Part 23: Den of Hunters
After a time, Aile wandered her way back to her room. She needed to tell Vent about the upcoming meeting, then she figured she'd go talk to Ashe for a while and drag her along too. Something about the young Hunter girl always cheered her up.
As she approached the door she saw Model X hovering in the hallway. "Why are you out here by yourself?" She asked the biometal.
"Aile!" Model X exclaimed, having not noticed her approaching. "Well, I'm...watching the door."
"Why? Where'd Vent go?" "Nowhere, he's still inside. I was...temporarily removed from the premises."
She raised a curious eyebrow. "And why would Vent kick his own biometal out into the hallway?"
"He didn't, Ashe did."
In the depths of Aile's pockets, Model L suddenly started laughing. Aile looked down in her direction, confused. "I don't get it, what's so funny?"
Model L just laughed harder. "Oh, this is too precious. Not only is Ashe proving to be quite the source of entertainment, but you can't see it even when it's happening right in front of your nose! Oh Aile, you're so blissfully ignorant!" Then she dissolved into laughter again.
"I am not ignorant! I just don't see why Vent and Ashe being together in our bedroom without their biometals is-"
It clicked.
"Oh. Oh."
She felt her face heat up as she began to blush the deepest shade of crimson ever seen on a human being. Her face split into huge grin.
"Yes. Now you see my predicament," Model X observed.
No matter how hard she tried Aile couldn't keep the grin off her face. She cleared her throat theatrically. "So, um...how long have they been...you know..."
"Twenty minutes."
"Twenty min-...ahem. I see."
Model L howled again - if she'd still possessed a body she would have been rolling on the floor and bursting at the seams. As it was, it was a good thing that only Chosen Ones could hear biometals, because she would have drawn the attention of the entire base otherwise.
"Well, do you think you could...um...tell them that we're...!" Aile rushed out the last bit before she started giggling madly to herself.
"So now I'm a doorman and an answering machine?" Model X said levelly. He was obviously not amused.
"Oh, stuff it, X," Model L managed to croak out. "Even the real X knew when to have a good laugh. C'mon Aile, let's go spread some gossip!"
"Model L, I'm shocked you even suggest such a thing! A proper lady should never spread gossip!" Aile's sincerity was so fake that Model X winced...or would have, anyway.
"No, a proper lady should never get caught. Now come on, before anyone can beat us to it!"
Aile ran off down the corridor, still giggling like mad, leaving Model X alone in the corridor once again, wondering why he'd ever allied himself with these people.
"Aile's going to be back soon."
"So? Do you care if she finds out?"
"No, not really. She'll find out eventually anyway."
"Then shut up and enjoy it."
Ashe snuggled closer to Vent's shoulder and sighed happily. Even though the world outside was falling apart around them, as long as she was here with Vent, it felt like everything was going to be okay. She knew it didn't really make sense, but then again, neither did a lot of things she'd seen in the past few days. She was willing to live with just one more unexplainable event, especially if it made her feel so good inside.
That was also what made the guilt she felt about deceiving him even worse. She was incredibly angry with herself for doing it and was still tearing herself up inside over it, but she just couldn't seem to bring herself to tell him. After enjoying the closeness for a little while longer, she decided she couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Vent, there's something I need to tell you," she began quietly. "You know the other night, before we went after Omega, when you were out on the deck and Prairie came out to talk..."
"That was you, I know," he finished.
"You do?" She bolted upright in surprise, nearly bashing her head off the bottom of the top bunk. "I'm sorry Vent, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to - wait, when did you figure it out? How long have you known?"
"Model P told me while we were down in Area M. I didn't suspect a thing, but apparently he saw right through you."
"I...see." Her eyes drifted to stare at the wall. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lie to you. It's just that...well, I was really mixed up at the time, and I was trying to sort some things out. I don't really know why I thought pretending to be Prairie was a good idea; Model A told me I'd regret it later, and as much as I hate to admit it, he was right. I felt really bad about the whole thing afterwards, which only made me even more confused. I couldn't bring myself to tell you about it until I finally couldn't take it anymore. I tried to tell you while we waited for Zero and Prairie, but then Model P hit me with that...whatever it was, and when I woke up I'd lost my nerve again. I was originally coming over here to tell you, but, well...we got a little distracted." She sighed heavily. "I'll understand if you're angry. I know I'd be pretty upset if you did something like that to me."
"No, it's okay. I understand why you did it. In the end you came out and told me, so it's not like you were trying to be mean or subversive or anything. Just don't do it again, all right?"
"Of course not! Especially considering...well, you know. It would just be...weird."
They both heard a ding in the air as the base intercom system turned on and Fleuve's voice filled the air. "May I have your attention please, could all squad commanders please meet in the east wing briefing room at sixteen hundred hours for a strategy meeting. Sorry for the short notice. Thank you." The system turned off with another ding.
"He's certainly got a way with words," Vent remarked.
"And talk about crappy timing! There's no way we're going to be done in time for dinner."
"Glad to see you've got your priorities straight." With a flick of his legs Vent went from lying down on his back to standing on feet in one smooth motion. "You don't have to come, you know. You're not a squad commander."
