Author's Note:  I can't guarantee anything, but I should be able to give an update to this story about twice a month.  I may do more, it all depends on if I find myself having this intense desire to write, write, write, and write some more, just for fun.  Oh, and did I mention writing?  Yeah.  The usual.  R/R and don't flame unless you can prove that you can write this story better than I can.  Real proof, too.  Thanks to all of the readers who have reviewed, it's appreciated, and I do take advice, so don't be afraid to offer any. 

Disclaimer:  Once again, I will say that I do not own any of the Mega Man X characters.  I do not, have not, and likely will not own any of them.  One can only dream…  The only character I do own is Wy.  She is mine and only mine.  If you want to use her, ask first.  My email is in my profile, so… yeah.  You know the deal.



Chapter 2:  Quality Bonding

            It had been nearly a week, and so far, nothing.  Wy had been assigned to the 17th for a lot of different reasons, and it seemed like sitting around and doing nothing was on the top of the list.  After Signas had given her over to X to tour her about the MHHQ facilities and to assign her a room, that had been the last she'd seen of X.  He seemed like he was avoiding her, and even though she really didn't know why he would be like this, she had a pretty good idea.
            That was why she had let this go on for this long.  But, enough was enough.  A girl can only take so much of nothing.  Aside from her room and the occasional visit from Alia, there was absolutely nothing for her to do.  The firing range was off limits to her, as she wasn't authorized yet, something about "not knowing the capacity of her buster".  Feh.  It worked, that was all she needed to know, right?  And for some reason, she was restricted from the SDR (Simulated Danger Room).  All because X wouldn't get up off of his lazy…
            She decided right then and there to get up and do something about her immense boredom and near suicidal cabin fever.  She would just have to go talk to X himself.  If she could just find him…

            X, however, was not to be found easily.  He was a busy little blue bot.  He was, after all, the commander of the 17th unit.  But, that only leant a few things to his unavailability.  Really, what kept him from the public was his constant training in the SDR.  He had been doing it religiously for the past week, ever since Wy had been assigned under his command. 
            He was determined to become better, to beat his personal records.  He felt this insatiable need to be able to take up the "obvious" slack that Zero's absence was creating…  It was just this overpowering need in him.  It was like he was beating out his feelings instead of bad times and records.
            X had become almost reclusive in the past week.  He only appeared in public just long enough to give his unit orders and to grab new paper work, while dropping off old papers.  He just could bring himself to face Wy, not yet.  He needed time to accept that Zero wasn't going to come back, not like last time.  There was no hope in this situation.  In all other scenarios, there was a chance, and a hope.  There were no chances, and there was no hope, either.  It was that simple  But, X just couldn't accept it, not really.
            Zero had always been there for him, and had never failed to be a big brother.  What was he supposed to do?  How was X supposed to feel about losing his big brother?  Losing his only real family in this world, and being given this… memorial in his place. 
            That was all he could see when he looked at Wy.  All X could see was the free blonde ponytail, and the blazing green Z-saber.  The look of concentration, the fierce determination, the will.  Everything about her just made him remember Zero.  He knew that no two reploids could be the same, and that all reploids were created with all the basics, but those basics didn't include self help.
            So every day, X found himself in the SDR, training and avoiding all his problems, like they weren't there at all.  He never had to think about Wy, or anything when he trained.  He just honed his reflexes and his speed, no thinking involved.  All action.  Too fast to think, too involved to slow down.  X would lose himself for hours and he'd wake up from his trance in the middle of the night, not aware that he had spent almost the entire day in simulations.
            And so it would have continued, except for one thing…

