He woke up in a car.
Zero looked around in the unfamiliar setting.
There dull noise played from the radio. Jazz. A monotonous voice. Static. A broken record. Outside the window a dotted landscape of houses and trees over a field of grass. Though beautiful, it was empty. Lifeless. A place full of nothing but the imagination of what life might have been like. Pulled from the deepest memory of him. The feeling of nostalgia of something that never was. A memory he was told.
He turned towards the driver.
It was Vile.
Like Zero, he did not wear any armor. Normal clothes. A rare sight. Black curly hair. A gaze that was intense and fierce. The other had barely taken notice of his presence as he drove the vehicle. It had been eons since Zero had seen Vile’s face. Did he still look like that?
Vile glanced at Zero for a moment, before returning back to the road. “Did you sleep well, pretty boy?” Vile laughed, a grin on his face. “Surprised it took you so long.”
“Where am I?” Zero replied, ignoring his pet name.
Vile’s smile never wavered. “Dead. Just like me.” Vile tapped a finger on the car wheel. “But looks like life ain’t done with you yet.” He laughed again. Sickening.
Zero was silent for a moment. “But… No one needs me anymore.”
“You sure about that? What about your boyfriend?” Vile never took his eyes off the road, but Zero could still feel his gaze on him. “You know, I said the same exact thing. Nobody needs me! I did what I thought I had to do. Why be alive anyway? Being alive sucks. You deal with so much shit and worry about so much unnecessary things.” Vile took his hands off the wheel, moving his hands around. “Why does it matter anyway? We’ll all end up here!” he laughed. His hands easing back to the wheel of the car. Never did it drift off its course. It kept going down the road. The long, long empty road.
Zero slumped into his seat. Closing his eyes, trying to focus. “Take me back.”
“Can’t do that. Not like I can control anything here.”
Zero glared at Vile. “Take me back!” Vile only laughed in response. “Let me die!” His laughter only grew. Zero lifted himself from the chair seat to grapple the Maverick.
“Then do it yourself, pretty boy!” he shoved Zero back into his seat. “Or sit tight and let it all happen to you! That’s what you’re good at. Just letting it happen!”
Zero went to punch Vile who narrowly missed him. Laughter split the car, echoing through this empty place. They fought momentarily. Hitting. Slapping. Clawing. Zero’s attempts to drive the car off the road made no success as no matter how many times he turned the wheel the car kept on its same course. It only spun and spun and spun. A second later he turned away, turning towards the handle of the vehicle to exit. No matter how many times he tried to unlock the car. No matter how many times he pushed his entire body weight into the glass. There was nothing he could do to escape. His knuckles smashed against the window. Smashing and smashing but there was hardly a crack.
He screamed a pained cry.
“That’s all you do,” Vile spoke. Watching Zero’s pathetic attempts to escape. “Just sit there and just let it happen.” He pulled a gun from the side of the seat. “Did you think that life would be that easy?” He pressed the gun into Zero’s head.
“Just let me die,” Zero wailed.
“That would be too easy.”
X stared out the window of the van to watch the scenery play before his eyes. There was little to admire from the ecosystem that was left existing after the colony had fallen to the Earth. The cleanup crew had done well enough to stabilize the surrounding area around where the largest crash sites were, but with the remaining radiation and complete eradication of the ecosystem there was little else that anyone could do besides close the section off. X could see, even with the valiant attempts to re-stabilize the damaged ecosystem, the surrounding areas was left a barren desert, completely charred remains of life.
A barren wasteland.
The van came to a slow stop in front of a large metal gate. Wordlessly, X rolled his window down to pass the standing reploid a data pass with his credentials allowing him entry. The transaction took merely minutes as they waved their hands to allow further passage deeper into the confines of Area Zero.
Some people thought that it was a waste of resources to defend a barrier that protected people from themselves. But X had heard stories from other hunters of what was kept locked behind the gates. Tales of zombies, mutated animals, and even deadlier viruses. Though, he wasn’t sure if the tales were real or imaginary. It had been months since he entered Area Zero to look for his friend. And now every time he was sent on a mission he had requested that they didn’t send him here anymore.