"Yeah, but we both know I should be there anyway. Besides, with all the rest of you locked up in a briefing room, what else am I going to do with my time?"
He nodded in understanding, then offered her a hand up. "Well then, we should be going."
"Oh my, look how well I've trained you already." She couldn't help but smirk as she took the offered hand to stand, then squeaked in surprise when Vent suddenly pulled her close, their noses nearly touching.
"Or maybe I'm just playing along so I get what I want," he teased with a grin.
"Yes, well...it helps when we want the same thing." She grinned back.
They were both late for the meeting.
The briefing room was a big, official thing, with a podium at the front and rows upon rows of chairs in front of it, enough for over a hundred and fifty people. It was the largest single room in Cygnus base, apart from the cafeteria, built with the intention that it would be used for large briefings such as the one that was taking place right now. However, even with every squad leader in the Guardians present it was barely half full. The Guardians had never really been a big organization, so it was a mystery why someone had thought they needed such a large room.
At least, that's what Fleuve was thinking as he stood behind the podium, watching as all of the squad commanders filed in through the big double-doors at the back. Aile stood to one side with a datapad, taking names and ticking them off a list as each green-clad commander identified themselves. That had been Fleuve's decision - he wanted to make absolutely sure everyone was here. The success of their plan depended on everyone knowing his or her part.
For the time being, Fleuve simply stood silently on a stool behind the podium - he was too short to reach the top - and tried to look confident, collected, and impressive as he faced the crowd, carefully keeping his expression unreadable. If he were to the let the amount of nervousness and uncertainty he actually felt show on his face the entire room would probably have started crying in hopelessness by now. Although, it didn't really matter - every pair of eyes in the room was too busy looking at the figure to his left to even notice him.
There certainly was something about Zero's new body that seemed to draw the eye towards it. Fleuve couldn't explain it, but even his mere presence seemed to command one's attention. It may have just been that he didn't look like any model of modern reploid. In fact, the red armor and helmet would have seemed completely out of place on a normal reploid, yet in Zero's case Fleuve couldn't picture him without them. Whatever it was, it gave Zero the attention of everyone in the entire room, and he hadn't even moved yet.
The more Fleuve studied Zero's appearance, the more he saw the resemblance it had to a Mega Man. In fact, they were so similar that he had to wonder if it was a coincidence or not. Were there other reploids in Zero's time that were as powerful as the Mega Men of today? Were all of the reploids in Zero's time designed like that? Prior to the briefing, he'd asked Zero that very question.
"No," he'd replied. "Only the ones meant for killing."
That cryptic answer only served to confuse Fleuve even further, so he decided to drop the subject. The idea of a reploid being created solely for the purpose of destruction still baffled him - the closest things he could think of to that were the Pseudoroids, but there were a lot of eccentricities about them that he couldn't explain. Of course, what was even more confusing was the fact that one of these killing machines was now leading them into war against what had been, until a fews days ago, their own government.
Fleuve glanced over at Zero, who seemed calm and completely at ease, leaning casually against the back wall with his arms crossed. Nevertheless, Fleuve knew he could go from a relaxed observer to a merciless killing machine in the blink of an eye. Every inch of his frame seemed designed to help kill in the most efficient way possible, from the sleek red chestplate to the pitch-black joint coverings. It was incredibly intimidating, and Zero wasn't even trying. Well, at least he's on our side...but why doesn't that make me feel any better?
Aile suddenly appeared at Fleuve's elbow, waving her datapad under his nose. He snapped out of his thoughts and noticed that the doors had closed and the final few arrivals were now finding their seats.
"All squad commanders present and accounted for, Commander sir, save three."
"I really wish you wouldn't call me that..." Fleuve grumbled as he swiped the pad from her hands. "Who are we missing?"
"Two are from Far East Outpost thirteen. Apparently their transerver is broken and they can't make it for another four hours. We'll just have to get them and their squads caught up on the details once they arrive. The third is my lazy brother."
"Vent, late? That's not like him. Come to think of it, I haven't seen Ashe either. Any idea what they might be doing?"
Aile's face suddenly flushed red. She opened her mouth to say something, then snapped it shut again as she decided against it. Fleuve raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her but she conspicuously averted her eyes, too modest to say any of the variety of remarks that came to mind.
Model L, however, had no such reservations. "If Aile had a little more guts we'd know exactly what they're doing right now. However, if I were to hazard a guess, I'd say that they're both getting dressed."
Through some miracle of self-control Aile managed to keep a straight face, though just barely. Zero raised a mildly-surprised eyebrow. Fleuve could tell from their expressions that Model L had said something, but when he asked Aile to fill him in she shook her head and refused.
"Hmph. Fine, it doesn't matter. There's nothing I can do about the girl, but you can be sure I'll be giving Vent a piece of my mind about procedure and responsibility after the briefing."
"His mind is already filled with a piece of something else, I can assure you," Model L quipped again. Aile rushed off to find herself a seat before she fell over laughing.
"What's with those two?" Fleuve wondered aloud, shaking his head.
"It's a girl thing," Zero said with a dismissive wave. "Those two will be along eventually. Why don't we go ahead and get started?"
