The Fates had a sick sense of humour. A blast ripped through the corridor outside. The guards reacted immediately, getting DG to a far corner. Zero didn't move. It's not like he had a weapon. "What's going on?" one of the guards asked.

Zero got up and stepped warily towards the door. He peered out. "My guards are dead. There's a man down. He's not moving."

"General Zero."

"Hi. Leeds. What's up?"

"We're here to rescue you, though killing She Who Killed The Sorceress would be an added bonus." He gave Zero a gun and stepped forward.

"Ah, shit." Leeds jerked before dropping dead to the ground. "I really liked that guy. HEY! You guards? You got GUNS by any chance? Maybe start USING them!"

They eyed him suspiciously. DG pushed them out. "People are hurt!" she told them. She stormed out first. They followed right behind. Zero wavered when they vanished through the door.

"Not my fight," he whispered to himself. He sat back down. More firing was heard, along with the occasional groan. Battle.

"Sir."

Zero swallowed his sigh and looked up. "Yang. How are you?"

Yang sneered. "I knew it." Zero frowned. "You're working for them, aren't you? Giving them info about our locations, our strategies! You came up with them after all." He cocked his gun. Zero fingered his own gun. "Thanks for the memories, Zero."

BANG! Yang fell to the floor. "Where's the princess?" Cain asked.

Zero shrugged. "Left."

"So I just saved your life?"

"Sorry. If it makes you feel better, I saved the princess'." He kicked Leeds. "You really got tell those guards that it's all well and good being a crack shot, but you're still dead if you don't draw." He looked at his own gun. "And I had a gun anyway."

"Why didn't you?"

Zero shrugged. "Uh… don't you have a palace invasion to worry about?"

"You just… going to stay here?"

Zero shrugged. "Good here, innit?"

"Come on," Wyatt decided. "I'm not leaving you here. If nothing else, you're a target. Let's go."

"I could just shoot you."

"That's not going to happen," Jeb warned, appearing by the door. Zero stared at him for a moment, before nodding and walking out. "Uh… do you think they're after the Sorceress?"

Zero shrugged. "A few might. But Leeds knew The Sorceress was dead. So I figure it's just going to be a few of the optimists."

"So what are they doing?" Wyatt asked. "Getting you out?"

"With two guys? Nah." Zero was quiet for a while, obviously mulling over the possibilities. He dived for cover when they met further resistance. Fortunately, Wyatt and Jeb meant he didn't have to fire. He looked over at Cain, fingering his weapon. It'd be easy to shoot him now. So easy.

Wyatt grabbed him, snapping him out of it. "Let's go."

"Ok."

"You were telling us why you're old friends decided to pop in," Wyatt prompted.

"Actually, I was telling you why they weren't here." Zero grew thoughtful. "Not here for DG."

"You sure?" Wyatt asked.

"It was an added bonus," Zero whispered. "The Queen's half-dead anyway."

"She is not!" Wyatt retorted, making Zero smirk.

"There's gotta be a reason…"

"Sir!" a man ran for Cain's side. He gave the token glare to Zero before reporting. "We've managed to drive them off… with the princess' help."

"Good man," Zero replied. "Don't worry about protecting her, she can do your job for you."

"Shut up, Zero!" Wyatt smacked him across the head. "Do you know what they were after?"

"Prisoner abuse," Zero murmured, rubbing the back of her head.

"Nobody cares…" Jeb breezed.

"Looks like they were after the treasury, sir."

"The treasury?" Zero repeated in disbelief. "We already got money… places." He glanced up between the enemies as if to check they heard. Of course they did. He returned to his train of thought and scratched his head. "What the hells are they up to?"

"Damned good question. We've got a lot of those."

"You've also got clean up. I'll go find some guards." He walked off.

"Rogers," Wyatt tapped him. "Go after him, make sure he doesn't wander."

"Sir."

~*~

Zero lay across his bed. Days passed and he was told nothing. They didn't even ask him questions. Hell, he couldn't even get stuff out of DG, who never shut up about his redemption and shit.

Azkadellia was similarly useless, just staring at him with big brown eyes when he talked to her and busying herself with whatever work he gave her. Very careful and meticulous.

Jeb just smirked at him whenever he was there. His job took him away from the palace: Longcoat tracking. Besides he already graduated, pretty much.

"Nothing!" his guard called. It's a play on words!

"What!"

"You got a visitor."

"Hi, Zero!"

"Oh, Gods!" Zero didn't bother to hide his distain, which delighted his guard. "What do you want, Suzie?"

"I came… to see you," she purred, falling onto his bed drunk. Zero rolled her off it. "Oof!"

"I'm busy."

"You're such a bastard, Zero!"

"Hence the armed guards outside the door, Suzie."

"Look, I just thought, you might be 'lonely'. Nobody likes you here," she reached for his crotch.

Zero pushed himself away. "Leave me alone."

"I know I hurt you, baby…"

Zero pushed her away from him before pulling himself off her, wiping his hands off his trousers. "I don't want you to touch me. You're disgusting. Drunk, pathetic and disgusting."

