WARNING! WARNING! This here fic contains yaoi-

Zero: Oh, what a surprise.

....and it contains pairings of Zero/X-

Zero: I'm shocked! So are the others by-the-way.

AND is a creation of boredom while trapped at home with absolutely nothing

to do during her summer vacation except to dream of being able to chat online

again and to have readily available internet access!

Zero: Now, THAT was impressive...all in one breath!!!

X: Zero, leave her alone.

Zero: THEN, I'll ask what she's going to do with her unfinished fics.

X: ::GASP!:: Oh no! You shouldn't have!

AD-chan: ::stares long and hard:: Uh....::chucks them all out the window:: no

Inspiration what-so-ever to finish them. ;__; I lost all the files when

my 'trusty' computer crashed on me. ::sob::

Zero: ...so you'll ignore all those reviews that readers had sent you to

continue them?

X: ...AD, that's dangerous. Readers are fangirls and boys themselves. There's no

telling what they can do.

AD-chan: uh....don't you think I can distract them long enough? I mean...geez, I

lost all the feel for the old fics.

X: My advise, make this a VERY good fic.

Zero: ::snickers:: why bother. She's a goner.

X: ::glares:: and post links to fanarts.

AD-chan: WAIT! I have to draw fanart??!!...I mean, I like to but...it's too much work.

X and Zero: Your fault.

AD-chan: Damn...this is rated R for a reason folks...wow my first rated R

one...I'm worried.

Zero: ::snorts:: you should be. You suck.

AD-chan: ...well, I love you too.

X: Anyone making records? This must be the longest and pointless note/comment-

thingie that a fan-author must have typed.

AD-chan: HEY! Write to the Guiness Book of World Records.

Zero: This is turning to be really sad.

AD-chan: With that said, I¡¯ll get to writing those overdue fics¡¦soon.

Started: 11:26 PM 7/8/2003

GAMES OF FATE

Zero sat inside his office, a nice little office given to all commanders of the Maverick Hunters so he could feel so special. So what did this high and mighty Zero, Commander of special Zero Unit do? He growled, pouted and chucked miserable bits of paperwork crumpled up into little balls against the nice little wall of the office. Was it fun? HELL NO! Zero moaned and rubbed

his tired eyes. If anymore paperwork found their way onto his desk, he would-

"Zero...uh, you have more paperwork to do. You really made a mess of things in the last mission, didn't you?"

Unnervingly quiet, Zero kept his eyes closed for a moment and then risked a peek at the stack of paper in Alia's arms. No, it wasn't a stack, it was a MOUNTAIN, something that could make Mount Everest shrink in shame. "Oh...god." Groaning once more, he helplessly dropped his head onto the desk, resulting in a loud BANG AND a painful headache. Great, what could he ask for more?

"...Zero, are you alive?"

"...no, I'm not. Go tell the doctor that I died bravely in my office, battling the berserk pen that suddenly sprang to life, claiming victory."

"Oh...kay?" Alia spoke with skeptism and momentarily glanced at the so-called berserk pen. "Do I also tell him that the pen ate all the paperwork?"

"Oh, yes. That'll help. Now, go away and leave me to rest in peace."

Then Signas came into check and with a raised brow, he commented on Zero's amusing tale. "And then the hero Signas comes onto the battlefield with a prayer and resurrects the poor soul.Slaying the pen and saving Zero. Also, retrevied all the paperwork from the belly of the enemy and now...GET BACK TO WORK!"

Zero grunted a response that Signas translated into being something closest to 'Yes sir, Great Signas, I shall honor your orders' that Zero was ever going to get. "Alia, drop that mountain of paper onto my head in hopes of smashing it so I could escape this hell."

Alia chuckled. "Sorry, no can do. We have to keep you alive for your fighting skills." After she dropped the stack on top of the existing mound, Zero had the strangest urge to go Maverick on them.

"At least Mavericks don't need to file out paperwork." Zero grumbled to no one in particular.