Fleuve nodded, then activated the microphone on the podium. The remaining soldiers who hadn't yet sat down quickly did so at the sound of the speaker turning on. "Hello everyone. It's been a long time since I've seen some of your faces, and some of them I've never seen at all. I wish we had time to become acquainted under better circumstances, but I'm afraid time is a luxury we do not have.
"As I'm sure all of you are currently aware, Legion has been taken by mavericks, led by Master Thomas of the Sage Trinity. While we are unsure of his exact objectives, his actions have clearly indicated that they are not in anyone's best interests except his own. With the fall of Legion and its security forces, the Guardians are the only organization with enough power to stop him. To this end, we have called this meeting in order to discuss our battle strategy in preparation for our attack, which will take place at six hudnred hours tomorrow morning."
Fleuve paused for a moment as a murmur went through the crowd. The soldiers seemed to be surprised that they would be mobilizing so quickly. The Guardians were normally a guerilla group that moved quietly and methodically - large-scale mobilizations on short notice were practically unheard of. Fleuve let everyone talk amongst themselves and shout a few questions for a while, but then one in particular caught his attention.
"That doesn't sound like the kind of thing Prairie would do. Where is she, anyway?"
Fleuve cleared his throat into the microphone, calling everyone's attention back to him. "You're right, this isn't the kind of plan Prairie would normally devise. That's because...Prairie is no longer Commander of the Guardians."
Silence filled the room. Way in the back, someone sneezed. It sounded like a gong.
"Whaddya mean, Prairie ain't Commander no more?" Someone finally shouted.
Fleuve shuffled his feet nervously. "I mean...that is...Prairie is..."
"I'll take it from here, Fleuve."
All the heads in the room turned as one to look at Zero, Fleuve's included. After a moment he collected himself and said, "Very well." He stepped down from the podium and motioned toward the microphone, but Zero ignored him. Instead he simply walked forward and spoke in a voice that wasn't much louder than normal speaking volume, but it carried through the room like he was shouting.
"Prairie will not be participating in this operation. She has appointed me temporary Commander of the Guardians. In turn, I've promoted Fleuve to Commander as well. Any order that comes from us is the same as if Prairie had said it herself."
"Why would Prairie promote you?" Someone shouted.
"I know it may not seem to make sense, but-"
"We don't even know who you are!"
"That's irrelevant, I'm-"
"What happened to Prairie? Why isn't she leading us?"
The questions came faster than Zero could answer them. Every time he got more than a few words into a response, someone else grabbed his attention. More and more voices began speaking up, until he simply couldn't keep up with them all. Fleuve was about to call for order in the room when a new voice spoke up from the corner.
"For heaven's sake, just tell them she's dead already."
Everyone in the room jerked their heads towards the voice and found themselves looked at a startled - and very embarrassed - Aile. She was holding her hand over her mouth while her face turned bright red, like she hadn't meant to say anything. Oddly enough, it hadn't sounded like her voice either, Fleuve thought to himself. Something odd was going on there, but he didn't have time to figure out what it was just then.
Zero drew himself up to full height and stared firmly out at the expectant crowd. "In the past twenty-four hours, Ashe, Vent, Prairie, and myself participated in a top-secret mission in an attempt to gain an advantage over Thomas. When push came to shove, Prairie...sacrificed herself so that we would succeed." Another murmur went through the crowd at that, but Zero continued speaking over it. "It is largely due to her actions that I'm standing here right now. Prairie was the kind of commander who refused to sit back and watch events unfold around her. She would never ask any of you to do something she wasn't prepared to do herself, including giving up her life for the cause of something she believed in.
"Prairie trusted that you, the Guardians, were stronger than just one person. Losing someone as...special as her is painful, but she had faith that you would carry on, regardless, to do what we need to do. Don't use Prairie's death as an excuse to be afraid of what might happen tomorrow - she didn't. Everyone here knew what it meant when they put on that uniform, that they'd be putting their life on the line to protect people who can't protect themselves. Let that knowledge give you the determination to do what you have to and see things through to the end, for better or for worse.
"Don't let her sacrifice be for nothing - prove that the Guardians are strong, stronger than anything Thomas can throw at them, and that Prairie was right to have faith in you and believe that, even without her here, you'll still get the job done."
The room was silent as each of the squad leaders thought about Zero's words. He took the opportunity to signal Fleuve back over to the podium. "I've got something I need to do. You can handle the rest of this by yourself?" he asked quietly.
Fleuve wanted to ask for details, but decided it was probably none of his business, so he simply nodded. "I think so. However, I would like to have your input before we finish."
"Thanks. I won't be gone long." Without another word, Zero turned and strode out of the room through a small door off to the side.
Fleuve returned to his place at the podium. "Well, everyone, there you have it. I understand that this information may come as quite a shock, but I would ask that you please refrain from making comments during the meeting. We have a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time to do it in." He was about turn on the display screen that covered the front wall when the back door slid open, followed by Vent stepping into the room with Ashe close on his heels.
"How nice of you two to finally join us," Fleuve remarked loudly.
"Yeah, sorry about that," Vent said sheepishly.
"Hey, don't be mean!" Ashe yelled back. "We would've been here on time but we ran into some people who were kinda put off that you didn't invite them, so we brought them along too."