It was only for a favor that he came to this place.
“I think this place looks promising,” Alia pointed towards a large piece of metal from the colony. The driver nodded her head as she turned the wheel to come to a stop. Everyone slowly got out the car, their systems on high alert as Alia jumped out carrying a large case to document any samples she would find.
One of the human scientists that came with them, adorned in protective gear, checked their watch. “We have 1 hour here,” he set a timer and took out several Geiger counters from the van. “Everyone has their buddy?”
A resounding ‘yes’ came from the group.
“Great,” Alia nodded her head. She took out a map and pointed at an approximate location. “We’re here. Make sure you’re on the correct comm’s channel at all times.” She pointed North-East from where they stood. “Recent readings showed high Maverick activity about 5 klicks from here. If you decide to go that way, we can’t guarantee any safety.” She begun to roll up the map, handing it to the human. “Remember, if you see danger alert the comm’s channel of your location and if evacuation is necessary.”
Everyone nodded their head. “Looks like everyone is ready,” another human stepped forward. “Happy hunting everyone!”
Alia and X departed from the van heading South-West from their location. X made sure to have his buster ready, every part of him at high alert ready to protect Alia from harm. Though he couldn’t help but worry about the other scientists that came with them, he had to have faith that the other hunters and mercenaries would keep them safe.
She would motion to X when she detected something on her radar. A protective stance would be taken over Alia as she knelt to the ground, shoveling dirt or metal into a plastic bag and placed carefully into her case. The work was monotonous. Occasionally there was chatter on the comm’s channel. Requested updates. Notifications of suspicious activity. Notifying that one of the guards had dispatched a Maverick. No one had been hurt so far, and everything seemed to have been going as planned.
“Look,” Alia pointed towards a dead corvid. X grimaced at the rotting flesh. But, as usual, he walked with Alia, taking point as she carefully dissected pieces from the recently deceased animal. The smell made X sick. Carefully he tried to compartmentalize the rotting animal below him as Alia picked it apart, gathering all she could from the poor creature. Even if he tried to ignore the poor animal, it still saddened X to see a poor creature who had likely died suffering an agonizing death.
It was in these thoughts that he strayed away from the mission at hand. His lids half closed, a grimace over his face, thinking about all those that have died because of Eurasia.
He wanted it to end.
A gasp came from Alia which roused X to his senses. He turned behind him, buster at the ready pointed towards her gaze. Confusion was quick to overtake him when Alia stood pushing his arm down.
“Gate!?”
X didn’t let his guard down, but he allowed Alia to push his hand to his side as his gaze swept upward to another reploid. A man donned with purple armor trimmed with white. Fair skin and purple eyes. His features were soft, but his soul showed a man who had been working tirelessly. X’s gaze shifted between Alia and Gate. The two stared at each other, shocked. Both shifted nervously, uncomfortable, desperate to reach to one another, and shove them away.
“Alia?” he looked down from where he stood atop the rubble. For a moment, a spark of rage met his eyes but was soon replaced by a cool demeanor and casual smirk. “Alia… I wasn’t expecting to see you… here.” He made a motion to Area Zero.
“Neither were we,” Alia responded as she watched him slide down the rubble and metal. Even if Alia knew Gate, X was still unsure of this man’s presence. Something about him seemed off. Every glance Gate made towards X he could feel a fire burning deep within him. “Why are you here? Is it for a new project you’re working on?” she noted the lab coat that Gate was wearing.
“Hm?” Gate broke his gaze from X. “Oh!” he smiled nodding his head. “Yes, I come here often to collect data.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Alia smiled at Gate. X could see Gate’s palpable disinterest. “What have you been working on?”
The cordial conversation soon turned hostile at the mere question. Though Gate kept his smile he couldn’t help but bite back at Alia. “Oh? Would you like to know where I work as well so you can take all the glory for yourself?”
