ZERO NETWORK TRANSMISSION
Rockman Zero/Rockman Battle Network
Authored by The Several

Author's Notes: Whaaaat? A new chapter in the same year, just months after the last one? No, you (probably) aren't dreaming. I'm trying to get back into the groove of getting these out a bit more, and seeing all the people who have enjoyed my stories back then come back with me on this journey now have certainly improved both my motivation and enthusiasm. I'd like to thank you all once again, as my writing in itself isn't much if none of you were here to read it. Continuing and finishing this story is just as much of a matter of personal importance for me as it is a thank you to all of you.

This one's going to be a fairly long one, so I hope you all enjoy.

Zero. EXE walked quietly down the Irregular Hunter Headquarter's hallways, eager to reach his destination. It was rare of him to have to walk through these halls during regular working hours, and even rarer to be in such relatively public spaces.

In no time at all, with no surprise, any netnavi that happened to recognize him from a distance would immediately start murmuring and gazing at his direction. Even worse, some would immediately greet him up close like a secret admirer confessing their feelings. It felt really awkward given his mostly quiet nature, and more than a little suffocating. He was just not the type to enter a room and not be immediately recognized by those who have heard stories about his accomplishments.

"Z-Zero, sir, i-i-it's an hour to meet you! Z-Zero, Zero Sir! Zero. EXE, sir!" the newer ones said one after another, their words stumbled one after another and with stiff salutes. The fresh recruits only hear of his exploits upon joining the Irregulars, and immediately they react like they did on the rare occasion that he is seen.

"Keep up the good work, you're doing the reputation of the Irregular Hunters proud," the other older solo netnavis said, their salutes a bit more casual. Before, these recruits were like the fresh crop, but after a while they had simply come to expect the best outcome of him and nothing less. Bored of the results, seemingly. Sometimes, Zero found himself wishing all the recruits would eventually tire like these ones, and they usually did.

While they said 'reputation,' Zero had never been one for the limelight, and his missions were always kept relatively secret from the public eye. Private records that involve greater and more powerful threats that, if revealed, could create widespread panic. As much as the Hunters would love to use him as a public example of their work, Zero's special missions would likely never see the light of day – just the way he preferred it.

"As expected of the best solo netnavi," the veteran netnavis said, not even bothering to salute. These were the hunters that have been with the Irregulars the longest, some longer than him. Some of them have survived in twice as many battles as he did, but none were ever as strong or as skilled as he.

Though their words were honest, they were also mixed with part disdain and part jealousy. They wonder how long an 'upstart' young netnavi like him could possibly keep up his excellent streak of flawless missions and if his next one would be his first failure. 'The bigger they are, the harder they fall,' they expected.

'Let them dream,' Zero smirked. He was more than eager to disappoint any of his critics. Unlike many of them, Zero wasn't in it for the prestige, and being in secret Special-S missions, he certainly was not in this job for the fame.

He did them because he was the best for the job, and he would remain the absolute best. Nothing else.

"Ah, Zero. EXE. You're here," a solo netnavi that was one of the head of staff standing by the observation deck greeted without looking, knowing Zero had just entered the briefing room. "Let's get on to business."

'Straight to the point, as always,' Zero noted in his head, realizing the difference between the Irregular brass and his so-called cohorts. He smiled. 'That's more like it.'

"A semi-solo netnavi came in here months ago that has since achieved B-Class in just a few months is getting quite a lot of complaints against him from his direct superior, as well as several others from C-Class hunters and below. I've always taken Vile. EXE's complaints with a grain of salt – especially given his horrendous attitude and record – but with the combined grumblings from lower ranks, I thought it best discussed immediately rather than ignore."

Zero raised an eyebrow, slightly confused and suspicious of the chief's motives. "Dealing with the day-to-day drama of regular Hunters is your problem and the other head members of the Irregulars, isn't it? It's not my job to deal with the petty internal politics of these idiots. Why bring this up with me?"

"Inspecting his previous records before the complaints, we believe this B-Class to have... potential," the chief said. "Potential that, with guidance, could see him rise even higher within the ranks, maybe even as high as yours. And we're always on the lookout for potential hunters who can go beyond and lead others as A-Class Hunters. Or maybe even like you, Mister Special-S Class."

