. We don't know what Zero wants just yet. The Resistance might not take too kindly to him, either..."

"You won't hear a peep from me," Cerveau assured. "Let me know when he's up. I'll take a look at that collar for him."

"Thanks, Cerveau. Get some rest, Craft," Ciel said. "I'll be in the command centre if you need me."

Neige gave her a small wave goodbye as she departed the room. When the door closed, she turned back to Craft with a sly smirk.

"I just can’t believe you sometimes. I was losing sleep worrying about you, buddy. You’re gonna make my hair go grey, I swear…” Neige said again, resting her chin on her hand. She wanted to cry, for she had cried every night, stricken with a guilty mind and struggling to think that she could've been the reason why Craft was dead. Yet, all she could do was laugh. “You’ve got a very generous guardian angel looking down on you, big guy.”

Craft made a tired, breathy chuckle, folding his hands over his chests and leaning back on the examination table. “I know. You should thank him. His name’s Zero.”

After being holed up in X’s tower for so long, Zero had gotten accustomed to humming the same tune every day. Despite the luxury he was so graciously endowed, he didn’t get much sleep in his vast, empty bed.

Zero woke up slowly. It was a struggle to open his eyes, his lids heavy as he blinked away the blurriness afflicting his vision. His HUD came to life in stages as his internal systems booted up again, the small, accompanying whirring of computers running softly buzzing in his head before fading away again as his auditory sensors tuned it out.

He had woken up from the best sleep he’d ever had in his very brief recent memory. Despite the uncomfortable bed, he felt refreshed, both physically and mentally. It was like he had shed a weight hanging from his mind and soul, despite the collar still latched tight around his neck holding him back from truly moving forward from the life forced upon him.

There was an IV embedded in the back of his hand and his vitals were being monitored by a clamp on his finger. It was hooked up to a console on the IV pole that beeped rhythmically. Slowly, he sat up, rubbed his eyes, and took stock of his circ*mstances.

He was in someone's living quarters, that was for sure. He was set up in an opened, capsule-shaped pod that was more akin to a table covered by thin cushions than anything that could be considered a real bed. He was hidden from the rest of the room by a drawn, dull pink curtain. Despite the signs of life- a computer sitting idle at a desk under a loft bed with tousled, unmade sheets and an empty, stained mug set beside it, Zero was alone in that room.

He hung his legs over the side of the pod, combing his mess of hair back with his fingers. His armour had been arranged in a neat pile near his bedside. Whoever this room belonged to, it didn’t seem as though they were returning soon.

Zero got to his feet and pulled the curtains aside. His balance wavered a touch before he steadied himself. Carefully, he grabbed onto the IV pole and wheeled it around as he explored the bedroom.

A cursory attempt at locating his rough position on the map failed. All traditional EM signals failed to escape wherever he was, and likewise, failed to get in, his sensors detecting no transmissions at all. At least, he knew it was a little before noon in Neo Arcadia, though without a sun to judge, Zero couldn’t be sure if the same could be said wherever he was.

He wandered past the computer, giving it a thorough inspection. The desk was covered in loose notepads and paper towels with scatterbrained notes messily scrawled over every inch of them. Zero tapped the keyboard, the dim monitor coming to life a moment later.

It belonged to Ciel. On her lockscreen was a picture of herself and a small, child-aged reploid, with long blonde hair and straight bangs over her eyes. He tried to access it, but there was a password ahead of him. He decided against trying to crack it, letting the computer idle long enough until it fell asleep again.

He meandered around, peeking at everything he could without explicitly invading Ciel's privacy. She had a large bookshelf opposite her bed, lined with countless binders with faded labels and books with loose sheets of paper peeking from within their pages. Near the top was a thick, plastic binder with the words THESIS written on a strip of masking tape plastered on its spline. Zero plucked it off the shelf and flicked it open to the first page.

The emblem for the Reploid Integration and Organisation Trust was printed on the top of the page. In the middle was the title; Drawing from the Dimension of Possibilities: Understanding the Reploid Halo Brain and its Applications.

It was a draft, but Zero flicked through it. Instantly, he found it far exceeded anything he understood about the subject matter, even with Iris' propensity to go on about it lingering in the depths of his memory. He closed it and set it back where he found it. From within its pages, small loose leafs of paper fell, scattering at Zero’s feet.

“Damn it…”

As to not disturb the needle embedded in his hand, he slowly squatted down to collect the small sheets. He paused when he caught a glimpse of a picture on the other side.

Zero took the papers and got up, tapping the pile on the surface of the bookcase to straighten them out. He sorted through the photographs one by one.

There he was. X. Not the X he had come to know; the Neo Arcadian king, the tyrant, the warlord. Not Master X, but X. Just X.

With armour the colour of a stormy sky, accented by highlights of vibrant, yet cool and comforting shades of patina. A few locks of hair hung from the brim of his helmet, a brown so dark it was black in the shadows. His gentle eyes were the colour of spring grass with invading brown streaks.

Zero could feel his emotions well up in his throat, his breath catching. X was carrying a human infant in his arms, swaddled in a soft, woolly blanket. She had fuzzy blonde hair and big, azure blue eyes. Ciel.

If he could, Zero would’ve cried. It was too much for him to take. Master X’s mistreatment of him had clouded his feelings so deeply that he had forgotten how much he really missed what they once were. He missed X. He missed how safe he felt when he was with him, how he made him feel valuable. For all he was concerned, his X was dead and gone.

The photos told a story of Ciel’s young life. First she was a helpless bub, then she was crawling, then she was walking. Then she was tinkering with whatever machines she could get her hands on, intense curiosity encoded into her very genes. Then she was at the feet of the Guardians, their faces much younger and their eyes much brighter. Zero managed a sombre laugh at Phantom’s awkward smile and Harpuia’s endearingly grumpy frown. Fefnir and Leviathan seemed to be inseparable from the start.

Then she was graduating from her Master’s Degree. She couldn’t have been more than twelve. In her long black gown and cap, she happily stood next to a similarly proud Axl, presenting her certificate from the RIAOT with a beaming smile. In his heart, Zero was struck by conflicting agonies in the crushing pain and incomparable joy of seeing his son’s beautiful face again. His auburn hair was a mess, as it always was, and his smile could light up the darkest night.

In the final photograph, Ciel presented her Doctorate. She didn’t look as happy as before, a little more tired with dark eyes. She was sixteen, maybe. She stood next to a reploid, middle aged, with receding spiky black hair that was quickly greying and a visor covering his eyes. They were graduating together.

The sound of footsteps approaching tore Zero from his reverie. He snapped to attention, quickly slotted the photographs next to her thesis, and made his way back to his bed before the doors opened.

Ciel walked in, with a companion following close by. The same reploid who graduated with Ciel, now with a fully grey head of hair and clad in the same forest green uniform the rest of the Resistance donned. When Ciel noticed Zero sitting up, she gave him a warm, welcoming smile.

“Mister Zero… you’re, um… you’re awake!”

The doors closed behind them. Zero stared blankly at her. After seeing her grow up so quickly in such contained snapshots, it felt a little surreal to just make small talk with her. He tried to return the smile, but it was a touch on the strained side.

“...Yeah.”

Ciel stared back, opening her mouth to say something, but it just never came. She laughed nervously, looking down at her feet and scratching the back of her head.

“Ah, I swear, I’ve been thinking about what I was gonna say to you if I ever met you for so long. I totally had one loaded in the clip, but it just…” Ciel made a rolling gesture with her hand, like her thoughts were gone with the wind. Zero let out a soft laugh.

“It’s alright. I’m not that special, anyway,” he assured. Ciel shook her head.

"Oh, but you are… you're–" she paused, unable to really put into words what she was thinking. Even without his armour, even when his artificial muscles had atrophied so drastically, he was like no one or nothing she had ever seen before. He was Zero, someone she had read so much about, to the point where he was more like a storybook character than a real person. Someone who took down the most dangerous of global threats with elegance, wit, skill and agility the likes no one had ever seen before, and likely ever would see again. A legendary war hero. A curious case in the field of the halo brain. One of the two founders of the new species that were reploids. A relic from centuries ago, the magnum opus of a fabled mad scientist. The only person who could hope to stand a chance against X. Her first attempt to wake him had been Ciel's last desperate hail mary against Neo Arcadia.

"...I'm just Zero," he assured. Ciel nervously looked back and forth between him and Cerveau.

"Ah… well, either way, I’d like to welcome you to the Resistance. We shelter reploids who have been unfairly persecuted under Neo Arcadia’s reign and help them escape the city. It’s an honour to have your support, Zero… it’s like a dream come true.” Her eyes glimmered with joy. “You've already met me. I'm Doctor Ciel. I'm a former research lead at the RIAOT with a focus on accessing the realm of the halo brain. But, uh, of course, now I'm the Resistance leader." She gestured to the reploid beside her. "This is Doctor Cerveau. We- ah, studied together at the RIAOT. He's our head engineer and doctor."

The man- Cerveau, smiled and bowed his head in greeting. Zero returned the smile and waved.

"Craft told me you wanted me to take a look at that collar," Cerveau said.

"Yes, I did,” Zero said, his fingers coming to softly brush over his neck brace before he turned back to Ciel. “Did… Craft tell you anything else?"

"Only what he could tell us," Ciel answered. "But I've heard enough to know you have suffered, Zero. I'm sorry to hear of what has happened to you. Nobody deserves such abuse, especially a hero like you…"

Zero had the thought to insist he did deserve it, but he held his tongue. Cerveau walked over, a clean toolbox in his grasp. He was a little bit taller than Zero but thin, his cheekbones hollow and his hooked nose was slightly crooked. He took a scanning glance at the monitor tracking Zero’s vitals, looked back at Zero, then back at the monitor.

“Just had to get you on a line. You weren’t in good shape,” Cerveau said, taking the clamp off Zero’s fingers and turning off the monitor. He opened his toolbox, revealing a litany of medical tools and supplies. “If you’d like, I can give you a medical check up too. Have you had one recently?”

With a cotton swab in his grasp, Cerveau took Zero’s hand, carefully unhooking the cannula from the needle in his hand and in a smooth, swift motion, removed the syringe. He covered the pinprick with the swab and drew a strip of medical tape over it to keep it in place. As Cerveau worked, Zero couldn’t help but recall the many times he’d been poked and prodded like a labrat in the past.

“...No, I don’t think so,” Zero answered after Cerveau was finished. “So, sure. Go ahead.”

Cerveau clipped his toolbox shut and got up, lending Zero a hand to help him off the side of the bed. “Excellent. Follow me to my office, sir.”

With nothing to object to, Zero set off with the two, Ciel’s doors opening to the corridors of the base. It was quiet where they were, the sounds of their footsteps on the metal panel floors echoing off the walls.

“Where are we?” Zero asked, looking around with his risk assessment protocol on high alert. The lights were dim, the hallways were clean and sturdy, yet vines and weeds crept through the thinnest cracks between fibreglass, metal and plastic walls. The corridors were eerily quiet.

“The Resistance base,” Ciel answered. Zero had already come to that conclusion, but…

“I suppose you can’t tell me where we are exactly,” Zero assumed. Ciel made a sheepish laugh.

“Well… I do respect you, Zero, but I’m sure you understand where we’re coming from in that decision,” she said. “Either way, all you need to know is we’re far from Neo Arcadia, if you’re worried about that.”

Zero made a hum of confirmation. “I understand,” he said. “You’ve got an impressive operation going on here. No signals coming in or going out. Can’t locate where I am on the globe. It’s like you’re invisible.”

“Mhmm, that’s the goal,” Ciel said. “Your instruments wouldn’t pick up our transmissions. We’ve designed a novel system. That, and we do much of our communications in person. There are advantages to housing a bunch of exiled scientists, heh…”

“I see. Interesting,” Zero said. “Where’s Craft?”

“Familiarising himself with his old friends,” Ciel answered. Neige came to mind for Zero. He had never met her, and yet, he felt like he knew her already. They boarded a lift and descended to the bottommost level.

The basem*nt floor was an engine room, and it was here where Cerveau’s office resided. It was a small room, and when Cerveau unlocked the door, Zero was introduced to a room that was equal parts messy as it was organised. A special kind of chaos that made sense to the mastermind, and none at all to the unenlightened. The sickeningly saccharine stench of phenol hit him like a punch to the face.

“If you would be so kind, sir.” Cerveau gestured to an examination table. Zero shrugged, resigning to his fate and getting settled onto the bench, sloughing off his jacket. The doors closed and locked shut. Ciel sat on a chair close by to watch.

“I hope you don’t mind… there’s so much I wish to ask you, Zero,” Cerveau said, setting up his tools and equipment. “To have you in our company… it’s… I can’t even begin to describe it. I never thought I’d ever get the chance to meet you. I guess it's like getting to meet a saint in real life.”

Zero made a thoughtful hum. With all the murals of past wars adorning the ceilings of the citadel like a cathedral, the stained glass portraits of him and X, the statues, the utter devotion of the Neo Arcadian citizens to their war heroes and saviours… Zero supposed their status was reminiscent of deities and idols and other religious figures, once the backbone of society and since lost to history.

“I don’t mind,” Zero assured. “I concede that I’m a unique patient.”

Cerveau let out a hearty but muted laugh. “You don’t mind if Ciel’s here for this?”

“Not at all,” Zero answered. Cerveau smiled graciously for a moment, before grabbing a tablet and pen.

“Good. You drink or smoke at all?”

“No,” Zero answered succinctly. Cerveau noted it down.

“Are you up to date with your vaccines?”

“I don’t know.”

“Alright, I’ll record that as a ‘no’,” Cerveau said. “Any pre-existing conditions we should know of? Concerning medical history?”

“I was patient zero of the maverick virus if that counts.”

"Well, I suppose it does… used to have colleagues who did work on that," he made a note. "...now, given your records, it's just something I have to ask, so please answer honestly. Are you pregnant?"

Zero made a sour face. "...No."

"Alright. I'm going to do some physicals now." He pulled a scale from under the bench. "Stand here, please."

When Zero did as told, the scale read 54.3 kilograms after fluctuating a bit. Zero grimaced, he could only imagine what that number really was; he still had much of his armour still equipped and that heavy collar on his neck.

"...Ah, hmm. Well, please stand by this wall," Cerveau motioned to a stadiometer.

"Ugh... Did I really lose that much weight over my hibernation?" Zero wondered as he stood on the measuring platform. Cerveau pulled the sliding piece down to the top of Zero's head.

"It's entirely possible. Still, I would've expected you'd have at least gained some of the weight back…" Cerveau said. "I'll have to see how that restraining bolt is impairing your body's homeostatic pathways. 176 centimetres."

"At least that's stayed the same," Zero lamented, sitting back down. "I was never that heavy… but..." He trailed off.

"We'll do everything we can to help," Cerveau promised. "Do you mind if I take a blood sample? Just want to check your nanoparticle levels for any aberrations that would explain your condition."

"It's fine." He outstretched his left arm for Cerveau to wrap a tourniquet around. Ciel watched closely from her seat. Though she freely spoke her mind, it was difficult for Zero to read what she was thinking. Cerveau poured Zero a cup of water and handed it to his free hand.

“Ciel, while I'm here, can I ask you something?” Zero asked. “Two things, really.”

Ciel’s brow rose. “Of course. You can ask me anything,” she said, before adding, “...within reason, that is.”

Cerveau swabbed the inside of Zero’s elbow. “This’ll hurt a bit.” Cerveau plunged a needle under Zero’s skin. Zero’s threat assessment flared, but he overrode its alarms.

“Are you a human?” Zero asked. Ciel took a second to process the blunt question.

“Um. Yes, I was,” Ciel replied. “I was part of a government genetic engineering program. The state hoped they could design the problem solvers of the future. I was one of the few successful products of that project.”

Cerveau filled a tube with blood, capped it off, and labelled it. Zero felt a little woozy. “...Was?” Zero parroted.

“I was human. I’ve augmented my body to the point where I’d be hard pressed to call myself human,” Ciel replied. Zero co*cked his head, recalling the way Dr. Weil had replaced his flesh with circuitry and metal until he could no longer be recognised as a man. The thought sent a chill through Zero’s blood.

“...What brought you to do such a thing?” Zero asked. Ciel thought about it, then shrugged.

“I guess it just became a necessity for my field of work. As humans, it’s tough to visualise the higher dimensions, where the halo brain and cyber elves reside. I designed a device that allowed me to collapse those dimensions to a dynamic three dimensional cross-section. I had to augment myself to integrate that device into my body. It just snowballed from there.” Her arm retracted and revealed a buster, reminiscent of X’s own. “Now that I’m the Resistance leader, I realised my human flesh limited my ability to preside over this movement. It’s not something I regret, really.”

Cerveau took another sample from Zero’s veins. He took a sip of water. “That’s quite the technical feat,” Zero said. Ciel’s cheeks flushed with the praise.

“Aw, thanks,” she said gratefully. Cerveau took the needle from Zero’s arm and pressed a swab on the prick.

“Keep pressure on this,” Cerveau instructed, taping a bandage over the swab and undoing the tourniquet.

“The second thing…” Zero continued, “what happened to X?”

There were many answers, and Ciel didn't know which one to start with. Instead, she took in a deep breath, leaned back, and exhaled the tension twisting into knots in the pit of her stomach. “I know what you want to hear, but I can’t tell you for certain, Zero. Maybe it was the pain of losing you reaching a crisis point. Maybe the responsibility of nourishing a broken world back to health weighed too heavy on his shoulders. Maybe he was just angry at the world for taking everything from him. Maybe he really thinks he can fix the world by culling its population, I don’t know. It's probably a sum of all of these things. It’s been a hard past hundred years,” she answered. Zero's spirit visibly dampened.

"...I assumed as much already, to tell you the truth. Stupid as it sounds, I was hoping that maybe… I don't know, it was the Dark Elf, or he was being brainwashed or blackmailed. Something that would've proved that X couldn't be so cruel, that this isn't him," Zero admitted. "But this is him. No one else is making him do this..."

"If only things were that simple," mused Ciel. Zero slumped his shoulders.

“I never should have left him…” he muttered, grief and guilt tangled in his heart. “I never thought he could ever be so cruel. I was naive. I’m sorry for all the pain and suffering I’ve caused from my mistake. I… I took the easy way out, and now Axl… he's dead because of me. A lot of good people are.”

“Zero, even if you were there for him… well, sometimes, people just change. The Elf Wars hurt both of you,” Ciel consoled. “Time changes everyone. Even good people, like X. Sometimes in small ways, sometimes so much you wonder if they're the same person. I… I knew him, before he changed. We were witnesses to his pain, and we didn’t do anything. We didn't notice it. We took his kindness for granted. We let him suffer until suddenly it was just too late. That’s how life moves, sometimes. So slow, you don’t even notice it, then everything moves all at once until time begins to blur, and then suddenly, it's over, and life slows to a crawl again.”

Zero sighed, looking at his feet. Maybe X’s downfall was inevitable, no one could shoulder so many years of pain and suffering. Cerveau set Zero’s blood samples in a crate.

“Alright, let me take a look at that collar of yours,” Cerveau said. He looked through all the drawers of his cabinet and pulled out a gun. “This is just a topographical scanner.”

He went over the surface of the restraining bolt with the gun, getting a good scan of its surface.

“Ah, this is Doctor Mills’ allotrope work. Such a shame that this sort of materials engineering marvel was wasted on building restraints,” Cerveau mused. “Let me check how this thing’s wired to you.”

He ejected a memory stick from the scanning gun and plugged it into his desktop, furiously tapping his keyboard until the monitor lit up. Zero kicked his legs onto the bench, leaning back on the examination table and staring off into space. “...You think you can take it off?” Zero asked.

Cerveau made an unsure noise. “Doctor Mills worked in pursuit of engineering superhard carbon allotropes. I’m afraid he was caught in Neo Arcadia’s justice system. He protested against his work being used in this sort of way, and he paid the price.” He unspooled a cable from his cabinet, plugged it into his computer, then plugged it into a port in the nape of Zero’s neck. “I suppose with enough force, we could break it off, but if this bolt is truly fixed to your central nervous system… Well, that would do more damage than good. Do you give me permission to override your system firewalls?”

“Do what you need to do,” Zero ceded.

“You can kick me out at any time. I need to see how this collar is fixed to your internals…” Cerveau said. He pulled up a chair and got to work, hunched over his computer. “I’ll be a moment.”

Zero stared blankly at the ceiling, holding his cup of water limply over the side of the bench. Ciel fiddled with her hands, looking downwards.

“What was it like?" Ciel asked, "before the world ended?"

Almost in an instant, so much came to Zero's mind that it was overwhelming. Green meadows, clear blue skies, cool autumn afternoons, spring rain hammering the roof at night as he drifted off to sleep… those little things that the Elf Wars stole from the world. He couldn't quite make the words out to describe the feeling. Ciel and Cerveau were children of Neo Arcadia. They would've never basked in the glory of a generous Earth.

"The world was kinder," was the answer Zero mustered. "It was never perfect before… but it could get close. There were things to look forward to. We dreamed about the future and what it would bring. There was hope." His face grew sombre. "After the Elf Wars, I feared that there would be no future. If there was, it would be a cruel one. It's… in part, why I sealed myself away a century ago. I had been responsible for so much of the pain and suffering in the world. I couldn't bear to keep hurting X. I realise now that it was the wrong decision…"

Zero looked aside, forlorn.

"There is so much I failed to appreciate it when I had it, but now that it's gone…" he trailed off. There weren't words that could pay tribute to those things. The shimmer of wheat when the summer wind blew over. The amber sun setting over a glistening ocean. When the streets of Abel City got covered in petals in spring. The laughter of children playing in the lush, green parks while flocks of doves in their path fluttered away. X's warm smile. "We were lucky. I took peace for granted. It was easy to do so when you lived your whole life as a soldier." He turned back to Ciel, the girl's eyes wide and glowing, enraptured by the thought of such a world. "It's all gone now. X has tried to capture the glory of it in Neo Arcadia, but it's gone. We have to move on."

“...What was X like, before it all happened?” said Ciel after a measure.

Recalling the man X was- the man Zero fell in love with so many years ago, it stung like a rose’s thorns, his chest tightening with bittersweet nostalgia. “He was everything I wasn’t. He was powerful. So powerful. And yet, he chose to be kind. That takes true strength,” he said. “When I charged forward into the battle, he stayed behind to care for the injured. He wore his heart on his sleeve so effortlessly, he wasn't ever ashamed of his emotions. He always treated everyone as his equal, even the greenest of rookies. He never let anyone fall behind, even if there was nothing he could do to help them.” He brought the cup of water to his lips when his voice hitched, pushing down the thickness in his throat.

“He was always so unsure of himself, but that was his greatest strength,” continued Zero, “he was so… human. I…”

He set his jaw before he continued, considering his situation. “I loved him. He made me feel safe, made me feel significant. Even now, after everything he’s done, I still… still love him.”

Ciel slumped her shoulders, her big eyes looking glossy. Cerveau leaned back in his creaky chair and rubbed his chin.

“Well, Craft was right. Take a look.”

Ciel got up and looked over Cerveau’s shoulder. Cerveau rolled away and gave Ciel and Zero a view of his monitor.

“It knocked down his combat subroutines. Reflexes, muscle force, muscle exertion… it’s been coded to induce hormonal imbalances too, among other things, probably why you’re failing to gain weight and muscle mass, Zero.” he said, pointing a pen vaguely around the screen. “It’s been fixed to your C6 vertebra and locked by biomarker and halomarker checkpoint. I’ll have to check your blood tests to assess the downstream effects, but it looks grim, I’m afraid…”

Zero felt sick to his stomach. His brow furrowed, colour draining from his face and incredulous eyes roving from side to side like he was trying to look straight through Cerveau.

Ciel gulped nervously, looking to Cerveau. “Do you think… you could sever the collar-spine interface?”

Cerveau groaned ambivalently, his lips drawn into a line. “It’d be a delicate procedure. It would be difficult with the tools we have… we’d risk paralysing him. Or worse. Who knows what anti-tampering failsafes are wired into this.” He shook his head in resignation. “Look, I could plan a surgical intervention, but it’d take time, and that’s something we just don’t have.”

Zero brushed his fingers over the neck brace, what he believed to be an accessory revealed to be nearly permanently fixed to his body. It was now a part of him, whether he liked it or not, a symbol of X’s desire to possess him in his entirety.

He saw himself in his reflection in the dim monitor. In the low light of Cerveau’s office, it still glimmered like a sterling silver necklace. There wasn’t anything they could do about it, not in the near future anyway, but that was just how things progressed. Regardless, he knew what was wrong with him, and even though it was the worst possible outcome, the simple act of knowing made Zero feel better.

It took a moment for Zero to find the wearwithal to speak. “Alright…”

Cerveau made a defeated hum, leaning onto his desk and resting his chin on his hand. “I’m sure you were expecting more out of this and I apologise for that.”

“It’s fine. I know now, and that's more than I could've ever asked from you,” said Zero. "I suppose now I need to start figuring out what I should do with myself now."

"Take the time you need, Zero," Ciel assured. "This must be a lot for you to take in."

"But there is no time. I said I would fight for you, but the truth of the matter is I can't. And even if I could, I…" Zero drew in a deep breath and held it. "I still… I still don't know where I stand. X has hurt me, but there's a part of me that wants to remain loyal to him. I know he has to be stopped but doing that would be the hardest thing I'll ever do."