X took a step forward, ready to calm the two scientists down. Alia jolted back in shock, “N-No!” X couldn’t believe that Gate made such an implication towards Alia, but from the way she reacted, it didn’t seem to have come from nowhere. “I just… wanted to know how you’ve been. After everything…” it was strange to X to see Alia in this way. She always seemed confident in everything she did. But now, in front of Gate, she seemed so small.
“I don’t think you of all people have any right to ask me how I am.” Gate sneered at her. His gaze looked towards X, with a smile. He motioned towards the blue reploid. “I’m guessing your friend doesn’t know anything about it either.”
X shifted uncomfortably. “Dr. Gate,” he kept an air of professionalism, trying not to get between the two in such an already hostile environment. “I would be glad to hear your story, but given where we are at the moment, I believe we should arrange another time for you to talk to us.”
None of them liked that reply, but X spoke the truth given the situation
“I’d love to,” Gate smiled shifting his gaze towards Alia.
“Gate…” she whispered. She reached a hand towards him. She tried to connect back to him. Bringing him back. “I’m sorry.”
Gate slapped her hand away from him. X flinched, ready to interject between the two. But Alia took it all in stride as she retracted her hand away from him. A single glance was enough to quell X from moving between them.
“It’s too late for any apology,” he scoffed turning away from the two of them. “I don’t have any time to listen to your empty apologies when I have work to do.” He fixed his lab coat before he moved to walk away. He paused for a moment. Spite dripping from his body. He gave a final glance back towards Alia and X could see his rage. His anger. But beneath it all, he could see a broken man. “Alia, you should have been the one to be labeled a Maverick.”
X was shocked at such an accusation. But before he barked back his own reply he turned to stare at Alia, gauging her face. He expected her to look just as offended at such a horrible insult. But curiously, Alia’s face remained stern and unmoving. In fact, it looked as if guilt was smothering her.
They watched as Gate climbed the rubble. Back to whence he came from.
Before X had any time to inquire further about what Gate had just said Alia was quick to turn back to her work, immediately busying herself. And X was left to think as Alia shifted back and forth as if they had never seen Gate. Perhaps it was for the best. Now was not the best time to ask details about their relationship and what Gate had meant. They were still in a dangerous position.
Several minutes had passed before they moved to another location. X checked the internal timer. 15 minutes left. “Alia,” X signaled her. “We have 15 minutes left.”
Alia nodded her head. “I have another reading,” she pointed upward. “It’s up there.”
X followed her finger. “Do you want me to get it?” He approached the rubble.
“No, I can get it.” She approached the rubble, bracing herself to begin her climb.
“Are you sure?” X was about to stop her before Alia shook her head.
“Don’t worry. I’m more capable than I look,” she looked back with a smile before she began her ascent. X carefully watched as she began to climb the rubble. He was ready should she fall or slip, but he was wary of the surrounding area as well. He felt a presence, and the radioactivity was muddling his sensors. A fog of war.
“Alia, we should head back.” He backed up against the rubble. “I don’t have a good feeling.”
“I’m almost there…” she heaved herself up another fallen rock. “Ah!” she slipped for a moment, losing her balance, before pulling herself up. X glanced upward, thankful that she was fine, but still careful.
There was a sigh from her lips as she hefted herself up again. Perhaps she should have asked X to obtain the specimen, but the readings were so unusual. She had to be sure what she was seeing was right. She heaved herself up again. A piece of metal glimmered underneath the beating sun. This…!?
“X, I have eyes on it. I’ll be coming down momentarily.”
“Understood,” X replied from below. “But please be quick. Something doesn’t seem right.”
Alia didn’t need to be told twice. She approached the metal, taking out tongs to grasp it. She carefully gripped the metal with her tool, and begun to pull it. Unfortunately for the two of them… it was stuck.
Shit.
She pulled again, and again. No matter how hard she the metal refused to budge from its little resting ground. Damnit! She got on her hands and knees, digging at the ground to try and wriggle it free.
Her grip was firm on the metal as she pulled harder.
Suddenly, a presence was above her.
“What do we have here?”
