Do I have to say it again?
It ain't mine!
Chapter Three: Perfringo Animus
Zero looked about as he walked towards Dr. Cain's office. He was jittery, easily spooked. Other Hunters noticed but didn't say anything out of respect. Taking one last look behind him, he darted into the room and closed the door quietly.
"Zero! Is something wrong?"
With a choked yelp, Zero jumped five feet up into the air and came down with a clatter. "Please don't do that," Zero said softly looking away from the doctor.
"Now I know something is wrong, you never say 'please'. Now spill." Despite his words Dr. Cain was genuinely worried about Zero. He was jumpy, taking all of his days off and sometimes dipping into his huge pile of vacation leave that he had acquired. And from what he heard, X was the one getting Zero to do so.
Typically he would have smiled upon this. But despite this, Zero was looking like he was getting less sleep and was more stressed.
"S-some-something's wrong with X."
Dr. Cain frowned. "What do you mean? I saw him just this morning and he looked fine."
Zero tensed. "No… No, SOMETHING is DEFINITELY wrong with him…" Something has to be wrong with him!
"From what I'm seeing something is definitely wrong with YOU."
Zero swallowed. "If… if X was fine, would he be doing this me?" Zero asked earnestly, seemingly desperate for an answer to know that he wasn't deceiving himself, that X wouldn't do this to him. He started removing bits of his armor, chest-plate, arm guards, peeling back the sheet metal around his upper arms, revealing the ugly bruises across his body, the dent in his collarbone and a thousand more injuries. "He's been hurting me. I… I'm scared of him."
Dr. Cain's eyes widened. He'd never seen Zero so distressed before. He examined the bruises carefully. "You say X did this to you?" he whispered.
Zero nodded.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?! Why did you just let him thrash you like this?!" Dr. Cain exclaimed.
Zero blushed. "He… he didn't exactly 'thrash' me…" His voice trailed off…
Except that one time you deserved it.
STOP IT!
"What are you hiding Zero? Answer me!"
"X has been… aggressive the last few nights," Zero stated.
Cain fixed Zero with a stare and folded his arms. Had he been drunk or had Zero been his normal self it would not have had any effect. But Cain was quite sober, making his glare formidable, and Zero was cowed by the nights of torture he had endured.
"H-he-he raped me…" Zero said so softly it was barley audible.
Dr. Cain's eyes bugged out, ruining his stare. "WHAT???!!! Did I just hear you right?!"
"Yes… unfortunately you did," Zero said flatly, his shoulders slumping.
"Why… how… How did this happen?" Dr. Cain asked in an amazed tone.
Zero winced and a snide comment about the birds, bees and anal sex died before the thought to make such a comment completely spawned in his mind. He really didn't want to tell Dr. Cain about their relationship…
"Zero… are you sure you didn't get these in battle?" It was a stupid question since Cain knew that Zero hadn't even gone on patrol since the ambush.
Zero's face flushed red with anger and embarrassment. "YES I'M DAMN SURE I DIDN'T GET THESE IN BATTLE!" Zero yelled. He sighed heavily. "All right… I'll tell you everything. 'Cause I'm scared for X… and for me." Zero paced uncomfortably. "X and I… are in a relationship. We… we've been together for almost six months… And at first everything was fine… but now…" Zero rubbed his eyes, stopping the tears before they started and clearing them of sleep. He had cried under X the last three nights, but he wouldn't give his tears to anyone anymore unless he had to. "Something happened that day that he almost got killed by Vile. I know SOMETHING is wrong… X has never hurt me like this before…" A bit of the old steel, some of his lost will, reasserted its self in Zero's backbone, and he stated, "I want him analyzed to see if the Maverick Virus is in him."
Dr. Cain was shocked. Zero's story was unbelievable, but others had been muttering about X's attitude change. "Zero…"
"I'm demanding this as a unit leader. It's my right to do so." Zero shivered and then turned his eyes to Dr. Cain. "Please Dr. Cain… you have to help us!" Zero pleaded suddenly. "I'm so worried about him…"
Dr. Cain's eyes widened. Finally, he smiled warmly at the Crimson Hunter. "All right Zero. I'll help you out."
* * * *
Zero felt almost sick as he walked down to his room. Honestly, he was a bit scared of confronting X. But, he cared about him and HAD to help him.