"...I know. It hurts all of us to turn on him, but it was the only choice he gave us," Ciel confided. "I can't demand you fight for us. We've kept your presence here a secret from the rest of the Resistance. If all you seek is escape from Neo Arcadia, we will grant you that, just as we do every other refugee."

After a moment to weigh up his options, Zero co*cked a brow. "...Where is there to go? There's nothing but desert out there."

"To Neo Arcadia, perhaps, but to those who seek it, there is an oasis out there. A settlement, where nature has returned and where we have started anew," Ciel explained. "Tabula Rasa. A clean slate."

"And X hasn't found out?" Zero assumed.

"Not to our knowledge. The settlement is protected from their detection and forces by a dimensional anomaly- the Rift. Maybe it's the intervention of Cyber Elves, we aren't too sure," she said. "But you must make the journey to Tabula Rasa by foot or caravan. Our transervers don't work past the Rift."

Zero nodded with a placid look. Despite the storm of emotions swirling in his chest, his sombre expression remained largely stagnant. "I should speak to your people. They deserve to know I am here."

Ciel straightened her posture. "You really want to?" she asked. "There may be some who are unsympathetic to your plight, Zero… they don't know what X has done to you. To many, you're just… I'm sorry I have to say it like this, just X's partner."

"I'm aware. That's why I need to tell them everything," Zero said, "I want them to know I am not just X's pet. That I have a voice and X has done everything in his power to stifle it. If I can't fight for them, then I wish to offer them hope… I know hope can't win wars, but without hope, there's no future."

Zero felt the cord disconnect in the back of his neck, and he pulled it out on his own volition. "Before he passed, Axl told me that I had to keep believing in a better future. That I was not a machine or a thing to keep, but a person, capable of art and thought and love. I feel an obligation to share his message to the Resistance…" he said, newly resolute. "If I can do anything to keep Axl's fight alive, even just the smallest thing, it will have been worth it."

As X's reign grew ever more dire with every passing day, it was easy for Ciel to disregard something as intangible as hope. It couldn't feed mouths, or save innocents from the recycling plants. Yet, the Resistance was built on a foundation of hope, a dream of a better future ahead of them. It kept the dream in reach, even as the world around them grew darker.

Zero didn't know it, but though he couldn't fight, he had already brought something irreplaceable to Ciel. He'd brought her hope.

In Central Neo Arcadia, civilians kneeled and bowed their heads when X passed them by. In the Outer Sectors, they ran, like rats scuttling away into the shadows of alleyways and holes in the wall.

The streets were quiet as X made his way to the sector's police station, with only the hum of streetlights that could be heard. The roadside markets had been vacated upon word of X's presence, workers and denizens hidden away indoors in fear of crossing X with his convoy of soldiers and his trusted sons, Harpuia and Phantom, in suit. When they reached the station, his Guardians waited outside, while a group of soldiers followed X inside. The sheriff, a stout reploid with a thick moustache covering his lip, was waiting in the lobby for him, surrounded by officers. He offered a stiff salute.

"Master X. It is an honour,” the sheriff greeted in a low, husky voice. X nodded a greeting. “The witnesses are being detained in a holding cell, sir. They offered to show us where they reportedly encountered Craft and Zero,” he said, speaking as they made their way to the cells. “Apparently they had been crossing the underground facility tunnel system behind the red light district, from what the witnesses say…"

X’s brow furrowed at the mention of that vile hive of sin. Craft would pay dearly for bringing Zero to such a dangerous district. “And who are these witnesses?”

“Unemployed civilian builds, from what their MeReAD log’s tell us. We’ve already interviewed them. Oldest is 23, youngest is 19. They probably do undocumented work in the subterranean districts. Files say they had just been treated at the local ER recently, but that's all we know,” he said. They stopped at the holding cell, where four young reploids were confined, hands shackled in cuffs. They gawked with wide eyes and slack jawed as X came to stand before them. His shining blue, white and gold armour was blinding against the dark, drab concrete walls.

“We’re ready to go when you are, Master X,” the sheriff said.

“Then let’s go. Don’t waste my time.”

X turned and departed, letting the policemen handle the frivolous task of wrangling the witnesses. He met with Harpuia and Phantom at the station entrance, who stood at attention in his presence. He gave Phantom a steely eyed glare.

"Who's assigned security in this sector's subterranean district?" Asked X.

"Polaris Security Solutions, sir," Phantom answered quickly. X frowned.

"Hm. Fill out a performance evaluation on them," he commanded, "such a cavalier district demands strict enforcement. I fear they've grown too lenient."

Phantom withheld an exasperated sigh- his hands were too full to entertain such menial tasks.

Soon, the sheriff emerged with the witnesses in tow, no longer shackled, but escorted by heavily armed policemen. Even with freedom to escape, they would be stupid to try run. X gestured to the policemen to go with a flick of his head.

The witnesses timidly lead the way through empty streets with rifles threatening their heels the entire way. They passed through the empty market building to an old, rickety elevator, its metal frame coated in rust and lichen. The neglected and overworked mechanisms were loud as it slowly descended underground, creaking and yawning the way down. X eyed the witnesses closely with a critical glare, the young reploids doing everything in their power to avoid meeting his harsh gaze. He stood alongside the eldest of the witnesses, assessing the deep claw marks running across his face and a broken nose he was nursing. The injuries were still fresh.

"What's your name, son?" X asked the young man. He startled, eyes growing wide and lips drawing tight.

"...Me?" He asked, voice thin and quiet. X hummed a yes. "T-Tyrod, sir."

The elevator came to a stop at the underground red light district, the busy tunnel system and countless holes in the wall had long since been deserted in the wake of X's arrival. Through drawn blinds and closed shutters, he could see the wary eyes of the subterranean denizens watching him pass by.

"Tyrod… you did an honourable thing, coming forward," he said, though it hardly sounded like praise. X could sense his mechanical heart racing in his chest. "I should thank you. You've done your country a good deed. It would be a shame if Master Zero was lost here. Wouldn't it?"

'Lost, amongst unwanted and scorned vermin, like you,' was a message he left unsaid, but the chilling tone of his voice did it for him. The young reploid's reply coming out as a strained rasp. "Yeah. W-would be, sir."

One of the witnesses, a tall and bony young reploid, stopped by an alley wedged between a decrepit betting office and a ramshackle bar. "They were in the tunnels through here," he said in a soft voice. "In the garages… the man was searching for something. A vehicle, maybe…"

He was referring to Craft. He led them into the alley, coming to a door that had its locks broken off. Looking to Phantom and Harpuia, X spoke his commands. "Start compiling the recent security footage from this area. See if you find anything interesting."

The brothers glanced at each other with unsure faces, before nodding a confirmation to X. Phantom flipped open the console on his wrist and got to work, Harpuia looking over his shoulder with a diligent eye.

The tunnel system that lay beyond the subterranean districts was cold, the air stale and recycled. Despite the constant whirring of fans, there was a foul stench in the air, like burning plastic and petrol fumes. Litter was stolen away in the gusts of fan blades, and bottles and syringes were scattered at their feet. The few windows looking into the tunnels were covered by drawn blinds, and the distant sounds of reploids scrambling away at their appearance echoed through the labyrinth.

The skinny man stood next to an electrical box at the head of an alley, a warning sticker that had been scratched off plastered on its ajar cover. The garage's roller door at the foot of the alley had been opened.

“They were here. They weren't talkin', either," another one of the witnesses chimed in, a short, sturdy man. "Looked shifty. Zero, he was wearing, ah, f*ck… a red jacket or somethin', the big guy was in a green coat, I think…"

He scratched the back of his head nervously. X co*cked a brow. "One eye? Scar on his face?"

"Yeah… somethin' like that."

The tall witness shuffled over to the sheriff at X's side. "If it's okay… I can draw them…"

That piqued X's interest. When the sheriff looked to X for approval, he nodded. The officer handed the gaunt reploid a datapad and a stylus. The man began to swiftly and meticulously reconstruct Craft and Zero's faces, right down to every little detail, in a series of miniscule dots that eventually formed an image, like an inkjet printer. When he was finished, he timidly offered it to X. He promptly snatched it away.

X studied the images closely. Zero wore a baggy jacket and trousers that covered his gauntlets and boots with square rimmed glasses, while Craft disguised himself in a jacket with a large collar. Both were without their helmets. There were too many small and distinctly human details to suggest it wasn't a fabrication. At first glance, they would've been easily mistaken as any random citizen, but a little scrutiny and one would see right through their disguises. He handed Harpuia the datapad.

"Input this image prompt into your identity recognition software. See where they've gone," X said, before turning back to the lanky witness. "Impressive work. Where did you learn to do that?"

"...Hobby.”

X nodded slowly. “Did you see what they were looking for?”

“No.”

“I see. No matter, it won’t be too difficult to figure that out with the information we have.” He glanced over his shoulder at Phantom, still combing through security footage on his wrist console.

"...And pray tell us… what were you doing here?

The question caught the witnesses off guard. Nervously, they looked at each other for guidance, a sense of guilty awareness festered amongst them, their pupils small and taut faces pale. After a silent conversation between them, Tyrod took a trepid step forward. He shook his head, swallowing his nerves.

"We were just passing through."

A silence fell over the group like a thick fog. X's face didn't change, unconvinced. "You aren't lying to me, are you?" He asked with a cold lick to his words. “That wouldn't be very smart of you now, would it?"

The witnesses didn't reply, and their diffidence told him everything he needed to know.

"Father…"

Phantom called for X and gestured him away from the group and further into the alley at the foot of the garage. X followed his son to the shadows, looking over his shoulder to watch the monitor on his wrist console.

"I've found something of interest.”

On the monitor, he skimmed through footage from various security cameras of Craft and Zero, clad in the disguises the witnesses familiarised him with. They traversed through the busy halls of the subterranean district, into a bar and through these tunnels. From the garage they stood by, they emerged, a red ride chaser in their possession. X clenched his jaw and grit his teeth as he watched Zero flush at Craft’s side, a twinge of jealousy chipping away at his composure. He steadied himself before it could overwhelm him, looking aside for a moment and dragging his palm down his nose and mouth.

“What’s the model on that?” X asked.

“It's a modified NAC-T5000 military model. It’s been out of production for two decades. It looks as though there isn't a licence plate on it, but it should be Craft’s vehicle from his days in the army,” Phantom replied. “I’ve sent what I’ve found to my squadron. I’ll have them scan highway footage for it. We should be able to track it down shortly.”

“Good, good. Good job.” He patted Phantom on the shoulder. “Thanks to you, we’ll have Zero back home in no time.”

Phantom gave a small nod. He had an air of uncertainty about him, but X didn’t pry. “There is another thing I’ve uncovered. It's about the witnesses’ story. ”

He skimmed through the film again. X leaned in as he watched the scene unfold on the screen. Tyrod, the timid witness, rushing to strike Zero in the alley, who fought back with no other choice handed to him. Phantom skipped through the footage again. There Zero was, helpless as the unruly civilian pinned him to a wall. His associates closed in on him like vultures circling in on the kill.

X could feel the anger welling in his chest, pupils like pin pricks and his deep breaths shuddering in and out of flared nostrils. He flexed his fingers into a fist.

“I'm not sure why they engaged him," Phantom said, "but they clearly initiated the fight."

Soon, Craft reemerged from the garage and warded the attackers off with ease as Zero watched on. X stepped away, having seen enough. Bitter jealousy and rage were entwined in X's core, enough to make him feel ill.

"We have enough evidence to arrest them on assault charges," Phantom advised, "it is your call…"

X shook his head and huffed. "Mavericks…" he spat like he was uttering a curse. "They will be dealt with accordingly…"

Phantom steeled himself, for he already knew what to expect. They reappeared from the darkness, the witnesses slowly backing away as X exerted his oppressive presence. He motioned the sheriff and his officers out of the way on his way to confront Tyrod.

"That's quite the impressive scar you have there, Tyrod," X murmured, low voice rumbling. "How did you get that, exactly?"

X co*cked his head and tightened his gaze. Tyrod glanced nervously at his friends, who could offer him little consolation. The young reploid was filtering through excuses in his head, but no matter what he came up with, the words wouldn't come out. X stuck his nose up at him.

"Come on. Don't play dumb with me," X chided. He leaned in to whisper, "Zero's got sharp claws, doesn't he?"

The witnesses inched away, but their backs met the wall, and heavily armed officers cornered them in. Tyrod held his breath, mechanical heart thumping hard in his chest. He didn't say anything, but that spoke volumes.

"You have some nerve, assaulting my partner so callously," he growled, slowly pacing back and forth. "And thinking you'd face no repercussions? You insult me. Why'd you do it?"

Tyrod's voice caught in his throat, mouthing silent words as he stumbled over his thoughts. "It- it was a misunderstanding..."

"Don't lie to me!" X snapped, lunging forward like a biting hound. "I saw the surveillance footage. This was no accident. You hurt him. I should kill you where you stand."

Tyrod set his jaw and gulped, beads of sweat running down the back of his neck. "We didn't know, I swear."

"Bullsh*t," X snarled, "you wanted to steal him away from me, didn't you?"

"N-no, it's not like that–"

"Then what is it?! Because from where I stand, you're guilty of assaulting a Neo Arcadian official. Not only that, but you assaulted a legendary hero, who fought so you could live your miserable little lives free from Weil's reign. Shameful."

"We–" Tyrod clenched his teeth, biting back words. "Sir, it was a mistake..."

The witnesses taking cover behind Tyrod shuddered in their boots with wide eyes and anxious shallow breaths, as terrified as a cornered lamb. They didn't dare speak.

"A mistake… I cannot tolerate any more mistakes," X said, leaning back with his chest puffed and head co*cked.

"Unauthorised possession of a deadly weapon is a felony. I wouldn't suppose that was a mistake either."

Tyrod's gaze flickered to and fro, meagre fortitude waning quickly in the face of certain doom. With his options running thin, he turned to the only choice he had left; violence.

"Then why don't you just get the f*ck out of my face and let me explain sh*t?!" Tyrod yelled, bumping his chest into X. He stumbled back as Tyrod pointed an accusatory finger his way. "I'm f*ckin' sorry I didn't recognise your bitch right away. I'm not f*ckin' obsessed with him. But from what I can tell, he ain't f*ckin' into you either, you fascist prick!"

X seethed, lip curling into a snarl. "You know nothing."

"I know enough. He wouldn't be in this sh*thole if he wasn't runnin' from you."

A dangerous silence rolled over them. Officers shuffled, rifles clacking against their armour as they readied their weapons. X's chest rose and fell with deep, furious breaths, tension gripping every inch of his being.

X made his decision at that moment. Tyrod wouldn't live to see the day to regret his words.

His hand retracted into his arm cannon in a blur, beam axe firing outwards and bathing the dark tunnels in its white hot glow. Before Tyrod could so much as gasp, X had already swung his axe up and through his chest and head, shearing his torso into two leafs.

"Oh, sh*t!"

The sheriff shielded his eyes as X painted the tunnels red. The witnesses cried and shrieked in terror as their friend fell to the ground in a heap. Phantom darted his gaze elsewhere, and Harpuia instinctively closed his eyes and turned.

X took a deep breath in and sheathed his axe and arm cannon, standing up straight and composing himself. He motioned to his troops.

"Take the rest of them to the processing facility," X commanded. His soldiers marched over and swiftly apprehended the witnesses. Though indignant, they were too shaken to protest. When they took hold of the tall artist, X waved a negative.

"Take him to the brig. It'd be a shame for such a talented artist to go to waste," X said. "Phantom, Harpuia. Focus your attention on tracking where Zero's been taken. The rest of you-" he turned to address his troops and the police officers, "-will keep the outer sectors on lock down. Enforce curfews. Report and apprehend all suspicious individuals. Every second counts. Now go!"

Never ones to argue, his subordinates agreed hastily with an ensemble of 'sir yes sir's, before they quickly cleared out, whisking away the suspects and the dead corpse from the scene. The sheriff lingered, staying behind to watch the splatter of blood slowly dribble down the walls and floors, rivulets eventually pooling at the drain.

"...You killed that kid, sir."

The sheriff’s mouth twitched behind his moustache, short nose turned up. X nodded.

"Doesn't that bother you?" He continued. X contemplated for a beat.

"It used to. Not anymore." He wiped the blood from his face. “Though I take no pleasure in it, I know now that it is what must be done.”

X stared off into nothing, eyes distant and aloof. The sheriff huffed and pulled up his belt as he turned to vacate the tunnels, leaving X to stew in his own thoughts.

“You like hurting people, don’t you?” said Omega, still lingering at his side.

Craft’s living quarters in the Resistance base was the size of the bathrooms back at the citadel. It was cramped and coated in a film of dust from its owner’s absence. There was a berth built into the wall, a desk pushed against the wall, and not much else. Despite the lack of luxuries, Zero felt at home, like he had been taken back to his old living quarters.

The berth was cramped, even for Zero’s smaller frame. It was a struggle to find a comfortable position to lie in. He was sore and dizzy from all the jabs Cerveau had given him. The blanket was fuzzy and prickly, too thin to offer much warmth, yet it offered Zero rare comfort. It smelled a little bit like him, too.

“Hey.”

Before Zero could drift off, Craft had returned with his armour, dropping it all on the mattress. Zero rubbed his eyes and scooted off the bed.

"You left your armour back there, Red," Craft said. He leaned on the desk, shuffling his things around absentmindedly. "How are you feeling?”

"Better…" Zero said, not that it was a high bar to clear. "Yourself?"

"Likewise. I heard Cerveau gave you a medical. Sad to hear I was right about the collar."

"Yeah… it is what it is. I'll learn to live with it." Zero tucked his hair neatly behind his audials and clipped his helmet back on. "He was quite the character."

"Cerveau? You have no idea…" Craft said. "He's our weapons guy, too, you know. He gave my baby here a solid upgrade…"

He reached around himself to scoop up a massive laser cannon that was propped up against a wall. It must've weighed a ton, but he picked it up like it was nothing.

"There was no way in Hell Neo Arcadia would let me walk into the citadel with this," he said, seemingly swooning over his ridiculous weapon. "This baby's the World Ender. One of the deadliest firearms in existence."

He flourished it in front of Zero, who gingerly stroked its barrel, unsure of what else he was supposed to do with it. "Impressive," Zero praised. "I can think of a few times it would've come in handy."

"Ah, I know, but I'm not about to hand it over to the authorities," he explained. "The military already has plenty of firepower as is.”

He set it down again with tender, gentle care. “I’d say Cerveau would be interested in asking a couple questions about your Z-sabre too,” said Craft, “if you’re lucky, maybe he could build you a new one.”

Zero slipped off his shirt and jacket, fitting himself back into his vest. “I’ve already asked too much of these people,” he denied. “Besides, it would be in the Resistance’s best interest if I didn’t stick around long. I don’t want to lead X here.”

Craft deflated, shoulders slumping with a sigh. “Suppose you’re right,” he said. “Better off you run free than stay tethered to Neo Arcadia… maybe that’s true for all of us.” His gaze darted to his desk, where he found a picture frame knocked on its face. He adjusted it, propping up a photograph of himself besides Neige. “But someone needs to be around to fight the good fight.”

There was a knock on the door, which crept open with a creak. Ciel peaked inside.

“You have a moment, Zero?” she asked, slipping in through the gap in the door. “I hope you’re feeling better... I’ve called an assembly, if you’re still interested in speaking to the Resistance,” she said. “Please, don’t feel as though you're obligated to do anything… everything we do, we do to ensure reploids’ safety. That includes you, Mister Zero.”

“It’s okay. I’ve made up my mind,” Zero assured, getting to his feet. “I should speak to the people… it’s the least I can do.”

Ciel bowed her head and opened the door for Zero. “If that’s so, then come with me,” she said, gesturing to the hallways. “I’m sure there will be plenty of folks who would love to meet you, Zero.”

When Zero left the room, he was confronted by a woman, a human woman. She was tall and well built, with tan, slightly freckled skin and short, deep red hair. Even at first glance, Zero sensed a fiery aura about her, not one to be messed with. Ciel set a hand on her shoulder.

“Zero, this is Miss Neige,” Ciel greeted them. “She’s a journalist and activist, investigating Neo Arcadian injustices.”

Neige offered a hand for him to take. Zero reciprocated, and she gave his hand a firm shake.

“Pleasure to meet you, Mister Legend,” Neige said, a little coy. "Never thought the day would come."

"The pleasure is all mine," Zero replied, "I've heard a lot of good things about you."

Neige glared at Craft over Zero's shoulder. "I'm sure you have," she said. "Ah, where are my manners? I really should thank you for saving Craft's life. I don't know what I would've done without him… I owe you a lot, Zero."

"You shouldn't. I just felt like it was the right thing to do," Zero insisted, walking at her side as they spoke. "He's done a lot for me already."

The assembly room was spacious and circular, even when the seating area was packed full of Resistance folks. Ciel opened a back door to a dias overlooking the crowd, where Cerveau was already standing. Zero cooled his nerves and breathed a deep sigh, finding refuge in Craft's presence.

"You just sit back here until you're ready," Ciel said. "I'll be a moment."

The murmur of the crowd died down when Ciel stepped foot on the podium, addressing the Resistance folk with a kind smile.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice… I really appreciate it," Ciel started, quickly garnering their attention. "Look, I wish I could offer you good news more often. It's been a tough couple months, and I know you've been fighting hard for longer than you deserve to… we've lost a lot lately."

The crowd's spirits visibly flattened in tune with her sentiment.

"But I wouldn't have called all of you here for no reason. Rather, I have to make light of quite an unexpected development…" she said, reigniting their intrigue. "Finding allies in Neo Arcadia is not easy, not anymore. X has made it his mission to eliminate all dissenting voices, even of those closest to him, that we know… but there are still those who have compassion for our cause, though they may be unable to express that sympathy."

Ciel took a deep breath and held it. "Months ago, we failed to stop Neo Arcadia from taking Zero… to tell the honest to God truth, I believed that there would be no salvaging that failure. And yet, in the same vein, I thought Craft would've surely been executed, but as you know now, he's fortunately still with us. I have someone special to thank for that…" Ciel looked over her shoulder at Zero with a gentle smile. Her gaze effortlessly calmed Zero, tension lifting from the pit of his stomach. Knowing he had the endorsem*nt of the Resistance leader, he stepped forward into view at Ciel's side.

There was a sudden burst from the crowd, reploids gasping and mumbling, uncertainty and shock buzzing from the throng of people. There were reploids of all ages, shapes and sizes before him, from young, barely teenage children to grizzled warbot animaloids, all donning the forest green uniform of the Resistance.

"I never thought I'd get to say this, but it is a privilege I'm pleased to have… it is thanks to Zero that Craft had his life spared by the Neo Arcadian regime, and now, in a time of need, he has come to us seeking sanctuary," Ciel explained. "I'm sure you have many questions for him, but I ask you to be patient. He has suffered under X's control, maybe in ways you won't understand. He has asked to speak to you, so I won't keep him waiting…"

The crowd were equal parts uneasy and wonderstruck of Zero's presence, and his combat algorithm flared with so many eyes honing in on him.

"Thank you, Ciel. It is true that I have come here seeking asylum from Neo Arcadia. I wish it didn't have to come to this, that I could fight my way out of this life without having to burden you good people with my troubles, but the truth is I simply can't…"

Zero clasped his hands over his chest, speaking from his racing heart. "A hundred years ago, I made a mistake. I left X, sealing myself away, thinking I could only cause more destruction and pain. I was naïve and impulsive, and I realise now that it has only led to more suffering. It was my mistake to make, and I feel it is only right I side with those who paid the price for it. Even if it means turning away from X…"

He sighed, eyes closing slowly and head dipped. I wish I could do more for you. But I have no say in the matter. It hurts to say it. It is in my blood to fight, and I want to fight for you, the people I believe in, who've offered me refuge and generosity I don't deserve. But X has made it impossible for me to do so."

A soft murmur travelled throughout the crowd. There were too many voices for Zero to pick out any one sentiment. "This collar; it's a restraining bolt," he stated bluntly, sending the crowd into a harsh silence. "It has numbed my senses, taken my power and stamina and stolen my agency. I want to be the hero you see me as, but I'm just not that person anymore. X has taken my own body from me. He's lied to me, betrayed my trust, he murdered everyone I could've hoped to turn to without remorse. He's done everything he can to take away my freedom. But what pains me the most is knowing that he's using me as an excuse to hurt others. I know what I've gone through in my short tenure in Neo Arcadia is paltry compared to what you've all suffered, but it's the truth, and I wish to speak it."

He swallowed, his heart thick in his throat as the silent crowd considered his words. "I wish I could do more for you, but the best thing I can do for you is run. X will be looking for me, and I know he won't stop at anything until I'm found. The last thing I want to do is lead him here. X had been given no choice but to live in exile for now, as far away from Neo Arcadia as possible," continued Zero. "But I promise, I will come back. I don't know how I can free myself from this restraining bolt, the only one who can is X himself, but I won't give up. X has to be stopped, and the cruelty he stands for cannot be tolerated. I will fight to destroy what's left of the old world and let a new one rise from its ashes. It was the last thing Axl asked of me…"

He graciously bowed his head. "Thank you for accommodating me. I've made mistakes, grave ones, and I won't dare demand your forgiveness. What I can promise you is I will do what I can for you. For Axl."

The crowd maintained its silence as they took in Zero’s speech, his words persisting in the air long after they had left his vocalizer. He was well aware that the Resistance would be justified in harbouring resentment against him.

Among the crowd, a young reploid stood upright, big eyes brimming with expectation catching Zero’s attention like a beacon in the night.

“Will you save us, Zero?” he asked.

