Disclaimer: Mega Man X and all related characters are property of Capcom. All I own is a copy of Mega Man X7. Thanks to Tevoro for inadvertently providing a turn of phrase which I couldn't resist including here.
Author's Notes: This is my first try at actually writing Axl. Hopefully he turned out all right. As always, constructive criticism and other reviews are more than welcome!
-o-o-o-
"…and then, that crazy rookie, he went and asked me out on a date."
"What did you say to him?" Axl asked, eagerly listening to Zero's story.
"I told him I didn't swing that way. Poor kid, he looked just stunned. Turned out his friends had played a prank on him, daring him to ask out the 'pretty lady reploid.'"
Axl snickered.
"Don't know how the heck the kid managed to join up without recognizing who I was, but — oh, hey, X, over here!" Zero waved over to his friend, who had just entered the crowded common room.
X looked around, searching, until he saw where Zero and Axl were sitting. "Axl, you're just the reploid I was looking for," X said as he approached them. "This arrived for you in today's mail." He tossed down onto the table a small package that was wrapped in brown paper and a generous amount of packing tape.
"Omigosh, omigosh, it's here!" Axl's voice rose to an excited squeak as he unwrapped the package.
"What's that?"
"It's the new Mega Man X game!" Axl exclaimed, trying pull bits of tape off his fingers. "It's got these awesome new 3-D holo effects, and a new player switching system."
"3-D holo? Could I try that out when you're done with it?" Zero asked, eagerly eyeing the disc that Axl was trying to free from its packaging.
"Sure. But that's not the best part." Axl paused, and took a deep breath before bursting out, "I'm a playable character!"
"Oh, no," X said, while Zero simultaneously said, "Wow! Good for you."
"It's so awesome! I'm in a video game!" Axl gushed.
"You two crazies have fun with that," X said. "I've still got to track down Mela and figure out who this 'Layer' is." He frowned at the addresses on the packages he was still carrying. "I'm not sure how their things would up with the 17th's mail."
"Layer's that new Operator they hired last week," Zero said. "I think Alia said she'd be training her in today on the new elemental scanner."
"Okay, thanks."
"What's with X?" Axl asked after he had left. "He didn't sound too excited about the new game. I mean, it has his name on it."
"X hates those games," Zero told him. "He thinks it's creepy to let other people control a virtual version of himself."
"But didn't they have to get some sort of licensing agreement with him? I mean, I had to sign this contract with Gabcom that said I wouldn't sue them or throw badgers in their beds or anything for 'using my likeness' as they put it."
"Yeah. X says it's something he did when he was young and stupid. Come on, let's see if we can grab one of the big-display holo rooms and try this out."
"All right!"
