Chapter 7: New

Axl paced restlessly up and down the small private medical ward, repeatedly tracing along his previous steps, so much so that it almost seemed like he was starting to carve a very distinct path on the white tiled floor. Lost in his own train of thoughts, Axl paid no attention to his actions. And ever so often, would pause in his tracks once a thought or two entered his restless mind. Everything and anything was on his mind, there was no direction in his thoughts. It was the first time for as long as he could remember to have the liberty to do so. He felt alive, awake, and fully aware of his surroundings. A blessing it truly was to feel. For the first time his mind and body were no longer swallowed by the heavy blankets of fatigue that haunted him since the moment he had first regained consciousness. His sense tickled at every reactor they detect, lavishing the great new refresh feeling he has; though at the moment, he ignored the numbing steady songs of the vents that blew out the temperature controlled air and the machines that beeped a rhythmic tune.

And just as the pattern he had repeated countless times, he stopped absentmindedly staring into space. He couldn't get the dream out of his head. It didn't matter how much he pushed it aside and tried forget, vividly it played. The moment his mind was clear of any form of thoughts, it crept up immediately, silently burning the images and feelings it provoked with great detail. He hated these kinds of things. It was all too real, to a point that even he can still feel deep penetrating ache on his supposedly wounded shoulder.

'I'm seriously going to punch those two in the face when I see them,' he vowed to himself, itching for some irrational pay back. Though it was clear that was simply just a dream.

Those two…Axl repeated to himself, lowering his head. There was another, a darker one that at the moment he was still wishing was also part of the dream.

He was simply uneasy. And so again, he fought to bury the thought back to its rightful place to the back of his already cluttered brain, by reminding himself of the situation at hand.

Glancing up to scan the room once more, he returned to his pacing pattern. Anxiously, he was waiting for something to happen after all. It hasn't been long since he was awoken by his dream and found himself in yet another unfamiliar place. Though, it was definitely more welcoming than the first, not knowing where exactly he was or how he got here, wasn't exactly making the situation better either. To make matters worse, his two most valued weapons were missing. Lost from their owner's possession, it almost sent him into a panic when he discovered them missing. However, they were second in his list of priorities as he wanted to find the two missing humans that he had abandoned for his sleep. He doesn't dare think of what his attacker may have done such something truly unthinkable to them when he had passed out. But somehow, he wasn't truly worried about them being in harms way. Maybe he was just thinking too positively about this but the fact that he is practically unharmed and in better condition than ever before was making him think otherwise. And, what surprised him most he doesn't seem to be a captive in this strange and peculiar place.

During the early stages of his awakening, he had approached the obvious exit, which to his surprise was actually unlocked and allowed him access to the other side without issue. However, he had decided against attempting to do so as he is quite vulnerable at the time and without knowing what exactly happened it didn't seem like a logical choice to make. Though, that never truly stopped him before, remembering all the times he had been caught up in similar situations, and to be quite honest, Axl would rather make a run for it now while he was in what seems like an unsupervised space. He was after all the most spontaneous one out of the three Maverick Hunters, despite the fact X and Zero would probably do the same if they felt compelled to do so. But there was something about this place that made the young reploid bottle the urge to do so. There was an unexplainable sense of security in it, while he certainly dislikes being clueless about everything so far, the atmosphere itself was strangely welcoming.

Pacing with his back facing the unlocked opening Axl quickly jumped and looked back in surprise when he heard it mechanically slide open. A man with a faded light gray blue hair, who seemed to be much older than Axl, wearing a long green silk robe with golden linings at the center of his clothing and in his pocket openings entered the medical ward. His hands tucked inside the gaps of his sleeves.

'Oh..!' he sounded out in surprise, immediately noticing the recently awakened reploid standing before him which stopped him in his intended path just as the door slid close behind him.

'You're awake,' the man began to say as he stood in his location as a way to relieve some of the awkwardness that could develop if he approached the young reploid and the send a faithful message of not intending any harm. Axl studied the new arrival and, oddly enough, he had trouble distinguishing his status. He looked human, but if it were not of the head piece that wrapped around his head and the slim lined eye piece he was wearing Axl would have labeled him as that. It had taken him a little longer than he would have liked to know that he was a reploid but even so he was not quite confident in his assumption. He had never seen a reploid, if he was one, look so human like.

