Author's Notes; Dark Armors AU. POV. Zero's POV. Plot. Some Action. Shounen Ai. Well, here we are, the finale..This was quite interesting to write..and its an old project I'm happy to call done..I've done a summary on the dark armors way before this fic was written..I will make a new one and publish it before starting any new fics..Until next time..Please enjoy..

Pen and pencil scratching filled the room. We watched the press members writing, waiting until they were done to continue our story. I wrapped my arm around X's lap, keeping him in mine. He was still a little nervous, I could tell, but as we talked, he was easing very slightly and growing comfortable in my lap.

I started when it looked like all the press members were done writing.

The desert days were long and hot. We learned our special airborne forms responded to the night, not the day. We decided to make sure we had supplies enough for the both of us before sleeping the hot day away. I didn't have my wings during the day to cool us off was my only regret.

At night, we worked in more training. Feeling so guilty about our training experiences before, I let X practice his new abilities on me without defending. X was reluctant to do it, having forgiven me for those mishaps, but I insisted. His water streams washed me across the cold desert sands when he worked up the courage. When he fired his ice beam, I countered with my own, seeing our ice beams clash against each other. The beams clashed briefly before we both gave out, getting knocked to the way side.

I didn't bother getting up for a while. I deserved these wounds, I knew I did with my foolish moves. I did hope what I had planned would work too. As my thoughts bounced around in my head as I laid in the desert sands, I could see X as a silhouette walking towards me. I wondered if he thought I was a fool too. I certainly felt like one.

I felt X's gaze upon me when he got close enough. I was shocked beyond words when X took me in his arms and carried me back to the oasis. Usually its X who needs comfort after prolonged stress. Though, that doesn't mean I don't have times when I need it too. I watched him as he carried me in his arms. He wasn't mad at all. He had a sad grin on his face. 'I don't blame you for anything, Zero. The training, giving up being a commander, none of it. Those were accidents and you did what you thought was right.' He told me as he sat down at our camp and kept me on his lap to heal my wounds. I barely knew what to say due to this sudden brief shift in roles. 'You're the best, X. You will make a beautiful lieutenant commander.' was all I could manage to say as I let him heal my wounds.

The meeting night finally arrived. We learned that my armor would still change upon nightfall, but only under the new moon would it become the version Signas dreaded so much. I wondered if he would still think it was all the same. X's armor no longer had its angel wings to boot, so it was clear he was only able to fly with me under the new moon and my flying dark form worked only under such a condition too. We checked to see if we still had our powers. X still had his, but all I had for mine was water. I was pretty sure this could still work out. X gathered vines from the oasis as I packed up our makeshift camp into my compartments on my leg armor. 'You'll have to tie your arms in front of you this time.' I told X once I was all packed up. I gently took the vines from him and tied his wrists in front of him so he could still move his arms.

Since he would have to ride on my back, getting on proved a little tricky for X. I had to support his elbows while he secured his legs on my waist. 'Put your arms around my neck like you were going to put me in a headlock.' I told him, but he couldn't with his wrists already tied. I managed to untie him and let him wrap his arms around my neck and chest before tying him up again. Once we were finally ready, I took flight back to Abel City. I was sure hoping this plan would work.

We could see that more than one reploid was awaiting us as we got close to the HQ building. We could see Signas and with him lots of other reploids, many of which were my former subordinates as commander. I wondered if any of them would listen to what we had to say or if Signas had brainwashed them into thinking I was maverick too. I touched down gently in the grass of HQ's front yard near the sidewalk, looking at Signas and the other reploids.

