A/N: Doctor!? Hell no. X Don't go an offend me now, I hate doctors lol... and yet I find the Gate/Life Saver parts the most fun to write. I guess since I give them a good laid back friendship I can get away with them acting like asses! And since I find Life Saver pointless game wise as far as the X series goes I like torturing him with Zero sometimes you know? Anyway I got the idea because one of my friends at work has like umpteen medical horror stories and this is her 'favorite worst memory and embarrasing moment' the only difference is that it was for her stomach whereas it's Zero's lungs and she was concious while Zero was not. Anyways, blah, that chapter asside, only one more chapie left...!

"Guys… w-what are we going to do now?" Iris asked, still a bit shaky from the shock.

Gate sighed, "We have to go after him, he could do anything now that he's gone out of control…"

"But we need to tell Signas and alert the others." Life Saver cut him off.

"I know…!" Gate growled.

"No, no… this is all my fault."

"Huh?" The trio looked over at X who was growling to himself while starting daggers at the floor.

"I… I'm the only one who can do it…" He clenched his fists and turned to them. "I have to go and stop him!" He bolted out the door.

"X!" Gate and Life Saver gasped.

"Wait!" Iris cried and ran after him. But X was fast and by the time Iris got to his and Zero's quarters the door was left open and he was gone. Rush sat on the floor whimpering. Iris sighed and walked in, kneeling down to pet him, "Oh Rush… He took it, didn't he?" Rush just rubbed his head in her hand. Iris looked over at the table, Zero's light saber was gone.

X had grabbed the by now fully repaired ride armor and took off out of the base, the alarm had already woken everyone up and Signas and the rest were informed of the situation. Signas was hesitant to follow his gut instinct, but his sixth sense was telling him to let X go after Zero alone. Axel and Iris were a bit worried with that decision, but they chose to trust their leader. They knew if anybody could tame Zero, it was X. A storm was starting to brew, cold winds whipped through the trees, Zero had run deep into the forest beneath the mountains. X didn't know where exactly Zero had gone off to, but something inside his heart told him where to go. And sure enough, he drove through some bushes and long grass and came to a halt as he saw Zero standing amid some rocks.

X leered at him, the light rain starting to fly into his face, "Zero…" A lightning flashed across the sky, lighting up Zero's body as he growled like a demonic rabid animal, his eyes piercing daggers strait through X. X got off and started to slowly approach him, "Zero… don't let it win, this isn't you."

"Stay away from me X." Zero's voice was not his own, it was gargled behind the dark evil demon aura, he snarled like a beast. "Distance yourself from me… I can't say what I'll do now, who I'll go after, what will happen, and to who…"

"Zero…" X was shocked, Zero was still in there, fighting, trying to beat it out. "The toxic gas virus might not be taken full effect yet, you still have your sanity… fight it Zero, come on…" X started to slowly approach again. "This isn't you…!"

"Get back… keep… huh…?" Zero waved his hand out and stopped trying to talk him out of it, X was too determined to divert. "E…eh, X…." His eyes started to get out of focus and flutter shut.

"Zero… it's okay, I trust you." X reached him and put his arms on his shoulders.

Zero's face turned into a fanged smirk, "Gullible fool!" He roared and reached his hands up and clawed down, digging his fingers deep into the shoulder blades of X. X screamed in pain as they pierced through his armor. He was in shock, how strong had he gotten? The rain began to pour as Zero roared with laughter, lines of blood had squirted on his face. X could feel the weight of his legs starting to give out from under him from the pain, he could feel Zero's power surging through him as the lightning flew through the sky.

"Zero…!" X cried and looked up at his face, it looked so scary and yet he was still Zero. "Zero…" X went to speak but the digging of his claws into his arms were getting deeper and the pain was getting worse as they sliced though the skin and cut muscles and nerves. "Please, Zero…" A smile slowly shook its way onto his face. "I'm your partner, no matter how scary you might look… you're still Zero, and I could never leave my best friend." X closed his eyes, a tear falling along with the rain on his cheeks as he leaned in and lowered his arms around Zero into a friendly embrace. "I could never fight you…"

"Huh…!" Zero choked. X could feel the swirl of his demonic aura shifting, rather than raging around him it froze fast and slowly began to be absorbed back into his body. The hands on in his arms began to lighten up as Zero's voice raised in pitch back to normal. X looked up as Zero's eyes slowly returned to normal, the fangs leaving his mouth. "Huh…?" Zero looked down at X.