'How are you feeling?' the man asked.

'Who are you?' Axl replied back, eyeing the man. And much like the place, the blue hair man standing was inexplicably someone he was feeling that he meant no harm to him.

'Ah, yes, I'm sorry about that. You must be rather confused right now right,' the reploid said realizing his unintended mistake. 'My name is Cerveau, I am a friend of Ceil. I'm here to check up on you and see how everything is working out.'

The blonde scientist's name struck gold in Axl's interest as the man institute an answer in one of his many growing questions. 'You know Ceil?'

'Yes, she told me all about you and what had happened during their expedition.' Cerveau answered.

'How is she? And the other girl, Neige, too?' the navy blue reploid asked, somehow believing the scientist's words.

'They're doing well, Ceil has actually been watching over you since your arrival. I'm actually quite surprised she's not in here right now.' Cerveau said before pausing as he saw the genuine concern the navy blue reploid had for the two females. The reploid scientist shoulders unhinged themselves, as he lowered them slightly followed by his head as he gave the young reploid a small bow before speaking in a more relaxed manner and respectfully manner rather than a friendly one.

'Thank you,' he expressed 'If it weren't for you, I don't know what could have happened to them. You may not know but they are very important they are to us, but for you to risk your life and save them. From the bottom of my heart, I am truly grateful.'

Caught off guard by the sudden expression of gratitude, Axl stuttered and scrambled at the change of the mood. Moving his hand out in front of him in a panic as he hesitated to move closer to the bent over man with his hands stretched out in front of him without a real purpose, but somehow feeling it was necessary. He's received many expressions of thanks before due to his line of work but he never really got use to the fact of accepting them. Mainly his ego would take control as a response to hide the embarrassment but right now the unexpected and very expressive thanks scared even his normally large ego away. 'H-hey, you don't have bow. I just did what any normal person would do.'

Cerveau looked back up at the startled reploid a little astonished by unforeseen humbleness. 'Even so, what you did deserves more than just a bow.'

'A simple thanks would have been enough.' Axl said in his defense. Somehow, the conversation had eased the unknowing tension around them as the gratitude turned into a formulary ice breaker for the scientist and Maverick Hunter. 'Beating up the bad guys its what I do. No need for all that bowing.'

Cerveau let out a small chuckle, giving in. 'Is that so? Well thank you very much then.'

'See? It's a lot eaiser.' Axl commented switch a small smirk before the room fell silent as the segment of the conversation came to an end. It stayed like that for awhile, as both contemplated to see who would be first in conjuring up enough courage to start the conversation up once again. There was many questions to be asked and neither one knew where to start off.

The silence was broken when Axl let out a deep and pretentious sigh and jumped at the opportunity to get more of his questions answered. 'Say, how did I get here anyway? All I remember is passing out after some reploid attacked me.'

Delighted to remove the silence in the room Cerveau answered, oblivious at what had happened during their encounter, 'Ahh, that reploid would have been Fefnir. He was one of reinforcement units brought you here after he found you during his search for Ms. Ceil and Ms. Neige.'

'Fefnir huh?' Axl repeated in a whisper, etching the fire reploid's name into his memory. 'Where are we?'

We're currently in the main Guardian Base just near the city center of Neo Arcadia.'

'Neo….Arcadia…?' Axl muttered in his breath as the name struck in precise coherence to the dream city his blue mentor had vision to one day build.

'We're in Neo Arcadia?'

'Yes, are you familiar with it?' Cerveau inquired in astonishment, for he had assumed the sealed boy wouldn't have known about the old metropolis.

Taken into a daze, the question went passed the young reploid's hearing as he reached over to cover a part of his right eye and subtlety looked at the floor. His head was starting to throb again for a moment.

Noticing the boy's struggle Cerveau looked with pity at the young reploid was he struggled to remain composed during.

Unconsciously, he had tried to blocked the previous event that have occurred before he was awoken by the young blonde scientist. Pushing at the very depths of his mind and preventing himself to think about it otherwise. But now, the memory he had tried to push away was slowly creeping its way back up to the light.

'It seems that you were sealed away for quite sometime, it wouldn't be surprising if you—.'

Suddenly the entrance slid open once more, catching both reploids by surprise. They jolted their heads, turning towards the sound only to see the blonde haired scientist enter the room.

