chapter 1: The Maverick

'You can't do this!'

The statement rang through his ears like a piercing dagger shocking him into consciousness.

It was all a blur, his head spun in a daze as he awakened from what seems to be a long slumber. There was little sensation in his body, every inch refusing to respond to any commands given to them. And yet he felt as though he was flying...no floating through a watery abyss. Within time his eyes begin to open taking in the inadequate light that shone around him. Looking around, images that projected through those emerald orbs of his were all but clear, incapable to see anything pass what was beyond an arms length. Still, he knew that voice, gentle yet charismatic. It was the voice that he would follow anywhere if given the word. It was one he had to find.

As his vision began to readjust two familiar and assuring figures came into focus, one was the source of the voice that had awakened him taking the form of an armored reploid with a red crystal positioned on its forehead atop the helmet as it's most notable and contrasting feature in all his blue attire, standing almost right in front of him. However, he wore an alarmed and distressed face, quite unusual for someone like him who in the peak of battle remained calm and refined even when death was knocking at his door.
The awakened boy's eyes widened when bewilderment suddenly turned to panic as his gaze fell upon the second figure, whose red armor and strikingly long golden hair distinguished him from the rest. Unlike his blue friend the blonde figure had his back turned to him, standing between the boy and the blue figure, but he could clearly see..he could see the man's arm undoubtedly raised and with it his hand converted into a buster directly pointing at a blank range at his blue counterpart's chest. There was something clearly wrong with this picture right before him as his friends faced one another in an unthinkable standoff.

With great panic the boy struggled to gain control of his body taking every fiber of his systems in an attempt to stop his friends, but it was to no avail. He had no energy, rather he felt as though his strength was being taken away from him.

'I told you to stay out of this X.' The blonde figure responded to the blue one's earlier statement. His voice sounding firm, full of conviction as it always does. He kept his buster frozen at its position. 'It's not safe, we can't let him be.'

'But there has to be another way!' The blue figure exclaimed, taking a step towards him which provoked a warning click Zero's buster. A statement that proved his resolve, immediately stopping X in his tracks. 'Zero, don't do this..'

'I won't let a maverick like him start a war with those hands. There's no other way X. '

There was little defiance on X's part upon hearing these words, taking his attention away from Zero for a moment as if to recollect his thoughts. Suddenly, a saddened expression crept up blue figure's feature as he stole a glance at the boy that had just awakened. His limp body suspended in the center of a large glass casing of water held up by large tubed metal wires attached to the back of his navy blue form, a pitiful sight to see of a once rambunctious person. He noticed that the boy had broken free from his slumber and staring at them beyond the x crossed scar of his with confusion and panic painted on his dark green orbs. Their eyes met each other for a moment and the entrapped boy could see pain in X's eyes. Just as their gazed had happened and so was it broken just as fast. The blue maverick hunter took his attention back to his fellow comrade in red, sorrow overcoming his feature. X clenched his fist tightly in an attempt to subdue his frustration taking a look at his red companion prior to lowering his head and gaze at the metallic floor. It was a sign of defeat to their mysterious conversation.

'This isn't right..' he whispered under his breath.

There was silence. It was if time has frozen in that one long moment. The two figures stood still in their locked position, X looking blankly on the floor and Zero's arm steadily stationed onto his target his gaze fixed onto his comrade. Axl could only hear the slow moving water that engulfed his form, nevertheless his mind races to catch all that was happening. He couldn't understand, what exactly were they talking about? What war? What maverick? Why was he stuck here?

His thought immediately came to a crashing halt as he heard the sound of the Zero's buster took form of a hand. The tension in the room subsided almost instantly through this one act much to young reploid's relief, but the uneasiness still lingered. He watched as the red warrior slowly eased his position lowering his weaponized hand, and turned his back on his blue armored friend. It was the first time Axl had seen his comrade's face since he had awoken from this place and just like the first it showed an expression that he has never seen on him before.
It was cold...emotionless.
His red comrade was never one to show many emotions to begin with. For the most part he had straight almost intimidating look on him. But what he was seeing right now was different, it was frightening which sent shivers down Axl's numb spine.

Zero walked slowly towards the glass casing keeping his eyes fixed forward not once looking upon his trapped friend. Axl watched as he reached for a keyboard just beneath him, his confusion now replaced by the fear as Zero reached out his hand to the metal object. Though he would have wished to feel relieved for his friend to approach him, everything he had witnessed was less than reassuring of such idea. Then in the thickness of all the silence the same captivating voice cried out one last time.

'Zero..!'

It had done its purpose, causing Zero to pause for a moment, his hand levitating atop the red glowing button, its fiery red glow reflecting in the pools on his orbs as the blue Hero's word rang in his ears. However nothing changed and the red hunter he pressed it without hesitation.

