Sorry this took so long. A bunch of stuff happened at once and yeah just a bunch of the normal excuses X3. I'll try to post another chapter or two later. I need to check and see how ahead I am in my writing. Any way enjoy!

X and Zero ran along the rooftops above the city, scanning for any sign of their target. "Alia, where is she?" X asked through his communicator.

"She should be straight ahead of you," the nav informed them.

"I think I see her," Zero announced, pulling out his saber.

X looked ahead and caught sight of the repliod as well. She was standing on the edge of the building, looking out towards the city. She glanced the two's way as they approached but did nothing to stop them.

X pointed his buster at her, "What are you doing here?"

"They wanted me to come spy on you," she admitted surprisingly easily.

"Then why are you on a rooftop where the entire street can see you barely 5 miles away from the HQ?" Zero questioned her, keeping a firm grip on his saber, "You're either up to something or not a very good spy."

"I'm better than you think. Listen-" before she finished her sentence she jumped into the air as a loud beeping came from her helmet. "Dang it," she muttered before answering.

"Wizard- I know I was spotted. Yes I'm staying out of sight. I'm not dumb enough to stand on the side of the building and just stare out at the city while the hunters are hunting me!" Both X and Zero raised an eyebrow. "I'm on my way back but it's not helping having a crazy maverick yelling in my ears." She stayed silent for few seconds, mouthing 'sorry' to the two confused hunters. Confusing them more. "Listen I gotta go…" she immediately cut off the line and turned back to the hunters.

"Sorry about that."

"What?" X managed, "Why did you lie?"

"Well I couldn't exactly tell him I was waiting for you two to come find me could I?"

"You were waiting for us?" she nodded, "Why?"

"Cause I need you to take me to Signas."

There was a shocked silence in the air before finally, "What?!"

"It's hard to explain," she started to look very uncomfortable, "Here," she threw her weapon to them, it skidding across the roof the last few feet, "Maybe that'll calm you down some?"

Zero gave her a suspicious glare, "Why are you doing this all the sudden? How can we trust you?"

"Uuug!" she exclaimed turning away from them; both hands moving to her face.

X and Zero exchanged glances before X started to slowly circle to see her face. He beckoned Zero over as soon as he saw it, "Look," he whispered, "I think she's crying."

Zero looked closer at the girls face and saw the moisture forming in the corners of her eyes. Though every other facial feature indicated anger.

"Madelyn?"

She turned around and promptly almost fell of the building. She didn't expect them to be there. She caught herself and took on a very annoyed persona. Her cheeks were pink with embarrassment. "Look can we just go?"

The two exchanged one more glance at each other before X finally answered. "Fine."

"Thank you." She said with a large sigh. She didn't even complain about having to wear handcuffs.

"Alia we're ready to come back and you won't believe what happened."

"That was certainly quick," Alia commented while typing in the command to transport them back.

"And do you mind making sure the rooms relatively clear of many hunters? Particularly rookies." Zero added.

Alia stopped her typing, "What's going on you two?"

"Like I said, you won't believe us," X told her while keeping an eye on the supposed maverick.

"Well, most are either out on missions or patrolling at this time of day so it should be devoid of many hunters."

"Good. We're ready when you are," X gripped Madelyn's arm to make sure she was included in the transport.

When they arrived the room went silent.

"Told you, you wouldn't believe me."

Madelyn was blushing with embarrassment as the entire room stared at her, "Can we go now?" she whispered to X.

X blinked. She had suddenly turned so soft spoken. Was this the same repliod they had been facing? "Uh, sure. Alia, would you inform Signas we're coming please?"

X's question snapped Alia out her gawking, "Yeah. And X," She added as they passed, "A little better warning next time please."

X gave a nervous chuckle and a small sorry to his nav before leaving the room, Madelyn snickering silently beside him. The trip to Signas's office was short with only one repliod who seemed to be too engrossed in the papers he was holding to look up at them passing them in the hall.