'Ah Ceil, there you are.' Cerveau greeted looking back at her as she approached them.

'Hey, glad to see your still alive.' Axl welcomed the female scientist, bending his upper body to the side in order to reveal himself from behind the older scientist's body with a grin on his face and giving her a small wave.

The young scientist looked at them with quite a surprise look in her eyes as she did not expect to encounter the newly arrived reploid to be awake. But smiled at both as she situated herself beside the older reploid's side.

'You're awake thank goodness.' She started off. 'How are you feeling?'

'Pretty good. Way better than last time that's for sure.' Axl answered happy to see that the girl was doing well as opposed to what situation he thought she might have been in after he had fainted at the hands of the fire reploid. In his mind it was definitely pure luck to have it be an ally of hers to be the one present the moment he lost all his power. Though he can't really say he appreciated the aggression and his handling.

'That's good to hear. You've been asleep for almost three days now. I was getting worried.' Ciel sighed in relief.

'Indeed. You weren't very responsive since we made our repairs. We got a little worried since your body is built rather differently than any of the reploids I've dealt with before so we thought there might have been some complication during the process.' Cerveau explained.

'You did a pretty good job if you ask me.' Axl comforted them, stretching out arms instinctively as a means to elevate both scientists' worries.

'Guessing you haven't dealt with New Gen reploids before huh?'

'New Gen? Is that your reploid class?' Cerveau questioned tilting his head slight at the unfamiliar name and looked at his human companion who also wore the same puzzled look.

'Yeah. You know the ones that can do the same things I do. The copy abilities.' Axl asked now looking at them with the same prelexed faced as everyone else in the room.

'Copy abilities?' Ceil repeated as her mind drew a blank for a moment, before her mouth opened in revelation, remembering the unbelievable and mysterious power the young reploid presented during his rescue. 'You mean there are others who have it'

'Pretty much, you guys don't know about it?' Axl asked suspicious by their lack of knowledge that he thought would be common.

Apologetically Ceil and Cerveau both shook their heads in disgrace. 'Sorry, this is the first time we've heard about it.' Ceil expressed instinctively in regret as they both cursed at their line of ignorance on such a technological revolution.

Neither have seen or heard about the power, and with all out honesty it what they have seen it to be, and Cerveau's case heard from Ceil, it was blankly out of fiction. For the two brilliant minds the lack of knowledge was almost heart breaking to them.

'That's pretty weird,' Axl commented scratching his head. 'I know we're new, but I didn't think we were THAT new. I know, since I'm a prototype and I've been around for quite a while now.'

'Tell me, what is your power exactly?' Cerveau asked out of curiosity as they weave slowly further and further away from their original subject. 'From what Ms. Ceil had described it was almost as if you have taken the form of a whole new person in every sense. It's quite fascinating. To think we've never heard of it is quite unthinkable. I can only image the endless amount of possibilities and by the way you're talking it sounds like there are other reploids out there that possess that ability. May I ask how exactly it works.'

'Can't. I'm not into all that technically stuff so I have no idea how it works either.' Axl answered, smiling nervously and scratching his head with embarrassment as he gave off what he knew was a very vague answer. 'I just do it.'

'Just do it?' Cerveau repeated as he contemplated on the young reploid's answer.

It's nothing really that complicated. I take any reploid's DNA and change it to be my own. That's pretty much it. I don't know any of that other than that.'

Suddenly, Cerveau's head propped up as a something crossed his mind.

'That reminds me…'

He removed his hands from his sleeves and reached into his pocket. Slowly, he pulled out one of Axl's silver pistol and reached over to him with the opening of the firearm pointed down to floor. Instintively, Axl unquestionably walked towards the scientist and reached for his shooter.

'Oh hey! He said, having forgotten that he had been missing his weapons. 'Thanks.' taking the gun out of the man's possession studying to check for any form of temperament and confirm that it was his own.

As the young reploid took the gun from his hand Cerveau reach into his pocket once more and pulled out the other while he began to talk. 'I apologize for taking them without your knowledge. I am actually an engineer and weapons specialist here for the Guardians and not too long ago when we were still a Resistance. I've developed and customized some weapons myself. Ceil told me about how your weapons were quite versatile and unique when it came to combat, so I got a bit too excited and jumped at the opportunity to study it. But don't worry I made sure not to make modifications or any kind of changes,' he said, watching as Axl meddled with his weapon.