Ashe stepped out of the doorway and a single-file line of people Fleuve recognized as Hunters started filing into the room. They all waved and smiled at the rest of the Guardians, then found themselves places to sit. Several remarked at how comfortable the chairs were.
"Ah...I'm sorry," Fleuve stammered. "But this is a Guardian operation. We shouldn't get civilians involved."
"Civilian, Guardian, who cares?" One of the bigger Hunters replied. "Not those buggers in Legion, I'll tell you that much. We're all just guys with guns to them - may as well start pointin'em all in the same direction."
"We want our camp back!" Another voice yelled, followed by a chorus of agreement from the rest of the Hunters.
"Besides, we know Legion better than any of the Guardians do," Ashe said.
"The Guardians have access to all of the latest data charts on the Legion terrain," Fleuve replied very matter-of-factly.
"Maybe you do...but the Hunters know all the stuff that isn't on the charts. We live there, remember?" Ashe went and sat down casually in an aisle seat, letting one leg hang over the arm. "Come on, Fleuve. We're willing to help, so let us in on the fun."
Fleuve looked disgruntled, but inside he was more than happy to see the Hunters joining in - they needed all the help they could get. Still, he had appearances to keep, especially in front of all the squad leaders. "All right then. As long as you understand the dangers and are willing to accept the risk."
"The only thing I'm worried about is Ashe beating everybody up before the rest of us get a chance!" Someone yelled, earning himself a wave of chuckles.
"Damn right I will!" Ashe retorted with a smile. "So you guys better bust your asses out there or I'll take all the glory!" She turned back to the front. "So Fleuve, show us this plan you've got so we can tell you all the stuff that's wrong with it."
Fleuve grumbled - genuinely, this time - and flipped on the projector, displaying a series of diagrams and charts on the main screen. "All right then. Zero and I came up with this draft based on the available data, but it's hardly exhaustive. I will begin by explaining the basic strategy, after which I'll open the floor to comments and suggestions."
After leaving the room, Zero went and wandered the halls aimlessly. Immediately after returning to Cygnus Base he'd started devising the attack plan that Fleuve and the others were now reviewing, which hadn't exactly been an easy task. The layout of Legion city was far from simple, and he had to take into account the fact that Thomas had a much bigger army than the Guardians. Luckily, street-to-street combat would favor the side with smaller numbers, but the trick was actually getting into those streets without the Guardian forces being wiped out in the field. Then there was the small problem of the maverick virus turning their own forces against them even as they fought - hopefully Fleuve had come up with a workable solution to that problem while Zero had been dealing with Omega.
Add to that the entire situation with Prairie, plus the fact that he was under constant scrutiny from everyone trying to decide if he really could do all the things he said he could, and the end result was that he was mentally exhausted beyond even his ability to handle. He'd been so wrapped up in everything that was going on that he hadn't even noticed until the issue of Prairie had come up during the meeting and his mind had completely locked up, like someone had slammed on the brakes in his head. He'd managed to talk himself out of it, but he realized he needed some time to himself to get his thoughts in order before he really screwed something up. A lot of lives were going to be depending on him tomorrow, and he needed to be in top form if he was going to pull his plan off, God of Destruction or not.
With all of the extra soldiers currently in the base in preparation for tomorrow's operation, most of the hallways were full to bursting - Cygnus base hadn't been built with the intention of housing the entire Guardian Corps at once. Everywhere Zero went he found another throng of Guardians or Hunters standing around, and each one glanced at him oddly, usually out of the corner of their eye. Whenever he made any indication he noticed they quickly averted their eyes and pretended like nothing had happened. Seeing someone you didn't recognize in a base this crowded wasn't out of the ordinary, but he knew that he didn't look anything like the rest of the Guardians. Even when he was trying to look relaxed he imagined he looked like he was ready to kill something. One of the side effects of being the God of Destruction, he thought to himself with a sigh.
Eventually he found himself standing on the landing platform where the Guardian Base was finishing its repairs. He'd glanced at the repair plans just long enough to see that all the broken parts were being replaced and the power system was being upgraded so that the Sword of Hope could be fired without melting all the circuits. Prairie may have never intended to use the thing, but she'd never expected Legion to turn into a hive of mavericks either. Zero planned to use every weapon available to him to win this thing, no matter how devastating it was.
If I have to raze the entire city to the ground to stop this, then that's what I'll do. After all, it's not like Omega had never done it before - his body was most certainly capable of doing it, which is what had made the moral-less Omega so dangerous. Besides, anything Zero did would undoubtedly be better than what Thomas was planning...whatever that was.
There was a steady stream of mechanics and laborers going in and out of the ship, so Zero decided to avoid using the main entryway. Instead he walked around to the front of the ship, then jumped up and started climbing the wall. He reached the top and hopped the railing onto the upper deck before any of the mechanics milling about the landing pad even noticed he was there. The damage to the deck from the fight with Aeolus had already been repaired so the mechanic teams had already moved on to more important things, leaving the area completely empty - precisely what Zero had been hoping for. He spun around and leaned his arms on the railing, staring off into the distance at nothing in particular.