'There's no turning back,' Zero said turning his face towards X once again marching pass him without another word.

Total panic set in for the young reploid when he become aware Zero's departure and in that instant Axl felt a large pressure coming from tubes, like a big punch, he hasn't noticed them till now with all that was happening. But, it was all that was needed for him to regain some form of feeling. With determination Axl took all the energy he could muster and thrust himself using the wings on his back to the glass. But even with all his strength it was not enough as he crashed onto the glass barely making more than a quiet thump. Nevertheless it was enough of an effort to stop Zero in his tracks while he headed out the door. Startled by the strange and sudden sound Zero looked back, the shock in his eyes left as quickly as it came. The small victory was left unnoticed by Axl as he knocked on the glass with all the strength he had banging and screaming. His eyes locked on Zero's cold unwavering gaze. Rage and desperation surged through him, his chest feeling as though it was close to overheating itself.

'Let me out! Zero! Get me outta here!' He didn't know whether the words came through, if he was heard, if anything came through this glass that separated them yet each plea grew more frantic than the ones before, even when their gaze was broken by Zero who has shut his eyes. He lowered his head for the first time; swiftly turning his back and pass through the door. 'What the hell is happening?! What are you doing to me!?'

Without warning another bolt of pressure came bringing Axl's desperate pleas to a shivering end. He groaned at the sudden loss gagging painfully. If he were human he would have surely have choked on fluids by now from taking in so much into his systems. His body trembled as he felt all the energy he had worked so hard to gain and all that he had before escape him. Axl's eyes began to lose its fierce determination as sudden fatigue came over him. His vision was starting to become hazed as he seems to fall in and out of consciousness. He felt powerless at situation. All his efforts had gone to waste and even at his final moments he was unable to comprehend what exactly was happening to him.

Clinging to what little he had left, the young reploid desperately searched for the blue hero fighting to keep his hands pressed on the glass. Axl found that he hasn't moved from where he stood. X had his left hand clenched tightly onto his arm while the other was balled into a shaky fist, all the while his head faced the floor. His eyes closed shut to escape reality.

His body was failing him...the water that surrounds him begin to bubble around him leaving whatever image he had left of the blue reploid disappear and reappear. His left hand lifelessly fell to his side while the other began to slip away. The world around him was spinning in an endless spiral as he broke in and out of consciousness. The pressures coming from the tube were becoming more consistent each one pulling his mind and body further away from world though it no longer mattered. He could no longer feel the pressures anyways and whatever awareness he had left was ready to slip away at any moment. In one last defying notion he forced his mouth taking everything he had to produce a final appeal in a weak and barely audible voice
'H-help me...'

Almost harmonically he saw X lift up his pain stricken face, showing little effort to hide it from him. The hurt spread across him depicted as though he was actually shot directly in the chest by Zero, a small stream of tears flowing down the side of his right eyes. It was a unique trait he has, though they can feel the same degree of emotion not many reploids possess an ability to cry. Even so, this was the first time Axl saw him cry. Though his friend was a gentle and caring person, he was also hardened by the war and such was the rarity of displaying such an extreme form of emotion. And yet he can see it the stream of tears falling down X's cheek, shone by the light, through his already failing vision.

X's sorrowful eyes met that of Axl's weary ones taking in his friend's helpless form into his field of vision. It was a pitiful sight to see, a sight that he forced himself to look at as punishment for his failed effort. Biting his lower lip X's hands tightened their grip ever more so causing a pinch of pain to pass through his body. With a heavy heart, his mouth formed inaudible shapes. They were the last images Axl saw before his world turned to an everlasting darkness.

Axl's eyes felt heavy, his lids feeling like lead had just been tide to them and collapsed in their weight. His body fell lifelessly without resistance only to be caught by tubes attached to him, positioning him back to the center of the enclosure He no longer had to will to fight whatever was happening to him rather he had already lost. The final image of blue armored friend shamefully looking at him with those guilty eyes of his was freshly painted in his fragile mind. He could see the shapes that formed on his lips. While the words themselves were not audible to him, he can still hear them. The pain, the grief and the struggle to utter those words echoed around him. As he was swallowed by the darkness the X's words the last and only words spoken to him, lulled Axl to sleep.

'Keep fighting….'

Author's Note

Hey guys! Thank you for taking your time in reading the first chapter of my very first fanfic! :)

I apologize ahead of time for my all the grammatical errors and word confusions that I may have missed. English is not my first language and not my strongest subject so please don't hesitate to leave me your critiques and reviews. I will try to adjust the story to cater for a better reading environment.I hope I haven't confused you all too much already lol

Anyways for those who are curious this story will take place several years after the of MMZ4 so please be prepared for spoilers. I will try to stay as close as possible to the MMX and MMZ cannon as possible however some events will be twisted around for the convenience of my story :)