'Heh, it doesn't really matter. As long as I got them back that's all I care about.' Axl responded. He hasn't realized how anxious up until a second ago when his two weapons were handed back over to him when he felt a huge sense of relief to have them physically in his hands. They were what he remembers them to be and unbeknownst to him it provided a sense of security for a much darker anxious his still rather uninformed mind.

'It's really a fascinating weapon. I haven't seen anything like it. The structure and design were far beyond anything I've come across.'

'Pretty cool, right? They were specially designed and won't respond to anyone else beside me.'

'Is that so…' Cerveau took note. 'Is this what enables your copy ability?'

'Yap, shoot them with a copy shot and their DNA is as good as mine.' Axl answered as he placed his weapons back into their proper place.

'Interesting,' Cerveau uttered as he cupped his hand with the tip of his fingers, while he was momentarily lost in thought.

Then turned to Ceil. 'Could he be a reploid Weil was secretly building?' Cerveau assumed as the two began to speak among themselves.

Weil? Who's that? Axl thought to himself in upon hearing the name, confused as to why they would mention such a random person when it came to the subject.

'That would definitely explain a lot of thing.' Ceil answered, piecing together the likely conclusion. Weil, no matter how insane he was, was definitely a genius. And with the way the female has found Axl sealed away while possessing a new and intriguing ability there would be little question if that was certainly the case.

'But if that was the case, I highly doubt Weil would make a reploid that would actually go out and save humans, especially you Ms. Ceil.'

'That's true.' Ceil said in agreement, sighing a bit in relief as they confidently and mutually agreed in ruling out the mad scientist's involvement.

'Wait, hold on.' Axl cut them off.

Both scientists turned their attention to the navy blue reploid, realizing they have completely left him from the conversation.

'Eh? S-sorry about that.' Ceil expressed in surprised. The way the young boy spoke was there was no secret in his abilities nor his existence. And what's more, it was as if it was common knowledge that his class mingled openly with the rest. For him to be part of the mad man's plot would certainly be bizarre. His open personality, the way he seemed almost like an open book, it was comforting to give him her trust. She looked at the young reploid once more, studying him intensely as she remembered something that she had found when she had first seen him.

'Maverick Hunters….' she said remembering the crest that was on the screen and his knowledge of the technology in the room. 'That's right, the place we found you was part of the Maverick Hunters.'

Axl grinned with pleasure as she was finally able to mention something he was familiar with and appeared to have recognized him.

'Hehe, you finally recognized me,' he said proudly, pointing at himself. 'Axl, S class and one of the best Maverick Hunter there is.'

His introduction earned him a small chuckled from the Ceil, who was intrigue by his enthusiasm before returning to a more saddened look as the boy's situation was slowly beginning to make sense in her mind.

'Then…could it be that the New Generations be before the Elf War?' Ciel blurted hesitantly as the idea came to mind.

'Elf…what?' Axl mumbled in confusion as the subject was starting to become more and more foreign to him. It was almost as if they were talking completely in a whole other language. Neither one speaking about the subject that he knew nor understand.

'That would certainly make sense.' Cerveau began to say, missing the young reploid's confusion as he undividedly spoke out his thoughts. 'I've dealt with almost all kinds older reploid models before and his structural design was far more similar the older reploids than they are today. And if we put the Elf War into account, with so many deaths, it could be that the New Generation were—.' Cerveau started to explain to his companion when he was suddenly cut off by Axl.

'Wait, wait..' Axl injected a bit frustrated. 'Slow down for a second I'm not getting any of this. Look I'm sure you're all trying to figure stuff out, but so am I.'

'Ahh, that's right. I'm sure many things are still unclear to you after woken up.' Cerveau pointed out. Both their tones have become more serious and regretful. Suddenly the room has turned ominous and plated with the heavy air as the three realized where the conversation was leading onto. They have all been avoiding it to a certain extent; though all knew how futile that idea was to be.

'What do you mean..?' Axl daunted the unraveling conversation.

'Do you not remember how we found you?' Ciel asked as she looked at the Axl's emerald eyes who were painting an obvious anxiousness in anticipation.

