"You worthless bitch..."

There was the sound of someone being slapped, and Forte winced, hissing. You idiot, why do you try to defy him? Is it just because you're able to?

"Get out of my sights! Now!"

"Yes sir." A female responded, a sarcastic tone to her voice. "You didn't specify where I'm supposed to go though. What sh-"

This time it sounded like someone's head was being slammed against a wall. Goddamnit Zero!

A figure stumbled out of the doorway, leaning against the wall for support. Breathing raggedly, she shook her head, pulling strands of bright gold hair away from her blood soaked face.

"Baka."

Startled, she glanced up. "Onni-san... You were listening?"

Glaring, Forte nodded, walking to her side. "I was listening because I knew you would be an idiot again and mouth off. Can't you learn to be quiet?" Putting one arm around Zero's shoulders, he pulled her against him, helping her stand.

"Yes. In fact, I have learned to be quiet. He just... pisses me off." Wincing as Forte made her walk, she sighed. "I can't stand him."

"None of us do. But do we blatantly ignore what he says?"

"Can you ignore what he says?"

"Good point..." Sighing, he shook his head. "But still... you know what he does to you. Zero, he's beating you! I'm surprised you can still walk anymore! If you do this much longer, he could..." Forte's voice trailed off.

"Could what? Kill me?" Zero snorted. "Whether he likes it or not, I'm his 'greatest creation.' He's not going to scrap me just because I'm mouthy."

"If you push it, he might." Forte glared at her again. "With Wily, you shouldn't be so sure of your position in life."

She made no response to that. Instead, she merely looked ahead, concentrating on walking.

Stupid girl! Why are you so stubborn? "Come on, you need to be repaired. And I'm not willing to bet on Wily doing it again."

***

"Bluuuueees!"

Rock smirked, struggling to contain his amusement. "What did you do this time? Did you get mud on the floors again?"

"I honestly have no clue!" Eyes wide, Blues glanced around the room nervously, looking for a place to hide. "But if Roll finds me, I'm going to be killed!"

"Oh really?" Unable to resist, Rock grinned broadly. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted: "Roll! He's in the living ro-oof!"

Tackling him, Blues glared at him. "You traitorous little... demon! You're going to pay for that!"

"Oh really?" Rock repeated, trying to shove Blues off of him. "What are you going to do? Make me clean your room?"

"Actually, that's not a bad idea..."

"Blues!"

Wincing, he shuddered. "This is not the way I wanted to die," he muttered.

A hand reached down and grabbed his shoulder, yanking him back and off of Rock. "Dr. Light wants to see you." A pause. "Oh, and you too Rock."

"That's all?" Getting to his feet, Blues turned around to face his sister. "You run around the house like mad screaming my name making me think I did something wrong and you're going to kill me only to find out that Dr. Light just wants to see me and Rock?" His left eye began to twitch slightly.

"... oh, and you tracked mud into the kitchen."

"ARGH!" Letting loose a yell of rage and frustration, he lunged at his sister. Yelping, Roll turned and ran from her crazed brother, letting loose a torrent of swears when she ran into the door.

Rock sighed. Brilliant. My brother and sister are just brilliant.

***

"I'm giving you one more chance..."

Zero couldn't help but flinch as Wily came near her. She could feel his breath on his face, smelling of alcohol. Oh great, he's been drinking... I'm so dead when I come back.

Her head still hurt from where he had slammed her into the wall, splitting her head open. Thankfully the wound hadn't been that big, or else she would have been in serious trouble. And that had happened almost a week ago.

Try as she might, Zero just couldn't understand why Wily beat her, and only her. Sure, once or twice he had attacked Forte in rage when he had failed, for the eleventh or twelfth time, to kill Rock. But never had he so regularly hurt one of his creations. Why?

You know why, a voice taunted her. It's because you're too perfect... you're too human... you can't stand to listen to his orders. But unlike the others, you can't just keep quiet. He made what he wanted and still failed.

"Oh shut up!" She hissed under her breath, trying to make the voice leave her alone. Unfortunately, Wily also heard.

"You tell me to shut up?!" The expression on his face was pure rage.

"No, I didn't mean for you t-"

A wrench connected with the side of her head, making her stumble back. Her hands immediately went up and, while she was clutching her face, she noticed Forte move, like he was going to attack Wily.