“Huh?” her gaze turned upward. A beastloid was poised above her. His face was shaped like a hammerhead shark. Spikes and fin-like blades curved around his body and into his armor. Though he did not have many places to show emotions, she could feel the smirk on the other’s face.
Fear struck her. “W-Who are you?” she was still.
Where was X?
“A robber asking the name of the ruler’s house?”
Robber?
“You have something I want.” Both their eyes looked down to the metal that Alia was holding firm in her hands.
“Alia!” she heard a shout from below. She heard several shots go off. Looking down she noticed several reploids approaching X. Even from this far away, Alia could see that these reploids were practically zombies in the way that they pulled their bodies to walk. They looked as if they had no soul.
“X!” she shouted from above. “X! I’m coming!”
“Where do you think you’re going, little girl!?” the shark’s hand attempted to snatch Alia. She pivoted her body to one side narrowly missing his grasp. A final tug was all it took to free the metal from the ground as she allowed herself to fall to the ground below.
A piece of broken piping cut through her abdomen. The reploid above roared in frustration.
“Alia!” X shouted looking towards her as she hit the ground hard on her side. A groan of pain as she barely was able to get up from the ground. X’s eyes looked upward from where she fell, seeing the beastloid above them. X ran to her side, grasping her arm as he pulled her up. His eyes darted side to side, and though X could fight it would be foolish to do so now. “Can you run?”
Alia slowly got up, holding her side. She slowly shook her head, “But the samples…”
“Forget that!” X shouted pulling her arm as more reploids came. “X to Command. 40.237606, -102.642685. Mavericks spotted. We need to evacuate now!” He charged his buster, sending a burst of energy through the chaos. The reploids fell apart as the energy hit them, but more were soon to replace the emptiness.
“Roger, X. Most are accounted for. What’s your ETA?”
X pulled Alia behind him for a moment as she struggled against evacuating, her eyes staring at the samples left carelessly on the ground. In the heat of their struggle a reploid managed to latch onto X’s arm. Tearing its claws into him. “Augh!” he yelled in pain.
It tore Alia from her worries. She ripped her arm away from X, grabbing the small taser at her side and shoving it into the reploid’s neck. It didn’t kill it, but gave X enough time to shove the reploid off and put it down.
“X? Come in, X. What is your ETA?”
“This is Alia. Our ETA is approximately 3 and a half minutes. Be ready for Mavericks.”
“Roger. We’ll give you 4. Out.”
The two charged forward through the reploids. X kept to the front, shoving through and pushing away any reploid that would come near them. Alia kept close to X’s back, using X as a barricade from the mindless beasts. None of them dared to look back, only pressing forward to their sanctuary.
“X! Alia!” one of the hunters waved at them from the van as they rounded the corner.
“We need to get out of here! Now!” X shouted in response.
The hunter paused staring at the two with a raised brow. Not quite understanding what the commotion was about as it appeared as if nothing was chasing behind them. It wasn’t until the Mavericks rounded the same corner their companions did that his confusion turned to horror. One of the mercenaries who dozed in their seat stood up in response to the group of Mavericks behind them. Gaping at the endlessness of the group.
“Shit, you weren’t kidding!” she shouted taking out one of her guns. “Yo, driver! Better get this piece of metal ready to go!”
Alia was the first to jump into the van. But X turned on his heel to stand his ground with the other guards. Both fired several rounds into the group of Mavericks. Each of them fell one by one but soon were replaced by more. Although they were slow, they had strength in numbers. Piling over dead, crawling, shoving. It wasn’t long before the mercenary’s weapons began to overheat.
“We need to go!” she shouted throwing the gun to the side. She turned to jump into the van. “What the fuck is taking so long?” Another hunter joined X’s side as another mercenary began to set up to provide covering fire.
“I’m trying!” the driver shouted attempting to turn the car on. They all heard the engine rev before dying out.
“We can’t hold out much longer!” X shouted to the front carefully backing up into the back of the van. They heard the van rev again to die shortly afterwords. Damnit…
One managed to break through their tightly held guard, grasping onto one of the Hunters. Reflectively, X moved to punch the Maverick, tearing it off the Hunter before flinging it to the side into the carnage. Even if he was considered one of the best, even he could not grapple with large amounts of Mavericks that seemed to be closing in on their small van. Slowly, X closed his eyes, letting the heat of battle consume him.