Zero poked his head in the room and smiled at his friend. "Hey X…"
X sighed and put down the paperwork he'd been organizing. "Zero… what a pleasant surprise to see you here…"
Zero cringed away from X as he looked at him and cut him off before he could suggest anything wanton. "I… I just came to tell you that Dr. Cain wants to see us. Stat."
X frowned. "Oh… is that all?" X slowly stood and stretched his back. "Ah… well. All right. I needed a break anyway." He walked over to the door. "Let's go."
They walked in sync, just like before, as if nothing was wrong, and for a moment Zero could convince himself it was the case, that nothing had happened and that it was all a bad dream. But the pain, it was real. Soon, he whispered to himself in his mind. Soon all it will be is a bad memory, even less, a nightmare.
X walked a little bit closer to Zero and said in a low voice, "I missed you last night…"
Zero shivered in his armor and recoiled away from X.
X grinned. "Don't worry, we'll make up for lost time tonight."
All Zero could manage was a strangled whimper.
* * * *
They walked though the door way together. "You needed som--?" was all that managed to get out of X's mouth before he was knocked out by a reploid standing just inside the doorway.
He looked down at X, then up at Zero. "Don't worry sir, soon everything will be back to normal."
Zero smiled weakly in return.
While X was out they strapped him to an examining table and then the other reploid left. Zero sat up on another table and hugged his knees to his chest.
"He has to be up for me to run the test you know… Are you sure you want to be here?"
Zero nodded and Dr. Cain brought X out of stasis lock by flicking his power switch instead of his usual method.
Pure fury blew over X's features for a moment, then composed into something approaching normal. "Is something wrong Doc?" X asked as his gaze was locked upon Zero's unmoving form.
"Nothing much," the doctor answered in a nonchalant tone. "You don't mind if we test you for the Maverick Virus, do you?"
X snorted softly. Do I mind? You have me strapped to a table, jackass! "Not at all, Doc."
All the tests came out negative, every signal one. Zero looked more dejected, and hugged his knees tighter. X looked victorious and smirked up at Zero. And Dr. Cain just looked puzzled.
"Something isn't right. I'm going to do a full scan." He pressed the button for the scan to begin.
X's cool and confident attitude evaporated. "No!" X growled furiously and thrashed wildly. One of the metal restraints holding his arm down groaned and screamed then broke open. Hate filled his eyes as he slammed Dr. Cain in the face, knocking him unconscious.
Zero froze up. He was too terrified to run to the doctor's side and see if he was all right. His eyes slowly turned to X.
X glared at Zero. "Zero! Let me out of here!"
Zero didn't move.
"DAMN YOU!" X roared. He clenched his teeth with exertion and the remaining restraint around his arm broke open. Quickly after that he ripped the two restraints around his boots off. X stood.
Zero's face went pale. He backed away, eyes dead with terror.
X glanced down at the doctor. "Fool," he snorted. X looked back up at Zero. His expression was unreadable.
"X…" Zero whispered. "I was only… trying to help you… Please…"
X shook his head slowly, disgusted. "How dare you?" he asked breathlessly. "I can't believe this." X narrowed his eyes.
"What… what are you going to do?" Zero dared to ask.
X stepped forward and grabbed Zero's arm tightly. He smirked. "I'm going to kill you and rape your cold, dead body."
Zero's whole body trembled uncontrollably. Tears glistened in his eyes. His will was gone. It had taken all he had to bring X here. Zero whimpered pitifully, unable to fight back.
Dr. Cain slowly opened his eyes. He touched his forehead to feel hot, sticky blood. He suddenly remembered…
X!
Even if Dr. Cain hadn't heard X's remark, or even been hit, he would have known something was wrong, the computer had IDed the brain pattern. It was Sigma's.
Dr. Cain weakly forced himself to his feet. The scene in front of him horrified him.
X had his back turned to him. One hand held Zero to the wall and the other was wrapped tightly around his neck.
Zero's eyes were shut tightly. Soft sobs escaped from his battered body as X slowly and agonizingly strangled him, intent on crushing his spinal cord. Zero wasn't even attempting to struggle.
Dr. Cain pulled an energy trank gun from his desk and leveled it at X's head.
X whirled around. "YOU!" he spat. "You are supposed to be DEAD!"
"So are you," Dr. Cain wheezed. He pulled the trigger.
A spasm of pain surged through X. His hold on Zero slackened and eventually dropped completely.
