The mission was over, and it was time to go home. X and Zero realized that, and so with heavy sighs they ordered for the entire mobile command to load up and move out. Driving on side roads so as not to draw attention to themselves, the large convoy made their way across Abel City and returned to the Maverick Hunter HQ late in the night. The day had been long, and the battle well fought, and everyone was ready for a well earned rest…that is, everyone except Zero.

Zero stood alone in the garden, looking out at the city through the large glass windows. The city was a blur of blinding lights, lights from offices, cars, and bikes. Even the occasional loud giggle could be heard in the garden from the city below, and Zero watched it all with a smile. These where the people he fought to protect, these people where the reason he still saw clearly and fought for the right cause. A peaceful home for all reploids was a good goal, he had to admit, but by causing war to create such a thing…it reminded him of just how easily the line between power and madness was, for he just knew that the only way the war could have gone on this long was that the General was mad with power and unwilling to stop, no matter the casualties. It was this realization that he wished Colonel would reach, he knew that his fellow reploid saw the truth. But Colonel was to proud, to strong in his believe for his commander, that he would never stoop to challenge his orders.

With a heavy sigh, Zero watched as the people of the city made their way around, never caring about if they lived or died. In the distance Zero could still see the broken remains of the Sky Lagoon, standing out like a sore thumb on the beauty that was Abel City. After sitting in silence for a great length of time, Zero decided he should try to sleep, and slowly he began to stand up, when he saw someone walking toward him.

"…Zero?" asked a quiet voice, Iris.

Zero stepped toward her and smiled. "What are you doing up so late?"

"I could ask you the same thing." She said with a giggle.

Zero chuckled. "I was just…thinking."

"About the battle today?"

"Yes. I was wondering when your brother would realize that the Maverick Hunters were right, and that we don't want to destroy them. All we want is to figure out what happened to the Sky Lagoon, and with the evidence we have…we just want the Repliforce to try and prove us wrong, that's all….we never wanted any of this, no war…" Zero said with a dull sigh, turning away from Iris.

"But you know how Brother is, he will fight for the Repliforce till the very end…that's what makes him such a good brother, he never gives up….kinda like you Zero."

Zero turned toward Iris with a shy smile. "Like me?"

Iris giggled, stepping closer to Zero. "Yeah…You both fight really hard to help others, and defend all those you care about. You pledged your alliance to the people, and you fight for the people. You stop at nothing to get the job done, and you always come out on top."

Zero smiled, and started to speak when Iris continued her speech.

"I remember when I made that stupid mistake that almost killed you, not scanning for those explosives. I kept telling myself and everyone around me, that I had failed…that I was sorry, and that I was useless to you all. But you came to me Zero; you told me that everyone made mistakes. You showed me that it was ok to mess up, you showed me how to be like you…and brother…how to work at something again and again, and never give up until the job is done! Well, I'm not giving up on Brother! I know he's a good man, and that he could never do these things…and I'm not giving up on you either, Zero…I'm rooting for you till the end. As long as you carry on, so shall I!"

Iris finished her speech with a gasp for air, as she had hardly breathed through the entire thing. Zero chuckled slightly before bursting into a volley of laughter. After a few seconds he stopped and smiled at Iris.

"Thanks Iris…I feel better now. You know, things really have changed around here…maybe for the better."

Iris smiled. "Yeah, for the better." She said, and slowly the two of them walked out of the garden talking and laughing all the way.

"I don't know if I should do this…I mean, it is an awfully bold move." Said General, staring at the blueprints laid out on the table before him.

"But General, it is the only way. Right now the Maverick Hunters are trying to capture you, so they can falsify evidence to make you look guilty. If are found guilty, then all hope for a peaceful reploid utopia is shattered! By using this machine, your victory is assured!" said the man in black, standing at the opposite end of the table as General.

The General let out a large sigh, and after a moment began to speak. But once he had started to talk, there was a knock at the door. With a cold yell the General called for his guest to enter the room, and Colonel walked inside. Glaring at the guest shortly, the man in black returned his gaze to the General and spoke in a more hushed tone.

"You know just as well as I do, of the Hunters intentions General. They work for the humans, fighting for the human way of life. They think they are doing the right thing, but they are nothing more than puppets on a string."

"I see your point, but…do you really think that this weapon is such the thing we need? How would we us it?"

The dark man chuckled. "Ah, usage is simple. All you need to do is go to the spaceport and take a shuttle to the satellite, and then you can manually set the target and firing range."

Colonel, who had remained silent and completely oblivious to the entire operation, suddenly spoke. "Wait a minute, General! Am I to understand that this satellite that this man is speaking of it a weapon?"

"That is correct Colonel, the Final Weapon as it has been dubbed, is a powerful special defense satellite that was constructed long ago. Since the creation of more advanced technologies, the usage of the Final Weapon has been considered an obsolete alternative to more modern methods, but it is still operational."

"And just who do you plan to fire this weapon upon, sir?" Colonel asked, his face growing hot with rage at the idea of an attack hidden from his very knowledge.

The General sighed and pointed to the man at the end of the room. The two of them chuckled before speaking, their voices overlapping each other.

"Why, the Maverick Hunters of course…"