"However, if the recent complaints against him have merit, we may rescind that evaluation and quietly dismiss him from service or have him moved to a different department," another netnavi continued. "I thought if anyone could assess if he had the potential or not, it would be you. Of course, you are given the go-ahead to deal with the situation in any way you wish, but discretion is preferred."

"Alright, at least that part makes sense," Zero said as he downloaded the data on the subject. "I can't promise I'd get to the bottom of this whole drama and I couldn't care less what's causing it, but I can at least see if he's worthy material. I can always use more individuals with exceptional capabilities."

"Speaking of which," Zero noted, pointing to the data at hand, "What the hell's this about, 'semi-solo'? Is this guy not a solo netnavi?"

"I'm afraid that's been up for debate, and one of the complaints on the list," one of the chief netnavis replied. "Every once in a while, a human child visits him by the name of Lan Hikari. The child is listed as his 'friend' on the report, but we believe him to be either his former or current netop, though there has been no data or evidence to suggest he had been in the boy's PET for any extended period of time to count as such. And as you know, only solo netnavis are allowed to join the ranks of the Irregulars."

"And it never occurred to any of these complainant idiots that this child may just be this netnavi's friend?" Zero shrugged. "Whatever. Still, I suppose a solo netnavi befriended a human without the human becoming their netop after months of interaction IS unusual, given our purpose to serve humans."

"Very well. I normally don't care about dealing with the petty politics of a few whiny Hunters," Zero said with a nod before turning around to leave the room, "but this netnavi intrigues me now. I accept the mission, but I'm doing it my way. ASAP."

The higher-ups nodded without a word as Zero left the room and looked through the target data one more time with increasing interest. "X. EXE, huh? Wonder what kind of developer would create and name a netnavi something so simple..."

ZERO NETWORK TRANSMISSION
Origins Arc, Part 4
Chapter XXVI: X and Zero

"—Failed again, you coward!" Vile. EXE exclaimed as he berated X for the sixth time in a row that day. Both X and his cohorts from the same 17th Unit knew their A-Class leader could go on and on for hours on lectures – especially against X – despite the fact that he himself were subject to scrutiny from the Irregulars' top brass for his poor judgment and lack of control on the field.

"Sorry, sir. I couldn't help it," X apologized once again. His cohorts sighed again, used to the same old shtick. It was as if X never learned not to step on Vile's metaphorical toes, noting he said he 'couldn't help it' rather than the fact that it 'won't happen again'. Because it will, and they knew there'd be another shouting match, and they'd knew he'd be fine after all of it. He always was.

Their sighs soon turned to shock when they turned to face away from the shouting, only to set their sights on what can only be described as a legend entering their unit's station for what would definitely be a first for everyone involved.

"Alright, that's enough, unit commander Vile. EXE," a voice declared, silencing everyone in the room.

Vile slammed his fist at the wall, hitting near X's head. "Who dares—" He stopped, realizing who it was as he turned around. "Oh, if it isn't the prestigious Special-S Class Hunter, Zero. EXE. What brings your special ass to our lowly den of my unworthy degenerates?"

"Special-S..." X whispered to himself.

"S'funny, the only degenerate I see here is you," Zero dismissed matter-of-factly as he ignored looking at Vile completely and went straight to stand in front of the blue netnavi beside him. "I came for him. Call it an... assessment evaluation."

Vile was first angry at his snarky remark, but kept his composure as soon as he heard the following reason. "Ah, I'm glad the higher-ups have finally heard my reports. I'll be more than glad for you to take him for any pathetic 'evaluation' if it means getting him reprimanded for constantly ruining what it means to be a Hunter in the Irregulars!"

Zero ignored him once again and looked to the blue B-Class Hunter. "You heard me. Come with me. I'll explain on the way." Though he did not show it, he was surprised as X simply nodded politely and followed as he was led out of the station.

As X headed first out of the room, Zero followed, but not before first secretly turning to inspect Vile's reaction. Instead he saw the faces of the rest of X's 17th Unit, the stern but determined look on their faces as the two left the scene.