‘Can I even save myself, at this point?’ he thought. Was his life even worth saving?

He shut his eyes and whisked the thought away. His life was rife with suffering and death, but he had to get over it. He had to keep living. If anything else, just for the sake of living.

"I promise."

In the confines of a hangar on the outskirts of Neo Arcadia, Fefnir and Leviathan stood beside one another, looming over the shipyard from a overlooking platform. From this height, the soldiers looked like busy worker ants, scurrying around frantically but purposefully all the same.

Towering Golems, artefacts of an old war, lined the hangars. They stood dormant side-by-side, lights dimmed, silently waiting like racehorses at the starting gate. Leviathan furrowed her brow and hummed a sceptical sigh.

"Is it weird that I don't trust those things?" She asked, though she wasn't really looking for an answer. "I feel like they're cursed or something…" She crossed her arms and tightened her lips, watching intently as the vacant red gaze of the war machine came to life, hydraulics hissing loudly and an electronic whirr echoing off the walls.

"I don't know. They definitely have some bad juju."

Fefnir scratched the back of his head and shrugged. "Yeah… I don't trust 'em as far as I can throw 'em either.”

Soldiers and engineers rushed to distance themselves from the Golem as it slowly came online with a deep, resonant rumble. It shook the entire hangar, sending a chill up even Fefnir and Leviathan's steadfast spines.

"What can you do… dad's orders," Fefnir bemoaned. "They're just machines, nothing more. Still…” he shuddered, then shook his head. “Anywho, I guess there ain't no better way to flush Zero out of hiding than with brute force. The Neo Arcadian Way."

He puffed his chest out and put his hands on his hips as sarcastic flourish. Leviathan made a half hearted laugh that died quickly. Slowly, the Golem's VTOL systems fired up, and they gently hovered from the hangar and into the sun, moving like ghosts through the air.

"Suppose so." Leviathan agreed grimly. "Talking about brute force…"

Following the departure of the golem fleet came a massive humanoid beast following in their wake. A creature, with liquid oozing flesh that refracted light in a way that made it look like a glistening rainbow, all host to the head of a vacuous pantheon. Its body morphed and shifted grotesquely with each foot step as it was shuttled outside by a group of pantheon soldiers. Leviathan grimaced.

“There goes Phantom’s pet project…”

She wrinkled her nose.

The ringing of her transponder being pinged took her attention away from the beastly sight. Leviathan flicked open her wrist console, projecting a holographic display of the caller.

"Speak of the devil," she murmured, answering the call. "Hey, Phantom."

He looked as bleak as ever on the display. "We have good news concerning Zero's whereabouts. It seems Craft has taken him to the industrial district in the Outer Sectors by ride chaser. I'll send you the coordinates and an image of Craft's vehicle."

They got a notification for a few new files on their shared cloud storage.

"Sweet. Few golems should be there in a moment then. Just deployed them." Leviathan sent the new information to the battalion she was overseeing. "Rest are going to crowd control in the other sectors. You want that slime thing to come on the Zero hunt?"

A small pause. "...You mean the Rainbow Devil?"

He sounded a little incredulous. Leviathan hummed a yes.

"That would be ideal."

"Alright. Sending it over, it's your problem now," Leviathan said, sending the Devil's unit to Zero's supposed coordinates. Fefnir stepped into Phantom's view, squeezing up next to Leviathan.

"Oi, did you come up with any leads on that supra force metal incident from the other day?" Fefnir asked. Phantom looked aside to think.

"No. To be honest, it… slipped my mind," he revealed. "I've been occupied with tracking Zero and dealing with data security issues… I apologise."

Fefnir slumped. "Well, no harm in asking."

"If there's nothing else, I'll leave you two be. I'll see you soon."

His display went dark shortly after. Leviathan snapped her wrist console shut and dipped her head back in exhaustion.

An ugly silence followed.

"...I am so tired…" she groaned.

Fefnir stared off into the distance, his flickering gaze rich with apprehension. He folded his arms behind his head in exasperation and aimlessly wandered around.

"I just don't know about all this…" Fefnir admitted. "I… I don’t know. I don’t think Zero wants to come back.”

They all knew it, but no one wanted to say it.

“This is all just a massive waste of time, isn’t it…”

Fefnir sat on the ground, feeling lost. Leviathan struggled to say anything.

“But… Zero loves us. He loves dad. Right?” she asked. “Craft’s just stealing him away from us. We just gotta get him back!”

“You really think that?” Fefnir prodded. “I think running away with Craft was his plan to begin with, Levi…”

Leviathan’s brow furrowed. She denied it, but he was probably right.

“He always looked just… so miserable,” he continued. “Didn't matter how cosy his life was. After what dad did to Axl…" he trailed off- neither wanted to talk much about the incident. "It's all just totally f*cked up. Dad said that Zero was gonna love us like we were his own kids, and he was gonna fix everything. Like it was all gonna get better, but now it’s just worse."

They wanted Zero to love them like a father. X had always been there, but there had come a point in their lives when he was no longer their loving dad. He was their leader, and his children had become little more than his subordinates.

“Maybe we should just let him run…” he said with a cynical shake of the head. “We’ve got more important sh*t to be worrying about. I mean, that magician asshole with the OSA’s just swindled us out of a couple tons of Supra-force metal. What’s stopping them from just, f*cking– nuking the capital off the Earth while we’re busy chasing Zero around?”

“...And just let Zero fall into the hands of mavericks?”

“And what is he gonna do? He’s hardly a threat with that collar dad put on him,” Fefnir rebutted. “I just…”

He breathed hard through gritted teeth and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms. “Why bother? I’m tired of it. There are bigger problems we’re facing than dad’s relationship issues.”

“Alright, that’s enough moping!” Leviathan stamped her flipper and put her hands on her hips. “Seriously, this is what the mavericks want you to think! I mean, sure, Zero can’t do sh*t right now, but just having him sends a message! We just need to save him from their poison, and we can figure out the rest later. Right?”

Fefnir clenched his jaw. “...Right.”

Leviathan extended a hand, heaving Fefnir off the floor. “Besides, messages go both ways. What do we want ‘em to know?”

“...We hate ‘em,” answered Fefnir, his spirits reignited.

“That’s right. Well show those bastards that this city isn’t for the taking!” pepped Leviathan. “This is our problem, alright? There’s a civil war on the horizon, there’s dissent frothing to the top, and we ain’t tolerating it!”

“Right!”

They looked into each other’s burning eyes, sparks of hostility in their fiery gazes. Leviathan squeezed his hand and lifted it to the sky.

“We hate ‘em, we hate ‘em, we hate ‘em!” they chanted in unison, leaving their doubts behind them as they leapt from the platform and followed their battalion into the sun, ready to pluck Zero back from the grips of the Resistance.

Chapter 14: Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Text

Zero had been dead for 52 years.

52 years, 7 months and 3 days. Every day since then, X woke up alone and cold in his bed, wondering when Zero would come back to him from wherever he had gone, thinking of what to say to him when he did.

But he wouldn't come back. Even if X made two cups of coffee in the morning and hung up two towels and kept his side of the bed neat and tidy for him to return to, Zero was gone. All the things that reminded him of his partner- the sound of his voice in the other room, his footsteps going up and down stairs, his laugh, they were gone, only living as an echo in his mind.

The sun was setting over the Somali coastline. X stared at a crescent moon hanging faint in the sky, clouds tinted pink and orange. The westering sun glowed an intense yellow, the distant sunset shimmering gold above the water from some place far, far away. The wind howled from the ocean, shrubs and bushes swaying with the breeze. X's hair, greying and long, batted his face, his helmet held at his side.

The smell of sea salt and the woody smell of the juniper tree he stood under burned in his nose. It was the last place X had spoken to Zero before he died.

He came here every so often, seeking catharsis, or some sort of enlightenment, but it only left him feeling empty. All he wanted was to turn around and see Zero in all his beautiful glory standing there, having returned from where he'd disappeared into the vast ocean, but dry grasslands was all there was around him.

Zero was thin and gaunt that day, porcelain skin transformed and face warped into a blank stare like he was already dead. Zero had faced the threat of death so often in his life, but he always came back. This time, it felt permanent, for he was the one who chose to die.

That was what hurt X the most. Zero wasn't ripped away from him. He wasn't killed. He hadn't fallen ill with some sort of horrible virus that sapped him of the vibrant life in his body. Zero decided for himself. He chose death. It was completely voluntary, and yet, it felt all so unavoidable.

He ripped a blade of grass out of the ground and wrung it in his fingers. He had nothing of Zero. No body to bury. No ashes to scatter. Only his fading memory of him slowly distorting with time. He was here, and then he wasn't. For years after he had died, X couldn't even bring himself to throw out his garbage, his unfinished paperwork strewn across his desk. He only did after they had established Neo Arcadia and he was forced to move out, but it didn't feel good. It didn't feel like he was moving on. He didn't know how he could return to his mundane life in the midst of grief. It felt absurd.

He saw Zero in everything. Insignificant things suddenly became everything to him. Zero was the sun and the moon, every bird and flower. He saw him in the sunset- his death plunging his world into darkness. He let the wind take the plucked blade of grass from between his fingers.

He sat down and watched the sun vanish beneath the horizon. The ocean breeze blew by him, and with it came the whisper of Zero's voice, his last words, uttered again and again in the billowing wind.

Sometimes he pondered the idea that he should've gotten over it by now. It certainly presented itself, the idea of moving on from the past. It was what he hoped Neo Arcadia would come to encapsulate- a better world free from the evils of what happened before.

Though progress asserts itself, it seemed as distant as the setting sun, and regardless, X didn't want it. He couldn't let go. He stood alone, gaze untethered and faraway. Every day, the uncaring sun set, the world churned on, and he was still not dying.

"Axl's kids are one and a half today," X whispered, like the wind would take his words to wherever Zero had gone. "Axl and Signas. They had kids by the way. Twins."

Twins, a girl and a boy, with silvery shining hair and tan skin dotted with freckles. Signas would step in front of them when X passed them by, like a deer shielding its fawn.

"They don't talk to me much anymore. None of them do."

X plucked another blade of grass from the bush beside him and let the wind whisk it away.

"I really should be happy for him. Axl's a dad now. He's happy. Older." X held his hand aloft in the air, like he was reaching for some intangible hand. "I should be happy. But I'm not. How am I supposed to be happy? Everytime I look at them, I just get so… I don't know. Is this it? I'll never find comfort in the arms of anyone else but you, Zero. Is that it? Is that the end of it?"

He could feel tension simmering in his chest when he admitted it.

"Why do they get to be happy? What did they do to deserve it that I didn't? I've lost so much more than they ever will, and I get nothing. Why do they get to be happy but not me? What did I do to deserve this?"

He grit his teeth and breathed out hard. "Is it so bad to want them to feel the same way I do?" he asked. "Today, I yelled at them- Axl and Signas, I mean. I don't know why. I was just fed up with seeing them so happy. I hated seeing their kids. And I can't stand everyone else thinking they know how I feel! I just…"

He picked up a rock and stood up, where he hurled it into the ocean with a yell. It skirted the serene surface a couple times before disappearing under the water.

"That was supposed to bemylife!"

The breeze dampened his voice, and took his anger into the sea.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this! We were supposed to grow old together!" X screamed aimlessly. "What am I supposed to do now?! That was supposed to be us!"

He covered his eyes with his arms, teeth grit and tears welling up in his eyes.

"Why'd you leave me here, Zero?!" He screamed into the night. "Am I supposed to know what to do? The sun still sets every day and I'm still here without you."

The days passing by erased everything he had learned prior.

"What now?!"

There was no answering sound, no catharsis, no unburdened relief. His face was wet with the permeating ocean air.

X let out a heavy sigh and sat down. There was no one around. He was exactly where he was 52 years ago, surrounded by empty plains and wandering through juniper, alone.

"What now, Zero?"

He grabbed another pebble and tossed it into the brush. from the undergrowth, a single crow emerged, the big black bird flying low overhead with wings whooshing over the sounds of waves.

X stood up, watching the crow fly over, its black feathers painted in the colours of the sunset. It was flying inland to where the shadow of the distant Neo Arcadian skyline was disappearing into the night sky.

His teeth were grit behind lips drawn tight. Was it a sign of things to come? He didn't know if that black bird had any significance. Maybe, with his mind swimming, he could find meaning brimming in everything.

Zero was gone, but X carried a version of him with him, and he would look for him wherever he went.

"Knock knock. Anybody home?"

The safe house Ciel chose for their meeting was neither safe, nor was it really a house anymore.

The building was a crumbling apartment complex from before Neo Arcadia, rooms and ceilings withering away as time took its toll. It had been perhaps a century since anyone lived in the confines of these walls, rotting furniture piled up in corners and light sifting through dirty, fogged up windows in scant rays. Ciel was sitting at a table, staring at a sturdy laptop that looked more like a brick than a computer. It had a tangle of wires plugged into its many ports, all cork-screwing and inserted into different devices. There was a pistol laying on the table, right next to where she rested her hand.

Spider was sure they were important, but he hadn't the slightest idea what they were supposed to do. He let down his new-gen disguise in front of her, the average reploid facade disappearing in a flurry of bent light to reveal the gambler beneath.

She looked up from her laptop at the sharply dressed reploid. Unblinking, Ciel grabbed the pistol and pointed it in Spider's direction.

"Confirmation code."

Spider had his hands over his head. "Sierra-November-Romeo-Two-Zero-Four."

"SNR-204. Charlie-Golf-Lima-Eight-Three-Nine."

"CGL-839," Spider parroted back. Confident they were both who they said they were, Ciel set aside her weapon, and Spider let his arms dangle at his sides. "Good afternoon, G7-E."

"SR-NT-664. Spider. You're late," Ciel said, blunt. Spider made a noncommittal grunt, swiped the dust off the table and sat in a rickety chair opposite her.

"You're telling me," Spider replied. "Do you always have to point that thing at me?"

"Yes." Ciel lowered her laptop screen and pushed it aside, leaning in with a severe glare. "Because you could've beenanyone,Spider. Do you manage to get the Supra-Force Metal they were transporting?"

Wholly ignoring the steely glare Ciel had cast his way, Spider slumped back in his seat with a smarmy grin, procuring a cylindrical storage container from thin air with the flair of a magician. The room was bathed in its multi-colour shimmer, the rod stored within phasing in and out of their measly three dimensions. The solid crystalline, tetragonal lattice spanned dimensions, its matter persisting in the particulate interactions. A truly alien element to the tripartite people of the third planet.

He gently set it onto the table in front of Ciel, looking like the cat who ate the canary. "I believe a'thank you'is in order, Doctor."

Ciel flicked her head-mounted magnifiers over her eyes and picked the cylinder up with a light touch, rolling it in her hands. She flitted through various deinterleaving lenses on her goggles, wordlessly assessing the cylinder with intense discernment.

After a silent pause, she placed it back on the table and pushed her headset back over her head. "It's the real deal. It's amazing Neo Arcadia still has this. You're a miracle worker, Spider."

"I almost got blasted off the face of the earth by X's bootlicking kids for it," Spider said. "You're welcome."

Ciel's grimace lifted, her expression softening as appreciation tempered her. "You have no idea how grateful I am, Spider. Thank you," she said. "This could change everything for us. If I can figure out how to harness this thing's potential, we'd be laughing all the way to the bank, Spider. We'd be tapping into what might be a limitless source of energy. We could solve the energy crisis- we could stop the massacres, the culling. The bombings and the bloodshed. No one will have to fight or struggle to see another morning again. We can live under unlimited abundance, like our ancestors did. We can live together as equals, all of us, all the human-likes, with no one left behind. We won't have to rely on Neo Arcadia, the people who poisoned the air and water and murdered with impunity. We can return to the land. We can finally be free, be equal. Everyone, from wall to wall, to the desert and the sea. I'll never stop dreaming about that day."

Ciel reached for the cylinder, but before she could take it, Spider had pocketed it and hid it away with some sleight-of-hand, leaving her grasping for air.

"Aht. Ciel. See, I like you, and I like what you do. But…"

Spider outstretched an expecting hand, palm splayed out for an offer.

"We had adeeaal."

Ciel's eyes narrowed, her smile twitching with barely contained irritation. "Ah. Yes, give me a moment."

She tilted the screen of her laptop up and scoured through files for a moment before ejecting a small datastick and dropping it in Spider's waiting hand. "That's for your people at the OSA. It contains everything you need pertaining to Neo Arcadia's broadcasting network and an executable to give you full access to it. You just need to get in. The main building is at the outskirts of the city centre." She turned her screen around to show Spider, revealing a profile of a non conspicuous, older, chubby male reploid with thin white hair and pockmarked pale skin. "I've uploaded this man's information on our cloud. He's the chief data security officer of the entire network. Impersonating him should be easy enough."

She reached for a briefcase under her chair and pushed it towards Spider on the table. It opened to a small stun pistol and a lanyard with the target's staff ID attached. Spider nodded, placed the data stick inside along with the other items, and closed the case, setting it at his feet.

"And for you," she started, turning her laptop back around. "I'll wire through your payment. It should be in your account shortly. I've added a little extra for your troubles."

"You shouldn't have," Spider said, though he wasn't going to challenge it. "It's a pleasure working with you and the Resistance, Doctor."

Spider extended a hand, and Ciel shook it. As promised, Spider withdrew the cylinder of Supra-Force Metal from wherever he had hid it away and into Ciel's hand.

"Thank you. Oh, before you go, I've got another thing, actually," Ciel recalled, returning her attention to her laptop. "I've been working on something you might be interested in."

Spider raised his brow. "Is that so?"

"I've been working on a facial recognition algorithm in my free time. I've trained it on a library of our more prolific agents, like, eh, you and Vile and so on. I've paired it with a bit of automatic image processing. So…"

She turned her laptop around, showing Spider a clip scraped from Neo Arcadian surveillance footage. In a crowd of reploids filtering onto a train, Spider could make out the face of a Rebellion operative. "I'm sure you'll like this trick. This is the raw data. And this-" she turned her laptop around to type something in before showing Spider her screen again. "This is what it looks like when it gets to Neo Arcadian data centres."

The operative was gone from the crowd, his absence filled in artificially by the program. Spider squinted and leaned in, trying to parse any details that would've been missed, any reflections or shadows or artefacts that indicated tampering, but there wasn't anything the naked eye could pick out. "That's impressive. We can be anyone and no one all at once."

"Yep. Since Neo Arcadia's data transfer network occurs over the cloud, if I can get this into the main data centre, I'll be able to intercept any relevant data transfers and process them, erasing any evidence we were anywhere," she assured. "Look, it's not perfect. They'll recognise there's been tampering involved. Even then, they shouldn't be able to recover the original footage or images, or track the program down. It's an invisible process."

"That seems like dangerous technology, to be honest. Changing the truth on the fly like that. Neo Arcadia would be thrilled to get their hands on tech like that."

"I realise that."

Ciel didn't expand on it. Spider crossed his arms. "Well, anyway, how are you expecting to get into Neo Arcadia's central data centre? That's a whole other ballpark from the broadcasting network, you know."

"I already have, Spider."

He blinked, incredulous. "Of course you have. How've you done that?"

It was Ciel's turn to be smug. "Because I didn't work on it alone. Developing this would be a lot of trouble for one person. I'd be stupid to do it myself- more stupid than I already am, that is," she explained. "Most of this was programmed by someone else."

Spider's lips drew tight. "Who would that be?"

"A collaborator. Somebody acquainted with Neo Arcadia's highest echelons."

All Spider could do was laugh. "Now who could that be?"

Ciel pursed her lips and shrugged. "That's all I can say."

Staring at her for a beat, Spider made a semi-amused huff and got to his feet, briefcase in hand. "Well, I won't stick around and pry. You must be busy," Spider said. "You stay safe out there. Neo Arcadia's really cracking down on our ilk these days. They're breaking into homes, businesses. Tearing down tent cities and detaining the homeless. Arresting whoever even showed the slightest inclination for reform or change. They have no shame, honestly."

"Oh, I know. I've seen what they're saying on TV." Ciel shut her laptop and collected the other devices strewn about the table into a large case. "He's looking for Zero. He's been declared missing for a couple days now."

"I've noticed." Spider rolled his head back, shooting Ciel a critical look. "Say, you wouldn't have anything to do with that whole situation, would you?"

Ciel shook her head, but the faintest of smiles crossed her lips. "I'd never tell."

Spider had heard all he needed to know. He took on his newtype disguise and was swiftly gone again, like a whisper into the breeze.

The Resistance headquarters were a winding, expansive labyrinth that felt more akin to the inside of a termite mound than a base of operations.

The architecture reminded Zero of the old world, of the maverick Hunter headquarters and hideouts scattered across the globe. The corridor walls and floors were clad with worn and battered metal, plastic and fibreglass that groaned with every step taken, piping and wires winding up and down like snakes. Yet, the lustrous sheen of modern technology was wrapped by the irreversible effect of time and nature taking hold, green splashes of winding vines and bushes having burst through weakening seams in the walls and patches of dirt and grass covering where tile had broken off.

In the yawning hallways, somehow a breeze was blowing, kicking up leaves and pieces of faded scrap paper, despite Zero guessing they were several feet underground with no doorway to the aboveground world to speak of.

Despite Zero having shown himself to the Resistance, the depths of the tunnels were sparsely populated. As Zero meandered through the base with Craft, he only came across a few Resistance denizens milling about the halls. Their voices and footsteps were the only things to be heard for endless stretches of tunnel.

"I'm not sure how you can even find your way around here."

Having traversed most of the base, Craft and Zero made their way back to the more densely populated upper chambers, back through a maze of tunnels and doorways to the main hall. "I know. It's supposed to be like that," Craft replied, "but you'll get used to it. Everyone finds it confusing at first."

"No kidding," Zero huffed. It was the middle of the day according to his internal chronometer. The hall wasn't exactly bustling, with only a few reploids and humans to be seen sitting at the tables, passing the time with aimless chatter. They only briefly looked up from their conversations to steal a fleeting glance at Zero as he entered. "Where's Ciel?"

"She's away on some kind of business," Craft answered. "Why'd you ask?"

"...No reason." Zero pulled up a chair at an empty table and took a seat. Craft sat opposite him. He bristled, overly aware of the stares honing in on him. He drowned out the klaxons of his acute threat detection system. "Was just asking."

Truthfully, he just wanted to be around some semblance of a somewhat familiar face to feel safe. He didn't even know Ciel all that well. The truth was that he was in a strange place surrounded by strange people. People who could be considered, by some definitions, mavericks.

Zero hunched over, trying to avoid meeting the stares of the people around him. Even after spilling his heart out to them, he would be remiss to say they had any reason to trust him all too well. Craft tapped Zero's arm, asking for his attention. "Stressed out?"

"A bit."

Zero managed an awkward laugh. Craft's lips straightened into a line and he nodded, though he was looking elsewhere. Between them, there was a deck of cards on the table for anyone to use. Before long, they were in his hands.

"Its normal." Craft shimmied the cards from their carton and flicked through them, their backings water damaged and crinkled from years of use. "To tell you the truth, I was scared the first time I came here too. You know, of what the others thought of me. It's kind of funny to look back on, a guy like me being afraid of a group almost exclusively made up of starving civilians. Even now, I doubt most people here can trust me as far as they can throw me."

Zero's wandering mind showed itself in his listless gaze. "I don't know if I can evengivethem a reason to trust me," he opined. "I think they expect a lot from me, and as it stands now, there's nothing I can do for them, really… All that I can do for them is just leave. Get out of their way, and all that. It hurts that I can't do what they need me to do. Not like this, the way I am right now."

Craft frowned, setting a splayed fan of cards on the table. "Zero…" he lamented. "Changing how things are right will take a lot more than one person can muster. Even at your prime, you couldn't do it alone, helping all these people, doing away with this corrupt government. Maybe they can hope that your presence will fix everything, but it's not that simple. Nothing is. They know that. The age of heroes is over, if it ever existed. It's just natural to want to cling to the idea of one, even in the face of dismal odds."

"I know. I've just never been in this situation- running away, I mean," Zero said, "and not knowing what I can do. What my place is in this whole thing, and stuff like that. Not knowing what I can do to help without my strength."

Zero wanted to change the world. He could only wish life was like a vast, winding tapestry. If he wanted to fix it, all he needed was to tear out the bad things and weave good things in his place. Didn't anyone else want a better world? How could injustice linger for so long, with no one having uprooted it?

Though, perhaps that line of thinking was why X was doing what he was doing now. The thing was, there were so many bad things, tearing it all up would inevitably lead to more bad things, and so on and so forth. Maybe it would be better to start from scratch.

Maybe it's me. Maybe I need to fix something wrong with myself, the part that always sabotages everything,came a malevolent thought, flashing in Zero's mind. Craft let out a deflated sigh.

"Hrm. The thing is, if we all knew what to do, we'd have figured out this whole thing by then," he said, his tone laced with both dejectedness and humour.

"Yeah. I suppose you're right," Zero said. "I just can't help but feel bad. These people can't afford supporting my deadweight. I don't have the time to'um-and-ahh'about it when there's people suffering."

"You'll think yourself in circles. Some things just are the way they are," Craft rebutted. "You will adapt. What other choice do you have? You can't die. You surely don't want to live grovelling and blind in Neo Arcadia."

Zero could only hope that faith wasn't ill-placed. He let out a forceful exhale, blowing a lock of hair from his face. Craft nudged Zero reassuringly.