He didn't though. He couldn't. He couldn't. His programming wouldn't let him and, unlike Zero, he couldn't fight against it.

But that didn't mean he was going to let Wily hurt her. "Do you really want to do this to her right now?" He cried out as Wily made to hit her again. "If she's not in her best shape..."

"... You're right." He lowered his hand. "But when you get back... leave! Now!"

Neither one of them needed to be told twice. Nodding, Zero ran from the room, nearly tripping over Forte. Once she was decently far away, she hunched over, spitting up blood, then proceeded to vomit.

"... Zero?" Forte went up behind her, placing a hand on her back. "Damnit Zero... I tried, but I couldn't..."

"I know." Standing straight, she turned around and gave him a crooked smile. "But, ya know, at least you tried. And you did stop him... in a way. Hopefully he'll be too drunk to remember when we get back."

"One can pray."

But can one really, she mused as they walked along the hallways of the fortress. Gospel and Waltz were down on one of the lower levels, and it would practically be suicide to go without their SUs*. Can a bioroid, or a reploid, hope, or pray? Aren't they just programmed emotions? And do we really pray? Does god exist for us?

... damnit, my thoughts are getting too deep.

Shaking her head, she grinned slightly. "Is Waltz in your room, or mine?" she asked, wincing. The wound had already started clotting, and the movement of her jaw had ripped it open again, on both the inside and the out. Blood trickled down the side of her face as it filled her mouth. Not pleasant.

"She was with Gospel last time I checked, so mine." Seeing her face, Forte added: "Maybe you should go to your room and take care of that while I get them."

Zero nodded. "Mmm," was the only reply she made as she turned and walked in another direction. You can be a bastard sometimes but... thank you Forte.

***

Damnit, why now of all times? Swearing to himself mentally, Blues tried to concentrate on his job: Find Forte.

He, and some mysterious red robot which, after five minutes of yelling at the TV and calling up the station to say no, uh-uh, that was not him, was yet to be named, were at downtown Tokyo. Destroying buildings left and right.

The usual.

So, of course, he and Rock went off to stop them. And they had split up with Rock searching the air with Rush, and Blues being left by himself.

I pray that Rock finds you first Forte. Because I know that I would have to fight you... and I would hate myself if I hurt you.

There always had to be some sort of big complication in someone's life, right? Well, here was the one for Rock and Forte: They loved each other. What were they supposed to do? Neither one could fight their programming indefinitely, if at all. So they couldn't stop fighting. But neither one ever seemed greatly damaged after a fight...

I wonder what my great complication will be? Or will I not have one? Could my life really be that dull?

Blues' pondering was cut short, though, by a plasma blast that was a little too close to his head for comfort. Whirling around, he raised his buster, intent on firing upon the attacker...

... only to see a black and gray dog, sitting, with its head cocked to the side.

He frowned, walking towards the dog. Now, there's just no way that a dog could have done that. Except if it was a robot and made by Wily. But... this looks too realistic...

Upon closer inspection, the 'dog' appeared to be more of a wolf. A very calm and tame wolf. "... what the hell are you?"

"My SU."

Mentally kicking himself for being so stupid, Blues prepared himself for an attack. Buster ready, he jumped forward and turned in mid air, landing just behind the wolf, arm raised.

The person, the red robot, didn't move.

"Who are you?" he asked, eyes narrowing.

"I am..." it, he, hesitated. "... I am Zero."

"Zero, huh?" There was something wrong... for one thing, the armor that this 'Zero' had one was, in a word, simply amazing. The boots were more aero-dynamic, being far more skin-tight then any robot's he had seen thus far, and the metal...

He couldn't identify it.

"What the hell are you?"

"... huh."

What the hell? Huh?

And suddenly, Zero leapt forward. For once, Blues was caught off guard by an attack. He made to jump to go over the plasma burst, but there wasn't one.

Instead, Zero pulled something off of his back and pressed a button. A beam of plasma came out of it and he attacked Blues with that, swiping it across his chest. Completely off guard, it struck full force, tearing away at his armor, centimeters away from cutting into his chest.

"Why do you fight?"

The question, just like the attack, was un-expected. "Why do you think I fight?" Blues snapped back, eyes blazing. "I fight so innocent people won't be killed by people like you!"

"... huh."