'When we found you, you were sealed away. Could it be you don't remember?'

Whether or not he would like to admit it, it was not that he did not remember it was that he was afraid; afraid to find out why he there in that place. In that dark hollow and lonesome place; where he was frozen in that sedated space. He didn't want to find out why. He denied every thought and every idea that has come to mind. He had tried to push it away to the very corners. And most of all, he had denied the event as reality and labeled it just as he had labeled the wound in his shoulder a dream. Merely just a dream.

A hallucination he was having that he is desperately trying to wake up from.

Did they really abandon him at that time…?

He remained silent for a moment as the truth daunted down and reality begin to envelope every inch of him. He couldn't run away from it any more. His mouth became dry and his voice cracked as the words begin to form, while his body shuddered at the cause.

'How long….was I asleep..?'

Closing her eyes as she lightly shook her head in regret, Ceil glanced over him as she tried to avoid his eyes.

'We don't know. But assuming you don't know about the Elf War, it may have been over a hundred years ago.'

'A hundred years…?' Axl repeated to himself, as his lost his footing for a moment taking a step back to catch himself as he scrambled to find sense in the newly given shock.

'That can't be right…'

'What's this Elf War thing you're talking about? Are we in another war? What about the virus?' He asked as his mind scrambled to make sense of everything. It was still rejecting any fact. None of this can be real.

Seeing the young navy blue reploid in such a panic, Ciel was hesitant to move forward with her answers for she knew they were not what he wanted them to hear.

'No, the Elf War has been long gone and so has the threat of the Maverick Virus. Over the past century, cyber elves were created with the help of Zero who had put himself in a stasis and allowed the scientist study him which resulted in the creation of cyber elves. As a result, X used that technology to eliminate the virus significantly which brought the end to the Maverick Wars.

'That's insane…' Axl voiced out in awe upon hearing something unimaginable. Up until just now, the Maverick situation he had known it to be had only seemed to go for the worse. Though, thankfully Sigma was not an issue.

'Then the Hunters they're…'

'They've been disbanded just before the Elf Wars.' Ciel finished his sentence. 'And X had set out on building Neo Arcadia. If you were a Maverick Hunter you've probably worked with him, right?'

'He was my mentor. He's the one who trained me to the hunter that I am. Do you know him…? Axl said answering her question with another one of his own as his comrade's name was mentioned causing his ears to prop wide open to hear more.

'Yes,' Ceil answered biting her tongue as her face looked as if she was holding back on her answer.

'What about Zero?' Axl asked excited to know that his chance to meet with them.

Ciel nodded her head, curling both her hands together in a ball as she prepared for what he was about to ask next.

'That's great! They probably know what's going on. Tell me, how can I find them? You can come to if you want…' Axl eagerly said but the heavy silence that closed loomed among the two people before him brought fear in his eyes. They both looked away from the young reploid, planting their sights to the white tiled floor as their jaws locked in place.

'Hey…what's wrong? It's okay if you don't know. I can go find them myself.' Axl said trying to comfort the two uneasy patrons.

'Axl….' Ciel struggled to say, as she fiddled with her fingers. 'They're not here any more…'

'….What…?' Axl let out, unable to comprehend what the girl is saying.

'They've….' Ciel chocked.

'In an effort to stop anyone from ever using the powers of Mother Elf again for war X sealed her away using his own body. But it was taken away by force….and destroy the host body.' Cerveau explained sadly in the most logical and least painful way his scientific mind can conjure. 'And about five years ago, a man by the name of Dr Weil, who the responsible for the Elf War, took control of Neo Arcadia and planned to destroy what was left of this world with a space canon, in order to force all remaining humans and reploids to live under his rule. However, with Zero's help, Weil was stopped from ever setting it off; but the space craft crashed in the process…'

The room felt heavy as if the air gained weight in his shoulders as he heard the man's story.

'So you're telling me they're dead…?' Axl clarified in his whole and unphased voice.

'I'm sorry…' Ciel apologized once again feeling the painful stab in her heart made by Axl's unflinching words. She could feel the guilt returning her once more, beginning to once again blame herself for the cause of the crimson hero's death. If it wasn't for her maybe he'd still be here to see young reploid that they've found.