I'm about to lead the entire Guardian Corps into battle against odds that are overwhelmingly against them. I wonder...what would Prairie have done? Something not quite so rash, no doubt. Thinking back to the last time he'd seen Alouette, Zero never would have predicted that the odd little girl would grow up to be the commanding officer of an army of several thousand soldiers, and a damned good one at that. Zero could see her strategies were a mix of both bold maneuvers and intricate planning, like a combination of both Zero's and Ciel's approach to combat. In fact, even the way she handled her troops was a combination of Ciel's soft-spoken manner and Zero's drill-sergeant personality. He'd already seen Prairie bark orders like the best army officers he'd ever seen, but she also had a way with people such that you couldn't help but like her. Her soldiers didn't do what they were told just because she told them, but because they wanted to do it. It was that kind of respect that Zero had never gained from the Resistance, or even the Maverick Hunters before that.
But what really bothered him about Prairie's death was the same thing Prairie herself had been worried about: that everyone would forget about her. Since she was off of Legion's records, it was highly unlikely that anyone would be lamenting Prairie's death for very long. Sure, the current Guardians would mourn her, but eventually they would be replaced by a newer generation, one who had never met her, and she would slowly fade away into insignificance.
Meanwhile, the legend of the great Maverick Hunter Zero and the God of Destruction continues to live on, when all I ever did was kill things. Why is it that the real heroes, the people like Prairie, always end up forgotten?
It was enough to make him pound the railing in frustration. The only real consolation he had was that he knew what happened to reploids after they died. He hoped that X had taken Prairie to Eden the same way he'd done for Zero centuries ago. If anyone deserved to be in that place, it was her. Maybe she'd meet Iris while she was there - they would probably get along well, considering how much they had in common.
Including being killed by me.
Zero tried to squash that thought as soon as it appeared, but it got out all the same. He knew Prairie's death really wasn't his fault, but in the end there was no denying the fact that he was the one who'd killed her. He didn't want to spend his time thinking about Prairie like that, though. She'd died the way she wanted - helping him - and he wasn't going to shame her memory any further by needlessly pining away over it. Instead, he decided to simply do the last thing she'd ever asked of him - remember her.
So for the next several hours, as the sun slowly dipped down to the horizon, Zero simply stared out into the distance, remembering all the times he'd spent with both Prairie, Commander of the Guardians, and a little girl named Alouette.
Zero was pulled away from his reminiscing by the sound of the elevator door sliding open. He could tell from the footfalls who it was without looking. "Didn't think you'd be the one Fleuve would send to find me. Especially since you were late."
"Only because I brought the Hunters to the meeting with me," Ashe replied snarkily. "Besides, he didn't send just me, Vent and Aile are out looking for you too. I just happened to find you first."
"It's not like I'm hiding," Zero said with a rueful smile, "I just needed some time and space to think about...things."
"Uh huh. Then why is your communicator turned off?" She reached the railing and joined him in staring at the quiet sunset. "Meh, whatever. I know how you feel. I think everyone could use a break right about now, but time is something we don't really have a whole lot of." She turned to look at him. "Of course, you already know that."
Zero nodded. "Losing Prairie was a big deal to everyone, I know. But...none of them were there when it happened, in the same room. None of them were responsible for protecting her life." His eyes squeezed shut as a mental picture of the moment flashed across his vision. None of them opened their eyes to find their fist in her stomach.
"Oh come on, don't gimme that crap," Ashe admonished him. "Prairie knew what she was doing. She knew going after Omega was going to be dangerous and she might not make it out alive, but she did it anyway. She was a big girl who could take care of herself and take responsibility for her own actions. Nobody is blaming you but you. Sometimes things just...don't go the way we'd like them to, and there's nothing you can do about it."
"You think I don't know that?" Zero said quietly. "I've been fighting this stupid war for longer than most people even know it's existed, had more friends and comrades die in front of me than I could possibly count - sometimes I was even the one who killed them. Death is something you have to deal with a lot of during a war." He paused for a moment, then sighed heavily. "But that doesn't mean you ever get used to it."
Ashe crossed her arms and studied him for a moment. "I guess not. Well, as long as you see what I'm saying and don't get too down about it. Right now we need a leader, and everyone's looking at you to fill the shoes. It wouldn't be very good for everyone's morale to see the hero getting all mopey and depressed."
"I never said I was a hero," Zero practically spat.
"Maybe not, but you're the closest thing we've got, so try and look the part, okay? We're all counting on you to get us through this. After all, that's what you came back for, isn't it?" She turned and headed back to the elevator.
Zero was silent for a moment as he thought about that. What am I here for? The answer didn't seem readily apparent, but he didn't want to worry Ashe. "I guess," he reluctantly agreed, then ruefully shook his head. "But he was always better at playing the hero."
"Hmm?" Ashe turned back around, her curiosity piqued. "Who's that?"
Zero glanced at her sideways from across the deck before answering. "I had this friend back during the Maverick Wars. That already made him special, because I wasn't really the kind of reploid who made friends, after a...certain incident. But this guy...he was friends with everyone. He cared about the world, and everyone in it. But that was his one major problem: his heart was too big. After every Hunter mission he'd go and check the casualty list and get this...sadness in his eyes. Just looking at him I knew it was only a matter of time before he snapped. And a couple of times he did...but he kept doing it anyway.
