Retrieving the rumored "legend" from the depths of an abandoned laboratory had proven to be an almost all-consuming task. It was a race against time, or more specifically, against the rebel faction that had recently emerged; the Resistance. The Guardian of Wind had devoted most of his time, efforts, and resources and that of his fellow Guardians' to ensure the operation's success.

All of this, to ensure Neo Arcadia emerged victorious in the bid for what was likely history's most powerful weapon.

To his credit, it had paid off.

Upon receiving the news from Fefnir and not without his usual gusto, Harpuia and the rest of his unit had breathed a collective sigh of relief. Now, he had taken the next available opportunity to make his way to personally greet the newest addition to Neo Arcadia's ranks. Now that he actually had time to spare, he wasn't sure what he expected to see when he arrived; Master X had been very brief and to the point with his orders, and had neglected to actually describe the supposed Legend himself at all.
But then again, the only thing his Master had ever needed to do was say the word, and the Guardians would set it into motion.

Phantom had apparently been in the same line of thought, and had been waiting for Harpuia just outside the Guardian of Wind's command centre. Clapping the taller Reploid on the shoulder, as best he could, the shorter Guardian flashed that rarely seen half-smile.

"You seem relieved." He said, with a hint of bemusement.

Any other Reploid would've rolled his eyes, perhaps, but Harpuia simply returned the smile."I believe that is what the humans call an understatement."
If the operation had not gone as planned, the situation would have drastically changed for the worse. The Resistance had very little in its favor as it was now, but with something that was supposed to be as powerful as their Master's fabled partner, the tables would have most definitely turned had they managed to get their hands on it.

With Fefnir most likely, and no doubt impatiently, waiting for them at the medical bay, the only Guardian missing was Leviathan. Sure enough, the soft clack of her heels was not far off, and both Harpuia and Phantom slowed their pace to allow her to catch up. The female Guardian broke into a slight jog upon sighting the pair, and wasted no time in giving Harpuia a playful punch in the arm. "Good job, pretty boy!" She chuckled, grinning. The Guardian of Wind returned the favor with a nod and grin of his own, although it failed to compare to his sister's. "It was Fefnir who was actually in the field." He corrected. Leviathan made a noise of dismissal, and made a face resembling exasperation. "That's all well and good, but we all know Fefnir's no good at anything but beating things to a pulp." Harpuia refrained from commenting, but her jab at Fefnir's intelligence was a running joke between the two Guardians, with Fefnir returning the favor by calling her with nicknames like "princess," and "prissy." Phantom only snorted, opting to ignore their squabbles altogether, most of the time.

Usually she was more on the aloof and regal side of things, but the most recent headway had apparently lifted everyone's spirits, hers included. If Leviathan was this excited, Harpuia almost dreaded to see what Fefnir was like, a typically hard-to-handle personality even on the bad days.

Harpuia's instincts proved to be correct, for when the trio arrived, Fefnir quickly gave the Guardian of Wind a very animated nod accompanied by the usual grin before returning his gaze to the Reploid still in stasis. In any other situation, the Guardian probably would have made a spectacle congratulating his sibling on their success, but he'd immediately resumed his habit of excitedly bouncing on his toes in anticipation instead. He had also taken to pestering the nearby medbay workers while waiting for the rest of them to show up, if their looks of relief were anything to go by. If protocol would have allowed it, Harpuia suspected Fefnir would've already smashed his way through the glass separating Zero and himself and shaken him awake before the rest of the Guardians had left their posts. All of this considered, Fefnir was behaving himself.

Fefnir's outward actions seemed to speak for Leviathan as well, as she bounced from one foot to the other at a slower, albeit similar pace as the Guardian of Fire after bolting to the glass window alongside him. When Harpuia seemed to be taking his time giving the signal for the awakening process to begin, she huffed, visibly annoyed. "Would you hurry up already? He's been sleeping for what, a couple centuries? Waking up a few minutes ahead of schedule isn't going to kill him."

The capsule the legendary warrior had been placed in as a precautionary measure hid him entirely from view, and it was plain to see that everyone was curious, if not apprehensive about the new arrival's… physical state as it where, Leviathan especially. Personally, Harpuia was worried about what such a long period of suspended animation would do to one's memory, but that would have to wait until after the Reploid awoke. Fefnir seemed to be more concerned about whether or not the Reploid would be available for sparring matches, but both Harpuia and Phantom had quickly shut him down. It only dampened his mood momentarily however; he quickly joined Leviathan in chanting, "Go! Go! Go!" when Harpuia wasn't moving at their pace.

Slowly, mostly to annoy Leviathan and Fefnir and secondly because he was somewhat nervous himself, Harpuia gave the go-ahead to the medbay staff. Reploids and humans alike, they quickly went to work, both making sure the Reploid was stable and that the process was following proper procedure and pace. After a few minutes, and still no sign of a conscious Zero, a muffled thump caused Harpuia to turn. Leviathan had pressed her forehead against the glass, either in a display of exasperation or anger, he couldn't tell which, as she eyed the capsule impatiently.

"This is taking SO LONG." She practically wailed, and Harpuia was hard pressed to contain his laughter. Fefnir looked about is impatient as Leviathan, if not more, with Phantom being the most reserved and seemingly apathetic of the four.

A few tension-filled minutes later, with Fefnir and Leviathan taking turns impatiently broadcasting their displeasure with how long the process was taking, and finally the capsule's hatch opened. Not fast enough for the Guardians of Ice and Fire, however, as the two looked ready to burst through the medbay's doors and rip it clean off and nearly reached their goal, but they managed to control themselves momentarily after a scolding look from Harpuia.

Getting the green light from the head nurse was a different matter entirely however, as the two raced headlong to the capsule's entrance to greet the legendary Reploid, who looked just about as bewildered and confused by the sudden commotion as they looked excited. Harpuia and Phantom took their time, with Harpuia noting that Phantom seemed to perceive the recently awakened Reploid more as a potential threat than a comrade, but that would have to be addressed later.

For now, it was time to say hello.

AN: OH BOY! My first multi-chapter endeavor. I've had the idea for this particular AU for a while now, but only recently decided to write it down. I don't really consider myself a writer, or a competent one for that matter, but I appreciate every review and favorite even though I sometimes have trouble responding to them all.

I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it, and with luck more is on it's way!