X asked no questions as he was led across the Irregular Hunter cyberspace hallways, even as they were clearly heading outside and into the open cyberspace areas though this was meant to be a supposed 'assessment'. He expected the blue netnavi to at least attempt to break the ice or start a conversation, but it seems he had his work cut out for him.

"So. X. EXE... I'll get straight to the point," Zero suddenly asked, stopping and turning around on the spot. "One Lan Hikari, a child who comes in here every few weeks to visit... He is not your netop, correct?"

"No, sir,"" X calmly replied. "Lan is a friend."

"Just a friend? Have you never wanted to be his netop?" Zero asked, catching him clearly by surprise from his reaction. "Not all netnavis were meant to be solo, and even those that are were created to help humans."

"I... That has never occurred to me," X responded honestly. "Lan said he never wanted to own a netnavi, especially not one that was built specifically to suit his needs or act as he wanted. He wanted someone who would criticize him when he did something wrong, even at the risk of arguing with them. Someone who would be there for his failures just as much as they are for his victories. A friend."

"And are you not one? Doesn't that fit the criteria?"

"That is true," X nodded, "but I am already Lan's friend, and I have more than criticized and shared my experiences with Lan. I believe both of us feel continuing as 'friends' – the best of friends – is more than enough without having to be forced into a relationship of 'netop'. Besides, it was Lan who asked me to try this line of work, and I cannot work here unless I am considered a solo netnavi."

"Fair enough," Zero nodded with understanding, seeing that both X and Lan understand that he must remain a solo netnavi to remain employed as a Hunter. The Irregulars would never get in-between a netnavi who has found their sense of purpose or a new netop and no longer need to remain solo.

"What about you, sir?" X suddenly asked. "Have you ever considered having a netop?"

Zero blinked, looking at X who had the most curious expression. While he didn't admit it out loud, the question caught him off-guard as much as it did when he asked X about it. During his entire stint with the Irregulars, no one has ever asked him that question. "I... I don't think it's for me."

"I understand," X simply nodded.

Again, he felt confused. 'Understand'? Understand what exactly?'

Zero shook his head, shaking his thoughts off such nonsense. X was an enigma to talk to, but there was more than enough time for that later. "Back to the situation at hand. X... you have heard the allegations brought against you, I assume?"

"Yes," X sighed sadly. "Commander Vile is rarely pleased with my work. I'm afraid I've been trouble for him—"

"I don't actually give a rat's ass about what Vile thinks," Zero interrupted, crossing his arms. "Several C-Class and unranked members of the Irregulars have brought complaints against you, enough that the head council of the Irregular Hunters deemed it a problem in need of investigating."

Zero digitally summoned a set of data files floating on his hand before X. "Disobeying orders, getting unnecessarily injured in combat, reckless endangerment of self and others... A lot of members are saying you don't deserve your rank. What do you have to say about that?"

To his surprise, X nodded fairly squeamishly. "I'm afraid I agree with their assessment. I never wanted to rise in the ranks, nor get into any combat scenarios. But Lan kept telling me that I should do my best in this regard, regardless of what I believe, to see if I was right or not. I'm afraid I wish I had ignored that advice."

"'Doing your best', you say?" Zero said, an eyebrow raised. "All these complaints, and you say you're 'doing your best'? If you had the power to go back in time and do those missions over again, would you say you could have done better?"

"I would definitely say so," X nodded, this time with a firm and determined face. "However, I would not have changed many of my actions regarding those complaints."

Zero said nothing for a moment. "...What do you want to do?"

"I want to be reassigned into a position that does not involve combat. But I still want to help others, netnavis and humans both."

"...I see," Zero said with a smirk, walking up to X before getting right into his face. "Very well then. I'll do as you ask... but only after your other evaluation is done."

"My... other evaluation?"

"Fight me, X."

"W-What!?"

"Oh good, you can still show surprise," Zero said excitedly, cracking his knuckles. "You heard what I said. The last stage of this assessment is a duel against me. Hold nothing back or you won't win. Where you'll go will depend on the outcome of the assessment."

"...So if I win against you, I can get reassigned where I don't have to do combat?" X shook his head. "You can't possibly expect me to beat a Special-S Class Hunter such as yourself..."