"Why?"

"Demilo? For wheel's sake, Suzie! I mean, I mean, was it the grease that turned you on, huh?"

"Oh. You know about that."

"Wheeling Cain was delighted to tell me."

"I needed to get out… things were frightening back then."

"Get lost, Suzie."

"Look, Zero, honey. That was a different place, a different time. I love you. I love you, baby, like nobody else can! Even your son doesn't care about you!"

"What the wheel do you know about Jeb? You talk to him, huh?"

"No?" She hated him when he was like this. It scared her. She reminded herself that guards would help her.

"Then what DO you know!"

"Hey, Nothing! Keep it down in there!"

Zero glared at the door. "Jeb is off limits. He's off limits." He looked out the window. That was Zero. One minute raging, the next, quiet and contemplative. "Ah, shit, don't cry, Suzie, for wheel's sake!"

"I was just remembering… how much we cared for each other."

"Selective memory's a beautiful thing."

"You had a way of making everything seem like an adventure."

"Then you started drinking."

"You were so filled with hatred. For Wyatt, for your father."

"Oh, you're really pushing my buttons. All the wrong ones. For Gods' sakes, Suzie, go seduce a noble or something. They're all spineless scum anyway."

"Zero…" She was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Nothing! Another guest!"

The door opened and Jeb stepped in. He looked over at the weeping Suzie and took a deep breath. "Ma'am? Are you all right?"

"She hasn't been all right for years," Zero shrugged.

"What did you do?" Jeb growled, bending to help Suzie up. Zero snorted. Suzie took full advantage.

"Hey!" Zero stood up. "What did I say? Huh? Hands off Jeb!"

She jumped back. Jeb's eyes widened. "Uh, ma'am? Could I speak to Zero privately please?"

"Ok," she ran her hand over Jeb's arm in defiance and walked out of the room.

"Nice lady…" Jeb managed.

"Idiotic drunk," Zero retorted, scornfully. "Wheeling don't regret divorcing her, that's for damned sure."

"She was my step-mom?" Jeb pulled a face as if it made the feeling him up even worse.

Zero looked at him. "Jeb. Mind I ask what you're doing here? I've a feeling it has got nothing to do with stepmothers."

An emotion flitted across Jeb's face, too fast for Zero to identify. Jeb stuffed his hands into his pockets and wandered over to Zero's small window. "That's some view. Considering."

Zero stepped behind him, looking out at what Jeb was seeing. "The lights of Central City shine in. Keeps me up sometimes." They were quiet for a few moments. "Jeb?" Zero whispered, worried. Jeb gasped. Zero's hand went to his shoulder. "Come on, man. Tell me."

Jeb turned round, tears in his eyes. "He's dead," he whispered. Who? Who else, dumbass. Wyatt Cain. Next thing Zero knew, Jeb was in his arms, crying. Zero held the boy close. "You're my only family," he remarked, ironic and sad.

Zero never realised that when he heard of Wyatt Cain's death he would be so devastated. A damn hole opened up within him. He felt himself wanting to tear up too. Bastard.

"Jeb," he whispered. Jeb nodded. "Did… did you see the body?"

"Saw it happen," he whispered back.

Zero pulled away and looked into Jeb's reddened eyes. "Jeb, this is important. You're absolutely sure you saw his death. You check his pulse and everything?"

"You think it's happened again? That he just looks dead?"

"Listen, all I know, from experience of tryin' to kill your dad, is that he's literally too stubborn to die. He spent eight years in that suit! And he not only comes out but has a godsdamned sense of humour! How many times have you seen that happen?"

Jeb leaned against the cool wall, staring up at the roof. "Never. They usually end up…" He sighed.

"What did you see, Jeb?"

"I saw him getting up to fire. Then he gets knocked back. He's hit. But before I get to him, the damn roof collapses."

"The roof."

"We were in some kind of… catacombs. Complete with skulls. Figures the Longcoats would want to hang out there. All I can see is his hand…" Jeb shook his head. "I had to get out of there. My men…"

"It's ok, Jeb. That's the job. He was definitely crushed then. Maybe the Longcoats got him out…"

"To interrogate him."

Zero snorted. "Yeah, well, good luck to them. Catacombs are in the west, yeah?" Jeb nodded. Zero thought. "They're guarding the silver shoes."

"That's in the Vault," Jeb corrected.

Zero shrugged. "There had been looting during the takeover. The Sorceress executed those involved, sometimes herself, before scattering the most powerful objects to the four corners."

"You think they'll use them against us."

"Their feet are too big."

"Oh." Jeb blinked. "They don't know any women?"

"We would have had some evidence of it before now," Zero pointed out. "The Slippers, I mean."

Jeb nodded before giving Zero a long look. "Thanks," he said, full of feeling.

"You should, uh, go. Save him."

Jeb nodded again, before pushing himself off the wall and walking out. Zero's guard stared after him before glancing into Zero's room. "Didn't figure you for having a heart, Zero," he murmured, suspicious.

"Me neither, Mike."