"Come on,Spatzi. Sulking will get you nowhere," Craft chided playfully. "You're never gonna figure it out in a day. Give it some time. You can't feasibly fix everything all at once. Look, a lot of people are working on this thing- making things better. It's not all on you."

Managing a small smile, Zero huffed a soft, tired laugh, though it was born of anxiety and exasperation more than amusem*nt. "You know, I don't know why you're still bothering to help me. You're back home now. You don't have to do anything for me anymore."

Craft leaned back in his chair. "You know what? I don't know why I'm doing this either," he admitted. "But it just seems like the right thing to do." Without breaking eye contact, Craft flicked through the deck of cards, shuffling them absentmindedly just to have something to do with his hands. "This isn't home to me anyway. Not really."

That made Zero co*ck a brow. "Then… where is 'home' for you?"

"Home is where we don't need to run anymore," he replied as a-matter-of-factly as saying the sky was blue. He offered a spread of cards Zero's way. "Want to see a trick? Pick a card."

It was out of the blue, but the pivot to something fairly trivial was a welcome respite for Zero's racing mind. He plucked a card from the fanned spread and looked at it. Seven of spades. "I don't get you."

"I don't mind. Put it back now," Craft replied. Zero did as told and Craft shuffled the deck. "Isn't it enough to help someone just because it's a good thing to do?"

"I guess it is. I just don't know what I did to deserve it. Any of this," Zero said. Craft laughed.

"You've done a lot of good for the world," he replied. Zero furrowed his brow.

"I caused this mess to begin with. You should hate me."

Craft shook his head. "You were asleep for a hundred years." He flashed a card. "Is this your card?"

Two of diamonds. Zero frowned. "No."

Craft grinned. Zero co*cked his brow. "My bad." He flicked through the deck. "I don't think your card is here."

"I let Axl die. If I had done more for him he would have still been here."

"What could you have done?" he asked, flittering through cards. Zero tried to speak, but there was nothing to say. He didn't know. Even after having spent every night pondering what he could've done, he didn't know.

"If I had done something during his trial-"

"Zero, the sentence was set in stone years ago. It was a kangaroo court. It all is, every trial they do is a sham, pretending to give everyone a fair go at it when all they want is to wipe us off the face of the Earth," Craft said. Words came up short for Zero. It'd been months now since Axl's death, but it still weighed heavy on him like it happened yesterday. Zero put his chin in his hand and tried to keep himself from spiralling by watching Craft closely. "I see where I've gone wrong. I'm missing a card."

Craft reached behind Zero's head with an empty hand, and from nothing, a card appeared in his grasp. "Is this your card?"

A seven of spades, effortlessly conjured from nothing. Zero chuckled, sufficiently impressed. "How did you do that?"

"Magic," Craft replied with a lackadaisical intonation. He tapped the mass of cards back into a neat deck and slid them back into their carton. "Spider from the OSA, actually, he taught me a couple tricks. He's-"

"-Spider?-"

"-Much better than I am-"

"-You mean-"

"-at it."

"-TheSpider?"

Neither could stop speaking until they were stumbling over each other's words. They stared at each other for a beat.

"What do you mean,the?He's an OSA union officer." Craft asked. Zero's brow rose under his helmet.

"The gambler Spider? Black hat, playing cards…?"

Craft's eyes darted aside. "Yes? What, you know him?"

"He was-"

"Mr. Craft!"

Zero would have to hold that thought. From the corridors came a tiny bundle of energy, a little girl with short blonde hair and a pink dress to her ankles. She skipped rather than walked, and never did she move in a straight line. In her hands was a white cat plush, clutched to her chest like her life depended on it.

"You're back!" She exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Craft's wrist. She was so small, she could barely reach around the width of him. "We missed you so much!"

Craft laughed, scooping the little girl up like she weighed as much as a wet tissue and set her on the edge of the table. She was a reploid, Zero could tell, no older than seven or so. She was all giggles, her flaxen hair ruffled by a hand twice as big as her head.

"Graahh, I missed you too, you little snot," he replied, softening his ragged tone. "You've been good to Ciel and Neige while I've been gone, yeah?"

"All things considered, yes."

Zero straightened his posture as he turned to meet the voice to find Ciel approaching with Neige in tow.

"You're back," Zero said blankly. Ciel snickered and leaned on the table.

"Why, were you looking for me?" She asked, partly in jest.

"Where were you?" Zero asked, ignoring her question. Ciel shrugged a shoulder.

"Can't say. Nothing that should concern you, though," she assured. "How are you finding things around here, Zero?"

Zero slouched in his chair. Now that she was here, he did feel a touch more secure. Yet still, not as much as he would've liked. "I don't know how you keep the lights on in this place. It reminds me of the old Hunters' headquarters, back when," he said, "it's no small feat, running an operation like this without getting caught. I have to give you your flowers."

"Wait, you're Mister Zero!?" The little girl piped up, bright-eyed and bushy tailed. She was by far the loudest thing in the room. "Woah. Is it really you? Ciel said you were here but I didn't believe her… You know, I've read a lot about you, in books and stuff. I never thought I would meet you! You're really pretty in real life. And- and you're from a long time ago, right? Do you have any stories from before the war? I wanna hear all about it! I-"

Neige cleared her throat and stopped her in her tracks. "Why don't you introduce yourself first?"

The bright eyed little girl suddenly looked plenty sheepish, her cheeks going a soft shade of red. "S-sorry," she mumbled. "Um, my name is Alouette."

It seemed as though she was more so apologising to Neige than to Zero. He didn't mind. "Alouette. That's a nice name," he said regardless of her developing tact. The girl giggled and made herself small.

"Thanks…" she murmured. "Ciel says it's a word from France. She's really smart, you know. Have you ever been there? I've only ever seen old pictures."

"Well, yes, now that I think about it," Zero replied, the glimmer returning to Alouette's eyes.

"What was it like?" She asked. "Was it pretty?"

The aesthetics of any one place never was a priority for Zero's mindset, particularly when he was only there on a mission. Still, he'd humour her, or at least try to. He wasn't sure if there was a France to even remember anymore. "I suppose so. Many old buildings. Rolling mountains, things like that."

"Woah…" Alouette seemed to be more captivated by the idea of the old world than the multiple centuries old reploid in front of her. Zero supposed he couldn't fault her. "What else? Do you have pictures? What about any books, o-or movies! What was it like? We never got to read any books from before."

"Er…" Zero pursed his lips and crossed his arms. He could remember snowy peaks that pierced the cloud and invaded the heavens, lush forests and vivrant meadows spanning from each horizon, light dancing off grass swaying with the breeze, rows of old stone buildings brimming with a rich and storied history he wasn't privy to in each and every brick.

"I don't know… it was beautiful. I don't think my recollection could do it justice."

Before Alouette could prod any longer, Neige rested a hand on her back and reigned her in. "I'm sure he'd love to tell you more, but Doctor Ciel needs to talk with him right now."

Ciel's eyes widened, and she made herself proper. "Oh, yes, that's why I came here in the first place. Zero, you wouldn't mind if I could have you for a moment of your time?"

Zero stared at her a moment before shaking his head. "No. It's not like I'm doing anything right now anyway," he said, getting to his feet and gesturing to Craft to come with. He looked back to Alouette, who was looking up at him with big eyes like a kicked puppy. Zero dropped his shoulders and tipped his head to the side. He wasn't ever too good with children.

"Hey. Don't give me that look…" he cooed, kneeling down and setting a hand on her shoulder. She was so tiny and frail, like a porcelain doll under Zero's featherlight touch. "How's this for a deal? I'll tell you about all the stories about the old world I have. Anything you want to know. Just sit tight. I won't be long at all," Zero assured.

"Really?" She asked. Zero just smiled back and winked.

"Really," he assured. In an instant, her sweet little face lightened up like the sun ducking out from behind clouds. She hopped up and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him as tight as her little body could muster. She'd caught him completely off guard, drawing a wheeze from the legendary war hero and knocking him off balance a bit.

"Yay! Thank you Mister Zero! You're the best ever!" she exclaimed, nuzzling her cheek into his side. The adoration was so entirely genuine, so unlike the cold, detached reverence he'd garner in the midst of Neo Arcadia, that it made him feel, for once, welcome. He'd forgotten how nice it felt, to have a glowing warmth radiate in his chest.

"Aahhh, it's… it's nothing…" he stammered, awkwardly patting her on the head. Flustered, looked aside, finding Craft looking on and plenty humoured. "You go run along and play now. I'll be just a call away."

Peeling herself off of Zero, Alouette politely stepped away and hopped off the table, setting off, plush tight in hand. The four of them left behind took a few quick and expecting glances at one another, until Neige took it upon herself to take after her.

"Bye, bye! Thank you, Mister Zero! I hope we can play together sometime!" Alouette yelled out from over her shoulder. Zero couldn't reply in time before she had left behind closing doors, and once more, the hall was quiet, save for the distant humming of machinery and murmur of quiet conversation. Zero's face was still flushed pink and warm, his heart swelling.

Craft crossed his arms and smirked. "Cute," he said, a little sly at that. Zero just waved him off and rolled his eyes, but he wouldn't outright deny it. She was cute. Innocent and sweet, despite presumably having gone through hell and back. She was everything and everyone Zero had sworn to protect. While he couldn't fight for her, he had made her happier just by being there. That felt nice.

He was far from being in fighting form, but right now, Zero supposed that wasn't the be-all-and-end-all of things. Despite everything, he still had something of value to offer. He had to live.

Ciel led the way for the two war reploids, showing them down through the hallway, and Zero followed.

"Give me some good news."

Harpuia landed by X's side, kicking up a cloud of dust with the flap of his wings. He looked over the dismal outer sector's industrial district with his hands clasped behind his back. The sun was high in the sky, and yet the layer of smog that hung overhead had coloured it dim and red. X didn't even turn to look at Harpuia.

"We've conducted a thorough search, Master X," Harpuia began. X looked over his shoulder with a narrow glare. He'd let his silvery hair grow unruly from the brim of his helmet.

"And?"

"...We have nothing to say for it."

There was no immediate response, but X bristled under his armour. Harpuia swallowed and shrunk down.

"That's impossible."

Harpuia choked down the lump in his throat. "We've searched every square inch of this place. We've asked the workers and soldiers here for any leads, no one has seen anything out of the ordinary. Looked under the rubble and every fallen building. Even the homeless, they said they hadn't noticed anything strange," he said. "I don't think Zero's here."

X's jaw clenched, teeth grinding together. "Have you looked over the security footage? Drone footage?"

"Yes, sir. Nothing on that front either."

"The surveillance clearly showed them coming here. They couldn't have gotten far at all without being seen," X said with a scowl. "What about the nearby sectors? Has Phantom's team found anything interesting?"

"I haven't heard from them." Harpuia scratched the back of his neck.

That could only mean they hadn't found anything either. X stepped in place and stroked his chin pensively. After a moment of thought, he exhaled sharply with flared nostrils. "...How stupid could I have been, letting Craft live…? Much less let him get so close to Zero," he muttered to himself. "Are you so sure?"

"We've searched the area up and down three times already. We haven't even found Craft's ride chaser. Er, perhaps,sir, it's best we let our pantheon squadrons take on this operation, and our intelligence can monitor the situation remotely for any incident," Harpuia suggested, trying to hide his nerves behind a level tone. X stared off into the distance, silence speaking for himself.

"I've been too kind to these maverick terrorists. To think they would only ever just be a minor thorn in my side." X shook his head, harsh brow furrowing and hands forming fists. "I've no doubt they've been meddling with our data to hide their hand in Zero's kidnapping, doctoring our surveillance. Threatening and blackmailing the people here to keep quiet. Is that not what we're dealing with here?"

Harpuia folded his wings further and wringed his hands behind his back. "I can't say for certain-"

"Thenthinkharder, Harpuia. This only happened becauseCraftgot into his head! Craft, thosemavericks, they took advantage of his naivete, his ignorance of this world. Took him away and messed with his mind, just as they did everyone else I trusted. I'm not letting them off lightly," X roared, his lackey flinching away with eyes squinted shut. "This entire municipality cannot know peace until I find him. You know how things are, the outer sectors are crawling with terrorists and their sympathisers. The OSA has its grip on these people. It's about time we do something about it. Those animals have wandered a bridge too far."

X whisked around with renewed resolve, stalking towards him like a hunting lion. He moved oddly, as though he was in pain, like his bones didn't quite fit together. Harpuia did the only thing that came to mind and kneeled.

"Continue your search. Turn over every stone, soar over every building, wade into every flooded tunnel. Find Zero. Find the Mavericks who did this. The sooner you do, the sooner we can move on from this foolish distraction. If nothing comes of it by the end of this week, I want this entire district levelled."

The brazen threat made Harpuia startle. "...That would gut this sector's productivity, sir."

"Then transfer the workers to other sectors that could use them," X said, standing firm. "Anyone you can't find a place for will be enlisted into our armed forces. Let them know disobedience will incur them jail time. Atbest. Understand?"

Heaving himself up from the ground, Harpuia looked sorry for himself, backing up from where his father stood. "And of the people who live here? The homeless take shelter in many of these old buildings."

"We will send out an evacuation order," X replied sternly, "don't forget that extremists use these abandoned buildings and subterranean ruins as a hideout too, Harpuia. Anyone who remains will be considered an accomplice to the terrorists and will be treated as such. Do I make myself clear? There will be nowhere for the enemy to hide. We just can't afford to show them mercy."

Harpuia bowed his head. "Yes, sir. If it comes to it, it will be done."

X glared at him a little while longer, before a smile came to him. "Good. Good boy," he said, patting Harpuia on the head. Harpuia bit back a groan. "At least I can always trust you to get things done around here."

There wouldn't be anything else said between them as X stepped away from the conversation, which it could hardly be called, to disappear into the rabble of the Outer Sector. Once out of sight and earshot, Harpuia stood straight, loosened his shoulders, and sighed to the soot and ash poisoned sky.

"Master Harpuia!"

He wouldn't have long to dwell. He turned to meet the familiar sight of his feline underling, Panter Flauclaws, slowly padding towards him with a group of soldiers in tow. Harpuia ruffled his wings and gathered himself. "Anything to report, Flauclaws?"

Much to Harpuia's dismay, Flauclaws shook his head. "We searched the old subway station as you advised," he said. His voice was harsh and gritty, like he was speaking with a snarl underpinning every word. "There were signs of a recent skirmish in the abandoned shopping centre, but I can't say for sure it involved Craft or Zero."

Harpuia raised his brow. "A fight? With who?"

"Malfunctioning security robots from before the Elf Wars. We have cleared the area of them and wheeled them off for scrap."

"I see. Then have you found anything that might suggest where they could've gone?"

"Our canine units caught a scent trail, but it led nowhere," he reported. "The old subway station is inundated with murky water. It's not easy to follow tracks."

Harpuia grumbled and knitted his brow. "That's less than ideal. Ifyoucan't find them I don't know who can," he said, wandering off to nowhere in particular to occupy himself. "Have you consulted the surveillance?"

"Many times!" answered Flauclaws, the panther taking to his side. "Hanumachine and Ganeshariff have run high-throughput facial recognition on all recent surveillance footage from the area some five or six times by now. They've scoured through it by hand. It's either they weren't here or our data has been tampered with."

His frustration had started to bleed into his tone. "I've started to suspect as much," Harpuia said. "I doubt that combatants of Craft and Zero'stypecould avoid detection for so long."

"It could be they have ventured into the Outside Lands, sir," Flauclaws offered, "we are quite close to the border walls."

"That shouldn't be possible. The entire circumference of the wall is guarded 24/7. It'd take several hundred tonnes of explosives to blow a hole substantial enough for amouseto crawl through. Itshouldblock any dimensional tunnelling that'd let an unauthorised person to bypass it with a warp system," Harpuia mused. "But I suppose I can't just dismiss such an idea… we haven't found a thing. People have managed to escape before. I wouldn't be shocked if Craft knew a way around it- he used to work for us out there, now that I think about it. Whatever the case, Master X has asked us to continue our search for at least another week."

Flauclaws' tail started to flick. "This entire operation is already diverting much of our focus and resources away from other causes. More pressing causes," he grumbled, "can we really afford this?"

"I'm aware, but it isn't our place to question Master X's decisions," Harpuia chided, "Zero would be a significant asset for maverick organisations to have. It's in our best interest to have him returned home safely."

Panter Flauclaws just harrumphed, casting his gaze aside. "...Certainly," he eventually agreed, but the air of sarcasm was not lost on Harpuia. "What else did Master X say? He spoke to you for a while."

"He has requested that if our search comes up short, we are to evacuate and completely level this district."

Flauclaws' tail stood up straight, his blank eyes lighting up with disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"Of courseI'mserious! You think I'djokeabout something like that?!" Harpuia all but squawked. "This district is a festering pit of extremist activity. These old buildings and tunnel systems make for ideal hideouts for these dogs. No longer is it enough to simply fight back against these terrorists, we must take preventive action and dole out collective punishment as is necessary. We must leave nowhere for the mavericks to hide, even if it means rendering this entire municipality to ruins. They have underestimated our power for too long, we ought to show them what challenging Neo Arcadia will do to them."

Flauclaws stopped in his tracks, tip of his tail curving like a question mark and ears pointing back. "That would annihilate an entire branch of industrial output. We already struggle with managing basic resources as is."

"That's what I said… rest assured, the workers will be redistributed across different districts and enlisted to the defence force if able," Harpuia said brusquely. "It is the sacrifice that must be made if we are to do away with these mavericks-"

He would have to hold his tongue; Flauclaws stepped in front of him and stopped him in his tracks. The animaloid pulled up a hologram map from the console under his wrist panel. "The Old Al Xayaat Hospital is located here." He pointed at a blinking red dot. "There will be many patients that cannot be transported. Even if we succeed in eliminating the maverick threat, the Bosaso Strip will be left without vital infrastructure. That's not to mention the schools and residential buildings here. Can we really consider a scorched Earth approach? Civilian approval ratings will plummet if we act too rash."

Harpuia rolled his eyes and pushed the map aside with a dash of his hand, the hologram fading away. "We go over this every time…" Harpuia bemoaned, "Neo Arcadians, the ones that matter, anyway, care more about eradicating mavericks than they do collateral damage. Besides, much of the non-government infrastructure here is nothing more than a front for extremists and so on." Harpuia turned on a swivel, marching off. "They're only Outer Sector folk. They can be replaced. Nothing of significance will be lost."

Flauclaws stood down, snapping his wrist console shut. "Very well. We will see to it," he conceded, bowing his head in humility. "Anything else, sir?"

"I'll let you know if I'm given new orders," Harpuia said. "Go, continue searching. The faster it's done the sooner we can move on with our lives."

His understudy would not argue. Flauclaws stood stiff as a board and saluted. "Sir, yes sir!"

Bounding away to speak with his platoon, Flauclaws was gone, and Harpuia would be left in solitude again. This time, it was enduring.

The sun beat down on him, unrelenting, the ground shimmering with heat, winding canals having long run dry. Flies kept landing on his face, no matter how often he batted them away. The smog and dust clogged his ventilation, falling ash coating his pristine armour like snow. Harpuia aired out his wingspan and shuddered his armour, huffing hard through his respiratory vents to clear his systems before he found refuge in the shade of an old factory. The walls were plastered in layers of posters, calling for everything from union action to organised protests against an 'oppressive and violent government'. Little more than violent terrorist propaganda. If anything, it was the mavericks who were the enemy of peace. Neo Arcadia was just defending herself.

"Oh,Abba,father…" he murmured to himself, head held low. "Why can't I shake the feeling we are surrounded by dissent?"

He waited, as if there would be any answer. Harpuia sighed, coming to feel the twinge of shame that came with talking to oneself.

Harpuia ripped down the posters with little remorse.

The doors to Cerveau's office slid shut with a hiss behind Zero, Craft and Ciel. The silver haired reploid looked up from his desk, smiled, and set down his pen. A mess of notepads and blueprints strewn around him, his garbage pail overflowing with scrunched up pieces of scrap. An old plaque bearing his full name-Dr. Cerveau J. Rosenbluth,sat neatly on his desk, a souvenir from a previous life.

"Ciel!" He greeted her with a beaming grin. "And good afternoon, Craft, Zero. What can I do for you today?"

Ciel pulled up a chair and invited Craft and Zero to do the same. Zero took the hint, though Craft was content to lean against the wall.

"Well, it's not so much what you can do forme, per se…" She turned to Zero. "Now that we're all here, I actually wanted to askyou, Zero, and I hope this isn't too much to spring on you all at once, but…what…doyou want to do with yourself now that you're here?"

The question made sense to ask, but it didn't make it any easier for Zero to answer. With everyone's eyes honing in on him, all coherent thoughts were dashed in favour of self-consciousness.

"Geahh…" He leaned back in his seat with his hands clasped behind his head. There was a lot he still didn't know about the world that would've most definitely helped him come to a decision. Until now, he mostly relied on others to point him in any one direction. Even as one of the world's greatest Maverick Hunters, when he was at his prime, he was always the one who was taking the truly important orders. He looked at the ceiling, and hummed, mulling over his options. He had said to Craft that his best bet was just leaving, but to where, he wasn't sure. All he knew was Neo Arcadia wasn't home, and, if he remained here, he was more of a liability for the Resistance than anything. Zero sighed and rubbed his shoulder.

"I… don't know. I don't know what I'm supposed to do now," he finally admitted after being given a silent moment to think. Ciel bobbed her head, offering a sympathetic gaze.

"It's alright. I guess it was a loaded question to ask straight out of the gate…" Ciel supposed, clasping her hands in her lap and rocking upright in her chair. "Well, maybe a better question would be why you chose to seek us out in the first place?"

Zero looked to Craft, the most familiar face in the room, as if he'd offer any answers, but he remained tight-lipped. He couldn't read his mind, he only knew as much of Zero's motivation as he would tell him. Zero wilted in his chair, shoulder held tight and his throat bobbing. He had no heroic or righteous reason to come here- he knew he couldn't fight or be a spokesperson worth any merit.

"To tell you the truth, I just… needed to get away from X. That's why I came here," he confessed, words feeling thick in his chest. "It probably makes me sound selfish."

Cerveau reverently shook his head no and leaned over the table. "No, no, not at all! Many come to us to seek refuge from abysmal conditions. It doesn't make them selfish or cowards. You're as entitled to safety as everyone else is, Zero."

Zero's lips twitched into a line. "I don't know. I can't compare what's happening to me to what your people have gone through. The death and squalor, I didn't come from that. I came here straight from the citadel."

"You came here straight from the belly of the beast. Look, Zero, wherever you come from, we will help you. That is our duty as the Resistance, and, well, we will see to it until all are free," Cerveau assured, folding his hands over themselves. "The cruelty of the occupation doesn't pick and choose. We're all victims of it. Only a select few will ever benefit from the system, and even then, it's at a cost."

Cerveau had known Neo Arcadia far longer than Zero had. He couldn't, in his right mind, refute him, just because he had some self-absorbed class related guilt wracking him. The time for despair would come. For now, he'd just have to keep on going.

"Whether you, personally, think you're worthy of help, that's up to you to grapple with, Zero," Cerveau went on, "but you are a person, and that makes you worthy enough in our eyes."

The many lectures on Reploid 'personhood' he'd heard from Iris would come to mind for Zero, no matter how much he'd try to repress those memories, her ideas and journey to transcendence. Repression that included, by extension, his feelings for Iris.

"I guess I just don't get it. You know, why you'd even want to help me when there's nothing to gain from it and everything to lose," Zero lamented. "I ran away from this fight a hundred years ago, left you out to dry. I failed you. Took the easy way out. I was called a hero, but I'm nothing like that."

"I mean, you did it for years, Zero. Fighting the good fight for those who couldn't do it for themselves. Helping others isn't a transactional exchange, it's just something we do because it's the right thing to do. See, you may have already begun to feel some guilt stricken grief for us, but look! We're still alive. Don't cry for us yet," Cerveau said. "I'm not going to sit and act like everyone is happy with you, Zero, but that is wholly irrelevant to our cause. So, whatever you want from us, we will fulfil it to the best of our abilities."

Craft rolled his head back. "Zero, the thing is, despite what X says, you need to distance yourself from the idea of being a hero and train yourself towards solidarity. None of us are saviours, but we are all mutual partners in this march towards freedom."

Zero's mouth grew dry. In all those years of fighting against Sigma and his legacy of evil, Zero didn't know if he did any of it just because he thought it was the right or heroic thing to do, or if he just liked the fight itself. Whether he loved the innocent and victimised, or just loved to hate their oppressor. Regardless, it didn't look like any of them would back down. Whether he liked it or not, he would have to take them up on their offer.

"Fine. Then… if it's a plea for help you want from me, then I want to leave. Take me to that place you told me about, Tabula Rasa, or whatever you called it. The place beyond Neo Arcadia. I just want to be somewhere I can feel like I'm behind the wheel," Zero finally answered. "And I know that the right thing to do would be to stay and fight with you, but-"

"Very well then! If that is what you truly wish for, then we will arrange it," Cerveau cut him off, ensuring Zero's have no room for verbal self-flagellation. Zero pursed his lips, no more comfortable than he was beforehand. "Though, make no mistake, you're free to tarry here as long as you wish."

"...Is that it? You're just fine with me leaving?" Zero asked. "Didn't you seek me out in the first place so I could lend you my power?"