Douglas walked by and stuck his face momentarily to respond. "Yeah, but they don't get good looking girls either." With a wink, Douglas left and Zero merely rolled his eyes.

"Who needs girls? Isn't life complicated enough already?"

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X glanced back down on the map he held within his grasp. He was pretty sure that he followed the map quite faithfully but...the building was HUGE! When he was told Maverick Hunters...he had imagined a buch of hard-core mercenary reploids and had expected something small and modest but...this was a place of class!

Still not quite sure, he tried looking at the map upside down, thinking that it may be the right-side up but, it was not to be. "...Dr. Cain, what did you get me into?"

Taking a deep breath to feign confidence, he tried something close to a stroll into the huge building. Surprisingly, no one stopped him yet. "Hmmm...lacks security..." Then digging into the bag he wore on his back, he replaced the current map and came up with the map of the interior. "Let's see

...that is...the cafeteria? No, is it the training room? Or is it the bath? Or maybe its just the dormitories...oh sugar monkeys...I haven't got a clue!"

Pausing to place the useless map back in the bag he tried getting the attention of the passing hunters.

"Um...excuse me sir...ma'am...lady...hey...er...you! ...Uh helllloooo!" he started flapping his arms for effect. No one looked. Not even one pause or 'Hey, are you okay?' Not even a snicker nor a look to scold. They walked by as if he were invisible! "Helllo! I do exist! I'm solid you see!?" Still no one seemed to realize X as he flapped his arms more drastically.

Sighing, X began to think that even a decapitated reploid wouldn't be enough to get their attention. Grudgingly, he walked to what seemed to be an elevator and asked to go up the highest floor. Perhaps he could catch their attention on his way down the side of the building. He chuckled as he imagined himself jumping off the roof only to get the attention of the hunters to

ask, 'Can someone give me directions to Dr. Cain's suite?" To be directed to the top floor again.

On the top floor, many reploids buzzed around him, desperate to get to their destination. Dropping his bag, he took another deep breath and yelled. "CAN SOMEONE GIVE ME DIRECTIONS?!!" Panting slightly after his outburst, he calmly collected his bag and waited as a blond female approached him. She smiled.

"Hi, need help?"

FINALLY was all X thought and nodded in the most adorable fashion. "I need to get to Dr.

Cain's suite..."

"New?"

"Yes."

"What's your name?"

"Rockman Xavier Light...I respond to X just fine."

"Alright then X, I'm Alia and the suite that you desperately are in search of is right in front of you."

"...oh!" X blushed a bit to show some of his embarrassment and muttered a low thank you as he entered through the door. He didn't see Alia grin, nor did he hear her whisper.

"Adorable, just adorable."

***

"And THAT'S why I'm approximately 1 hour and 34 minutes and 25 seconds late." X reported as he explained in detail why he had arrived so late.

Dr. Cain merely stared and sighed. "That's approximate? It's sounds exact to me."

"Well, it's off by at least a few seconds I assure you."

Waving it off, Dr. Cain raised a brow. "X...What I don't understand is, why you decided to take the long way when the house was just 5 blocks down the street!"

X laughed nervously. "Well, I...um...just HAD to go by that stuffed animal store and it was ESSENTIAL that I got my regular dose of vanilla ice cream-"

"X..."

"You know what they say! A scoop of ice cream a day keeps the doctor away!!!" X tried to reason frantically.

"X...you...are impossible."

X put on his best angelic smile he could manage and tried to act confused. Then Dr. Cain handed him his armor, his key, and his room number. Taking it as a clue to leave he started to do just so but not before the Doctor announced his commanding officer. "Remember, you are to train under Commander Zero now alright? And I'll tell you now, he's not the nicest guy around."

X nodded absentmindly and left the room with a dull but growing headache. "Now I HAVE to fight. Why couldn't he just let me stay home and work as a butler or something. Sheesh."

He entered his room on the fifth floor of the building and sighed. Looking around he decided that-"This place needs some decoration."

