ZERO

Chapter 3

Fan Fiction by Senya

twilight_rhapsody@hotmail.com

Disclaimer: All characters copyright by CAPCOM, I did not create them, nor do I own them. The exception is May, whom I did create.

"Alia. . ." X said, as he leaned over her shoulder and watched the flashing computer screen. "Won't you please help us with this?"

"I don't know, I have a lot of work to do and it seems kind of silly--I mean you want me to find out who this human is, right? But all you know is that she's a Caucasian female with dark brown hair, between the ages of twenty and thirty. That isn't a lot of help. Why do you need this anyway?" The pink-clad female reploid asked.

"Because . . ." X trailed off, remembering that Zero did not want anyone to know about his bizarre dreams. "Um, please, Alia? Please . . ."

Alia studied the blue Maverick Hunter's face for a good long minute and then sighed. "Well fine, fine I'll help you but only for you two. I wouldn't be wasting my time like this for anyone else and you owe me!"

"Yeah, thanks Alia." X said as she began to type something on the screen.

Zero, who had been silent for while X 'sweet-talked' Alia stepped forward and watched the screen over the female reploid's shoulder as images and biographies of human females who fit his description flashed across the screen. "No, no, no, no . . ." Then something. "Wait, stop." Alia froze the screen.

Zero stared at the photograph in disbelief, it was clearly the woman from his dream. The kind face, long dark hair. She was even wearing the same white sweater. "That . . ."

"Her name," Said Alia, reading off of the screen. "Is May Mistweaver. Human female, age twenty-two, she lives in the human city Toronto. She's the owner of a small flower shop, according to this, and the granddaughter of an important scientist who worked on artificial intelligence and Reploids until he published something that went to far and he was expelled from the scientific community."

"What was it?" Zero asked.

"I don't know."

After the two Hunters left Alia's office, Zero turned to X. ". . . Do you want to go to the training centre with me?"

". . . No." Said X, instinctively touching his shoulder where Zero had accidently severed it the day before.

The crimson hunter couldn't hold back his slight smile. "I meant to talk." He explained.

"Oh, okay then." X relaxed a little. "I'm sorry Zero but you really walloped me bad last time . . ."

"Hm, I remember well I thought you would dodge it." His friend said as the two entered the observation area of the centre, were they could sit and view the other Hunters training.

"So, you found out who she is, huh?" X said as they sat down. "May Mistweaver, living in Toronto. Are you going to go see her?"

"What?" Asked Zero, startled, "See her?"

"Yeah, I mean you must have been having those dreams for a reason, you say you've never met her but she's a real person and she's living in a human city not that far from here!"

Zero was silent and thought about that, he had been having dreams about her. It was strange, he had no memory of meeting her. "I don't know, X . . ."

"Come on! I'll go with you!" X said cheerfully.

It was a warm summer day, of course the weather was always warmer these days, but she enjoyed it. May sat in her living room, leafing through a magazine casually, it was a Sunday and she didn't bother opening the store. Her living room was lavishly decorated and furnished, maybe it was silly with all of the Maverick wars going on, knowing her home could be blown away someday. But still . . .

At that moment the door bell rang.

"Whoever it is, I don't want to talk to them . . ." She said to herself, "No way! I'm not answering it."

The door bell rang again.

She groaned, it couldn't be one of her friends, so that meant a salesperson, or her father, he was probably trying to 'patch things up' between them again. It would never be enough though, whatever he did, whatever he bought. She thought bitterly.

The door bell rang a third time.

The person was obviously not going to go away so May threw her hands up in despair and walked to the front door, pulled it open--

The door opened, Zero saw her, the human female from his hauntingly reoccurring dreams, but when she saw him her brown eyes widened in surprise so great--it was as though she recognized him. She stepped backwards suddenly, her eyes still wide, and the colour drained from her face. Groping blindly for the edge of the door May grabbed it and slammed it shut with all of her might.

"Gee, what did we do?" X asked, he was standing behind Zero. "Maybe she's one of those reploid-phobic humans."

Zero shook his head, there was something, but he did not know what. "I know her, somehow, even though I can not remember. . . my dreams are always the same. She looks at me sadly."

"Well she didn't seem very happy to see you." X said.

"I know."

Behind the door May Mistweaver took several deep breathes, her knees felt weak, she fell with her back to the door, shaking all over her body. It was him but how could it be him? After all of the years . . .

"Come on, Zero, I don't think she's going to talk to us." X said, he turned back to the car. "Let's go."

". . . Yeah, sure." Zero turned to follow him, they were almost to the blue and silver vehicle when a voice called to them:

"Wait! Wait! I'm sorry, please forgive me that was very rude, wasn't it?" They turned back, she had opened the door, and was standing there, some of the colour had come back to her face.

"Miss . . . Mistweaver, correct?" Asked Zero, she didn't seem to hear him, she walked up to him with a strange look in her eyes.

"It's you, it's really you, isn't it?" She asked.

"Um, I'm not sure." He told her warily. Who was this human? Really?

"Oh . . . well, won't you come in? I really am sorry for slamming the door in your face like that. I was just surprised. . ."

Surprised? More like terrified, thought X, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

The three of them entered her house, and stood in the living room rather awkwardly.

"So . . ." She began, waving her hand in the air vaguely. "You are . . . a Reploid, aren't you."

"Yes." Zero nodded.

Her face seemed to contort a little, as though that was a painful thing to hear.

"My name is Zero, and this is X." He continued.

"Zero . . ." She repeated. "I see." She shifted uncomfortably. "And what brings you here then . . . Zero?"

"Well . . ." He broke off when he noticed the photograph on the coffee table, it was in a small frame. It was the human, May, and standing beside her was . . . himself? It looked like him, the same face, the same green eyes, and the long blonde hair. But he wasn't wearing red armor, he was wearing human clothes. He looked like . . . a human man?