Cerveau rested the tip of his pen on his chin. "Well,yes, but as things are now, you wouldn't be much help out there, would you agree?" he said. It was blunt, and Zero wanted to be offended, but it was true. He would be deadweight in any dicey situation he'd find himself in. He was like everyone else, now. "My friend, we are all living in exile, displaced from a peaceful homeland. As long as we hold onto the keys to our homes, we will return one day. Now, Ciel?"

She jumped in her seat, having let her mind wander as they spoke. She raked her hand through her hair and looked aside. "Ah, yes… I'll set you up with everything for the journey, then," she said, heaving herself up by the armrests. "Bear with me!"

Ciel scurried away in a rush, disappearing into the depths of the Resistance base. Zero watched her go, looking at the door with a flat stare.

"Alright…" Zero turned back around in his chair to face Cerveau again, hands clasped on the desk. "Was that all you needed me for?"

"Oh. No, of course not, no," Cerveau said, getting out of his chair with a little skip. "Come, Zero sir, follow me. You too, big man." He tapped the side of Craft's shoulder. "I need you to run a few tests, if you don't mind. It'll keep you busy 'til Ciel comes back."

There was nothing Zero could dobutfollow him. "Tests? Why?"

"Why, because I've gone and developed an antidote for that restraining bolt of yours!"

"Really? You can do that?" Zero asked, incredulous. He followed Cerveau from his office and into the halls, the older looking reploid moving surprisingly well, spry as any. "Aren't you busy?"

"Well, yes. What, you think I can't do two things at a time? You know I have an MDanda PhD. It'll take me no time at all," Cerveau tattled on. Zero looked to Craft for his opinion, but he just smiled lazily and shrugged. "And yes, if I've understood the effects of the bolt correctly, indeed, we can do that." He swivelled around, walking backwards to face Zero, "hopefully," he added, turning around again.

"So you can fix me?"

Cerveau put his hands in his pants pockets and looked to the ceiling. "Eh… no, not quite. What a miracle that would be. No, it's simply a temporary solution, it gets your systems back to running as they did many years ago, or, at least, close to that," he corrected. Zero sighed, the glint of hope in his cold heart promptly extinguished. "But it'll give you a chance if you find yourself in trouble. See, you actually have toescapeNeo Arcadia to get to Tabula Rasa. No shortcuts I'm afraid."

"Right…" Zero said. "And I can't leave fromherebecause…?"

"Neo Arcadia would see you leave! Besides, our transervers don't work up there."

"And I can't warp outfromNeo Arcadia?"

"The canonical transerver network has been bottlenecked by Neo Arcadia. Traditional systems, what you may be familiar with, only function within its walls."

"Then how did I get here?"

"It's a different system. It's more of a epidemensional tunnel instead of a warp system, one way in and one way out. My late colleague engineered it. If you want to go where you please, you'd have to use a dimensional tugboat. Our friends in the city will have no problem towing you past the wall. Neo Arcadia has a locus it doesn't know about."

"You know I have no idea what that means."

"Oh, I know." Cerveau shot him a sly grin, the corners of his eyes crinkling under his visor.

"Don't tease him, Cerveau," Craft scolded the engineer playfully. Zero harrumphed and pouted.

But sure, he couldn't leave from here, and their transport system was mostly useless to go anywhere but here.

They passed into the medical wing, by far the busiest department in the Resistance base Zero had seen. It was spick and span, mostly gray and white, terribly sterile and brightly lit by blindingly white fluorescent lights. The sweet and tarry stench of phenol and the chlorine laced bleach pervaded the air, almost dizzyingly strong. Medical workers were rushing back and forth, working tirelessly to tend to the wounded and sick, laying in rows of hospital beds. The conditions of the patients here didn't seem all too serious, at least, mostly superficial wounds that could be dealt with easily. They were largely civilian reploids, not at all cut out to deal with intense conditions.

Bowing his head and brushing his hair out the way of his face, Zero tried to ignore their stares. Of course the patients and nurses couldn't help but sneak a glance at the legendary reploid they'd heard so much about and expected so much from. The self-loathing eating away at him wouldn't let up, no matter what Cerveau told him. He'd failed them, he failed everyone.

"Rocinolle!" Cerveau hollered, putting his hands on his hips. Like he had rung a bell, a rather short and portly woman emerged from one of the medical bays. She had brown hair tied up in a neat bun, a dirty smock covering her green Resistance garb, and quite a severe look about her. Zero took his prerogative to step back behind Craft's back.

"Cervi! What's up with you?!" She was naturally loud, had a distinct drawl, and Zero didn't know if she was cross or if that was her resting tone. Cerveau didn't seem phased.

"If you're not busy, I'd love to ask you a favour."

Mulling over it, light brown eyes looking him up and down, Rocinolle inhaled, held it for a moment, then exhaled. "I guess I ain't busy… what do you want?"

"Well, I was looking to run a couple physicals on our guest Ze-"

While he spoke, she looked over his shoulder and squinted. "Say, is thatZero? Well I'll be damned. Come on over darlin', I don't bite."

Certainly, Zero had seen scarier things than a stout, older civilian build. He made his way in front of her and offered a hand. Rocinolle grabbed his wrist and shook it firmly.

"Oh, Zero, it's a right honour to meet you. My name's Rocinolle, I'm the nurse here," she greeted. "I heard you speak the other day, oh, my heart breaks for you! Shame on Neo Arcadia for treating you like that, honey. Well I'll say, 'spite everything, you're still as purdy as the day you left."

Zero wasn't used to being pitied. He just insisted on a smile and gently tugged his arm away. "Thanks," he replied with awkward brevity. Rocinolle didn't mind him.

"Well, s'there anythin' I can do for you, mister Zero?" Rocinolle asked, suddenly looking much more amicable. "Er, what was Cerveau saying again?"

Zero and Craft looked at Cerveau. He tugged his shirt collar and cleared his throat. "Yes… I need to run a couple physicals on our guest, Zero, here. You wouldn't mind helping me set up, would you?"

"Oh! Why didn't you just say so? Come on, I just got it set up for Colbor. He walks real good for a man with one leg, you know."

Rocinolle was away again, short legs making good distance, waving them over to follow. Cerveau shook his head and huffed. "Oy vey. Well, come on you two."

"...Why do I have to be here?" Craft eventually spoke up, though he had no qualms with following the two into the examination room.

"Moral support! You're his friend, aren't you?"

"...Am I, Zero?"

Zero barged into his side playfully. "Don't be stupid. 'Course you are."

"See? Anyway, here, here, come right this way. Won't take long at all." Cerveau held the door open for them, leading them into a spacious examination room, mostly empty save for droves of old medical equipment scattered around. Rocinolle was leaning over a monitor, typing away at a console and reworking a bird's nest of cables. Craft absentmindedly pushed aside the prongs of a vertical yardstick.

"...Oh, darn it. I still need to calibrate this stuff for Zero's frame," Rocinolle lamented over the mess of analytic equipment. "Cervi, quit lookin' pretty over there and come help me. You two can wait outside if you want."

Cerveau suddenly looked quite sheepish. "Perhaps I mismanaged the clock here. You can stick around and watch or, I don't know, go mingle with the locals. Your decision. We'll call you back."

Given the choice between watching machine calibration and quite possibly anything else, Zero backed out of the room without another word, the door closing by itself.

"Good choice," Craft noted.

Back in the thick of the medical wing, Zero took the chance to take in his surroundings. Hidden away in separate rooms was the ICU, where, through foggy windows, Zero could see workers clambering back and forth in a rush to treat their patients. The walls obscured the true extent of their injuries, which was perhaps a good thing for Zero's conscience.

A young reploid leaned up from his bed, catching Zero's gaze by chance. He looked glassy eyed and distant, face contorted into a frown. His body was weathered with fresh burns and shrapnel scars and bruises covered by gauze. Zero didn't know how to respond. Should he be outraged or heartbroken? It weighed down his heavy chest. MeReAD analysis revealed a civilian build, his diagnostics concluding he had suffered blast injuries.

Despite everything, the corners of his lips slowly lifted into a smile, and he lifted a hand, missing a few fingers, and waved.

Maybe, Zero reckoned with himself, it was simple compassion blooming within him. He smiled back, slowly making his way to kneel at his bedside. There was a glimmer in the young reploid's eyes.

"Zero, sir…" he murmured, voice hoarse and thin and high-pitched- barely a teenager. A weak hand reached for Zero's face, fingers resting on his cheek as light as a breeze. "Mashallah, I knew you'd come."

Unsure of what else he could do, Zero gently wrapped his hands around the boy's own, enveloping his cold skin in warmth. "What's your name, kid?" He asked.

"My name's Warsame," he answered. Zero nodded slowly.

"Warsame… that name's from these parts, isn't it?" Zero asked.

"Yeah… My family's lived here for a long time. Before Neo Arcadia, the wars, all of that. I descend from humans. Our ancestor was a human who married a reploid long ago," he said. Zero leaned in, swallowing hard. His pain, his loneliness, it was too much to ignore.

"What happened to you?"

The light in his eyes burned out like an old bulb, his smile faltering. Zero frowned. "...I'm sorry. You don't have to say-"

"It's okay. I'm glad someone like you cares enough to ask," he assured. He took in a deep breath before continuing. "We lived in Badhan, in the Sanaag region. My father said Neo Arcadia was founded not too far away. They promised us that our city wouldn't be harmed, that we'd become a part of the state. That we could stay, you know, just like we did for hundreds of years. But Neo Arcadia just kept getting bigger, and we were in the way. They destroyed it, all of it. My home, Badhan, so they could make space for new settlements, for humans and stuff. For days, we could hear nothing but airstrikes, gunfire, their machines tearing down our homes. It never stopped, not until there was nothing left. Most of the people in Badhan, they were killed during the siege. Even the humans, the ones who didn't move, they weren't spared. The hospitals, schools, our homes. Everything we owned, it was all gone. My family ran away when I was young. We had to live in a secret settlement in the Outside Land."

Warsame leaned back against his pillow and looked aimlessly at the ceiling. "Then Neo Arcadia came for that too. My entire family was gone in one airstrike. Most of the settlement too. It's just me, now." He blinked fast, trying to will away tears. "It was never perfect before. Somalia, I mean, but now it's like we never even existed. So… so thank you, Zero, sir. Thank you for coming for us."

Zero never had a way with words. All he could do was be there and listen to the boy. He had bore witness to unspeakable kinds of death and destruction, things that kept the centuries old, seasoned war veteran Zero awake, at barely a fraction of his age. "I'll be here for you, kid. For all of you. I will always fight for the people I believe in. Even if I can't now, I won't give up on you. Not again."

Zero set his hand back down, letting Warsame rest. "We were taught stories about you. My father, he used to pray for kindness like yours.Inshallah,I'll get better,and when I do, I want to be a doctor. I'll help people, be strong and brave, just like you Zero. Then, maybe one day, we can return home."

"Warsame... You're already so much stronger than I could ever be," he assured. "You should rest, young man. Get better soon, so you may shepherd your people back home."

He ran his hand lightly through Warsame's hair, earning him a smile from the boy. "I will, sir. I promise."

Slowly, he eased himself upright and backed away, drawing the curtains around his bed to offer him some relief from the rabble of the med bay. Craft returned to his side, a hand on his shoulder.

"It's always hard to hear," Craft murmured. Zero sighed away the sorrow in his heart.

"Poor kid… so young and already lost so much," Zero mused. "Even still, he can find the strength to have hope. Makes me wonder how I couldn't do the same."

What good was it to lament helplessness? When did he stop dreaming? Whatwashe aiming for? Just like young Warsame, like Wade and his friends back in the citadel, Ciel and her Resistance, the suffering men, women and children toiling in the outer sectors, even Phantom and his crisis of loyalty, he just had to live. If anything else, just live. Stay alive, kicking and screaming. That was what this fight was about.

I can't see the future with just my ordinary vision. It needs a dream,Zero mused to himself, echoing shades of Iris' philosophy.As long as we live in this reality, there's still work to do… treat the future not as a forgone conclusion, but a goal we must work towards.

"Cerveau was asking for you, by the way," Craft said, nudging Zero along. "You should probably go see what he wants."

I'm trusting my body too much. These things that won't follow my command. It isn't enough to have only eyes on the future. Hmm. Seek the whole from parts. Ciel was right. WhatamI doing here?

…

I'm making something. I need to.

…

You shouldn't, Zero…It isn't worth it. What do you think will happen? People just fight. War is interesting. Destruction, paving way for something new, over and over.

…

That's not true.

…

Money, greed, ambition, 'progress', civilisations rising from the dust and collapsing, helpless to fight back. It's all our fault, a result of our own negligence. Why are we here? It won't change.

…

I don't know, Zero.

I think I need to change what this means for me. The malice we see in life, it's nothing more than an apparition. Existence itself is beautiful.

…

Was it?

…

Well, it had to be. At least it had to be, if there was any future for them to strive towards.

With some new perspective to inform his life, Zero joined Cerveau and Rocinolle in the examination room to lend his body to analysis, just as he did so many times before.

X was sitting at his desk, head resting atop his hand and pen twirling in his hands. He wasn't doing any work.

In front of him were a few inquiries from the Neo Arcadian Branch of Human Affairs that he'd been putting off for a week. Inevitably, they were beginning to pile up. Largely trivial things to make life more palatable for the already coddled population, more holidays, more security, less noise at night, clean up the graffiti in the alleys, less trains from the Outer Sectors, enforce more curfews, and then in the same breath, ease up the current curfews. Anything to make it easier for them to eat, easier for them to sleep. The human representatives were starting to grow impatient at his delay. Nothing that couldn't be solved with loud words and large hand gestures and dumbed down sentiments.

His grip tightened around his pen. It didn't matter to him, it never really did. He was doing little else but writing his signature on the dotted line- handling civic minutiae wasn't part of his job. How could he care about the wants and needs of fat and dumb, soft-skinned humans when he had more pressing matters at hand?

Extremists and dissenting movements have taken hostages before, and they were usually nobody particularly important. They would let them have them until public outcry became too much for morale to bear. Only then would they intervene, raiding Maverick outposts and tearing them to the ground until the devastation broke the enemy and forced them to give up. It was so easy to find them, Neo Arcadian drones circling the skies like vultures.

He threw his pen down and pushed his chair away from under him, meandering with heavy footsteps to his window. He looked out to his kingdom under the night sky with little triumph or pride. A utopia that stretched from the mountains to the glistening sea. What good was it without the person he built it for? This was all for Zero. He had finally made good on his promise, a world modelled after their virtues, their image. He was Zero's dagger, buried deep into the soft flesh of this city and its people.

His jaw was clenched, teeth grit and nostrils flared, blood streaming thick through his body. What good was any of it? Whyshouldthey be happy?

The chime of his comms system being called upon drew his attention away from his vicious reverie. He made his way back to his desk, trying to quell his frustration with deep breaths. It was Harpuia calling in from the Outer Sectors. He took the call.

"Make my day, why don't you."

His son stood against a grim backdrop, where the sky was always overwhelmed by smoke and ash, the air was thick with poison. Evading his glare, Harpuia dipped his head. "I apologise, sir. We're nowhere closer to Zero's whereabouts as we were the last time we spoke." X's nose scrunched up.

"That's not what I wanted to hear, Harpuia."

"I'm aware…" he said, wings small against his back.

"Then whatcanyou tell me?" X asked, arms crossed and brow knitted.

Harpuia said nothing for a moment, wetting the inside of his mouth. "...Nothing you don't already know." He took a swig from an E-tank to wash down the pit in his throat, his voice suddenly feeling sparse. "Uh, other than that, Hanumachine's team has found evidence of data tampering. Our surveillance cannot be trusted until further notice."

"And you can't recover the data."

"We tried."

X's lips pulled back, teeth bared. "Then– you– we must–"

He stopped, dropped his gaze to the floor and kneaded the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "I suppose that's it then. If not you, no one can find him." He threw his hands up in defeat. "Then that's it! That's really it. I've been too fair to that Resistance scum. I should've wiped them off the face of the Earth when they were still too insignificant to matter."

Neither said anything for a moment, though their silence was rich with tension. Anything Harpuia had to say would only stoke X's wrath. He just let him stew in it, his back turned to Harpuia's view.

It's too early to fire up Ragnarok. We don't have a target to fire at,X thought.But traditional solid-state armament should work just fine.

"Then I won't waste your time. Pull your forces from that sector. Tell Phantom too," he said, turning around to face Harpuia again. "Deploy the pantheons in your stead. Station Golem-637 at the incoming bridge. There must be nowhere for them to hide. I'll mobilise the demolition squadron shortly. If there is nothing to be found, we are to follow theSiegfriedProtocol. Raze that district to the ground."

"Yes, sir."

"As for you, you and Phantom will poll the interiors of the Outer Sectors. I will have Fefnir and Leviathan mobilise their forces in the Outside Lands, as far as the Rift will let them. Do you understand the task given to you?"

"Yes, sir," Harpuia repeated.

"Good. Good. If we can't find Zero, we can at least stamp out any pro-maverick sentiment around here…" X grumbled, pacing in front of the video feed. Harpuia watched dutifully, waiting for his dismissal. "How stupid could I have been, yielding to Zero's demands, his outdated ideals... He doesn't know what he wants. He doesn't know anything about this world."

When he spoke like that, it made Harpuia's armour shudder. "...Indeed, sir."

"I need to stop giving people the benefit of the doubt. They don't know what it is they want," X continued. "I'm tired of it. Tired of people running, fearing what must be done to secure a peaceful future. There's a sickness in our race, a universal sickness. Is it so bad to excise the bubos? Don't we all want peace? Don't they want what everyone wants?"

It was better for Harpuia to remain tight-lipped. X stopped in front of the telecomm receiver.

"We will find Zero, and when we do, I will resolve his troublesome egress," X promised. "What do you say, Harpuia?"

"...It will be done."

"That's what I wanted to hear," he murmured. "Why does he insist on running away? I'll figure him out. No one knows him like I do." He turned to Harpuia. "What do you think?"

Harpuia swallowed hard. "...Maybe his association with Craft has led him astray. He seemed quite affected by Axl. I don't think he knows any better."

Surely, X already knew that. He was just seeking further confirmation. "Of course. If I could go back in time, I would've killed Craft myself," X snarled. "To think he has dirtied Zero's mind… stripped him from me. If only heknewwhat that man had done.Fenrisúlfr, our world ender. He wouldn't be so sympathetic now, would he?"

Jealousy was a horrible thing, and it coursed through him like venom. He had no rational basis to assume the nature of their relationship, but Zero was forcing him to pay no heed to his rational mind. Unwanted images of him and Zero together, Zero holding a maverick close like he used to with him, it haunted him.

"I won't keep you, Harpuia," X finally concluded. "Go on, do Neo Arcadia proud."

Harpuia saluted him. "Yes, Master X, sir!"

His video feed was cut off. It was just X again. Despite his efforts, Zero wasn't there, not in his bed, not looking out the window at their world. It wasn't supposed to be this way. He collapsed on the side of his couch, forlorn and far away.

Why are you running away? Look at what you're making me do, Zero…

He looked at his hands, opening and closing his fists.Look what you've done to me. I don't want to do this either.

It was just X. He, alone, had to make it better. Peace, a utopia, that was his promise to Zero. This was what he wanted.

…

Why bother? It's an endless cycle, X. Life, hope, ennui, despair, catastrophe. What are you doing?

…

"I'm forging ahead. For Neo Arcadia. For peace. Our future. For Zero."

Maybe you shouldn't.

"I must. I have to do this."

He could feel Zero's hands around his, his body on top of his own, vulnerable flesh pressed against his.

"I'll make things better. We can be better than the past. Our history. We can progress."

…

No matter what we do, things will always turn out wrong.

Zero. Omega. X didn't know where one stopped and the other began, if it was real or his mind playing tricks on him, or if it mattered at all. The red siren smiled atop of him, all iterations of him. His voice was barely a whisper.

Don't be selfish, X.

On the inside, we can never be better.

"It might hurt a little."

There it is… there's the strength from yesteryear.

One jab to the thigh was enough for Zero to be keeping pace at a comfortable 60 kilometres per hour, internals running steady and cool. His breathing was stable, his mechanical heart was beating only somewhat faster than his baseline, and his metabolism was behaving. He had shown little sign of nascent fatigue even twenty minutes in. He could reach great heights in one jump, his reflexes had been restored to something at least resembling what they once were, and his healing factors seemed to kick back into gear, his systems resolving a small prick in his finger with swiftness rather than delay.

Before Cerveau had administered his antidote, the treadmill had him running out of breath by six or so minutes. Was it a perfect recovery? Not entirely, despite what Zero had hoped for. Was it better than nothing? Absolutely. It was like he had finally woken up feeling fully rested and renewed. His mind and body weren't completely in sync, but they were closer than ever.

And damn, it felt good.

For another ten minutes, at least.

"It might be wearing off now."

Cerveau was keeping an eye on the data output, chewing on the back of his pen.

After thirty minutes, he was starting to crash back down to Earth, the restraining bolt's effect overtaking the temporary rebalance in his systems and taking its toll on him. Slowly, his body was weighed down by it, legs like lead, chest feeling tight and hungry for air, his internal temperature gradually climbing.

It was nice while it lasted.

"Alright, that'll be all," Cerveau advised. Zero slowed to a stop, footsteps growing heavier until the treadmill was still. He dismounted, then promptly keeled over, hand on his knees, respiratory systems starving for oxygen and cool air. Cerveau handed him a cold E-tank.

"Ah, that worked a charm," Cerveau said, abundantly pleased with himself.

"Yeuahguehasuhhh…."

He had meant to say words. It felt like his throat was burning, he could taste blood in the back of his mouth.

"Gesundheit." Craft was still watching, leaning against the wall. Cerveau guided Zero to a chair and had him sit, blonde hair a frizzy mess and limbs draped limp over the arm rests. Cerveau pointed a fan towards him.

"Well, happy to say that dose gave you a good 34 minutes of consistent enhanced performance," Cerveau assessed the stream of data at the analysis console while he unhooked a few cables from his wrist panel. Zero rolled his head back and slumped in his seat, more pale than he already was. The collar took its time in punishing Zero for daring to overcome it. "As long as you don't push yourself too hard, you should be alright."

Zero grabbed a bottle of water at the foot of his chair and doused himself with it.

"I don't supposewecould get whatever's in those things now, could we?" Craft pointed his chin at the rest of the autoinjectors Cerveau had filled. Cerveau laughed.

"Wouldn't that be nice! A whole army of supersoldiers," Cerveau said, handing Zero a rag. "But no, this is designed specifically for Zero's body condition. If I gave it to you, It'd probably cause total system arrest."

Craft frowned. "Shame."

"Alright… I think I'm good…" Zero managed between heavy puffs. He pushed himself out of his chair and wiped the sweat from his brow, stumbling before finding himself flat on his feet. "Thanks, Cerveau. You're a lifesaver."

"It's all a part of the job, Mister Zero," he assured, "if you start experiencing any side effects, let me know ASAP. Here, here, take the rest of them."

Cerveau collected the three leftover injectors and dropped them unceremoniously in Zero's hands.

"Sorry I didn't make more. It was kind of a spur of the moment kind of deal," Cervau said. "Each contains one dose. You know how to use it right? You just press it into the side of your thigh and click the button. Just use them wisely."

With nowhere else to keep them, Zero stored them in his hip holster. "I'll keep that in mind. Are we done here?"

Cerveau smiled. "Oh yes, you're free to go. You know, Ciel might be looking for you. You should go look for her. If I had to guess, she's probably in the training and equipment rooms."

Zero was so carried away with the whole ordeal, he'd forgotten about Ciel's favour for him. "You're probably right. I'll see you around, then." He turned, waving Cerveau goodbye. "Craft?"

"Yep. I'm coming…"

Like a loyal but belligerent puppy, Craft followed Zero out the room and medbay, offering Cerveau an appreciative nod as he did.

"I don't know why I stuck around for that," Craft mumbled, mostly to himself. Zero rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"You could've left anytime."

"I know."

"But you didn't."

"Yeah, I know."

"You're weird."

Craft wasn't going to bother refuting that. The training and equipment rooms weren't too far from the medical wing. The wing was divided into sections, but the main entrance led to a moderately sized gym that was mostly occupied by a floor mat and some weight equipment set to the side. There were a few young reploids sparring on the mat, but it looked like it was more for fun than actually honing their combat skills. Bittersweet memories of wrestling with X as young Hunters flashed in his mind.

"Don't think Ciel's around. I'll ping her transponder," Craft said after a quick scan of the room. Zero took the opportunity to wander, and Craft, perhaps instinctively at this point, followed him as he fiddled with his comms.

He passed the reploids playing on the mat, stopping to give them a discerning glare. When the two realised, they swiftly untangled themselves and tried to look polite and proper.

"Z-Zero, sir!" one of them stuttered. He looked like he'd seen a ghost. Zero had been gone so long and spoken of with such regard, to these kids, he might as well have been one. Zero smirked, putting their nerves at ease.

"Are you trying to break your neck? You should keep your head up when you grapple, you know," he advised. "Shoulders up, back straight, feet apart, knees bent."

They nodded eagerly. "Y-yes, sir, thank you sir."

Their sheepish stares made Zero chuckle. "Don't play too rough."

They nodded again, the two replying with a hummed 'mhmm' and a quiet 'uh-huh'. Zero took that as a hint to move on.

The next room was a firing range hidden behind thick walls of concrete, the glass reinforced with a metal lattice. There wasn't anyone using it at the moment, though there were a few Resistance fighters and the rangemaster loitering around. Through a window, Zero peered into the connecting office, where an older and chubby reploid, with flashes of white hair at his temple and a well groomed moustache and beard worked away dutifully. The room had been repurposed as a workshop, tools and spare parts scattered around, the man's apron splattered with oil stains. When he noticed the two, he waved. Craft waved back while Zero kept his hands at his side.