Zero opened his eyes in surprise when X had stopped. He gasped as he saw X lying on the ground unconscious.
Dr. Cain stared at him with uncertain eyes. Why hadn't he fought back? Dr. Cain noticed ugly fingerprint bruises around Zero's neck. "Oh Zero…" he whispered.
Zero drew in a labored breath. "X…" he said in a raspy voice.
Dr. Cain sighed softly. He examined the computer closely. "Just as I thought… Sigma."
Zero's eyes widened.
Dr. Cain kneeled down beside X. "Where is it?" he murmured to himself. He searched X over along his spine.
Zero sniffled and hugged his knees tighter. He looked ashen and dejected.
"Here it is!" Dr. Cain cut open and pulled back some of X's synth-skin and plucked something out. He stood with a small chip in his fingers. "This was controlling X."
"What is it?" Zero asked in a whisper.
"This thing is called a Restrain Chip. What it does is restrain the impulses in a reploid's brain wave and substitutes--transplants is a better word, another brain wave though a relay. It was outlawed, except for extreme medical emergencies, since the technology for it came out." Dr. Cain paused and thought it over for a moment. "Since then most reploids were built so the things can't be put on them, but X is the first model, and technology hasn't changed much since him so no one thought of upgrading that part of him."
Zero looked up at Dr. Cain.
"Vile probably implanted it on X that day he was ambushed in the warehouse. Sigma has been in control of X. It's like the Maverick Virus, only much easier to operate. The Maverick Virus can be unpredictable… And it is possible to fight the Sigma virus-but with this Sigma had complete control over X with no chance of him being able to override him." He waved the thing in the air. "With this, Sigma was X. However, it is very easy to remove, as you can see." Dr. Cain smiled halfheartedly. He handed it to Zero.
Zero frowned as he held it in his hand. Fresh tears filled his eyes. He clenched a fist, crushing the chip to nothing in the palm of his hand.
Dr. Cain put a comforting hand on Zero's shoulder. "It's over now. X is back to normal." He glanced down at him. "Do you want me to wake him up?"
"Does… does X know what happened? What he did to me?"
Dr. Cain nodded slowly. "He saw everything."
Zero bit his bottom lip. "Wake… wake X up…" he said in a broken voice.
"Okay…" Dr. Cain whacked X VERY HARD over the head with his cane.
"OW!"
Zero couldn't help but smile slightly.
X shot up. He glanced down at his hands and flexed them, amazed that they were moving under his command. Then he looked all around the room. "I'm back."
"Yup," Dr. Cain grumbled. "You put us through a lot of hell X."
"It wasn't ME!" X objected. He sniffed.
"Some more than others…" Dr. Cain motioned towards Zero.
X stared up at his best friend. "Oh Z…"
Zero cringed and drew back, shivering. He looked like he was to small for his armor, like he was hiding in it. He was a wraith, a pale shadow of what he had been.
"I… I'm so sorry…" X shakily climbed to his feet. He tried to look Zero in the eyes, but he wouldn't acknowledge him and turned his head away. "Can you ever forgive me?"
Zero didn't answer.
X sighed heavily. "So Doc… you know everything now?"
Dr. Cain grinned. "All I need now is my own TV show where I can discuss your mating habits!" He seemed thrilled by this.
"That's not funny," X said hotly. He turned back to Zero. "Zero… are you all right? I… I couldn't control him… I begged him to stop…"
Zero slowly shifted to the right a bit, giving X room to sit down beside him.
X was somewhat relieved. "Um, Doc? Could you leave us alone for awhile?"
"Fine. I've got to go get some ice for my head anyway." Dr. Cain stumbled out the door.
X hesitantly sat down next to Zero. "I'm so sorry…" he said again. He gently put an arm around Zero and pulled him close. "I feel so horrible…"
Zero flinched but submitted to the embrace, his muscles instantly loosening-not because he was calm, but because it hurt less when you were hit. The fear and pain he had experienced in the last few days were still fresh in his mind. Would he ever be able to trust X again? Was he even mentally capable of it?
No longer did the presence of his best friend comfort him. No longer did his touch make him relax. Now it was fear and depression.
Everything was the same; there was no difference from the removal of the chip. That body had degraded him. That voice had cursed him. Those hands had hurt him over and over again.
Zero wondered if the eyes were the same, but he was too afraid to look.