"Hey, Zero…"

"X…" Zero's face softened as he turned down to look at him, his voice strained with exhaustion. "I… I'm sorry…" He put his arms slowly down on X's shoulders, but this time there was no pain, X smiled up at Zero, but as Zero started to smile back, he groaned and his eyes rolled in the back of his head and his legs buckled from under him, causing his hands to fall limply from X's shoulders.

"Whoa, hey Zero wait…!" X gasped and caught him quickly. "Zero, Zero…!" He looked down as the rain drenched Zero's face, the drops disolving the bloodstains from his cheeks. He was unconscious again. X's eyes shook, "Zero… your poor guy, what is going on inside of you…?"

'So he's still not complete… well, maybe the next time will be the charm.'

X had taken Zero back to the base and put him in bed, the whole ordeal had left him totally beat and the storm had given him his fever back and he was coughing violently from the damp cold. Gate, Life Saver and Iris joined X in his room as they looked at Zero on his bed. He was breathing quickly, the whole thing had totally messed with him. Iris sat down on the end of Zero's bed and brushed some of his bangs with her hand, his face was very pale. Rush had his chin rested on the side of the bed as he sat watching his friend sleep restlessly. Zero was mumbling in his sleep, trapped in feverish dreams, breathing quickly from the fight of fear.

"He may have a fever, but compared to his former fevers, this one is considered light." Gate sighed as looked down Zero's throat while he slept, "It's still red from irritation and scratched up from the large pieces of debris he'd swallowed during the original attack, but all things aside, he's actually in better condition now than he was earlier…"

"How do you say that?" X asked, not feeling in a good mood.

"The debris in his lungs seemed to have disappeared, he can breathe a lot easier." Gate took his hand off of Zero's chest and looked up. "I believe the gas was preventing him from healing, his Maverick body will naturally cause him to recover quicker. Now that the gas has done its purpose to revert him back, it's vanished and now he can heal like normal. The storm has taken a toll, but that shouldn't last more than the day now that his body is finally truly recovering, in fact most of the outer wounds have already healed. However he's still not a hundred percent… maybe twenty, but give him a few days and he'll be back up to at least eighty. His ribs will be fully healed by then as well, if his Maverick body does what it's supposed to." He stood up and turned to X. "I'll still have to check up on him every once in a while to check his progress and remove any doubts or concerns from our mind. With his lungs still tender and the cold from the storm, keep an eye on him, with his immune system starting to kick in, his body will be fighting like crazy, and I don't want him to get bronchitus or diter his condition to an ammonia due to the cold and the condition of his lungs. But in the meantime, Life Saver and I will leave him in your hands."

"Right, I understand. Thank you." X nodded.

"Now let's let him rest." Life Saver led Gate out the door and they shut it.

"X…" Zero's dry voice broke the silence that followed after their departure.

"Zero!" X gasped and Zero opened his eyes, they were dull and glazed over and still had a far away look in his eyes. "Don't try and talk, don't sit up."

"I'll get him some water." Iris stood up and rushed off quickly, Rush tailing her.

Zero didn't listen, he sat up and started to talk, "I… I let you down, I led you into harms way…" He looked down at his hands, even though they were clean he could see the blood stained on them in the pouring rain. X's blood. He clenched his fists, "Damn that Sigma, he toyed with us and led you into the trap behind me… I have to go after him."

"Zero, we can get revenge together. But first you have to heal."

"I'm fine X…." Zero went to stand but he screamed as pain shot through his body like needles. He shivered uncontrolably as he fell back down onto his bed.

"See I told you, be careful…" X pulled the cover over him and he began to cough again from the rush of energy. "You're starting to heal, like Gate said, so you need to rest now more than ever."

"But, but X…" Zero's eyes were starting to flutter. "What if… what if it happens again?"

"Huh…?"

"What if, I transform again… what if I come after you? It was all of my strength just to move that demon's jaws and speak to you, I dunno what I'd do if it… if, I…"

"Zero, it's alright." X smiled down at him. "We're partners, we're friends, we'll figure this out together… okay?"

"X…" Zero blinked and closed his eyes. 'Why do you persist after this so…?'

X patted his shoulder and stood up, "I'll always be here for you Zero."