"He's the weapons engineer. His name's Doigt," Craft said. "Might be too busy to make small talk."

There were a few human shaped targets beyond the partitions of the firing booths, blaster marks having worn away at the markings. Zero eyed them down, aiming at them in his mind. It was quiet, quiet enough to allow for concentration.

"Zero! Sorry, I lost track of time." Ciel's voice cut through the air, and she came storming through, a bag thrown over her shoulder. "How was Cerveau? I heard he gave you a serum for that collar, how'd that go?"

"It went well, I guess," Zero supposed. "Is that all for me?"

"Oh yes, usually I have these prepared, but there wasn't gonna be a caravan leaving Neo Arcadia for a couple weeks," she said, setting the bag down and rummaging through it. "Here, you're gonna need this."

She handed him a small firearm, muzzle facing down. Zero took it and gave it a look over.

"It's nothing special, just a standard issue buster. Maybe, in another life, we could find a way to modify it to your liking," Ciel said. Zero stepped towards the firing range, turned off the safety, and lifted the muzzle towards his targets, his targeting systems locking onto each of the target's weak points with a red reticle in his HUD.

Three plasma shots were fired off in quick succession, landing precision blows in the heads of the human-sized silhouettes. Zero let out an amused huff, lips twitching into a smirk as bystanders turned their heads, dazzled by the legend's marksmanship.Still got it…

Then again, this was a controlled environment, with motionless, harmless targets. He'd let his ego take what it could get, though.

"Sehr beeindruckende Arbeit," Craft said. Zero flicked his hair out of his face and co*cked his hip, slotting the gun neatly in his free holster.

"Danke."

"Wow. It takes our guys months to learn to do that kind of shooting. You really aretheZero, huh?" Ciel said. "I wish I could get you better weapons, but we're trying to reserve them for our forces. Hope you understand."

"I'll make it work," Zero assured. Ciel smiled, grabbed the bag and turned, waving them over.

"Anyway, this is no place to be chatting about this sort of thing. Come, let's find someplace private, then we can talk," she said, dragging them away from the training facility, past the wrassling kids and dawdling soldiers who were still whispering amongst themselves. Zero couldn't help but catch their murmurs.

Woah, that really is Zero… I never thought I'd see him in real life. I thought he'd be scarier, but he's not like X at all.

He's so cool… Maybe we should ask him to teach us how to fight.

Zero kept his distance, but felt plenty flattered. They really did respect him, despite everything. He just hoped he could live up to their preconceptions.

It turned out the 'someplace' Ciel was talking about happened to be her back at her living quarters. She had cleaned up since Zero had last been there. Craft had to duck his head under the small door frame. "Make yourself comfortable, you two," Ciel said, closing the door behind them and gesturing them inside.

There, laying in her bed and curled up under covers, was Alouette and her little white cat plush, sleeping soundly despite their entrance stirring up some slight commotion.

"Oh. Little Alouette…" Zero murmured, tiptoeing closer to her bedside. Ciel set the bag down gently by her desk and sat down, rifling through her offerings.

"Yeah, she spent all afternoon running around with Menart. She totally wore herself out," Ciel explained. Craft pushed aside a chair that was too small for him in front of her computer, the console currently viewing a folder full of data logs for various points of interest.

"Where's Neige?" Craft decided to ask. Ciel shrugged.

"I think she's headed to the surface right now. There's been a pretty significant spike in military presence in the Outer Sectors. I heard that Harpuia's forces were scouring the area where I found you two. She's gone to investigate," Ciel answered. She handed Zero a small, rectangular drive that would slot neatly in his wrist console. "That'll give you limited access to our Hammerspace system. You can store your things in there, Neo Arcadia doesn't really have its fingers in a lot of higher dimensional systems, not since the RIAOT disbanded."

"X must've tracked us down," Zero said, fear creeping into his tone. "If he finds us? Then what?"

"He won't," Ciel assured. "We've made sure of it. Our transerver room is only visible to those who know how to look."

"Hm. I hope you're right." Zero implanted the drive into himself, where it automatically connected him to a novel 4D storage system. Craft pressed his lips together and breathed out hard.

"I hope she's safe up there," Craft mumbled, looking away wistfully. At Zero's side, Alouette twisted in the sheets, turning away from the bright lights overhead. Zero furrowed his brow at the slumbering girl.

"May I ask… how did Alouette end up here?"

Ciel sat up at the question, her gaze immediately fogging over with sorrow. "Oh. Her parents refused to join the armed forces when she was young. They were murdered when they tried to resist arrest. The police left her behind in their apartment." Ciel tried to occupy herself with the things she was giving Zero, assembling some bulky device on the fly. "By some miracle, I found her after it had all happened. She'd been left to die, so we had to take her in. At this point, we've become her family. She follows me around everywhere, I'm like a big sister to her…"

Zero took the white plush toy from her side. There was a little hole in its ear where stuffing was spilling out.

"That's the only thing she wanted to take from her home. Her mother made it for her," Ciel said, the parts of the device coming together with a snap. "She never goes anywhere without it-"

Zero began rummaging through her drawers without another word. Ciel slumped her shoulders, mouth straightened into a line. "You know it's rude to look through someone's things without permission."

"Uh-huh," he replied, finally managing to procure a sewing needle and thread after making a mess of her storage compartments. He sat down in an old plastic chair, folding his leg over his knee, licking the tip of the thread and feeding it through the needle's eye.

"...You're fixing it?" Ciel co*cked her head.

"Yes. I'm making myself useful," Zero replied, tying a knot in the thread and going about his task. Ciel made a high-pitched huffy laugh, giving Zero pause. "What?"

"It's just…I just didn't assume someone like you could do something like that," Ciel admitted. Zero gave her a look.

"That's pretty closed-minded," Zero said. Craft stifled a laugh.

"I'm sorry, you're right. Thank you for doing this for Alouette, she'll be thrilled you fixed her kitty," Ciel said. She handed Zero the finished device, the warbot taking it in his free hand giving it a once over.

"Am I supposed to know what this is?" Zero asked blankly. Ciel giggled, shaking head held low.

"Not really. It's a bootleg warpdrive," she answered. "See, I don't know if you already know, but Neo Arcadia has a monopoly on classical warp tech, they use spatial folding inhibitors to prevent unauthorised teleportation within Neo Arcadia and past the city walls. That's why we have to use a lot of unorthodox methods to get around. Their system isn't completely impenetrable, though, there's certain dead zones littered around the place. I've saved the coordinates of all the dead spots we've identified so far in that machine, so if things go south, you can get out of there."

"Oh. That's handy," he said, looking through the cached coordinates Ciel had saved for him. "...Where exactly am I supposed to be warpingto?"

"I've saved the locations of a few Resistance safehouses in there. Option three, I've listed it as 'Rebellion', that'll take you to our collaborators. They currently have the means to get you past Neo Arcadia's walls."

"...A dimensional tugboat?" Zero guessed. Ciel's brow rose.

"Why yes! How'd you guess?"

"Cerveau doesn't keep many secrets," Zero replied, stashing the warpdrive away in his newly procured Hammerspace and continued repairing Alouette's stuffed toy.

"Touché," Ciel supposed. "We have a few spare old ride chasers for you to take on the journey, it's a couple days to get to Tabula Rasa from the southside. Er-" she ripped a piece of paper from her notebook and scribbled something down. "Ask Hirondelle, he'll get you hooked up with one. He should have the directions to Tabula Rasa for you too–"

"Hey. We've got a ride chaser already," Craft cut in, walking over to join their conversation. Ciel looked up at him with big eyes and promptly crumpled the piece of paper in her hands.

"...You're not staying?" Zero asked. Craft cracked a barely noticeable smile.

"Count me in," Craft said. "I'm coming with you."

The cage of servitude had been opened, and Craft could walk out whenever he wanted.Hisrestraining bolt was notnearlyas prohibitive as Zero's. Cerveau found it wasn't directly bound to his systems like Zero's was. If he wanted to, he could've had the connection between his body and the collar severed. Yet, he remained by Zero's side.Why is he still here? Does he actuallywantto come with me, or is he still under the impression he must continue to serve the indentureship Neo Arcadia sentenced him to?

The circ*mstances of their relationship was regrettable, a servant and master. Perhaps, if they had met under different conditions, they would've been more eager to consider each other as kindred spirits; two men born for war, sore over a failed love.

I'm glad he's coming with me. I am fond of him, even if I don't know if my feelings for him are real, or if it's just because he was the first person in Neo Arcadia to show me kindness. I don't even know if that was genuine or just a condition of his sentence.Zero shook his head, trying to focus on laddering the stitch between the hole in the stuffed toy.He's a powerful ally. I'd be stupid to tell him to go away.

As he agonised over his thoughts, Zero could only wonder what Craft was thinking.

Ciel blinked, then clapped her hands together with resolution to fill the permeating silence. "Well, that makes things easier! I guess if that's already taken care of, you should chat with Autruche for supplies to hold you over during the journey. He handles the warehouse in the first basem*nt level," she said, tearing herself a new piece of paper to make them a list of things to ask for. "Rocinolle might let you take a few first aid kits from the med-bay if she's having a good day. Just say I gave you my permission."

Zero took the list from her and glanced over her suggestions. "Right." He folded the piece of paper and put it away. He pulled the thread tight, bringing the edges of the tear together in an invisible stitch and tied it off. Good as new.

Isn't it so easy? Fixing these little things… and yet, everytime I think I've fixed something, something else goes wrong.Zero nestled in the newly repaired cat toy back into Alouette's grasp.

"Oh, before you do leave, I should probably give you the halo-ID of our Rebellion collaborators so you can let them know when you're coming," Ciel recalled.[Hi Zero, Delta-Whiskey-November-Zero-Zero-Zero, this is Ciel, Golf-Seven-Echo. Can you hear me?]

Zero stared at her with wide, hollow eyes. "...A human speaking Standard?"

Ciel smiled, acting cute. "Heh. We humans can be capable if we want to be. Here, I'll send you their halo-IDs in a moment."

And so, Zero sat patiently, waiting for an ID to assign in his cloud. When Ciel offered it, Zero straightened, eyes growing large and lips parting, ready to spout incredulous exclamations that lay trapped in his throat. He already hadtheseIDs assigned in his systems. He had for centuries. If anything, it was a shock thattheywere still alive, let alone working for the righteous freedom fighters of the world.

Ciel shrunk back in her chair, grimacing timidly. "Oh, right. I probably should've told you about that beforehand…"

"Are youkiddingme? Youseriouslyexpect me to trust the likes ofVile?!"

Chapter 15: Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Text

Craft knew the world needed changing. It had to, or there would be no future to look forward to.

From the highest echelons of Neo Arcadian bureaucracy to the most disposable of recruits, it was all gripped by a nationalistic poison, corrupt beyond conceivable repair. To him, there were two options; remain under X's genocidal, apartheid government until the energy crisis reached a critical point, reared its ugly head and drove Neo Arcadia and the last gasps of the human-like population to complete destruction. The second; wait for some kind of righteous uprising to return the land to its original state, like the biblical flood of Genesis, and hope whichever yeoman was tasked with remaking the world knew what they were doing.

Whichever the case, when the ship that was Neo Arcadia began sinking, if it wasn't already, would humanity sink with her?

There were times, especially when Craft found himself back in the grips of Neo Arcadia under Zero's supervision after he'd been captured, where he contemplated, was our people worth saving? Neo Arcadia was the final vestige of the short-lived Anthropocene, and yet, humanity still lacked the strength to learn from their bloodied history. They remain submerged, under the metaphorical ocean of faith and devotion to their martyrs- to the android Prometheus, Master X. The man who, so blinded by revenge he couldn't see his own hand in front of his face, nails those who oppose him to the cross while he speaks of grace and justice.

The legacy of his submission and fear under Neo Arcadia prevailed in his brave heart, even now, when he knew he did not need to trust the supposed immaculity of the city's guardians. The sad misconception lingered within him- could it be that people were condemned to this cycle of catastrophe and rebirth? And could man not choose his own destiny in this inevitable succession of life? He was not old enough to remember the world before Neo Arcadia, but he was aware of the endless wars that came before him, ones that burned the Earth to ash and forced new ideologies to flourish, only to lead to the same outcomes, over and over again. Organised religion, monarchy, empires, democracy, capitalism, every civilisation would doom itself. Even the most peaceful empires would fall one day.

What was the point in resistance, trying to change how things were? Resistance or not, Neo Arcadia would fall and no doubt take millions with her. The indoctrinated minds at the heart of Neo Arcadia would happily die with their kingdom.

If Neo Arcadia's collapse was inevitable, and humankind died out (he hoped not, Neige was a human too), reploids were no more righteous, no more immune to fault than man. What was stopping this from happening again? Apartheid, genocide, war, apocalypse, rebirth… was it all that man deserved?

What a pathetic cycle. Try as he might to make his life mean something, he was just another compliant cog in some great machinery.

"Ow."

It was hard to not lose hope. There were things he could be happy about. He had managed to get out of the citadel, that was good. Neige was alive and free. Zero was not like X at all. He was happy he was with the Resistance again. And yet, he still felt passive. Time had passed, things had happened, and he was still in here, among the always thinning Resistance, X was still in his ivory tower, sanctioning mass murder at the hands of the armed forces, most of Neo Arcadia was still starving and miserable and living in fear of airstrikes, and the energy crisis was still an inevitable conclusion to X's style of government.

"Agh."

Could he outwardly say he had largely given up on the idea that the world could change? No, that would be wrong. He didn't want to bring Zero down with him, even if he was already feeling the same genre of helplessness. He knew that, for some reason, it was wrong to fall victim to despair. Perhaps, maybe he was incorrect, and people could be better.

"Ahk!"

The people of Neo Arcadia were the last people on Earth, separated from certain death only by a thin wall of concrete. Certain death, in the grips of a scorched, wartorn wasteland, that was the fault of no one else but man, just like every other terrible cataclysm in their history. What business did he have trying to change that? He was created for the sole purpose of destruction. If it wasn't for humankind's propensity for war, he wouldn't be alive. He wasn't made to be good. He was just like everyone else.

Have any of our actions really changed us, who we are?

"Ow! That f*ckin' hurt, Cerveau!"

"Please! It's not like I'm trying to screw up here. Just try and sit still, would you?"

Craft had been stuck laying down flat on his belly for two or so hours on a pretty uncomfortable operating table, fully conscious as Cerveau poked and prodded at the back of his neck. Right where the prongs of his restraining bolt latched onto his body. With nothing else to do but sit and endure the pain, his thoughts had begun wandering.

"Oh come on, you'll be fine. When did you get so soft?" came Neige's biting voice at his side. "Looks like living in Neo Arcadia's rubbed off on you."

Craft couldn't move his head to look at her, but he could hear her smile as she spoke. He couldn't laugh with a scalpel so close to his spine and six or seven cables fastened to his insides.

"Easy for you to say. You're not- ow, getting your sh*t rearranged by an old man."

"That 'old man' could paralyse you from the neck down right now if he wanted to, you realise," Cerveau advised. "Can you move your fingers for me?"

Fingers wiggled at his side. Cerveau made a hum of approval and got back to work. Craft had to count his blessings that Neo Arcadia opted for cheaper options when it came to his restraining bolt- unsurprising, considering their resource deficits, settling for a rather basic repeating ESD device that discharged into his vertebrae. It could be disabled with enough fenangling, but the process didn't feel amazing.

With every one of Craft's pained huffs and groans came a sly giggle from Neige. He harrumphed. "Don't you have anything better to do?"

"Probably. But I spent months thinking you were dead, so I'm gonna stay here and look at you for as long as possible," Neige said. She was fiddling with something, maybe her camera.

Cerveau snipped something, and Craft felt a sudden impulse screaming down his neck, back and to his each and every biomechanical muscle within him, the sensation wringing at his nerves and squeezing them tight, before the pain dissolved away, like a flash of lightning.

His HUD flashed red with exogenous error messages from the fitted device.

ESD SYSTEM 12.322E: CRITICAL ERROR WAS DETECTED.

TROUBLESHOOTING FOUND: PHYSICAL OBSTRUCTION TO OUTPUT AREA ENCOUNTERED.

FAILURE TO INITIATE INHIBITIONARY MECHANISMS TO: ALL LIMB FUNCTION.

[MEDIAN MOTOR NEURAL ACTIVITY READINGS: 42.2%... 34.36%...21.83%...]

COMMENCING ESD EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN PROCEDURE. REBOOT WILL PROCEED FOLLOWING RESOLUTION OF OBSTRUCTION.

MANUFACTURED WITH PRIDE IN NEO ARCADIA.

[×]

Craft collected himself, and Cerveau moved off him to attend to his computer, his vitals splayed out on the monitor for all to see. "And you aren't bored?"

"Hah, of course I am," she replied. "But if I could be bored with anyone, I'd want to be bored with you, Craft."

Even when he was face down and being operated on, Craft couldn't help but smile stupidly whenever he heard Neige speak. Her accent suggested Lebanese, but there were hints of a little bit of loose French-Canadian in every other word she said. Craft liked that about her.

"You know, they say being bored is a privilege," Craft recalled. Neige waved him away.

"Really? I wouldn't have considered myself to be too privileged," Neige said. Craft rolled his eyes, though she couldn't see him do it. "Besides, I'm very exciting, don't you think?"

"Of course I do. I'm just saying, I'm happy you chose to share that privilege with someone like me," Craft continued. He'd do anything to be able to look at that beautiful face of hers. Just like everyone else born into the melting pot of Neo Arcadia, she was of no one particular race, her skin was a warm olive tan with a spattering of freckles on her shoulders and cheeks, eyes as blue as the ocean to their East and shortish hair a brilliant red, like cinnabar.

In fact, he'd do anything at all to move anything, right now.

"...I can't feel my legs," Craft mumbled, face stuck pressed against the table like a corpse in the water. Cerveau stiffened as though he got hit with a taser.

"Ah, f*ck."

Craft managed a short, huffy laugh. As dire as his situation was, at least it was funny to hear Cerveau curse. He stumbled out of his chair and rushed away, stopping at the door before he did and speaking over his shoulder. "Sorry about that. I'll be back in a moment, I'll fix that right away…"

He was gone, clambering into the hallway like a deer on a hardwood floor. Craft took in a deep breath, held in, and deflated with a deep sigh. Neige leaned back on the creaky old chair, the frame groaning under her weight.

"Don't you dare make fun of me," Craft threatened, though it lacked any real bite. To his chagrin, Neige had already started, and while he couldn't see it, he knew she already had that look on her face.

She let out a stifled laugh that sounded more like a hum. Craft, unable to do anything else, just slowly shut his eyes. "Why did I even let you in here?"

"You didn't," Neige answered. "Not like I'd listen anyway."

"You wouldn't," Craft said. "And I'd probably do the same thing for you."

Neige chuckled, her smile creeping into her voice. "You're so cute."

She was the only person who could get away with saying that.

"Pain in the ass, though," she added for good measure.

"I appreciate it," Craft said regardless. He turned his head as best he could to meet Neige's gaze, cheek pressed flat on the table.

"You know, if there's something you wanted to get off your chest, now's the chance."

"Huh?"

"If there's something-"

"I heard you the first time," Neige elaborated. "Why are you asking?"

"...We haven't really had a moment alone together since I came back."

Neige took a second to think about it. "...Huh. That's right. Zero's become your little shadow."

Craft breathed a heavy sigh. "Sorry about scaring you. Getting caught back in the brig, I mean. I wasn't thinking straight."

Neige let out a half-hearted laugh. "You're never thinking straight…"

"But I was! I was thinking of you. I was… afraid… of what they'd do to you."

For once, there was no sly response from Neige. She dipped her head, evading his gaze.

"...I'm glad you're still here, Craft."

She looked down at her camera, fiddling with the settings. She cleared her throat.

"I suppose you must feel indebted to Zero," Neige said.

"...Well, yes, of course," Craft replied. "He saved my life. The only thing I can do to return the favour is to offer my indentureship."

"And now you have to choose, right?"

Craft furrowed his brow. "Choose what?"

"You know Zero isn't gonna stay here. He can't," Neige stated calmly. Craft never really thought about it, but now that he did- there was little reason for Zero to remain in the confines of the Resistance bunker. He could not contain him here, not when he had gone through the trouble of escaping Neo Arcadia in the first place.

"No, he wouldn't," Craft muttered to himself.

"Ciel's been talking about it, where to go from here with Zero," Neige said.

"You think he's going to leave," Craft guessed, to which she nodded. "And you're asking me if I'm gonna go with him. Is that what you're asking me?"

Neige grit her teeth behind her lips.

"You know, you have the opportunity to make your own decisions, now that Cerveau's done away with your… limitations," she loosely gestured at her throat, where Craft's restraining bolt was still fixed to him. "You can go wherever you want. Do whatever you want. You don't… need… to do whatever- or be wherever- Zero tells you to anymore."

Craft deflated with a sigh. "Yeah. That's true."

There was a short, thick silence as the two ruminated over the matter. Craft pursed his lips and pressed his forehead against the operating table.

"That's true… I'm a free man."

As free as a person who was wanted by the state as a violent terrorist could be, at least. Neige put the camera she was fiddling with aside.

"You're not staying, are you?"

Her words hung heavy in the air. Craft closed his eyes slowly and thumped his head against the table.

"I don't think I can," he murmured, voice gravelly and barely a whisper. Neige remained silent, leaving room for elaboration. Gingerly, Craft turned back to meet Neige's gaze.

"I've been here for years, and nothing's changed. Nothing at all. If anything, it's gotten worse. Axl is dead, Neige. He's gone, and now it feels like we've all lost direction. What are we supposed to do? It feels like we're beyond saving."

Craft paused to breathe. "I think I just need a change of scenery… wherever Zero is going, it's bound to be away from this place. That's all we can do for ourselves." He willed himself to relax his jaw. "I've been thinking of exile. I need to get away from this place… find out who I am. What I want out of this."

Neige's throat bobbed. "I… I get it."

"I wish it was different. The last thing I ever wanted to do is run away from you. From this," Craft said. "But something is telling me that this is the right thing to do. When I was with Zero, when I saved you, I realised something- that when I hurt people, I didn't feel anything. I can't go on like that."

"...When you know you know," Neige said. Craft dipped his head and let himself smile. It was something Neige had said to him long ago, and it remained something they'd parrot often.

"When you know you know," he repeated. "I messed up, Neige. I've become someone I don't like. Someone you don't like. Someone who turns fear into violence." He closed his eyes tight. "And I'm scared, I really am. The world's ending, Neige."

Silently, Neige rose from her chair and found his side, kneeled down and rested her hand on his shoulder. "I know."

"I don't want to hurt you," Craft said. "I know it didn't work out, but I still love you."

"Is this an apology?"

"I wanted it to be."

Slowly, she draped herself over his limp torso, cupping his head in her delicate hands. Tension gently left his body, like a taut rope finally allowed to hang loose.

"I still love you too, big dog…" she murmured. "Always will. No matter what you do, where you are."

Craft closed his eyes and smiled. "I'll miss you," he whispered. "You make this place home."

"But it isn't home." She straightened herself. "Not for you, not for me either." Gently, she jostled him, urging him away in all senses. "Go. Go make home for yourself. Go make yourself the person you want to be. I'll be here, fighting for us."

She rested her cheek in the massive crook of his neck. "Go and be free."

'Quickly, Zeezee!"

Alouette was heavier than she looked. The little girl was scrambling up a kneeling Zero's back, throwing her legs over his shoulders. The war hero stood up with a groan, knees threatening to buckle before he could straighten them.

"That way! Hurry, we're gonna miss them!" Alouette commanded, pointing over Zero's head down the endless ceramic and fibreglass corridors. Zero huffed, picking up the pace as much as he could with a squirmy little girl sitting on his shoulders.

"...Why couldn't Mister Craft carry you?" Zero wondered aloud. His hair was tangled in her little, tugging fingers. "You know I'm old…"

"Because–! Because he's too big and tall, it's too high up there," she reasoned, "you're the perfect size, Zee."

Mister Craft himself, leisurely walking at his side, just grinned smugly and said nothing.

"If you say so…" Zero murmured, "remind me where we are going again?"

"The muster room! Down there!" she answered, her legs swinging against his chest with uncontained eagerness. "Quickly, Menart's gonna beat us there!"

"I hear you…" Zero assured, a little exasperated. He'd grown familiar with Alouette's little gaggle of orphans, Menart included. He was a troublemaker, a little lazy, a bit rude, but a good kid. He asked Zero to teach him bad words in German. Didn't all Reploids have a universal translator?

Despite the attitude, Zero was curious as to what demanded their attention so dearly. The day had been uneventful up until that point.

The muster room was a small chamber on the second level down, just to the side of the transerver. In a way, despite being devoid of everything but the bare necessities- a first aid kit and a shelf filled to the brim with all sorts of things from food to weapons to power tools, it was claustrophobic, and the air was a little stale. Noise had nowhere to go but off the walls, and so, even from a fair distance, Zero could hear the cacophony of several different voices layered over on another until all the words became one single incomprehensible sound.

"Alouette, what are we walking into?" Zero asked. By the tones of some of the voices he was hearing from afar, they were in various stages of panic and despair. He thought for a moment whether it was an appropriate situation for her.

"I don't know!" She giggled. Zero let out a forceful sigh, blowing his fringe out from over his face. "But I heard Ciel said new people are coming down from the city today!"