Unexpectedly a loud burst of laughter emitted out of Axl's mouth as the word's of the scientists finally sank in.

'That's a joke right? Them? Dead?' Axl chuckled moving closer to the two scientist. 'This is X and Zero we're talking about! You're telling me that they both died?'

Impossible…

It was a concept that Axl couldn't wrap around his mind. There's no way that could possibly be real. He had seen those two in action and better than anyone else other than the two themselves he knows just how much they were capable of. To be gone just like that, it had to be a joke, a dream…it just can't be real. There was no way he would ever believe such a thing.

Ciel looked at him with fearful and yet guilty eyes, glancing back and forth at the floor and his emerald orbs.

'It's true…' Cerveau answered in Ciel's behalf. 'They've did all they can to save this world….'

'Don't mess with me!' Axl spouted angrily, as his brain denied every word being spoken to him. 'I could believe all this Elf and one hundred years bull crap but your telling me that the two of the most powerful reploids the ones that fought Mavericks and faced Sigma countless of times are dead and all because of this one guy and an elf? What the hell is that?'

Axl stomped pass them and headed for the door, leaving a trail of angry footsteps.

'Wait! Please…calm down for a moment…' Ciel pleaded.

'No, I don't have time for anymore of this…'

'Please, just hear us out for a second.'

Axl turned his head around and looking at her with fierce disbelieving eyes that struck fear to quell her desperate pleas.

'I don't know what kind of story you're trying to make up but look I saved you right? And you fixed me back up. We paid each other's debts. I don't have any more business here.'

As he reach for the opening, the mechanical door slid open, causing the person on the other side to almost bump into the scarred being. Stopping just an inch away before their bodies collided.

Looking down Axl saw it was the red haired reporter, but unlike before he noticed that there was a small bandage wrapping showing their beneath her high cut shirt.

'You're awake! How's everything?' Neige expressed in surprise as she instinctively took a step back out to remove her blockade from the door.

Ignoring the red-hair's greeting Axl stepped out of the exit and began to walk down the hallway.

'Hey, where are you doing..?' Neige called out as the young reploid moved further and further away.

'Somewhere where stuff actually makes sense.' Axl answered back in a mumble as he turned to a corner.

'Honestly…' Neige sighed, giving up as she turned around and walked over to Ciel and Cerveau. 'What happened…?'

'I should go after him,' Ciel said to Cerveau as she began to make her way towards the exit. However, she suddenly felt a hand gently hold her by the shoulder.

'I think it's best if we let him be alone for now.' Cerveau answered as he removed his hand from Ciel's shoulder the moment she had stopped in her tracks. He looked out the door to see the young reploid no where in sight.

'He must not have taken the news pretty easily huh? He looked pretty upset.' Neige implied understanding Ciel's worry.

'Indeed.' Cerveau agreed. 'Unlike Zero, who lost all his memories when he was woken up, the boy remembers everything. Zero was able to adapt quite easily since he had to accept everything that came his way and he did not have the burdens of the past think of. But, Axl doesn't have that luxury of a clean slate. He can't just accept everything that has happened. In a blink of an eye he was thrown into a whole other world and lost all his friends at the same time. I can't imagine how much turmoil he must be having right now. But right now it's best if we let him settle everything on his own…it may be easier that way.'

'But…' the blonde protested.


Walking down the bright and wide halls of the Guardians base Axl felt several unwanted stares gaze upon the unfamiliar reploid as he sped his pace down his unknowing path. Along the way he saw many mechanaloids and reploids all wearing the same colored clothing Cerveau was wearing, though most of them were in pants and jackets rather than that long flowing robe that he wore. They stopped in their tracks as their eyes unintentionally follow Axl as he walked pass them giving him curious stares. And just like the scientist he they truly all did seem so human like in appearance that if it weren't for a feature or some deep looking he was practically unable to distinguish them in a glance. They were unlike the reploids he was use to, who did not particularly wear cotton and human like clothing. For the most part the reploids he had always been surrounded with and of that time had their metal bodies were fitted with be designed to be like their attire just like he had them right now, whether they were civilian or military.

Moving along, he realized he didn't have a peculiar place to go and with honesty he was practically lost in this large space.

Absentmindedly, he turned around, not noticing the small body bumped in front of him as it bumped against him and fell to the ground. Looking down he saw a small little girl with long blond hair, no more than looking like a six year old, wearing a long pink dress and holding a small cat like stuff toy.

