"You're gonna get yourself killed!"
It's strange how things go. One moment you're trying to do something and the next thing you know, you're doing something completely different.
How many times did it happen to me?
I always wanted to have a normal, quiet, little life in some ordinary place. But here I am, playing hero and saving the world from some sort of cartoon-ish super villain who wants to take over the World. I don't even like science-fiction. And I HATE fighting. I know I'm good at it, but it's not like I want to. From the way I see it, it's some kind of self-preservation reflex I got. It's programmed inside me, like being careful with sharp objects or staying away from high-voltage. But of course, no one believes me. I don't care.
Other things I like: pop corn, movies, Friday nights, Orion (the constellation. I think it's neat), blue, of course. I saw 14 different sea colors, loved them all. The full Moon is great, but I don't see why people like dawn so much… I saw it too often I guess (a disadvantage from getting up at 4 A.M. every morning).
I like my friends a lot too… Alia, doctor Cain, Lifesaver, Douglas, others… and Zero. My best friend Zero. He's kinda hard to figure out, but that's because there's a lot HE hasn't figured out. Zero can be very confusing, like he has a mode for every situation. In Hunter mode, he's arrogant, aggressive, quick-thinkin' and ass-kickin' , shall I say. Back home, Zero gets moody… turns into a childish brat. Capricious, but also worried, agitated, some times confused. It's like he's bursting out everything he can't express at other moments. In the worst times, you can see he's trying to live some of the childhood stuff he never got to have. There are other modes , or moods if you like: around girls he's either the perfect gentlemen or a real "gigolo"… Show Off!!! And there's the party mode… the one when the All Mighty Zero turns into the King of debauchery… before being dragged back home by your humble servant, drunked stupid or too exhausted to walk… but mostly drunk. He's quite a number.
Thinking of Zero reminds me of thing I never got: my own car, an apartment, I never went to an amusement park. I never took a two-week vacation. I never took any pictures or made any prank calls. I never got drunk, Lord knows Zero tried to make me. I never did anything dangerous just for the thrill of it. Among that category, I never had a girlfriend: 1- I'm too shy 2- I'm way too afraid of hurting her by getting her involved or by getting killed. When I think about that, I always remember the look on Zero's face when he told me Iris died.
I wanted to do stuff, to feel things. See a world at peace.
I remember last night. We got an emergency right in the center of the city. The ruins were quite impressive. The hunters fought between the piles of junk. Another great battle, another point for the good guys. Of course, Sigma had sent one of those giant… weird looking… strangely equipped henchmen of his. He/She/It was heading fast towards the sewers and I followed. I remember hearing Zero through my comlink: "What are you doing X? Don't go down there alone! You're gonna get yourself killed!"
I knew I had to follow, I could sense he needed to be stopped at all cost. So I went, leaving Zero and his group to finish the job on the surface.
Did I got killed? No. I destroyed the overgrown android but escaped with my bare life. The guy had some sort of neurotoxic gas he wanted to spread. Very bad stuff.
Yep, I survived. But I've had a very bad feeling ever since.
To shake the feeling off, Zero dragged me back downtown the very next morning. All I wanted was vanilla ice cream with one of those chocolate shells on top. I encountered the worse creations ever made by man or machine… it's not like anything else, except maybe a giant asteroid, was any threat to me.
It's strange how things go. One moment you're trying to do something and the next thing you know, you're doing something completely different.
I never saw it.
I was going to get some ice cream and now I was going to die.
Stupid truck.
Oh, Zero, please calm down… you're hysterical. I wished I could say something, but nothing seems to work besides my optic sense. Stop that… there's nothing you can do.
God, I'm tired.
Please, don't cry like that.
Will you blame yourself for this? Blame me for not wearing my armor? Blame the driver?
What are you saying now? You're gonna repair me? Zero… I don't have a control chip like the rest of you, you know that. Once I shut down, it's over, you know that.
I wish I'd believe in something.
…
…
…
zero?
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(screen shuts down)
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I'm in a mood for writing again!.. Okay, so it's not a happy-writings-kinda-mood, so sue me!
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