If Zero was here… what would he do?
A breath. A second. He let the battle wash into him. Washing away his worries. Consuming his body and mind. He couldn’t let his emotions, his fear, take control of him. Not now! X’s eyes snapped open. He pushed forward past their group, breaking formation. “I’ll buy you all more time. Don’t wait for me.”
“What!?” one of the mercenaries shouting in confusion as X moved forward. They all stared at him as he entered the lion’s den.
X put away his buster. To his side, he grasped Zero’s saber. A memento he held dear to him. A reminder of all that Zero stood for.
He let it all wash away.
In a blink of an eye, X dashed forward into the mass of Mavericks. A brilliant green arc cut through the chaos. In a single swoop of his arm, he cut down any Mavericks in front of him. All turned their attention towards him as he danced between the Maverick’s hands. The saber’s light felt as though it was a protective barrier against him and the harm that might have befallen him. He was untouchable as he basked in this light. Basked in Zero’s power. For a moment, X felt Zero’s presence. Felt Zero’s hand guide the strikes so perfectly that one might have thought it would have been Zero in that moment. His hair flowing behind him as he became one in his soul. As the slaughter became all so apart of him. It all came naturally to him. As if this was his purpose all along.
Was this the system Zero spoke so much about?
In the brilliance of green, nothing could stand in his way. Although the Mavericks seemed endless, with saber in hand, nothing could stop him. The dance of the battlefield was beautiful. The blood that shed drove X to only dance harder. He would protect them all. In this eternity of death.
Alia called out to X. Snapping him from this trance of death.
“X! Get in the van!”
The dance stopped. The spirit of Zero faded away. He felt the tinges of the soul fade. And X was suddenly alone drenched in oil. Wordlessly, X turned around to dash towards the open van. Leaping through, he landed hard into the back of the van as the door slammed shut and he felt the tires screech as they evacuated the area. X laid there for several moments. Breathing. Gasping.
What was that?
“Incredible!” one of the humans shouted. Though they couldn’t see their faces, they could hear the excitement from their voices. “You saved our lives, X!”
X turned his head towards the humans who sat shaking in their seats. He could not smile as he simply breathed. Slowly X stood, unsteady for a moment, as he took his seat next to Alia. The look of worry plain on her face as she stared deep into X’s face. He himself was shaking. He held the saber firm in his hands. He was drenched in oil. In blood.
“X… Are you ok?” she whispered holding her torso. A hand reached towards X, but X shuffled away from her.
“I… Yes…” he breathed heavy. He was petrified of what had become of him in that moment. Of what this ‘system’ did to him. Even if there was a comfort that his soul seemed to have touched Zero’s, it was a touch that terrified him. The touch of a machine. He looked over at her wound. A frown, “Alia, you’re hurt.”
Alia shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. Everyone is safe, that’s all that matters.” She sighed, slumping into her chair. The one-hour affair felt like an eternity in hell. Looking over towards the other humans and reploids in the van, it looked like they fared much better physically and emotionally compared to Alia and X.
“I’m sorry about the specimens.” X turned his head back to his hands.
Alia slowly shut her eyes, “Don’t worry about it. It wasn’t all for nothing.” Carefully, she opened her palm. A piece of black metal. Slowly, Alia closed her hand, as if holding it for dear life. “I thought we were going to die. If you hadn’t been there to save us, I think we wouldn’t have made it back.” She was right. If X hadn’t been there, then there’s no telling what might have happened to the expedition. But was it really X fighting? “What even happened back there? It felt like you were a different person.”
A small laugh escaped his lips. It felt awkward. Unusual. “I don’t know,” his mouth felt dry. Alerts buzzed in his mind which he ignored. “I just did what I thought Zero would do.” Alia didn’t press further as she slumped back into the chair, exhausted.