It ain't mine!
Chapter Three: Perfringo Animus
Zero looked about as he walked towards Dr. Cain's office. He was jittery, easily spooked. Other Hunters noticed but didn't say anything out of respect. Taking one last look behind him, he darted into the room and closed the door quietly.
"Zero! Is something wrong?"
With a choked yelp, Zero jumped five feet up into the air and came down with a clatter. "Please don't do that," Zero said softly looking away from the doctor.
"Now I know something is wrong, you never say 'please'. Now spill." Despite his words Dr. Cain was genuinely worried about Zero. He was jumpy, taking all of his days off and sometimes dipping into his huge pile of vacation leave that he had acquired. And from what he heard, X was the one getting Zero to do so.
Typically he would have smiled upon this. But despite this, Zero was looking like he was getting less sleep and was more stressed.
"S-some-something's wrong with X."
Dr. Cain frowned. "What do you mean? I saw him just this morning and he looked fine."
Zero tensed. "No… No, SOMETHING is DEFINITELY wrong with him…" Something has to be wrong with him!
"From what I'm seeing something is definitely wrong with YOU."
Zero swallowed. "If… if X was fine, would he be doing this me?" Zero asked earnestly, seemingly desperate for an answer to know that he wasn't deceiving himself, that X wouldn't do this to him. He started removing bits of his armor, chest-plate, arm guards, peeling back the sheet metal around his upper arms, revealing the ugly bruises across his body, the dent in his collarbone and a thousand more injuries. "He's been hurting me. I… I'm scared of him."
Dr. Cain's eyes widened. He'd never seen Zero so distressed before. He examined the bruises carefully. "You say X did this to you?" he whispered.
Zero nodded.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?! Why did you just let him thrash you like this?!" Dr. Cain exclaimed.
Zero blushed. "He… he didn't exactly 'thrash' me…" His voice trailed off…
Except that one time you deserved it.
STOP IT!
"What are you hiding Zero? Answer me!"
"X has been… aggressive the last few nights," Zero stated.
Cain fixed Zero with a stare and folded his arms. Had he been drunk or had Zero been his normal self it would not have had any effect. But Cain was quite sober, making his glare formidable, and Zero was cowed by the nights of torture he had endured.
"H-he-he raped me…" Zero said so softly it was barley audible.
Dr. Cain's eyes bugged out, ruining his stare. "WHAT???!!! Did I just hear you right?!"
"Yes… unfortunately you did," Zero said flatly, his shoulders slumping.
"Why… how… How did this happen?" Dr. Cain asked in an amazed tone.
Zero winced and a snide comment about the birds, bees and anal sex died before the thought to make such a comment completely spawned in his mind. He really didn't want to tell Dr. Cain about their relationship…
"Zero… are you sure you didn't get these in battle?" It was a stupid question since Cain knew that Zero hadn't even gone on patrol since the ambush.
Zero's face flushed red with anger and embarrassment. "YES I'M DAMN SURE I DIDN'T GET THESE IN BATTLE!" Zero yelled. He sighed heavily. "All right… I'll tell you everything. 'Cause I'm scared for X… and for me." Zero paced uncomfortably. "X and I… are in a relationship. We… we've been together for almost six months… And at first everything was fine… but now…" Zero rubbed his eyes, stopping the tears before they started and clearing them of sleep. He had cried under X the last three nights, but he wouldn't give his tears to anyone anymore unless he had to. "Something happened that day that he almost got killed by Vile. I know SOMETHING is wrong… X has never hurt me like this before…" A bit of the old steel, some of his lost will, reasserted its self in Zero's backbone, and he stated, "I want him analyzed to see if the Maverick Virus is in him."
Dr. Cain was shocked. Zero's story was unbelievable, but others had been muttering about X's attitude change. "Zero…"
"I'm demanding this as a unit leader. It's my right to do so." Zero shivered and then turned his eyes to Dr. Cain. "Please Dr. Cain… you have to help us!" Zero pleaded suddenly. "I'm so worried about him…"
Dr. Cain's eyes widened. Finally, he smiled warmly at the Crimson Hunter. "All right Zero. I'll help you out."
* * * *
Zero felt almost sick as he walked down to his room. Honestly, he was a bit scared of confronting X. But, he cared about him and HAD to help him.