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Zero was not in the best of moods when he was summoned to Dr. Cain's private suite and he was going to make sure that everyone else was not happy when he wasn't either. Glaring viciously at every passing hunter, he made it a point to slam the door to Dr. Cain's room and entered while stomping his feet to make his presence known.

Cain looked up from his delicate work and put on an amused face. "Now, come Zero. It wasn't that bad was it?" Zero growled his response and the doctor chuckled. Then he instantly turned serious. "I have just received a new rookie today and placed him in your unit. I want you to keep an extra eye on him. I have a lot of expectations from this one and I want you to pay special attention to his training. Is that understood?"

Zero wore a look of surprise. "And you called me up for this? When I could be sleeping and dancing in la la land while singing the lollipop song? Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously. I put him in your care and I expect him to be kept from harm you understand? His name is Rockman Xavier Light. Just know him as X anyhow."

Zero skeptically stared at the Doctor for a moment, just to determine whether the Doctor had finally lost it or if he had just been this loony all the time. He sighed and responded with a glare that would have withered grass. "Look doc, I don't have time to spend precious moments on just one hunter and much less a rookie! I doubt that I'll even remember his name by tomorrow. After all, I

have about no less than-"

Cain smirked as an evil glint revealed itself in his eye. "Don't worry about that Zero. I'll make SURE that you remember, you may leave."

A bit ticked off and a little, as in a tiny bit worried, Zero paused before he exited the Doctor's office. And before he could finish closing the door, he heard the Doctor's voice ring out.

"Oh, do hang around the fifth floor before you go to sleep now, will you?"

***

Zero grunted as he walked by the fifth floor for some odd reason that even he couldn't explain. Normally crowded because the fifth floor was mainly dormitories, the hunters were jumping around like mad to avoid colliding into Zero whom was quickly rumored to be very violent and harsh. Zero wasn't

very popular among the reploids. Only very few were willing to talk to him. Anyone who had seem him fight avoided him afterwards.

Zero always brushed it off, thinking that it was better this way. It would be a million years before he could admit to himself that he was lonely with no real friend. After a round trip around the floor, he left and headed for the training grounds. Hoping to find some unlucky rookie to spar with.

Zero smirked in the most sinister way possible. The rookie wouldn't know what got him, he'd make sure of it.

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After X had finished redecorating his small room, it no longer looked suitable for a soldier but for a child of mere seven years of age. X, quite fond of his collection, had put all his stuffed animals on display and stared with awe and giddiness as he found his room a bit too bright and cheery himself.

Yet, content with the result of hard labor, he decided to stroll down to the training room if he could find it. After all, he was expected to be there by five thirty in the morning. There was absolutely no way that X was going to wake up earlier than expected to search for the training grounds in the morning.

It didn't help that he almost needed a boot to the butt in the morning to fully wake up. If he didn't receive anything quite as painful, everything he did could be written off as something close to sleepwalking, which he had a bad habit of doing in the morning even in Dr. Cain's house and had scared the residents half out of their wits when he started to cook in such a condition. X was never too sure what he was cooking when he was in his little 'trance.' Last time he had tried to cook his alarm clock, most likely out of pure vengeance. Didn't make much of a breakfast though, and throughout the whole time he was chewing the thing, he had sort of thought that it was a bit too crunchy and made a lot of unnecessary noise.

Reaching the first floor, he proceeded to the large doors that he had thought to be the door to numerous things. Such as the cafeteria, the training grounds and the entrance to the dormitories. Better to satisfy the curiosity now.

As he entered, he couldn't help himself as he let out a little sound of awe. The room was the most technologically advanced room so far and so many capsules glowed with bright liquid in them. One thing was for sure; this was NOT the training room. Approaching a capsule that imprisoned a reploid inside, he started to poke and tap on the glass. After repeatingly doing so, the occupant, unable to handle the repetitive noise, flipped him the finger and fell back into deep slumber. X had audience.

"And excuse me, but what are you doing to our patient."

"Oh, just checking if he was alive."

"...ah."