"I never said that," Zero said with a confident shrug. "Succeed against me and you stay exactly where you are. Fail, and THEN we can talk about reassigning you to something better suited for you."

"W-What!?"

"Surprised you twice? I'm on a roll," Zero said, laughing as he turned around and started walking away. "Your test will start tomorrow noon. I'm expecting a crowd. Do your best, B-Class."

With that, Zero left X alone with his thoughts, surely wondering what was going on in his head and why he would set up such a strange assessment that was clearly in X's favour.

Zero had been with the Irregulars for a long time, however. He already knew how this would play out. He was no rookie. He had already investigated the human child, the complainants, and the situation with his unit before he even met with X face-to-face. He only wanted to see how the blue netnavi would react, and he was not disappointed.

All X had to do was purposefully fail the test. If he did, he'd get reassigned to a place where he did not need to fight, just as he wanted. It was as simple as that.

But he wouldn't. Zero already knew he wouldn't. Because he knew why he wouldn't.

"There was definitely a lot more to be surprised about him than I expected. He's definitely a strange one," Zero told himself. "For some reason, he reminds me of me... I almost can't wait for tomorrow's test to begin..."

The next day, Zero was already waiting in the Irregular Hunter Base specialized danger room, where many solo netnavis tested dangerous weapons, abilities, and virus attacks. The room is designed as a small compact space with enough stability to be almost comparable to the Undernet – able to handle abuse from weapons and netnavis with their limiters released, keeping anyone or anything from leaving and endangering the cyberspace outside. Not once before has it been used to hold a netbattle between solo netnavis, let alone one that was meant to be an 'assessment'.

Zero had arrived an hour early, eyes closed and arms crossed. There were already more than a few dozen netnavis on the various viewing screens high above, eager to see the mostly secretive S-Class netnavi in action.

At exactly the appointed time, X arrived. Zero opened his eyes, smiling and eager to begin. At any point, Zero would have expected the blue netnavi to show a worried face during the duel, especially after his confusion the day before. But no, only determination was on X's face today.

"...Seems you're ready to be serious today."

"Yes, sir," X nodded, readying his X-Buster on his right arm. "I've decided to win after all."

"Excellent," Zero said as he drew his iconic Z-Saber from the ether and summoned it at the ready. "Remember, this is still an assessment. Don't pull any punches against me, but also don't overclock yourself on the first minute alone. You need to pace yourself through the entire test. Are you ready?"

"Yes," X said, aiming his X-Buster squarely at Zero's chest. "Let us begin."

"Let's!" Zero said before disappearing completely from X's vision. In the fraction of all the viewing netnavis' processors, Zero blinked out of existence and reappeared instantly behind X, his blade ready to slice X's armour clean open and finish the duel in one hit.

X however managed to react fast enough to turn and guard the slash with his left arm, preventing him from instantly losing the fight. However, Zero's slash still swung, and X's makeshift defence in the first move had already cost him a damaged hand.

"So that's the famed Z-Saber, the Special-S Class netnavi's iconic weapon," one of the onlookers remarked to another in complete shock. "Zero's specialized blade, a weapon that runs on his own internal power. I heard that at his command, he can transfer his own energy levels to increase the blade's explosive lethality. No wonder no virus or netnavi has ever stood a chance against it!"

"That blue netnavi doesn't stand a chance," another remarked. "Zero was going easy on him with that swing, probably just testing him..."

"What's the matter, B-Class?" Zero taunted, readying his sword with one hand. "You said you decided to win... Well let's have it!"

X said nothing, nursing his dangling damaged left hand. He had the look of one who was in pain, but the determined expression never left his face.

Zero smiled. "Well if you're not coming to me..."

Once again, Zero disappeared from view and reappeared behind X for another wide slash. This time however, X predicted the move and dodged backwards to completely avoid the attack. In that opening, X flipped and charged his cannon at Zero, but was surprised when he was knocked away when Zero himself flipped as he did and kicked him away.

"Not bad, predicting my moves, but I'm already thinking two steps ahead," Zero said as X tumbled away. "You're going to have to do better than that."