"He'd get that same look in his eyes every time he retired a maverick too. It took me a little while to figure out why, but eventually I got it: he pitied them. It wasn't their fault they'd been infected by the maverick virus. If only things had gone slightly differently, they could have lived out their lives peacefully instead of becoming monsters. What I never really understood was how - how did he manage to care so much about the people he fought and still keep on fighting? It must have destroyed him inside every time he completed a mission, but he kept returning to the battlefield beside me time and time again.
"So one time I asked him - 'why do you care so much about these mavericks?' They weren't people anymore - the virus turned them into vicious, mindless monsters, leaving no trace of their former selves for me to feel sad for. I just couldn't understand why he felt these abominations, our enemies, deserved to be pitied.
"'Because the day I stop caring is the day I stop fighting.' Those words have stuck with me ever since. The day you no longer care about death, even your enemy's, is the day you become the thing you hate. Someone who doesn't care about death is no different than a maverick."
Zero let his head sink down past his arms as he leaned his weight against the railing. "I know it wasn't my fault, and I know what I need to do. But please, could you just...give me a few more minutes?"
After a brief pause, Ashe nodded solemnly. "I won't tell anyone you're up here, but...don't be too long. We need you, Zero." Then she turned back around and entered the elevator, leaving Zero alone with his thoughts once again. However, before she could press the down button her curiosity finally got the better of her. "What happened to your friend?" she asked.
"He stopped fighting."
Zero returned to the briefing room just as Fleuve was wrapping things up.
"Ah, Zero there you are," Fleuve said, keeping his tone carefully neutral - no doubt there were more than a few choice words he'd like to say, but it wouldn't be good for morale to hear the two Commanders berating each other in front of the troops. "We've just finished discussing some modifications to your plans, and I was about to start assigning squads. Perhaps you'd like to look over the new changes?" He gestured towards the display on the wall. Zero glanced briefly in that direction, then shook his head. "No, I trust you all know what you're doing. I see we've even got some Hunters in the crowd now, which is great - I'm sure their knowledge of Legion helped solidify some of the facts I guessed at."
The truth was, he'd be relying on the Hunters joining the fight all along. If they hadn't come to the meeting voluntarily he'd have gone to pick their brains later. After all, recapturing the Hunter Camp was a pivotal part of his strategy, and who better to provide intelligence on it than the people who lived there? Besides, they needed all the soldiers they could get, and he guessed they knew how to handle themselves in battle. He was under the impression that what they lacked in organization they made up for with sheer guts.
"Well...all right then. Given the new changes to the battleplan, here are the assignments for each squad."
Each squad was assigned to one of four groups, each of which was lead by Aile, Vent, Ashe, or himself. Each of them had their own objectives, and not all of them required a large number of soldiers. Most of them were placed under Zero's group, as he was basically going straight up the middle. He was also pretty confident that he could handle more enemies than the rest of the Chosen Ones combined, but saying as much out loud would just sound like he was bragging. And, well...maybe he was.
Zero listened without comment as Fleuve organized everyone - that's what he was good at, after all. He made improvised groups for the Hunters and placed them under Ashe, just so they would 'know where to point their guns', as Fleuve put it. Whether they listened to anything she told them to do was a completely different matter. Zero didn't really care what they did, as long as they killed some mavericks while they were at it.
After each group had their assignment, Zero stepped up to the podium again. "All right, everyone. We know what we have to do, and now we know how we're going to do it. So let's go out there and show them what we're made of."
The mixed group of Hunters and Guardians gave a cheer, then began filing out of the room to go tell the plan to the rest of their squads, leaving only Zero and the three Chosen in the room with Fleuve. Aile tried to slip out as well, but Zero called her out first.
"Could I borrow Model L for a while?" he asked, then turned to Vent and Fleuve. "And Model X and P too. I'd like to ask them a few things."
"Um, yeah, sure," Aile replied, tossing her biometal to him. She looked like she would do anything to get out of the room. It probably had something to do with her unexpected outburst earlier - one of the things he was going to ask Model L about. "Just drop her off in my room when you're done," she said with a wave, then she was out the door.
"Geez, what's with her?" Ashe said. "Looked like she got caught with her hand in the cookie jar...hey! Don't you need Model A too?" She reached inside her pocket to pull him out, then her eyes went wide. "Oh crap! I forgot him in my room!" She turned and bolted out the door, nearly knocking over a couple of Guardians in the process.
"I'd better go make sure she doesn't get lost again," Vent said with a sigh, tossing Model X over to Zero. "I'll come get him from you later on."
"All right. By the way, since you're the only one who can merge with Model P, you'll be taking him along as well." Vent nodded his understanding, then went after Ashe.
"Model P is in my lab uploading a report summarizing his findings," Fleuve said. "I'm off to the command center to prepare for tomorrow so you'll have to pick him up yourself."
"Sounds good. I'll join you after I'm finished."
Fleuve nodded, then he left as well, leaving Zero alone in the briefing room with the two biometals.
"So, what did you want to talk about that you don't want Aile and the others to know?" Model L asked.
