When the cat met...

Chapter 01

...Zero term...

One of the dark alleys in the Mega City was so quiet and there wasn't anything interested a tall red figure. He just stood and leaned on a dirty wall of the old building. The blinking light of the road dimmed the shadow of the cool night, so a tall lean man with long blond hair could see all around. Why wasn't his blood the same? Why couldn't shadow wipe it off? Who'd care as he's created for kill. He didn't ever have any feeling to feel in the fight. He just slashed his saber till everything was destroyed. And he'd still be like that even in the peace.

He breathed the smoke of cigarette out lazily. His green eyes only started at the black space like it'd jump to alive and attack him. He groaned with a vision of blond haired navigator that flashed in his head. Why? Why did she bother him to do a fault mission with his partner in the midnight. If it really had had a Maverick as she said, he would have not minded, at all. So, she couldn't blame him if he wanted to kill someone for that.

"Why me..." The red Maverick Hunter mumbled quietly under his breath.

At least, she didn't send Axl with him. If the boy had come, he would have listened to his annoying complain no end. His partner also complained but he never did as much as him.

He smiled with that thought. He didn't hate Axl but he just preferred silence. The young one looked up at him like his bigger brother and he's like a younger brother to him. Everytimes he stayed with Axl, it's like he'd stayed with X. His close friend was only a new kid in Irregular Hunter unit and kept calling him Zero-sampai. Who would think this young B level Hunter with the least experience and the most sensitive heart would be a hero who had saved this world from Sigma several times.

He's scared everytime he waked up and didn't see the blue Hunter. It's hard to wait for him without knowing that he'd come back or not. But, he still had to stand up, looked straight and grasped his favorite saber for his duty.

Meow...

Meow?

Zero stopped thinking and turned to look for the owner of the sound but he found none, so he shrugged. He's going to turn and walk away but something hit him hard on the back of his head. He fell on his stomach on the hard ground. His hand rubbed the pain away. He suddenly stopped when his hand touched something on his back. It felt quite alien.

"A cat!!?"

Why here? Why now? He's frustrated with the annoying sight of orange red pet. It looked at him with its green eyes like saying Yes, cat. What do you think I'm? What? A flying dog? and turned away.

What kind of manner this stupid cat has...!! Wait, it's a cat reploid. Strange……

Zero suddenly hold the cat in his arm protectively and blocked a shoving purple armored arm with his Z-saber. He didn't have time to wait for a second strike and pushed himself up before he jumped back to stand far away.

"Give us back the cat." A low beast voice spook to him but the owner of the voice still hid in the shadow.

"Wha......this stray cat? OW!! Don't do that!!" Zero suddenly yelped with deadly claw japped in his forearm deeply. He glared quietly and angrily at the cat. It just ignored him and acted like it's a pure innocent creature. If he could only just shove this stupid pet to that mystery reploid and walked away…...

"OK, buddy. You can take this stupid cat but I think you have to fine a way to take this deadly claw off of me first." He ever was surprised with his own words.

He's insane as he wanted that absent enemy attacked him. But, he couldn't help to wan to kill someone, right now. And his weapon asked for fresh oil blood. He smirked as the mystery reploid granted his silent hope and jumped at him. He yanked the cat off and shoved it over his left shoulder.

Even the red Hunter wasn't quite sure he wanted to help this pet or not. It's stupid for fighting for a mere cat but it's good. He finally had something for releasing his boredom and frustration.

"Better clutch tightly or you'll fall." The red Hunter quietly said with smirk.

The cat nodded and dug its nails deeply in his shoulder for sticking on his shoulder while he moved.

"I don't know about you but I'm ready to kill, now! So, come, Maverick. Come to let me taste your precious death!!"

Zero ignored the pain on his shoulder and dashed with his favorite saber in his grasp, preparing to strike.

Without shape to see, it's left only the sound of the Maverick's movement. Saber clashed against saber several times and Zero's surprised a bit that the Maverick's as fast as him.

"Excellent!! At lease, you have some guts to face me, Maverick. But, I'm quite bored as you only can block my attack."

Without waiting, the great red Hunter dashed with his full speed and popped up in front of the Maverick's face and slashed the middle of the Maverick's chest.

"Told you so."

Zero said and walked to kneel down besides the Maverick and analyzed his enemy carefully. He smirked with the design of Maverick. It's looked like a beast. All of its armor was black with silver lines adoring its legs and arms. There're only two things stood out, a round blue orb on its helmet and a red cross on its creature face.

This guy makes me think of Red Alert…The red cross…. Or this is really Red Alert's…No, it can't be. I and X already destroyed it in the last Sigma's war. It'd be someone else. Or………Wa! Maybe, it's just a tray Maveric. I think too much……Good, now, Zero, make yourself be frustrated for a damn stupid Maverick…..

Zero thought to himself.

"You know this guy, right?"

The Hunter asked as if the cat could talk and give him an answer. And its reaction wasn't surprised him. The pet just ignored him or pretended to be deft. He's puzzled when it suddenly turned to face him. Yet, he still got nothing from the cat. He signed and looked away as he didn't have time to play a staring game all night.

"May I ask you something? Just stop digging your deadly nails deep in my poor shoulder!" He hissed when he felt pain, again.

It seemed to notice where its claw was and moved them off carefully. It mewed apologetically. Zero sighed, yet he still got the same claw in the same place, again.