Zero poked his head in the room and smiled at his friend. "Hey X…"
X sighed and put down the paperwork he'd been organizing. "Zero… what a pleasant surprise to see you here…"
Zero cringed away from X as he looked at him and cut him off before he could suggest anything wanton. "I… I just came to tell you that Dr. Cain wants to see us. Stat."
X frowned. "Oh… is that all?" X slowly stood and stretched his back. "Ah… well. All right. I needed a break anyway." He walked over to the door. "Let's go."
They walked in sync, just like before, as if nothing was wrong, and for a moment Zero could convince himself it was the case, that nothing had happened and that it was all a bad dream. But the pain, it was real. Soon, he whispered to himself in his mind. Soon all it will be is a bad memory, even less, a nightmare.
X walked a little bit closer to Zero and said in a low voice, "I missed you last night…"
Zero shivered in his armor and recoiled away from X.
X grinned. "Don't worry, we'll make up for lost time tonight."
All Zero could manage was a strangled whimper.
* * * *
They walked though the door way together. "You needed som--?" was all that managed to get out of X's mouth before he was knocked out by a reploid standing just inside the doorway.
He looked down at X, then up at Zero. "Don't worry sir, soon everything will be back to normal."
Zero smiled weakly in return.
While X was out they strapped him to an examining table and then the other reploid left. Zero sat up on another table and hugged his knees to his chest.
"He has to be up for me to run the test you know… Are you sure you want to be here?"
Zero nodded and Dr. Cain brought X out of stasis lock by flicking his power switch instead of his usual method.
Pure fury blew over X's features for a moment, then composed into something approaching normal. "Is something wrong Doc?" X asked as his gaze was locked upon Zero's unmoving form.
"Nothing much," the doctor answered in a nonchalant tone. "You don't mind if we test you for the Maverick Virus, do you?"
X snorted softly. Do I mind? You have me strapped to a table, jackass! "Not at all, Doc."
All the tests came out negative, every signal one. Zero looked more dejected, and hugged his knees tighter. X looked victorious and smirked up at Zero. And Dr. Cain just looked puzzled.
"Something isn't right. I'm going to do a full scan." He pressed the button for the scan to begin.
X's cool and confident attitude evaporated. "No!" X growled furiously and thrashed wildly. One of the metal restraints holding his arm down groaned and screamed then broke open. Hate filled his eyes as he slammed Dr. Cain in the face, knocking him unconscious.
Zero froze up. He was too terrified to run to the doctor's side and see if he was all right. His eyes slowly turned to X.
X glared at Zero. "Zero! Let me out of here!"
Zero didn't move.
"DAMN YOU!" X roared. He clenched his teeth with exertion and the remaining restraint around his arm broke open. Quickly after that he ripped the two restraints around his boots off. X stood.
Zero's face went pale. He backed away, eyes dead with terror.
X glanced down at the doctor. "Fool," he snorted. X looked back up at Zero. His expression was unreadable.
"X…" Zero whispered. "I was only… trying to help you… Please…"
X shook his head slowly, disgusted. "How dare you?" he asked breathlessly. "I can't believe this." X narrowed his eyes.
"What… what are you going to do?" Zero dared to ask.
X stepped forward and grabbed Zero's arm tightly. He smirked. "I'm going to kill you and rape your cold, dead body."
Zero's whole body trembled uncontrollably. Tears glistened in his eyes. His will was gone. It had taken all he had to bring X here. Zero whimpered pitifully, unable to fight back.
Dr. Cain slowly opened his eyes. He touched his forehead to feel hot, sticky blood. He suddenly remembered…
X!
Even if Dr. Cain hadn't heard X's remark, or even been hit, he would have known something was wrong, the computer had IDed the brain pattern. It was Sigma's.
Dr. Cain weakly forced himself to his feet. The scene in front of him horrified him.
X had his back turned to him. One hand held Zero to the wall and the other was wrapped tightly around his neck.
Zero's eyes were shut tightly. Soft sobs escaped from his battered body as X slowly and agonizingly strangled him, intent on crushing his spinal cord. Zero wasn't even attempting to struggle.
Dr. Cain pulled an energy trank gun from his desk and leveled it at X's head.
X whirled around. "YOU!" he spat. "You are supposed to be DEAD!"
"So are you," Dr. Cain wheezed. He pulled the trigger.
A spasm of pain surged through X. His hold on Zero slackened and eventually dropped completely.
