Aya: Initially this was supposed to be a yaoi chapter to commemorate my computer crashing and losing all of my data... but apparently I suck at yaoi XD *blush* I need more work! So please enjoy this almost yaoi chapter while I work on some mad skillz with my sensei XD

Skew Universe

Chapter 12: With Great Regret

X let the hot water splash away the dirt and blood from his body. Though the hot shower--suggested by Vile after he brought the two of them back inside--was supposed to calm him down, X was anything but calm at the moment. It was true that he was thinking more clearly than ever before in Copy's body, able to see right through Vile's manipulations and his sexual advances for what they were... but that didn't change that fact that Vile was right outside the door... and what he had to do when he would see Vile again.

X soaped off the rest of the dirt, trying to get the couple of scrapes he did have as clean as possible. In his mind he kept thinking about stabbing Zero in the chest, dying for a second time... and having to kill Vile

He shook his head, trying to clear the images from his mind, but they inevitably returned with roaring strength, consuming his thoughts and senses. Several times since his return, but never in front of Vile, he found himself clinging onto the wall, pulling himself back to reality.

Minutes passed without X realizing it, and he woke up, huddled in a corner of the shower, the hot water drumming the top of his head.

"You've been in here for quite awhile, X."

X looked up, finding Vile staring at him, smiling, no doubt, at X's fragile mentality. It was attractive to the maverick, solely because he was the architect of X's mindscape.

There was something calming about seeing Vile. All his guilt about having to kill Vile suddenly vanished. All the justification he could have for killing Vile was standing right before him. He held a steady gaze at the Maverick, ignoring the water still splashing onto him.

Vile turned off the water, still amused at X crouching in one corner of the shower stall. "Here." The maverick retrieved a towel off the wall rack and opened it up for X. "Before you get cold." X stood up, accepting Vile's embrace, feeling the maverick's breath as he chuckled. "Close your eyes, X."

For reasons unknown to him, X complied and closed his eyes.

"You're tired."

X felt his legs give out, and he collapsed against Vile. The Maverick picked X up and carried his limp figure against his chest, making his way back out into the connected bedroom. Vile set the hunter on the bed, stroking some water away from X's face as he stared at his half-naked figure. Without hesitating, Vile pulled the towel away, revealing X's, and admired X's body.

X woke up, groggily looking at Vile.

"Vile?"

"Yes?"

"Do you ever get sad?"

Vile blinked curiously at X, who didn't seem to mind being naked and underneath the maverick. Vile laughed, then leaned in closer to X. "I'm sad when I don't have my X around." Vile closed his eyes, deeply considering something for a second, then opened them again. "I did love him, you know."

X nodded, then reached up pull Vile's face close to his, before brushing his lips over Vile's.

Vile took this as an invitation, and pressed X's head back against the pillow, feasting hungrily on X's lips. Without tearing himself from the kiss, Vile started to take off his body suit. When Vile did pull himself away from X's kiss, it was only to gauge the hunter's reaction to their naked proximity. He brushed two fingers from X's cheeks, touching the crimson patches playfully.

X took this moment to study Vile, to try to see again the evil that sets him apart from other Reploids and humans: the ones who didn't deserve to die. He could see nothing from Vile's eyes now that set him apart. Instead, the violet crystals that are Vile's eyes reflected deep sadness and loss as the Maverick looked down at X. The Hunter felt his resolve weaken.

"Are you sad, X?" Vile asked after seeing X's expression change.

"I...." X began, but turned away.

"Go to sleep.... X..." Vile laid down next to X, then pulled the comforter over both of them. Vile looked one last time at X, then closed his eyes.

X laid still for a moment, watching strands of Vile's hair fall across his face as the Maverick settled to sleep. Inwardly, X reminded himself of everyone Vile's killed, and all of the tactics he's used. Remorse at the last moment will not pardon you... Vile.  X breathed, heavily, summoning all his will to do this one last ill deed before he died. X moved towards Vile, and softly pried Vile's lips open with this tongue. Vile's eyes opened for a second, before closing them again to focus on only X's kiss.

X pulled away, and Vile opened his eyes, groggily watching X's movements.

"I'm sorry, Vile." X whispered before brushing Vile's hair from his face, and kissing him on the forehead. He watched as the light from Vile's eyes began to fade, and stayed there until Vile closed his eyes forever.

*************

"X?!" Gate gasped as the door to his quarters opened to reveal X. Gate quickly gauged X's height to determine who he was seeing at his door. "What happened to you?! Commander X and Commander Zero went out to look for you!" Before he could give an explanation, X collapsed into Gate's arms. The scientist pulled X inside and set him onto the couch. "X! Wake up!"

"Gate..." X said without opening his eyes. "I'm not Copy. But this is Copy's body... I'm just..." X paused to breathe. "Borrowing it..."

"What?!" Gate began, but X cut him off.

"Ask Conan and he should be able to explain it to you." X coughed. "I had to borrow X's body to kill Vile..."

"But.. why?...unless...."