X pressed his cheek to the window, eyes staring into the distance as the world passed by. The oil marked the glass. But X didn’t care. He simply watched the world pass on by. Sitting there, letting it all happen to him.
Zero… did you… protect me?
“Idiot!” Driftwood yelled.
“That ain’t nice,” Asard replied with an annoyed huff.
“Alright then, how about dumbass!?” Driftwood yelled back with a groan.
“I didn’t say either of you could speak.” Stephen frowned with her arms crossed over her chest. X stood by her side as she put them through rigorous drills. The two of them watched silently as they ran through an obstacle course meant for SA-Rank Hunters. They struggled. Miserably, in fact. Though, X wondered how long the two had been running the same course. Stephen stared hard at them, ensuring that they didn’t slack off. “I can’t stand the two of them sometimes,” she rubbed the bridge of her nose.
“What did they do this time?” X watched as Driftwood fell hard onto the floor. He winced.
Stephen laughed, though barely. “Beat up a damn rookie.” X frowned at her response. “Driftwood instigated it and Asard pulled the punches.” They watched for another moment as Asard tripped and fell to the floor. Stephen’s look was hard, and X’s was sympathetic. “Don’t tell me you’re here because something else happened because of these jackasses.”
X shook his head. “No, I came to notify you that Signas has a mission for you.” Stephen raised her brow, a smirk on her face.
“Well, it must be important if it’s coming straight from you.” She rubbed her chin watching the two reploids for a moment. “Alright, that’s enough!” Stephen barked out an order, still holding her stance firm. X watched as Asard and Driftwood seemed to have deflate completely from their current position. “Clean up, we got a meeting to attend to soon.” A unified groan.
Asard slowly crawled past Stephen, “Can’t we get a break?” Driftwood dragged behind him.
“You should ask that rookie you beat up if you can have it,” Stephen snapped back. “Now get out of my sight.” The two of them watched as the reploids slinked off. As the door closed behind them, Stephen gave a large sigh and relaxed her body. Her façade swept away. “You want to trade? I’ll take 17th Squad for a day and give you 0th Squad.” She smiled sweetly at X.
X laughed at her. “I think we both know I wouldn’t last an hour with them.”
Stephen groaned. “Believe me, X. I’m on my last circuit with these lot. I’ve done a lot to get their respect, but after Zero died it’s almost as if it just released a pack of chimpanzees into a zoo. It’s not that they don’t listen to me, but they’ve lost the respect for the Maverick Hunters.” She gritted her teeth, “It pisses me off a lot, you know? If they don’t have any respect for the name they carry they should just leave.”
X could see her conviction. She was proud of what she stood for but she seemed troubled between her loyalty to her team and the loyalty to her job. “Have you told Signas?”
Stephen shook her head, “He’s too busy with more important things at the moment. Area Zero and all.” She pointed at X’s injury. “I heard what happened out there.” X shifted, trying to hide the injury. “Still haven’t gotten that fixed yet, eh?”
X shook his head, “The medical ward is busy enough. I can repair it myself.” He rubbed his damaged armor. At least it was mostly superficial.
“Make sure you run a diagnostics test,” Stephen motioned X to follow her. “A lot of what 0th Squad is doing now is trips to Area Zero. We’ve been having to pick up a lot of odd Hunters to help us out with the clean ups and special Mavericks that have been appearing. Some of the more careless ones have been getting… infected.” Her voice became a hushed whisper. “Nothing incurable, but concerning.”
X raised his brow. “A new virus?” he gasped. But Stephen shrugged.
“I can’t tell you specifically. I don’t really know. But the readings come up strange on my radar and I think it has to do with those ‘zombies’.” X stared at her for a moment, “Those Mavericks you ran into.”
“They’re all resurrected reploids?” X gasped in shock. He knew that they were strange in the way they moved, but he wasn’t prepared to face the fact that they were resurrected reploids.
Stephen nodded her head. “Yeah, and it looks like 0th Squad is the only one capable of handling it for the meantime. They’ve been giving us some trial firewall which seems to be promising.” She sighed in frustration. “Between you and me, X, I don’t think it’s because of our prowess.”