Craft knitted his brow. "Fresh meat, huh? What's the occasion? Ciel just finish a recruiting blitz or something?"

"I said I don't knoooow," Alouette replied, unhelpfully, but all the same. "So you're gonna help us find out!"

"What do you mean, us?" Craft said.

"Well, the rest of my class is gonna come and see what's going, silly."

"Be nice to Mister Craft, Alouette," Zero chided gently. Craft made an amused sigh.

"Thanks for defending my honour, Zero," Craft said. Alouette harrumphed and pouted.

"But Neige calls him that all the time," she rebutted. Zero grinned.

"Just because it's correct doesn't mean you should say it outloud," he said. Craft suddenly looked plenty indignant.

"You–!" He shut himself up before he could incriminate himself further. "Hey."

"You make it too easy," Zero said, to Craft's chagrin, though he was all too fine with letting it go. Even if Craft wanted to fight, Aluoette's voice would put it to an end quickly.

"Hey, look! Look!" She pointed urgently, and both their gazes followed. From the approaching muster room emerged Neige, along with the local nurses Zero had begun to grow familiar with, hurriedly ushering Resistance troops and what MeReAD dictated were civilians away. She was wearing a dirty blue vest with 'PRESS' written on her back in bold letters and a navy blue helmet, her chinstrap loose. Zero doubted the Neo Arcadian forces cared too much. "Neige is back! Quickly!"

She kicked her heels against his chest like he was a race horse. "Neige? I thought she was busy on the surface," Zero asked.

"I thought so too," Craft said after swapping glances. They didn't waste time after that, rushing towards Neige and the muster room. She turned to meet them as they approached.

"Craft, Zero!" Neige called out, sounding breathless. The two slowed to a stop in front of her.

"What's going on?" Zero asked, crouching to let Alouette disembark his shoulders. A cursory look into the muster room revealed a crowd of reploids standing shoulder to shoulder, dishevelled and exhausted and covered in filth and muck, with more streaming in from the transerver room beside it. Neige took a moment to catch her breath and wipe the sweat and dust from her brow before answering.

"Neo Arcadia– they attacked the Bosaso Strip, forced everyone out their homes, my God–" she keeled over and put her hands on her knees, exhaling a gravely breath. Craft made himself level with her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Slow down," he said. "What do you mean, a siege?"

"Haven't you seen the news?" she asked. Indeed, the bunker did have access to a stream of state controlled media on the few televisions they had, but Zero had taken to tuning it out so as to not get completely and utterly depressed. "They– they enacted the Siegfried Protocol in the strip, Craft."

Zero narrowed his eyes. "Siegfried?"

"The military is seizing the area. It means Neo Arcadia's one step away from complete and full destruction of the district," she explained, eyes glassy and wide. "No one can stay. The workers- anyone they're deeming capable, they're being shipped away to other sectors. Everyone else- kids, old folks, the disabled, mothers– they round them up, put them in cages…"

She kneeled and put her hand over her face, wiping it down. Zero looked to the crowd of newly christened refugees filter in, not one having gone unscathed, blood still drying over razor wire scars, where shrapnel buried into their bodies and where rubble had fallen. The worst of them, the ones the medical staff wasted no time in carting away- it compelled even Zero, who bore witness to the end of the world before, look away. The smell of burning artificial flesh permeated the air. Zero stepped in front of Aluoette.

"We did everything we could to save as many of them as we could," Neige said, kneading the bridge of her scrunched nose. "But there were so many we had to leave behind. We could only do so much."

There were children left alone with only the clothes on their back and whatever toy they happened to be cuddling as they slept, elderly reploids hunched over in chairs, parents hysterical in grief. All so skinny and sickly, dark circles under their eyes revealing histories rich with turmoil. Zero swallowed thickly and looked at his feet.

"You did good, Neige," Craft assured, rubbing the small of her back. She shook her head and let out a choked sob.

Zero grit his teeth behind tight lips. No matter how hardened he had become over centuries of strife, one thing never changed- he hated to see someone break like this.

"Zero!"

It was an unfamiliar voice that startled him back to reality, angry and gravelly from a woman who had her arm, bloodied and crushed, dangling loose at her side. She was seeing red, eyes wild and quivering, charging towards Zero despite a limp in her leg.

"You motherf*cker, how dare you–!" She wailed, both medics and civilians coming to hold her back. "This is all your fault, you bastard– you monster–!"

She flailed wildly, ripping herself from the grips of her apprehenders. "This is all your fault! It's all because of you the soldiers came here, you never should've shown your f*cking face in Bosaso!" She was red in the face, she was breathless, tired, face wet with tears and snot. "You should've just left us alone! It's because of you that my husband, my baby is dead!"

Zero stepped back, pushing for Alouette to get away.

"Everything, everything is your fault! I should kill you! I should kill you like a dog–!"

Zero shook his head desperately. "I-it's not like that, I–"

"Just leave us alone! If you'd just stayed away, they'd still be alive…" her voice was beginning to wear thin. Words were stuck in Zero's throat, mouth going dry. "I hate you."

"I'm sorry. I- I didn't want it to end this way–"

A hand on his shoulder stopped him. "Zero, don't…"

Ciel, emerging from the transerver room, pushed him aside, escorting the woman away to seek medical attention. Zero felt sick. At his feet, Alouette had her hands over her ears, already having broken into tears halfway through the incident. Zero knelt down and allowed her to cry into his shoulder, picking her up off the ground and carrying her away, hushing her as she wailed.

"I'm sorry, Alouette," he whispered, curling himself around her to shield her from it all.

Zero never had a penchant for children. Maybe he was getting older and softer, but Alouette had managed to wriggle her way into his heart quicker than anyone else ever had. He didn't want her to hurt. He didn't want anyone to hurt.

All the lost children he had just seen were no different to her, they all had parents who loved them, they all had dreams and aspirations and toys they loved so much they broke them. Every life was an entire world, and X was hellbent on destroying every last one.

Zero shut his eyes tight, holding Alouette close. He didn't know what to do. She didn't talk about them much, but it was clear, at times like these, she wanted her parents back.

It was hard not to think about what the stranger said. It's all my fault. I ruined everything.

"Zero…"

As Aluoette's cries dwindled, Ciel approached him alongside Craft and Neige. Zero took a deep quivering breath to settle himself. "Yeah…"

"Zero, you…" Ciel set her jaw and tried to fill her chest, trying to find confidence. "Zero, I think it's time you should go."

Through her sobs and whimpers, Alouette spoke up. "N-no!"

"I know, Ciel," Zero said. "I'm sorry. I've done enough damage here."

"No… p-please don't go yet, Zeezee," Aluoette pleaded to deaf ears. "I w-want to know more about your world."

"Alouette, he never could've stayed forever," Ciel tried to reason. "You knew that."

"Please, Zee. Don't go yet," Alouette weeped, ignoring Ciel wholly. "I don't want you to die, too."

Zero felt a pang of sorrow hit him right in the chest. What sort of world had a child so hung up on death? She should've been worried about school or her friends or playing. Gently, Zero set her down on her feet, where she immediately wrapped herself around his leg and flopped, carrying him down with all the weight in her little body.

"Believe me, I don't go down easily, Kindchen," Zero promised, stroking her head. "Neige, do you have a spare data drive?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got loads…" she flung her backpack from her shoulders and rifled through her things before handing him a tiny flash drive. Zero flicked open his wrist console and plugged it into himself.

"Here, I went through my archives for you," he said, uploading a sizable folder onto the drive. "I want you to keep this, okay? It's all the books and movies from the old world I have. Before the war."

He ejected it and handed it to her, the little girl hesitantly taking it and holding it close to her chest.

"You like to read, don't you?" he asked. Alouette nodded slowly, eyes still glossy with tears. "Well, someone I knew liked to read too. His favourite was this one, The Wizard of Earthsea."

She wiped her face and sniffled. "Thank you, Zeezee."

"It's nothing," he assured, grabbing her shoulder and jostling her around, making her crack a small giggle. "Hey, don't you cry. I'll come back, okay? And when I do, I'll beat up those bad people so you and your friends can go play on the surface again."

He pressed his fist against her chest and pushed her away playfully, getting a fuller laugh out of her. She was as cute as a mouse.

"Good. No more tears, okay?" Zero said. "You be good, now. Go be with your friends. We can say goodbye when it's time. Understand?"

"Yeah," she mumbled, drying her tears on her shoulder. "Bye bye, Zee…"

"Great. I'll see you when I go. Now go on, git. Or I'll tickle you. Rahh!"

Like a cobra, Zero struck, tickling her tummy and making her squeal with giggles. "Nooo! Not the tickle monster!"

She was quick to run away after that threat, though she turned to wave them all goodbye before she disappeared into endless hallways. A silence fell over them, and Zero got to his feet, breathing a dejected sigh.

"Sorry about that…" Zero said, rubbing his neck. "I shouldn't have brought her."

Ciel straightened her lips, staring at the nothingness to which Alouette had run off to. "She would've followed you no matter what you told her," she said, speaking from experience. "She's seen it all before, as terrible as it sounds. She just got upset when that woman screamed at you."

It didn't really make Zero feel any better. Craft crossed his arms and raised his brow at Zero.

"Alouette's taken a liking to you," he said. "I thought you said you weren't good with kids."

Zero shrugged. "I'm not."

Ciel put her hands in her pockets, looking listlessly at the muster room. Slowly, the chaos began dwindling as the refugees came to terms with their new lives. "I'm sorry if she's too much," she said. "Look, she… she was very close to Axl, you know."

Everytime Zero thought he'd found peace with what happened to Axl, reality would come crashing back down on him. "Ah."

There was a contemplative pause before she decided to continue. "I hope this doesn't sound weird, but you're a splitting image of her mother."

Zero blinked. "...Okay."

"Yeah, so uh…" she looked at the ceiling and let out a puff of air. "Just promise me you'll come back to us in one piece. Alouette would never forgive me if something happened to you, too…"

In his previous life, X always asked that of him, and everytime, Zero said he'd never make a promise he couldn't keep. Now, all Zero could do was let out a hollow laugh. "I'll do what I can."

Leviathan wasn't sure if she should be happy that Fefnir showed up to bother her.

The smog that lay over the Outer Sectors had been only slightly lifted at Harpuia's command, but that only meant the red hot sun beat down on the land unimpeded. Any water had dried up, weeds shrivelling and the air shimmering with heat. The dirty asphalt beneath her was almost too hot for Leviathan to stand still. There were flies everywhere, a miasma of sewage, industrial pollution and war hanging over. Wherever she walked, squeaking mice and rats scrambled away into rubble and debris.

There were hoards of reploids among them- workers from the strip with their hands in shackles, soldiers and police officers watching over as they moved in single file lines onto trainers. Their heads were bent down in shame, misery, anger, it didn't really matter. As long as they were scared, that was enough for Leviathan.

"Working hard, or hardly working?" Fefnir was at Leviathan's side, appearing from somewhere in the ruins of Bosaso. It was so hot, Leviathan was pacing to keep the ground from burning her wide flipper feet.

"It's killing me out here…" Leviathan groaned, head tossed back. Her sensors were telling her it was 48°C, not a droplet of water in the air. She wiped the sweat from her brow. "This place is miserable."

"Really? I think it's fine out," Fefnir said. Leviathan breathed out, leaning on her staff. "Maybe a little balmy. How are things going out here?"

"Good. For me? Terrible. This place stinks," she grumbled, kicking rocks. "Why me? Why can't you or that lazy bum Phantom take over?"

"'Cause we're busy, that's why," Fefnir answered. Leviathan huffed, swirling her staff before whacking her brother on the head. "Hey! What the hell–!"

"I was busy too, jackass! 'Til dad dragged me to this cesspit. I was supposed to light the torch at the Jackrabbits game the other day," Leviathan complained, "then all of a sudden, I'm up at dawn, ferrying these losers away. What gives? This is something even a dumb pantheon could do…"

Fefnir growled, rubbing his sore head. "I can make things get a lot hotter around here if I wanted to, Levi…" he snarled, fangs bared. "I was busy too, just so you know. We all were! Besides, they're going to the water purification plant just West of the strip. You're the most qualified person I know to be watching over this!"

Leviathan pouted, slotting her staff behind her back and crossing her arms. "Thanks," she replied. "Say, if you're so busy, why are you wasting your precious time annoying me? Don't you have anything better to do?"

A crowd of civilians, those not deemed useful enough to be granted exemption from their death, had gathered behind a barbed wire fence. Children, mothers, elderlies- anyone who couldn't be trusted to reliably pick up a powertool. What a shame for so many lives to go to waste. Of course, they were only Outer Sector Reploids.

"Harpuia told me to clear out my men from the Southbound bridge. There was a riot picking up," Fefnir answered, leaning on the fence. "So I did. You should blame him."

"Oh, wonderful. You get a break but I don't?"

"Tough luck. Hah!"

Leviathan knitted her brow and scowled, like she was doing her best impression of her father. "Why you, I'll wipe that smirk off your ugly face…"

"Ugly?! We're related!"

"Well you must've missed out on a couple genes."

They both harrumphed and looked away before they could do anything stupid. "Whatever. I don't suppose you've seen Zero either," Leviathan said. Fefnir sighed.

"Nope. Probably isn't here anyway," Fefnir answered curtly.

"No kidding. You've seen dad?"

"Levi, I've been trying not to. Everytime he gets pissed off we haven't found anything," Fefnir said. "What am I supposed to do? I ain't search and rescue."

"Then how about you deal with this and I go take care of that riot and look for clues?" Leviathan suggested. "Think fast!"

Before Fefnir could refuse, Leviathan had thrown him a tablet. He couldn't do anything but catch it.

"Hey!" Fefnir barked. "You–!"

"Tough luck. Haha."

"You're cold," Fefnir growled.

"Sure am," she said. "Besides, it's only fitting that someone with actual brains lead the investigation."

Fefnir looked like he would catch fire any second. "Are you calling me dumb?! I'll have you know I'm a million times smarter than you, fishface!"

"Oh yeah? How come you came last in our fantasy league last year? You still haven't paid us, by the way," Leviathan huffed. "I'm waiting."

"I've come in first for the past five years! Not my fault half my lineup got drafted into the war–!"

The scream of drones flying overhead put an end to their little squabble before it could get out of hand. Both looked overhead, gazes following their trails closely.

Fefnir put his hands on his hips. "Woa. Harpuia must be on the case already."

"No wonder he wanted the skies clear. Ugh, so hot…" Leviathan blew out a sharp exhale.

Fefnir co*cked a brow. "Maybe those new retina scanners he's been going on about can find Zero faster than we can. Then we can move on with our lives and forget about this whole stupid situation."

"Hmph. You'd hope so. Stupid things cost so much, I had to cut funding for the stadium down near the station. Ptuh!"

Fefnir groaned, collapsing to the floor and sitting cross-legged. "Of course it did. That Harpuia, always getting what he wants. It's like our dad doesn't even know we exist sometimes."

"Hey. Don't say stuff like that. Of course he cares about us!" Leviathan scolded. "He just… has a lot on his mind right now."

She scratched her neck awkwardly. Fefnir put his chin in his hand. "Sure he does. What, you think as soon as we get Zero back things are all gonna go back to normal? 'Cause they're not. We're gonna be doing this-" he gestured around him, at the flattened city, the train full of detained workers, the undesirables left behind, waiting to starve or be incinerated, "-a whole lot more."

"Isn't that a good thing? We've been putting this off for a while now. Getting control of this place. sh*tty as it is," Leviathan said, "see? Now that we've reclaimed this land, we can show those mavericks who's in charge around here. Right?"

Fefnir's frown deepened. "You think?"

"I thinks," Leviathan replied. "Come on, cheer up!"

She kicked him playfully, but the mountain of reploid didn't budge. "Man, I wish I could be as optimistic as you sometimes, Levi.

"Oh please. It's not optimism, it's just knowing. Look, as soon as we're done here, we can go annoy Harpuia at the incineration plant. Doesn't that sound fun?"

Fefnir's downturned lips twitched into a devious smirk. "Heh. Doesn't it just–"

There was an explosion somewhere close by, loud enough to kill any other sound in the area, plunging the scene into silence. Leviathan and Fefnir swiftly got to the ground, flat as the shockwave rushed through, throwing the uninitiated to the ground.

Their audials rang with the blast, but other than a little kicked up dust and trash, everyone looked fine. Leviathan and Fefnir got up, shook it off, and looked overhead to the plume of smoke now emanating from the explosion's epicentre. Fefnir wiped the dirt coating his face before swiftly taking to his comms system.

"Harpuia, was that you?!" He yelled into his microphone. To his surprise, Harpuia was quick to answer.

"Yes. I took care of your little riot problem," he replied coolly. He must've been circling overhead somewhere. "I suppose a thank you is in order,"

"Fat chance, birdbrain," Fefnir replied, sour. "Those mavericks were mine!"

"Not anymore. How much time did I save you?"

Probably a lot, but that wasn't the point. "Whatever, man. Just warn us next time."

"And let a maverick intercept our communications? Such risks are unnecessary."

Fefnir looked around at the squalor and misery these reploids were living in. He doubted some of them could even write their own name. "Yeah right. As if these low-lives got the means to do some sh*t like that," he dismissed.

"Underestimating these mavericks is what got us into this situation in the first place," Harpuia mentioned. "I'm only doing you a favour."

His definition of favour was unclear to Fefnir. As the two squabbled, the crowd slowly recovered from the effects of the blast, silence replaced with soft whispers and murmurs.

"Hey!"

Leviathan's attention instantly pivoted to the yell. From the chaos, a fair distance from where she stood, a worker had managed to slip himself from his shackles, shouldering his way through the herd of incarcerated. He'd pushed aside a soldier and made a beeline for the fence, clambering up the wire with no concern for the razor wire that waited for him.

"Well, well, well… finally, something to do around here." She flashed a toothy smirk, reaching for her staff.

"Get down!" The soldier commanded, pointing his rifle at the escapee. He didn't pay him any heed, powering through razor wire even as it sliced through his uncovered flesh. Leviathan whistled at the trooper, signalling him away.

"Watch and learn," she said to no one really, adjusting her grip on her polearm, lifting, readying and aiming. Fefnir looked up from his wrist console, where Harpuia's voice was still yapping.

With marksman precision, she flung her javelin, watching it cut through the air like a bullet, where it landed right into her target. It pierced the runner through his chest, pinning him firmly to the fence. In an instant, his arms fell flaccid at his side, all the fight and vigour he had in him dashed within seconds. Just as the blast had done moments ago, the crowd had gone dead silent.

Fefnir's brow rose. "Nice one."

"I know," Leviathan replied. She casually sauntered over, through the line of cowering prisoners to behold her handiwork. "I suppose we won't see any more silly behaviour today, will we?"

She turned to the crowd. They said nothing.

"Will we?"

Everyone nodded and murmured a yes. She smiled.

"Excellent!"

She called for her weapon, the javelin unsheathing from its target and returning to her hand like it was a magnet. Leviathan twirled it, flicking off the blood before putting it away. The maverick fell from the fence in a heap at her feet. She just rolled her eyes and kicked it towards the pantheons for removal.

"Aww. Such a shame. Could've lived to see another day if you weren't so confident," she mused, watching closely as the pantheons collect his body and whisk him away. "But all you've done is rust the machine with your blood."

Her subjects flinched and shrunk away as she left for Fefnir's side, the sea of men parting for her. Scared, just as they should be of Neo Arcadia's glorious might.

"There. Taken care of," Leviathan said, patting her hands clean. Fefnir looked up briefly from his wrist console, shooting her a short grin and wave before returning his attention to the call.

"What, so you took out the Southbound bridge?" he asked. Harpuia's disembodied voice was still answering.

"Yes. Master X's orders."

He looked exasperated. "I- you know, I had tanks parked out there."

"I know. My men have control of the old airport near the coast. You may cross the bridge nearby."

"You're kidding me."

"Take it up with our father if you have a problem," Harpuia replied. "That was the bridge Craft travelled in from. The more escape routes we eliminate, the easier we can find Zero and bring the maverick to justice. Simple strategies of divide, compartmentalise, and conquer. Even you can understand that, can't you?"

"Of course I can!"

"Good. Then I should hear no more complaints from you," Harpuia said. Fefnir grinded his teeth. "May we recover Zero swiftly and shed this distraction with haste. I'll see you tonight at the rendezvous point."

The communication cut off there, and Fefnir huffily snapped his wrist console shut. "Stupid little kiss-ass…"

The train, filled to the brim, had its doors pushed shut and locked by soldiers before being sent off, departing for some other outer sector cesspit that needed workers to turn the gears of the government. Thousands of lives disappeared into the bleak, grey horizon. Somewhere, the chimney of a distant incinerator billowed with smoke, its belly full from a fresh shipment of scrap.

There was no hot water in the Resistance bunker, but considering it may be the last shower he'd have in a while, Zero decided it was worth it to bear the cold.

He was awake early, probably before daybreak on the surface, according to his chronometer. He couldn't really sleep. At that hour, the daunting endless hallways of the base felt emptier still, the air stagnant and lights powered down for the night. The walls were far too small for comfort and he yearned for the sun on his face once more, but there was a part of him that didn't want to leave it behind.

It wasn't meant to be. The bitter glares he received in the halls grew ever colder following the attack on Bosaso. The open-armed welcome the Resistance had granted him prior was no more. They knew he could do nothing for them but bring unto them even more suffering at X's hands. It was time to go, and return only when he had found his place in this world.

He'd left his things in Craft's room, last time he checked. The lights were on in his quarters but his berth was empty with its owner nowhere to be seen. Zero hadn't spent all too long in Craft's room, he didn't really find the need to. Ciel had assigned him a room close to her own, just to keep an eye on him.

The room was awfully cramped and tiny for a reploid of Craft's giant build. Zero wondered if he could even lay down flat on his own bed. Every single inch was occupied by something: weapons, medical supplies, piles of old documents collecting water damage, accumulating bits and pieces stripped from larger machinery. The important things must've already been packed for the journey ahead, save for his laser cannon. He had a few photos stuck to his locker where Zero had crammed his bag. The picture was faded and ripped at the corners, but Zero could make out Neige sitting on his knee daintily clear as day.

Sometimes, Zero wondered if he should feel bad about it- taking Craft away from the woman who he obviously loved. He rarely said as much in front of him, but Zero had been around the block long enough to know it when he saw it. He took his bag from the locker and shut it.

"Oh. Zero, you're… up early."

Zero jolted in place, his heart skipping a beat. Of course, it was only Craft. Zero sighed and turned to meet his gaze.

"Yeah, I-"

Craft was standing stiff as a board in his doorway and only partially dressed. His mess of black hair was still damp from a shower. Zero looked him up and down.

"Well, good morning," Zero said, pulling up a chair. He was a little too tired to care. Regardless, he wasn't… not good to look at. He was broad shouldered, toned, and muscular under his armour and bodysuit, lightly tanned skin covered in scars and a smattering of body hair. Craft would get over the initial shock, shutting the door behind himself and drying off his hair in a towel. He had everything below the waist covered, at least.

Craft tossed the wet towel unceremoniously onto his bed. "How'd you sleep?"

"Terribly," Zero answered.

"Great. That makes the two of us," Craft said. He pulled open a drawer with the toe of his boot and took from it a roll of bandages. "Nervous?"

Zero shrugged. "Don't know if I'm any more nervous than I'm supposed to be."

"I get it. I don't wanna go either," Craft said. Zero never really noticed, but his hands were covered in calluses and scars. He was missing the tip of his right little finger under his armour. Craft wrapped his knuckles in layers of bandages before Zero could stare too long. Zero slumped over and rubbed his tired eyes.

"And it's not like I want to stay, really," Zero continued. "I know this is what I have to do."

"Nothing comes easy. Even the things that should, like leaving the things you know are bad for you," Craft tore the bandages from the roll with his teeth. "Don't worry too much. If you could rely on anyone to get you out of here, might as well have it be these folks."

Craft slipped his bodysuit over his head, tucked it into his waistband, and the gun show was over. Zero put his chin in his hand. "So, are you really expecting me to trust someone like Vile?" He wondered aloud. "It's not like we left on amicable terms."

When Ciel had first disclosed the identity of her Rebellion collaborators, Zero thought it was a joke. Then he thought it must have been someone else taking up the moniker as a sort of symbolic gesture. But no, as Ciel explained further, it became abundantly clear to Zero that indeed, the Vile he had grown so familiar with in his earlier years. How Vile, and Dynamo for that matter, managed to elude death for so long escaped Zero. Surely, Neo Arcadia's hostility towards mavericks would've caught up to them.

As he pondered that question, Craft clasped his armour onto himself, thick metal locking into place. "Uh. I guess you can't," Craft finally, and unhelpfully, concluded.

"And how do you know they'd even want to help someone like me?" Zero steamed on ahead, incredulous. "Vile almost killed me! More than once!"

Craft sweeped his hair back and slid his helmet over his head. "...Well, yeah. I can't promise that," he admitted, "but Ciel can cut off aid to the Rebellion on the off chance they don't cooperate. It's in their best interests to swallow their pride and do as she asks, even if it means helping you."

If anyone, it would be Zero who would be the one swallowing his pride. Fully dressed, Craft slung his bag over his shoulder and got up. "I know it's cold comfort, but I've worked with them many, many times before and trust me, whoever they were in the past, they aren't like that anymore."

"Easy for you to say," Zero murmured. He took the hint, collecting his things and leaving for the door. "I'm only doing this because I trust you."