            "Wy."  He said it with such enthusiasm.  Oh, joy.  X didn't seem particularly ecstatic to see her.  He shied away from her, actually.  What is his problem?  She couldn't really keep herself from wondering about him, what he was doing here this early in the morning.  He looked like he hadn't slept at all last night.  Poor guy…
            "X.  I've come to talk to you, maybe get some answers.  I dunno if this is the right time, but it's the only time I've gotten in the last week.  So, you're mine, blue boy.  Sit."  She pointed at the bench nearest them, and assumed a good stance for standing while he sat like an obedient puppy.  She stifled the urge, and went on with her intentions.  "X, I need to know.  Am I not wanted?  Is there something wrong with me, or what?!  I haven't yet gotten access to any of the restricted areas.  I'm not cleared for weapons use, and I don't have anything to do but think, and that's gotten mighty boring by now.  I'm being treated like a prisoner!"  She didn't look finished, but she was waiting for him to answer her.
            X looked stricken.  He wasn't sure how to answer her, caught between his painful perception of Wy and his responsibility to her (which was almost as painful as his perception).  He couldn't answer her, couldn't find the words at all, so he just sat there, silent.  She, however wouldn't take this kind of an answer.  "Damn it, X!  Answer me!  Is it because Zero made me?  Is it because I look like him?  Or are you trying to test my patience, because I can tell you right now, it's tested, and I'm gettin' mad.  All I want are some damn answers, is that too much to ask?"  She hadn't bothered being quiet or reserved.  Then, she drew back slightly, caught off guard by X.
            He wasn't entirely certain why he was smiling, but he was.  It was as if some damn had broken within him, and all his pent up feelings came rolling out as if they weren't anything at all.  "Wy, you remind me of Zero, yes… But you'll never be anything like what he was.  What you're doing now proves that."  He said it without looking at her, still smiling, his face in shadows, giving him a slightly eerie appearance.  He rose from his seat, and approached her, feeling better and more confident about dealing with her.  "I'm sorry that I've been avoiding you for this entire week, Wy.  I just needed to get my head straight.  If I'd known that all it took was for you to yell at me, I'd have done this days ago."  He chuckled, blushing lightly while he scratched at the back of his head aimlessly.
            Wy saw X in a new light now.  She saw what he must have looked like before all of this happened, what he was like with Zero around and before Sigma… He looked so young and naïve… He looked like he didn't really have a care in the world.  It was admirable.  But… "Oh, no you don't!  You're not getting out of it that easily!"
            X looked back at her, startled out of his moment, and was puzzled for a bit, gawking at her glaring at him with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot.  He looked at her like that for a brief moment, and then he suddenly remembered why she'd come out here to yell at him in the first place.  "Oh!  You want me to get you authorized!  Heh heh heh, sorry 'bout that.  Guess I kinda spaced out there."  X said it with a sheepish look and his light blush turned a bit more vibrant. 
            "Yeah, that'd be nice, considering that I've got nothing to do here.  Of course, I could always find somewhere you guys don't use and make it into my own, private shooting range…  Yeah!  That'd be a great idea!"  She said it with a mocking tone, only half serious.  But her eyes were gleaming the entire time, and that was what gave her away.
            X lifted his hands and said, "Whoa there!  I don't think we need to go blowing up HQ.  That's what Mavericks are for.  Besides, you can get authorized just fine.  All you have to do is pass the entrance exam…"  He said it with the barest of smiles, like it wasn't there at all.
            "Oh, and what's that?  Do I have to run through an obstacle course, defend myself against hoards of simulated foes, and prove my field abilities in the SDR?"  She said it with the same tone, only it was a bit more mocking.  She expected this.  It was probably some stupid written test, followed by a quick tutorial about how to identify Mavericks, yada yada yada…  God, was it going to boring.
            X watched her face while she said it, and he grinned at her.  He didn't say anything for a while, he just grinned at her.  Finally, creeped out by his gaze, Wy yelled at him.  "Hey, quit it you!  What is it?  What?"  He just laughed at her, shaking his head.  He started walking back to the SDR room, and beckoned her to follow him.  Then, as he was punching in some code, he said, "Well, you got everything right but one thing;  You have to defend yourself against me, too."



End Notes:  I hope you enjoy this chapter.  I know, I know… not a whole lot of action yet, but as you can see, there'll be plenty of action next chapter!  It's the usual speech here… Feedback is good, good is great, great means faster uploads, more incentive, cause I have fans hanging to know what happens next.  Thanks for reading.