A few days later, Zero was already able to move around, the cold was gone and most of his original injuries had fully healed. His ribs were still sore but he was cleared for fighting. Signas called a meeting to discuss Zero and his transformation, as well as how to take down Sigma.

"Zero, I know you and X want revenge, but I can't authorize you going out into battle."

"What!" Zero barked, standing up from his seat.

"You're at risk of being reverted back to your Maverick state again. Sigma knows you, he will rely on that fact and lure you into a trap. He wants you to change and to kill X."

"Don't you think I know that…?"

"You and X are a team, but I want to replace you with Axel."

"But Signas…" Axel gasped, he didn't want to get involved. Not with the whole Sigma thing, but he didn't want to get in Zero's way.

"Please sir." X finally spoke up. "I think if I'm there Zero will be fine."

"X….?" Zero turned to him and blinked.

"I was the one who helped Zero turn back, it was because of me. Zero is not the same as he used to be anymore, he has changed. Maybe he was destined to kill me, but he didn't, and the one who prevented his rampage was the one he was originally intended to kill."

"X, I know what you're going to say but…"

X interrupted him, "Signas, you know in your heart that only Zero and I have what it takes to destroy Sigma and his Maverick force. Why put others at risk? I know you have your doubts and you worry about us, but I want you to trust us, I want you to believe and know that we can do it." He looked over at Zero. "I know I have faith in us…" Zero just stared back, still a bit shocked.

Signas sighed, "X… alright, fine…" He gave in, the others turned to him a bit confused at the caving in. "I don't know why I'm agreeing, but maybe it's because I do have faith in you and together you are the most reliable force to reckon with." He stood up. "I see there's no arguing with your persuasion, I trust you, so good luck to you."

"Th-thanks." X was kinda surprised he didn't have to fight harder.

"That is all then." Signas left the room and the others followed at their own leisure until only Iris remained with the duo.

"Looks like we're back on the job Zero." X wore a big grin as he turned to Zero, but it faded as he noticed the strangely almost dark cold glare by Zero.

"Why did you do that X…"

"Huh?" X was shocked, he'd never seen Zero that angry or serious before.

Zero stared back silently at X with such disdain, and finally lowered his head to shoot X an almost threatening look as he opened his mouth to speak in a quiet tone, "Don't stop me from leaving X, I have to go after Sigma…"

X jerked back, "But you heard the commander, and I just got you back, I don't want to loose you again…!"

"No X, I have to go it alone." Zero stood up, his back to X. His body nearly fell under his own weight, the emotions and thoughts stirring within him and the mixing of yelling was all too much.

"Whoa, hang on there…!" X caught him and helped him stand up. "But Zero, you're my partner, remember…? We stick together. Don't you think this is too soon an attack?"

"This is the perfect time, he won't expect this from me." Zero didn't believe his own words.

"But Zero…!" X's protests were falling upon deaf ears, Zero's tone was his rarely seen and used 'and that's final' tone.

"Zero, please listen… you gave us all a fright, we were so worried about you. Your body is not fully healed, you need to rest. Your mind isn't fully healed either with the events preceeding and the emotions and thoughts I'm sure are conflicting within you. Sigma would kill you if you sent out there after him. It's suicide!" Iris cried desperately but Zero ignored her as well. "Please, listen to us… we love you, we're worried about your safety. We know you, we know you'll only get yourself hurt… and we don't want to loose you…" Her eyes shook as she tried to hold back the tears. "Signas, if he were here, he'd tell you to stop, and you'd have to listen to him right…?" Zero took another step forward, focused on the task at hand. "Zero I love you…!"

"Zero…" This time he stopped as X looked up, biting his lip a bit. "When I saw you, in Maverick form… I was terrified, my stomach jumped out of my mouth."

Zero turned around, confused and almost a bit upset by that, "Was my face really that scary…?"

"Not your appearance, Zero… you, your heart and your soul…"

"Mphf…" Zero hesitated. "X… I don't want you to get hurt."

"I don't want YOU to get hurt…!" X sighed as Zero became quiet. "Not again… I worry about you Zero, we just want you to be safe."

"X, can't you see...? I'm trying to protect you, but not from Sigma..." Zero's eyes opened, dull with sorrow. "From me." He walked off.