Without losing momentum, Zero went on the offensive again, this time dashing straight towards X before he even had the chance to get back up. With his left arm he went for a straight uppercut, but X managed to guard against it with a block and use the momentum to flip himself right side up. With his field of view corrected, X readied his buster again and started shooting short bursts at Zero.

Zero however was ready for each shot, dodging three short blasts and guarding two before doing a spinning kick that sent X into the air. He wasted no time and went in pursuit, only to be faced with X shooting a charged shot in the opposite direction away from him. He realized too late that X was using the force from his own shot to propel himself towards him, and was met with a punch from what was supposed to be a weakened left arm that instead swung a mean hook.

Zero fell to the ground, but was able to reorient and land himself properly before readying one of his signature attacks. Holding his blade with both hands this time, Zero increased the energy output on the Z-Saber and made it ignite as he performed an upwards slash that took him to the sky. "Ryuenjin!"

X was caught by surprise and took a direct hit by Zero's patented 'Dragon Flame Blade', a move he normally saved for powerful viruses or netnavis. He was surprised he'd use it on a fellow Hunter, let alone someone who was just a B-Class, but for some reason he felt no remorse holding very little back for this particular match.

Before he was able to finish the thought, X – despite being in the middle of an attack – grabbed hold of Zero's burning blade and spun so that he would instead fall towards the ground. 'What is he-?'

To his surprise, as X was falling, he raised his X-Buster straight into the sky, and his cannon changed into a fiery red colour before shooting a massive burning fireball the size of a meteor with Zero in its general direction. "Rising Fire!" X declared.

"W-What!?" Zero exclaimed in shock. X had just used the elemental energy and power of his Ryuenjin and had suddenly sent it back to him in the form of a buster shot!

Just then, he remembered too late something in the blue netnavi's file that could explain this surprise attack. He read something about a 'Copy' ability that was X's unique netnavi trait, but didn't read too far into it in fear of gaining an unfair advantage in the fight that was already widely in his favour. Now, he was not so sure.

"Heh... But if you're going to pull out tricks like that, it seems I'll have to show you a few more of mine to return the favour!" As Zero faced the incoming fireball head on, he held his blade with both hands and aimed downwards, once again channelling his energies into it to instead fill the Z-Saber with a freezing cold. "Hyouretsuzan," he calmly declared as his sword soon turned into a massive ice pike that plunged downwards, powerful enough to smash through X's fireball attack and continue down into X's position.

X narrowly evaded the giant icicle blade by leaping out of the way, but not before touching the weapon with his hand. In the next moment, he spun back, aimed his buster at Zero, and fired rapid shots.

Zero was already well aware of his attack and lifted his blade ready to parry, but in his mind ran concern. 'He's already tried that before, so what's he—'

Zero easily blocked each shot one after another with his saber, only to be blindsided as the last shot he parried hid another shot directly behind it, following just before the last one. If he had dodged the shot it would have been fine, but having decided to parry it, he had no chance to dodge the follow-up and was hit directly in the face.

"AAGH," Zero exclaimed, his eyes closed and burning in pain, his sword still at the ready, wondering where X would try to attack next while he was momentarily blinded.

He felt muted movement behind him, and instantly he switched to a forward thrust, charging his Z-Saber with electrical energy with enough force to decimate whatever he pointed it to. "Raijingeki!"

His blade hit his mark, thrusting deep and stunning it with a powerful electric shock from his 'thunder god attack'. He smirked, as just in time, his eyes started to reset, his vision clearing – only to look in complete shock as the target he impaled was nothing but a giant block of ice in the vague shape of the blue netnavi.

"Frost Tower," X whispered from above as he caught Zero by surprise, landing his hand right on his forehead to activate his Copy ability yet again.

However, at the moment of activation, both Zero and X shrieked, a strange and overpowering energy electrocuting them both. Both netnavis were stunned on the spot, X falling to the ground for a moment, as Zero stumbled much with the same pain.

'What the hell was that!?' Zero wondered to himself. He could feel a strange amount of data flooding into him, as if X downloaded files into his person. However, he knew that wasn't the case – as if all this information was already in him to begin with, merely unlocked at their contact. 'X-Factor... God of Destruction... Zero Virus?... Free will... A... A man named Wily... UUUUUEEEAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...'