'Ahh, sorry about that.' Axl said offering his hand over to the little girl who gladly accepted his help.

'Thank you.' She said before staring at him, tilling her head to observe the reploid responsible for her fall.

'You're Mr. Axl!' she exclaimed in excitement. 'You like a hero, you saved Big Sis and Neige!'

'Heh, I guess you can say that.' Axl said smiling at the little girl's innocent praise, somehow able to cheer him up a bit.

'Big Sis is really worried about you! You should go meet her and tell her your okay.' The little girl suggested.

'That's not necessary. I'm kinda leaving now so…'

'No! Sis will be really happy when she sees you.' She protested taking Axl's hand and began to drag him.

Instinctively, Axl pulled back his hand out of her grasp. 'Its fine, I already saw her.'

'Then where are you going?' the little one asked, putting her hand back wrapped into her little small stuff animal.

'….' Speechless, Axl began to walk away. 'Back to where I'm suppose to be.'

'Do you have friends there?'

'….Yeah…'

'I see. That's good.' The little girl said smiling at the reploid.

He patted the little girl's head before unknowingly began to wonder once again.

When he had reached the end of the halls, a large window that stretched up from the ceiling to the floor. Looking out he saw that it was overlooking the all of a large city filled with ridiculously tall buildings that stretched as far as the eye can see. Their architectures was one he had no seen before, different from the typical symmetric and industrial like buildings he normally saw. These were far grander coming in all different shapes and features that he can not quite explain, futuristic may be? But they did look like the type of buildings that would suit X's taste. However, looking closer, he noticed that many of the buildings were under construction around the city's center as most of the buildings had a crane or two, while some had patches of black and reeked of obvious signs of destruction in some areas.

This was Neo Arcadia…a utopia that was still suppose to be X's dream. Why was it here?

It's not supposed to exist yet.

'This can't be real…' he said to himself as he looked out at the buildings that defied his logic. He wanted to reject it and wake up.

Unwilling to place effort in stance, Axl pressed his back against the bitter wall behind him. The world he knew and the people in it were slowly becoming more and more distant. With each second it was a though time had frozen

He couldn't understand. Was he really asleep for that long? Rather, he must be asleep. He wanted to wake up and return to the place he wanted to see. None of this was real, everything was but a dream. It had to be.

That was what he wanted to believe. Letting his feet give way, Axl allowed his limp body to slide against wall and collapsed sitting on the ground. He huddled himself into a ball while one of his hands pressed against his communicator.

'Alia…' he called out in a small hopeless whisper. 'Zero…X…Someone…

There was no answer. The young reploid knew there wouldn't be one. Not again. Not from the people he wanted to hear a respond from.

'This is Axl…Alia…can you hear me….' He called out desperately. 'Alia….'

Nothing. There was nothing but sounds of his communicator struggling to find a lost and non existent signal scratching the drum of his ears. He couldn't hear anything much more than that. Without contact with his comrades there was no possible place for him to go.

'Why….? Why…?'

Guys…come on. This isn't funny anymore. Anything. Just say anything. I don't care. Just respond to me. Please. Please, someone…'

'Anyone…X…Zero…Commander….Anyone?

He just didn't want to accept it. He can't accept that fact that he was thrown away. Not again…

It's their fault…

Quietly he sat there letting the time tick by without care. Its not like he hasn't wasted more than this. He heard several pairs of feet walk pass him and sometimes he could see the reflection of their shadows amid the clean floors, sometimes, stopping to eye on the strange and oddly placed reploid. But he placed no effort in lifting his head to feed their curiosity. The seconds, minutes, the stares, he didn't care. He might as well die there at the moment. He was alone this time afterall.

You're all alone…..because of them.

'I really am all alone huh..?' He said to himself, scoffing a grin, agreeing with the voice in his head.

'How long are you going to sit there and feel sorry for yourself.' He heard a different voice say in front of him.

'What does it matter to you?' Axl annoyingly answered back.

'You look pathetic. Get up. There's something you still have to do.' The voice ordered.

'Why don't you shut up and…—.' Axl retaliated bolting his head, his eyes losing the raging temper he had the moment he laid eyes on the blond haired scientist in front of him. Her voice certainly not the voice he heard.