X sighed as he could only helplessly watch him leave, "But Zero, can't you see… don't you realize yet…"

"Huh?" Iris turned and looked over at X, who had forgotten she was also left there.

"I'm the one, who has to protect you, from yourself."

Iris watched him slowly walk off into his destiny, "X…"

Zero knew where Sigma was, he could sense him. He wasn't moving, he was waiting out in the open, in the outskirts…. Waiting, for him. The wind blew the dust through the air as Zero stepped up and stood his ground firmly before Sigma, shooting him an ugly glare.

"Sigma…" He growled deep in his chest, he knew he would be waiting.

Sigma sneered, "You came, alone…?"

"Yes." Zero continued to stand his ground with no emotion, like a neutral statue.

Sigma's eyes flashed, "You predictable fool…!" He pulled out his saber and charged. Zero dug his feet into the ground as Sigma neared, his hand ready gripped on his own saber.

"Psyche!" Vile hopped up as Sigma ducked down to the side.

"What!?" Zero gasped and Vile shot the blast. It made contact and exploded into smoke.

Sigma laughed and landed, walking over to the dust ball, "Such a sod… You haven't changed a bit, a pathetic excuse of a Maverick, and a hunter! You're still just the same old Zero… and that will be your downfall!"

"Funny, I could say the same for you."

"What?" Sigma growled, a bit shocked. That wasn't Zero's voice.

The smoke cleared to reveal Zero shielding himself behind his arms and X standing before him with his buster pointed out at them, smoke wafting out of the end. He snickered as he lowered it a bit so he could stare at them, "So what, I don't get an invitation to this party….?" He'd countered Vile's shot with one of his own, the explosion of their contact creating the smoke screen.

"X." They gasped and Vile growled with frustration.

"X…" Zero stood up and looked at him, his confused eyes meeting the confident smile of X. Zero didn't bother to speak, he just grinned back, "Thanks X."

"Sure thing partner."

"So, you played your trump card already, eh?" Sigma smirked and stepped aside. "Well then I'll pull mine out of the deck." Somebody stepped out from the darkness behind him.

"Huh…!?" X and Zero were shocked at who appeared in the light. Neon Tiger…?

"Surprised?" Vile scoffed. "Well you should be, this isn't the old Neon Tiger you've come to once know and hate. He is new, and improved."

"Huh!" X was confused.

"What do you mean…?" Zero growled.

Vile held up an empty gas spray can, "Zero, you know how the Zero Virus was meant only for you and not a true Maverick? You, holding the body of a Maverick and the heart and soul of a Reploid. This gas works by entering your body and re-opening your past hidden memories you forgotten, the old you, a former life, your true self. With your heart and mind returning to Maverick state in your Maverick body, your soul was thrown into darkness and sealed away, trapped from the light, as you were reawakened pure. Normal Mavericks have no conflictions, you however are special. There was, however, one other sad excuse of a Maverick. Neon Tiger. His heart and mind were Maverick, but weak. He is the exception, the only other this gas worked on. He was our guinea pig. And look at him now, his mind is set on nothing but killing, his heart blind to any emotions, his body at last is free to be a real Maverick. He will fight to the death and lusts for blood on his claws." Neon Tiger opened his jaw into a frisky growl, his fangs salivating with excitement, his face dark and eyes full of hate. Vile sneered, "Care to, give him a try…?"

Zero pulled out his saber, "Just bring it on."

"Careful Zero, it could be another trap… don't let them trick you again. They know you too well." X whispered, but Zero charged and jumped up head on blindly into battle.

"Falling yet again, Zero!" Vile threw a canteen in front of Neon Tiger right as Zero slashed, it cut it down the middle.

"No!" X cried as it exploded gas onto Zero. He coughed as the thick smoke entered his lungs and sunk into his body. X growled, "I knew it was all just a set up, damn you all…!"

Sigma took a step back, smirking, "X… allow me to introduce to you, YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE!" Out of the dissipating smoke blast, a black armored Maverick with a flowing white ponytail leapt out. It growled, wearing a thrilled fanged smirk as it landed in a flexible battle pose, cracking his claw like fingers as he readied to fight, fight to kill.

"No…!" X gasped in horrid shock as the demon Zero's eyes glint coldly at him, sending a flashback of X's bad dreams through his spine. It really was his worst nightmare…

"Welcome to, the black nightmare…!" Heh eh he, bwa hah ah.