"OK!! OK!! Sorry to pity you, dammit. But I accept your apologize, OK!?"

The little cat mewed and looked like saying Sure, Smart head. I don't want your mercy. Its claw released metal fresh, again. Zero sighed and kept his Z-saber back in its place before he placed his right hand on the right side of his helmet. Wait, where was it?

His emerald widened. He immediately raced after the cat that had his possession in its mouth. It's strange that he still couldn't catch it while he ran in top speed. And he lost his thief completely, now.

"Why me...." Zero groaned irritatingly.

The red Hunter looked around but he still didn't see his target, though he knew it wasn't far. He's a bit surprised with the little cat's skill. Up until now, it had had no one lost him without a track like this. This little cat had his high speed and thief skill.

"C'mon!! Give me back my helmet, you stupid kit!!"

Surprisingly, the called cat came out from nowhere and stood in the safe distant place from him. Zero sighed and stood in one of his favorite posts. He placed his left hand on his hip and his right hand rubbed the back of his head while he's tapping his foot impatiently on the ground. His voice's so quiet and tired.

"All right, if I come closer, you'll run away, right?" Zero asked and the cat shocked its head.

"Then, give me back my helmet?" It shocked its head again. Zero sighed but came closer and kneeled down in front of it.

"Why not? What'd happen if I get my helmet back? It has all memory of my ability in that deep blue triangle crystal, see? So, I'd be in trouble if I miss it. What's your problem, anyway?"

The cat nodded. If this cat wasn't a reploid, he would have kicked himself for talking with it like it's a human.

"All right, little one, I won't tell a soul about this damn Maverick if you want. I still don't feel like to talking to Alia or writing a report to Signus, anyway."

What a strange little reploid. I wonder if it's OK to tell X……?

Zero secretly thought. The red hunter got his helmet back in one hand and picked the little cat up in the other. He wore his helmet had put helmet on and warped back to The Hunter Head Quarter

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At HHQ.

Zero quietly walked along the metal corridor of the HHQ with a little red cat clutching firmly on his shoulder. It's very late, right now, and he wanted to sleep like no tomorrow. The pet seemed to have a same thought and wasn't afraid to do that. It crossed its paws on the blond's right shoulder, put its head on them, stretched and laid its legs on the other shoulder.

"I'm not your fluffy pillow, ya know?"

The red hunter snapped. But, if you could see a cat could smirk, you would see it already. He's really proud of himself as he's didn't scream for the same claws in his shoulder, again. This cat really got his nerve.

"Zero!!!"

They nearly jumped with a loud voice. The sound of running let them know it's a group of Hunter.

"Where're you Zero? I tried to find you all HHQ."

"Why?"

The swordsman looked curiously. But, if you're quick enough, you'd catch annoyance in his emerald eyes. It's not the first time he disappeared like this, so why they had to be alert, now.

"Why? God, Zero. You're back with me a minute ago and, then you suddenly disappeared without a track. I and Alia tried to connect you but you didn't answer. What's wrong?" X looked at his friend like saying If you didn't disappear with that mood, I wouldn't be worry.

....I already tried, ya knew?

Zero thought timidly and secretly glared at the cat on his shoulder. It just ignored his glare completely as the same. He couldn't help to sigh with its careless manner.

"No. Nothing's wrong, X. I just wanted some fresh air, so I went outside for taking a walk. Don't worry and please, excuse me. It's really late now and I'm exhausted from my little exercise out there. Oh! And, thanks for worry about me. See ya."

The great red Hunter said just that and turned around to walk away without a second look. The others could only look after his back. Those long sentences were unusual for the normal cold silent Hunter.

X sighed and decided to ask his best friend tomorrow. He turned to thank the other hunters. They nodded and walked away. When they're out of his sight, he walked back to his own chamber.

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Next day

X stopped silently in front of his best friend's room. He knew the blond was still sleeping. The great Hunter surprisingly wasn't a guy for the morning. He always was the one who came and waked him up every morning.

He knocked the metal door a few times and he didn't ever wait for an answer. He pressed the code on the metal electronic door that willingly let him in.

No matter how many times he came, he still was surprised. He didn't know why he thought Zero's room would be dirty. Bed, sheet, walls, curtain, metal floor and everything in the room were white and neat in its place. They looked perfectly like there wasn't anybody lived in this room.

The blue Hunter wasn't surprised with his friend's vacant bed. Sometime his lazy friend would wake up too early and disappeared to who knew where. And he'd stayed like that till a mission lured him out.

He never changes, doesn't he?

Though, Zero loved to stay and spent the time with him, he still was a lone wolf. Sometimes, he still felt some distant between them though they're together. Maybe, it's because the legendary red Hunter didn't have anything like him. He's cold, bloody and cruel like a walking weapon. But it didn't mean he wasn't a good guy. He could be friendly, polite, fun and kind like a big brother if he wanted. He would never betray anyone, though he would do everything for reaching his goal.

X could only always believe in his friend. He believed in what his friend was. Zero'd still be his best friend and partner, forever.

X smiled with his thought and walked out to find his best friend. Though, he didn't know where his friend was, he's quite sure to find him in one of his favorite places. He just hoped Alia didn't call him and Zero for any mission, yet. They just had gone out for a failure mission yesterday, after all.

…End Zero term…