'NO!' Zero shouted to himself, shaking himself free from this confusion as he turned to X, saber on hand. 'Think about it later. There's still an assessment to finish... and a duel to win!'

'I can't lose!' Zero told himself, gripping his sword tight as he gritted his teeth. 'Because I'm Zero, damnit!'

X, just as disoriented by what happened, lifted his buster at Zero and somehow managed to unleash a fully-powered shot without any charging time, packed with enough energy to decide the fight in a single hit, obliterating all the cyberspace and tiles that were unfortunate enough to stand in its way.

Zero, however, was not to be just taken down that easily, realizing X was more disoriented than he and the attack was but a last-ditch effort. Zero knew X's X-Buster functioned relatively similarly to his Z-Saber, a weapon that runs on the internal energy of its user. To create an attack of that size and power without even attempting a charge, X must have sacrificed much of his remaining internal energy, leaving him completely defenceless. It was an all-or-nothing attack, but a relatively calculated one.

Instead of guarding, Zero faced the shot head on, grazing past the side of it to take the least amount of damage but also with the least amount of resistance as he dashed past. With his dash at maximum speed, Zero glided along the energies of X's charged shot, combining a bit of its energy with his own reserves to completely maximize his Z-Saber's energy and temperature.

Zero knew the risks of what he had just attempted. Overclock his Z-Saber with too much energy, and he would destroy himself before even reaching X. He would have to balance the temperature on both sides to keep the blade at maximum power and yet prevent it from overheating – a feat that would be nigh impossible without split-second calculation.

Yet, Zero felt no fear, no hesitation, no doubt he would succeed.

Even at Zero's speeds, X could still somehow see clearly his turbo-boosted dash, and jumped back to perform one final charge attack. His blast would both be an offensive attack and push him backwards to recover for his next move.

But Zero knew that whatever disoriented the both of them just moments ago had not fully gone away. This fight had to end now, before he was to truly regret it. For all the intents and purposes of this current fight – an evaluation, a test, a farce, a choice, a challenge – he had to win, no matter what else.

Because he was the best. To him, that's all there was to it.

Zero blinked in and out of space in the same spot to perform a hypersonic dash that multiplied his speed and striking power. Though X was able to fire his shot directly at his face, even in that fraction of a moment, it was as if time had slowed to a crawl and eventually stopped, and Zero was able to perform a triple-spin slash that created a forward hurricane that cut across the battlefield in that one fraction of a millisecond. His Z-Saber transferred with as much energy as he could muster into it without killing his opponent, coupled with the force and energy gathered from X's own shot, into one decisive blow.

The Zero Divider.

With his final move, Zero cut not only through all of X's attacks, but determined the fight's final winner – cutting through half of the X-Buster and injuring all of his limbs, rendering him incapable of fighting completely.

All who witnessed the match were stunned. To them, not much of the fight was left to be seen, except for its more massive and spontaneous moments. Those last few seconds however did not probably even register in their visual data. Moves and attacks so fast their processing could not even determine it.

Zero dismissed his Z-Saber into the ether as he heard the cheers from the viewing room above. None of them doubted he would win, nor should they. But he knew that they all also thought that he merely went easy on the B-Rank Hunter before him.

'Rank meant nothing in this fight,' Zero said, barely able to process what happened the entire fight himself. He started the fight with his usual calm and calculated demeanor, luring X into situations he could counterattack and making plays steps beyond the norm. As the second half of the fight started, however... he felt himself move on auto-pilot. Like he had no choice but to move on instinct, or the precious half a second of thought could somehow cost him this battle.

'I doubt he knew he could do what he did too,' Zero said, looking at X who was now completely downed on the ground, still nursing his wounded arms and legs. 'Like me, it was like he was moving on instincts and thoughts he didn't know he had... maybe strength he had from a past life now long gone. And he did all of that... with one arm wounded!'

'Whatever the reason,' Zero thought as he walked over to X, 'it's safe to say, at his full potential, whatever that may look like in a few years of training... he may make the prestigious rank of Special-S Class seem minuscule in comparison...'

Zero stood before X's lying body on the ground, his arms and legs spread, half of his right arm missing and deleted, but restorable in due time with recovery data. X frowned, looking at the danger room ceiling instead of at Zero.