'That should keep gossip from spreading everywhere for a while,' Zero thought. Though the silence probably wouldn't last long since all those Navs had seen her and probably reported the incident to the hunters they were navigating.

When they arrived Zero knocked on the door and was told to enter by the voice inside. Zero entered first, "Someone's requested to see you."

"Oh really? And who might that-" Signas stopped his question short when X entered, dragging Madelyn with him.

"She said she needed to see you," X informed him.

"She didn't tell us why though," Zero added, staring at her suspiciously.

"I believe I do," Signas said, causing the two hunters to snap their heads toward him in surprise.

Madelyn looked around the room, "Hey, where's Axl?"

"Wha-" X redirected his confused gaze back at her, "Why?"

"I need to keep a promise."

"What promise?"

Madelyn smiled, "That means he kept it."

"I'll call him down real quick," Signas stated before the two could question her more, "Then we can get to the explanations."

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Axl had been generally ignoring the alerts that had been coming from his helmet, assuming that it was just Alia trying to contact him for X or something (she'd done stuff like that in the past), but when the tone of the beeping turned to a high alert warning, he gave in.

"AXL!" Alia yelled through the communicator, "Why have you not been picking up my calls?"

"Uh…" had she just put on the high alert so he would pick up and get yelled at?

"Madelyn was spotted about 5 miles from here," Axl immediately gave her his full attention.

"Did X and Zero go out to find her?" the gunner asked.

"Yes and they brought her back."

"Huh?!"

"They're in Signas office. Apparently she was waiting for them so they could take her to him."

"I'm on my way," Axl told her before jetting off at full speed down the hallway.

Was this how she was going to explain everything to him? Oh man he was probably going to be in big trouble if X and Zero found out just what he was hiding from them. More like when they found out.

He entered without knocking but didn't go very far past the door. X and Zero were both giving him suspicious looks (X's containing some underline disappointment) and Madelyn was sitting in one of the chairs in front of Signas desk. She gave him a little awkward wave as he entered.

"Well, now that we're all here why don't we get this started." Signas stated.

"Alright then," Madelyn stood up, "First of all I'm going to say sorry," the three hunters each gave her a look, "I had to keep up the act so I probably got on your nerves a bit."

"A bit?!"

"Wait, act?"

"Well, I've sorta been spying on Gravity for Signas."

"What?!" all three exclaimed.

"Yeah, that's why I kinda threatened you back at the park Axl. Thanks for keeping your promise though."

The red and blue hunters instantly turned to him. Axl flinched in response, shrinking down slightly under their gazes.

"Hey go easy on him," the now identified spy tried to defend, "I did kind of have a saber at his throat and flames in my eyes. Even Gravity tended to get scared when I was like that."

"Whatever," Zero turned away from the poor repliod, soon followed by X. Axl just looked like he wanted to die right there, "Commander, why weren't we ever told?"

"This was a risky operation. We rarely send in spies anywhere so I kept this a tight secret. I didn't want to risk anything slipping or any strange behavior between hunters and her tipping them off. So, unfortunately, that included you." Signas explained.

"Alight," X accepted the reason, even if he didn't entirely like it. He could tell Zero definitely didn't. "So Madelyn-"

"I'd rather you call me Stella. Madelyn's just what I go by in Gravity."

X stopped for a moment, "Alright. Stella. You've been spying on Gravity this entire time?"

"Yes. And they're planning something really big. That's why I had to get caught."

"Couldn't you have just sent the information over?" X suggested. He seemed to be taking this all rather well.

Stella shook her head, "This is too risky and too big. I wouldn't have even been able to take a picture of those plans without someone questioning me. And I didn't have time to make a letter or email or whatever."

"What exactly is it? What's this plan?" Signas asked, a slight anxiety entering his voice.

Stella took a deep breath, "They're going to bring down the orbital elevator."

Dun Dun DUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN