The three of them made it to the base without further incident. It was tall. Very tall. Veronica escorted Ciel to the infirmary to see if any she sustained any injuries. Zero waited outside until they left.
"I know you must have some questions." Ciel said to Zero.
"What the hell kind of war did I wake up to?" Zero said, his voice having an edge to it.
"It's complicated. But since we have time, it started at the last big attack on the humans. The guards of the city were being killed brutally, it utterly destroying them, the couldn't even turn into a Cyber elf." Veronica whispered, her hand a fist over her heart as her voice cracked. "My adopted son was part of the guards."
"I'm sorry for your loss, but what's a Cyber elf?" Zero said, an need to comfort her washing over him, but he swallowed it down.
"It's a reploid's A.I.'s Ghost, in a way. But they tend to take over technology. My h- Cyber elf bonded the nanites in my body." Veronica said and adjusted her glove.
"So you're possessed?" Zero asked.
"Yes and no. I'm still in control, but if something were to happen to me, he could control my body to protect me. That being said, if anyone were to 'possess' me, there is no one I'd rather do it." Veronica said, her multicolored eyes shining brightly.
"Enough with that, we need to explain our enemy to him. Basically our reploid leader died and I had to build a replica to replace him because he was a selfless idiot." Ciel muttered. Veronica looked like she wanted to argue, but nodded in agreement.
"The replica went nuts, took over the government and assumed totalitarianistic control over everything." Veronica finished.
"And now you want to destroy the thing." Zero said, getting a grasp on the situation.
"Yes." Veronica said, her voice layered and her eyes bright green. Then she blinked her eyes were back. Zero blinked in surprise, but chose to ignore the outburst. "You're our last hope. Our last true hope." She finished, voice even. Zero looked at the two of them.
"Where shall we start?" Zero said.
"You should rest for right now. You woke up rather quickly." Ciel said.
"I'm fine." Zero stated in a monotone.
"And you've said that I'm the selfless idiot." The cyber elf in Veronica's Body chuckled.
"You are. Why don't you take Zero to his bunkers?" Ciel smirked. Veronica sighed and stood up. They went up an elevator into and stopped on the fourth floor.
"Veronica...Did we know each other before-?" Zero said as he walked into a room that Veronica pointed to him. She looked at him and blinked in surprise. She subconsciously wrapped her arms around herself.
"Yes. We knew each other before you went to sleep, but that was a long time ago. I've changed. Everything's changed." She smiled ruefully.
"...Thank you…" Zero nodded.
Mavericks were making a mad rush for the capital building. It was everything that Veronica could do to not let them in the city. All the guards were destroyed. She was all that was left. X was getting people out of the city. She was wearing her battle suit, but had knives and guns all over her suit. Her hair was in a ponytail. The Mavericks noticed that and grabbed her hair. Veronica cut off her hair with one of her knives and stabbed the maverick in the head, killing him. The other mavericks attacked more viciously now that their comrade was dead.
"Nice try Princess, Your kingdom is gonna come crashing down today." The maverick growled. He shot at her and managed to hit her arm, grazing it. She winced, but the nanites closed the wound quickly. The distraction opened her up to another attack sending her to her knees.
"You failed. You and your boyfriend failed to end the maverick virus and now you'll join Zero and your precious son in hell." One of the Mavericks said. Veronica sneered at him and opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out, instead a pitiful whimper escaped her lips as a sword was driven through her.
Veronica was laying on her bed, sleeping, when a knock was heard on her door. She awoken with a jerk and her eyes blazed green as she looked around unfocused. One she realised there was no danger, she calmed down and her eyes returned to normal. Veronica realised that someone was at the door and moved easily to open it. It was Zero.
"I need to ask you something." He said, his blue eyes slightly wide and with his red helmet off, his blonde hair was loose and his bangs were visible.
"Oh? Come on in." Veronica said, opening the door for him. He looked around her bedroom it was tiny, compared to his room next door. Her cot was packed tightly against a corner of her bed. Her walls had little decoration, and her clothes were still in a duffle bag. He saw her gloves were on her desk, noticing this, he glanced at her hands, and saw that her middle finger on her left hand was steel, just like the tracks on her face.
"You said you had a question." Veronica said in a monotone voice. It was obvious that he woke her up, but it was too late to back out of the question.
"Why can't I remember anything?" Zero asked suddenly and sharply. Veronica widened her eyes in shock from his tone.
"you just woke after a long sleep. It's actually very common that you can't remember things. It'll come in time." Veronica said softly.
"You said you knew me before, can you tell me things about my life from before. Maybe that will help me remember." Zero said, like a small child.
"...I think that our lovely Cyber elf should answer that." Veronica smirked at an unknown joke.
"... if that's the case, I can come back later." Zero muttered.
"No you woke me up, and asked me." She sighed and closed her eyes. "You'll get your answers" A male voice answered and she opened her eyes. All steel on her skin was flesh. Her eyes were both green. What was jarring for Zero was how the body language was completely different, while Veronica was guarded and aggressive, the Cyber elf was vulnerable. And exposed.
"Zero. It's been a while." The Cyber elf smiled shyly.
"...I… still can't get used to that." Zero muttered.
The cyber elf chuckled. "This is still new to Veronica and I."
"And what shall I call you?" He said trying to make things easier for him to register.
"My friends used to call me X." The elf answered with a wistful smile.
"That name's familiar." Zero said, frowning for a small minute.
"We used to work together, all three- four of us, if that's any consolation." X said.
"Really? What happened to the other one, if I may ask." Zero asked, eyes trying to read the cyber elf.
"He died." X said simply.
"I'm sorry." Zero said.
"Don't be. It's better that he didn't see this anyway." X said, sighing. X closed his eyes and Veronica opened hers. Her eyes had gone back to the multi colored state and the steel had replaced the flesh one again.
"Did that answer any questions?" Veronica said and sat on her cot, exhausted for the energy of doing that.
"Yes. It did, but you look like you got hit by truck. You should go back to sleep." Zero said and walked towards the door.
"Yup. You need anything just knock." Veronica mumbled and fell back asleep.
X had gotten the last civilian out of harm's way. He was running towards the mavericks. When he got there, he froze and he voice was caught in his throat.
Veronica was laying in a pool of her own blood.
While the mavericks were gloating, X numbly walked towards Veronica's body, but noticed a pulse emitting from her.
"Told ya, blue, I can't die." Veronica smiled weakly. Her eyes turned neon green. Steel covered her entire body. X cradled her head and pulled her on his lap. Her head was under his chin. Angry tears fell down his face. Veronica placed her hand on his arm, which had turned into a cannon, aimed at the Mavericks that were leaving them and running to the city to destroy what was left of it. X wrapped his free hand around her waist. She placed her free hand over the one on her waist. Green circuits lit up on X, all over his armor. The charge on X cannon turned green as they took aim ar the receding figures of the Mavericks and they fired.