"...I already knew I wouldn't win. But I had to try."

Zero shrugged confidently. "Of course you wouldn't win. I'm better than you. That's just how it is. But it wasn't about whether you would win or not. It was about whether you would TRY to win or not."

With those words, Zero reach his arm out to X's left arm, which – though injured – could at least still function. X reached for his arm weakly, and with one heft, lifted him up until he could stand up by himself. "...Your comrades in your unit... they told you to try to win, didn't they?"

X was surprised. "H-How did you know?"

Zero crossed his arms, a confident smirk formed across his face. "All the complaints against you, all the criticisms... I've investigated every single one. The ones who make noise are always the ones who don't know the whole story. Every single time you got hurt in a mission was to save the lives of other netnavis or to protect humans in the real world. It was never to show off or because of your terrible judgment."

"The people who DO know you... they would trust you with their lives. They already did," Zero continued. "The moment I made your evaluation public, the people who knew who you really were made sure I knew how much you meant to them, and what they would do to make sure you didn't get kicked out of the Hunters."

X looked down, though sad he couldn't help but smile. "W... When I got back to my unit... They cheered me on... They said I could win... That I should stay with the team..."

Zero tapped him on the shoulder and gave him the biggest smile. "You're an exemplary hunter, X. Not because you're the strongest or because you're the best at what we do... but because you're the best at what YOU do."

"It's not enough to know how to fight when you're part of a team," Zero explained. "Your presence inspires camaraderie and your diligence kept them safe, which in turn allowed them to pass it on to others. If those aren't qualities of a great Hunter, then I don't know what is."

X bowed, hiding a blushing face that couldn't take so much praise. "T-Thank you, sir... But I still lost... I can't stay with my unit, as per your conditions..."

"That's true," Zero nodded as he headed to leave the danger room cyberspace. "A deal's a deal. I'm sorry, but you can't stay as you are. In ten minutes, meet me in the main briefing room to know where you'll be assigned from now on."

"Yes, sir."

As Zero left the danger room cyberspace, he was met by Vile. EXE who was leaning on a wall by the entrance. Though his face was hidden in the shadows of his helmet, Zero could practically see the dumb satisfied grin on his face – presumably from enjoying seeing his own subordinate get a beating.

"Disappointed you took pity and took it easy on him, Special-S," Vile cackled, doing an exaggerated shrug. "I'd have thought you of all people would have taken him down in one single hit, but it seems you're not as strong as you look. Or mayhaps you actually have a sadistic side and just wanted to toy with him first?"

Zero ignored him and started walking past, but Vile stepped in front of him.

"See, I'd normally take such rudeness personally... but since you're removing him from my unit for his failure and sending him into the dump where he belongs, I guess I'll let this pass just onc—"

"I'm not removing him," Zero suddenly interrupted, looking at Vile directly in the eyes with a smug smile. "I'm removing you."

Vile was taken aback, taking moments to process what Zero just uttered from his lips. "W...W-What!? What did you say!?"

"From this day forward, the netnavi known as X will be the 17th Unit's B-Class leader," Zero explained, walking past the dumbfounded Vile with nary a thought. "I'm sure your unit will be glad to hear the news. My mission is complete."

With those words, Zero tuned Vile out of his mind and continued walking, glad that his mission was now over and ready to take on a new mission. While he was not expecting such a workout from that last one, he hoped his next one would actually prove somewhat of a challenge for someone of his skills. He was surprised, however, to have felt such a strange kinship with another netnavi, as short as it was.

In the following weeks, he promised himself he'd have another discussion – and maybe another duel – with this X, and maybe meet this Lan Hikari friend of his. Zero was not one for socializing with others, and argued to himself this was simply to move himself to the next level beyond himself and nothing else.

He did not know it then, nor could he admit it in the months following, but that day was the beginning of a long and unbreakable bond between netnavis that Zero thought he would never experience...

To be continued...