“What do you mean?”
“Sometimes I think we’re being punished,” Stephen brushed her hair back. “Signas has been working with the United Nations concerning the issue of Area Zero. We don’t have the manpower to deal with Area Zero and all the other Mavericks around the world, so we’ve been having to call in help with humans. I don’t mind that we have some human help on our side, they have a certain advantage that we machines don’t.” X nodded his head in understanding. “But what pisses me off about the whole thing is that we keep getting the worst missions.”
“Like…?”
“I should be dead.” Stephen looked at X seriously. “In fact, I don’t know how my whole squad is alive right now.” X swallowed hard, looking at her with pity. “I know it’s what we signed up for. We’re the guys you call in when you’re unavailable.” Stephen smiled at her attempt at a joke.
“I could volunteer my squad—”
Stephen held up her hand to stop him. “No offense, X. I don’t think you can handle it. Driftwood gave me a copy of the bodycam from one of the human scientists. You’re lucky you’re alive. In fact, I’m shocked all of you made it out with that stupid stunt you pulled. Besides, your squad would barely last a minute.”
X frowned. “I’m stronger than I look.” Stephen rolled her eyes, but X stood his ground. “I know what everyone has been saying about me since Zero died a year ago. I understand it’s been reflected in the quality of my work just based on the way people have been looking at me. But just because I’m still suffering from his loss doesn’t mean I haven’t forgotten how to fight.”
There was a silence before Stephen huffed a laugh, shaking her head. “Zero was right about you.” She pressed a finger to her ear, “Alexander, send out the patrol plan.” There was a silence before she lifted her finger, looking back at X. “Feel free to volunteer yourself out there. I won’t stop you. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She waved her hand as she turned down the hall, leaving X alone. “I’ll talk to you later, X.”
She disappeared before X was able to say goodbye. Not that he particularly wanted to after the insult. He watched her for a moment longer before he began to stamp off towards the medical bay.
The weight of loneliness only grew bigger.
Gate stormed into the lab, flustered and enraged. Of all the people he could have seen in Area Zero, it had to be her. Memories rushed back into his mind. The feeling of betrayal. The loss of his greatest creations. The humiliation from being kicked out of his job and practically blacklisted from every laboratory. Emotions flooded into him. Causing him to seethe with rage as he held his head over the computer keyboard.
It was a human ailment that caused him so much grief. The human emotion of anguish at seeing her face. Seeing how happy she looked. How carefree her life was now that she was able to wash her sins in the basin of the Maverick Hunters. While Gate was here, needing to scrub the blood deeper into his skin.
“Stupid woman,” he hissed. “Thinking ‘sorry’ will change the past.” A laughter flowed through his lips as his gaze crept to Zero’s lifeless body. An angel in the night. Beautiful and incomplete. “But maybe I should be thanking her. Without her, then none of this might be possible.”
Whenever Gate would approach Zero there was always a clarity that would enter his mind. Though the rage burned deep within his soul the flames that would incite anguish died against Zero’s frame. A touch of his face. The fingers wrapped between wires. Pipes dancing across his eyes. The naked machine an open carcass like wings. Hair draped over his frame. An angel that only Gate’s eyes was allowed to see in full glory. Dripping the thoughts of the truth slowly into his mind.
“You’re the only person that understands me, Zero.” Gate whispered. He brushed a stray hair from Zero’s beautiful face. “You understand what it’s like to be used. To be betrayed.” He let his fingers run through Zero’s hair. Trailing down his body. Deep into his stomach. Deep into his heart. His soul. Every inch of Zero felt beautiful between his hands. “I’ll be sure to take good care of you.”
Gate felt consumed by Zero for a moment. Every inch of him feeling overcome with a spirit. Vengeful. Agonizing. Filled with hate, and yet yearning. A madness that bit deep into his code. A change that seemed to have been irreversible. All it screamed for was power. Gate gasped, bringing his hands back from Zero’s open body. Breathing hard and fast, watching the unmoving machine.