"Don't say it like that," Zero replied. "I'm not trying to hide anything, it's just...something they don't need to know. Besides, if I asked you to keep this a secret, what would you do?"
"The same thing I always do: whatever I want."
"Exactly." He began making his way to Fleuve's lab as he talked. "First off - Model L, how did you make Aile yell like that at the start of the meeting?"
"Ha! You noticed that was me, hmm?"
"I'm probably the only one who could recognize your old voice. I take it your Biomerge is coming along nicely?"
"Yes, though that was actually an accident. It would seem that when Aile and I are thinking the same thing it becomes easier for me to control her body if she isn't paying attention. I spoke out loud on purpose, but usually only Chosen can hear me so I didn't think it would be an issue. Apparently Aile also wanted you to hurry up and get to the point. The entire incident was my fault - I'll just have to be more careful with what I say in the future." She floated out of his hand and looked him in the eyes as they continued down the halls. "And how about your Biomerge? At least, I assume that's how you got into Omega's body. By the way, don't you think that's more than just a little bit creepy?"
"Well, I got the idea from you. It's a bit different though. Since I was essentially making a Biomerge with myself, the biolink formed instantly. But after I was in here, rather than switch places like you and Aile do, I...deleted him. So now it's just me."
"So have you moved completely into Omega's body, or are you still in Model Z?" Model X asked.
"I'm...not sure. I think I'm in both. It doesn't really matter, Model Z's M.E.G.A. system is so deeply connected to this body now that I couldn't break the biolink even if I wanted to. I've finally got my original body back, and I'm not letting anyone take it away from me."
They reached Fleuve's lab and found Model P sitting on top of the console. "Ah, hello," he said. "I trust the briefing went well. Is everything in order for tomorrow, then?"
"Almost. There's something I'd like to ask you three." The door slid shut behind Zero as he entered the room.
"And he wouldn't say a word until we arrived," Model L scoffed.
"I just don't like repeating myself, that's all," Zero replied. "Anyway, now that I've got you all in one place...why do you think I'm here?"
"What do you mean?" Model X said. "Isn't that obvious? You're here to help us stop Thomas from unleashing the maverick virus on the world."
"Yeah, but...that doesn't seem like enough. X went to a lot of trouble to break the laws of nature and bring me back from the dead, and if it was just so that I could beat up some megalomaniac with a scheme for world domination, why didn't he bring me back for that thing with Serpent in Innerpeace, or to deal with Albert in Legion? Why bring me back for this, but not those?"
"You've also stopped Omega, who we didn't even know existed," Model L pointed out. "If anyone else in the world knew about him, it would be X."
"Yeah, but if that was the reason, why am I still here? I haven't even heard from X since he pushed me into Model Z back in that mine. Besides, if he was bringing me back to beat up Omega, don't you think he could have told me that rather than make me wait until Prairie thought of it?"
"What are you saying then, Zero?" Model P asked. "Are you inferring there is more going on here than we are being led to believe?"
Zero nodded. "Yeah. I've got a feeling there's something bigger going on here, but I have no idea what it is, and that worries me. The fact that I haven't heard from X at all isn't making me feel any better, either."
"You've had three different bodies in as many days," Model L pointed out, "maybe he can't talk to you anymore. None of us really know what sorts of limitations there are on being a Cyber-Elf, and X tends to break the rules whenever he feels like it anyway, which just makes it even harder to know what he can or can't do."
"No, he'd definitely be able to talk to me," Zero said, shaking his head. "Despite all the form changes I've gone through in the past few days, I'm still a Cyber-Elf. Combined with the odd relationship this body has with Cyberspace it should be easy for X to find me and talk to me."
"Well then maybe he's just busy. Even when he's dead I'm sure he has important things to be doing. X always was a workaholic."
"Model L has a point," Model P agreed. "If there really is some larger issue at hand, it may be that X is currently dealing with problems we have no knowledge of and is temporarily incapable of contacting you. Since X has always had our best interests in mind, I am sure that we will hear from him, should he deem it necessary."
"Maybe you're right," Zero admitted grudgingly, though he didn't really believe it. "But still, did any of you notice anything...I don't know, out of place, while you were with Thomas?"
"Honestly, I didn't really see him much," Model L replied. "And when I did my mind was preoccupied with...other things. I don't think there was anything overly strange about him though. In fact, he did a very good job of pretending to be a good guy right up until Ashe gave Albert the beatdown."
"I agree with Model L," Model P said. "Even I did not suspect Thomas's ruse until he approached us after we retreated from the Ouroborus. He changed after that, adding a lethal cunning to his already formidable intellect. He was still the same person, but somehow...more."
"Wait...maybe that's it," Model X said. The other three all turned to look at him inquisitively. "You two weren't wouldn't know, but Model Z was there with me when Vent and Aile found the report Prairie's research team left behind at the frozen lake in Innerpeace. It mentioned that after prolonged exposure to the Model W fragment they'd found, the researchers began hearing voices in their heads. Vent and Aile also said that Serpent spoke of hearing the voice of Model W when they fought him in the Slither building. Could it be possible that Thomas has a Model W fragment and it's been 'talking' to him?"