'Good to see you're a man of your word, even as a Maverick. I'll take X first.' Signas told me. 'Remember; when I give the signal, freeze him.' I whispered to X as I cut the vines from his wrists. I felt X slowly slide off my back and watched him walk towards Signas quietly. Those few minutes seemed like an hour before X drew close to Signas. When he was just turning around at Signas' side, I rustled the grass with the tip of my boot. X's mouth opened and shot a wide stream of the purple ice onto Signas, freezing all but his head. All the reploids gasped when X did this, never imagining that X would do such a thing, but it was all part of my plan. 'What's the meaning of this, X? Thaw me out right now!' Signas protested. The other reploids couldn't have looked more confused. They wanted to attack, but weren't sure if they should. Ignoring Signas' barking, I turned towards them and tried things X's way for a change. 'Is this what you guys truly prefer for the position of Commander? A reploid that gives unfair punishments and can't tell a Maverick from a simple armor upgrade?' I asked them. The other reploids looked each other, some in sorrow and some in confusion.

As the reploids chatted among each other, X came to my side and hugged me tightly. 'Signas was ready to put me on probation because of the training Zero and I were doing with our new armors and weapons. A little chaos is to be expected of anything new. For Zero, because it had happened several times over, Signas expelled your former commander, literally kicking him out and labelling him Maverick.' He explained. We saw that Signas was starting to get some cross glares from the other reploids. 'That's rather crude.' One reploid remarked. 'Yeah, if there was chaos in the training room, Zero would let us off with a warning and send us to the field behind the HQ to train.' Another remarked. Many others murmured amongst each other, starting to agree that Signas' practices towards X and I had been strange and even unusual.

One reploid, of which I remember to have helped drag me out of the HQ building and have thrown me out, stepped towards us. 'On behalf of all of us at HQ, please accept our apologies. We see now that we were taking orders from a power hungry reploid who had us all fooled. If you will forgive our mistake, we would be honored to have you as commander once more.' Signas struggled against his icy imprisonment. 'What? You would rather do the bidding of a Maverick? You sicken me. All of you. He'll likely use you all as a means to revive Sigma! Ever think of that?' I smirked and looked at Signas. 'Oh, I'm sorry. Wasn't that your plan? You were trying to get rid of me and X intentionally, weren't you? That way, making a body for Sigma would be all the easier.' I saw Signas' eyes widen. 'What? How did you know?' I chuckled. 'Come on. If X and I were gone from HQ permanently, the next one to take my place could easily access the confidential files on the Sigma Virus and then set to work making a new body for him. With us out of the way, this idea could go smoothly and Sigma could take over with little resistance. Its truly so simple.'

'You monster!' cried one of the other reploids and right after, almost all of them gathered around and began taking turns slugging Signas in the face. I couldn't help but chuckle before looking at the reploid before me. 'If you will accept that my lieutenant commander will be a hunter of lower tier than me, then I will accept my former position once more.' The other reploid looked puzzled. 'Erm, who might that be, sir? Its unwise to choose a low tier hunter without a good reason.' I gently pet X's side and looked down at him. 'This one.' The other reploid looked a little puzzled. 'X, sir? He's a B hunter. Though, if you have that much faith in him, I suppose its not my place to object or question your decision.' I smirked a little and nodded. 'That's more like it. Call off the others and get some cuffs.'

Once the reploids had cleared away from Signas' ice clump and two reploids were ready with cuffs, I turned back towards Signas and gave my head crystal a light press. My armor reverted to my primary dark armor, the one I had first changed into upon finding Nethersbane as I slowly drew close to Signas. The other reploids gasped and murmured at my change of armor as I kept my focus on Signas. I stopped a few feet away from him, inhaling and gently holding my chest. I felt everyone's eyes on me in suspense. I exhaled the red fire in a large burst before focusing it into a short but strong stream. Signas' ice clump melted down and he fell face first into the ground. I cooled off and stopped my flames before giving my first orders. 'Signas, you are now under arrest and prison bound for treason. I will also make it a point to request that you are also rehabilitated while you are there. I label you Maverick. Take him to the station.' 'Sir!' several reploids saluted and cuffed Signas, dragging him down the street. I felt X cling to me tighter, hearing a deep sigh of relief from him. 'Be at ease, my lieutenant commander. We're home and we've avoided a brush with disaster.'