Gate took a step back, adjusting his lab coat. “I have to be more careful…” He heard the door behind him open. Carefully Gate arranged himself as if nothing had happened, busying himself on the replica that sat in the far side of the room away from Zero.
“… we need you to pick up a part from the Atlantic Sea with our partner stationed there—Ah! Gate.” Isoc walked in seeing Gate typing away at his computer. It was hard for Gate to maintain his composure as he waved his hand in a half-greeting. Carefully, he turned behind him, seeing Isoc with Scaravich.
“Isoc… Scaravich.” Gate nodded his head. He noted how well Scaravich had been doing since Gate had resurrected him. Although he was merely a pawn in his game of chess, the other had value in all his intricate connections. “Isoc, make sure you request Scaravich to precure us some additional materials from Lanzhou. The contact details should be in the shared server.” Gate turned back to his computer.
Isoc nodded his head. “I will speak with you later, Scaravich.” He heard the door close shut and footsteps approach him. A chip was placed next to Gate’s keyboard. “You seem off today.”
Damn that Isoc. “No, just some personal matters I needed to attend to.” Gate carefully picked up the data chip. Eyes carefully looking over its condition. “I have finished the schematics for one of the new series reploids.” He gestured to his computer still looking over the data chip. “I’m only waiting for Zero’s data to be completed before I begin working on its DNA data.”
“How has Zero been taking the power supply?” Isoc looked towards Zero who sat peacefully asleep. “Has there been any changes?”
“Some,” Gate stood up walking towards the replica and began to affix some wires in place. Slowly he inserted the data chip. “Occasionally I see his face react with facial expressions. His brain wavelengths show spikes of activity but at a baseline normalize at a low frequency.” Gate watched Isoc walk towards Zero’s body. Rounding the table curiously staring down at the almost complete machine. His legs had been fixed allowing full mobility, should he wake from his slumber. The only thing that was left to do was connect Zero’s upper and lower body together. “Ah~ I wouldn’t stand so close to him, Isoc. He—” The deceased flung his arm across the table. Grabbing Isoc’s neck.
“What!?” Isoc yelled in pain. He watched Isoc struggle as Zero stared deep into Isoc’s face. Emotionless. Transparent. But slowly Zero’s body went limp and began to half dangle from the table. Slowly slipping towards the floor.
Gate merely laughed as he approached Zero to place him back on his coffin.
“I thought you said he’s dead!” Isoc exclaimed retreating behind Gate.
“I am positive.” Gate arranged Zero’s body back to a peaceful position on his back. He took a white sheet and covered him once more. “Zero’s creator made sure to install fail safes in case his internal system deemed itself in a hostile environment. When I noticed this, I made sure to insert a small program that would ensure that we would not be targeted by him.” Gate smoothed out the sheet. “Perhaps I forgot to include you.”
Isoc could see the small smirk on Gate’s face. He ignored it. “His creator must have had a handful working on him.”
“I can only imagine,” Gate trailed off. “I will make sure not to make the same mistakes Zero’s creator had.” Their gaze took to the replica.
“Do you have a name for it?”
“No, not yet.” Gate shook his head. “To be truthful, I am not the best at choosing names for my creations. I thought of just naming it after the virus we are creating.” Gate looked towards Isoc.
A smile slipped over Isoc’s face. “How about… Nightmare?”
“That’s a rather cliché name, don’t you think?” A laughter edged over his voice.
“Perhaps. But it is fitting for what the original Zero must be enduring right now.”
Gate stared at Isoc carefully. “You’re not having second thoughts about all this, are you?”
“No.” Isoc shook his head. “I admit I am content showing off to the board of scientists what we have accomplished. But its far too late to turn back now. I only have pity for Zero. He deserves some respect to have a replica named after his struggle.” Isoc closed his eyes shut for a moment. Was he paying his respect to Zero just now? It was strange to Gate, watching him have a moment of ethical clarity. None of them had any right to speak of Zero’s struggle. “Perhaps when we have created a perfect world, Zero can rest.”
Gate only laughed. “Only the dead have seen the end of war.”
“That can only be said for humans.”