X smiled. "No worries! He seems fine to me! Quite dandy I suppose." X responded, glancing back at the slumbering reploid, he had the urge to start tapping again to see what kind of response he would receive next. It must have been obvious what X was tempted to do because he was instantly lead out in

the kindest way possible. They had chased him out with a primitive broom, threatening to dent his head if he persisted.

X considered sticking his head back in to ask directions to the training room but thought better of it, taking the threat a bit seriously.

He had wondered around for about ten more minutes when he had finally located the training grounds. Making a mental note of his path he entered the room to experience in advance how the room would feel. The room was huge! He glanced around the room when another rookie had approached him in a nervous smile.

"Hi, I'm Chip...and uh. I'm new here and uh...I don't really have a training partner right now so I uh..." The rookie named Chip continued to stutter. X smiled, at least he was doing better than this guy right now.

"Yeah sure! I'm new here too and just arrived. You can bet I don't have a partner."

The rookie instantly lightened up and smiled. "Then let's go over there!"

X followed Chip to the corner he had indicated and just stared, unmoving. Chip did the same.

"..."

"..."

X nervously scratched the back of his head. "You can go first."

Chip nodded and instantly took fighting stance. X followed suit and the two were at each other in no time. Then the two noticed the silence in the air after two good minutes of their sparing. The hunters were parting way for a certain someone and it was visible, almost tangible in the air that all

was scared of this new arrival. X waited with interest as Chip tried to shrink back, frightened himself.

"It could only be Commander Zero who does this." Chip whispered.

"Zero?" X repeated. "Hey, I'm assigned to him."

Chip looked at X with pity visible in his gaze. "Oh no. That's not a very good thing."

Soon, the crowd parted enough for X to gain visual of this feared Zero. X was very surprised to find a very attractive blonde making his way through. He had the most blazing set of blue eyes. X was mesmerized by them. As everyone stepped back, only X had remained out in the open, still trying to find

out why everyone was so frightened when it was obvious that he was looking for a partner.

Zero stopped dead in front of X who showed no signs of moving. X smiled.

"Hi."

Everyone gasped and craned their necks to see the brave rookie who dared to say 'hi' to Zero. X glanced around, obviously thinking that the reaction was a bit foolish.

"...hi?" Zero repeated questioningly.

X snapped back to the blond and smiled again. "Yep. Hi Commander Zero. I'm X. Your new rookie."

With that, Zero wore a look of amusement. "So...you're X that Cain was concerned about."

X nodded, not knowing what to say. What had the doctor told him?

Zero narrowed his icy blue eyes. "Perhaps we should test that expectation Cain has of you...now."

Without warning, Zero shot forward and had successfully landed a punch in the gut. X doubled over, surprised. Zero grunted and muttered something about 'some expectation' and that got X angry. Achieving his fighting stance, he kick Zero in the knee and smartly landed a blow to the blonde¡¯s neck and got the satisfaction of watching Zero's face show hints of momentary pain.

Both stood firm, glaring at one another in the most determined way and within seconds, they were at each other's throat, the other trying to knock the other out. It proved to be an amusing fight for it lasted longer than five minutes with no victory. Each side was now panting and holding at least a limb or a part of their body that ached.

With that, Zero straightened and glanced down at the smaller reploid with acceptance. "I see where this expectation comes from."

X stood as straight as he could too, but it was obvious that, Zero was stronger one of the two. X was worn out while Zero had enough energy to stand straight at attention.

Pain still bitting raw in his mind, X responded with the first words he could muster in the chaos of his thoughts. "You're a jerk." All he was able to see was the surprise on Zero's face before he blacked out. Perhaps he had pushed a bit too much. It HAD been a while since he had last fought.

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AD-chan: ...THAT was amazingly...bland. I'm going to have to do something about

it.

Zero: Yep. Uninteresting.

X: It's only the beginning! Let it some time to develop!

AD-chan: ::sniff:: Thank you X. And to you all, a good...night? Morning?

Finished: 2:24 AM 7/9/2003 (I had a good rest in between¡¦okay okay, I fell asleep¡¦sheesh.)