Craft made a face. "I… appreciate that," he said. As he walked out, he stopped to stare at his massive laser cannon, propped up against the wall. It stood about as tall as Zero, if not a little taller. "I know it's not ideal, but it's the only option we have right now. The Resistance has their hands full."

After a moment of consideration, Craft decided he would take the World Ender with him. By Zero's estimates, it must've weighed half a ton, and Craft scooped it up and holstered it against his back like it was a standard issue rifle. As one final touch, he adorned his massive green cape attached to a high, grey collar. It made him look bigger than he already was. Craft opened the door for Zero, motioning him through.

"I can't believe it's come to this. Asking those people for help," Zero grumbled with a harsh scowl on his face. "I'll look pathetic."

Before leaving his room for what could well be the last time, he snatched the faded photograph of Neige and himself and stashed it away.

"Hey, talking about people you apparently know, you never told me about your deal with Spider," Craft said, hoping a topic change would lighten Zero's mood. Zero's mood seemed unchanged.

"Spider…"

It sounded like he was spitting a curse word. "I met Spider in Giga City during the Epsilon incident, must be a hundred or so years ago now. It was a little bit before the Elf Wars, before that technology had been developed," Zero began as the two made off into the halls. "He was just some bounty hunter who made friends with X while the first Rebellion was after him. I never trusted him, turns out I was right to do so. We were being strung along by Colonel Redips, he was using the person we called 'Spider' as a disguise to spy on us."

"That makes no sense. Redips is dead. On the moon. No one's gone further than the orbital spire in Central in years."

"And I thought Vile was dead too, once," Zero rebutted. Craft tightened his jaw.

"Spider never talked about it. Mentioned he had a brother once," Craft clarified.

"Sure, maybe the first Spider I met was a reploid unto himself, but how I see it, where Spider ends and where Redips begins doesn't matter. They're all just lowlife traitors."

Craft frowned. "Don't forget, we're lowlife traitors too, now," he said, "Look, maybe it's hard for you to parse since you weren't around, but a century's passed since you disappeared. These people, they've changed. You gotta let them change, or things are just gonna stay the same."

Desperately, Zero wanted to snap back with something sassy or blunt, but ultimately, Craft was right. He didn't have to do much else but look at what X had become to know that. Zero just had to man up and take it.

"Whatever you say, big guy," Zero said, very much through gritted teeth. "How did Spider end up in a union anyway?"

"From what I've been told, he saved about a couple hundred striking OSA workers from dying to a riot squad. He's been with them ever since," Craft answered. "Never said what he was doing before. It's not our business to know, anyway."

Maybe so, but Zero was always a little nosey. "Fine. Guess he and I need to have a long chat about it next time we meet," Zero conceded bitterly. "Ciel is awake, right?"

"Should be. She told me she'd meet us at the transerver room in ten," Craft answered, happy to talk about something that wouldn't earn him Zero's ire. They stopped at the elevator lift, already at their level. Craft pried open the doors and motioned Zero in. "After you."

"Thanks."

The elevator was old and rattled when it started up, and it sure didn't make up for it in speed. "I told Alouette I'd say goodbye before we left. Didn't realise we'd be going so early. I feel terrible now."

"She'll be awake. She wouldn't miss it for the world," Craft assured. "Alouette doesn't get to say proper farewells often."

"...I don't want to leave her," Zero admitted. "I don't want to leave anyone, really. Maybe that's my problem. I always leave or stay when I shouldn't. Alouette is just so sweet. I want to just… fit into their lives, be like everyone else."

The elevator doors opened to more hallways. Light spilled into the dark corridors from the gap in the transerver room doors. Craft looked aimlessly to the side and scratched the back of his neck.

"Zero, do you… want… kids?"

The gasp Zero let out was almost comedic. "Craft!"

"Woaahh, hey… it's not like that, I'm just asking in general," he said, "you've been so good to Alouette, you know. I don't know how you do it. It's like it just comes to you so naturally. She was scared of me for months when we first met."

"That's because you are scary," Zero reminded him, "Alouette is a good kid. She's easy to like, that's all…" Zero paused to steel himself, "look, if you want an honest answer, then sure, I wanted to have kids of my own. I really did. Things just didn't work out. What kind of horrible person would I have to be to force another life into this terrible world, anyway? The only person I ever loved enough to even contemplate having a family with became a dictator. I've stopped thinking about it. It'll never happen because it was never supposed to."

Craft nodded slowly. Zero wasn't exactly convincing in his assertions, but Craft didn't prod. "I see," he settled on. "I guess I never thought about it much myself. Neige is a human, I am not, and we're not together anymore."

When they got to the transerver room, Zero jumped ahead of him, turning to face him head-on with a coy look in his eye. "Looks like you'll just have to put up with me instead," he jabbed, punching open the door to the transerver room before Craft could say anything else.

At this hour, there was only one operator manning the teleporter- the blonde one, Zero remembered hearing Ciel call her Jaune. She perked up at their entrance, offering them a beaming smile. There were two other reploids there who had been chatting with her beforehand. Two Resistance soldiers, a taller man with a stern look about him and his compatriot, bound to a wheelchair. He had his goggles hanging loose around his neck.

"Good morning, Craft, Zero," Jaune greeted, clasping her hands over her console. "I'm afraid Ciel isn't here yet, so I cannot see you off. She'll be just a moment."

"It's no problem at all, Jaune," Craft said. The two soldiers with her turned to face them, their faces lighting up instantly.

"Zero!" The reploid in the wheelchair scooted himself up to him, meeting him in the middle. His friend was at his side the entire time. Beneath his green Resistance garb were scars from laser fire banding around his wrists and ankles. "Sorry, do you have a minute to chat?"

"For sure," Zero said, outstretching a hand for him to shake.

"Thank you. My name's Colbor." The soldier, Colbor, shook Zero's hand firmly before motioning to the other.

"I'm Faucon," the taller one, Faucon, said in kind, taking Zero's hand to shake. His voice was deep, big enough to fill the soldier. Zero gave a shallow nod and smile.

"Suppose I don't need to introduce myself. Nice to meet you," Zero said. "You look like you have some history."

Cold disposition lifting, Faucon let out a hearty chuckle, leaning over the handle of Colbor's wheelchair and resting his head against his. "You could say that."

Zero adjusted his collar. He wasn't sure if they were an item or he was looking too much into it. "We wanted to talk with you before, but things kept getting in the way and I never found the time to meet with you. Ciel said you were leaving today, so, uh, I guess this might be the last chance I'll have to speak to you," Colbor said. "I just wanted to thank you for coming, you know. Seeing things from our side and all. I knew you were better than what X said of you."

Zero didn't show it, but he was offended by the notion. No one spoke for him but himself. "It's the least I could do. I'm just sorry I couldn't do more for you."

"It's alright. Sometimes things are just… out of our control," Colbor said. Zero swallowed nervously and looked him up and down.

"Is it rude of me to ask?" Zero started. Colbor laughed.

"Not at all. Everyone asks at some point," Colbor replied. "It actually happened on the mission to get you, before Neo Arcadia recovered you from the underground lab. See, we figured you couldn't have been dead, just wasn't possible. We'd been looking for years, and then when we finally figured it out, of course Neo Arcadia just had to intercept. X, uh… he did this to me. I'm pretty lucky to come out of it alive."

He leaned down to pull up his pant leg to show off the extent of his scar. It was from a buster, clear as day, spanning all the way up from his foot to his knee. Zero winced. "Jesus. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You didn't shoot him," Faucon cut in. That was true, but Zero really wished he was there to stop X from pulling that trigger. Faucon put his hands on Colbor's shoulders reassuringly. "He's still with us, that's all that matters."

"And as a matter of fact, you've still ended up with us regardless," Colbor pointed out. He was awfully cheery for someone in his situation.

"Guess I am. Still, just wish you didn't have to go through all that," Zero said. "I just don't know how you can still stand me with all the trouble I've caused you guys."

It was Craft's turn to interject. "Zero, don't blame yourself too much," he said, patting him on the back. "Neo Arcadia forced your hand in this."

"Yeah, the last thing I want to do is make you feel any more guilty than you probably already are," Colbor reaffirmed. "Hey, um, I wanted to give you this, Zero."

He awkwardly reached for a satchel hanging from the armchair of his wheelchair and procured from it a dagger slotted firmly in its sheath. Colbor offered it to him on open palms.

"This belonged to my friend, Milan. He was killed during the mission to find you," Colbor explained as Zero took the weapon from him. He removed it from its sheath and found the handle to split into two identical laser daggers. They powered on, revealing bright cyan blades. "I haven't been able to use them since I got injured. I didn't want them to rot away in my bag. I thought you might like them."

The blades must've been old- pre-Elf War, from just a basic eye test. Zero inspected the handle to find the text HANDCRAFTED IN TEHRAN inscribed in delicate Persian lettering along the bone-white carbon fibre.

Zero waved around the twin daggers carefully, feeling out the way they handled. They flowed around him like silk ribbons in the breeze, so naturally acting as an extension of Zero's movements. He cracked a smirk. They was no Z-sabre, but the craftsmanship that went into these daggers was no joke.

"I'm honoured," Zero said, voice soft with reverence. He powered them down and slotted them into their sheath and into the holster at his hip. "Thank you, Colbor."

"Please… if it could be anyone I'd entrust Milan's memory to, it'd still be you, Zero," Colbor said. "Faucon and I wish you luck on your journey. I hope you can come back one day."

"Oh, we will." Zero looked at Craft and smiled. Craft returned it after a pause. "It was a pleasure to meet you two. I'm sorry this all happened because of me."

Faucon shook his head. "Don't you worry. We're tougher than that, Zero."

Their indomitable spirits made that much clear. Zero made sure Milan's blades were hilted firmly at his side.

"Oh, wow, you two are already here."

Ciel came through the doors with Cerveau and Neige joining them at her side. Zero inspected Ciel's legs, looking for any sign of Alouette. "Colbor! Good to see you. It's been a minute since we've had a chat, hasn't it? Been so busy."

"Tell me about it," Colbor said. Zero deflated, his spirits dampened when Ciel had stopped in front of him with no sign of Alouette to be seen. "I wish I could've spent more time talking with Zero here. You must know so much about the old world."

Zero offered a half-hearted nod. "Yeah. Didn't appreciate it enough when it was around," he murmured pensively.

Just when Zero lost hope that Alouette would be there to see him off, a blur of pink ran through the transerver room doors and found herself at Zero's feet. Alouette practically latched her arms around Zero's leg.

"Zeezee!" she exclaimed, full of boundless energy despite the hour. Zero laughed and kneeled down to scoop her up.

"Oh, little buddy…" Zero was almost squealing, his coos was so soft. "I thought I'd miss you."

"No way!" She yelled, snuggling his face like an overbearing labrador. She paused for a moment to look around at the collection of bags at their feet and pouted. "Wait. Are you going now?"

"I'm afraid so," Zero admitted, sombre eyes darkening. "I'm sorry Alouette. I wish I could stay for longer but I don't have a choice. I need to do what's best for the people here."

"B-but… we'll miss you," she whimpered. She gripped his vest with balled up fists. "You'll come back, right?"

"Of course. We just need to go for a while, okay?" Zero said, placing her down gently. "You be good to everyone."

Alouette stood up straight and proper, like a little soldier standing at attention. "I will!"

Jaune cleared her throat. "We're all set for departure," she said. "Ready when you are."

"And- and thank you for fixing Kitty," Alouette got in, cognisant of the time she had left. "And for all the books and movies you gave me!"

Ciel had crouched down to Alouette's level and patted her on the shoulder. "He has to go now," she whispered soothingly. "Don't you worry. Mister Craft will be with him."

Neige had stealthily made her way to Craft's side during the commotion, showering him with her own unique style of affection before he left with Zero. Alouette scampered over to Craft's feet and pointed defiantly at him. "You better make sure Zero doesn't get hurt!"

Neige and Craft exchanged glances before looking back at the fiery little girl and chuckling. "Believe me, he won't let anything happen to him," Neige promised, reaching up to grab Craft's cheeks and pull him down to her height. "You've got a soft spot for pretty faces, don't you?"

She gave him a chaste peck on the cheek. Craft's face went entirely red, much to Zero's amusem*nt. Alouette just grimaced and turned away, feigning a gag.

"Blehh…" Alouette groaned, returning to the PDA-free zone of Zero's vicinity. "We'll miss you, Zeezee. Stay safe, okay?!"

"Yes, yes, I'll be okay," Zero reiterated before getting to his knees and opening up his arms. "Now come here."

She ran into the hug hard enough to almost send him on his back, earning a full-hearted laugh from the cold and reserved reploid. "Bye!"

"Awh man, don't make it harder than it already is…" Zero cooed. He distanced himself and ruffled her hair, motioning her away. With her infinite youthful energy, she ran over to Craft as well, hugging his leg.

"Bye-bye, Mister Craft!" she exclaimed, not having fully tamed her inside-voice. Neige put her hand on his arm, supposing it was time for her to say her farewells too.

"I'll miss you too, pup-pup," she whispered. "Don't kill yourself."

"I won't," he promised. "Sorry I couldn't stay for longer."

Neige managed a gentle smile. "Every second I get to spend with you is a gift. Wada'an, Craft."

Alouette ran back to Ciel, allowing Neige to bring Craft in for a tight hug. "Go on, now. You're holding up Jaune."

She said that, but she didn't want to let him go either. Eventually, they had no choice but to pry each other from their embraces and step away. Ciel looked back at Neige and Cerveau, then back to Craft and Zero.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye, for now. Come, I'll accompany you," Ciel said, stepping onto the transerver platform. Zero and Craft collected their things and joined her at her side. "We're all set to go, Jaune. Anything urgent you guys need to get off your chest?"

Zero let out a deep sigh, tension in his chest escaping. "Thank you for having me. I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you. I know this wasn't what you expected from me."

Cerveau shook his head and smiled, crows feet creasing under his visor. "You've given us hope, Zero. Isn't that something?"

Maybe it was. Zero nodded his head slowly. He had been in this position before, and yet, he felt nervous like it was his first time saying goodbye on a teleporter. Craft put a reassuring hand on Zero's shoulder.

"We'll be back," he promised. "Let's just say we're on sabbatical."

"Ready when you are," Jaune reminded. "You'll be sent to the warp room in North Sector-E, the Bosaso Strip."

The representatives of the Resistance waved them goodbye. Their smiles had a sense of sorrow at seeing him go, but still, they were full of hope. Cerveau had his head up high.

"We'll take it from here, Zero," he said. Zero bowed his head with humility, before giving the thumbs up to Jaune.

"Departing now," Jaune announced, initiating the transerver warp drive. "Stand still and hold your breath. On the count of three-"

"Goodbye!" Alouette cried out, waving wildly. Zero waved back meekly.

"-Three. Good luck out there." In a flash of light, Craft, Zero and Ciel were dragged from the inner sanctum of the Resistance bunker, away from Neige, Cerveau, Alouette, from everyone they'd come to be familiar with over the short week or so, back into the unfortunate reality of the surface world. Of Neo Arcadia.

…

The room they arrived in was different to the one they'd come in from. Still, it was dark and decrepit, a waterlogged boiler room of a long since abandoned underground system. A single light flickered on in their presence, bathing the room in dying fluorescent light. Zero sniffled, feeling something run down his nose.

"...Um. Guess you're not used to riding the transerver system," Ciel muttered sheepishly, pointing at her nose. Zero wiped above his lip and looked down to see he had smeared his hand with a thin streak of blood. His throat bobbed.

"Is that… supposed to happen?" He asked. Ciel shrugged.

"When Jaune said to stand still and hold your breath, she wasn't just making a joke. Our gluon stabilisers can act up sometimes." She motioned the thought away. "Anyway, come, I'll tell you everything on the way. It's not a good idea to stay in the same place for too long..."

The room was guarded by two doors- a heavy, impenetrable door that slid aside when she punched in a long and confusing passcode. The second was the original door, unremarkable and probably as old as the original city. Ciel grabbed a key amongst thousands hanging from her belt and jostled open the rusty old lock holding the door shut. It opened to a long abandoned office building that had been colonised by squatters. At least, it was- though there were blankets and bags scattered around the place, there was no one around. Not a soul for as far as Zero's sensors could scan.

"How are we supposed to avoid being spotted?" Zero asked.

"Carefully," Ciel answered, "lucky for you, I've taken a few extra precautions to deal with their surveillance methods. May we switch to Standard?"

[DWN-Zero-Zero-Zero. Can you hear me?] Zero asked over their personal connection.

[K-Nine-E. Loud and clear,] Craft answered dutifully.

[G-Seven-E. Thank you,] Ciel piped in. She scurried into the shadows, gesturing for them to follow. [Come with me.]

From broken windows, Zero looked out to the vast Bosaso strip. It was still dark out, the orange light of the rising sun barely visible over the horizon's edge.

Zero felt his heart sink into the pit of his belly. The old city was not particularly sightly before, but it was like he had emerged straight into hell. Nothing was spared- factories, offices, residential buildings, hospitals, schools, it had been entirely levelled. There was nothing left behind but rubble and rebar that reached into the sky like crooked metal claws. Smoke still billowed from where bombs had been dropped and air strikes levied. Trucks were already ferrying away the debris, piles of concrete mingled with the remains of those who couldn't evacuate fast enough.

Ciel was calling for him, but panic was starting to set in. Zero couldn't look away, eyes wide and listless, breath shallow and quick and not enough to fill his chest. Unwanted memories of the Elf Wars came to him. There was a constant buzzing of drones overhead, streaks of white phosphorus lingering in the sky.

[Come here!]

His saviour, Craft, had grabbed him and dragged him away before he could fall into a catatonic state. They pulled him aside into an alley behind the building through a hole in the wall.

[Breathe!] Craft commanded. Zero let out a heavy, shivering breath, as if he had just been saved from drowning. [What's wrong?]

The shade of the claustrophobic alley provided a welcome relief from the horrors that awaited on the surface, and with time, Zero calmed down quickly. [I don't know. I don't know what came over me.]

Craft's gaze roved up and down Zero's face, before fixing itself at his feet with a sigh. [Yeah. It's bad. Worst I've seen. But we gotta keep moving.]

He patted Zero on his shoulders before moving out the way, letting Ciel address them both. She scanned the area before projecting a hologram map from her wrist console for them to burn into their memory. [Vile and Dynamo will meet you here, in South-East Sector G. They'll be in this residential compound, number 29. The main bridge between the interchange and the national highway was taken out just recently, the one you came in on. Not like I'd recommend you'd have gone that way. I've devised some alternative routes for you that'll keep you- mostly- out of the way of scheduled pratols. If you could take off your helmets…]

Taking off any more armour was the last thing Zero wanted to do in a combat zone, but he and Craft did as told, setting it aside in his bags. [Are you really sure about this?] Zero asked. Ciel co*cked her head at him as she rummaged through her things.

[About what?]

[Sending us off to Vile,] Zero said, though he mostly meant himself, Craft had no reservations about the Rebellion collaborators. [You think he'd want to help me? He hates me!]

Ciel's lips twisted into an uncertain grimace. [I told him you'd be coming ahead of time,] she revealed. [I know you two have some history but I assure you, his quarrel is with X.]

[Yeah right. He tried to kill me,] Zero bemoaned. [This is ridiculous.]

[These are ridiculous times,] Craft reminded. Zero decided it wasn't worth it to go on about it. He reached into an armour compartment and fished out a flimsy, beat up carton of cigarettes and jostled one out into his open palm. [Beggars can't be choosers.]

He lit up with a tiny lighter in his thumb, one drag enough to settle him down. Zero sighed and ran his hand through his hair, exasperated. After a hot second of rummaging, Ciel procured a plastic container filled with a garish, electric blue paint.

[Close your eyes, please,] she asked. When Zero did as told, he felt two fingers paint a streak of cold, viscous paint straight down the length of the right side of his face, from his forehead, over his eye to his chin. Zero clenched his teeth at the feeling. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Ciel doing the same thing to Craft.

[What's the point of this?] Zero asked. The paint dried quickly, not smudging when Zero poked at it.

[Asymmetry messes with Neo Arcadia's military facial recognition tech,] she explained. [Let's go. Your bike should be down the road, Craft. Faucon moved it for you.]

[Oh, goodie,] Craft said, as cheery as he possibly could in a place like this. [Send him my thanks.]

She was off, motioning them to follow. As she turned a corner, she slowly and silently armed her buster cannon. In the distance, Zero could catch the marching of incoming platoons and demolition vehicles working away at the break of dawn.

As they snuck through decimated streets, Zero wondered if that worker who tried to take more than what had been rationed to him was still alive. Was his sick child still alive, his wife? Did illness take his daughter before Neo Arcadia could kill her too? Zero didn't know what was worse, to think they had all been killed, or that the father was left alive with no one left to come home to.

Zero knew there were still people buried under the rubble. He could sense their breathing and dwindling body heat. Some still yelled out with faint breath, begging for help that would never come, trapped alongside the bodies of loved ones.

How could X do something like this? Zero wanted to vomit. The stench of death was everywhere.

Through the shadow of alleyways, away from Neo Arcadia's prying eye, Ciel led them into the remains of an office parking lot and down into the basem*nt levels. It had been busy, once, cars and bikes left where their owners had left them when the evacuation order had been given. The basem*nt had been spared from the destruction, relatively safe from the volley of missiles overhead. There was a sense of dread in the way doors had still been left opened, keys still left in their ignition. In the corner, next to the elevators, was a hidden, inconspicuous ride chaser covered in a dirty tarp.

[Ah, there she is…]

Craft approached it with open arms like he was greeting an old friend, pulling off the tarp with a ceremonious flare. Underneath, a dirty, green military build bike was unveiled to no fanfare whatsoever. Zero furrowed his brow and put his hands on his hips.

[That isn't your bike,] Zero said blankly. Craft laughed, then kicked the chassis, the disguise fading for just a second to reveal the red ride chaser they had come in on.

[Sure isn't,] he quipped. He turned to Ciel with a sense of finality about him, leaning on his bike and taking a long drag from his cigarette. Smoke rolled off his sigh. [Guess this is it for now.]

Ciel dipped her head, solemn. [Guess it is. I can't do anything more for you but ask my soldiers on the ground to look out for you,] she supposed. [I've got to go now. Stay safe, you two. Maybe we'll meet again some day under better conditions.]

Zero mustered a smile rich in humility. [Thank you for having me,] he said, [and thank you for fighting for these people. I'm really proud of you.]

[...That means the world, coming from a hero like you,] Ciel said, clasping her hands with a smile so wide she was squinting. Zero shook his head and let out a huffy chuckle.

[I've never considered myself a hero. I'm just like you, Ciel. I've only ever fought for the people I believe in,] Zero said. [See you around, doctor. Don't get yourself hurt out there.]

Ciel bowed. [Farewell.]

With that, she turned, shooting the two a bright-eyed grin one last time before she ran off, leaving Craft and Zero alone together once more. Zero swallowed down the lump in his throat and massaged the bridge of his nose.

[Looks like it's just us again…] Zero said. Craft tossed the butt of his cigarette on the ground and stamped it out.

[No point in waiting around. We're sitting ducks.] Craft squirrelled away his belongings into his hammerspace system and swung his leg over his bike seat, scooting forward to spare some room for Zero. [Well? Hop on.]

The sooner they were out of Bosaso the better. Zero climbed on, sitting flush and secure against Craft's back. At the press of the ignition button, the bike rattled and fired to life.

[If we don't run into any trouble, we'll be there by the end of the day,] Craft guessed, turning out of the parking lot and into the open air. The sky was still dark, but light blue light began bleeding into the empty vast void. [Hold on tight, little fox. You'll be safe with me.]

It was all in the hands of fate, and Craft's driving, now. All Zero could do was trust in the Resistance, in Ciel, in Craft, and as much as he hated to admit it, in Vile and his Rebellion.

The unempathetic sun rose on Neo Arcadia again. The old city of Bosaso had been reduced to smoldering ruins overnight. Its residents had been either carted off in chains elsewhere, apprehended and sent to the incinerator, or killed in the demolition effort. Zero was still missing. Craft was gone.

Despite how fruitless it all seemed, Harpuia would see through to it. He would not disappoint his father.

"This is unacceptable. Completely unacceptable."

X had been marching back and forth in front of his four dutiful children at day break. He seemed bigger when he was angry, red eyes bright and vicious and wild.

"You have the full might of the four armies at your disposal, you gave all the surveillance in the world, I've let you flatten this strip. It's been almost two weeks, and yet, you come back to me with nothing. Does that seem acceptable to you?"

They would say nothing. None of them, not even the big-mouthed Leviathan dared to. They hadn't slept since they had been deployed to Bosaso, hadn't eaten anything substantial, hadn't had a break.

"Good. Because it isn't. It isn't acceptable," X would continue. "Leviathan, I want you moved to the Eastern Sectors. Fefnir, you stay here. Phantom, join your men in the South-East Sectors. Harpuia, I want you in the skies."

Harpuia was soaring overhead, scanning the remains of Bosaso like an eagle searching for its prey. The land was pock-marked with craters from missiles, buildings reduced to beige dust. It was almost like he was looking at the surface of the moon.

"Look. Zero's collar may no longer have remote tracking, but it should still have proximity detection. That can only be disabled by direct tampering with the device. This transponder should beep if you get close. Understand?"

He shoved the transponder into Harpuia's hands with a hostile glare. "The eradication of Bosaso will flush Zero out. I know it will. Don't disappoint me again."