'Axl..?' Ciel called out flustered by the young repoild's sudden movements.

'Ciel..?' Axl uttered as his eyes fell upon the girl's sky blue eyes.

'Are you okay…?' she asked looking at the young reploid who was still in his curled up position. It was almost as if he seemed so fragile, unlike the one he was in the face of battle.

When she received no answer from him, she reached over for him, wrapping her hands around his neck and placed him into an embrace.

'Everything is going to be alright…' she comforted him. He was much thinner that she thought of him to be and his auburn hair soft as she stroked it gently with her delicate hands. She doesn't know whether what she was doing was assisting him in anyways. But he was far more vulnerable that he had led on and she couldn't just stand by and leave him alone.

'I'm here.' She said 'I'm here…'

It was soothing, feeling the human girl's warmth against his face. It was something somehow he felt he had longed for. All of his anxiousness, temper and all the insecurities he had washed away. It became like a moment of clarity for him. No longer quivering in fear rejecting the unwanted reality, at that moment he was finally forced to accept and see things as the way they were.

What am I doing? I really am stupid…

Nothing could be done with him sitting like this. When did become such a pitiful coward like this.

And just like that he freed his hands from their curled up placed and slowly took hold of the girl, wrapping his arms around her just like she was doing to him. Taking in the new person into his grasp.

'Thank you.'


Author's note

Author: Hi guys…. okay so maybe my prediction for this chapter being posted a week or two after the last one was kinda off. But at least obligatory get Axl caught up in his situation is done!

Axl: Kinda off? It's been a month! You left the poor guys hanging.

Author: But it's not my fault! I got busy and lost all my stuff that I had been working on.

Axl: Can't you just admit you forgot about it?

Author: Okay maybe I got kinda lazy during Winter Vacation.

Axl: Uh huh…

Author: But I wasn't lying about losing me stuff you know.

Axl: Sure~

Author: Shut up, you don't know the struggle of having to type half this chapter on a phone. My thumbs hurts T.T

Axl: But you could have still finished it!

Author: I said I got lazy!

Axl: Say you're sorry.

Author: I'm sorry T.T

Axl: Good Author

Author: Don't make me give you hell next chapter. You got off easy on this one.

Axl: Wait, what? Nooo!

Author: Muwahaha

Axl: You already had me sealed up and crying like a baby geez! No more!

Author: That's cause I don't like you right now

Axl: That's just mean.

Author: Anyways, thank you thank you very much for those who have been patiently waiting for the update and everyone reading my story.

And also I want to say thanks to the Betrayed Heroes and Library of Mega Man / Rockman community for chosing to add my story into their community. That's really awesome thanks!

And big thanks everyone that has been reviewing and giving all their feedback. I really do appreciate hearing from you guys. Thank you thank you!

Especially to that one anonymous guest, I think (forgive me if I'm wrong) for always reviewing and supporting me. I wish I can say thank you privately but I can't PM you lol.

Axl: Yeah make sure you don't keep 'em waiting that long again, you slow bro.

Author: You just had to ruin it didn't you? That's it. I'm giving you hell.

Axl: Wait no! I didn't mean it like that.

Author: I'm going to make sure Fefnir beats that pretty face of yours.

Axl: Aren't you giving away spoilers?

Author: No, who said I'm having you beat you up next chapter (good idea though :3 )

Axl: Huh?

Fefnir: Ohhhh yeah! (Kool Aid Man lol)

*Floor shakes and Fefnir's hand canon grabs Axl by the neck*

Axl: Not again!

Man, I must be super excited to put this chapter to be up and done to keep talking so much haha.

So as you guys have probably noticed I started calling the Resistance, the Guardians. Partially because I'm assuming Ciel kinda runs a huge part of Neo Arcadia or at least is a big influence at this point in time. And mostly because they're not a Resistance anymore since they can't really fight a government that doesn't persecute them. So I'm thinking Ciel already disbanded the Resistance and established the Guardians.

I've only been calling them the Resistance so far since it seemed easier for everyone to know who they were.

There's probably a lot of things that aren't making much sense at the moment but hopefully next chapter I'll be able to touch bases with a lot of them…especially regarding the timeline of when Axl was sealed. :P

See you guys next chapter!