Zero opened his eyes in surprise when X had stopped. He gasped as he saw X lying on the ground unconscious.
Dr. Cain stared at him with uncertain eyes. Why hadn't he fought back? Dr. Cain noticed ugly fingerprint bruises around Zero's neck. "Oh Zero…" he whispered.
Zero drew in a labored breath. "X…" he said in a raspy voice.
Dr. Cain sighed softly. He examined the computer closely. "Just as I thought… Sigma."
Zero's eyes widened.
Dr. Cain kneeled down beside X. "Where is it?" he murmured to himself. He searched X over along his spine.
Zero sniffled and hugged his knees tighter. He looked ashen and dejected.
"Here it is!" Dr. Cain cut open and pulled back some of X's synth-skin and plucked something out. He stood with a small chip in his fingers. "This was controlling X."
"What is it?" Zero asked in a whisper.
"This thing is called a Restrain Chip. What it does is restrain the impulses in a reploid's brain wave and substitutes--transplants is a better word, another brain wave though a relay. It was outlawed, except for extreme medical emergencies, since the technology for it came out." Dr. Cain paused and thought it over for a moment. "Since then most reploids were built so the things can't be put on them, but X is the first model, and technology hasn't changed much since him so no one thought of upgrading that part of him."
Zero looked up at Dr. Cain.
"Vile probably implanted it on X that day he was ambushed in the warehouse. Sigma has been in control of X. It's like the Maverick Virus, only much easier to operate. The Maverick Virus can be unpredictable… And it is possible to fight the Sigma virus-but with this Sigma had complete control over X with no chance of him being able to override him." He waved the thing in the air. "With this, Sigma was X. However, it is very easy to remove, as you can see." Dr. Cain smiled halfheartedly. He handed it to Zero.
Zero frowned as he held it in his hand. Fresh tears filled his eyes. He clenched a fist, crushing the chip to nothing in the palm of his hand.
Dr. Cain put a comforting hand on Zero's shoulder. "It's over now. X is back to normal." He glanced down at him. "Do you want me to wake him up?"
"Does… does X know what happened? What he did to me?"
Dr. Cain nodded slowly. "He saw everything."
Zero bit his bottom lip. "Wake… wake X up…" he said in a broken voice.
"Okay…" Dr. Cain whacked X VERY HARD over the head with his cane.
"OW!"
Zero couldn't help but smile slightly.
X shot up. He glanced down at his hands and flexed them, amazed that they were moving under his command. Then he looked all around the room. "I'm back."
"Yup," Dr. Cain grumbled. "You put us through a lot of hell X."
"It wasn't ME!" X objected. He sniffed.
"Some more than others…" Dr. Cain motioned towards Zero.
X stared up at his best friend. "Oh Z…"
Zero cringed and drew back, shivering. He looked like he was to small for his armor, like he was hiding in it. He was a wraith, a pale shadow of what he had been.
"I… I'm so sorry…" X shakily climbed to his feet. He tried to look Zero in the eyes, but he wouldn't acknowledge him and turned his head away. "Can you ever forgive me?"
Zero didn't answer.
X sighed heavily. "So Doc… you know everything now?"
Dr. Cain grinned. "All I need now is my own TV show where I can discuss your mating habits!" He seemed thrilled by this.
"That's not funny," X said hotly. He turned back to Zero. "Zero… are you all right? I… I couldn't control him… I begged him to stop…"
Zero slowly shifted to the right a bit, giving X room to sit down beside him.
X was somewhat relieved. "Um, Doc? Could you leave us alone for awhile?"
"Fine. I've got to go get some ice for my head anyway." Dr. Cain stumbled out the door.
X hesitantly sat down next to Zero. "I'm so sorry…" he said again. He gently put an arm around Zero and pulled him close. "I feel so horrible…"
Zero flinched but submitted to the embrace, his muscles instantly loosening-not because he was calm, but because it hurt less when you were hit. The fear and pain he had experienced in the last few days were still fresh in his mind. Would he ever be able to trust X again? Was he even mentally capable of it?
No longer did the presence of his best friend comfort him. No longer did his touch make him relax. Now it was fear and depression.
Everything was the same; there was no difference from the removal of the chip. That body had degraded him. That voice had cursed him. Those hands had hurt him over and over again.
Zero wondered if the eyes were the same, but he was too afraid to look.