NEXT CHAPTER: Several years later, X and Zero had become inseparable lifelong friends. However, like many things, this was not to last. The strange interference that Zero felt when X tried to use his copy ability on him has unloaded all sorts of strange truths about where Zero came from, unleashing all sorts of code in his head slowly over a long span of time. From the existence of the secret X-Factor... to the dreaded Zero Virus that was to be used by the terrorist cell World Three a decade prior. This was the beginning of that horrible day: Calamity Hour. The Zero Nightmare Incident.

TERMINOLOGY

1. Irregular Hunters (Part 1) – an online cyberspace group of what could be considered mercenaries that was formed by solo netnavis years ago to give other solo netnavis a chance to serve humans without becoming attached to a netop. Solo netnavis who do eventually find a different purpose or become one with a netop cannot be part of the Irregulars and will not be stopped by the Irregulars from choosing to be part of, as the purpose of netnavis has always been to serve humans in whatever is deemed best by them.

2. Irregular Hunters (Part 2) – I chose the Japanese title 'Irregular Hunters' instead of the translated title 'Maverick Hunters' because while I prefer the latter, the original title of Irregulars fit the theme of this world better, as these mercenaries were not hired specifically to take rogue netnavis or viruses out, but do instead 'irregular' duties that could range from simple cyberspace performance tasks to secret undercover missions.

3. Vile. EXE – not much to say here, but Vile has always been a thorn in X's side in any incarnation of the character. From the original Mega Man X to X8 to the remake Maverick Hunter X, Vile has always had an irrational hatred for the blue bomber due to his crippling inferiority complex – unable to grasp that X will always be stronger than him but would never use his full strength against his opponent, and Vile sees that as X looking down on him. Vile views Zero pretty much the same way, except that Zero would never hold his strength back against Vile. Over the course of the games, there have been many Vile-like characters (Shadow, Mack, etc.), but there's only one recurring jerk like Vile. If this was a prequel to my story, I'd delve more on Vile's history and motivations, but since it's not and we should REALLY get back to Zero and Ciel's story again, I won't.

4. Z-Saber – as you can tell from reading this chapter, I gave this version of the Z-Saber a unique capability which will definitely come into play again later. In this universe, only Zero can hold the True Z-Saber, much like how only X can hold the X-Buster. And very much like X's buster which can take input from his own energy reserves for a devastating charged shot, Zero's Z-Saber in this world, while already a deadly weapon on its own, can further enhance its lethality by tapping directly into Zero's own energy source. At maximum levels, Zero can perform his unique signature attack, the so-called 'Zero Divider'.

5. Zero and X's attacks – Zero's Raijingeki (thunder god attack), Ryuenjin (dragon flame blade), and Hyouretsuzan (ice fury slash), and X's Frost Shield and Rising Fire are all weaponskills from their appearance in Mega Man X4.

6. Zero Divider – named after the phrase 'dividing by zero' – a mathematical feat that is considered 'undefined', this move is a testament to that very phenomenon: the act of performing what is considered the impossible or reaching the impossibility of infinity, hence the name 'Zero Divider'. By overcharging his Z-Saber with his own energy reserves to the maximum for a single short burst, Zero can perform a single hypersonic slash that is both unblockable and impossible to dodge. However, such a powerful move has a secret weakness: Zero can not charge his Z-Saber for more than the exact moment he performs the attack or else risk overclocking and therefore breaking both his sword and himself. Such a transfer of his own energy reserves will also leave him momentarily vulnerable to a counterattack after performing it, as his own personal shields will be useless until he regains enough energy back. It is a double-edge technique, one that can only be used with masterful planning and quick-witted decision.

Author's Note: Alrighty, let's see how long I can keep up this streak. God, strength, and luck willing, I'll be able to get the next chapter out before the year is over. I plan for there to be at least TWO more chapters for the X Arc before we get back to the present time, and hopefully I can get all of that out without extending it yet another chapter because of an idea I wanted to expand. As I stated in previous chapters, this flashback arc was supposed to be only TWO chapters long, but here we are, at Part 4 of a planned 6. Funny how life works sometimes. But next time – next time is where we get to the truth of the story! The very day of the Nightmare Incident itself that has been hinted at throughout this entire story. And, as you all know, for those who have been keeping track, the same day that Ciel's mother was killed – inevitably tying Ciel's future with Zero's. Thank you all for continuing to read ZNT!