That same reply! What the hell is the deal with this robot? Or... is it a bioroid?

"You shouldn't try to think so much in a battle. It distracts you. I don't want to be unfair."

Blues could only nod dumbly at that. A Wily 'bot... that wanted a fair fight? That was insane!

Maybe not though... Zero hadn't attacked him when he was vulnerable before and, judging from his obvious skill with the... the sword?, he had stopped just short of actually harming him before.

"Why do you work for Wily?"

"I was created by him." And that was the end of any conversation. Frowning, Zero charged him again. Only this time, Blues knew what to expect.

Firing a blast straight at Zero's chest, he prepared to either jump or duck the attack.

Yet, instead of dodging to the side, Zero leapt over the blast. And he didn't jump once. Already in mid air, he jumped again, and went to attack him from the air, blade sweeping down. Blues had milli-seconds to move back before he was in pieces.

Rolling to the side, Blues raised his buster to fire again. He'd just dodge it again... damnit, for once there's an enemy that's too fast! But there had to be some way to get to him... something... He grinned.

"Hey, Red Boy!" He called, standing up. "How much do you care about your doggy?"

"What do you mean?" Zero paused, sabre ready.

"Cause he's about to become scrap metal." With that, Blues fired the blast at the wolf. Judging from the distance between them, he doubted that there would be enough time for it to move far enough away to be safe from the blast.

"No!" The reaction shocked him, for some reason. I guess I didn't think he would care that much... Screaming incoherently, Zero ran and slammed into the SU, allowing himself to be wide open for the shot. Which ripped the armor on his side and shoulder wide open, throwing him back a couple feet, slammed his head into the ground, and successfully knocked him out.

... that was... unexpected... to say the least... wow...

***

Mistress! Waltz bounded forward, intent on getting to the side of Zero. Mistress, are you okay? Whimpering slightly, she nuzzled her cheek, giving her face a lick.

There was no response.

No! Waltz might have been only a robotic wolf, technically a lupoid, but her intelligence was that of a human. And when her mistress wasn't moving...

That meant that she was either badly injured or dead. And neither one was good, the latter being worse.

There were footsteps behind her, and Waltz turned her head, snarling. It was the man who had tried to hurt her, the man that had hurt Zero! Baring her teeth, she snapped at him.

"Woah! C'mon, I didn't mean to hurt him that badly! I just didn't want him to hurt me!"

Him? She cocked her head to the side, considering. He thinks that mistress is a master. How...? The growling subsided as the turned and laid down on Zero's chest. You will not hurt mistress...

"What are you, anyways?" The man knelt beside her and gently pat her head. "Zero called you an SU, but you're too smart to be one. Then again, that guy didn't seem like any normal robot."

Reploid, not a robot, you fool.

"Hmm... look, I need to see if he's alive. Well, I know he's alive, but... C'mon dog, move, will ya?"

I do not trust you! Waltz bared her teeth again, snapping at his outstretched hand. You will not touch her! I will not let you!

Unfortunately the man, being, as foible as it was, human-like, didn't understand what her snarls meant. He rolled back onto his heels, a confused look on his face. "What is your problem, anyways?"

|Let him help her|

She raised her head, intent on finding the source of the voice. It sounded familiar, and like it was coming from her own mind, but only one could...

"Blues."

Forte! Jumping to her feet, Waltz gave a howl of joy. Mistress' brother was here! Surely, he would help her.

"Take her away."

"Her? Zero's a he?"

"... yea... please... Don't let her come back."

"I don't get-"

"You don't need to." There was a pause, and the ebony warrior walked over to Waltz, crouching down and petting her. "You have to go with Zero. Don't fight Blues, Rock, or Roll... and don't fight with Rush... too much."

I don't understand! Her eyes widened and she whimpered, pitifully. What's going on?

Forte gave her a small smile. "I think I can guess what you're trying to say... I need to protect her... and I can't if she's... you know what he does."

... I know... Sighing, the wolf hung her head. I don't understand, but I will go with her. And protect her.

Nodding to himself, Forte stood up. "She's all yours Blues. Take good care of her."

"But I don't understand what's going on!"

"You weren't supposed to." And with that, he teleported out, leaving Blues alone. With Waltz. And the unconscious Zero.

"This is just great... what the hell am I supposed to do now?"

*Support Unit