"I'm dead... Zero too. Vile..." X smiled sadly, pausing as if he's remembering something. "Don't tell X I killed Vile... okay? I promised him I wouldn't..." X opened his eyes and looked at Gate. "Before I go, I want to tell you I'm sorry..."

"Go? What... Commander?!" Gate held X's shoulders, trying to get a grip on the situation. "What do you mean, 'go'?"

"I'm sorry if I've made you sad, Gate." X started to fall backwards, but Gate pulled him back up, trying to rouse X.

"Commander X!"

"Ahh...?" X reached up to grab his head, his eyes opening timidly. "Gate? Wh-what's going on?"

Gate held his breath, realizing it was someone else he was speaking to now. "Copy?"

"Didn't I tell you I hated being called that?..." X's eyes opened widely, gripping Gate's hands. "Where is everyone? Zero, Commander X... where are they?"

"They're dead..." Gate's words seemed unreal to himself. "Commander X told me... just now."

X looked down, trying to find something inwardly. It was only a second later, but he realized Commander X was really dead, just as he said. "Oh..."

"Come on, X. We'll get Conan to send you home."

X got up and followed gate towards the door.

"Wait... what happened to Vile?"

"Vile?" Gate dropped his head and turned away. "He's in custody. For Zero and Commander X's murder."

"Oh." X continued to follow Gate, acting as if he couldn't tell Gate was lying to him. A single tear trailed down his cheeks. Even though Commander X's consciousness was gone, he left behind deep regrets in X's mind; deep regrets and sorrow that he had to kill Vile with a computer virus he transmitted the last time they kissed... X had no idea his other self was capable of such a cruel method of murder, but the sadness Commander X left behind prevented him from hating his other self.

"Let's get you home... okay, X?"

*********************

Everyone in the room--Conan, Gate and X--were silent as Conan got the equipment together to send X back home. X was too tired to say proper farewells before he was transported back to his own reality, so Conan simply began the transportation sequence. After the blinding light disappeared, he blinked and looked around, surveying his surroundings.

"X! Where the hell have you been?!"

There was Zero, dropping files of paperwork and running towards him. As Zero was holding him to the point of suffocation, X realized he was transported back to Hunter HQ--back in X's quarters.

"After the incident, you just disappeared! Where did you go?" Zero let go of the hug and looked demandingly at X, expecting an answer. "We looked everywhere for you but you were nowhere to be found."

"I..." X started to explain about the skew universe, but decided it was too painful to bring up again, so he simply played dumb. "I don't know. I was there... and then suddenly I was here." X studied Zero's face, which twisted from concerned to curious, unsure of X was really telling him everything.

"Well... okay." Zero said. "For now, let's just get you checked up." Zero turned away and led the way out of the room, but he was stopped by X's iron grip. "What gives, X? You're acting strange, even for you."

"I... just want to hold you for a second longer, that's all." X gave one last squeeze, then followed Zero out of the room.

**************

"Does anyone suspect we had doings with the lab "accident?""

"No, Commander Sigma... Now that the Hunters have found X, they're moving onto other cases and calling this a closed case."

"Good. And what do you make of X's temporary disappearance?"

"My guess is that he traveled to the other dimension with the scientist."

"Well, find out what he knows about the other dimension, Vile. Since we couldn't get our operative there, this will have to do until we get a secure hold on the device."

"Yes, Commander Sigma."

********************

To Be Continued

*******************

Aya: DUDE! I totally thought I was going to write a yaoi chapter on this one, but apparently I suck at yaoi, and need much much more work with Gimp-sensei before I can write yaoi proper...

Mob Member 1: That is NO EXCUSE for taking everyone's clothes off and then leaving it at napping!

Mob Member 2: I KNOW! She's so cruel! *_*

Aya: To Everyone, my deepest apologies. Secondly, I thought I was going to end the story with this chapter, but here were kind of unresolved things... and ending it randomly happily with X back in Zero's arms didn't seem right either. Who knows, since the story is longer now, I might have some time to dish out the yaoi XD

Gate Fan Club: Does this mean we'll see more of the Gate? XD

Aya: Uh.. probably.

Here are random lines from the upcoming chapters of madness XD Kind of like, a preview of sorts? Chu! Enjoy!

Zero: "What's wrong with you, X? You get angry so easily now. What really happened when you disappeared from the lab?"

Sigma: "When everyone plays their proper role, the story is beautiful. X, have you found your role yet?"

X: "I don't even know who I am anymore..."

Gate: "Hello, Commander X. I'm Gate, from Research and Development... you look as if we've met before. Please excuse me if I've forgotten."

Vile: "There's something different about you, X... I can feel it... a part of you wants to surrender to me..."

Conan: "Something more has happened to X when he allowed his other self to live and die in his body... At the most unexpected times, flickers of his other's personality reveal itself. The incident at the lab is still unresolved. Someone interfered with the experiment on purpose, and might still plan to do something. Now that X is involved, his safety is in jeopardy, too."

Aya: See you next time XD