The Voice in Your Heart
Page 12: But it's Certainly Cruel
"Holy fucking fuck." Axl swore after he watched the video Epsilon just recovered from the server. "They…they really, really wanted a copy reploid under their employment…"
"Good god. They even decided that you're here in the condition that you never leave. That's just fucked up. I think it's more appropriate to call this a prison instead of a gilded cage…" Epsilon added.
"I gotta admit, though, that guy Grove saved my ass when he convinced everyone that I was a potentially valuable employee. Can't deny that I'm grateful I'm here…even though they only saw me as a machine…" Axl remarked.
"Delta, let's discuss this more in a blind spot corner. Stealth Mode is gonna wear off." Epsilon reminded.
"Yeah…let's go." Axl said before he walked to a dark blind spot in the S-class area. As he settled down, sitting on the floor, his invisibility disappeared, and his appearance changed back—his scar appeared again, and the colours of his hair and eyes returned.
Heaving a small sigh as he squeezed his eyes shut, he said to Epsilon again. "Epsilon…I can't take it anymore. I think I really have to leave the Hunters."
"Delta, as much as I know your feelings, are you serious?" Epsilon replied.
"I have a lot of unused cash in my bank account, and I never really like an extravagant lifestyle, if financial stability is your main concern. X and Zero are too occupied with each other to make room for a third wheel like me, and I don't intend to be the third wheel anyways. And I have no one else other than you. And you already explained how my life here got me absolutely nowhere in the way of personal development. I'm living a dull life, and I need to stop." Axl explained his reasoning to Epsilon.
"Now the second problem: Are they going to let you leave?" Epsilon asked.
"It's been a year since we survived the New-Gen eradication, and the New-Gen manufacturers are mass-producing new ones already. I'm starting to see New-Gens among the Hunters now, so they don't have a reason to keep me here." Axl answered.
"So what are we going to do now?" Epsilon asked again.
"I gotta pick myself up and download that video into my system. I hope you still have some juice for Stealth Mode…" Axl answered. "After that, I think I'm gonna curl up in bed for the rest of the day."
"Alright, Delta." Epsilon responded as he switched places with Axl, becoming the dominant consciousness, as Axl's real body's appearance changed in response to the switch before turning invisible entirely.
Quickly, Epsilon moved Axl's body to plug himself into the server supercomputer and downloaded the video into Axl.
"Want to delete this disgraceful thing off Hunters archive forever?" Epsilon offered.
"No. It doesn't feel right to delete data. Besides, I don't think anyone will really miss me enough to care when I leave. Let's go, Epsilon." Axl answered.
Epsilon nodded—using Axl's invisible real body, before he walked as quickly as possible to the blind spot where they first hid before deactivating Stealth Mode and placing Axl back in the position of dominance. Axl then walked back towards the Hunter archives register and signed himself out.
"My last signature in this place." Axl remarked, chuckling.
"Second-last, maybe. You may need to sign your letter of resignation." Epsilon added.
"Heh heh, true enough." Axl responded as he walked back to his room.
Sighing as he removed his clothes and lay on the bed, Axl wrapped himself up to half of his face with his blanket.
"Not taking a shower?" Epsilon asked.
"Later," Axl answered, "I just need to think."
"It's a lot to take in, I know." Epsilon sighed. "Who would've known that your cert is just a lie?"
"I know, right? I wasn't accepted for the sacrifice I made by defecting from and helping the Hunters put down Red Alert. It's because of the copy chip inside me." Axl ranted. "Epsilon…do you think it's fair?"
There was silence for a few seconds until Epsilon answered.
"I don't know, Delta. But I guess sometimes there is no 'fair' or 'unfair'. I would only describe the situation as a win-win. They got their employee; you got your dream job at the time.
But ah, from your perspective, you invested a phenomenal amount of effort to get in and had proved yourself both useful and reliable. It's only fair you got the job. No interviews, no tests, you proved yourself with a real, actual crisis." Epsilon explained his answer.
"If it's fair, then why does it hurt so much?" Axl sighed as he rolled over.
"Maybe the 'fairness' exchange wasn't mutual. It wasn't the hard work they accepted as your half of the trade. It was, if I am to be brutally honest, your body." Epsilon replied.
Axl snorted and laughed, his laughter muffled by the blanket.
"Damn, Epsilon. You sure know how to make me feel better. Whyyyyy am I thinking of your dick comment?"
Epsilon laughed. "You're welcome, Delta. I still can't believe it's so big from the get-go."
"Shut up." Axl chuckled at him. "I don't want to ask X how to retire. I don't want to involve anyone else anymore…so I think I'll just type out a letter of resignation. But who do I mail it to?"
"Administration department. It's their job to sort that kind of shit out." Epsilon answered.
"I'm a bad influence on you, aren't I?" Axl giggled.
"I don't give a shit."
A week later, Axl got a reply in his inbox:
"Dear Maverick Hunter Axl,
Your resignation letter has been processed, read over and accepted. As you have stated, you are aware that from the beginning of your acceptance, you have agreed not to leave the Hunters. However, we have acknowledged your tireless service of eleven years under the Hunters. You have been a very valuable employee and co-worker, and we respect your wishes. We will give you at least three weeks to unpack your things. Whether you need more time than that or not, please reply to this e-mail.
Best regards,
Chief of Human and Reploid Resource Management Department
Gary B. Reef"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Epsilon remarked, laughing. "You get to leave! And that guy Reef is still here…and in a pretty neat place, too."
"Birds of a feather flock together and help each other, eh?" Axl chuckled. "Then again, those other guys are probably too old to work anyways."
"So, do you really need three weeks?" Epsilon asked. "Are you gonna live a citizen and work in another establishment and live a normal life?"
"No," Axl answered. "Being tied to one establishment was what made me feel so dull. I'm gonna live the common dream of drifting around the world, doing small jobs along the way to get by, if I need to.
X told me once, to deter me from joining, that I could've worked as anything because of my copy ability. Well, I guess he's right…" he chuckled to himself again.
"Alriiiight!" Epsilon responded, ecstatic. "Sounds like a lot of fun! Does that mean you won't need three weeks?"
"Yeah. I don't want to drag a suitcase around with me, so I'll just stuff my clothes into a backpack. We may have been humanized, but reploids can survive with only solar energy." Axl answered. "Alright, let's get to packing."
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Were you expecting this? You most likely are if you've read We Want You, my first fanfic on FFN that depicts the events recorded in the video Axl and Epsilon had viewed. I said before that this chapter is written in a way that people who haven't read (and/or aren't planning to read) WWY can understand it just fine, but there's a bonus for the people who have read it (or will).