"That's impossible," Model L said, "all the Model W's joined together to form Ouroboros and then sank into the ocean. How could he still have one? And how would he keep it a secret from Albert, who made them all in the first place? He didn't seem like the kind of guy to lose track of his possessions."
"We can't be completely sure that every Model W fragment was merged into the Ouroboros. Maybe Thomas only has a small piece, even smaller than the one Serpent had, small enough to hide it from Albert."
"There is also the possibility that Model W itself is responsible," Model P said. "The fragment may have hidden itself from Albert, as a form of insurance, should Albert's plan fail."
"Which it did," Model X agreed. "It's definitely a possibility. We all know that the physical size of the biometal means nothing, it's the power stored inside that matters. Even a small piece could have enough to influence the way a person thinks. Maybe Thomas doesn't even realize it happened, and believes everything he's doing was always his idea, like Serpent and Albert did. As long as Model W gets what it wants I don't think it cares who takes the credit for it."
"It would seem there are a lot of things we don't know, and it makes me rather uncomfortable," Model L said. If she'd had a body she would have squirmed, but instead she just twirled around restlessly. "I think I see why you're asking these questions, Zero."
"Glad I'm not the only one who doesn't like being in the dark." Zero crossed his arms in thought. "Okay then, let's assume you're right. Say Thomas does have a Model W fragment. That still doesn't answer my question: If Thomas is just a glorified version of Serpent, why am I here? If Vent, Aile, and Ashe managed to shut down both Serpent and Albert on their own, why do they need my help to take down Thomas?"
"That's still a very good question," Model X replied. "Though if my theory about Model W 'talking' to Thomas is true, that would mean that it is even more dangerous than we previously believed. It not only provides its wielder with great power, but it also warps their minds until it gets what it wants, all the while leading the wielder to believe it was their own idea."
"It would explain the seemingly coincidental similarities between the schemes of Albert, Serpent, and Thomas," Model P pointed out. "Maybe there's something different about Thomas that made X feel that Zero's presence was necessary."
"So many 'what ifs' and 'maybes'," Model L said. "Despite how little I like being left in the dark, I say there's no point in worrying about it. We don't even know for sure that Thomas does have a piece of Model W handy, so at this point it's all just meaningless hand-waving and guesswork. We'll just have to go with what we have and deal with the rest as it comes along."
"True. However, Zero asked for our ideas on why he's here, and that seems like a reasonable guess," Model X replied.
"Depends on your definition of 'reasonable'," Zero said. "But I guess I'm with Model L - there may be something bigger going on here, but since we have no way of knowing what it is, there's no point in worrying about it. I just wanted to see if you three had any other ideas, that's all. With this body and Model Z, I'm sure I can handle anything Thomas and Model W throw my way."
Model P and X nodded in silent agreement, but Model L laughed. "Ha! I'd never thought of that. That's actually kind of scary: not only are you Omega, but you're Biomerged with Model Z. I wonder, now that the God of Destruction has even more power than he did before, what happens next?" She turned to him expectantly.
Zero couldn't keep the smirk off his face. "He lives up to his title and starts kicking some ass. And after everything I've had to deal with in the past few days, it's about damn time."
Author's Note
Well hey, look at that, I'm not quite dead. I seem to be saying that a lot lately, don't I? I really did intend on getting this out a heck of a lot sooner, but it just didn't turn out that way. This also took WAY longer to write than it should have. I think I rewrote every single part of this at least a dozen times before I got something I was happy with. Even still some of it is pretty meh...this whole chapter is just a bunch of stuff I needed to get out of the way, and I couldn't find a good way to organize it all. There's actually like 4 more scenes I wanted to put here but I just don't have room for them. C'est la vie. The other bad news is that Trinity Universe comes out near the end of the month, and I just *know* it's going to suck up all my time because I love cute things. I'll have to start slacking off at work more to get more writing done...
This part was also delayed because I started in on another project at the same time. I couldn't seem to get any RtZ writing done while it was bouncing around in my head so I took some time off to write that instead. You can read about it in my profile. I probably won't start posting it for a while, but any Zero series fans might like it. Whenever I start posting it you can be sure I'll give myself a shameless plug down here in the Notes. :D
In case it wasn't obvious, "Den of Hunters" is the music that plays while you run around the Hunter Base in ZXA. Technically Cygnus Base is a Den of Guardians, but it's got a bunch of Hunters in it at the moment, so I figured it was close enough.
So, now that all that set-up and character-building is out of the way, it's time to blow **** up. Hopefully that won't take me as long to write as this did. I had to be really careful not to reveal too much during this part, but also get out everything I needed to. (I actually deleted an entire page or two because I decided I shouldn't tell you that yet. Oh, the pains of being one's own editor!) It's a very careful balance between keeping readers in the dark and saying too much and killing the suspense, and it took some time to get it where I wanted it. Blowing things up, on the other hand, is quite easy to do. :D Tune in next time for trash-talking and more explosions than a Michael Bay movie, because Zero's back in his body and feeling pretty pissed.
Thanks to everyone who's still putting alerts/favorites on this thing. I'm terrible for going so long without an update, and I really appreciate it. Especially to the one who sent me a PM to wake me up. :)
...On an unrelated note, the Rockman 10 Image Soundtrack...well, rocks. :D
Ciao!